Son Of The Sun

Tearin' up the internet with three posts in one month! Jack Teagarden is simply one of the music giants, period. Both his trombone and vocals put an unmistakable stamp on the jazz era, influencing many other artists. But Big T deserves more than what I can write, so I'll get to the cd. This set takes Teagarden from a romping march, through the quintessential (IMO) version of Hoagy Carmichael's Rockin' Chair, and T's classic version of A Hundred Years From Today. I love the Classics series, but they often didn't use the cleanest transcriptions and there is some scratchiness on several tracks. For me, that's part of the ambiance though. Full scans with session info are included. Personnel include Nappy Lamare, Gene Austin, Joe Venuti, Benny Goodman, Bud Freeman, Charlie Spivak, Charlie Teagarden, and others. Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. Son of the Sun
2. You're Simply Delish
3. Just a Little Dance, Mam'selle
4. Rockin' Chair
5. Loveless Love
6. You Rascal You
7. That's What I Like About You
8. Chances Are
9. I Got the Ritz from the One I Love
10. China Boy
11. Lies
12. I'm Sorry Dear
13. Tiger Rag
14. I've Got It
15. Plantation Moods
16. Shake Your Hips
17. Someone Stole Gabriel's Horn
18. Love Me
19. Blue River
20. Hundred Years from Today, A
21. I Just Couldn't Take It, Baby
22. Fare-Thee-Well to Harlem
23. Ol' Pappy

Five Foot Two, Eyes Of Blue

The reviewer at Allmusic.com bemoans the fact that ASV opts to include less popular versions (or British) vs. the hit versions, specifically Gene Austin's version of today's post title. I think he misses the point - that the collection is about the songwriter, not the performer. Relying on the hit versions would be too easy. Besides, Austin is represented here and now we get to hear the California Rambers (at least one of their lineups) and widen our exposure to the great music of the 20s and 30s. On another note, I can't imagine how Paul Robeson must have felt when he was given Henderson's tune to record. Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. Best Things in Life Are Free - Jack Hylton Orchestra
2. I'm Sitting on Top of the World - Frank Crumit
3. Don't Bring Lulu - Nathan Glantz & His Orchestra
4. Lucky Day - Howard Lanin & His Orchestra
5. Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue (Has Anybody Seen My Girl) - California Ramblers
6. (Here I Am) Brokenhearted - Gene Austin
7. Black Bottom Stomp - Annette Hanshaw
8. Bye Bye Blackbird - Layton & Johnstone
9. Magnolia - Johnny Marvin
10. Varsity Drag - Zelma O'Neal
11. Sonny Boy - Al Jolson
12. You're the Cream in My Coffee - Ruth Etting
13. If I Had a Talking Picture of You - Sam Browne with the Jack Hylton Orchestra
14. I'm a Dreamer, Aren't We All? - Frank Luther
15. Sunny Side Up - Joe Cassidy
16. Button up Your Overcoat - Ruth Etting
17. My Song - Rudy Vallée
18. That's Why Darkies Were Born - Paul Robeson
19. Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries - Hutch
20. Thrill Is Gone - Rudy Vallée
21. My Dog Loves Your Dog - Cliff "Ukelele Ike" Edwards
22. Animal Crackers in My Soup - Shirley Temple
23. Birth of the Blues - Bing Crosby, Jack Teagarden Orchestra
24. Together - Helen Forrest, Dick Haymes
25. Let's Call It a Day - Hutch

Learn To Croon

Another collection with some really nice tunes. How can you go wrong with Gene Austin, Chick Bullock and Al Bowlly? The most interesting track here may be Bing Crosby's "Boo Boo Boo" in which he pokes fun at the phrase identified with his singing, despite his never having recorded the song to disc. This tune is from a film soundtrack. And some humor by the editors of the disc, they position "Learn to Croon" in the lineup just ahead of Crosby. Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. Blue Kentucky Moon - Gene Austin
2. You Brought a New Kiind of Love to Me - Smith Ballew
3. Love Is the Sweetest Thing - Al Bowlly, New Mayfair Orchestra, Ray Noble
4. Cocktails for Two - Carl Brisson
5. Out in the Cold Again - Chick Bullock
6. Evening - Buddy Clark
7. Goodnight, Sweetheart - Russ Columbo
8. Learn to Croon - Sam Coslow
9. Boo Boo Boo - Bing Crosby
10. Singing a Song to the Stars - Cliff "Ukelele Ike" Edwards
11. Don't Tell Her What Happened to Me - Sammy Fain
12. Confessin' That I Love You - Art Gillham
13. Hold Me - Little Jack Little
14. Hello! Beautiful! - Nick Lucas
15. You're My Everything - Jack Miller
16. Try a Little Tenderness - Charlie Palloy
17. Happiness Ahead - Dick Powell
18. I Love to See the Evenin' Sun Go Down - Conrad Thibault
19. It's Only A Paper Moon - Conrad Thibault
20. Without That Certain Thing - Rudy Vallée

