Whatchya Gonna Swing Tonight?

 I love a good melody, and there's a load of tunes here to keep you whistling for a while. Or at least until my next post. :-) I think they could have done without two consecutive Crosby solo tunes but will forgive the duet with Connee Boswell because it's Connee Boswell. I never tire of Tommy Dorsey's Marie, and somewhere I have a live version featuring Sinatra that I'll try to locate if and when all of our things arrive via container. Which reminds me, at some point thereafter I plan to post the four cds of complete Dorsey/Sinatra recordings (the sampler cd was posted some time back). In any case, I'm pretty sure this is the last 'Hits of' disc in my collection. Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. Bei Mir Bist Du Schon - Andrews Sisters
2. On The Sunny Side Of The Street - Louis Armstrong
3. Rockin' Chair - Mildred Bailey
4. That Old Feeling - Connee Boswell
5. Will You Remember - Sam Costa
6. Bob White - Bing Crosby & Connie Boswell
7. Moon Got In My Eyes - Bing Crosby
8. Sweet Leilani - Bing Crosby
9. I've Got You Under My Skin - Frances Day
10. Marie - Tommy Dorsey
11. Moon At Sea - Shep Fields
12. Leaning On A Lamp Post - George Formby
13. All God's Chillun Got Rhythm - Judy Garland
14. To Mary With Love - Geraldo
15. Oh They're Tough Mighty Tough In The West - Nat Gonella
16. Pennies From Heaven - Nat Gonella
17. Nice Work If You Can Get It - Billie Holiday
18. Slap That Bass - Ink Spots
19. Was It Rain - Frances Langford
20. Greatest Mistake Of My Life - Jimmy Mesene
21. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm - Dick Powell
22. Broken Hearted Clown - Harry Roy
23. Can I Forget You - Jean Sablon
24. September In The Rain - Arthur Tracy
25. Where Is The Sun - Valaida

Panama Limited Blues

Yay, I found my other copy of Luis Russell! So by request, here's some hot jazz from the heart of Prohibition. Kid Ory, Barney Bigard, J.C. Higginbotham, Henry "Red" Allen, and Bill Coleman are just some of the names that perform on these terrific sides by Russell's bands. I think I included the scans (from years ago), but the cover didn't come out in color (sorry) for some reason.

By the time this is posted, the computer will have been packed away and the moving truck arrived. I've uploaded a few discs that I hope to get to in the coming weeks, but that will depend on internet access and time - and the sun. We're moving to Brasil! So until the next post - Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. 29th and Dearborn
2. Sweet Mumtaz
3. Panama Limited Blues
4. Tia Juana Man
5. Plantation Joys
6. Please Don't Turn Me Down
7. Sweet Mumtaz
8. Dolly Mine
9. Savoy Shout
10. The Call of the Freaks
11. It's Tight Like That
12. African Jungle
13. Slow As Molasses
14. The New Call of the Freaks
15. Feelin' The Spirit
16. Jersey Lightning
17. Broadway Rhythm
18. The Way He Loves Is Just Too Bad
19. Blood Hound Blues
20. Dirty T.B. Blues
21. Moaning The Blues
22. Telephoning The Blues
23. Doctor Blues

1, 2 Russell's Hot Six; 3,4 Ada Brown; 4 to 8 Luis Russell's Heebie Jeebie Stompers; 9, 10, 11 Luis Russell and His Burning Eight; 12, 13 Jungle Town Stompers; 17, 18 Lou and His Ginger Snaps; 19 to 22 Victoria Spivey; 11 Walter Pichon vocal; 15 J.C. Higganbotham vocal

Rehearsin' For A Nervous Breakdown

Here's one that I haven't listened to in a while, which upon listening to it this week, I believe deserves more attention. It turns out that I had scanned the images at some point, so they're included in the file. I'm far from an expert, so here's what Wiki has to say: Kirby was born in Winchester, Virginia. In 1926, he moved to Baltimore, Maryland, a town he is still linked to by some. He played with Chick Webb and Fletcher Henderson. In the early 1930s, he performed some amazingly complicated tuba work on a number of Henderson's recordings. In an unusual move, Kirby picked up on the double-bass at the time when tuba was falling out a favor as the orchestra's primary bass instrument (few tuba players continued their role in the orchestra by switching to double-bass).

