Thufferin' Thuccotash! (Updates!)

Last time around, I posted a few highlights from the second Grits/Zorch show, aired on Mothers' Day.

One of those cuts was the Missourians's incredible Swingin' Dem Cats. I dedicated it to Annie, Elvis and the other feline residents at Chez Grits. After I posted that blog chapter I was reminded of this rather silly picture:

It goes back a few years...to the old Cajun and Bluegrass Festivals at Escoheag, RI. On this particular weekend (in the late 1990s), I kept invoking the spirit of the Warner Brothers cartoon character, Sylvester. Yeth, I wath lithping and thputtering...all weekend. I'm sure that my companions were beginning to get a bit sick of the whole thing...

Anyway, late Sunday afternoon, I noticed a couple of volunteers painting the faces of the youngsters...I dropped a few bucks into their kitty and they put a puss on my puss. My friends loved it...one of them snapped the picture...it looks like I'm trying to scratch him.

By the way, I still have that Blind Lemon Jefferson shirt somewhere...and it's still able to be worn! It's got to be around fifteen years old.

Oh...here's the other side of Cats...Two Hundred Squabble. Note that the number in the title is spelled out. For some reason, when Charles Delauney and friends were compiling the original Hot Discography, they must have written the number in Arabic numerals...which somehow got misinterpreted as Latin letters....so it was printed in the book as Loo Squabble.
59173-2 Two Hundred Squabble The Missourians Victor V-38145

http://www.box.net/shared/3rzb2phrnt
NYC 17 February 1930: Lockwood Lewis, conductor; R. Q. Dickerson, Lammar Wright, trumpets; De Priest Wheeler, trombone; William Thornton Blue, George Scott, clarinets & alto saxes; Walter Thomas, clarinet, tenor & baritone sax; Earres Prince, piano; Morris White, banjo; Jimmy Smith, tuba; Leroy Maxey, drums.

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A couple of days ago, while proofreading the last entry (sometimes it takes me a couple of days to tighten the wording and check the various links) , it occurred to me that I omitted a couple of fairly important titles...

April 29, 2009 was the 110th anniversary of the birth of my favorite musician, Duke Ellington...I had to play something great for a mini-tribute!

I decided to play a couple of my favorite cuts from one of my favorite albums...the legendary Fargo (North Dakota) dance.

Jack Towers and Dick Burris asked Ellington if they could record a complete show the next time Duke and the band came around. Ellington assented. So, in early November 1940, they set up two mics and a recording turntable at the Crystal Ballroom in Fargo. The results were extraordinary...we now have an idea of what the Ellington band was really doing during this important stage in their history.

Supposedly, this was a slightly "off" night...the trumpet section was minus Cootie Williams, who had just departed a few days before. Duke was trying out his replacement for the first time that night. That was Ray Nance, who stayed with the band for over 25 years! (If this was an "off" night, imagine what a good night must have sounded like!)

The dance went on for five sets...Towers and Burris recorded the whole night. Occasionally, the disc needed to be changed in the middle of a song. The vocals are a bit off-mic (when they were recorded...a couple of minor songs didn't get preserved). But the sound is quite good, and much of the music is amazing...even at the end of the night when everything was a bit ragged around the edges.

The two cuts I chose were Ko-Ko, a somewhat fuller arrangement than the one that Victor had recorded a few months earlier (probably my favorite side from the 1940s), and a fantastic version of their current radio theme, Sepia Panorama...one that features extra choruses by bassist Jimmy Blanton (who died less than two years later) and Ben Webster's tenor sax.

Ko-Ko Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra http://www.box.net/shared/v3y6flbh9b
Sepia Panorama (long version) Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra http://www.box.net/shared/u0odd58ugd
Crystal Ballroom, Fargo, North Dakota, 7 November 1940: Rex Stewart, cornet; Wallace Jones, Ray Nance, trumpets; Lawrence Brown, Joe Nanton, Juan Tizol, trombones; Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Otto Hardwick, Ben Webster, Harry Carney, reeds; Duke Ellington, piano; Fred Guy, guitar; Jimmy Blanton, bass; Sonny Greer, drums.

Oh yeah...the Duke picture above was signed to my parents...and it's framed on my wall.

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My old pal Metal-Muncher went on an Atlantic Records label kick this month...he scanned a few of my labels for his blog: http://metal-muncher.blogspot.com/2009/05/1970-atlantic-45-singles.html .

Since the bottom two 45s in his scan are my records, I think I'll show them here too...and I'll have to play them too, right? They're not exactly easy 45s to find:

The first one is a bit of a mystery to me...it's not in the online Atlantic discography (no, I don't have the Lord jazz discography. Anybody out there want to donate their old version?), and it's in a strange 15000 series. Actually, I've never seen another in this series. But the black-and-silver label is quite striking!

A-1100 Vaya Con Dios Wingy Manone and his Orchestra Atlantic 45-15001

http://www.box.net/shared/jzohv4kbde
A-1101 The Song From Moulin Rouge Wingy Manone and his Orchestra Atlantic 45-15001

http://www.box.net/shared/1pc48bvx5o
July/August 1953: Wingy Manone, trumpet & vocal; others (Orchestra and Town Criers) unidentified.

Both sides are quite pleasant...worthy successors to the many "jazzing the pop hits" records that Wingy recorded for Bluebird in the late 1930s.

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This blue-and-silver "Jazz Series" label lasted a few years, adding the pinwheel to the bottom of the big "A" within a year or two...

