Jazz in the Public Domain

Fletcher Henderson (2), Gershwin at the piano, Eddie Lang, C. Williams with Armstrong, Bechet, Eva Taylor, Lovie Austin, Henderson, Piron, Austin, University 6, Art Gillham, U6 (2), Ellington, Moten. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Moten: Sister Honky Tonk. Bessie Smith: St. Louis Blues. Arcadian Serenaders: The Co-Ed. Busse’s Buzzards: Milenberg Joys. Little Ramblers: Got No Time, In Your Green Hat. Arcadian Serenaders: Angry. Moten: Things Seem So Blue to Me. Lovie Austin’s Blues Serenaders: Peepin’ Blues. Bix: Davenport Blues. Henderson: Sugarfoot Stomp, Armstrong: Gut Bucket Blues, Yes I’m in the Barrel. Henderson: I’ll See You in My Dreams. Goofus 5: Alabamy Bound.1925 adds new dimensions including Papa Dip on vocals, Rollini on a microphone, Bobby Davis steps up, Jimmy Dorsey, Henderson at industrial strength. Nichols arrives. Moten, Lovie Austin deliver. Bessie Smith with Armstrong. Arcadian Serenaders and Bix in a new era again. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Papa Celestin: Original Tuxedo Rag, Careless Love, Black Rag. Brownlee's Orch: Dirty Rag. Halfway House Orch: Barataria, Maple Leaf Rag. Eddie Cantor: Palesteena. Arcadia Peacock Orch.: I Wouldn’t Be Crying Now and Waiting for the Moon. Lovie Austin's Blues Serenaders: Steppin’ On the Blues, Travelin’ Blues. Charles H. Booker: Hot Sax, West Texas Blues. Fletcher Henderson: TNT, Carolina Stomp. The Goofus Five: Yes Sir That’s My Baby. Cal Ramblers: Sweet Georgia Brown. Coon-Sanders: Yes Sir That’s My Baby. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whiteman (Gershwin p.): Rhapsody in Blue (side 1). Bix, Bessie Smith, Moten, OTO, Arcadian Serenaders {Wingy Manone), Oliver, ODJB, Henderson, The New Jersey Dance Orch, Williams and Walker, Clara Smith, Coon-Sanders, Arcadia Peacock Orch. of St.Louis, Vincent Lopez, Gershwin (side 2).The Gershwin recording with Grofe’s orchestration emphasizes the 1924 jazz style in Whiteman’s Orch fused with Gershwin’s classical keyboard. This is Third Stream of which Whiteman was the King. The Gorman opening clarinet solo is spiced with laughing tricks and is apparently never played with these 1924-isms anymore in favor of more modern jazz phrasing. This episode ends with side two of the Whiteman/Gershwin rhapsody. Marcus Roberts did a modern update on piano worth watching, changing some of Gershwin’s notes.George Walker sings lead on Pretty Desdemona from 1906. Oliver in 1923 does Southern Stomps. Bix in 1924 and the Wolverines play Tia Juana. Oriole Terrace Orch (OTO) plays Back Where The Daffodils Grow. Clara Smith sings WC Handy’s Basement Blues. Moten plays Vine St. Blues. Vincent Lopez plays Palesteena. ODJB provides Satanic Blues. Bessie Smith sings Frankie Blues. The Arcadia Peacock Orch. from the Arcadia Ballroom in St. Louis does 4 numbers: Tripping Along, Ain’t You Ashamed, She Wouldn’t Do What I Want Her To (vocal deleted), Dream Boat. The Arcadian Serenaders apparently also from the Arcadia in St. Louis play Bobbed Hair Bobbie. Coon-Sanders from KC play Show Me The Way. The New Jersey Dance Orchestra plays Last Night on the Back Porch. Henderson with Redman on goofus and Hawkins on bass sax (sound familiar?) play You’ll Never Go To Heaven With Those Eyes. Previous episodes have gone deep with many of these performers and here the Arcadian Peacock Orchestra gets some deeper attention along with Whiteman/Gershwin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Red McKenzie (Mound City Blue Blowers): When My Sugar Walks Down The Street, Charles H. Booker: Pencil Papa Blues, Ford and Ford: Skeeg-A-Lee Blues, Varsity Eight: Last Night on the Back Porch, Fletcher Henderson Orch.: Swanee River Blues, It Won’t Be Long, War Horse Mama, Steppin’ Out, Mama’s Goin’ to Slow You Down, Those