How's Your Uncle?

Here is the remaining batch from 1931. Three cd versions are included (2 Luis Russell, and My Song) because my 78 versions are not as nice. There are five or so .wav files here, the rest are 78s. I recently picked up Sugar which I think Chick Bullock does a nice job singing. Shine On Harvest Moon is one of my favorites, and I love Roy Smeck's guitar work. How's Your Uncle? is a fun tune, I just need a cleaner copy! Recording information is in the idtags, and the tunes are listed below in order of recording dates. Enjoy. +
* Update: I did find a cleaner copy of How's Your Uncle? and a cover for the series has been created. Click the image for full size.

Tracks

21. I'll Be Glad When You're Dead (You Rascal, You) - Chick Bullock
22. I Can't Get Mississippi Off My Mind - Chick Bullock
23. (With You On My Mind, I Find) I Can't Write The Words - Johnny Hamp and His Orchestra
24. Goin' To Town - Luis Russell and His Orchestra
25. Say The Word - Luis Russell and His Orchestra
26. How's Your Uncle? - The Troubadours
27. Shine On Harvest Moon - Roy Smeck's Trio
28. Sugar - The High Hatters
29. My Song - Phil Spitalny and His Orchestra
30. You Can’t Stop Me From Lovin’ You - Chick Bullock
31. You Call It Madness (But I Call It Love) - Chick Bullock
32. Hiding In The Shadows Of The Moon - Lou Gold and His Orchestra
33. Old Playmate - Lou Gold and His Orchestra
34. You Try Somebody Else - Chick Bullock
35. Time On My Hands - Chick Bullock
36. One Of Us Was Wrong - Chick Bullock
37. Pagan Moon - Ted Black and His Orchestra
38. What Price Love? - Chick Bullock
39. Bend Down Sister - Chick Bullock
40. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea - Chick Bullock and His Levee Loungers

Hot Platter

Today I offer my trumpeter and bandleader Erskine Hawkins, composer of "Tuxedo Junction" (his version made it to #7 nationally, while it went to #1 with Glenn Miller's version). His band was so popular that he was able to keep it together through 1953, an amazing feat considering that many bands fell apart at the end of World War II. This record includes the first formal recordings of Coleman Hawkins and his Orchestra, though he had cut some sides as early as 1936. Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. Rockin' Rollers' Jubilee
2. Miss Hallelujah Brown
3. Weary Blues
4. King Porter Stomp
5. Strictly Swing
6. Study in Blue
7. East Rider
8. Swing Out
9. Raid the Joint
10. No Soap (A Jitterbug Jamboree)
11. Swingin' on Lenox Avenue
12. Hot Platter
13. Gin Mill Special
14. Tuxedo Junction
15. Weddin' Blues
16. Uptown Shuffle
17. Baltimore Bounce
18. Saboo
19. Dolimite
20. Gabriel Meets the Duke
21. Midnight Stroll
22. Soft Winds

Let's Drink A Drink To The Future

This is the first of two batches representing my collection of Chick Bullock tunes from 1931. Although I have 40 of his tunes from this year, there are still 70+ that I haven't yet managed to obtain. The Duke Ellington tracks here are the cd versions. I omitted Stardust as that can be found on the Mills Blue Rhythm Band post. A couple of tunes here are from some .wav files I obtained from another collector, which I only edited for start/stop points. The rest are my 78s. I tried to keep the filters to a minimum, however there are a couple where the records are not in good condition yet this is the only copy I have. Would you believe I keep getting outbid on How's Your Uncle? Someday I'll get a cleaner copy. I chose to include Green Eyes (see the Don Azpiazu post) because I think the 78 sounded pretty good.

Recording dates and personnel (as known) are included in the idtags for each tune*. The artists shown below are who is listed on the record label, though that was often different from who was credited for the session. The listing below is by order of recording date, from January 10 to August 4, 1931.

