This new series will highlight various lps that left an impression of a young trumpet student and jazz fan. Most of my purchases were made at retail stores such as Jordan Marsh, J.M. Fields and Lechmere Sales along with records shops Briggs and Briggs, Harvard Coop (Cambridge) and the Concord Music Shop.
I was learning about the jazz greats Louis, Bix, Fats, Jelly Roll and the Big Bands. The reissue series of RCA, Columbia and Decca gave me a great education.
One such album was A Rare Batch of Satch by Louis Armstrong (RCA LPM-2322 printed in 1961).
This album featured the Victor sides Louis made in 1932 -33 backed by his own band and those of Chick Webb and Charlie Gaines. These sides have been reissued since in many forms complete and exerpted. We'll cover their history later in the post.
At this point of his career, Pops was at full power-inventive, full of great tone quality and great command of the upper register , one of Louis' strong points all thru his career. His vocalizing too was something else- the nimble horn-like scatting, Bing-like crooning and of course his great humor and comic asides (so much a part of Fats Waller's repertoire.) Let's look at the tunes on the album that turned this young jazzer's head.
I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues (1/26/33). The Harold Arlen-Ted Koehler standard was a new tune in 1933. It would soon be the theme of Louis' friend and colleague Jack Teagarden, but in '33 Pops owned it.
Pops opens with a humorous spoken intro followed by a nice intro by future star Teddy Wilson. Pops' vocal(backed by nice clarinet by Scoville Browne-an underated player) is full of crooning and great shifts in time. No one could swing a few notes like Louis. The band plays a short melody passage (this was a working band with trumpeter Zilner Randolph,musical director) and in comes Pops with a grandiose melody statement, high note glisses and a rise to the top for a climax. A great opening to a classic album.
Medley Of Armstrong Hits part2(12/21/32). The two "hits" medleys come from a session that was issued as a 12'' two sided 78. Louis is backed by the band of trumpeter Charlie Gaines, a Philadelphia unit that was backing Louis at the time. Playing in the sax section was future star and bandleader Louis Jordan (I'm sure he was listening carefully to Pops).The band sounds a bit under-rehearsed but does it's job.
First up is When You're Smiling (already a staple in Pops' repertoire) just sung by Louis with some interesting obligatto by Gaines.The band segues into St. James Infirmary(introduced by Pops in 1928) . We get more of Pops' great vocalizing and time placement. Piano leads into some commanding Louis trumpet-Pops blows some unaccompanied high ones and plays us into Dinah (first recorded in 1930) . The band takes over the lead and Louis sings two great choruses full of amazing moans, scats and a horn-like break. He picks up his horn for the ride out including his patented "Arabian" bridge going out high. (An alternate take later surfaced-more on that later).
There's a Cabin in the Pines (4/26/33).Back to the Randolph band and a pretty but obscure tune written by one Benny Hill (not the British funnyman).
The band plays a melody intro in pit band style bringing Pops in for a lovely crooning vocal with a few gravelly,low asides. Ellis Whitlock's lead trumpet sets up a classic Armstrong solo full of fleet runs and high note glisses.The final bars retard to a classic Louis ending on a high note gliss.
Basin St. Blues (1/27/33). Introduced by Pops in 1928,this became one of his staples(also another Teagarden standby). This recording is perhaps the greatest of all Basin Sts.
Starting with Teddy's intro we hear the trombone of Keg Johnson, perhaps saluting Teagarden and a nice low register spot by Browne.Pops plays the verse(not the "Won't you come along" intro) with a nice burnished tone and some double time before letting the band swing a bit. Louis' vocal chorus is a gem-all scat with the boys singing backround. Then the Armstrong horn takes over for two searing choruses full of fleet phrasing and high note wails before Pops returns to the vocal melody still all scat backed by the glee club and ending on a horn-like vocal coda-complete with a spoken "Yeah,Man!" An all time classic.
A word on the band- Over the years the critics have crucified Louis' backing bands. This unit albeit a bit staid could swing and did their job nicely. The soloists including Wilson,Browne, brothers Keg and Budd Johnson and guitarist Mike McKendrick were all capable players. Louis enjoyed working with this band.
I Hate to Leave You Now (12/8/32). This session saw Louis backed by Chick Webb's great band. The tune was written by Fats Waller and one Dorothy Dick (never recorded by Fats).It's a lovely melody and Louis' opening trumpet solo is very poignant,played on a cup mute that he rarely used. After a piano interlude by Don Kirkpatrick Louis comes out wailing over the band, climbing up to the top for the coda.
Pops' chops were supposed to be in rough shape on this date, but he gives out classic solos on all the titles.
An alternate take also exists.
Mahogany Hall Stomp (1/28/33). Side One ends with one of Louis' favorite "Good Ol' Good Ones" written by Spencer Williams (Pops first recorded it in 1929).
This is a swinging chart and the band sounds great. Zilner Randolph may be the arranger, but it's probably a "stock" that the band improved on.After solos by Johnson and Browne(alto) Louis plays his already patented 3 chorus spot. Sounds like he's using a harmon mute here. (these sessions saw Louis experimenting with mutes more than usual).After a spot by Keg, Pops rides over the band with the stock A great performance.
Louis kept Mahogany in his books for years including the All-Stars period.
High Society(1/26/33). Side Two opens with another "Good One" going back to Louis' parade days in New Orleans and the King Oliver band.This sounds like a "stock" arrangement.Louis makes a cute sintro about the "street parade" coming up. Pops is all over the place here, leading the ensembles with power and high note glisses. Zilner Randolph plays a straight muted solo with the clarinets quoting the famous Picou solo, under him.Pops rides the band home with more power ending on a top F. He cracks the note a bit, but it's great to see the human touch in Louis' Superman playing.