This example is originally from the Blues and Roots album by Charles Mingus. It still amuses me to see and hear this great recording on a 45 rpm single. Here it is...with that consarned fadeout at the end of the first side!

4732-3 Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting, Pts. 1 & 2 Charles Mingus Atlantic 5006

http://www.box.net/shared/zxk7ca7671
NYC, February 4, 1959: Willie Dennis, Jimmy Knepper, trombones; John Handy, Jackie McLean, alto saxes; Booker Ervin, tenor sax; Pepper Adams, baritone sax; Horace Parlan, piano; Charles Mingus, bass; Dannie Richmond, drums.

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The pride of my Atlantic 45 rpm collection is this:

Joe signed this at the original Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel in Providence in early 1981 (I think!).

Big Joe Turner might not have been able to read...but he most certainly could sign his name (even if it was a bit of a chore)!! I watched him do it ...he wrote out "Joe Turner" rather slowly (he was crippled up by arthritis, after all), and he then added the "BIG" at the top.

A-1209 Shake, Rattle And Roll Joe Turner Atlantic 45-1026

http://www.box.net/shared/v7rsyq51m6
NYC, February 15, 1954: Joe Turner, vocal; with unknown, trumpet; Wilbur De Paris, trombone; Sam "The Man" Taylor, tenor sax; Haywood Henry, baritone sax; Jesse Stone, piano; Mickey Baker, guitar; Lloyd Trotman, bass; Connie Kay, drums.

Oh, what the heck...here's the flip side (from an earlier session):

A-1220 You Know I Love You Joe Turner Atlantic 45-1026

http://www.box.net/shared/3bfg48f1mf
New Orleans, LA, December 3, 1953: Joe Turner, vocal; with Lloyd Lambert's Orchestra: John Girard, trumpet; Worthia Thomas, trombone; Gus Fontenette, Joe Tillman, Alvin "Red" Tyler, saxes; Edward Frank piano; Lloyd Lambert, bass; Oscar Moore, drums.

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Here's another great yellow Atlantic, also recorded in the Crescent City...and Red Tyler's on this one too!

A-1308 Jam Up Tommy Ridgley and his Band Atlantic 45-1039

http://www.box.net/shared/phjattjber

A-1200 Wish I Had Never Tommy Ridgley and his Band Atlantic 45-1039 http://www.box.net/shared/um7gz7k5dz

New Orleans, 1953-4: Tommy Ridgley, piano & vocal; Lee Allen, tenor sax; Red Tyler, baritone sax; others unknown. (It seems that these are from separate sessions.)

Jam Up has been a favorite for a long time...apparently it was a good seller in 1954. In 1962, Atlantic dusted it off and issued this:

A-1308 Jam Up Twist Tommy Ridgley Atlantic 45-2136

http://www.box.net/shared/eia0pjs4ts

Hey...wait a minute! It's not the same! The "twist" effects were dubbed in over a different take! My guess is that Jam Up Twist was the earlier take (notice that Red Tyler's baritone sax solo is somewhat buried...he's better miked on the earlier-released version).

A-1200 Wish I Had Never (2) Tommy Ridgley Atlantic 45-2136 http://www.box.net/shared/f53s47r07n

Interesting...even the flip side is a different take! Notice that Tommy sings "...touch your devilish lips" on the first version. Here he kisses them.

Another weird thing about this 45...every copy I've seen is black and white, like a promo...but there's nothing on the label that says that it's not for public sale. And the record omits any mention of Ridgley's band.

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I recently traded a very early goodie (you can see and hear the piece I traded here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIeG2F6qrI4&feature=PlayList&p=4FF7B17D99C287EE&index=0 ) for a piece that I wanted...very badly!

Here 'tis...hope you like it. You know I do!

HAT-141-2 Dangerous Woman Mississippi Jook Band Melotone 6-12-71

http://www.box.net/shared/eb2jr073ft
HAT-145-3 Barbecue Bust Mississippi Jook Band Melotone 6-12-71

http://www.box.net/shared/bgx1xm9hbb
Hattiesburg, Mississippi, 20 July 1936: Blind Roosevelt Graves, guitar; Uaroy Graves, tambourine; Cooney Vaughn, piano...who the vocalist and "kazooer" are remain unknown.

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Here's another item I got the other day...it's not jazz or blues, or country...but it is a pleasant dance record with a Latin flavor, and a touch of humor. It's on an early Gennett Electrobeam, too!

X0388A El Ucuyali (Fox-Trot) Orquesta de Los Toreros Musicos Gennett S-6014

http://www.box.net/shared/p273zimhx0
X0389 El Picaflor (One-Step) Orquesta de Los Toreros Musicos Gennett S-6014

http://www.box.net/shared/c4qhvd8lll

NYC 10 December 1926: Don Alvaro(?), Orquesta de Los Toreros Musicos

I've seen a couple of listings that imply that Don Alvaro was the conductor of this orchestra.

This record is dedicated to those people who say that the hot jazz I love sounds like cartoon music. Sure, there were many Max Fleischer 'toons that used popular jazz bands for their soundtracks (and most of the other animators had a few jazz-related cartoons as well), but that "cartoon music" observation always bugged me a bit.

I think these sides are a bit more "cartooney" than the average record...maybe it's the whistle on El Picaflor.

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And, last but not least, I promised a picture of Our Lady of Backyard Divots, Lily! Here she is...

