Last Cent

I'm challenging myself to see how many I can share this month, and Red Nichols is always a good choice (courtesy of a fellow collector). "Overrated in Europe in the early '30s when his records (but not those of his black contemporaries) were widely available and then later underrated and often unfairly called a Bix imitator, Red Nichols was actually one of the finest cornetists to emerge from the '20s. An expert improviser whose emotional depth did not reach as deep as Bix or Louis Armstrong, Nichols was in many ways a hustler, participating in as many recording sessions (often under pseudonyms) as any other horn player of the era, cutting sessions as Red Nichols & His Five Pennies, the Arkansas Travelers, the Red Heads, the Louisiana Rhythm Kings, and the Charleston Chasers, among others, usually with similar personnel. Nichols studied cornet with his father, a college music teacher. After moving from Utah to New York in 1923, Nichols, an excellent sight-reader who could always be relied upon to add a bit of jazz to a dance band recording, quickly became in great demand. His own sessions at first featured trombonist Miff Mole and Jimmy Dorsey on alto and clarinet, playing advanced music that utilized unusual intervals, whole-tone scales, and often the timpani of Vic Berton along with hot ensembles. Later on in the decade his sidemen included such young greats as Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Jack Teagarden, Pee Wee Russell, Joe Venuti, Eddie Lang, Adrian Rollini, Gene Krupa, and the wonderful mellophone specialist Dudley Fosdick, among others; their version of "Ida" was a surprise hit.

Although still using the main name of the Five Pennies, Nichols' bands were often quite a bit larger, and by 1929 he was alternating sessions featuring bigger commercial orchestras with small combos. At first Nichols weathered the Depression well with work in shows, but by 1932 his long string of recordings came to an end. He headed a so-so swing band up until 1942, left music for a couple of years, and for a few months in 1944 was with Glen Gray's Casa Loma Orchestra. Later that year he re-formed the Five Pennies as a Dixieland sextet and, particularly after bass saxophonist Joe Rushton became a permanent member, it was one of the finer traditional jazz bands of the next 20 years. Nichols recorded several memorable hot versions of "Battle Hymn of the Republic," the best being in 1959. That same year a highly enjoyable if rather fictional Hollywood movie called The Five Pennies (and featuring Nichols' cornet solos and Danny Kaye's acting) made Red into a national celebrity at the twilight of his long career. Nichols' earlier sessions have been reissued in piecemeal fashion during the digital era, with later albums remaining unavailable." (Allmusic.com). Enjoy! +

Tracks

01 - Indiana
02 - Dinah
03 - On The Alamo
04 - Sally, Won't You Come Back
05 - It Had To Be You
06 - I'll See You In My Dreams
07 - Some Of These Days
08 - That Da Da Strain
09 - Basin Street Blues
10 - Last Cent
11 - Rose Of Washington Square
12 - I May Be Wrong
13 - The New Yorkers
14 - They Didn't Believe Me
15 - Wait For The Happy Ending
16 - Can't We Be Friends
17 - Nobody Knows
18 - Smiles
19 - Marianne
20 - Get Happy
21 - Somebody To Love Me

Crazy People

Back to the roots of this blog, at long last another selection completely dedicated to Chick Bullock. At one point I had skipped 1932 entirely due to a move, so that is where this and the next two posts (covering at least another fifty tunes) will focus. To get things in chrono(lo)gical order, the first track is from Bullock's final recording session of 1931, on December 24. From there we go to January 12, with a song recorded more than three weeks prior to the Boswell Sisters' version. The girls make an appearance on one track, so listen closely. Most of these tracks were released as Chick Bullock and His Levee Loungers, with some exceptions that are noted in the tags, along with the record labels and number. Recording dates are below (which covers what I have through April 19, 1932). Most of these are from my own 78s, but a handful are courtesy of other collectors who have generously shared their collections with me. I've given each of these a listen, compared my original rips with post-restoration versions, and opted to back down on the editing on the theory that perhaps my ears aren't the best judge. On one track I noticed that the cleaned version had obscured some of the instrumentation, so hiss & static is back. Enjoy! +

Tracks

24 December 1931
01. She Didn't Say Yes

12 January 1932
1.   Was That The Human Thing To Do?
2.   How Long Will It Last

13 January
3.   Can't We Talk It Over

14 January
4.   You're My Everything
5.   Of Thee I Sing
6.   Who Cares?

5 February
7.   Kiss Me Goodnight

24 February
8.   Sing A New Song
9.   Stop The Sun, Stop The Moon
10. Soft Lights And Sweet Music
11. Let's Have Another Cup Of Coffee

29 February
12. Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now
13. I Know You're Lying, But I Love It

8 March
14. Somebody Loves You
15. You're Dancing On My Heart
16. Everything Must Have An Ending

14 March
17. You're The One
18. If It Ain't Love

15 March
19. I Can't Believe That It's You
20. Lawd, You Made The Night Too Long

26 March
21. California Medley, Part 2

31 March
22. My Gal Sal
23. Darktown Strutters Ball

4 April
24. I'd Rather Be A Beggar With You
25. My Extraordinary Girl
26. When The Lights Are Soft And Low
27. I'm So Alone With The Crowd