This is another item that would stay thru the All-Stars days.
That's my Home (12/8/32).Back to the Webb session and another lovely ballad written by the Rene Bros. who penned Louis' theme,When It's Sleepy Time down South. The clever band intro includes quotes from Sleepy Time, Pops enters with a pleading,crooning vocal with the band picking up an interlude. Louis enters with horn trading the verse with tenor man Elmer Williams. Pops takes over the last chorus with some great searing melody and some fleet passages culminating in one of his classic high note retards. Perfection!
Some of the later reissues included a bit of chatter between Louis and the band at the end of the tune.
A lovely alternate take also exists.Louis remade it in 1956 as part of Decca's Autobiography album.
Medley of Armstrong Hits Part One (12/21/32). The first "hits" medley starts with the band playing You,Rascal,You(from 1931) and Pops singing and scatting his way thru. The joyous mood turns pretty with Pops singing his theme song When It's Sleepy Time down South (first recorded in '31). A beautiful vocal is followed by a poingnant trumpet solo going up high on the bridge with patented slurs and passing notes before a lovely high note ending (this recording was so great that it was later issued as a separate 78).
A drum break leads us into a fast ride out of Nobody's Sweetheart with Pops on lead. This tune wasn't part of Louis' repertoire but was probably included for completeness, he never played it much in his career. All in all, a beautiful medley.
Snow Ball (1/28/33). This little known Hoagy Carmichael tune has lovely acting and blowing by Pops. The tune is quite politically incorrect-about a "pickanninny baby"- but Pops endears it with his great acting skills. some vocal inflections and a very sweet and fleet trumpet solo. Keg and Browne also contribute nice solos.
I believe only Louis and Hoagy,himself have recorded this selection.
Laughin' Louie (4/24/33). One of Pops' most unusual and inspired recordings. Louis and the band have fun with this novelty tune, the boys keep breaking up Pops as he tries to blow a solo. (shades of the famous Okeh Laughing Record). Then Louis uncorks an amazing unaccompanied solo of brilliant phrasing and high note work. For many years the tune Louis plays was unknown. Producer George Avakian even asked if any listeners could write RCA with the identity. Years later archivist/bandleader Vince Giordano identified it as Love Scene-a piece used for silent movie accompaniment. Pops probably remembered it from his theatre days with Erskine Tate. Although Louis is straining a bit on the high ones, it's still an astonishing piece of improvisation. An alternate take shows subtle differences.
Hobo, You can't Ride This Train (12/8/32).A novelty tune that Louis composed (he remade it in 1956 on the Autobiography session).The Webb band sounds great with solos by Williams and Charlie Green on trombone. Louis gives us some jivy singing and preaching before launching a short but impassioned solo,before he closes out with some "cute" narration. An alternate take contains fresh solo and vocal routines.
This lp gave me countless hours of enjoyment and a look at an interesting period of Louis' career.The album cover had a strange looking trumpet coming out of a cooking pot on a stove and the reverse cover had a nifty sketch of Pops from the 1944 film,Jam Session where he sports a derby.
These Victor sides have had a long history of reissue. Around 1964, RCA issued Louis in the 30s/40s with more of the 1933 sides backed by 40s Big Band sides. The 1971 2 lp set Louis Armstrong Memorial, collected all the 1932-3 sides along with choice 40s Big Band/combo sides and a rare 1956 studio session.
A late 70s lp, Young Louis Armstrong brought forth all the sides plus some alternate takes.
In the CD age, Laughin' Louis brought the material to CD and used the alternate take of the title song.
The RCA set Complete Victor Recordings put all Louis' 30s and 40s sides plus newly discovered alternates on CD along with his 1930 Jimmie Rodgers side and the '56 session.Not to mention France's Classics series-great for completists, but usually not including alternate takes.
Whatever way you listen to these sides, you can't go wrong with the One and Only, LOUIS.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Friday, December 14, 2012
Happy Holidays 2012
Hi Friends- It's been a long time between blogs. I plan on getting more out in the New Year. I want to wish everyone a Happy Holiday season in 2012.
You might enjoy last years' post-"Some Jazzy Stocking Stuffers" (11/28/11).
Some of my planned posts for 2013 include profiles on Nate Kazebier, Babe Russin and Una Mae Carlisle.
In the comedy department,Vernon Dent and Bud Jamison-those mainstays of the 3 Stooges shorts.
And as always we'll salute another forgotten Big Band.
Stay Tuned.
Pete Kelly will Return.
You might enjoy last years' post-"Some Jazzy Stocking Stuffers" (11/28/11).
Some of my planned posts for 2013 include profiles on Nate Kazebier, Babe Russin and Una Mae Carlisle.
In the comedy department,Vernon Dent and Bud Jamison-those mainstays of the 3 Stooges shorts.
And as always we'll salute another forgotten Big Band.
Stay Tuned.
Pete Kelly will Return.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Forgotten Heroes of the Big Band Era: The Tiny Hill Orchestra
During the Big Band Era there were many fine bands that played a particular part of the country. These bands were known as Territory bands.One of the most successful and musical of these bands was that of Harry "Tiny" Hill (1906-71) , a drummer, vocalist and engaging personality who weighed over 350 lbs.
Tiny , a native of Sullivan, Illinois got his start with several local midwest bands and started his own unit in 1936. The band's style combined a 2-beat "Businessman's Bounce" with hillbilly and dixieland styles added.A special gimmick of the band was the "Double Shuffle", a washboard like effect used in stoptime on many passages.Tiny sang many vocals in a down home "country style". Most of his vocals were old standards and traditional folk or children's tunes played in dixieland style. The band was sometimes known as the Hilltoppers.