Not the best pic, but it'll do for the time being. The way her eyes reflected red for this pic is amusing...we don't think she's possessed, though.

...and here's a cool song I dedicate to her. It's an Ellington one too!

061318-1 Chocolate Shake Duke Ellington Orchestra Victor 27531

http://www.box.net/shared/z3f0l086zj

Los Angeles. 26 June 1941: Same personnel as Fargo date above.

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Oh...one more thing...I just checked the counter (the one for the blog...not the one made of Formica)...it's up to 6510! The Sanctum gets something like 25 hits every day now! Thanks! I'm glad to see that so many people out there have such exquisite taste! ;->)

Grits/Zorch Show #2

A few weeks ago (Mothers' Day, to be exact), Grits and I did another show...we stayed on his channel and didn't go on shortwave at all. As predicted, it was a lot more free-wheeling, and a helluva lot longer too!

Wouldja believe...four hours?

We played all kinds of stuff...a little jazz, a little blues, a little country, some psych (mainly for Metal-Muncher, of course!), and some vintage commercials too. And a large number of Mother songs...it was Mothers' Day!

We were visited by Lily (a chocolate Lab), the newest member of the Grits household. We'll post a picture of her sometime.

We also had a very special visitor, Annie!

Unlike a certain orphaned comic character, this Annie has lovely eyes. I call her my li'l Calico Blob. We beat her up a little (with lots of love, of course!) on the air.

We certainly had a lot of fun...

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It would be crazy to post a four-hour long show here, wouldn't it? So I'll just post a few highlights. Hope you like 'em!

With all of the hoopla about H1N1, I had to play the best song I know about influenza (the real 'flu, not the boogie-woogie type).

There was an outbreak in 1929...not as bad as the 1918 pandemic, but serious enough to inspire this terrific gospel record.

404748-B Memphis Flu Elder Curry and Congregation Okeh 8857

http://www.box.net/shared/0iaq11tbm2
King Edward Hotel, Jackson, Mississippi, 18 December 1930: Elder Curry; guitar & vocal; Elder Charles Beck, piano; Jo Ann Williams, lead vocal.

This was a variation on the old standard, God's Mighty Hand.

From the sublime to the ridiculous...here's a silly bit of fluff:
IM-3157 Quarantine Dennis Bell Imperial 5781

http://www.box.net/shared/3zlmhy92bq
1961: Dennis Bell, vocal; unidentified orchestra and Insipid Female Chorus.

Ah yes, the immortal lines "we've all got spots, we're covered with red dots." I suppose I shouldn't joke too much about measles...I somehow survived a rare double-dose of the goldurned disease when I was six. I don't remember a lot of the ordeal...apparently I was unconscious through most of it. Shoot...I'm still somewhat unconcious, right?

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April 14-15 marked the 97th anniversary of the sinking of RMS Titanic. The disaster spawned quite a few songs...including this record by Richard "Rabbit" Brown. It's hard not to notice his slight garbling of the facts...the ship was sunk by a "gruesome icebreaker" and "Southampton" comes out "South Hamilton." It's still (to me, anyway) the most moving musical account of the tragedy.

38005-1 The Sinking of the Titanic Richard "Rabbit" Brown Victor 35840

http://www.box.net/shared/7mnzbxedsy
New Orleans, 11 March 1927: Rabbit Brown, vocal & guitar.

Astute collectors out there will note (by the serial number) that this was a twelve-inch record. Victor pressed only six twelve-inch "Race" records...most were sermons. I have one of those...someday I'll post it.

My other favorite account of the Titanic story is Blind Willie Johnson's God Moves On The Water. I'll post that one someday, too.

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I dedicated the following cut to Annie and Elvis (and their furry friends). It's Swingin' Dem Cats, a particularly rousing hot jazz record by The Missourians, from the last session they did before Cab Calloway started leadership of the band a few months later. This side has some great solos and ensemble work...but it's the clarinet of William Thornton Blue that sends me every time...he comes in like a cat bat out of hell.

59174-2 Swingin' Dem Cats The Missourians Victor V-38145

http://www.box.net/shared/xk8v4angd5
NYC 17 February 1930: Lockwood Lewis, conductor; R. Q. Dickerson, Lammar Wright, trumpets; De Priest Wheeler, trombone; William Thornton Blue, George Scott, clarinets & alto saxes; Walter Thomas, clarinet, tenor & baritone sax; Earres Prince, piano; Morris White, banjo; Jimmy Smith, tuba; Leroy Maxey, drums.

Oh yeah...we also played a couple of great Wynonie Harris cuts. Here's my favorite one:

K-5325 Blow Your Brains Out Wynonie Harris King 4226

http://www.box.net/shared/kokudxrlfe
Cincinnati, Ohio, 23 December 1947: Wynonie Harris, vocal; Oran "Hot Lips" Page, trumpet; Hal Singer, Tom Archia, tenor saxes; Joe Knight, piano; Carl "Flat-Top" Wilson, bass; Clarence Donaldson, drums.

For years I assumed that this cut was recorded at the end of a session, with someone saying "hey, we have five minutes of studio time left! Let's throw a blues together!" It has that kind of spontaneity. But the matrix numbers show that Blow Your Brains Out was actually the second title waxed in a six-side session!

Wynonie sounds like he's struggling a bit to come up with something to rhyme with "Archia." He zooms in on a "Time marches on" motif. Harris introduces the other tenor sax as "Oklahoma." (Hal Singer was from Tulsa, and was a few months away from scoring a huge hit [and a new nickname] with Cornbread.) Of course, as much fun as the improvised lyrics are, it's the honkin' saxes that are the stars here.

