We Called It Music

It's been a busy time of late, so apologies for not getting this out sooner. Here we have the fourth and final volume of this Eddie Condon collection. This volume covers January 21, 1942 through August 1949, and includes more of the fantastic lineup: Max Kaminsky, Pee Wee Russell, Joe Bushkin, George Wettling, Zutty Singleton, Benny Morton, Hot Lips Page, Miff Mole (tracks 8 & 13), Billie Holiday, Bobby Hackett, as well as Jack Teagarden, Louis Armstrong and James P. Johnson. If this isn't all-star, then the term is meaningless. On top of that, there is one of the sexiest voices ever, Lee Wiley. Tracks that stand out for me are Cherry, Peg O' My Heart, Ballin' The Jack, and Georgia Cake Walk. But feel free to choose your own. Enjoy. +

Tracks

01. Don't Leave Me Daddy
02. Georgia Cake Walk
03. Liberty Inn Drag
04. Indiana
05. Get Happy
06. Oh, Katharina
07. Uncle Sam's Blues
08. How Come You Do Me Like You Do
09. Clarinet Marmalade
10. Joe's Blues
11. Village Blues
12. Tiger Rag
13. Peg O' My Heart
14. Cherry
15. Ballin' The Jack
16. Jada
17. When Your Lover Has Gone
18. Wherever There's Love
19. Improvisation For March Of Time
20. Just You, Just Me
21. Atlanta Blues
22. Keeps On A-Rainin'
23. We Called It Music

Won't You Come Over And Say "Hello"

(new link!)

Need I say it? I really like the Chick Bullock vocals here because I think he paired very well with Clarence Williams' style. I'm gonna rig myself up, in a swaller-tail coat ... Although Williams has been called a "decent pianist and a likable but limited vocalist," he was quite capable of putting together some of the best recording sessions. Many of the sides here include James P. Johnson, Roy Smeck, and Louis Jordan among others, and there is a lot of good music to be heard here. One of the criticisms of the Classics series is that it isn't always all-inclusive. Although recorded in the same recording session as track 20, this cd omits "Sashay, Oh Boy!" which also features Little Buddy Farrior on vocal. That said, if you haven't heard it yet, Williams' subsequent chronological entry set can be found elsewhere in this blog. Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. Swaller-Tail Coat (Miller)
2. Looka-There, Ain't She Pretty (Todd)
3. St. Louis Blues (Handy)
4. How Can I Get It? (Williams)
5. On The Sunny Side Of The Street (McHugh-Fields)
6. Won't You Come Over And Say "Hello" (Barnett-Williams)
7. Old Street Sweeper (Sullivan-Gray)
8. I'm Gonna Wash My Sins Away (Williams-Brevard)
9. Jimmy Had A Nickel (Siglar-Goodhart-Hoffman)
10. He's A Colonel From Kentucky (Tobias-Scholl-Mencher-Baer)
11. Pretty Baby, Is It Yes Or No? (Williams-Brevad)
12. Mister, Will You Serenade? (Williams-Hill-Robinson)
13. I Got Horses And Got Numbers On My Mind (Bernard-Wirges-Bibo)
14. New Orleans Hop Scop Blues (Thomas)
15. Let's Have A Showdown (Pinkard-Page)
16. I Can't Dance, I Got Ants In My Pants (Gaines-Williams)
17. Christmas Night In Harlem (Parish-Scott)
18. Ill Wind (You're Blowing Me No Good) (Koehler-Arlen)
19. As Long As I Live (Arlen-Koehler)
20. Tell The Truth (Scott-O'Frye)
21. I Can't Beat You Doin' What You're Doin' Me (Piron-Williams)
22. Trouble (Rofkin-Walman-Blank)