Various Artists – The History Of Jazz – Dixieland To Swing (2001)

Now let’s go back now into the history of Jazz !

Dixieland jazz, also referred to as traditional jazz, hot jazz, or simply Dixieland, is a style of jazz based on the music that developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century. The 1917 recordings by the Original Dixieland Jass Band (which shortly thereafter changed the spelling of its name to “Original Dixieland Jazz Band”), fostered awareness of this new style of music.
History
A traditionalist jazz band plays at a party in New Orleans in 2005. Shown here are Chris Clifton, on trumpet; Brian O’Connell, on clarinet; Les Muscutt, on banjo; Chuck Badie, on string bass; and Tom Ebert, on trombone.

The Original Dixieland Jass Band, recording its first disc in 1917, was the first instance of jazz music being called “Dixieland”, though at the time, the term referred to the band, not the genre. The band’s sound was a combination of African American/New Orleans ragtime and Sicilian music. The music of Sicily was one of the many genres in the New Orleans music scene during the 1910s, alongside sanctified church music, brass band music and blues.

Much later, the term “Dixieland” was applied to early jazz by traditional jazz revivalists, starting in the 1940s and 1950s. In his book “Jazz” the critic Rex Harris defined Dixieland as “Jazz played in a quasi-New Orleans manner by white musicians.” The name is a reference to the “Old South”, specifically anything south of the Mason-Dixon line. The term encompasses earlier brass band marches, French Quadrilles, biguine, ragtime, and blues with collective, polyphonic improvisation.

While instrumentation and size of bands can be very flexible, the “standard” band consists of a “front line” of trumpet (or cornet), trombone, and clarinet, with a “rhythm section” of at least two of the following instruments: guitar or banjo, string bass or tuba, piano, and drums. Louis Armstrong’s All-Stars was the band most popularly identified with Dixieland during the 1940s, although Armstrong’s own influence during the 1920s was to move the music beyond the traditional New Orleans style.

The definitive Dixieland sound is created when one instrument (usually the trumpet) plays the melody or a recognizable paraphrase or variation on it, and the other instruments of the “front line” improvise around that melody. This creates a more polyphonic sound than the arranged ensemble playing of the big band sound or the straight “head” melodies of bebop.

During the 1930s and 1940s, the earlier group-improvisation style fell out of favor with the majority of younger black players, while some older players of both races continued on in the older style. Though younger musicians developed new forms, many beboppers revered Armstrong and quoted fragments of his recorded music in their own improvisations.

The Dixieland revival in the late 1940s and 1950s was formed in reaction to the orchestrated sounds of the swing era and the perceived chaos of the new bebop sounds (called “Chinese music” by Cab Calloway). Led by the Assunto brothers’ original Dukes of Dixieland, a band known for its virtuoso improvisation and recording history’s first stereo record, the movement brought many semi-retired musicians a measure of fame late in their lives, as well as bringing retired musicians back onto the jazz circuit after years of not playing (such as Kid Ory and Red Nichols). Many Dixieland groups of the revival era consciously imitated the recordings and bands of decades earlier. Other musicians continued to create fresh performances and new tunes. For example, in the 1950s a style called “Progressive Dixieland” sought to blend polyphonic improvisation with bebop-style rhythm. Spike Jones & His New Band and Steve Lacy played with such bands. This style is sometimes called “Dixie-bop”. Lacy went on to apply that approach to the music of Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, Duke Ellington, and Herbie Nichols.

The word “Dixie” is the nickname of the Southern United States, wherein New Orleans – the birthplace of Dixieland Jazz – is located. (wikipedia)

Swing music is a style of jazz that developed in the United States during the late 1920s and early ’30s. It became nationally popular from the mid-1930s. The name derived from its emphasis on the off-beat, or nominally weaker beat. Swing bands usually featured soloists who would improvise on the melody over the arrangement. The danceable swing style of big bands and bandleaders such as Benny Goodman was the dominant form of American popular music from 1935 to 1946, known as the swing era, when people were dancing the Lindy Hop. The verb “to swing” is also used as a term of praise for playing that has a strong groove or drive. Musicians of the swing era include Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Cab Calloway, Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey, Woody Herman, Harry James, Lionel Hampton, Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw and Django Reinhardt.

Swing has its roots in 1920s dance music ensembles, which began using new styles of written arrangements, incorporating rhythmic innovations pioneered by Louis Armstrong, Coleman Hawkins, Benny Carter and other jazzmen. During the World War II era Swing began to decline in popularity, and after war, bebop and jump blues gained popularity.

Swing blended with other genres to create new musical styles. In country music, artists such as Jimmie Rodgers, Moon Mullican, Milton Brown and Bob Wills introduced elements of swing along with blues to create a genre called “western swing”. Famous roma guitarist Django Reinhardt created gypsy swing music[4] and composed the gypsy swing standard “Minor Swing”. In the late 1980s to early 1990s, new urban-styled swing-beat emerged called new jack swing (New York go-go), created by young producer Teddy Riley. In the late 1990s and into the 2000s, there was a swing revival, led by Squirrel Nut Zippers, Brian Setzer orchestra and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. (wikipedia)

Oh … what a wonderful and fantastic compilation …

It´s time to discover the very early roots of Jazz …

… Here you have the opportunity !

And it is really surprising what sophisticated musical ideas all these musicians of that time already had … listen to “Dixieland Jass Band One-Step” or “Song Of India”.

And of course we hear on this album quite a few classics of this music style like “Maple Leaf Rag”, “Muskrat Ramble”, “Tiger Rag”, “In The Mood”, “Moonlight Serenade”, “Mood Indigo”, “Take The ‘A’ Train” or “Night And Day”.

Tracklist:

CD 1:

Original Dixieland Jass Band:
01. Indiana (McDonald/Hanley) 3.28
02. Dixieland Jass Band One-Step (LaRocca/Edwards/Shields/Ragas/Sbarbaro) 2.39
03. At The Jass Band Ball (Shields) 2.48
04. Sensation Rag (Edwards) 2.57

New Orleans Rhythm Kings:
05. Bugle Call Blues (Snyder/Pettis) 2.21
06. Farewell Blues (Rappolo/Schoebel) 2.41
07. Tin Roof Blues (Pollack/Martin/Murray/Schoebel/Snyder/Brunies/Scoville/Long/Pettis/Roppolo/Black/Stitzel/Spanier/Mares) 3.02
08. Maple Leaf Rag (Joplin) 3.00

King Oliver & His Dixie Syncopators:
09. Wa Wa Wa (Schaefer) 2.48
10. Showboat Shuffle (Bigard/Oliver) 2.58
11. Willie The Weeper (Ryman/Bloom/Melrose) 2.56
12. West End Blues (Oliver) 3.05

Louis Armstrong & His Hot Five:
13. Heebie Jeebies (Atkins) 3.04
14. Cornet Chop Suey (Armstrong) 3.07
15. Muskrat Ramble (Ory/Gilbert) 2.41
16. Struttin’ With Some Barbecue (Hardin) 3.01

Bix Beiderbecke & The Wolverines:
17. Fidgety Feet (La Rocca/Shields) 2.26
18. Riverboat Shuffle (Carmichael/Mills) 2.35
19. Royal Garden Blues (Williams) 2.54
20. Tiger Rag (La Rocca) 2.39

CD 2:

Glenn Miller And His Orchestra:
01. In The Mood (Garland/Razaf) 3.38
02. Moonlight Serenade (Parish/Miller) 4.24
03. Pensylvania 6-5000 (Gray/Sigman) 3.18
04. Chattanooga Choo Choo (Gordon/Warren) 3.27

Benny Goodman And His Orchestra:
05. King Porter Stomp (Morton) 3.09
06. Stompin’ At The Savoy (Goodman/Webb/Sampson) 3.15
07. St. Louis Blues (Handy) 3.24
08. Alexander’s Ragtime Band (Berlin) 2.10

Count Basie Orchestra:
09. One O’Clock Jump (Basie) 3.05
10. Taxi War Dance (Basie/Young) 2.49
11. Twelfth Street Rag (Sumner/Bowman) 3.05
12. Super Chief (Mundy/Basie) 3.27

Duke Ellington And His Orchestra:
13. Cotton Club Stomp (Hodges/Ellington) 2.55
14. Mood Indigo (Ellington/Mills) 3.05
15. Take The ‘A’ Train (Strayhorn) 4.29
16. The Mooche (Ellington/Mills) 3.50

Tommy Dorsey And His Orchestra:
17. Song Of India (Rimsky-Korsakov) 3.07
18. Night And Day (Porter) 2.35
19. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (Harbach/Kern) 3.08
20. Boogie Woogie (Smith) 3.09

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**

Various Artists – Musica Futurista – The Art Of Noises (2004)

The Art of Noises (Italian: L’arte dei Rumori) is a Futurist manifesto written by Luigi Russolo in a 1913 letter to friend and Futurist composer Francesco Balilla Pratella. In it, Russolo argues that the human ear has become accustomed to the speed, energy, and noise of the urban industrial soundscape; furthermore, this new sonic palette requires a new approach to musical instrumentation and composition. He proposes a number of conclusions about how electronics and other technology will allow futurist musicians to “substitute for the limited variety of timbres that the orchestra possesses today the infinite variety of timbres in noises, reproduced with appropriate mechanisms”.

The Art of Noises is considered by some authors to be one of the most important and influential texts in 20th-century musical aesthetics. (wikipedia)

Musica Futurista is a collection of music and spoken word from the Italian Futurist movement 1909-1935, including original recordings made by Filipo Tomasso Marinetti and Luigi Russolo.

As well as vintage free-verse readings by Futurist founding father Marinetti, this popular primer includes recordings of the celebrated intonarumori (noise intoners) devised by Russolo, including a fragment from his lost landmark work The Awakening of a City.

Alongside restored archive recordings, the 73 minute album includes performances of key Futurist musical works by Balilla Pratella, Luigi Grandi, Silvio Mix, Aldo Giuntini, Franco Casavola and Alfredo Casella by leading contemporary interpreter Daniele Lombardi. (press release)

Musicians/Artists influenced by The Art of Noises
John Cage
Pierre Schaeffer
Pierre Henry
Art of Noise
Adam Ant
Einstürzende Neubauten
Test Dept
DJ Spooky
Dywane Thomas, Jr.
Francisco López
R. Henry Nigl
Material
Jean-Luc Hervé Berthelot

Reviews:

“Of the major early 20th century artistic movements, Futurism is widely acknowledged as a major influence, and the first in which music and performance were major elements. Musica Futurista contains the first substantial recordings of Futurist music, digitally remastered and with two additional tracks. The booklet text by James Nice is informative” (The Wire, 09/2004)

“The influence of these works can be seen across multiple genres, from modern composition to avant rock and electronica” (Brainwashed, 08/2004)

“A terrific collection” (All Music Guide)

“A beautiful and serene re-examination of explosive thinkers and the bombs they loved. One of the most important records released this year” (Paris Transatlantic, 06/2006)

Tracklist:

Filippo Tommaso Marinetti:
01. Definizione Di Futurismo 3.04

Francesco Balilla Pratella: La Guerra – Three Dances For Orchestra, Op 32:
02. L’Aspettazione 2.22
03. La Battaglia 2.52
04. La Vittoria 3.16

Filippo Tommaso Marinetti:
05. La Battaglia Di Adrianopoli 2.59

Luigi Russolo:
06. Risveglio Di Una Città 0.29
Intonarumori Sound Samples:
07. Gorgogliatore (Gurgler) 1.22
08. Ronzatore (Buzzer) 1.03
09. Ululatore (Howler) 1.42
10. Crepitatore (Crackler) 1.06

Antonio Russolo:
11. Corale 1.57
12. Serenata 2.34

Filippo Tommaso Marinetti & Aldo Giuntini:
13. Sintesi Musicali Futuriste 6.53

Aldo Giuntini:
14. The India Rubber Man (Foxtrot) 2.00

Luigi Grandi:
15. Aeroduello (Dinamosintesi) 2.56

Silvio Mix:
16. Two Preludes From ‘Gli Stati D’Animo’ 2.40
17. Profilo Sintetico-Musicale Di Marinetti 1.10

Franco Casavola:
18. Prelude To ‘Prigionieri’ 2.48
19. Danza Della Scimmie 2.29

Alfredo Casella:
20. Pupazzetti 6.57

Filippo Tommaso Marinetti:
21. Parole In Libertà 3.37

Matty Malneck & Frank Signorelli:
22. Futurist Caprice 3.50

Filippo Tommaso Marinetti:
23. Cinque Sintesi Radiofoniche 13.08
23.1. Un Paesaggio Udito
23.2. Dramma Di Distanze
23.3. I Silenzi Parlano Fra Di Loro
23.4. Battaglia Di Ritmi
23.5. La Costruzione Di Un Silenzio

*
**

I got this very rare album with early Avantgarde music from Italy from Mr. Sleeve … Thank you very much !

 

Various Artists – Johnny Dodds – New Orleans Clarinet (1956)

Johnny Dodds (April 12, 1892 – August 8, 1940) was an American jazz clarinetist and alto saxophonist based in New Orleans, best known for his recordings under his own name and with bands such as those of Joe “King” Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton, Lovie Austin and Louis Armstrong. Dodds was the older brother of the drummer Warren “Baby” Dodds, one of the first important jazz drummers. They worked together in the New Orleans Bootblacks in 1926. Dodds is an important figure in jazz history. He was the premier clarinetist of his era and, in recognition of his artistic contributions, he was posthumously inducted into the Jazz Hall of Fame. He has been described as “a prime architect in the creation of the Jazz Age.”

Dodds was born in Waveland, Mississippi. His childhood environment was a musical one. His father and uncle were violinists, his sister played a melodeon, and in adolescence Johnny sang high tenor in the family quartet. According to legend, his instrumental skill began with a toy flute which had been purchased for his brother, Warren “Baby” Dodds.

He moved to New Orleans in his youth and studied the clarinet with Lorenzo Tio and Charlie McCurdy. He played with the bands of Frankie Duson, Kid Ory, and Joe “King” Oliver. Dodds went to Chicago and played with Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band, with which he first recorded in 1923. He also worked frequently with his good friend Natty Dominique during this period, a professional relationship that would last a lifetime. After the breakup of Oliver’s band in 1924, Dodds replaced Alcide Nunez as the house clarinetist and bandleader of Kelly’s Stables. From 1924 to 1930, Dodds worked regularly at Kelly’s Stables in Chicago. He recorded with numerous small groups in Chicago, notably Louis Armstrong’s Hot Five and Hot Seven and Jelly Roll Morton’s Red Hot Peppers.