I've had two or three copies of this on 78...I've never seen a copy that wasn't worn to around F+/G- condition. This side got played. And played. And played!

You can hear why.

I also wanted to play a good record by Professor Longhair (Roy Byrd) that night...

Grits had the Crawfish Fiesta album on his hard drive.

I selected the following cut:

Her Mind Is Gone Professor Longhair from Crawfish Fiesta (Alligator Records)

http://www.box.net/shared/jfvj8ai5zh
1980: Henry Roeland (Roy) Byrd, piano & vocal; large ensemble featuring Mac Rebennack (Dr. John), guitar.

We played the song...no, we didn't dedicate it to our moms, although we did think about it (only kiddin', Mom!).

Buy the album...you won't be disappointed!

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And now for something completely different...

CO 29723 Roumania, Roumania Aaron Lebedeff Columbia 8226-F http://www.box.net/shared/zmys2l3t8s

NYC, 13 February 1941: Aaron Lebedeff, vocal; Sholom Secunda Orchestra.

What a record! He sings about the Old Country...the delights of dancing, eating and drinking. You can find the original Yiddish lyrics along with a translation at the bottom of this page: http://www.cascobaytummlers.com/lyric.html ...although it's impossible to translate his lip-popping.

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A couple of people have asked me about the song I like to sign off with...it's one of the prettiest white gospel records I've ever heard. I especially like the full sound of Karnes's fancy harp-guitar. His thumping bass notes remind me of those of Rabbit Brown (compare this cut with the Titanic one above).

47234-2 We Shall All Be Reunited Alfred G. Karnes Victor V-40076 http://www.box.net/shared/ovpqd4u6ty

Bristol, Tennessee, 28 October 1928: Alfred G. Karnes, vocal & harp-guitar.

This was recorded at the second batch of sessions Victor held in Bristol.

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Well...that'll do it for now, I guess...'til the next time, eh?

Something For The Dogs...

Before we get started, I should thank the folks over at the I'm Learning To Share! blog (http://learning2share.blogspot.com/2009/04/search-term-jugheads-hat.html) for the nice plug...I'm glad to see other people like whoopee hats! I notice that I've been getting more download traffic on some of those older posts as well! Thanks again!
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For the last couple of weeks, the biggest news out of Washington seems to concern Bo Obama, the official First Doggie.

Of course, there have been many other Presidential Pooches in the past, but none in (relatively) recent years had the eye of the press like LBJ's beagles, Him and Her. Much of the hoopla was about this photograph, taken in May 1964:



LBJ caused a storm of protest when he lifted Him by the ears. The president replied that the dog actually enjoyed it.

I dunno...does Him look like he's smiling?

Anyway.....Him was the subject of an interesting 45 by Daws Butler and Dave Barry...Butler's voicework in cartoons is well-documented elsewhere, and Dave Barry (1918-2001) was also a cartoon voiceman and comic. There is no relation between this Dave Barry and the syndicated writer of the same name.

45-53265 Dog's Best Friend - Part 1 Daws Butler & Dave Barry Capitol 5361
http://www.box.net/shared/fr85ekcytx
Early 1965: Daws Butler, Him and LBJ; Dave Barry, the reporter.

Strangely enough, Part 2 has a different title:

45-53266 H-H-Him - Part 2 Daws Butler & Dave Barry Capitol 5361
http://www.box.net/shared/1u1z3kcqxl
Same info.

Here's another pseudo-political record about a canine, issued in 1959 to cash in on Disney's The Shaggy Dog.

Dog Gone It, It's A Dog! Shaggy's Speech Buena Vista F-337 http://www.box.net/shared/1maxa9fivj
1959: Shaggy Dog and Toy Poodles, vocal. Tutti Camarata composed the piece and probably led the orchestra. The voice of Shaggy Dog sounds suspiciously like Paul Frees.

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I was reminded of another Dog's Best Friend record, issued around 1957, featuring a pair of songs inspired by Rin Tin Tin.

Yup, this is one of those little six-inch yellow vinyl 78s, but it still has its sleeve!:

---A Dog's Best Friend Dennis Ballabia & Anne Lloyd Golden R370 http://www.box.net/shared/ip67dnohns
---Cold Nose, Warm Heart Dennis Ballabia & Anne Lloyd Golden R370 http://www.box.net/shared/ioxd09y1t9
1957: Dennis Ballabia & Anne Lloyd and The Sandpipers, vocals; Mitch Miller Orch.

Gad, that yellow vinyl was terrible...but it was made to be played on those awful children's phonographs of the day...

Columbia's budget Harmony label issued a whole LP about Rinty and friends...I'm guessing that the four adventures on this album were originally singles in the Columbia children's series. If enough Sanctum readers ask, I can be persuaded to post this album...it's actually rather entertaining, especially for those of us who are going through our second (or third) childhood.

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I think I'll play a few other doggie songs now...ones that aren't heard too often. My dogs won't sing Christmas songs or sit in a window...

I have two versions of a cute jazzy novelty of 1922, That Barking Dog (Woof! Woof!)...
This one is by The Original Memphis Five, a hugely popular group that seems to have shown up on just about every record label in the early 1920s. They blast through Dog with characteristic aplomb...and someone (unidentified) supplying the barks.