Broken Busted Blues, You’ll Never Go to Heaven With Those Eyes, Forsaken Blues, Strutter’s Drag, I Don’t Know and I Don’t Care, Dixie Moon.One assumes it was Redman who took the Rollini pill adding a bass sax and goofus with Chambers in the Bill Moore role. Unlike the small Rambler groups, Henderson had Hawkins on tenor in duets with Redman and soloing, giving the unique full Hawkins sound. And Hawkins could play bass sax as in several here. Chambers is also inspired. This period of 1924 was prolific and innovative before the expansion to a big band sound. Notable that the next year Bobby Davis and Rollini were a premier star sax section. The Varsity 8 deliver an over the top version of the Whiteman hit Last Night on the Back Porch. Ford and Ford are in front of Lovie Austin, Tommy Ladnier and Johnny Dodds with a frank blues conversation. Booker demonstrates blues saxophone lead. Red McKenzie isn’t the only star named Red, but in 1924 he made hit records with a comb, a kazoo backing him up and the great Eddie Lang, so Red it is. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Original Dixieland Jazz Band: Palesteena, Tell Me, Skeleton Jungle, Dixie Jazz One-Step, Mournin', Dangerous Blues (Al Bernard Voc.), Bow Wow My Mama Treats Me Like a Dog, Jazz Me Blues, Home Again, St. Louis Blues (Al Bernard voc.), Alice Blue Gown, The Sphinx, Look at 'em Doin' It.This is the third compilation after the Season 1 episode 8 tribute and Season 2 episode 46. Here is a mix that does not duplicate the last episode and is delivered without interruption. Some hits omitted in these twin episodes are found in the first show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Original Dixieland Jazz Band with intermittent piano by Clarence Williams. Royal Garden Blues (Al Bernard voc.), Darktown Strutters Ball, At the Jazz Band Ball, Clarinet Marmalade, Some of These Days. C. Williams: My Own Blues. OJDB: Soudan, Toddlin’ Blues, Sensation Rag, Lazy Daddy, Fidgety Feet, Indiana, Lasses Candy. C. Williams: Gravier St. Blues. ODJB:Tiger Rag, Satanic Blues. C. Williams: Weary Blues.Tony Sbarbaro’s percussion is evident particularly in Sensation Rag. LaRocca apparently taught people like Bix indirectly by phonograph, who had a worn out ODJB collection and covered the tunes on his own recordings. Armstrong in one of his books lavishes praise on the Dixieland. Edwards on trombone, Larry Shields clarinet, Henry Ragas and later J. Russel Robinson on piano. A quintet with sometimes the addition of a saxophone like Benny Krueger. Included for intermission is the piano of Clarence Williams. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clara Smith: Freight Train Blues, Cold Weather Papa, The Basement Blues, The Clearing House Blues. Clarence Williams: Gravier St. Blues. Clara Smith: War Horse Mama (Pig Meat Sweetie), 31st St. Blues. Clarence Williams: My Own Blues. C. Williams Blue Five (Armstrong and Bechet): Texas Moaner Blues. C. Williams: Weary Blues, C. Williams Blue Five (Thomas Morris with Bechet): House Rent Blues. Atlantic Dance Orchestra: Lime House Blues, Henderson (Billy Fowler bass sax): Doo Doodle Oom, C. Williams: Mixing the Blues.Clarence Williams composed Texas Moaner Blues with Fay Barnes, and Charlie Irvis is on trombone. Don Redman is on Clearing House Blues, War Horse Mama and Cold Weather Papa. Charlie Dixon is on banjo and Don Redman plays the goofus on Freight Train Blues. Fletcher Henderson played on several tunes including Freight Train Blues, War Horse Mama and Cold Weather Papa, on which he also plays the whistle. Smith’s vocal with Ernest Elliott and Charles Mattson in WC Handy’s Basement Blues is among the higher points of 1924.Comparable high points were reached by Clarence Williams on his solo piano records and with the Blue Five and also by Henderson’s