He also recorded prolifically under his own name between 1927 and 1929 for Paramount, Brunswick/Vocalion, and Victor. He became a big star on the Chicago jazz scene of the 1920s, but his career precipitously declined with the Great Depression. Although his career gradually recovered, he did not record for most of the 1930s, affected by ill-health; he recorded only two sessions—January 21, 1938, and June 5, 1940—both for Decca. He died of a heart attack in August 1940, in Chicago.

Known for his professionalism and virtuosity as a musician and his heartfelt, heavily blues-laden style, Dodds was an important influence on later clarinetists, notably Benny Goodman, who stated that no one ever surpassed Dodds in achieving a finer tone with the clarinet. Dodds was inducted into the Jazz Hall of Fame in 1987.

Several accounts suggest the Dodds brothers did not always get along. When the brothers were young children, Johnny received a clarinet from his father while Baby did not get a drum even though he asked for one. In The Baby Dodds Story, Baby Dodds discusses his jealousy of his older brother when they were children. As they grew up, Johnny refused to let Baby play music with him because Baby was a heavy drinker and Johnny did not drink. When Joe Oliver hired Baby to join his band, Johnny realized how much Baby’s talent as a drummer had grown, however, Johnny changed his mind. Although they continued to argue about Baby’s excessive drinking, they grew closer as brothers and musicians. Baby was greatly affected by his brother’s death. (by wikipedia)

Okay … and here we can hear Johnny Doods with groups and musicians like Jasper Taylor’s State Street Boys, Jimmy Blythe’s Washboard Band, Blind Blake, Junie Cobb’s Hometown Band, Viola Bartlette, State Street Ramblers and Lovie Austin’s Blues Serenaders.

And we hear wonderful music from the very early days of Jazz.

Let´s drink to all these today more or less forgotten fine musicians … Cheers !

Personnel:

Jasper Taylor’s State Street Boys:
Johnny Dodds (clarinet)
Eddy Ellis (trombone)
Natty Dominique (cornett)
Tiny Parham (piano)
Jasper Taylor (washboard)

Jimmy Blythe’s Washboard Band:
Jimmy Blythe (piano)
Buddy Burton (washboard)
Johnny Dodds (clarinet)

Junie Cobb’s Hometown Band:
Jimmy Blythe (piano)
Junie Cobb (saxophone, carillon)
Johnny Dodds (Carillon)
Eustern Woodfork (banjo)

Viola Bartlette & Lovie Austin’s Blues Serenaders:
Lovie Austin (piano)
Viola Bartlette (vocals)
Junie Cobb (clarinet)
Johnny Dodds (clarinet)
Albert Wynn (trombone)

Blind Blake:
Jimmy Bertrand (xylophone)
Blind Blake (guitar)
Johnny Dodds (clarinet)

State Street Ramblers:
Jimmy Bertrand (washboard)
Jimmy Blythe (piano)
Johnny Dodds (clarinet)
Natty Dominique (trumpet)

Lovie Austin’s Blues Serenaders:
Lovie Austin (piano)
Johnny Dodds (clarinet)
Tommy Ladnier (cornet)
Henry Williams (vocals)

Tracklist:

Jasper Taylor’s State Street Boys:
01. It Must Be The Blues (Parham) 2.29
02. State Street Blues (Parham) 2.34

Junie Cobb’s Hometown Band:
03. East Coast Troat (Blythe/Stevens) 3.01
04. Chicago Buzz (Blythe/Stevens) 2.49

Viola Bartlette & Lovie Austin’s Blues Serenaders:
05. Walk Easy ‘Cause My Papa’s Here (Cobb) 2.59

Blind Blake:
06. Southbound Rag (Blake) 3.17

Jimmy Blythe’s Washboard Band:
07. Bohunkus Blues (unknown) 2.52
08. Buddy Burton’s Jazz (unknown) 2.33

State Street Ramblers:
09. Cootie Stomp (Clark)
10. Weary Way Blues (Blythe/Minor) 2.54

Lovie Austin’s Blues Serenaders:
11. Chicago Mess Around (
12. Gallion Stomp

*
**

Johnny Dodds (April 12, 1892 – August 8, 1940)

Fats Waller – Ain’t Misbehavin’ (1990)

African-American pianist Fats Waller wrote such jazz standards as “Ain’t Misbehavin'” and earned fame for his comedic radio performances in the 1930s.
Synopsis

Born on May 21, 1904, in New York City, Fats Waller was influenced as a teenager by jazz great James P. Johnson. He proved a gifted piano player and songwriter, delivering such jazz standards as “Ain’t Misbehavin’.” In the 1930s, Waller’s fame reached new heights following his performances on radio and in film. He died from bronchial pneumonia on December 15, 1943, in Kansas City, Missouri.

Thomas Wright “Fats” Waller was born on May 21, 1904, in New York City. He learned to play piano at the age of 6, and within a few years was also learning the reed organ, string bass and violin. After dropping out of school at around age 15, he became an organist at the Lincoln Theatre in Harlem.

Waller’s father, Edward, a baptist minister, was hopeful that his son would follow a religious calling instead of a career in jazz. However, the path to music became inevitable following the death of Waller’s mother, Adeline, in 1920. Waller moved in with the family of pianist Russell B.T. Brooks, who introduced the youngster to James P. Johnson, founder of the stride school of jazz piano.

Waller made his recording debut in 1922 for Okeh Records with the solo efforts “Muscle Shoals Blues” and “Binningham Blues.” Shortly afterward, he released “Squeeze Me,” an important early work that established his bona fides as a songwriter.

Waller continued to play organ at the Lincoln Theatre while also taking engagements at theaters in Philadelphia and Chicago. In addition, he often starred at Harlem’s famous “rent parties,” where he and his fellow musicians would essentially stage concerts in friends’ homes. Larger than life with his sheer size and magnetic personality, Waller was known to enjoy alcohol and female attention in abundance.

Waller became more involved with writing and performing for revues in the late 1920s, starting with Keep Shufflin’ in 1927. He forged a strong collaborative partnership with Andy Razaf, with whom he wrote two of his most famous stage songs, “Honeysuckle Rose” and “Ain’t Misbehavin’.” During this time, Waller also recorded such standards as “Handful of Keys” and “Valentine Stomp” as a soloist, and “The Minor Drag” and “Harlem Fuss” as leader of Fats Waller and His Buddies.

Waller branched out to radio with his New York-based shows “Paramount on Parade” and “Radio Roundup” from 1930-31, and the Cincinnati-based “Fats Waller’s Rhythm Club” from 1932-34. After returning to New York in 1934, he began a new regular radio program, “Rhythm Club,” and formed the Fats Waller and His Rhythm sextet.

Waller appeared in two Hollywood films in 1935, Hooray for Love! and King of Burlesque. However, while his fame was spreading, he reportedly had become disenchanted with the comedic, irrevererent persona that fans had come to expect from his broadcasts, instead seeking more respect as a serious artist. He appeared to be making strong strides in that direction after a trip to England in 1938, recording the ambitious composition “London Suite.”
Late Career and Death

Waller returned to Hollywood early in 1943 to film Stormy Weather with Lena Horne and Bill Robinson. After returning to New York, he began writing songs for another revue, Early to Bed.

