Have You Ever Met That Funny Reefer Man?

This cd is one of my all-time favorites. It includes Cab's first recording of Reefer Man as well as Angeline, Old Man of the Mountain, and Eadie Was a Lady. It also includes Git Along with a very rare guest vocalist, this time a duet with Chick Bullock. I much prefer the older Cab Calloway recordings before his music became more polished in the 1940s, though Calloway himself expressed a preference for the opposite. I've got several more to come from this series. Enjoy, and Happy New Year. +

*** I forgot to mention something I just discovered today while searching for the cover image. Note the "chronogical" at the top of the label. Apparently it was misspelled for years before Classics corrected the error - and it only took me 13 years to notice!

Tracks

1. How Come You Do Me Like You Do
2. Old Yazoo
3. Angeline
4. I'm Now Prepared To Tell The World It's You
5. Swanee Lullaby
6. Reefer Man
7. Old Man Of The Mountain
8. You Gotta Ho-De-Ho (To Get Along With Me)
9. Strange As It Seems
10. This Time It's Love
11. Git Along
12. Hot Toddy
13. I've Got The World On A String
14. Harlem Holiday
15. Dixie Doorway
16. Wah-Dee-Dah
17. Sweet Rhythm
18. Beale Street Mama
19. That's What I Hate About Love
20. The Man From Harlem
21. I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues
22. My Sunday Gal
23. Eadie Was A Lady
24. Gotta Go Places And Do Things

The Little Things In Life

Another one I picked up merely because I liked other cds from their catalog. From All Music Guide Pianist/arranger Fred Rich led a first-class hot dance band during the second half of the 1920s and the first half of the '30s. He employed some of the most technically skilled white jazz players around in those segregated days, including clarinetist Benny Goodman, altoist/clarinetist Jimmy Dorsey, trombonist Tommy Dorsey, trumpeter Leo McConville, violinist Joe Venuti and guitarist Eddie Lang, among others. The overall result was melodic jazz-flavored dance music that often contained short bursts of all-out jazz. This initial CD from the TOM label has 22 strong examples of Rich's dance music; even the vocals (by Smith Ballew, Paul Small, possibly Dick Robertson and a Rhythm Boys-inspired group called the Rollickers) are good for the period. Highlights of the set include "Wishing and Waiting for Love," "Revolutionary Rhythm," "You're Lucky to Me," two versions of "I Got Rhythm," "Cheerful Little Earful" and "I'm Tickled Pink with a Blue-Eyed Baby." Some of the lyrics of the songs might be a bit insipid, but the music, which is easily recommended to vintage jazz collectors, is consistently enjoyable. ~ Scott Yanow
Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. Why Can't You
2. Nobody But You
3. Wishing and Waiting for Love
4. Revolutionary Rhythm
5. Dixie Jamboree [#1]
6. He's So Unusual [#1]
7. Dixie Jamboree [#2]
8. He's So Unusual [#2]
9. You're Lucky to Me
10. Body and Soul
11. I Got Rhythm #1
12. I'll Be Blue Just Thinking of You
13. I Got Rhythm #2
14. Ukulele Moon
15. My Love for You
16. A Peach of a Pair
17. Someone Sang a Sweeter Song to Mary
18. Cheerful Little Earful
19. Baby's Birthday Party
20. Wedding of the Birds
21. The Little Things in Life
22. I'm Tickled Pink With a Blue-Eyed Baby

The Music Goes 'Round & Around

Recordings from the famous BBC Dance Orchestra directed by Henry Hall, 1933-1936. I don't know much about Hall except that he recorded some fine music after taking over when Jack Payne suddenly resigned. Enjoy. +

Tracks

01 Five-Fifteen
02 I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket
03 Love Is In The Air Again
04 June In January
05 Who Made Little Boy Blue?
06 Sidewalks Of Cuba
07 April In Paris
08 The Music Goes 'Round And Around
09 Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart
10 Honey Coloured Moon
11 Song Without Words
12 Thank You Mister Bach
13 All I Do Is Dream Of You
14 Radio Times
15 Moon Over Miami
16 Anything Goes
17 There Was An Old Woman
18 Buffoon
19 Red Sails In The Sunset
20 Curly Head
21 We Saw The Sea
22 Play To Me Gypsy
23 You'Re The Top
24 I Get A Kick Out Of You
25 The Teddy'S Bear'S Picnic
26 Here'S To The Next Time