Kirby started his own band in 1937. The John Kirby Sextet, known as "The Onyx Club Boys" (usually including Kirby on bass, Charlie Shavers on trumpet, Buster Bailey on clarinet, Russell Procope on alto saxophone, Billy Kyle on piano and O'Neill Spencer on drums) would become one of the more significant "small groups" in a Big band era and had the first recording of Shavers' song "Undecided". Vocals were often performed by Maxine Sullivan, who also became Kirby's wife.

Kirby tended toward a lighter, classically-influenced style of jazz, which has both strong defenders and ardent critics. He was very prolific and popular from 1938-1941. After World War II his career declined and he died in Hollywood, California, just before a planned comeback. In 1993 he was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame.

Unlike other then-popular "novelty" jazz groups (like Raymond Scott), the Kirby Sextet is not particularly well remembered today, although in New York, the Wayne Roberts Sextet (formerly the 'Onyx Club Sextet') pays tribute, and in France it is commemorated by the band 'Kirby Memory', with vocals by Flora Sicot. His small group light jazz style is a great example of how swing can also be elegant. Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. Rehearsin' For A Nervous Breakdown
2. From A Flat To C
3. Pastel Blue
4. Undecided
5. By The Waters Of Minnetonka
6. It Feels So Good
7. Effervescent Blues
8. The Turf
9. Dawn On The Desert
10. Anitra's Dance
11. Sweet Georgia Brown
12. Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes
13. Minute Waltz
14. Front And Center
15. Royal Garden Blues
16. Opus 5
17. Fantasy Impromptu
18. Blue Skies
19. Rose Room (In Sunny Roseland)
20. I May Be Wrong (But I Think You're Wonderful)
21. Little Brown Jug
22. Nocturne

East Of The Sun

For whatever reason, I seem to have not uploaded 1934 yet. So we skip ahead to 1935, which should not disappoint. Two fantastic Astaire tunes open this year's set, recorded (respectively) with the Johnny Green and Leo Reisman Orchestras followed up by Ethel Merman, a couple of Fats Wallers, and even an Arthur Tracy version of a tune that Old Blue Eyes famously delivered with Tommy Dorsey. Wrap it up with my favorite version of Lullaby of Broadway, and there you have it. Tracks 3,4, and 21 were actually recorded in 1934 (albeit November or December), but interestingly Track 7 is from 1936 and Track 14 from 1939. Say what? Turns out that the latter was published in '35, recorded later that year and introduced later by Langford in a film. I think Track 7 was originally recorded by someone else in '35, but enough quibbling. Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. Top Hat, White Tie and Tails - Fred Astaire
2. Cheek to Cheek - Fred Astaire
3. Cucaracha - Harry Roy    
4. Anything Goes - Jeanne Aubert & The Four Admirals
5. I Get a Kick Out of You - Ethel Merman
6. Easter Parade - Henry Hall & The BBC Orchestra
7. Everything Stops for Tea - Jack Buchanan
8. Lovely to Look At - Irene Dunne
9. What a Diff'rence a Day Made - Denny Dennis, Roy Fox & His Band
10. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter - Fats Waller & His Rhythm
11. Alone - Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra
12. From the Top of Your Head - Bing Crosby, The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra
13. Your Feet's Too Big - The Ink Spots
14. I'm in the Mood for Love - Frances Langford
15. Canoe Song - Paul Robeson
16. Bess, You Is My Woman Now - Lawrence Tibbett
17. My Very Good Friend the Milkman - Fats Waller & His Rhythm
18. Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup - Carroll Gibbons, Hildegarde
19. East of the Sun (And West of the Moon) - Arthur Tracy
20. Red Sails in the Sunset - Gracie Fields
21. Blue Moon - Frankie Trumbauer
22. I Wished on the Moon - Billie Holiday, Teddy Wilson
23. Lullaby of Broadway - Dick Powell

Spreadin' Rhythm Around

Here's one that I've been meaning to get to for some time. I was reminded of this recently after I was outbid on a McKenzie's Candy Kids 78. One of these days I'll get one! From Scott Yanow at Allmusic.com comes the following description: The Mound City Blue Blowers originally made history with a dozen high-quality novelty recordings during 1924-25 that featured the trio of Red McKenzie's comb, Dick Slevin's kazoo and banjoist Jack Bland; guitarist Eddie Lang solidified the rhythm on their later six numbers. However, other than McKenzie's participation, those dates had little to do with the 25 recordings on this Classics CD, the last issued under the Mound City Blue Blowers' name. In fact, other than taking four vocals on the first date, McKenzie makes only cameo appearances on kazoo during the remainder of the program, although he had clearly organized the bands. The six sessions feature overlapping personnel with some hot playing from either Bunny Berigan (on four of the dates) or Yank Lawson on trumpet and Eddie Miller or Forrest Crawford on tenor and clarinet. In addition to McKenzie, guitarist Nappy Lamare has eight vocals; there are also five from Billy Wilson, four from Spooky Dickenson and two by a vocal group. Only "High Society" and "Muskrat Ramble" are instrumentals, although there are strong solos on nearly every number. The music falls between Dixieland and small-group swing and is most notable for the playing of Berigan. Enjoy. +
Tracks