Many of the arrangements of the Hill band were done by saxophonist Rodell "Nook" Schreier,later known as David Carroll and a successful bandleader and producer at Mercury Records. Standout soloists included pianist Don Fairchild, saxists Norman Maxwell and Bob Kramer.,trombonist Russ Phillips (with Louis Armstrong in !951-2), drummer Monty Mountjoy (later with the Firehouse 5 plus 2) and the excellent cornetist Bob Anderson whose Bix-like playing were the highlights of the mid 40s Hill recordings.Vocalist Allan DeWitt was with the band in the late 30s. (he had a brief stay with Tommy Dorsey before Frank Sinatra's arrival).The great cornetist Sterling Bose also played briefly with the band around 1946.
The band began recording for Vocalion in 1939. Two of it's biggest records were Angry and Skirts, both old favorites from the 20s.Both titles feature Tiny's singing, clean ensemble work , some dixieland and nice tenor work. I use Tiny's arrangement of Skirts in my own Big Band and it's one of most popular dance charts. Many of the band's Vocalion and Okeh sides are hard to find but thankfully the band recorded many transcriptions in the mid-40s. Hindsight Records put out two excellent lps of the material. The Vocalion side I Get the Blues When it Rains is a good example of the Hill band with Tiny's singing, double shuffle and good jazz spots. The Mercury side On the Uppermost Tree was a early 50s hit for Tiny and has good band work, double shuffle and some nice growl trumpet.
These transcriptions show a fine, danceable band with plenty of good dixieland passages included.Arranger Carroll obviously enjoyed the Bob Crosby band for several sides have the Crosby" Big Band Dixieland" feel.The Bob Cats records of Loopin' the Loop and Who's Sorry Now are transcribed for the Big Band with many of the Bob Cats licks included as ensemble writing. Even on the old standard Just Because, the out chorus echoes South. Rampart St. Parade. Anderson's cornet is featured heavily on these transcriptions. He was a native of Kenosha,Wisconsin and a bit of a mystery man. He did make some excellent sides for the Jump label in the late 40s.Other standout sides are Margie, Put on your Old Grey Bonnet, Darktown Strutter's Ball and My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean (another Crosby-ish instrumental).
The band's stomping grounds were the midwest Ballrooms. They had many appearances at Chicago's famous Aragon and Trianon Ballrooms, broadcasted frequently from their gigs and had a long stay at Chicago's Melody Mill Ballroom in the early 40s.The band played on Your Hit Parade during the summer of 1943.Tiny was married twice. His second wife was Jenny Lou Carson ,a popular country&western singer. Tiny recorded many of her hit tunes. They were married from 1946-9.
Tiny continued leading bands into the 50s and 60s.He settled in Colorado and still spent much time on the road.He had many business interests including a dairy farm and radio station. He stayed active into 1971 when he suffered a fatal heart attack and passed on on Dec.13 of that year.
The Tiny Hill Band is pretty much forgotten today but is worth searching out for some fine dance music that always had good dixieland jazz included.
The Hindsight material has been issued on CD and George Buck's Circle label has a fine Hill CD of more transcriptions. Youtube has several of the commercial Vocalions ,Okehs and Mercury sides.
Happy Listening!
Tiny , a native of Sullivan, Illinois got his start with several local midwest bands and started his own unit in 1936. The band's style combined a 2-beat "Businessman's Bounce" with hillbilly and dixieland styles added.A special gimmick of the band was the "Double Shuffle", a washboard like effect used in stoptime on many passages.Tiny sang many vocals in a down home "country style". Most of his vocals were old standards and traditional folk or children's tunes played in dixieland style. The band was sometimes known as the Hilltoppers.
Many of the arrangements of the Hill band were done by saxophonist Rodell "Nook" Schreier,later known as David Carroll and a successful bandleader and producer at Mercury Records. Standout soloists included pianist Don Fairchild, saxists Norman Maxwell and Bob Kramer.,trombonist Russ Phillips (with Louis Armstrong in !951-2), drummer Monty Mountjoy (later with the Firehouse 5 plus 2) and the excellent cornetist Bob Anderson whose Bix-like playing were the highlights of the mid 40s Hill recordings.Vocalist Allan DeWitt was with the band in the late 30s. (he had a brief stay with Tommy Dorsey before Frank Sinatra's arrival).The great cornetist Sterling Bose also played briefly with the band around 1946.
The band began recording for Vocalion in 1939. Two of it's biggest records were Angry and Skirts, both old favorites from the 20s.Both titles feature Tiny's singing, clean ensemble work , some dixieland and nice tenor work. I use Tiny's arrangement of Skirts in my own Big Band and it's one of most popular dance charts. Many of the band's Vocalion and Okeh sides are hard to find but thankfully the band recorded many transcriptions in the mid-40s. Hindsight Records put out two excellent lps of the material. The Vocalion side I Get the Blues When it Rains is a good example of the Hill band with Tiny's singing, double shuffle and good jazz spots. The Mercury side On the Uppermost Tree was a early 50s hit for Tiny and has good band work, double shuffle and some nice growl trumpet.
These transcriptions show a fine, danceable band with plenty of good dixieland passages included.Arranger Carroll obviously enjoyed the Bob Crosby band for several sides have the Crosby" Big Band Dixieland" feel.The Bob Cats records of Loopin' the Loop and Who's Sorry Now are transcribed for the Big Band with many of the Bob Cats licks included as ensemble writing. Even on the old standard Just Because, the out chorus echoes South. Rampart St. Parade. Anderson's cornet is featured heavily on these transcriptions. He was a native of Kenosha,Wisconsin and a bit of a mystery man. He did make some excellent sides for the Jump label in the late 40s.Other standout sides are Margie, Put on your Old Grey Bonnet, Darktown Strutter's Ball and My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean (another Crosby-ish instrumental).