19 April
28. Crazy People

Feelin' No Pain

Another must-have for fans of this era. "For a period in the 1920s, Miff Mole was (prior to the emergence of Jack Teagarden) the most advanced trombonist in jazz. He had gained a strong reputation playing with the Original Memphis Five (starting in 1922) and his many recordings with Red Nichols during 1926-1927 found him taking unusual interval jumps with staccato phrasing that perfectly fit Nichols' style. However, in 1927, he started working as a studio musician and Mole concentrated less on jazz during the next couple of decades. He played with Paul Whiteman during 1938-1940 and was with Benny Goodman in 1943. By the time he returned to small-group jazz in the mid-'40s (working with Eddie Condon and leading a band at Nick's), Mole sounded like a disciple of Teagarden and his style was no longer unique, although his record of "Peg of My Heart" was popular. Miff Mole's health was erratic by the 1950s and he was largely forgotten by the greater jazz world by the time he died in 1961.

The recordings made in the year 1927 by trombonist Irving Milfred "Miff" Mole are precious and rewarding. Whenever Miff recorded for the Okeh label he called his band Miff Mole's Molers. When moonlighting with Harmony Records, the ensemble was billed as the Arkansas Travelers (no relation to the joke-riddled fiddling tune made famous by Earl Johnson's Clodhoppers). It was Miff's Molers who made the most strikingly handsome records. Arthur Schutt, remembered by Eddie Condon as the pianist who nearly always wore a carnation in his lapel, handled the instrument with gentlemanly candor. Vic Berton's approach to drumming was inventive and full of little surprises. These two men appear on five of the nine sessions included on this CD. Their mutually precise conduct provided the Molers with immaculate support. Red Nichols made his best records in the company of Mole. Jimmy Dorsey also distinguished himself on several of these sessions, as did guitarists Dick McDonough and Eddie Lang. There are few recordings in all of traditional jazz so sublime as the Molers' subtle, meditative "Some Sweet Day." Their beautiful rendition of Bix Beiderbecke's "Davenport Blues" is a masterpiece. Joe Tarto, remembered today as the "Titan of the Tuba," delivers fine solos on "Darktown Strutter's Ball" and "There'll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight," which unfortunately begins with a spoken introduction that is nothing more than a dopey imitation of blackface vaudeville. Brian Rust's discography reveals that some 78 rpm issues of this selection deliberately edited out the stupid patter, beginning instead with the gentle cymbal crash that leads so smoothly into the slow, elegant strut of the opening theme. The gutsiest jamming occurred on the session of August 30 1927, as Adrian Rollini drove everyone forward with great blasts on the bass saxophone. Also included in the front line were clarinetist Pee Wee Russell and reedman Fud Livingston, who contributed two of his own compositions. "Feelin' No Pain" is the smoker, bursting with explosive rhythms. Included in the chronology are four vocal tracks by a living historical edifice named Sophie Tucker, who sounds most natural during "I Ain't Got Nobody." As for the Arkansas Travelers, they seemed to always include alto saxophonist Fred Morrow among a small Molers contingent. Certainly the toughest tune they tackled was Duke Ellington's "Birmingham Breakdown," and everything they touched turned into first-rate hot jazz. Without question these are the best recordings left to us by the great Miff Mole." (Allmusic.com) Enjoy! +

Tracks

01. Washboard Blues
02. That's No Bargain
03. Boneyard Shuffle
04. Alexander's Ragtime Band
05. Some Sweet Day
06. Hurricane
07. Davenport Blues
08. The Darktown Strutter's Ball
09. A Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight
10. After You've Gone
11. I Ain't Got Nobody
12. One Sweet Letter From You
13. Fifty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong
14. Ja Da
15. Sensation
16. Stompin' Fool
17. Imagination
18. Feelin' No Pain
19. Original Dixieland One-Step
20. My Gal Sal
21. Honolulu Blues
22. The New Twister
23. Birmingham Breakdown
24. Red Head Blues
25. I Ain't Got Nobody

Davenport Blues

I finally got around to posting this, volume 2 can be found in a previous post. This cd includes recordings where Miff Mole backed Sophie Tucker and also some sides recorded with Red Nichols. A look at the cover shows some of the great jazz musicians who are represented on these recordings from the 1920s. Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. Alexander's Ragtime Band
2. Some Sweet Day
3. Hurricane
4. Delirium
5. Davenport Blues
6. Davenport Blues
7. Darktown Strutters' Ball
8. Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight
9. After You've Gone - Miff Mole, Sophie Tucker
10. I Ain't Got Nobody - Miff Mole, Sophie Tucker
11. One Sweet Letter from You - Miff Mole, Sophie Tucker
12. Fifty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong - Miff Mole, Sophie Tucker
13. Imagination
14. Feelin' No Pain
15. Original Dixieland One-Step
16. My Gal Sal
17. Honolulu Blues
18. New Twister
19. Slippin' Around
20. Feelin' No Pain
21. Harlem Twist - Miff Mole, Red Nichols
22. Five Pennies - Miff Mole, Red Nichols,
23. One Step to Heaven (Windy City Stomp)
24. Shim-Me-Sha-Wabble
25. Navy Blues
26. Lucky Little Devil