Fats Waller had maintained a heavy travel schedule into the 1940s, despite declining health, but the wear and tear eventually caught up with him. While returning home from another West Coast trip in late 1943, he contracted bronchial pneumonia, an illness that silenced the beloved and influential jazz great for good during a stop in Kansas City, Missouri, on December 15, 1943. (biography.com)

And here´s a nice little compilation with many hits of his career. At least every serious record collector shul have one album Fats Waller … here´s your chance !

Personnel:
Fats Waller (keyboards, vocals)

Tracklist:
01. Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Razaf/Waller/Brooks) 2.58
02. Until The Real Thing Comes Along (Cahn/Chaplin/Freeman) 3.24
03. Two Sleepy People (Loesser/Carmichael) 3.04
04. I’m Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter (Young/Ahlert) 3.34
05. Tea For Two (Caesar/Youmans) 3.05
06. I Can’t Give You Anything But Love, Baby (Fields/McHugh) 2.55
07. The Joint Is Jumpin’ ((Razaf/Waller/Johnson) 2.48
08. Don’t Try Your Jive On Me (Feather/Sampson) 3.19
09. Lonesome Road (Austin/Shilkret) 2.43
10. I Ain’t Got Nobody (Graham/Williams) 2.48
11. Breakin’ The Ice (McCarthy/Cavanaugh/Weldon) 3.15
12. Twelfth Street Rag (Bowman) 2.45

*
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Thomas Wright “Fats” Waller (May 21, 1904 – December 15, 1943)

Various Artists – Blues, Blues Christmas Vol. 1 – 1925 – 1955 (2005)

The idea of Christmas themed blues and gospel numbers stretches back to the very dawn of the recorded genres. “Hooray for Christmas” exclaims Bessie Smith to kick off her soon to be classic “At The Christmas Ball”, which inaugurated the Christmas blues tradition when it was recorded in November 1925 for Columbia. A year later, circa December 1926, the gospel Christmas tradition was launched when the Elkins-Payne Jubilee Singers recorded “Silent Night, Holy Night” for Paramount Records. After these recordings it was off to the races with numerous Christmas blues numbers recorded by singers of all stripes, a pace that continued as blues evolved into R&B and then rock and roll. For some reason there’s far fewer gospel Christmas songs although there were plenty of Christmas sermons in the 1920’s and 1930’s when recorded sermons rivalled blues in popularity among black audiences.

Going hand in hand with Christmas is quite a number of New Year’s songs, a good vehicle for juxtaposing the problems of the past year with the glimmer of hope that the upcoming year will bring better fortune. Whether these artists sung these numbers as part of their regular repertoire is unclear but it’s almost certainly the case that many of these songs were recorded at the prompting of the record companies. Like any business they were always looking for a new angle or gimmick to sell records and advertised these boldly, often with full-page ads, in black newspapers like the Chicago Defender.

Perhaps you think this is a bit cynical but then you probably still believe in Santa Clause and good will towards men! Well, sit back, tip a glass of holiday cheer and enjoy our survey of yuletide classics spanning the 1920’s through the 1950’s, a simpler, more wholesome time – right! (by thedocumentrecordsstore.com)

Christmas and the blues might seem at first like a strange combination, given that the music of the holiday season is usually joyful, hopeful, and bright, but no other time of the year is so good at showing you what you don’t have, and what you can’t get, and if you have the blues at Christmas, well, it’s going to be a pretty heavy dose. This generous two-disc set from Document Records features 52 tracks of vintage African-American Christmas-themed blues and gospel pieces (with a couple of street sermons thrown in) recorded between 1925 and 1955, ranging from down-and-out laments and jailhouse moans to surprising (and occasionally risqué) requests for what Santa can bring down the chimney. Highlights on the first disc include the opening track, the joyous “Christ Was Born on Christmas Morn,” recorded in 1925 by comedian and female impersonator Frankie “Half Pint” Jaxon; Harry Crafton’s “Bring That Cadillac Back” (a Cadillac might not be the best gift if your girlfriend likes to ramble) from 1947; Tampa Red’s amazing, ringing slide guitar tone on “Christmas and New Year’s Blues” from 1936; and the bizarre, disturbing field recording of “Junior’s a Jap Girl’s Christmas for His Santa Claus,” sung by Willie Blackwell for Alan Lomax in Arkansas in 1942. Other high points include the charming “Christmas Boogie,” recorded in 1950 by piano prodigy (he was only ten years old when this recording was made) Frankie “Sugar Chile” Robinson and the intense, bottled-up street-corner sermon “The Wrong Way to Celebrate Xmas,” recorded by Rev. Edward Clayborn in 1928. The second disc yields even more holiday gems, including the bottleneck guitar attack of Black Ace (Babe Karo Lemon Turner) on 1937’s “Christmas Time Blues (Beggin’ Santa Claus)”; Leroy Carr’s stark and brilliant “Christmas in Jail” from 1929; a breezy, bouncing “When Jesus Was Born” by gospel harmony quartet the Sons of Heaven (who were really the Selah Jubilee Singers doing a little moonlighting — which they did often, also recording as the Jubilators, the Southern Harmonaires, and the Larks) from 1948; and the sparse, stunning “Christmas Time Blues” by the mysterious Boll Weavil (Willie McNeil), also from 1948. A marvelous collection, Blues, Blues Christmas is a refreshing addition to the more standard holiday material that prevails during the season. (by Steve Leggett)

Personnel:
see booklet

Tracklist:
CD 1:
01. Frankie ‘Half-Pint’ Jaxon: Christ Was Born On Christmas Morn 3.25
02. Titus Turner: Christmas Morning Blues 2.31
03. The Cats & The Fiddle: Hep Cat’s Holiday 2.31
04. Ralph Willis: Christmas Blues 2.36
05. Willie Blackwell: Junior’s A Jap Girl’s Christmas For His Santa Claus 4.55
06. Butterbeans & Susie: Papa Ain’t No Santa Claus (And Mama Ain’t No Christmas Tree) 3.16
07. Jimmy Butler: Trim Your Tree 1.54
08. Gatemouth Moore: Christmas Blues 2.54
09. Harry Crafton with Doc Bagby Orchestra: Bring That Cadillac Back 2.38
10. Bertha ‘Chippie’ Hill: Christmas Man Blues 2.57
11. Cecil Gant: Hello Santa Claus 2.52
12. Bumble Bee Slim: Christmas And No Santa Claus 3.04
13. Felix Gross: Love For Christmas 2.35
14. Lonnie Johnson: Happy New Year Darling 2.36
15. Tampa Red: Christmas & New Year’s Blues 3.22
16. Amos Milburn: Let’s Make Christmas Merry, Baby 2.52
17. Julie Lee & Her Boyfriends: Christmas Spirit 2.45
18. Bessie Smith: At The Christmas Ball 3.23
19. Rev. A. W. Nix: How Will You Spend Christmas 3.20
20. Harmon Ray: Xmas Blues 2.40
21. Jimmy Witherspoon: How I Hate To See Xmas Come Around 3.01
22. Joe Turner With Pete Johnson & His Orchestra: Christmas Date Boogie 2.32
23. Sugar Chile Robinson: Christmas Boogie 2.12
24. Leadbelly: The Christmas Song 2.41
25. Lighnin’ Hopkins: Happy New Year 3.12
26. Rev. Edward Clayborn: The Wrong Way To Celebrate Xmas 2.25