The band's stomping grounds were the midwest Ballrooms. They had many appearances at Chicago's famous Aragon and Trianon Ballrooms, broadcasted frequently from their gigs and had a long stay at Chicago's Melody Mill Ballroom in the early 40s.The band played on Your Hit Parade during the summer of 1943.Tiny was married twice. His second wife was Jenny Lou Carson ,a popular country&western singer. Tiny recorded many of her hit tunes. They were married from 1946-9.
Tiny continued leading bands into the 50s and 60s.He settled in Colorado and still spent much time on the road.He had many business interests including a dairy farm and radio station. He stayed active into 1971 when he suffered a fatal heart attack and passed on on Dec.13 of that year.
The Tiny Hill Band is pretty much forgotten today but is worth searching out for some fine dance music that always had good dixieland jazz included.
The Hindsight material has been issued on CD and George Buck's Circle label has a fine Hill CD of more transcriptions. Youtube has several of the commercial Vocalions ,Okehs and Mercury sides.
Happy Listening!
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
The Castle Jazz Band on Good Time Jazz
One of the best traditional revival bands of the late 40s was the Castle Jazz Band of Portland, Oregon. Led by banjoist/vocalist Monte Ballou, this group made their mark along with the bands of Lu Watters, Turk Murphy, Bob Scobey et al.
The band recorded in 1949-50 for their own Castle label. These original 78s are hard to find but thankfully the Good Time Jazz label reunited the band in the late 50s for these two fine albums.
These two lps were also favorites of your writer during his early listening days along with the Firehouse Five plus Two and Dukes of Dixieland.
The two new albums were The Famous Castle Jazz Band in Stereo(1957) and plays The Five Pennies (1959).
The first lp was a happy reunion for the band as part of the group had stayed in Portland while others had relocated to the Los Angeles area and other trad bands.Here is the lineup:
Don Kinch-trumpet. A terrific hornman who also doubled tuba with the Firehouse Five, Don always had a bit of the Louis style evident in his work.He also worked a lot with Turk Murphy in the 50s.
George Bruns-trombone. A multi-intrumentalist and extrodinary tubaist who also worked with Turk and the Firehouse 5. His bone work was very percussive and in the Kid Ory style.
Bob Gilbert-clarinet. One of the Portland holdovers who worked a lot with leader Ballou. He possesed a reedy,lovely low register clarinet sound.
Freddie Crewes-piano.Another Portland man who had worked with Turk in the 50s and was comfortable in the Wally Rose ragtime school of trad piano.He later relocated to San Franscisco.
Bob Short-tuba. One of the finest bass men (also played string) of the West Coast trad school. Also played with Turk(including a spell on cornet) and Scobey. He was a very busy man in the Los Angeles music scene.
Homer Welch-drums.Another Portland delegate and fine timekeeper with many years of experience in radio bands.His post- Castle work was in the Los Angeles area.
Monte Ballou-leader/banjo and vocals. A character and raconteurof this music. Worked from vaudeville to dance bands on the West Coast. Not only an engaging vocalist but a great collector and student of this music.
Now on with the program..
The Famous Castle Jazz Band in Stereo.
This reunion album features fine playing by all hands. The intervening years only enhanced the band's ensemble sound and solos. As we mentioned in the bios. most of the boys were working in the idiom full time. Recorded in August of 1957 many of the tunes were remakes of the band's out of print Castle 78s.
Old favorites such as Sweet Georgia Brown, Royal Garden Blues, Tiger Rag and Dippermouth Blues get a facelift with the Castle touch.
Monty's engaging vocals are heard on Old Green River(complete with Spike Jones style humor) and The Torch, a pretty old barroom ballad.
Georgia Camp Meeting and Careless Love are played at nice relaxed tempos. The old cakewalk Smokey Mokes will bring back memories for listeners of Ray Smith's Jazz Decades-It was his original opening theme.
Farewell Blues is a fitting close to the reunion-a solid band number with humorous "farewells". George gives Ory's Creole Trombone a hearty rendering.
The usual excellent GTJ engineering is present and a humorous cover by cartoonist/jazzfan Arnie Roth is an additional bonus.
The Famous Castle Jazz Band plays The Five Pennies.(April 1959)
For their follow up reunion, the band played selections from the current film bio. of Red Nichols starring Danny Kaye and Louis Armstrong. The movie featured many jazz standards and the original songs by Danny's wife, Sylvia Fine suit the band's style perfectly.
The band recreates their Castle version of The Saints with each member marching in and out for solos, complete with "marching"feet-like the Firehouse 5, the Castles had a lot of fun with their music. Monte gets to sing a mellow version of After You've Gone. Don and George take solo honors on My Blue Heaven and Don's horn on Battle Hymn of the Republic recalls some of the Nichols licks from the original..The other standards, That's a Plenty, JaDa, Indiana and Bill Bailey get that perfect Castle treatment.
The band really excels on Miss Fine's songs. In the film Lullaby in Ragtime, Goodnight-Sleep Tight and The Five Pennies were sung as a round by Kaye, Louis and young Susan Gordon as Red's daughter.
Follow the Leader is a fun 20's style tune performed at a college dance. The Castles give it a brisk reading. Kinch's Louisish horn is a highlight on Goodnight and Crewes has some appropriate piano for Lullaby.
Even if you haven't seen the film you'll enjoy this album on it's own excellent merits.
Both albums were reissued by Fantasy and currently are owned by the Concord Jazz label.