Berlin By Night

Sometimes I pick music purely out of historical curiosity, as was the case with this interesting cd. From All Music Guide: This volume of songs, Berlin by Night, which marks German nightlife before and during Hitler's reign of horror, is one that showcases the desperate love of the people of Berlin for nocturnal enjoyment. Much of the music here was performed on State radio as well as in cabarets and in revues. The package features 20 tracks from the years listed as well as copious notes on each and every selection: author, arranger, performer, vocalist; and a paragraph or so surrounding the history of each track. Along with the "classics" of the era, such as Lale Andersen's "Lili Marlene" and Comedy Harmonists' "Wochenend und Sonnenschein," there is at least one cut that was a favorite of der Fuhrer's: Willi Forst's "Sag Biem Abschied Leise 'Servus." But it's not all dark and gloomy to be sure. There are bona fide German "jazz" hits such as Lilian Harvey and Willie Fritsch's "Ich Tanze Mit Dir In Den Himmel Hinen," and glorious vocalizing numbers like the Ludwig Ruth Orchestra and Metropol Vocalists on "Regentroffen." In all, this is a solid historical volume that tells its own story of a traversal, from sweet decadence to an attempt at cultural denial, and it's all assembled beautifully here by the historical department at EMI with fine sound. If historical music is your trip, this one is bound to grab you. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. Ungarwein (Gipsy Wine)
2. Ich Tanze Mit Dir in Den Himmel Hinein by Lilian Harvey
3. Gruss und Kuss Veronika by Weintraub's Syncopators
4. Regentropfen (Raindrops) by Ludwig Rüth Orchestra
5. Musik! Musik! Musik!
6. Arpanetta
7. Abends in Der Taverne by Wilhelm Strienz
8. Du Hast Glück Bei Den Frau'n Bel Ami by Lizzy Waldmüller
9. Wochenend' und Sonnenschein (Happy Days Are Here Again) by The Comedian Harmonists
10. Liebling, Mein Herz Lässt Dich Grüssen (Darling) by Lilian Harvey
11. Rosamunde [Polka] by Will Glahe
12. Liebe Ist Ein Geheimnis [Love Is a Secret]
13. O Mia Bella Napoli by Rudi Schuricke
14. Lili Marlene by Lale Anderson
15. Schönes Wetter Heute (Fine Weather Today) by Helmut Zacharias
16. Sing "Nachtigall, Sing" by Evelyn Künneke
17. Liebe, Kleine Schaffnerin by Rudolf Carl
18. Es Geht Alles Vorüber, Es Geht Alles Vorbei by Lale Anderson
19. Das Alte Spinnrad by Herbert Ernst Groh
20. Sag' Beim Abschied Leise "Servus" by Willi Forst

East St. Louis Toodle-Oo

This set begins with the very first of Duke's recordings (as the Washingtonians) in chronological order. I think I have everything up through the mid-late thirties in this series, so look for those in the future. The file includes hi-res scans of the covers and booklet info. Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. Choo Choo
2. Rainy Nights
3. I'm Gonna Hang Around My Sugar
4. Trombone Blues
5. Georgia Grind
6. Parlor Social Stomp
7. Wanna-Go-Back-Again Blues
8. If You Can't Hold The Man You Love
9. Animal Crackers
10. Li'l Farina
11. East St. Louis Toodle-Oo
12. Birmingham Breakdown
13. Immigration Blues
14. The Creeper
15. New Orleans Low-Down
16. Song Of The Cotton Field
17. Birmingham Breakdown
18. East St. Louis Toodle-Oo
19. East St. Louis Toodle-Oo
20. Hop Head
21. Down In Our Alley Blues
22. Black And Tan Fantasy
23. Soliloquy

Let's Have Another Cup Of Coffee

Another collection of Depression-era tunes, this one includes my favorite version of Brother, Can You Spare A Dime? by Charlie Palloy as well as this post's title by Chick Bullock. The back cover is some sort of Depression-era cartoon, but is extremely difficult to make out due to all of the track information. The cover seems to have nothing to do with the cd at all, and looks sort of like the cover from J.J. Cale's Shades. Sometimes I wonder what goes through the minds of record company marketing people... Enjoy. +

Tracks

01 Happy Days are Here Again - Leo Reisman & His Orchestra
02 I'm in the Market For You - George Olsen & His Orchestra
03 Ten Cents a Dance - High Hatters
04 Cheer Up! Good Times are Comin' - Phil Spitalny's Music
05 Cheer Up! Smile! Nertz! - Eddie Cantor with Phil Spitalny's Music
06 I'm an Unemployed Sweetheart - Ted Campus & His Campus Boys
07 Cigarettes, Cigars - Florence Desmond
08 (We've Got To) Put That Sun Back in That Sky - Roane's Pennsylvanians
09 Let's Have Another Cup of Coffee - Waring's Pennsylvanians (with Chick Bullock)
10 Riddle Me This - Abe Lyman & His Orchestra
11 The Clouds Will Soon Roll By - Leo Reisman & His Orchestra
12 Brother Can You Spare a Dime - Charlie Palloy
13 There's a New Day Comin' - Sam Ross Silvertown Orchestra
14 If I Ever Get a Job Again - Dick Robertson
15 Remember My Forgotten Man - Hal Kemp & His Orchestra
16 When the Morning Rolls Around - Henry Hall & The BBC Dance Orchestra
17 Are You Makin' Any Money? - Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra
18 I Gotta Get Up and Go To Work - Irving Aaronson & HIs Commanders
19 We're in the Money - Benny Morton & His Orchestra
20 Repeal the Blues - Ray Noble & The New Mayfair Orchestra
21 We're Out of the Red - Dave Harman & His Orchestra
22 Gotta Go To Work Again - The California Ramblers
23 Dusty Road - Nelson Eddy
24 Long As You've Got Your Health - Ray Noble & His Orchestra