CD 2:
01. Bo Carter: Santa Claus 3.12
02. Black Ace: Christmas Time Blues (Beggin’ Santa Claus) 2,.44
03. Mary Harris: Happy New Year Blues 3.08
04. Charlie Jordan: Christmas Christmas Blues 3.23
05. Johnny Otis Orchestra: Happy New Year, Baby 2.43
06. Little Esther & Mel Walker With Johnny Otis: Faraway Christmas Blues 3.18
07. Sonny Boy Williamson I: Christmas Morning Blues 3.22
08. Leroy Carr: Christmas In Jail 3.10
09. Kansas City Kitty: Christmas Mornin’ Blues 3.08
10. Rev. J.M. Gates: Did You Spend Christmas Day In Jail 2.52
11. Rev. J.M. Gates: Death Might Be Your Santa Claus 2.59
12. Blind Lemon Jefferson: Happy New Year Blues 2.53
13. Smokey Hogg: New Year’s Eve Blues 2.40
14. Larry Darnell: Christmas Blues 2.52
15. Sons Of Heaven: When Was Jesus Born 2.39
16. J.B. Summers With Doc Bagby’s Orchestra: I Want A Present For Christmas 2.28
17. Sonny Parker With Lionel Hampton Orchestra: Boogie Woogie Santa Claus 2.41
18. Roy Milton Solid Serenaders: New Year’s Resolution Blues 2.27
19. Sonny Boy Williamson II & His Harmonica & Houserockers: Sonny Boy’s Christmas Blues 2.32
20. Roosevelt Sykes: Let Me Hang My Stockings In Your Christmas Tree 2.53
21. Elzadie Robinson: The Santa Claus Crave 3.18
22. Walter Davis: Santa Claus 3.00
23. Victoria Spivey: Christmas Morning Blues 3.24
24. Boll Weevil: Christmas Time Blues 3.09
25. Floyd Dixon: Empty Stocking Blues 3.01
26. Mabel Scott With Les Welch & His Orchestra: Boogie Woogie Santa Claus 2.13

*
**

 

Carlos Gardel – The Passion Of Tango (1996)

Carlos Gardel (born Charles Romuald Gardès; 11 December 1890 – 24 June 1935) was a French Argentine singer, songwriter, composer and actor, and the most prominent figure in the history of tango. Gardel’s baritone voice and the dramatic phrasing of his lyrics made miniature masterpieces of his hundreds of three-minute tango recordings. Together with lyricist and long-time collaborator Alfredo Le Pera, Gardel wrote several classic tangos.

Gardel died in an airplane crash at the height of his career, becoming an archetypal tragic hero mourned throughout Latin America. For many, Gardel embodies the soul of the tango style. He is commonly referred to as “Carlitos”, “El Zorzal” (The [Song] Thrush), “The King of Tango”, “El Mago” (The Wizard), “El Morocho del Abasto” (The Brunette boy from Abasto), and ironically “El Mudo” (The Mute). (by wikipedia)

Gardel rivals Astor Piazzolla as the most important single figure in tango history; if Piazzolla was roughly tango’s equivalent of Duke Ellington, then Gardel was certainly its Frank Sinatra — a towering giant of a vocalist, macho yet sensitive, with an unequaled affinity for the popular song of his homeland.

Carlos Gardel (11 December 1887/18901 – 24 June 1935) was an enormously popular Argentina-raised tango singer during the inter-war years, whose birth-place has been largely disputed. His death in an airplane crash at the height of his career created an image of a tragic hero on both shores of the Río de la Plata. For many music fans, Gardel embodies the soul of the tango, a musical form and dance which evolved in the barrios of Buenos Aires and Montevideo at the end of the 19th century.

Gardel possessed a baritone voice deployed with unerring musicality and dramatic phrasing, creating miniature masterpieces among the hundreds of three-minute tangos which he recorded during his lifetime. Together with his long-term collaborator, lyricist Alfredo Le Pera, Gardel also wrote several classic tangos, notably Mi Buenos Aires querido, Amores de Estudiante, Soledad, Volver, Por una cabeza and El día que me quieras.

Gardel began his career singing in bars and at private parties and in 1911 formed a duet with Francisco Martino, and after with Josà Razzano (which would last until 1925), singing a wide repertory. Gardel made the music his own by inventing the tango-canción in 1917 with Mi Noche Triste, a Pascual Contursi and Samuel Castriota’s theme, which sold 100,000 copies and was a hit throughout Latin America. Gardel went on to tour Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Colombia and made appearances in Barcelona, Madrid, Paris and New York. He sold 70,000 records in the first three months of a 1928 visit to Paris. As his popularity grew, he made a number of films for Paramount in France and the U.S., which were essentially vehicles for his singing and matinée-idol looks.

When Gardel and his collaborator Le Pera were killed in an airplane crash in Medellín, Colombia in 1935, millions of his fans throughout Latin America went into mourning. Hordes of people thronged to pay their respects as the singer’s body travelled via Colombia, New York and Rio de Janeiro to Montevideo, Uruguay where his mother lived. There he was put on lit de parade while thousands of Uruguayans rendered homage to their beloved singer. After two days the singer’s body travelled to its final resting place in La Chacarita Cemetery in Buenos Aires.

Gardel is still revered from Buenos Aires to Tokyo, where people like to say that “he sings better every day.” His fans still like to place a lit cigarette in the fingers of the life-sized statue which adorns his tomb. One of Gardel’s favorite phrases, Veinte años no es nada (Twenty years is nothing) became a famous saying across Latin America. (by argentina-tango.com)

And this is a more or less rare Italian sampler with his music …. many decades ago … Music from a long forgotten period … Music from Argentinia … Tango … you know … many fantastic colors …

Personnel:
Carlos Gardel (guitar, piano, vocals)
+
a bunch of unknown studio musicians

Tracklist:
01. Volver (Gardel/Pera) 2.55
02. El Dia Que Me Quieras (Gardel/Pera) 3.23
03. La Cumparsita (Rodríguez) 2.15
04. Silencio (Pettorossi/Gardel/Pera) 2.42
05. Adios Muchachos (Sanders/Vedani) 2.23
06. Mi Buenos Aires querido (Gardel/Pera) 2.39
07. Milonga sentimenta (Piana/Manzi) 3.00
08. Tomo y obligo (Gardel/ Romero) 2.08
09. Melodía de Arrabal (Gardel/Pera/Battistella) 2.36
10. Lejana Tierra Mia (Gardel/Pera) 2.43
11. Madreselva (Gardel) 3.08
12. Cuesta abajo (Gardel/Pera) 3.30
13. Mano a mano (Gardel/Flores/Razzano) 3.10
14. La canción de Buenos Aires (Cúfaro/Maizani/Romero) 2.15
15. Caminito ( Filiberto/Peñaloza) 2.35
16. Guitarra Mia (Gardel/Pera) 3.26
17. Tango Argentino (Maglio/Bigheschi) 2.25

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Andre Kostelanetz And His Orchestra – Music Of Jerome Kern (1955)

Andre Kostelanetz (Russian: Абрам Наумович Костелянец, December 22, 1901 – January 13, 1980) was a Russian-born American popular orchestral music conductor and arranger who was one of the major exponents of popular orchestra music.Andre Kostelanetz (Russian: Абрам Наумович Костелянец, December 22, 1901 – January 13, 1980) was a Russian-born American popular orchestral music conductor and arranger who was one of the major exponents of popular orchestra music.