After The Five Pennies the band went their separate ways again. Monte revived the band for a 1968 recording with Jim Goodwin, Jim Beatty and Ray Skjelbred. In 1972 he recorded again with Ernie Carson, Kim Cusak and Bob Thompson. Don Kinch led his popular Conductors Ragtime Band in Oregon thru the 1970s.
Most of the original members have passed on (Monte in 1991) but these two albums are great examples of West Coast Trad Jazz at it's best.
The band recorded in 1949-50 for their own Castle label. These original 78s are hard to find but thankfully the Good Time Jazz label reunited the band in the late 50s for these two fine albums.
These two lps were also favorites of your writer during his early listening days along with the Firehouse Five plus Two and Dukes of Dixieland.
The two new albums were The Famous Castle Jazz Band in Stereo(1957) and plays The Five Pennies (1959).
The first lp was a happy reunion for the band as part of the group had stayed in Portland while others had relocated to the Los Angeles area and other trad bands.Here is the lineup:
Don Kinch-trumpet. A terrific hornman who also doubled tuba with the Firehouse Five, Don always had a bit of the Louis style evident in his work.He also worked a lot with Turk Murphy in the 50s.
George Bruns-trombone. A multi-intrumentalist and extrodinary tubaist who also worked with Turk and the Firehouse 5. His bone work was very percussive and in the Kid Ory style.
Bob Gilbert-clarinet. One of the Portland holdovers who worked a lot with leader Ballou. He possesed a reedy,lovely low register clarinet sound.
Freddie Crewes-piano.Another Portland man who had worked with Turk in the 50s and was comfortable in the Wally Rose ragtime school of trad piano.He later relocated to San Franscisco.
Bob Short-tuba. One of the finest bass men (also played string) of the West Coast trad school. Also played with Turk(including a spell on cornet) and Scobey. He was a very busy man in the Los Angeles music scene.
Homer Welch-drums.Another Portland delegate and fine timekeeper with many years of experience in radio bands.His post- Castle work was in the Los Angeles area.
Monte Ballou-leader/banjo and vocals. A character and raconteurof this music. Worked from vaudeville to dance bands on the West Coast. Not only an engaging vocalist but a great collector and student of this music.
Now on with the program..
The Famous Castle Jazz Band in Stereo.
This reunion album features fine playing by all hands. The intervening years only enhanced the band's ensemble sound and solos. As we mentioned in the bios. most of the boys were working in the idiom full time. Recorded in August of 1957 many of the tunes were remakes of the band's out of print Castle 78s.
Old favorites such as Sweet Georgia Brown, Royal Garden Blues, Tiger Rag and Dippermouth Blues get a facelift with the Castle touch.
Monty's engaging vocals are heard on Old Green River(complete with Spike Jones style humor) and The Torch, a pretty old barroom ballad.
Georgia Camp Meeting and Careless Love are played at nice relaxed tempos. The old cakewalk Smokey Mokes will bring back memories for listeners of Ray Smith's Jazz Decades-It was his original opening theme.
Farewell Blues is a fitting close to the reunion-a solid band number with humorous "farewells". George gives Ory's Creole Trombone a hearty rendering.
The usual excellent GTJ engineering is present and a humorous cover by cartoonist/jazzfan Arnie Roth is an additional bonus.
The Famous Castle Jazz Band plays The Five Pennies.(April 1959)
For their follow up reunion, the band played selections from the current film bio. of Red Nichols starring Danny Kaye and Louis Armstrong. The movie featured many jazz standards and the original songs by Danny's wife, Sylvia Fine suit the band's style perfectly.
The band recreates their Castle version of The Saints with each member marching in and out for solos, complete with "marching"feet-like the Firehouse 5, the Castles had a lot of fun with their music. Monte gets to sing a mellow version of After You've Gone. Don and George take solo honors on My Blue Heaven and Don's horn on Battle Hymn of the Republic recalls some of the Nichols licks from the original..The other standards, That's a Plenty, JaDa, Indiana and Bill Bailey get that perfect Castle treatment.
The band really excels on Miss Fine's songs. In the film Lullaby in Ragtime, Goodnight-Sleep Tight and The Five Pennies were sung as a round by Kaye, Louis and young Susan Gordon as Red's daughter.
Follow the Leader is a fun 20's style tune performed at a college dance. The Castles give it a brisk reading. Kinch's Louisish horn is a highlight on Goodnight and Crewes has some appropriate piano for Lullaby.
Even if you haven't seen the film you'll enjoy this album on it's own excellent merits.
Both albums were reissued by Fantasy and currently are owned by the Concord Jazz label.
After The Five Pennies the band went their separate ways again. Monte revived the band for a 1968 recording with Jim Goodwin, Jim Beatty and Ray Skjelbred. In 1972 he recorded again with Ernie Carson, Kim Cusak and Bob Thompson. Don Kinch led his popular Conductors Ragtime Band in Oregon thru the 1970s.
Most of the original members have passed on (Monte in 1991) but these two albums are great examples of West Coast Trad Jazz at it's best.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Ziggy Elman- The Bluebird Sessions
Ziggy Elman (1914-68) was one of the outstanding trumpeters of the Swing Era. A brash, powerful player he was adept at lead, jazz or sweet facets of trumpet. Elman really made his mark with the bands of Benny Goodman (1936-40) and Tommy Dorsey (1940-3 and 46-7). This post will concentrate on the sides he made for Victor's Bluebird label. These sides show the Elman horn at it's best in a tasty, chamber setting. The sides were billed as Ziggy Elman and his Orchestra and recorded in New York.
