(Give Me That) Business in F

This is another one that I had intended to post long ago, but on the other hand there is something to be said for not posting all the best stuff first. I really like the TOM series (am hoping to pick more up soon) because they have been issuing good quality releases of artists that are largely ignored by the larger producers. Check out Charlie Palloy, for a great example. I doubt anyone could do a complete Ben Selvin series, but what TOM included is still very entertaining. Many of these songs were covered by others, including Chick Bullock (gotta get my Bullock plug in!). If you read the post for Vol. 1, the liner notes suggest that these were throw-away tunes. However, the band performs them with gusto and I'm glad the recordings survive to this day. As did others in the era, Kardos recorded these under pseudonyms in an effort to record outside of his contract. From Amazon.com, "Gene Kardos led a popular dance band in New York in the early 1930s, but most of the records he recorded were released under a variety of names on different labels, which made it difficult for him to get proper credit for his accomplishments. The songs on this CD, for example, were released on the Crown label under the name of Joel Shaw and His Orchestra. Crown was a budget label that was started during the Depression--its slogan was "Two Hits for Two Bits"--and most artists who recorded for them used pseudonyms, particularly if they had recording contracts for other labels, as Kardos did. The Joel Shaw Orchestra, which was named for the band's piano player, had a propulsive rhythm. On tracks such as their cover of the Cab Calloway classic "Minnie the Moocher's Wedding Day" and on standards ("Dinah"), they were capable of playing some fine jazz. And selections like "Barnacle Bill (the Sailor)" and "Call of the Freaks" reveal a goofy sense of humor that only adds to the band's raucous, but good-natured sound. No matter whose name is on the label, the music of Gene Kardos and his band deserves to be heard." Enjoy. +


Tracks

1. Stop The Sun, Stop The Moon
2. Business In F
3. Barnacle Bill
4. Sweet Violets
5. Some Of These Days
6. Alexander's Ragtime Band
7. Sing A New Song
8. If It Ain't Love
9. Business In Q
10. My Extraordinary Gal
11. Oh! Monah
12. Goofus
13. Dinah
14. Mouthful O' Jam
15. Whistle And Blow Your Blues Away
16. Darktown Strutters' Ball
17. Call Of The Freaks
18. How'm I Doin'?
19. The Scat Song
20. Minnie The Moocher's Wedding Day
21. When You're Getting Along With Your Gal
22. Who's Your Little Who-Zis?
23. One More Kiss, Then Goodnight

Shine On Harvest Moon

Finally, I'm getting around to posting this! Ethel Waters' version of Shine On Harvest Moon is my absolute favorite (Laurel & Hardy's is a close second), and there's not a track here that I don't like. Compare her playful version (some say 'campy') of A Hundred Years From Today.to that of Jack Teagarden. On Dinah she brings it down from the jumpy Mills Brothers cut to something you could slow dance to, a sort of lazy, hot afternoon stay-in-the-shade type of song. Meanwhile, Miss Otis Regrets is now a mournful ballad in comparison to Cab Calloway's version, for example. Stormy Weather is simply one of the best. Musicians present include Manny Klein, Joe Venuti, Duke Ellington & His Orchestra, the Dorseys, Bunny Berigan, Dick McDonough, Benny Goodman, Jack & Charlie Teagarden, Art Karle, Taft Jordan & John Kirby. A virtual who's who of the day. Full scans included. Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. River, Stay 'Way from My Door
2. Shine on Harvest Moon
3. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
4. Porgy
5. St. Louis Blues
6. Stormy Weather
7. Love Is the Thing
8. Don't Blame Me
9. Shadows on the Swanee
10. Heat Wave
11. Harlem on My Mind
12. I Just Couldn't Take It, Baby
13. A Hundred Years from Today
14. Come up and See Me Sometime
15. You've Seen Harlem at Its Best
16. Miss Otis Regrets
17. Dinah
18. When It's Sleepy Time Down South
19. Moonglow
20. Give Me a Heart to Sing To
21. I Ain't Gonna Sin No More
22. Trade Mark
23. You're Going to Leave the Old Home, Jim

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

Oh Lydia, Oh Lydia, That Encyclopidia ...

The third and final disc of this set. This time we have tracks from At The Circus, Go West, and The Big Store. Okay, admit it - how many people never heard of the latter two films? The Big Store story (imdb.com) is "A detective is hired to protect the life of a singer, who has recently inherited a department store, from the store's crooked manager." Starring as "Tommy" is Tony Martin, who conveniently contributes a couple of vocal offerings just in case someone went to the theater to see something other than the Marx Brothers. Though I can't imagine what would drive such a person to do so. At The Circus, of course, features Captain Spaulding extolling the virtues of one Miss Lydia. Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. At The Circus: Generique - Orchestre
2. At The Circus: Step Up And Take A Bow - Florencer Rice
3. At The Circus: Two Blind Loves/Train Musique/Beer Barrel Polka - Florence Rice/Kenny Backer/Orchestre/Chico Marx
4. At The Circus: Lydia The Tattoed Lady - Groucho Marx
5. At The Circus: Swingali/Blue Moon - Groucho Marx/Harpo Marx/Kenny Backer
6. At The Circus: Two Blind Loves - Kenny Backer
7. At The Circus: Circus/Step Up And Take A Bow/Circus & Generique Fin - Orchestre
8. Go West: Generique - Orchestre
9. Go West: You Can't Argue With Love - June McCloy/Groucho Marx
10. Go West: Theme Piano (Non Identifie) - Chico Marx
11. Go West: Riding The Range - John Carroll/The Marx Brothers
12. Go West: My Bony/Theme Harpe (Non Identifie) - The Marx Brothers/Harpo Marx
13. Go West: Generique Fin - Orchestre
14. The Big Store: Generique - Orchestre
15. The Big Store: If It's You - Tony Martin
16. The Big Store: Sing While You Sell - Groucho Marx
17. The Big Store: Theme Piano (Non Identifie) - Chico Marx/Harpo Marx
18. The Big Store: Harpo's Bazar - Harpo Marx
19. The Big Store: Tenement Symphony - Tony Martin/Chico Marx/Harpo Marx
20. The Big Store: Generique Fin - Orchestre

Hail, Hail, Fredonia!