Orchestra who are included here. Limehouse Blues fits in as one of the hits of 1924 bringing more orientalism or chinoiserie to the fox trot.Henderson played a big role in some of these recordings of Clara and gave her a modicum of the special production support Bessie Smith received in 1924. Clara was at home anywhere but particularly in Henderson’s special world of Redman, goofus and whistle and she makes brrrr noises of her own on Cold Weather Papa. “My razor and your neck are going to connect” in War Horse Mama delivered without losing her usual smoothness, illustrates Clara’s brand: transcendent beauty and calm in the face of anything life deals out. There is much more to her 1924 catalogue and these are some favorites. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clara Smith, vocals with varied artists: Waitin’ for the Evenin’ Mail, I Never Miss the Sunshine, I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down, You Don’t Know My Mind. Clarence Williams with Bechet: Mean Blues. Clara Smith: Don’t Advertise Your Man, Good Lookin’ Papa Blues, I Don’t Love Nobody Blues. Clarence Williams: My Own Blues. Clara Smith with Coleman Hawkins: Texas Moaner Blues, Deep Blue Sea Blues.Clara Smith is popular in any era. It is not a stretch to imagine her singing jazz in the 1950s if she had lived that long. Which came first: her perfect voice or the lengthy performance career that developed that perfection? C. Williams and Bechet are included for support alongside the ubiquitous Fletcher Henderson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Coleman Hawkins with Clara Smith: Texas Moaner Blues, Deep Blue Sea Blues. Fletcher Henderson Orchestra: Sudbustin’ Blues, He’s the Hottest Man in Town, Doo Doodle Oom, West Indian Blues, You’ve Got to Get Hot, Old Black Joe’s Blues, Charleston Crazy, Houston Blues, Jealous, I Can’t Get The One I Want, My Papa Doesn’t Two-Time No Time, 31st St. Blues.Listening for Hawkins you also hear Redman, Fowler, Chambers. In 1924 Hawkins was still nineteen, in 1944 he was 39 playing bop, in 1964 he charted popular jazz albums. With Clara Smith here he solos at length in his blues style and also with Henderson plays more of a blues attack than of the orthodox straight melodic tone. Billy Fowler is on bass sax on several tunes.Although Prez represented a new direction from the Hawkins style, the opposite is also true. Hawkins developed a unique rhythm-based style distinct from the customary tenor leads of Pettis and Krueger or lead c melody. Prez developed the c melody lead style from Tram. Possibly for the reason that a dance band tenor lead didn’t give as much excitement at that time. Hawk’s explosive approach led to Rollins and Roland Kirk.No sax section had better trained musicians than Redman and Hawkins. But neither messed with fox trot orthodoxy at this point. Together they created a parade of hits. The Redman/Hawkins reed section -supplemented by Billy Fowler - by the results obtained, was among the most successful in highly competitive 1924.Prez from the Tram c melody approach started with the free floating popular dance band alto lead melodic line style heard early in Loren McMurray. But he drenched this high melodic line in rhythm with the band riffing behind him polyphonically. We are left rocking and rolling. Hawkins started from within the rhythm section as a basso foundation bouncing the beat but shaped by melody, like a bassist soloing. He brought a bass sax foundation to the tenor. Hawk and Prez both went off the beaten track, Hawk went low and Prez went high. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Loren McMurray (saxophone) with the orchestras of Eddie Kuhn (1920): You’re Just Like a Rose. Mike Markel (1921): I Wonder If You Still Care For Me, I Wonder Who You’re Calling Sweetheart, Say Persianna Say!, Idola, Blue Eyes Blues, Alabama Blues, Two Wooden Shoes. The Virginians (1922): I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate. Bailey’s Lucky Seven: Homesick. Lanin’s Southern Serenaders: Doo Dah Blues, Shake It and Break It, Eddie Leonard Blues. Eddie Davis: Hot Lips. Mike Markel (1922): Lonesome Mama Blues.This starts in 1920 with a KC band where Mac got his launch. Seven tunes from Markel is maybe a slog but interesting and well recorded for 1921 from a talented society orchestra, McMurray being featured. In the second half the jazz tunes from 1922 pick up the pace. That’s Cliff Edwards eefing on Doo Dah Blues, a sample of what would become widespread two years later. McMurray expanded the paradigm for the alto as the dominant melodic instrument plus low register slap tongue. McMurray had a busy recording career for about three years 1920-1922 and then he was gone at age 25, leaving the legacy of the alto as a star melodic lead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Henderson: Somebody Stole My Gal. Nick Lucas: My Best Girl. Gene Rodemich: Shanghai Shuffle. Oriole Terrace Orch.: Off and Gone. Bennie Krueger: Charley My Boy (Voc. Billy Jones). James Blythe: Armour Avenue Struggle. Marion Harris: Jealous. Armstrong (Henderson Orch.): Everybody Loves My Baby. Loren McMurray: Haunting Blues, Charlie Creath: Pleasure Mad. M. Harris: I Can’t Get The One I Want (lyrics by Billy Rose). Arcadia Peacock Orch. (Jules Schneider ts, Chick Harvey voc.): Where's My Sweetie Hiding. Rosa Henderson (with Fletcher Henderson): Papa Will be Gone. M. Harris: ‘Tain't Nuthin' Else. The Texas Blues Destroyers (Bubber Miley, Alvin Ray): Lennox Avenue Shuffle.Jealous is a dream reverie that Harris could deliver as in I’ll See You In My Dreams and Tea for Two. Another Harris tune Haunting Blues is here from Loren McMurray in 1922 his final year. Coleman Hawkins is identified as the bass sax on Somebody Stole My Gal. James Blythe played early boogie out of Chicago.The Arcadia Peacock Orch. was from St. Louis as was Charles Creath. Here also is the original Shanghai Shuffle by its composer, borrowing from Limehouse Blues which swept the US in 1924 with Gertrude Lawrence, whose career crossed with Harris who started in the US and then went to England. The OTO provide our title, led by Ted Fiorito. Nick Lucas is also on the guitar. Jules Schneider plays slap tongue tenor sax. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fletcher Henderson Orchestra: I Can't Get the One I Want, Where the Dreamy Wabash Flows, Say Say Sadie, Prince of Wails, My Papa Doesn't Two Time No Time (Don Redman Voc.), Mobile Blues, Chicago Blues, That's Georgia, Sudbustin' Blues, Copenhagen, Shanghai Shuffle.Many of the late ‘24 tunes with Armstrong are provided separately in the episode titled Pops season 2 episode 11. A lot of mid-24 are on Red. Here cornetist Elmer Chambers is featured and in a section with Howard Scott. Hawkins’ slap tongue works particularly on Sudbustin which is an uptempo variation of the slow swinging Piron dance tune. Which is telling because any tune Henderson played was reconstructed to a bouncy Henderson fox trot regardless of the lyrics. This Prince of Wails, the Schoebel tune, is the most elaborate version and which Schoebel didn’t record in 1924. Shanghai Shuffle is notable and includes an Armstrong solo, and composer Rodemich’s own version is heard in episode 41. Redman scatting here on My Papa gives syllables to the eefing/kazoo/comb tradition of pure vocalizing that swept 1924 including the goofus guy Redman himself voicing without syllables on Mobile Blues. We also apparently hear a washboard on Chicago Blues.Henderson played in a league with Lanin, the Virginians, the Ramblers, OTO, Krueger, Rodemich, many others and you hear these