Anytime, Any Day, Anywhere

A nice collection of some of the leading male singers from the late 1920s into the 1940s. The packaging for this series was very nice, the booklet included a brief history of the Art Deco style as well as matrix numbers and recording dates for each of the tracks. For the sole tune by Lew Bray, the authors ask "Does anybody out there know anything about this Texas vocalist?" The second disc includes three tunes by Chick Bullock including a very nice version of Anytime, Any Day, Anywhere recorded by the ARC house band that included both Dorsey brothers and Joe Venuti for that session. Also, my favorite version of A Hundred Years From Today by Jack Teagarden. Enjoy. + +

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Deep Elm - Willard Robison
2. Devil Is Afraid of Music - Willard Robison
3. Harlem Blues - Willard Robison
4. Did You Ever See a Dream Walking? - Gene Austin
5. Everything I Have Is Yours - Gene Austin
6. There Was Nothing Else to Do - Seger Ellis
7. Shine on Harvest Moon - Seger Ellis
8. Why Do You Suppose? - Smith Ballew
9. Miss You - Smith Ballew
10. (You're Always Sure of) My Love for You - Smith Ballew
11. To Whom It May Concern - Smith Ballew
12. We Can't Use Each Other Anymore - Lew Bray
13. How Long Will It Last? - Bing Crosby
14. Cabin in the Cotton - Bing Crosby
15. Got the South in My Soul - Harlan Lattimore
16. How Do You Do It? - Harlan Lattimore
17. Let's Pretend There's a Moon - Russ Columbo
18. I See Two Lovers - Russ Columbo
19. I Can't Believe That You're in Love With Me - Red McKenzie
20. Georgia on My Mind - Red McKenzie
21. Dream Sweetheart - Cliff "Ukelele Ike" Edwards
22. Great Big Bunch of You - Cliff "Ukelele Ike" Edwards
23. All of a Sudden - Cliff "Ukelele Ike" Edwards
24. Crazy People - Cliff "Ukelele Ike" Edwards

Disc 2


1. Night Owl - Cliff "Ukelele Ike" Edwards
2. It's Only a Paper Moon - Cliff "Ukelele Ike" Edwards
3. Six Women (Me & Henry the Eighth) - Cliff "Ukelele Ike" Edwards
4. I Just Couldn't Take It, Baby - Cliff "Ukelele Ike" Edwards
5. Object of My Affection - Pinky Tomlin
6. Porter's Love Song to a Chambermaid - Pinky Tomlin
7. He's a Curbstone Cutie (They Call Him Jelly-Bean) - Pinky Tomlin
8. Anytime, Anyday, Anywhere - Chick Bullock
9. Ah! But I've Learned - Chick Bullock
10. Junk Man - Chick Bullock
11. Love Me - Jack Teagarden
12. Blue River - Jack Teagarden
13. Hundred Years from Today - Jack Teagarden
14. Stars Fell on Alabama - Jack Teagarden
15. You're a Builder Upper - Harold Arlen
16. Moon over Miami - Buddy Clark
17. Midnight Blue - Buddy Clark
18. Old Fashioned Love - Eddy Howard
19. Stardust - Eddy Howard
20. Exactly Like You - Eddy Howard
21. Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away) - Eddy Howard
22. Melancholy Mood - Frank Sinatra
23. My Buddy - Frank Sinatra
24. My Silent Love - Dick Haymes
25. You've Changed - Dick Haymes

My Blue Heaven

Although I really like Artie Shaw's swinging version, Gene Austin's original is one of my favorite tunes. I have a pretty clean 78 of it and it sounds real nice on the Victrola.

When Whippoorwills call, And evening is nigh We'll hurry to My Blue Heaven...

Tell 'em Volstead sent you. +

Tracks
1. The Voice of the Southland
2. My Blue Heaven
3. When My Sugar Walks Down the Street
4. My Bundle of Love
5. Sweet Child, I'm Wild About You
6. Ya Gotta Know How to Love
7. Ev'rything's Made for Love
8. Ain't She Sweet
9. The Lonesome Road
10. The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi
11. Girl of My Dreams
12. Just Like a Melody Out of the Sky
13. Carolina Moon
14. I've Got a Feeling I'm Falling
15. How Am I to Know?
16. Rollin' Down the River
17. When Your Lover Has Gone
18. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone
19. Without That Gal!
20. Love Letters in the Sand
21. I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You
22. Everything I Have Is Yours
23. I Cried for You
24. When I'm with You
25. Ramona