Biography This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
Abram Naumovich Kostelyanetz was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia to a prominent Jewish family. He was a cousin of physicist Lew Kowarski. His father, Nachman Yokhelevich (Naum Ignatyevich) Kostelyanetz was active on St. Petersburg stock exchange; his maternal grandfather, Aizik Yevelevich Dymshitz, was a wealthy merchant and industrialist, engaged in timber production. Kostelanetz escaped in 1922 after the Russian Revolution.

He arrived in the United States that year, and in the 1920s, conducted concerts for radio. In the 1930s, he began his own weekly show on CBS, Andre Kostelanetz Presents. Kostelanetz was known for arranging and recording light classical music pieces for mass audiences, as well as orchestral versions of songs and Broadway show tunes. He made numerous recordings over the course of his career, which had sales of over 50 million and became staples of beautiful music radio stations. For many years, he conducted the New York Philharmonic in pops concerts and recordings, in which they were billed as Andre Kostelanetz and His Orchestra.
Andre Kostelanetz may be best known to modern audiences for a series of easy listening instrumental albums on Columbia Records from the 1940s until 1980. Kostelanetz actually started making this music before there was a genre called “easy listening”. He continued until after some of his contemporaries, including Mantovani, had stopped recording.

Outside the United States, one of his best known works was an orchestral arrangement of the tune “With a Song in my Heart”, which was the signature tune of a long-running BBC radio program, at first called Forces Favourites, then Family Favourites, and finally Two Way Family Favourites.
He commissioned many works, including Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait, Jerome Kern’s Portrait of Mark Twain, William Schuman’s New England Triptych, Paul Creston’s Frontiers, Ferde Grofé’s Hudson River Suite, Virgil Thomson’s musical portraits of Fiorello La Guardia and Dorothy Thompson, Alan Hovhaness’s Floating World, and Ezra Laderman’s Magic Prison. William Walton dedicated his Capriccio burlesco to Kostelanetz, who conducted the first performance and made the first recording, both with the New York Philharmonic.
His last concert was A Night in Old Vienna with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra at that city’s War Memorial Opera House on December 31, 1979.

His first wife was actress/singer Sarah Loy; they were married from 1923 to 1937, when the marriage was dissolved. He was then married to soprano Lily Pons from 1938 to 1958, when the marriage was dissolved. They owned a home in Palm Springs, California which was built in 1955. In 1960 he married Sara Gene Orcutt; the marriage lasted several years.
His brother Boris Kostelanetz (1911–2006) was a prominent tax defense lawyer.

Kostelanetz died of pneumonia in Haiti on January 13, 1980, at the age of 78. (by wikipedia)

And here we can hear him with many compositions by Jerome Kern:

Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in over 100 stage works, including such classics as “Ol’ Man River”, “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man”, “A Fine Romance”, “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”, “All the Things You Are”, “The Way You Look Tonight”, “Long Ago (and Far Away)” and “Who?”. He collaborated with many of the leading librettists and lyricists of his era, including George Grossmith Jr., Guy Bolton, P. G. Wodehouse, Otto Harbach, Oscar Hammerstein II, Dorothy Fields, Johnny Mercer, Ira Gershwin and E. Y. Harburg.

A native New Yorker, Kern created dozens of Broadway musicals and Hollywood films in a career that lasted for more than four decades. His musical innovations, such as 4/4 dance rhythms and the employment of syncopation and jazz progressions, built on, rather than rejected, earlier musical theatre tradition. He and his collaborators also employed his melodies to further the action or develop characterization to a greater extent than in the other musicals of his day, creating the model for later musicals. Although dozens of Kern’s musicals and musical films were hits, only Show Boat is now regularly revived. Songs from his other shows, however, are still frequently performed and adapted. Many of Kern’s songs have been adapted by jazz musicians to become standard tunes. (by wikipedia)

First release on 78 rpm in 1946 (four shellac records)

Personnel:
Andre Kostelanetz And His Orchestra

Tracklist:
01 Smoke Gets In Your Eyes 4.38

Medley 1 (4.45):
02.1. Yesterdays
02.2.  I’ve Told Ev’ry Little Star
02.3.  The Song Is You

Medley 2 (4.14):
03.1. The Night Was Made For Love
03.2.  She Didn’t Say Yes
03.3.  All The Things You Are

Medley 3 (4.25):
04.1. Look For The Silver Lining
04.2. They Didn’t Believe Me
04.3. Long Ago (And Far Away)

Medley 4 (4.47):
05.1. I Dream Too Much
05.2. The Jockey On The Carousel

Medley 5 (4.47):
06.1. Why Was I Born?
06.2. The Way You Look Tonight
06.3. Who?

Medley 6 (4.18):
07.1. Only Make Believe
07.2. Bill

Medley 7 (4.34):
08.1. Why Do I Love You?
08.2. You Are Love
08.3.Ol’ Man River

List of the musicals from which the tracks were taken from:

1: “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” and “Yesterdays” taken from “Roberta” (1933).
2: “I’ve Told Ev’ry Little Star” and “The Song Is You” from “Music In The Air” (1932)
3: “The Night Was Made For Love” and “She Didn’t Say Yes” taken from “The Cat And The Fiddle” (1931). “All The Things You Are” taken from “Very Warm For May” (1939)
4: “Look For The Silver Lining” taken from “Sally” (1920). “They Didn’t Believe Me” taken from “The Girl From Utah” (1913). “Long Ago (And Far Away)” taken from the movie “Cover Girl” directed by Charles Vidor (1944).
5: “I Dream Too Much” and “The Jockey On The Carousel” taken from the movie “I Dream Too Much” directed by John Cromwell (1935).
6: “Why Was I Born?” taken from “Sweet Adeline” (1929). “The Way You Look Tonight” taken from the movie “Swing Time” directed by George Stevens (1936). “Who?” taken from “Sunny” (1925).
7 & 8: “Only Make Believe”, “Bill”, “Why Do I Love You?”, “You Are Love” and “Ol’ Man River” taken from “Show Boat” (1927).Recorded in March-April 1946, except tracks 7 and 8 recorded in December 1945.

*
**

Original front + backcover from 1946:

Louis Armstrong – Armstrong Forever Vol. 1 (1972)

Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901– July 6, 1971), nicknamed Satchmo, Satch or Pops, was an American trumpeter, composer, singer and occasional actor who was one of the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades, from the 1920s to the 1960s, and different eras in the history of jazz.

Coming to prominence in the 1920s as an “inventive” trumpet and cornet player, Armstrong was a foundational influence in jazz, shifting the focus of the music from collective improvisation to solo performance.[3] With his instantly recognizable gravelly voice, Armstrong was also an influential singer, demonstrating great dexterity as an improviser, bending the lyrics and melody of a song for expressive purposes. He was also very skilled at scat singing.

Armstrong is renowned for his charismatic stage presence and voice almost as much as for his trumpet playing, Armstrong’s influence extends well beyond jazz, and by the end of his career in the 1960s, he was widely regarded as a profound influence on popular music in general. Armstrong was one of the first truly popular African-American entertainers to “cross over”, whose skin color was secondary to his music in an America that was extremely racially divided at the time. He rarely publicly politicized his race, often to the dismay of fellow African Americans, but took a well-publicized stand for desegregation in the Little Rock crisis. His artistry and personality allowed him socially acceptable access to the upper echelons of American society which were highly restricted for black men of his era. (by wikipedia)

Louis Armstrong, nicknamed “Satchmo,” “Pops” and, later, “Ambassador Satch,” was born on August 4, 1901, in New Orleans, Louisiana. An all-star virtuoso, he came to prominence in the 1920s, influencing countless musicians with both his daring trumpet style and unique vocals. Armstrong’s charismatic stage presence impressed not only the jazz world but all of popular music. He recorded several songs throughout his career, including he is known for songs like “Star Dust,” “La Vie En Rose” and “What a Wonderful World.” Armstrong died at his home in Queens, New York, on July 6, 1971. (by

And here´s just a sampler … but a real nice one … it´s a sort of “Best Of” Album …

And I guess it´s time to discover the great Louis Armstrong again … his music is timeless !