Ziggy was born Harry Finkelman in Philadelphia and grew up in Atlantic City.(his professional name came from a combination of Ziegfield and Finkelman) Along with trumpet he was also proficient on trombone and the reeds. He broke in with the Alex Bartha band, favorites at Atlantic City's Steel Pier. He made his first recordings with Bartha in 1932 as a trombonist. (available on The Old Masters CD).Goodman heard him in 1936 on trumpet and hired him for his band. Along with Harry James and Chris Griffin, Ziggy became a member of one of the greatest trumpet sections of the era. All three men shared the lead work. Ziggy also had the Jewish Klezmer influence in his playing whether sweet or hot which made his trumpet sound unique.
Harry James left Goodman in late 1938 and Ziggy became the primary trumpet soloist. His popularity led to the series of Bluebird sides. The instumentation was Ziggy's trumpet along with the wonderful Goodman sax section and rhythm. Lead saxist Noni Bernardi did the arrangements which featured Ziggy's horn, sometimes voiced with the saxes. All the sax solis on these sides are beautifully written and played. On the first three sessions Jess Stacy's piano is an added bonus along with the tenor work of Jerry Jerome, Babe Russin and Art Rollini.
The first session of December 28, 1938 gave us Fralich in Swing, Bublitchki, 29th and Dearborn and Sugar.
Fralich is the predesesor to And the Angels Sing, based on an old Jewish folk melody. The format is familiar except for the vocal (to be added when the Goodman band recorded it). Ziggy's high flying Klezmer passage and swing rideout became an instant classic. (He would later use the arrangement with Dorsey and his short lived Big Band.
Bublitchki is another old Jewish piece reworked by Ziggy as a slow swing ballad with Ziggy's horn jumping from Klezmer sweetness to Louis-ish jazz cries. The sax soli is a gem.
29th and Dearborn is a straight ahead blues riff with nice tenor (Jerome or Rollini), some of Jess' patented blues work and some passionate blowing by Zig. The outchorus has nice trumpet and sax voicing.
The old Maceo Pinkard favorite Sugar gets a lightly swinging treatment with more horn/sax voicings and Jess' tasty fills and solos. The tenor is probably Jerome and Ziggy drives the band but not as bombastic as in the Big Band setting.
The next session on June 8, 1939 gave us You're Mine,You, Let's Fall in Love, Zaggin' with Zig and I'll Never be the Same.
You're Mine became another signature tune for Ziggy (he re-recorded it with his 1947 band). A lovely Johnny Green tune gets a tender melody statement by Ziggy with saxes on the bridge. Jess has one of his great trumpet-like choruses followed by mellow tenor (probably Rollini) then Ziggy digs in with Louis-ish jazz over stops and nice glisses on the outchorus before going up high over drum kicks.
Let's Fall in Love gets a tasty treatment by the little Big Band with Ziggy at his bombastic best.
Zaggin' a medium swing riff also became an Elman staple (he would reprise it with Goodman and his own band). The saxes state the theme with Zig on cup mute bridge(his cup sound was very Harry James like). After Jess and Jerome split a chorus Ziggy punches out two driving ride choruses over the saxes before finishing up high a la Louis.
I'll Never be the Same by Frank Signorelli and Matty Malneck has Ziggy's prety lead up front with mellow spots by Jess and tenor before Zig turns on the heat going up.
The third session was on August 29,1939 and featured You Took Advantage of Me, I'm Yours, Am I Blue and I Have Everything to Live For. The tenor solos on this session were by the wonderful Babe Russin.
Rodgers and Hart's Advantage has a percussive Ziggy intro with saxes taking the lead and Zig on cup mute bridge. Ziggy contributes a driving solo and there is more Stacy and Babe's booting tenor. Zig rips off some Louis-ish high ones on the rideout.
Johnny Green's pretty ballad I'm Yours (also recorded by Artie Shaw) has Zig playing it sweet and splitting with the saxes. After Jess and Babe ,Zig goes into some nice stoptime stuff ala You're Mine and finishes up high.
Am I Blue gets a nice medium ride with a lovely Stacy intro. There's more of Zig's cup mute on the bridge and a brash,strutting open solo. After swinging spots by Jess and Babe, Zig is off with more trumpet fireworks over the saxes. An alternate take exists with different solo spots and Ziggy equally firery and punchy on his solos.
I Have Everything to Live For is a nice but obscure ballad. Zig gives us more of his sweet side and Babe gets into a Lester Young groove. This was Jess' last session with the group before joining Bob Crosby, his solos thruout are gems.
The fourth session was on November 27,1939. Milt Raskin,another fine pianist had taken over for Stacy and Jerry Jerome was back on tenor. The sides were What Used to Was used to Was, Bye 'n Bye, Love is the Sweetest Thing and Deep Night.
What Used to is another Jewish flavored ballad with Zig's pretty Klezmer horn starring and a lovely sax soli-a bit like Bublitchki but nice to have.
Bye n' Bye is not the New Orleans favorite but a pretty medium ballad. Raskin and Jerome gets nice solo spots before Zig enters wailing for an interlude and rideout.
Ray Noble's Love is the Sweetest Thing has more of Zig's pretty horn and an alto spot by Toots Mondello. Zig modulates into a lovely rideout and coda.
Rudy Vallee's Deep Night (a lovely tune) has tight voicing with the trumpet and saxes. Zig gets in a mellow cup mute chorus and Raskin and Jerome precede his strong rideout over stops and the saxes.
The final session was on December 26,1939 with the same personell. The titles are Forgive my Heart, Tootin' my Baby Back Home, I'm Thru with Love and Something to Remember You By.
Forgive is a Ziggy original in a minor Jewish mode. There are pretty saxes with nice fills by Raskin. Ziggy goes into a fralich and swing finale ala Angels Sing.