Note the spelling...Barking has a "-g" and each Woof has its own exclamation point!

10215 That Barking Dog - Woof! Woof! The Original Memphis Five Vocalion 14461 http://www.box.net/shared/3hsdzcfqhp
NYC, 6 November 1922: Phil Napoleon, trumpet; Charles Panelli, trombone; Jimmy Lytell, clarinet; Frank Signorelli, piano; Jack Roth, drums.

Cute record. Plenty hot, too. Oh, the brown shellac on this record isn't anything special...if anything, it is less durable than the usual black stuff.
Here's another version of the same song, played a bit straighter, and without the barks.

The spelling is a bit different too...the "-g" is missing from Barkin', and only the second Woof! gets the exclamation point. The Woofs are in parentheses too!

Does anybody out there have the sheet music? I'm curious to see what the actual punctuation should be.

Oh yes...remember The Parenthetical Woofs? A band that should have been...

80592-2 That Barkin' Dog (Woof Woof!) Frank Westphal Orchestra Columbia A-3743
http://www.box.net/shared/4y3ffmtsr1
Chicago c. 12 October 1922: Frank Westphal, piano & leader; Charles Burns, another (unknown), trumpet; Herb Winfield, trombone; Jack Richards, Bill Richards, alto saxes; unknown, tenor sax; unknown, banjo; John Jensen, tuba; unknown, drums.

Notice, on this version, there's an interpolation of a song called Walking The Dog.

Here's another (full) version of Walkin', performed by a young up-and-comer named Hoagland Carmichael.

13724-B Walkin' The Dog Carmichael's Collegians Champion 40001 http://www.box.net/shared/62xmxb21bi
Richmond, Indiana, c. 2 May 1928: Bud Dant, cornet; Chauncey Goodwin, clarinet & alto sax; Harold Keating, clarinet & tenor sax; Hoagy Carmichael, piano, vocal, and leader; Eddie Wolfe, violin; Arnold Habbe, banjo; Jack Drummond, bass; Andy van Sickle, drums.

This is actually the third issue of this record...it was originally issued on Gennett in 1928, and on Gennett's cheaper label Champion shortly thereafter. My copy is on a Decca-pressed Champion from 1934. None of 'em are very common. Too bad.

This record is so great, I've got to play the flip side (and it's a Hoagy composition to boot)...I'll dedicate it to the last administration:

13722-A March Of The Hoodlums Carmichael's Collegians Champion 40001
http://www.box.net/shared/r6x8okist1
Same personnel and date.

Just over thirty-five years after Hoagy's record, Rufus Thomas had a new method of Walking The Dog:

STX-7171 Walking The Dog Rufus Thomas Stax S-140
http://www.box.net/shared/bm8io3hjl9
Memphis, 21 August 1963: Rufus Thomas, vocal; others unidentified (sounds like Booker T and the MGs to me).

For the record, my copy of this record has a white label, and the flip side is Fine And Mellow. Other copies are blue labeled and have You Said on the flip.

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One of my favorite songs from any Disney movie is this one...

87268 He's A Tramp Peggy Lee Decca 9-29427

http://www.box.net/shared/dljtzib40b

1955: Peggy Lee and The Pound Hounds (The Mellomen), vocal; Oliver Wallace, Disney Orchestra.

I suppose I should play the flip side...otherwise Elvis and the other Grits Cats might not let me in to do another radio show.

87270 The Siamese Cat Song Peggy Lee Decca 9-29427

http://www.box.net/shared/oa9ari42xb
1955: Peggy Lee, vocal; Oliver Wallace, Disney Orchestra.

In 1991, Peggy Lee and Sonny Burke were finally awarded over $2 million from Disney, who had been raking in lots of money from the home video market (without remembering that Lee and Burke retained the rights to the songs they co-composed).

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Oh...it looks like there'll be another Zorch/Grits Radio spectacular NEXT Sunday (tentatively May 10? Roll over to http://gritsradio.pmlol.com/ and click on "Listen live")...sometime between 6:00 and 8:00 PM EDT, exact time hasn't been determined. We may just do it over Grits Radio and forgo the whole shortwave thing...if so, it'll be a bit more freewheeling. That way we don't have to constantly watch the clock...no station IDs to interrupt the trains of thought either. We shall see....

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See you then...I think I have to chase my tail.

Grits/Zorch Show #1

As I mentioned the last time, I was a guest on Grits Radio a week or so ago. We played a batch of my favorite sides. I was a bit nervous, but it was a blast. It was a completely new experience...for me, anyway. We'll do it again sometime soon...maybe the next time I can remember to shut my mic off when I'm not using it! And I'll try to remember to announce the tracks better.

Oh...that handsome kitty above is Elvis, who rules the Grits Homestead. I took this picture that night (and wrote the word balloon too). I didn't do anything to his eyes...they just glow blue when hit by bright light.

The other day, Mr. Grits posted the entire broadcast in his blog (http://gritsradio.blogspot.com/2009/04/gritszorch-show-no-1.html) in one large file...you can hear it all in one swell foop there.

Anyway...I wanted my mom (who has neither shortwave nor internet access) to hear the broadcast. I took the raw file, cut anything before the Route 66 Theme (and the spots at the end), and broke the long file into bite-sized chunks, each with individual titles, so she'd have an idea what I played that night.