same tunes and dance ideas circulating on Brunswick and Vocalion and various labels. Redman elaborated on the trends and fads particularly from Irving Brodsky and Adrian Rollini, while also developing the bouncy Henderson style before Ellington talked about that which means a thing. Ellington took the space opened by Henderson for the jazz contribution to the fox trot. Jazz coming from port city NOLA was inherently global and not possible to segregate. Plessy v. Ferguson to the contrary. Henderson with Redman integrated the national fox trot market by providing the African American difference. And then there was the whole blues market Henderson dominated. Bert Williams had already been the Jackie Robinson of Broadway with Ziegfeld. Henderson competed in the dance band major leagues by providing his own brand led by the unique Hawk and Redman sound. Although Morton invented jazz he was more in a league with Joplin, Mozart and Monk. A composer’s league. Ellington went there also. Redman of the weekly fox trot business abandoned the polyphonic front line for more industrial strength.Morton’s New York phase brought New Orleans jazz to a fulfillment as a concert music, but didn’t exactly capture NY dancers and was considered old fashioned, but like Brahms versus Wagner. Henderson still delivers a light bouncy and free feel with these smaller bands in 1924 although played from across a Rubicon with Clarence Williams Blue Five in the other side which was jazz only. By bringing in Armstrong, Henderson spotlighted the talent but became a big heavy band. Armstrong to the very end or Clarence Williams with Armstrong and Bechet in 1924 stuck to a smaller band concept. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Frank Trumbauer (cms): with Ray Miller's Orch.: Mama's Gone Goodbye, I Can’t Get the One I Want, Doodle Doo Doo, The Cotton Pickers: Jimtown Blues, Benson Orch.: I Never Miss the Sunshine, Mound City Blue Blowers: San, Red Hot, Lanin’s Arkansaw Travelers: Lost My Baby Blues, Ray Miller; Where is that Old Girl of Mine (Billy Jones Voc.), The Cotton Pickers: Prince of Wails, Ray Mlller: Red Hot Mama, Lotsa Mama, Come on Red, Sioux City Six: Flock of Blues, I'm Glad. Trumbauer solos and performs section work as a sideman from 1923-24. Joined by Andy Sannella (ts) and Miff Mole (tb) in the Ray Miller Orch. Bix and Miff with the Sioux City Six. Frank Signorelli (p) with the Cotton Pickers. Tram was adept in duets and here particularly with Miff Mole and Andy Sannella. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Henderson: Hard Hearted Hannah, Houston Blues, A New Kind of Man (Redman on goofus), Driftwood, The Oriole Terrace Orchestra, Sobbin' Blues, Oh Mabel (Nick Lucas voc.), Copenhagen, Back Where the Daffodils Grow, Mandy Make Up Your Mind, Isham Jones: Land O' Lingo Blues, Gene Rodemich: Choo Choo, OTO: I Need Some Pettin', Abe Lyman: A New Kind of Man, OTO: That Lullaby Strain, Arnold Johnson: Sweet Lovin' Mama, Bennie Krueger: Wet Yo' Thumb, Abe Lyman: If You Do What You Do.Nick Lucas lays a strong foundation on banjo and guitar. Rodemich gives a fun rendering of the Ellington train song.The durable Brunswick product (Henderson recorded on Brunswick but those are not included here) are of a high level of production quality.Henderson is included here because dance band hit records like these Brunswicks are his niche. Henderson was not so dedicated to New Orleans jazz as were Clarence Williams, Bechet, Armstrong or Mezz. Paul Whiteman and hotel bands dominated the charts that Henderson competed in. Although Henderson was essential to the blues recording craze, and had a hot jazz band on some of those tunes, this apparently did not influence his dance band recording strategy although it made his bands sound more grounded and soulful than bands without that extensive blues commitment. Moten had that blues sound also and on Goofy Dust showed the Redman trademark exposure to humorous bands like the Goofus Five.On “A New Kind of Man” Redman borrows from the Goofus 5 comic model, does a good job with the goofus and Charlie Green makes magic on the trombone. We hear the violin of Allie Ross on Driftwood. Hawkins steps up on these tunes.Perhaps, the arrival of Bailey, Green and Armstrong represented less an evolution of jazz than a way of rising to the level of the nationally popular dance bands like OTO. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James P. Johnson solo piano: Bleeding Heart Blues, Carolina Shout, You Can't Do What My Last Man Did, Harlem Strut, Worried and Lonesome Blues, Weeping Blues, Toddlin', Scouting Around, Keep Off the Grass. C. Williams: Achin' Heart Blues, Texas Moaner Blues, Richard M. Jones: Jazzin' Babies Blues.For your next house rent party. The promise of novelty piano is not a far jump later to Monk and then Jaki Byard. Contemporaneous band tunes are added here in deference to the horns and banjo that gave a pianist like Johnson an orchestra. Assembled therein by Clarence Williams is an All Star lineup of Armstrong and Bechet with Charlie Irvis on trombone for Texas Moaner Blues. Then composer Richard M. Jones delivers his own blues not far afield from Johnson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ellington (Sonny Greer, Alberta Hunter voc.) Social Parlor Deluxe, Armstrong with Bechet (Alberta Hunter voc.) Cakewalkin’ Babies, The Old Southern Jug Band: Hatchet Blues, Ma Rainey: Countin Blues, Armstrong with Bechet: Texas Moaner Blues, Sippie Wallace: Baby I Can’t Use You No More, Trouble Eveywhere I Roam, Off and On Blues, Alberta Hunter with Bechet on sarrusophone: Mandy Make Up Your Mind, Benny Kreuger: Pleasure Mad.Bechet and Armstrong and Lil together-thank you, Clarence Williams. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ma Rainey with the Pruett Twins: Lost Wandering Blues, Butterbeans and Susie with Oliver: Construction Gang, Piron: Bright Star Blues, Steamboat 4 (Morton): Mr. Jelly Lord, Ma Rainey: Dream Blues, Moten: Tulsa Blues, Jimmy Joy: Wolverine Blues, Moten: Baby Dear, Henderson: Shanghai Shuffle, Bix: Jazz Me Blues, Oriole Orch.:Shimmee Sha Wabble, The Wolverines (Bix):Royal Garden Blues, Armstrong and Bechet with Eva Taylor: Little Blackbird, Coon-Sanders: Nighthawk Blues, Oliver: Jazzin’ Babies Blues, Goofus 5: Everybody Loves My Baby. If this were a Grateful Dead live set it would be among Dick’s Picks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lottie Kimbrough Beaman: Mama Can’t Lose, Honey Blues, Regular Man Blues, Lowdown Painful Blues, Sugar Daddy Blues, Moten: Vine St. Blues, Tulsa Blues, Oliver with Butterbeans and Susie: Kiss me Sweet, Piron: West Indies Blues, Southern Woman Blues (Lela Boldon voc.) Squabblin Blues (reed section), Bright Star Blues, Seawall Special Blues (Lela Boldon voc.), Sylvester Weaver: Guitar Blues. Beaman was an early KC blues singer with the Pruett twins on banjo and guitar. Sam Tall was the banjo player with Moten. Not much to say but stand in awe of the KC legacy in the Beaman and Moten sides. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bennie Moten with Ada Brown: Ill Natured Blues, Evil Mama Blues, Moten: Elephant's Wobble, Crawdad Blues, Selma 'Bama Blues (Mary Bradford, voc.), Break O' Day Blues (Ada Brown, voc.), Waco Texas Blues (Mary Bradford, voc.), Vine Street Blues, Tulsa Blues, Goofy Dust, Baby Dear. Plus the Kansas City Five: Get Yourself a Monkey Man, Original Memphis Five: Jelly Roll Blues. Moten defers to the vocalists but his piano is a feature of this blues band. That’s Sam Tall on banjo. Lamar Wright on cornet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.