That Rhythm Man

Back on track again with something that should be in the collection of anyone who appreciates the era represented here. "Chick Webb represented the triumph of the human spirit in jazz and life. Hunchbacked, small in stature, almost a dwarf with a large face and broad shoulders, Webb fought off congenital tuberculosis of the spine in order to become one of the most competitive drummers and bandleaders of the big band era. Perched high upon a platform, he used custom-made pedals, goose-neck cymbal holders, a 28-inch bass drum and a wide variety of other percussion instruments to create thundering solos of a complexity and energy that paved the way for Buddy Rich (who studied Webb intensely) and Louie Bellson. Alas, Webb did not get a fair shake on records; Decca's primitive recording techniques could not adequately capture his spectacular technique and wide dynamic range. He could not read music, but that didn't stop him either, for he memorized each arrangement flawlessly. Although his band did not become as influential and revered in the long run as some of its contemporaries, it nevertheless was feared in its time for its battles of the bands in Harlem's Savoy Ballroom; a famous encounter with the high-flying Benny Goodman outfit at its peak (with Gene Krupa in the drummer's chair) left the latter band drained and defeated.

The perfect way to acquire drummer Chick Webb's recordings is to get his two Classics CDs which contain all of his performances as a leader, other than Ella Fitzgerald's features (which are in a separate Ella series) and a few numbers from Webb's final dates. On the first of the CDs, Webb leads a pickup band in 1929 (for "Dog Bottom" and "Jungle Mama"), an early orchestra in 1931 (highlighted by the first version ever of Benny Carter's "Blues in My Heart"), two numbers from 1933, and all of his classic swing sides of 1934. With arranger/altoist Edgar Sampson providing such compositions as "When Dreams Come True," "Don't Be That Way," "Blue Lou," and "Stompin' at the Savoy" (all of which would become better-known for their slightly later Benny Goodman recordings), trumpeter Taft Jordan taking some vocals purposely influenced by Louis Armstrong, Jordan, trombonist Sandy Williams, and tenor saxophonist Elmer Williams coming up with consistently hot solos, and the drummer/leader driving the orchestra, this was one of the top jazz big bands of the era." (Allmusic.com) Enjoy! +

Tracks

01. Dog Bottom
02. Jungle Mama
03. Heebie Jeebies
04. Blues In My Heart
05. Soft And Sweet
06. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
07. Darktown Strutters' Ball
08. When Dreams Come True
09. Let's Get Together
10. I Can't Dance I Got Ant In My Pants
11. Imagination
12. Why Should I Beg For Love
13. Stompin' At The Savoy
14. Blue Minor
15. True
16. Lonesome Moments
17. If It Ain't Love
18. That Rhythm Man
19. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
20. Lona
21. Blue Minor
22. It's All Over Because We're Through
23. Don't Be That Way
24. What A Shuffle
25. Blue You

The Dipsy Doodle

Corrected info!

Apologies to all who downloaded the previous link! And thanks to those who let me know about the discrepancy. Ok - let's try this one again. I don't know how I managed to mislabel a rip, but the file that I thought was 1939 is in fact Ella singing with Chick Webb's Orchestra 1937-1938. This, despite the fact that I listened to the entire cd twice to make sure that there were no errors! All you should need to do is rename the folder, as the song files should all be fine otherwise. I have also updated the track listing below. No bubble gum this trip, but now I think I'll re-rip the other Ella cds I have just to make sure everything is okay the next time. Enjoy.+


Tracks

1. Big Boy Blue
2. Dedicated to You
3. You Showed Me the Way
4. Cryin' Mood
5. Love Is the Thing So They Say
6. All or Nothing at All
7. If You Ever Should Leave
8. Everyone's Wrong But Me
9. Deep in the Heart of the South
10. Just a Simple Melody
11. I Got a Guy
12. Holiday in Harlem
13. Rock It for Me
14. I Want to Be Happy
15. The Dipsy Doodle
16. If Dreams Come True
17. Hallelujah
18. Bei Mir Bist du Schön
19. It's My Turn Now
20. It's Wonderful
21. I Was Doing All Right
22. A-Tisket, A-Tasket

Hobo, You Can't Ride This Train

You can't go wrong with Louis Armstrong. Here's the review from Allmusic.com: During the long cold winter of 1931-1932, Louis Armstrong stationed himself in Chicago, where he spun out the last of his OKeh recordings. This volume of vintage jazz opens with 16 of these marvelous sides. Backed by nine resilient players, the trumpeter sings on each and every track, handling light novelties and romantic ballads with relative ease. He makes "Lazy River" sound like he wrote it himself. "Chinatown" has a magnificent spoken intro and vocal by the leader, followed by what he describes as "a little argument between the saxophones and the trumpet," culminating of course in a dazzling display of Armstrong's unsurpassed virtuosity. Brimming with humorous commentary and theatrical patter, "The Lonesome Road" represents a special subgenre of sanctified church burlesques. After Armstrong asks aloud "What kind of church is this?," someone can't resist interjecting a flippant salute to "you vipers." Apparently limbered up and in the mood for conversation, Armstrong introduces his musicians with relish all throughout a fine version of "I Got Rhythm." His handling of "Kickin' the Gong Around" is less theatrical but swings more solidly than Cab Calloway's hyperventilated version. Always ready to outdo even himself, Armstrong recorded a sequel to his "Tiger Rag" with someone loudly counting off the number of choruses as he blew them. What appears to have been his last OKeh record, "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now" backed with "Lawd, You Made the Night Too Long," was recorded in Chicago on March 11, 1932, and given the serial number 41560. His next opportunity to record in front of his own band occurred in Camden, NJ, on December 8th. Armstrong was now officially working for the Victor record company. His 11-piece band included trombone legend Big Charlie Green, reedman and composer Edgar Sampson, and percussion wizard Chick Webb, who provided amazing locomotive effects on his snare drum on "Hobo, You Can't Ride This Train." Mezz Mezzrow is said to have been responsible for ringing the bells on this track. This excellent segment of the Louis Armstrong chronology ends with a four-and-a-half-minute "Medley of Armstrong Hits," with a nine-piece Victor studio band backing him every step of the way. Enjoy. +
(Thanks to Guy Fawkes for contributing this one!)

Tracks

1. Lazy River
2. Chinatown, My Chinatown
3. Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away)
4. Stardust
5. You Can Depend on Me
6. Georgia on My Mind
7. The Lonesome Road
8. I Got Rhythm
9. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
10. Kickin' the Gong Around
11. Home (When Shadows Fall)
12. All of Me
13. Love, You Funny Thing
14. The New Tiger Rag
15. Keepin' Out of Mischief Now
16. Lawd, You Made the Night Too Long
17. That's My Home
18. Hobo, You Can't Ride This Train
19. I Hate to Leave You Now
20. You'll Wish You'd Never Been Born
21. Medley of Armstrong Hits, Pt. 2: When You're Smiling/St. James Infirmary/Dinah