As promised, here is Disc Two of the Marx Brothers soundtracks. Here we have Duck Soup, A Night At The Opera, A Day At The Races, and a mere two tracks from Room Service. "Guest" vocalists include Kitty Carlisle and Alan Jones, the latter getting his big break in 1935's A Night At The Opera.

Enjoy. +

Disc Two

1. Duck Soup: Generique - Orchestre
2. Duck Soup: His Excellency Is Due - Margaret Dumont/Zeppo Marx
3. Duck Soup: Hymn To Fredonia - Margaret Dumont/Groucho Marx
4. Duck Soup: Fredonia Is Going To War - The Marx Brothers
5. Duck Soup: Generique Fin - Margaret Dumont/Orchestre
6. A Night At The Opera: Generique - Orchestre
7. A Night At The Opera: Alone - Kitty Carlisle/Alan Jones
8. A Night At The Opera: Chansons Italiennes - Choeurs/Orchestre
9. A Night At The Opera: Cosi Cosa/Theme Piano (Non Identifie) - Alan Jones/Chico Marx
10. A Night At The Opera: Alone - Harpo Marx
11. A Night At The Opera: Le Trouvere - Kitty Carlisle/Alan Jones
12. A Night At The Opera: Generique Fin - Orchestre
13. A Day At The Races: Generique - Orchestre
14. A Day At The Races: Blue Venetian Water - Alan Jones
15. A Day At The Races: Prelude En Do Mineur Op.23/Theme Piano (Non Identifie) - Chico Marx
16. A Day At The Races: Blue Venetian Water - Harpo Marx
17. A Day At The Races: Tomorrow Is Another Day/A Message From The Man In The Moon/All God's Chillun... - Alan Jones/Crinoline Choeurs
18. A Day At The Races: Generique Fin - The Marx Brothers/Alan Jones
19. Room Service: R.K.O. Signature/Generique - Orchestre
20. Room Service: Trad (Non Identifie) Generique Fin - The Marx Brothers/Orchestre

Whatever It Is, I'm Against It

Although this isn't jazz, it is of the period. This set of soundtracks from the Marx Brothers films comes from Chanson Cinéma, the same people who put out the Paris-Hollywood cd that I posted a couple of years ago. They also have a three-cd set of soundtrack Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies, which will also be posted here some day. Today's offering includes songs and chatter from Cocoanuts, Animal Crackers, Monkey Business, and Horse Feathers. Although it sounds as if someone merely digitized these from analog sources, I don't know if anyone else has ever bothered to put everything together on cd. Plus, I think that Chanson Cinéma does a good job with packaging, and we consumers know that packaging is everything. Right? Discs two and three will be posted in the days to come. And remember - I don't know what they have to say, It makes no difference anyway, Whatever it is, I'm against it..No matter what it is or who commenced it, I'm against it. Enjoy. +

Disc One

1. Cocoanuts: Generique/Flo-Florida By The Sea - Orchestre/Choeurs
2. Cocoanuts: When My Dreams Come True - Mary Eaton/Oscar Shaw
3. Cocoanuts: When My Dreams Come True - Harpo Marx
4. Cocoanuts: When My Dreams Come True - Harpo Marx
5. Cocoanuts: Monkey Doodle Doo - Mary Eaton/Orchestre
6. Cocoanuts: I Want My Shirt - Basile Ruysdael
7. Cocoanuts: Theme Piano (Titre Non Identifie) - Chico Marx
8. Cocoanuts: When My Dreams Come True/Generique Fin - Mary Eaton/Orchestre
9. Animal Crackers: Generique/Butler's Song - Orchestre/Robert Greig
10. Animal Crackers: Hooray For Captain Spaulding - Margaret Dumont/Zeppo Marx/Groucho Marx
11. Animal Crackers: Titre (Non Identifie) - Chico Marx
12. Animal Crackers: Why Am I So Romantic - Lillian Roth/Louis Sorin/Harpo Marx
13. Animal Crackers: Generique Fin - Orchestre
14. Monkey Business: Generique - Orchestre
15. Monkey Business: Sweet Adeline - Groucho Marx/Zeppo Marx /Chico Marx/Harpo Marx
16. Monkey Business: Titre Non Identifie - Orchestre
17. Monkey Business: Theme Piano (Non Identifie) - Chico Marx
18. Monkey Business: O Sole Mio - Maxime Castle/Harpo Marx
19. Monkey Business: Theme Harpe - Harpo Marx
20. Monkey Business: Generique Fin - Orchestre
21. Horse Feathers: Generique - Orchestre
22. Horse Feathers: I'm Against It - Groucho Marx
23. Horse Feathers: Everyone Says I Love You - Zeppo Marx
24. Horse Feathers: Everyone Says I Love You - Chico Marx
25. Horse Feathers: Everyone Says I Love You - Harpo Marx
26. Horse Feathers: Everyone Says I Love You - Groucho Marx
27. Horse Feathers: Generique Fin - Orchestre