And once again, I am no sound engineer. Hopefully these sound good enough to listen to. Enjoy! +

Tracks

1. Them There Eyes - The Whoopee Makers
2. Rockin' Chair - The Whoopee Makers
3. I'm So In Love With You - The Whoopee Makers
4. You're The One I Care For - Chick Bullock
5. The River And Me - Duke Ellington and His Cotton Club Orchestra
6. Keep A Song In Your Soul - Duke Ellington and His Cotton Club Orchestra
7. Sam And Delilah - Duke Ellington and His Cotton Club Orchestra
8. Would You Like To Take A Walk? - Jack Berger's Hotel Astor Orchestra
9. Teardrops and Kisses - Eddie Kirkeby and His Orchestra
10. That Little Boy Of Mine - The Melodiers
11. If You Should Ever Need Me - The Melodiers
12. Let's Get Friendly - Andy Sanella and His All Star Orchestra
13. I'm Mad About You - Andy Sanella and His All Star Orchestra
14. Bubbling Over With Love - Andy Sanella and His All Star Orchestra
15. Green Eyes - Don Azpiazu and His Havana Casino Orchestra
16. On the Beach With You - Chick Bullock
17. I'm Keepin' Company - Dick Cherwin and His Orchestra
18. As Long As You're There - Dick Cherwin and His Orchestra
19. It's The Girl - Chick Bullock
20. Let's Drink A Drink To The Future - All Star Collegians

* I forgot to add info for the Ellington tunes. Personnel include Arthure Whetsol, Freddie Jenkins, Cootie Williams (t), Joe Nanton (tb), Juan Tizol (v.tb), Johnny Hodges (cl, as, sop. sx), Harry Carney (cl, as, bar), Barney Bigard (cl, ts), Duke Ellington (p, ldr, arr), Fred Guy (b), Wellman Braud (sb), Sonny Greer (d), Guy doubles on guitar on Them There Eyes. Omit Barney Bigard for The River and Me, Keep A Song In Your Soul, and Sam and Delilah.

How 'Bout That Mess?

This is one of those cd's that raised my interest in jazz and big bands. Simply, it jumps with an abundance of energy. Although I love this style of music, in all honesty there aren't many that would qualify as "driving" music where you crank up the car stereo. This one is an exception to that rule. I think Krupa is the best drummer ever, even better than the mighty Chick Webb and others. Of course, that's just my opinion. Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. Drum Boogie
2. Full Dress Hop
3. There'll Be Some Changes Made
4. No Name Jive
5. Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy
6. The Babe Takes A Bow
7. Rhumboogie
8. St. Louis Blues
9. Boog It
10. Who?
11. Yes! My Darling Daughter
12. Tuxedo Junction
13. Deep In The Blues
14. Sweet Georgia Brown
15. How 'Bout That Mess?
16. Blue Rhythm Fantasy

Lullaby Of Broadway

Here's another from Columbia's Art Deco series, with several popular tunes for the boy crooner from such musicals as 42nd Street, Footlight Parade, Gold Diggers of 1933, Dames, Flirtation Walk, and On the Avenue. This compilation is a sort of companion set to the other one I've posted, as that one features Powell's music from later in the 1930s. His version of Lullaby of Broadway is my favorite. Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. We're in the Money (The Gold Diggers Song)
2. Pettin' in the Park
3. Shadow Waltz
4. I've Got to Sing a Torch Song
5. By a Waterfall
6. Honeymoon Hotel
7. Road Is Open Again
8. Lonely Lane
9. Wonder Bar
10. Don't Say Goodnight
11. I'll String Along With You
12. Pop, Goes Your Heart
13. Beauty Must Be Loved
14. Mr. and Mrs. Is the Name
15. Flirtation Walk
16. I See Two Lovers
17. Lullaby of Broadway
18. Words Are in My Heart
19. Lulu's Back in Town
20. Rose in Her Hair

An Unemployed Sweetheart

(from Redhotjazz.com) "Lee Morse was a popular singer of the 1920s and early 1930s. She is best remembered today for the backing bands that were assembled for her recording sessions under the name of the Bluegrass Boys. The bands featured many of the best White jazz musicians of the 1920s. Presumably the band was called the Bluegrass Boys to make it sound like they were from the South (Kentucky is called the Bluegrass state). Lee Morse's family had Southern roots but she grew up in Oregon and Idaho, but few if any of the excellent Jazz musicians who played on these records were from the South. The band's music had nothing to do with the string band style of music that arose in the 1940s called Bluegrass."

