A Little Door, A Little Lock, A Little Key

(updated links)
One week ago today jazz discographer and historian Brian Rust passed away at the age of 89. I think it's safe to say that most of us wouldn't know what little we do without his monumental works over the past several decades (all done before the advent of personal computers, mind you). I sure wouldn't. Thank you, Mr. Rust. Rest in peace.

The title of today's post is one of my favorite Wingy recordings, though most of his sides are a lot of fun to listen to. From Allmusic.com, "1935 and '36 were red-hot years for Fats Waller, and many musicians deliberately chose to record songs which had quickly become closely associated with him. Wingy Manone was capable of covering such tunes without sounding like an imitator. Unlike Waller's slow, almost erotic version, Wingy's "Sweet and Slow" trots along as briskly as "Lulu's Back in Town." Other songs popularized by Waller and revisited here are "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter" and the cheerful "I've Got My Fingers Crossed." Wingy's bands during this time period featured reedmen Bud Freeman, Eddie Miller, Matty Matlock and Joe Marsala, and two of the sessions were bolstered by the presence of trombonists Jack Teagarden and George Brunies. Teagarden plays exceptionally fine trombone on the records made in October of 1935. His vocal contributions, however, consist only of spoken interjections. Johnny Mercer is heard making his own remarks during both takes of "I've Got a Note." Teagarden engages in a bit of conversation with Wingy on take one. Take two is markedly faster and hotter. Wingy was capable of singing and playing practically any song that came along. He performs "The Music Goes 'Round and Around" as if it had been written just for him, and takes on Louis Armstrong's "Old Man Mose" without flinching. "The Broken Record" comes as a pleasant surprise, giving the singer and band a chance to imitate a skipping record as the phrases "you're gorgeous," "I kiss you" and "I love you" each get stuck and are repeated six times apiece. (Note that this immortalizes the hasty rate at which 78 rpm records skip. It's much different from a 33-and-1/3 rpm skip.) Finally, as the trombone gets stuck in the same repetitious manner, Wingy says "Man, take that broken record offa there, and throw it out the window!" Enjoy.
+

Tracks

1. Sweet and Slow
2. Lulu's Back in Town
3. Let's Swing It
4. A Little Door, A Little Lock, A Little Key
5. Love and Kisses
6. Rhythm Is Our Business
7. From the Top of Your Head
8. Takes Two to Make a Bargain
9. A Smile Will Go a Long, Long Way
10. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down (And Write Myself a Letter)
11. Every Now and Then
12. I've Got a Feelin' You're Foolin'
13. You Are My Lucky Star
14. I've Got a Note
15. I've Got a Note
16. I'm Shooting High
17. The Music Goes 'Round and Around
18. You Let Me Down
19. I've Got My Fingers Crossed
20. (If I Had) Rhythm in My Nursery Rhymes
21. Old Man Mose
22. The Broken Record
23. Please Believe Me