Tootin' is another riff similar to Zaggin' with the same format-cup mute on bridge and Zig wailing over the saxes on the rideout. A bit familiar, but some great blowing by Ziggy.
Malneck and Kahn's great standard I'm Thru with Love has more pretty horn by Zig and that great sax section. After a modulation for Milt's piano, Zig takes the interlude and a close-voiced rideout.
We close with another classic, Dietz and Schwartz's Something to Remember You By. There are two sweet horn spots for Zig, more of Toots' alto and a driving Ziggy rideout.
These sides do follow into a set pattern but show Ziggy off to great advantage. The gorgeous sax section and solo spots bt Stacy,Raskin and the tenors give Ziggy nice contrast.
He graced many other free lance sessions including Teddy Wilson,The Metronome All-Stars, Mildred Bailey and Lionel Hampton(try out his wild blowing on Gin for Christmas). These Bluebird sides,give us the most complete look at Elman, the consumate trumpeter.
In 1940 Ziggy moved over to Tommy Dorsey's band and became one of his star soloists with standout solos on sides such as Swanee River, Blue Blazes, Hawaiian War Chant, Halleleujah, Blue Skies and the classic trumpet battle with Chuck Peterson on We'll Git It.
In 1943 he was called up for service duty and he played with an Army Air Corps Band in the Long Beach,California area. Ziggy rejoined Dorsey in 1946 and stayed for a year. He tried two attempts at his own band in '47 and '48 and made some wonderful sides for M-G-M. (some utilized the Dorsey band with Tommy's permission). Ziggy's post 1947 period was mostly as a studio musician on radio and recordings. He also recorded with Jewish clarinetist and humorist, Mickey Katz.
Ziggy kept busy during the 50s although his health started to decline. He contributed awesome solos to Jess Stacy's Goodman salute on Atlantic in 1954 (I believe the session is still on CD). Some reports had his lips bleeding at the session's end, he worked so hard.
Ziggy appeared in The Benny Goodman Story the next year,performing And The Angels Sing during the Carnegie Hall Finale. He was ill at the time and his trumpet work was dubbed by the great studio man, Mannie Klein.
Thruout the 50s and 60s,Ziggy kept playing and gave trumpet lessons(one of his students was Herb Alpert) and opened a music store.
Alchololism and heart problems took him in 1968.
Ziggy's work thru the years showed him to be a fiery,passionate jazzman and a consumate big band trumpeter. All his work is worth hearing, but we highly reccomend the Bluebird sessions for pure Elman.
The Bluebird sides are available on Classics CDs. Ziggy's M-G-M sides are on a Jazz Band CD and Circle CD has some live material by his own Big Band. His work with Goodman and Dorsey is readily available on CD and Youtube has a generous Elman section.
Ziggy's long gone but we can still keep Zaggin' with Zig thanks to his many outstanding recordings.
Ziggy was born Harry Finkelman in Philadelphia and grew up in Atlantic City.(his professional name came from a combination of Ziegfield and Finkelman) Along with trumpet he was also proficient on trombone and the reeds. He broke in with the Alex Bartha band, favorites at Atlantic City's Steel Pier. He made his first recordings with Bartha in 1932 as a trombonist. (available on The Old Masters CD).Goodman heard him in 1936 on trumpet and hired him for his band. Along with Harry James and Chris Griffin, Ziggy became a member of one of the greatest trumpet sections of the era. All three men shared the lead work. Ziggy also had the Jewish Klezmer influence in his playing whether sweet or hot which made his trumpet sound unique.
Harry James left Goodman in late 1938 and Ziggy became the primary trumpet soloist. His popularity led to the series of Bluebird sides. The instumentation was Ziggy's trumpet along with the wonderful Goodman sax section and rhythm. Lead saxist Noni Bernardi did the arrangements which featured Ziggy's horn, sometimes voiced with the saxes. All the sax solis on these sides are beautifully written and played. On the first three sessions Jess Stacy's piano is an added bonus along with the tenor work of Jerry Jerome, Babe Russin and Art Rollini.
The first session of December 28, 1938 gave us Fralich in Swing, Bublitchki, 29th and Dearborn and Sugar.
Fralich is the predesesor to And the Angels Sing, based on an old Jewish folk melody. The format is familiar except for the vocal (to be added when the Goodman band recorded it). Ziggy's high flying Klezmer passage and swing rideout became an instant classic. (He would later use the arrangement with Dorsey and his short lived Big Band.
Bublitchki is another old Jewish piece reworked by Ziggy as a slow swing ballad with Ziggy's horn jumping from Klezmer sweetness to Louis-ish jazz cries. The sax soli is a gem.
29th and Dearborn is a straight ahead blues riff with nice tenor (Jerome or Rollini), some of Jess' patented blues work and some passionate blowing by Zig. The outchorus has nice trumpet and sax voicing.
The old Maceo Pinkard favorite Sugar gets a lightly swinging treatment with more horn/sax voicings and Jess' tasty fills and solos. The tenor is probably Jerome and Ziggy drives the band but not as bombastic as in the Big Band setting.
The next session on June 8, 1939 gave us You're Mine,You, Let's Fall in Love, Zaggin' with Zig and I'll Never be the Same.
You're Mine became another signature tune for Ziggy (he re-recorded it with his 1947 band). A lovely Johnny Green tune gets a tender melody statement by Ziggy with saxes on the bridge. Jess has one of his great trumpet-like choruses followed by mellow tenor (probably Rollini) then Ziggy digs in with Louis-ish jazz over stops and nice glisses on the outchorus before going up high over drum kicks.
Let's Fall in Love gets a tasty treatment by the little Big Band with Ziggy at his bombastic best.