Personnel:
Bernard Addison (guitar on 07. + 12.)
Henry Allen (trumpet on 01.)
Edward Anderson (trumpet on 078 + 12.)
Gene Anderson (piano on 02. + 06.)
Paul Barbarin (drums on 01. + 1.)
Mancy Cara (banjo on 02., 05. – 07.)
Johnny Dodds (saxophone, clarinet on 10.)
Lilian Hardin Armstrong (piano on 10.)
Louis Armstrong (trumpet, vocals, cornet)
Pete Briggs (bass on 02. + 06.)
Ceele Burke (banjo on 03. 04. + 09.)
Eddie Condon (banjo on 11.)
Luther Craven (trombone on 03., 04. + 08.)
Bert Curry (saxophone on 02. + 06.)
John St. Cyr (banjo on 10.)
Carroll Dickerson (violin on 02. + 06.)
Pops Foster (bass on 01. + 11.)
Lionel Hampton (drums, vibraphone on 03., 05. + 09.)
Henry Hicks (trombone on 07. + 12.)
J.C. Higginbotham (trombone on 01. + 11.)
Teddy Hill (saxophone on 01. + 11.)
Earl Hines (piano on 05. + 07.)
Les Hite (saxophone on 03., 04. + 09.)
Homer Hobson (trumpet on 02. + 06.)
Bobby Holmes (clarinet, saxophone on 08. + 12.)
Charlie Holmes (saxophone on 01. + 11.)
Lavert Hutchinson (bass on 08. + 12.)
Franz Jackson (saxophone on 03., 04. + 09.)
Lonnie Johnson (guitar on 11.)
Otis Johnson (trumpet on 01.)
Will Johnson (guitar on 01.)
Willy Lynch (drums on 08. + 12.)
Castor McCord (saxophone on 07. + 12.)
Theodore McCord (saxophone on 07. + 12.)
Albert Nicholas (clarinet on 10., saxophone on 01.)
Richard Orendorf (trumpet on 03., 04. + 09.)
Kid Ory (trombone on 10.)
Jimmy Prince (piano on 03., 04. + 09.)
Don Redman (saxophone on 07.)
Fred Robinson (trombone on 02., 05. – 07.)
Marshall Royal (clarinet on 03., 04. + 09.)
Luis Russell (piano on 01. + 11.)
Zutty Singleton (drums on 02., 05. – 07.)
Jimmy Strong (saxophone on 02., 05. – 07.)
Joe Turner (piano on 07. + 12.)
Crawford Wetherington (saxophone on 02. + 06.)

Tracklist:

Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra:
01. St-Louis Blues (Handy) 3.02
02. Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Razaf/Waller/Brooks) 3.24

Louis Armstrong & His Sebastian New Cotton Club:
03. Body And Soul (Heyman/Green/Sour) 3.15
04. The Peanut Vendor (Simons) 3.27

Louis Armstrong & His Savoy Ballroom Five:
05. Basin Street Blues (Williams) 3.17

Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra:
06. After You’ve Gone (Creamer/Layton) 3.21

Louis Armstrong & His Savoy Ballroom Five:
07. St-James Infirmary (Redman) 3.21

Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra:
08. Tiger Rag (La Rocca) 3.12

Louis Armstrong & His Sebastian New Cotton Club:
09. Just A Gigolo (Caesar/Casucci) 3.18

Louis Armstrong And His Hot Five:
10. Muskrat Ramble (Ory) 2.37

Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra:
11. I Can’t Give You Anything But Love (Fields/McHugh) 3.26
12. Dinah (Akst/Young/Lewis) 3.12

*
**

Alternate frontcover

Various Artists – The History Of Jazz – The New Orleans Joys (1994)

This is a real fine compilation about the roots of Jazz, about the early Jazz in New Orleans:

The music of New Orleans assumes various styles of music which have often borrowed from earlier traditions. New Orleans, Louisiana, is especially known for its strong association with jazz music, universally considered to be the birthplace of the genre. The earliest form was dixieland, which has sometimes been called traditional jazz, ‘New Orleans’, and ‘New Orleans jazz’. However, the tradition of jazz in New Orleans has taken on various forms that have either branched out from original dixieland or taken entirely different paths altogether. New Orleans has also been a prominent center of funk, home to some of the earliest funk bands such as The Meters.

The African influence on New Orleans music can trace its roots at least back to Congo Square in New Orleans in 1835, when slaves would congregate there to play music and dance on Sundays. African music was played as well as local music, including that of such local white composers as Louis Moreau Gottschalk. Along with such popular European musical forms popular in the city, perhaps most notably the brass band traditions, the cultural mix laid the groundwork for the New Orleans musical art forms to come.

By 1838 the local paper—the daily Picayune—ran a scathing article complaining about the emergence of brass bands in the city, which it stated could be found on every corner.

Caricature of an African-American band playing in New Orleans in 1890. New Orleans writer Al Rose has called this “The earliest known illustration of a jazz band”. While the instrumentation of cornet or trumpet, trombone, clarinet, and drums is suggestive of the early jazz bands of some 15 years later, how close this music was to what would be known as “jazz” is speculative.

The term “jazz” (early on often spelled “jass”) did not become popular until the mid and late 1910s, when New Orleans musicians first rose to prominence in other parts of the USA and the New Orleans style needed a new name to differentiate it from the nationally popular ragtime. Before then, the New Orleans style was frequently simply called “ragtime” (Sidney Bechet continued to call his music “ragtime” throughout his life), along with such local terms as “hot music” and “ratty music”.

The local New Orleans dance music style was already distinctive in the 19th century. When this style became what was later known as “jazz” remains a matter of debate and definition, although most New Orleans music historians believe what became known as New Orleans style jazz was the product of a series of developments, probably reaching its famous form no earlier than the 1890s and no later than the mid 1910s.

By the 1890s a man by the name of Poree hired a band led by cornetist Buddy Bolden, many of whose contemporaries as well as many jazz historians consider to be the first prominent jazz musician. The music was not called jazz at this time, consisting of marching band music with brass instruments and dancing. If anything, Bolden could be said to have been a blues player.

The actual term “jazz” was first “jass”, the etymology of which is still not entirely clear. The connotation is sexual in nature, as many of the early performers played in rough working class venues. Despite colorful stories of mid-20th century writers, the prostitution district known as Storyville was no more important in the development of the music than the city’s other neighborhoods, but did play a role in exposing some out of town visitors to the style. Many instruments used were often acquired second-hand at pawn shops, including used military band instruments.

The Creole people of New Orleans also contributed greatly to the evolution of the artform, though their own music became heavily influenced by the pioneering work of Bolden. New Orleans-born musicians such as Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet and Jelly Roll Morton all recalled the influence Bolden had on the direction of the music of New Orleans. (Armstrong himself had no memory of Bolden, but was told about him by his mentor King Oliver), and jazz itself. (by wikipedia)

Enjoy this sentimental journey to the roots of (New Orleans) Jazz !