Although it hasn't been updated in a while, there is an interesting page on Morse at www.leemorse.com where you can listen to some of her other songs, as well as check out some video shorts. Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. Want a Little Lovin'
2. He's Still My Baby
3. Side by Side
4. Old Fashioned Romance
5. Be Sweet to Me
6. Keep Sweeping the Cobwebs off the Moon
7. Don't Keep Me in the Dark Bright Eyes
8. Miss You
9. Blue Turning Grey over You
10. Tain't No Sin to Dance Around in Your Bones
11. Nobody Cares If I'm Blue
12. I Still Get a Thrill (Thinking of You)
13. Walkin' My Baby Back Home
14. By My Side
15. I'm an Unemployed Sweetheart
16. It's the Girls
17. Something in the Night
18. When I Lost You
19. Careless Love
20. Don't Even Change a Picture on the Wall

Out To Lunch

From Wiki: A highly talented stride piano player and arranger, he left home at the age of only 21 as a sideman with the Wilbur Sweatman Orchestra but stayed less than a year. In 1925, he left for Europe as the musical director of The Revue Negre which starred Josephine Baker with Sidney Bechet in the band.

From 1932-1936, he led a fairly successful Harlem band employing many jazz musicians who were later to become famous in their own right such as Edmond Hall, Jabbo Smith and Vic Dickenson (although it's worth noting that his records were arranged to feature his piano more than his band). This was his most successful period with long residencies at the Savoy and Roseland ballrooms and at the Cotton Club. In 1937 he took his band on the road with a great deal of success.

He broke up the band in 1940 and used his arranging talents working for several non-jazz band leaders and for CBS. In 1948/9 he led a "novelty" band briefly but took a jazz band into The Cafe Society in 1950. From 1951 up until his death, he remained in NYC working mostly as a sideman with other Dixieland bands playing at festivals and various New York clubs and recording. Images can be found here. Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. Sunday
2. Swingin' Down the Lane
3. Honey
4. June Night
5. Church Street Sobbin' Blues
6. My Kinda Love
7. Junk-Man's Serenade
8. Twinkle Dinkle
9. Ja-Da! (Ja-Da, Ja-Da, Jing, Jing, Jing)
10. Walkin' the Dog
11. I Let a Tear Fall in the River
12. Spareribs and Spaghetti
13. Home Cookin' Mamma
14. How Much Do You Mean to Me?
15. Yacht Club Swing
16. Singing Hills
17. Out to Lunch
18. Little Rain Must Fall
19. I'd Believe in You
20. What's the Matter With Me?

Sweet Bands of the 30s (Record 5)

Enfin! Here is the fifth and final disc from this enjoyable set. You'll hear a few more from Leo Reisman, Anson Weeks as well as four more vocals from Chick Bullock. This record takes us from July 27 to September 10, 1934. Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. Fun To Be Fooled - Leo Reisman and His Orchestra
2. What Can You Say In A Love Song - Leo Reisman and His Orchestra
3. Shoein' The Mare - Leo Reisman and His Orchestra
4. Then I'll Be Tired Of You - Freddie Martin and His Orchestra
5. A Needle In A Haystack - Leo Reisman and His Orchestra
6. Sweetie Pie - Anson Weeks and His California Orchestra
7. My Whole Day Is Spoiled - Anson Weeks and His California Orchestra
8. I Saw Stars - Joe Reichman and His Orchestra (v. Chick Bullock)
9. Have A Little Dream On Me - Joe Reichman and His Orchestra (v. Chick Bullock)
10. Don't Let It Bother You - Joe Reichman and His Orchestra
11. Out in The Cold Again - Joe Reichman and His Orchestra
12. Blue Sky Avenue - Todd Rollins and His Orchestra (v. Chick Bullock)
13. Talkin' To Myself - Todd Rollins and His Orchestra (v. Chick Bullock)
14. Rain - Don Bestor and His Orchestra