I decided to share the split version of the broadcast with you too. Here is the show...warts and all:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=YUJQSEV3
1. Route 66 Theme Nelson Riddle Orch.
2. Baby, I Love You So Joe Weaver and the Don Juans
3. Down On Me Eddie Head and Family
4. Chatter #1 Grits & Zorch
5. Foghorn Boogie Dick Stabile Orch.
6. Spot #1 Area 51
7. Suby-Baja Ramon Marquez Orch.
8. Oua Oua Kanui & Lua
9. Chatter #2 Grits & Zorch
10. Ain't A Cow In Texas Margaret Whitmire
11. Spot #2 Area 51
12. Blue Yodel No. 9 Jimmie Rodgers & Louis Armstrong
13. I Love You Truly Earl Bostic Orch
14. Chatter #3 Grits & Zorch
15. Ghost Dance Truett & George
16. Spot #3 Area 51
17. Jockomo Sugarboy Crawford
18. Chatter #4 Grits & Zorch
19. Louisiana Hayride Boswell Sisters
20. Spot #4 Area 51
21. Zilch The Monkees
22. Hometown Blues Roane County Ramblers
23. Chatter #5 Grits & Zorch
24. There's A Man That Comes To Our House
Sweet Violet Boys
25. Man Of Constant Sorrow Emry Arthur
26. Chatter #6 Grits & Zorch
27. Spot #5 Area 51
28. Cave Man Jim Backus
29. My Arabian Baby Hank Snow
30. Spot #6 Area 51
31. John Hardy Buell Kazee
32. We Shall All Be Reunited (closing) Alfred Karnes

Thanks to the Area 51 regulars who commented (through a chat line) from time to time...

Also, thanks to Bruce The B (aka Metal-Muncher) for sending an encouraging email to us during the broadcast with a half-joking request for The Monkees' Zilch. I'm glad Grits had the cut so we could sneak it in.

I'll try to remember to bring a couple of yellow-label Atlantic 45s (or their digital equivalent) next time around. Bruce digs them. I did play Jockomo (which was originally on Checker), which has a good Lee Allen tenor solo...Allen's on at least a couple of sessions that Atlantic issued in the yellow-label days.

I got the following 45 from Bruce a couple of days ago...which I'll dedicate to the Area 51 folk and anyone who remembers Top 40 Radio from Ye Olde Days.

45-LB-966 Chaos - Part I Arbogast & Ross Liberty 55107
http://www.box.net/shared/j74humhq2m
45-LB-967 Chaos - Part II Arbogast & Ross Liberty 55107
http://www.box.net/shared/s3cm15btl8

I just found out that Bob Arbogast recently passed away. More can be read here: http://illfolks.blogspot.com/2009/03/bob-arbogast-dies-50-years-after-chaos.html (and you can see the rare picture sleeve there too!)

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A few weeks ago, I transferred a couple of ten-inch LPs of the famous WNEW Saturday Night Swing Sessions of 1947. One of the cuts therein has an interesting title...one that reminds me of the Area 51 folk.

High On An Open Mike WNEW Saturday Night Swing Session 10" Esoteric ESJ-3 http://www.box.net/shared/7xn0zmbho5

WNEW broadcast, NYC, April 12, 1947: Fats Navarro, trumpet; Bill Harris, trombone; Charlie Ventura, Allen Eager, tenor saxes; Ralph Burns, piano; Al Valente, guitar; Chubby Jackson,. bass; Buddy Rich, drums.

...'til next time...

Three updates!

1. A couple of weeks ago, Christopher DeJohn offered an intact Columbia jukebox pack of Columbia Seven singles, complete with title strips and packaging (for a 1962 Mahalia Jackson LP) on eBay. I wrote to him, inviting him to look at my blog, especially my recent post on Columbia Sevens. I asked if I could use a few images of this important find. Shortly thereafter, I got a few very nice pictures indeed. These are the most interesting ones, I think!

This is the front of the package:


And its contents, in situ:

One of the two enclosed cover slicks and the title strips:

...and all five records in sleeves (without the "record store" blurb at the bottom):

...and the label for the title track. Notice the font is quite different from the ones I published previously...and the matrix number switches from 9:00 to 3:00 position. These variations could be chalked up to different pressing plants.

Again, I thank Chris for sharing these pictures with the Zorch people...

2. It looks like I tickled Bill Reed's fancy sumptin' fierce when I posted that li'l Blossom Dearie record. He asked if he could use it in his blog. Of course I said he could...and he did.
He also gave me a nice plug at his blog...here it is: http://people-vs-drchilledair.blogspot.com/2009/04/httpzorchv38.html . Thanks again, Bill!!

3. Something to think about...another Friend Of Zorch, Mr. Grits (blogmeister of http://gritsradio.blogspot.com/), has asked me to participate in his first official shortwave broadcast this Sunday, 5 April from 6:30--7:30 PM EDT. We'll be spinning records (well, virtual ones, anyway...I don't want to drag some 78s around with me) and chatting. If you don't have a shortwave receiver, don't fret...run over to http://gritsradio.pmlol.com/ and click on "Listen live." As long as you have Winamp or MusicMatch (or something similar), you should be able to listen. Actually, you could visit Grits early (and keep it in your favorites...he plays some dynamite stuff)...we'll probably start an hour or two earlier on a web-only basis. It's just from 6:30--7:30 we'll actually be on the ether too. We'll be taking phone calls too...tune in and enjoy!
Oh, Kenneth, the frequency is 5.110 MHz.

It's April First! (No worms allowed!)