1 What's the Reason (I'm Not Pleasing You?)
2 She's a Latin from Manhattan
3 You've Been Takin' Lessons
4 (Back Home Again In) Indiana
5 Red Sails in the Sunset
6 I'm Sittin' High on a Hill Top
7 On Treasure Island
8 Thanks a Million
9 Eeny Meeny Meiny Mo
10 A Little Bit Independent
11 I'm Shooting High
12 I've Got My Fingers Crossed
13 High Society
14 Muskrat Ramble
15 The Broken Record
16 The Music Goes 'Round and Around
17 I'm Gonna Sit Right Down (And Write Myself a Letter)
18 Mama Don't Allow It
19 (If I Had) Rhythm in My Nursery Rhymes
20 I Hope Gabriel Likes My Music
21 You Hit the Spot
22 Spreadin' Rhythm Around
23 Saddle Your Blues to a Wild Mustang
24 Wah-Hoo!
25 I'm Gonna Clap My Hands

The Sun Has Got His Hat On

Here's the next in the series of Hits from ASV, another good mix of artists from both sides of the pond. I hadn't heard many of these until I picked up this cd a few years ago. That was before the era of streaming internet radio, so my exposure was limited and this was the first time I had heard Al Bowlly. Shocking, I know. Others have covered the tune, but can anyone top his version of Love Is The Sweetest Thing? And though I'm no Rudy fan by any great measure, he doesn't do too bad on the last track. Unfortunately I do not have the Hits of '33, so the next post in this series will cover 1934. Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. As Time Goes By - Binnie Hale with the Savoy Orpheans, Carroll Gibbons - piano
2. Sun Has Got His Hat On - Ambrose & His Orchestra, Sam Browne - vocal
3. Clouds Will Soon Roll By - Ambrose & His Orchestra, Elsie Carlisle - vocal
4. Please - Bing Crosby, Anson Weeks & His Orchestra
5. It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) - Ivie Anderson, Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
6. Love Is the Sweetest Thing - Al Bowlly, Ray Noble & His New Mayfair Dance Orchestra, Harry Jacobson - piano
7. Goodbye Blues - The Mills Brothers
8. I'll Never Be the Same - Carroll Gibbons & His Boy Friends, Anne Lenner - vocal, Matty Malneck - violin
9. Mad Dogs and Englishmen - Noël Coward, Ray Noble & His New Mayfair Dance Orchestra,
10. Mad About the Boy - Gertrude Lawrence with the Chenil Studio Orchestra
11. I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You - Gene Austin, The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra
12. Happy Go Lucky You (And Broken Hearted Me) - Syd Lipton & His Grosvenor House Band, Sam Browne - vocal
13. Underneath the Arches - Flanagan & Allen with Henry Hall & BBC Dance Orchestra
14. By the Fireside - Al Bowlly, Ray Noble & His Orchestra
15. Gipsy Moon - Ray Noble & His New Mayfair Dance Orchestra, Richard Crooks - vocal
16. Isn't It Romantic? (Love Me Tonight) - Jeanette MacDonald with Nat Finston & Paramount Studio Orchestra
17. Song Is You - Lawrence Tibbett with Nat Shilkret & His Orchestra
18. I've Told Ev'ry Little Star - Mary Ellis with His Majesty's Theatre Chorus & Orchestra, conducted by Hyam Greenbaum
19. When We Are Alone (Penthouse Serenade) - Al Bowlly, Ray Fox & His Band
20. Say It Isn't So - Greta Keller with Victor Young and His Orchestra
21. Paradise - Bing Crosby with Victor Young & His Orchestra
22. When It's Sleepy Time Down South - Paul Robeson with Ray Noble & His New Mayfair Dance Orchestra
23. Auf Wiederseh'n, My Dear - Layton & Johnstone
24. Let's Put Out the Lights (And Go to Sleep) - Rudy Vallée and His Connecticut Yankees