Forgotten Heroes of the Big Band Era: Rita Rio and her Mistresses of Rhythm

During the Big Band Era there were many successful female musicians such as Billie Rogers and Dolly Jones(trumpet), Margie Hyams(vibes), Mary Lou Williams(piano) and Vi Redd (alto sax).
The All-Girl Band was a popular format for lady players during those years. Most successful was the band of Ina Ray Hutton and her Melodears.While the band was fine, Ina Ray's lovely face,figure and dancing put the group over. Other girl bands sprouted up including the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, Thelma White, Ada Leonard and Rita Rio,the subject of this post.

Rita was born Eunice or Una Westmoreland in 1914.She started as a dancer eventually graduating to a part in Earl Carroll's Murder at the Vanities in 1934.She was a fine dancer and singer and learned to play piano,trumpet and clarinet. She soon teamed with fellow chorine, Rene Villon as a sister act. Although Una wasn't Latin, she played up the ethnicity and learned to speak Spanish. Her dark, exotic looks gave one the impression of genuine Latin heritage. Rene and Una worked in clubs and vaudeville until Rene's marriage in the mid 30s. With her savings, Una formed an All-Girl band and took the name, Rio Rita.

Like Ina Ray, Rita was full of energy strutting and dancing in front of the band waving her baton and showing off her good looks and sexy figure,she was billed as the "Mexican Jumping Bean". Her band, like Ina's was quite good and featured some fine lady musicians.Until we find some broadcasts of the band we can only enjoy their film clips and two shorts all available on Youtube.

Clips such as Sticks and Stones, I Cried for You and Feed the Kitty show the band to be a solid unit with capable soloists. The band made two full shorts, Gals and Gallons and Rio Rita and her Orchestra (1939).
Other titles worth searching for are My Margarita, Flying Feet, Pan Americonga and I Look at You with a young Alan Ladd added as "boy singer". Rita also appeared in a Columbia Glove Slingers short, Fresh as a Freshman singing Gypsy from Poughkepsie.

Rita's good looks and talents made her a natural for the movies and in 1941 she signed a Paramount contract .She had a featured part in 1942's Road to Morocco. Her new name was Dona Drake (pronounced Dough-na). In Paramount's Salute for Three(1943) she appeared as Dona fronting an All-Girl band. Most of her future roles were as a support usually singing and dancing. She had a featured role in The Girl from Jones Beach. Dona married designer William Travilla in 1944, he became a very successful clothing designer at 20th Century Fox. Dona continued her career into the 50s. She gave birth to a daughter Nina in 1951. She slowly curtailed her appearances retiring in 1954.

Dona still appeared in William's fashion shows of the 60s including a Merv Griffin Show spot. She was still lovely and trim.Bad health soon dogged her with heart and respiratory issues until her death in 1978 at age 63. My good friend and fellow collector Ed Reynolds recalls seeing the Rita Rio Band at a Boston theatre date around 1939 and called it a "Real Swinging Group".
Hopefully we'll get more films and airchecks of this intriguing and historical orchestra.
Stay tuned for Addendums.

Waxing Nostalgic: A Rare Batch of Satch

 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.







  

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.

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!



 

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.