Zaggin' a medium swing riff also became an Elman staple (he would reprise it with Goodman and his own band). The saxes state the theme with Zig on cup mute bridge(his cup sound was very Harry James like). After Jess and Jerome split a chorus Ziggy punches out two driving ride choruses over the saxes before finishing up high a la Louis.
I'll Never be the Same by Frank Signorelli and Matty Malneck has Ziggy's prety lead up front with mellow spots by Jess and tenor before Zig turns on the heat going up.
The third session was on August 29,1939 and featured You Took Advantage of Me, I'm Yours, Am I Blue and I Have Everything to Live For. The tenor solos on this session were by the wonderful Babe Russin.
Rodgers and Hart's Advantage has a percussive Ziggy intro with saxes taking the lead and Zig on cup mute bridge. Ziggy contributes a driving solo and there is more Stacy and Babe's booting tenor. Zig rips off some Louis-ish high ones on the rideout.
Johnny Green's pretty ballad I'm Yours (also recorded by Artie Shaw) has Zig playing it sweet and splitting with the saxes. After Jess and Babe ,Zig goes into some nice stoptime stuff ala You're Mine and finishes up high.
Am I Blue gets a nice medium ride with a lovely Stacy intro. There's more of Zig's cup mute on the bridge and a brash,strutting open solo. After swinging spots by Jess and Babe, Zig is off with more trumpet fireworks over the saxes. An alternate take exists with different solo spots and Ziggy equally firery and punchy on his solos.
I Have Everything to Live For is a nice but obscure ballad. Zig gives us more of his sweet side and Babe gets into a Lester Young groove. This was Jess' last session with the group before joining Bob Crosby, his solos thruout are gems.
The fourth session was on November 27,1939. Milt Raskin,another fine pianist had taken over for Stacy and Jerry Jerome was back on tenor. The sides were What Used to Was used to Was, Bye 'n Bye, Love is the Sweetest Thing and Deep Night.
What Used to is another Jewish flavored ballad with Zig's pretty Klezmer horn starring and a lovely sax soli-a bit like Bublitchki but nice to have.
Bye n' Bye is not the New Orleans favorite but a pretty medium ballad. Raskin and Jerome gets nice solo spots before Zig enters wailing for an interlude and rideout.
Ray Noble's Love is the Sweetest Thing has more of Zig's pretty horn and an alto spot by Toots Mondello. Zig modulates into a lovely rideout and coda.
Rudy Vallee's Deep Night (a lovely tune) has tight voicing with the trumpet and saxes. Zig gets in a mellow cup mute chorus and Raskin and Jerome precede his strong rideout over stops and the saxes.
The final session was on December 26,1939 with the same personell. The titles are Forgive my Heart, Tootin' my Baby Back Home, I'm Thru with Love and Something to Remember You By.
Forgive is a Ziggy original in a minor Jewish mode. There are pretty saxes with nice fills by Raskin. Ziggy goes into a fralich and swing finale ala Angels Sing.
Tootin' is another riff similar to Zaggin' with the same format-cup mute on bridge and Zig wailing over the saxes on the rideout. A bit familiar, but some great blowing by Ziggy.
Malneck and Kahn's great standard I'm Thru with Love has more pretty horn by Zig and that great sax section. After a modulation for Milt's piano, Zig takes the interlude and a close-voiced rideout.
We close with another classic, Dietz and Schwartz's Something to Remember You By. There are two sweet horn spots for Zig, more of Toots' alto and a driving Ziggy rideout.
These sides do follow into a set pattern but show Ziggy off to great advantage. The gorgeous sax section and solo spots bt Stacy,Raskin and the tenors give Ziggy nice contrast.
He graced many other free lance sessions including Teddy Wilson,The Metronome All-Stars, Mildred Bailey and Lionel Hampton(try out his wild blowing on Gin for Christmas). These Bluebird sides,give us the most complete look at Elman, the consumate trumpeter.
In 1940 Ziggy moved over to Tommy Dorsey's band and became one of his star soloists with standout solos on sides such as Swanee River, Blue Blazes, Hawaiian War Chant, Halleleujah, Blue Skies and the classic trumpet battle with Chuck Peterson on We'll Git It.
In 1943 he was called up for service duty and he played with an Army Air Corps Band in the Long Beach,California area. Ziggy rejoined Dorsey in 1946 and stayed for a year. He tried two attempts at his own band in '47 and '48 and made some wonderful sides for M-G-M. (some utilized the Dorsey band with Tommy's permission). Ziggy's post 1947 period was mostly as a studio musician on radio and recordings. He also recorded with Jewish clarinetist and humorist, Mickey Katz.
Ziggy kept busy during the 50s although his health started to decline. He contributed awesome solos to Jess Stacy's Goodman salute on Atlantic in 1954 (I believe the session is still on CD). Some reports had his lips bleeding at the session's end, he worked so hard.
Ziggy appeared in The Benny Goodman Story the next year,performing And The Angels Sing during the Carnegie Hall Finale. He was ill at the time and his trumpet work was dubbed by the great studio man, Mannie Klein.
Thruout the 50s and 60s,Ziggy kept playing and gave trumpet lessons(one of his students was Herb Alpert) and opened a music store.
Alchololism and heart problems took him in 1968.
Ziggy's work thru the years showed him to be a fiery,passionate jazzman and a consumate big band trumpeter. All his work is worth hearing, but we highly reccomend the Bluebird sessions for pure Elman.
The Bluebird sides are available on Classics CDs. Ziggy's M-G-M sides are on a Jazz Band CD and Circle CD has some live material by his own Big Band. His work with Goodman and Dorsey is readily available on CD and Youtube has a generous Elman section.
Ziggy's long gone but we can still keep Zaggin' with Zig thanks to his many outstanding recordings.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)