Shaw 'nuff...Ron identified Attleboro native Ray Conniff's trombone work on the mystery cut. Here's the label and a properly-identified credit:

071710-1 Needlenose Artie Shaw Orchestra Victor 27860
http://www.box.net/shared/cget2zu74r

NYC 21 January 1942: Artie Shaw, clarinet and leader; Lee Castle, Max Kaminsky, Steve Lipkins, Hot Lips Page, trumpets; Jack Jenney, Morey Samuel, Ray Conniff, trombones; Charlie diMaggio, Les Robinson, alto saxes; Gergie Auld, Mickey Folus, tenor saxes; large string section; Johnny Guarnieri, piano; Mike Bryan, guitar; Eddie McKimmey, bass; Dave Tough, drums.

The "needle nardle noo" I mentioned last time (as a little clue to the title of the mystery piece) was one of many catchphrases used on BBC Radio's The Goon Show. More to be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Goon_Show_running_jokes and lots more info here: http://www.thegoonshow.net/ . I've been listening a lot to the Goons lately...their lunacy keeps me sane.

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It's April 1, so if that nasty worm hasn't invaded your hard drive, maybe you'd like to listen to some fun fare...Let's start with an old favorite of mine:

This was one of the first jazz records I had ever heard...I had it as part of the RCA Victor Encyclopedia of Jazz set of ten-inch LPs (Volume 2, to be exact). It introduced me to Bix Beiderbecke when I was eight or nine years old.

Those old ten-inchers were available through supermarkets, which explains why they're so common...especially the first couple of volumes. But the original 78 of Barnacle Bill took me a long time to snag...over twenty years.

Anyhoooooo......this is a stock arrangement of the tune...but with some space for solos added. The first verse is pleasant enough, and the answering verse is all right too. Notice that the fiddle plays through the first two repetitions of the title...but on the third one, the fiddle stops and a new voice joins the chorus. That's Joe Venuti. More about his infamous contribution to this record in the next paragraph.

After a blazing Bix solo, Carson Robison and friends go through the second verse. Pay close attention to the answering verse this time around...Mr. Venuti can be heard above the others singing "Barnacle Bill, the sh#thead!" He sings it on all three repetitions this time around (it probably wasn't all that audible in 1930, but it's fairly plain on newer equipment).

62301-1 Barnacle Bill, The Sailor Hoagy Carmichael Orchestra Victor V-38139 http://www.box.net/shared/r0ib62803f

NYC 21 March 1930: Hoagy Carmichael, vocal and leader; Bix Beiderbecke, cornet; Bubber Miley, trumpet; Tommy Dorsey, trombone; Benny Goodman, clarinet; Bud Freeman, tenor sax; Joe Venuti, violin & supplemental vocal; Irving Brodsky, piano; Eddie Lang, guitar; Harry Goodman, tuba; Gene Krupa, drums; Carson Robison, vocal.

59800-2 Rockin' Chair Hoagy Carmichael Orchestra Victor V-38139

http://www.box.net/shared/upjid7ijre

Same date and personnel, but Robison is out and Irving Brodsky's voice is heard.

Nice early version of Rockin' Chair (the first, I believe)...Bubber Miley's growling trumpet is more prominent on this side, although Bix takes a bow towards the end.

Astute collectors out there may notice the huge gap in matrix numbers...59801 through 62300 were allocated for field recordings (used mostly in Chicago, Memphis, Hollywood, and Atlanta).

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Carson Robison, who composed Barnacle Bill with his regular partner, Frank Luther (they recorded three versions of the song under the names Bud and Joe Billings), recorded one of the strangest entries in the Victor V-38000 "Hot Dance Tunes" series...both novelty fox trots. Stuff seems to be a variant of Frankie and Johnny, and Nonsense is clearly a relative of Tiger Rag.

53969-2 Stuff Carson Robison Kansas Jack-rabbits Victor V-38074 http://www.box.net/shared/xscpr9m279
53970-3 Nonsense Carson Robison Kansas Jack-rabbits Victor V-38074 http://www.box.net/shared/kr363kfq48

NYC 31 July 1929: Earl Oliver, trumpet; probably Sam Lewis, trombone; probably Larry Binyon, alto sax; Murray Kellner, violin; probably Bill Wirges, piano; Carson Robison, guitar; Andy Sannella, slide guitar; unknown, drums. Rust doesn't list who played the oboe at the beginning of Nonsense...it was probably Binyon.

Another weird thing...Victor used their "squeezed" font (usually reserved for minor words on the labels like "by" and "and") for the band's credit. They didn't capitalize "rabbits" either.

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Here's one of the funniest sides ever recorded by Rudy Vallee...it's also pretty darned hot too!
147906-2 Outside Rudy Vallee Connecticut Yankees Diva 2857-G
http://www.box.net/shared/9kyzamhnsl
NYC, 31 January 1929: Rudy Vallee, clarinet, alto sax & vocal; probably Don Moore, trumpet; probably Hal Matthews, trombone; Joe Miller, tenor sax; Manny Lowy, Jules deVorzon, violins; Cliff Burwell, piano; Charles Peterson, banjo; Harry Patent, tuba; Ray Toland, drums.

Of course, this side (like most of Diva's material) was also issued on Harmony and VelvetTone. All three (and Clarion, which rolled in within a year or so) were Columbia's cheaper "dime store" labels. Vallee moved to Victor just after this session.