Personnel:
see booklet for details

Tracklist:

CD 1:
01. King Oliver and His Creole Jazz Band: Chimes Blues (Oliver) 2.53
02. Piron’s New Orleans Orchestra: Bouncing Around (Bocage/Piron) 2.45
03. Fate’s Society Orchestra Marable: Frankie & Johnny (Traditional) 2.47
04. Jelly Roll Morton: Tia Juana (Morton) 2.50
05. Clarence Williams Blue Five: Texas Moaner Blues (Barnes/Williams) 3.14
06. Red Onion Jazz Babies: Calke Walking Babies (Williams/Smith/Troy) 3.18
07. Celestin’s Original Tuxedo Jazz Orchestra: Original Tuxedo Rag (Celestin) 2.44
08. King Oliver & Jelly Roll Morton:King Porter Stomp (Morton) 2.31
09. Bertha “Chippie” Hill: Trouble in Mind (Jones) 2.52
10. Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five: Cornet Shop Suey (Armstrong) 3.01
11. Arthur Sims & His Creole Roof Orchestra: Soapstick Blues (Jones) 3.06
12. Cookie’s Gingersnaps: Here Comes the Hot Tamale Man (Rose/Harrison) 3.24
13. New Orleans Wanderers: Perdido Street Blues (Armstrong) 3.11
14. Jelly Roll Morton’s Red Hot Peppers: Doctor Jazz (Other) 3.26
15. Louis Dumaine Jazzola Eight: Franklin Street Blues (Dumaine/Jackson) 3.22
16. Sam Morgan Jazz Band: Mobile Stomp (Morgan) 3.00
17. Johnny’s  Dodds Black Bottom Stompers: New Orleans Stomp (Dodds) 2.44
18. King Oliver and His Dixie Syncopators: Willie The Weeper (Rymal/Melrose/Bloom) 2.54

CD 2:
01. Louis Armstrong and His Hot Seven: Wild Man Blues (Armstrong/Morton) 3.18
02. Louis Armstrong and His Hot Seven: Ory’s Creole Trombone (Ory) 3.08
03. The Chicago Footwarmers: Get ’em Again Blues (Barbarin/Russell) 2.54
04. Johnny Dodds: Too Tight (Armstrong) 2.59
05. Jabbo Smith’s Rhythm Aces: Sweet ‘n’ Low Blues (Smith) 4.23
06. Omer Simeon and Earl Hines: Beau Koo Jack (Simeon) 2.43
07. Jones & Collins Astoria Hot Eight: Duet Stomp (Collins/Jones) 2.53
08. New Orleans Feetwarmers: Maple Leaf Rag (Joplin) 2.59
09. Trixie Smith: He May Be Your Man (But He Comes To See Me Sometimes) (Fowler/Bradford) 2.50
10. Tommy Ladnier: Really the Blues (Mezzron) 3.39
11. Jelly Roll MortonNew Orleans Jazzmen: Oh, Didn’t He Ramble (Handy) 2.59
12. Louis Armstrong: 2.19 Blues (Desdume) 2.51
13. Zutty Singleton: Shimme-Sha-Wobble (Williams) 3.06
14, Henry “Red” Allen and His Orchestra: Down In Jungle Town (Morse/Madden) 2.50
15. Sidney Becher and His New Orleans Feetwarmers: Make Me A Pallet On The Floor (Traditional) 3.15
16. Johnny Dodds: Red Onion Blues (Williams) 2.54
17. Jimmie Noone: New Orleans Hop Scop Blues (Thomas) 2.55
18. Edmond Hall’s Blue Note Jazzmen: High Society (Piron) 4.05

*
**

 

George Gershwin – Rare Recordings 1932 – 1935 (1999)

Widely regarded as one of the finest composers of both popular and classical music in the 20th century, George Gershwin wrote for Broadway musicals and the concert hall, creating many American standards in the process.

In a career tragically cut short in mid-stride by a brain tumor, George Gershwin (1898-1937) proved himself to be not only one of the great songwriters of his extremely rich era, but also a gifted “serious” composer who bridged the worlds of classical and popular music. The latter is all the more striking, given that, of his contemporaries, Gershwin was the most influenced by such styles as jazz and blues.

Gershwin’s first major hit, interpolated into the show Sinbad in 1919, was “Swanee,” sung by Al Jolson. Gershwin wrote both complete scores and songs for such variety shoes as George White’s Scandals (whose annual editions thus were able to introduce such songs as “I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise” and “Somebody Loves Me”).

After 1924, Gershwin worked primarily with his brother Ira as his lyricist. The two scored a series of Broadway hits in the ’20s and early ’30s, starting with Lady Be Good (1924), which included the song “Fascinatin’ Rhythm.” 1924 was also the year Gershwin composed his first classical piece, “Rhapsody in Blue,” and he would continue to work in the classical field until his death.

By the ’30s, the Gershwins had turned to political topics and satire in response to the onset of the Depression, and their Of Thee I Sing became the first musical to win a Pulitzer Prize. In the mid ’30s, Gershwin ambitiously worked to meld his show music and classical leanings in the creation of the folk opera Porgy and Bess, with lyrics by Ira and Dubose Heyward. The Gershwins had moved to Hollywood and were engaged in several movie projects at the time of George Gershwin’s death. (by William Ruhlmann)

And this is a double CD album (taken from an eight CD Box) with rare recordings, radio broadcasts, interviews and commerials from the 30´s …

Enjoy this nostalgic trip in the 20´s and 3´0´s of the last century ! And don´t forget: George Gershwin was one of the most important composers of this decades. So, this is another sentimental journey in this blog.

 

Personnel:
George Gershwin (piano)
+
Ann Brown (vocals on CD 1/21.)
Todd Duncan (vocals on CD 1/21.)
Ruby Elzy (vocals on CD 1/20.)
Edward Matthews (vocals on CD 1/18.)
Abbie Mitchell (vocals on CD 1/17.)
+
George Gershwin Orchestra (on CD 2/07.)
Paul Whiteman & His Concert Orchestra (on CD 2/01.)
Victor Symphony Orchestra (on CD 2/06.)

Tracklist:

CD 1:
01. Variations on Fascinating Rhythm/Variations on Liza 2.28
02. Second Prelude 2.33
03. Interview 1.30
04. I Got Rhythm 1.11
05. Signature 1.33
06. Of Thee I Sing (Overture) 3.33
07. The Man I Love 4.44
08. I Got Rhythm 2.47
09. Commmercial 0.59
10. Swanee/Sign Off 1.16
11. Signature 1.28
12. Mine 1.06
13. Variations on “I Got Rhythm” 8.34
14. Love Is Sweeping The Country 1.01
15. Commercial 1.28
16. Wintergreen For President/Sign Off 1.15
17. Introduction/Summertime 4.09
18. A Woman Is A Sometime Thing 2.32
19. Act I, Scene 1: Finale 1.42
20. My Man’s Gone Now 4.16
21. Bess, You Is My Woman Now 5.34

CD 2:
01. Rhapsody In Blue 9.09
02. Prelude, No. 1 1.20
03. Prelude, No. 2 2.37
04. Prelude, No. 3 1.06
05. Andante from Rhapsody in Blue 2.35
06. An American In Paris 15.54
07. Second Rhapsody (Rehearsal Performance) 14.24

Music by George Gershwin:
Lyrics by Ira Gershwin

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