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A few years ago, I found a copy of this record for a quarter or so:

I expected to hear Dalhart sing a moralistic fable. About halfway through A Warning To Boys, I realized that not only was this fable a parody, it was essentially the same song that W. C. Fields sang in his short film, The Fatal Glass Of Beer (you can see it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYDKmEF85CY and the song starts around 2:10). Eventually I found that this song and its mate A Warning To Girls, were written by Charley Case in 1907.

146912 A Warning To Boys Vernon Dalhart Diva 2729-G http://www.box.net/shared/kqro92g70b

146913 A Warning To Girls Vernon Dalhart Diva 2729-G
http://www.box.net/shared/fufxa7cefn
NYC 28 August 1928: Vernon Dalhart, vocal; unknown, harmonium.

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A long while back (June 2007, to be exact), I remarked that I had an unusual Spike Jones record that I'd like to share...here 'tis:

Spike Jones Describes The "Musical" Instruments Used In "Dance Of The Hours" Spike Jones RCA promo, unnumbered

http://www.box.net/shared/soq98v7zly

1949: Spike Jones & Dick Morgan, speech; samples of their record of Dance Of The Hours.
Jones's speaking voice was rather pleasant...and guitarist Dick Morgan's voice is just plain goofy.

The other side of this special promo issue is the song itself:
Dance Of The Hours Spike Jones and his City Slickers Victor 20-3516

http://www.box.net/shared/1z7j75ztb0

1949: Lindley Armstrong "Spike" Jones, leader; large troupe of nuts; featuring Doodles Weaver, commentary.

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Jim Henson's Muppet pianist, Rowlf, used to sing a really strange song called You and I and George: http://www.box.net/shared/cmei4qln6f .

http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/You_and_I_and_George has a little info on the song.

This, of course, wasn't the first recording of George...I recall an earlier version on a live Stan Kenton album somewhere. But, any time I hear the song, it's usually played for laughs.

Here's a straight, deadpan version:

ZSP 34850 George Dolores Hawkins Epic 5-9089
http://www.box.net/shared/kt8sjedr51
1955 or so: Dolores Hawkins, vocal; Don Costa Orchestra.

It seems that someone named Maxwell was the composer.

I don't know how Ms. Hawkins was able to do this song as well as she did...her tongue had to have been firmly lodged in her cheek.

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Here's a party record...the only info is the title on the label. The singer is instantly recognizable to people who collect the old stuff...it's Ukulele Ike!

(LO-340) Behind Nick's Counter Anonymous white label party record 5003

http://www.box.net/shared/59yoe71dfr

Hollywood, October 1936: Cliff "Ukulele Ike" Edwards, vocal & ukulele; others unknown.

The first issue of this title (on the Hollywood Hot Shots label) was called Down Behind the Counter at Nick's. This is a later dubbing of it. Oh...I'm not responsible if you suddenly have When You Wish Upon A Star stuck in your head for the rest of the day. Ike does that to people sometimes.

Here's the flip side...also issued anonymously. Can't say I recognize this guy, though (beware! The language here is a bit rough)...

Singing Reporter Anonymous white label party record 5003
http://www.box.net/shared/1p6zlsd31r

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And now some records that deal with rude noises and/or the bodily functions that cause them...

Here's the side that Ed Reynolds usually plays any time there's a new person at the listening session:

068074-1 Serenade To A Maid (A Bronx Serenade) Teddy Powell Orch Bluebird B-11373
http://www.box.net/shared/t3dhopfncm
NYC 4 November 1941: Teddy Powell, large orchestra.

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This is the granddaddy of all fart records, the infamous Crepitation Contest, recorded after hours at the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. There's a good article about it here: http://hensteeth.com/cblue.html

The Crepitation Contest Brown & Lipton issued many, many times...
http://www.box.net/shared/kmif7r57p3

1942: Sydney Summers Brown, voice, Jules Lipton (CBC Producer), production & sound effects.

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This may be the first recorded song about, well, wind...

17306-1 Jim's Windy Mule Sweet Violet Boys Vocalion 03587
http://www.box.net/shared/4jtep4epfa
NYC, 16 April 1935: Tex Atchison, vocal & fiddle; Chick Hurt, vocal, speech & mandola; Salty Holmes, vocal & guitar; James Taylor, vocal, speech & bass; unidentified, effects.

This is actually the Prairie Ramblers...many of their novelty records were issued under the Sweet Violet Boys name (and they usually backed up Patsy Montana without label credit too). It was recorded in 1935, but it sat in the can for almost two years before it was finally issued as the flip side of their Sweet Violets No. 3. I've seen it reissued as a red-label Columbia, so it must have sold fairly well.

Here's another side by the boys:

C-1888-4 There's A Man Who Comes To Our House Sweet Violet Boys Vocalion 03766
http://www.box.net/shared/q1k4bz78av
Chicago, 7 October 1937: same personnel, add Bill Thall, clarinet; Ken Houchens, guitar & vocal.

And that should be enough for now...I have to go milk the elk.

Another mystery side!

I'm working on a little something for April First...here's a tidbit that should whet your appetite until then.

It's a mystery side...the only thing I'll say is that this record has a connection somehow to the Attleboro Area (but there might be another little clue somewhere else).

http://www.box.net/shared/mzxz3y3q6c

What's the connection? Who's on the record? Title?

Comment away!

The winner gets one of those aged peanut butter sandwiches I mentioned a while back...

...and 'til the First of April, as Neddie Seagoon often said... "Needle Nardle Noo!"