SLIM GAILLARD – 1945 | The Classics Chronological Series – 864 (1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

These 23 different selections recorded in Los Angeles for the Queen, 20th Century, Bee Bee, and Four Star labels feature Gaillard with partner/bassist/vocalist Bam Brown and a variety of different bands, from the Boogiereeners with Fletcher Smith or a quartet with Dodo Marmarosa on piano. A horn section with saxophonists Teddy Edwards, Wild Bill Moore, and Lucky Thompson and trumpeters Howard McGhee and Karl George back the band on four cuts. Gaillard is heard to good effect whether goofing off, playing boogie harpsichord, singing standards, or jamming hard and swinging steadily. The Smith-Gaillard (on harpsichord) combine gets eight shots. There's the wistful scat of the midtempo "Sighing Blues"; the upbeat, Smith-led "Queen's Boogie" and "Nightmare Boogie"; or the slower, occasionally shouted "Voot Boogie. "Sightseeing Boogie," a mellow song with a spoken-word reference to "Gates" aka Lionel Hampton; a straight instrumental, "Central Avenue Boogie"; a more interactive, Queen-rejected "Boogie"; and a more patient instrumental, "Slim's Cement Boogie," all speak to the center of Gaillard's unique approach. With the horns loading up on background charts and solos, Thompson cuts loose on both "Slim Gaillard's Boogie" and "Harlem Hunch," and Edwards gets the spotlight on the rootsy "Tutti Frutti." "Travelin' Blues" is the undisputed highlight, as Gaillard, in a hilarious, narcoleptic stupor, tries to decide at which "mellow" train stop to land: his ex-Detroit home, Cleveland, or Toledo, influenced by Moore and Thompson's solos. Two other cuts with trombonist Vic Dickenson and two unidentified horns are a slowed "Voot Orenee" and the standard postwar ballad "Please Wait for Me." Nine selections with the Marmarosa-Gaillard-Brown-Zutty Singleton (drums) tandem has the leader on guitar, vibes (for the hot yet soft instrumental "Ding Dong Orenee"), and piano. Well-known hits are here, such as "Laguna" ("lyin' in the sun and havin' fun"); "Laguna Orenee" (different key, rejected by Bee Bee); the static, food-referenced swinger "Dunkin' Bagel"; and dueling vocals and some crooning from Gaillard on the easy swinger "Buck Dance Rhythm." Dual pianos crop up on the instrumental "Boogin' at Berg's"; Gaillard sings the standard torch song "Don't Blame Me"; "Carne" is done in Gaillard's "Spanglish" dialect; and "Ya Ha Ha" is the ultimate fun tune. This CD is a companion to Classics label issues 1937-1938, 1939-1940, and 1940-1942. Because this is the latter period's music and is better recorded, it's perhaps Gaillard at his zenith and shows his most developed musical powers. Highly recommended. Michael G. Nastos  
Tracklist :
1    Slim Gaillard And His Boogiereeners–    Voot Orenee    3:01
2    Slim Gaillard And His Boogiereeners–    Please Wait For Me    2:30
3    Slim Gaillard And His Boogiereeners–    Sighing Boogie    2:52
4    Slim Gaillard And His Boogiereeners–    Queen's Boogie    2:51
5    Slim Gaillard And His Boogiereeners–    Voot Boogie    2:52
6    Slim Gaillard And His Boogiereeners–    Nightmare Boogie    2:47
7    Slim Gaillard And His Boogiereeners–    Slim Gaillard's Boogie    2:43
8    Slim Gaillard And His Boogiereeners–    Harlem Hunch    2:40
9    Slim Gaillard And His Boogiereeners–    Tutti Frutti    2:44
10    Slim Gaillard And His Boogiereeners–    Travelin' Blues    3:03
11    Slim Gaillard And His Boogiereeners–    Sightseeing Boogie    2:44
12    Slim Gaillard And His Boogiereeners–    Central Avenue Boogie    2:40
13    Slim Gaillard And His Boogiereeners–    Boogie    2:52
14    Slim Gaillard And His Boogiereeners–    Slim's Cement Boogie    2:40
15    Slim Gaillard Quartet–    Laguna    2:42
16    Slim Gaillard Quartet–    Dunkin' Bagel    2:47
17    Slim Gaillard Quartet–    Boogin' At Berg's    2:49
18    Slim Gaillard Quartet–    Don't Blame Me    3:05
19    Slim Gaillard Quartet–    Laguna Oroonee    2:35
20    Slim Gaillard Trio–    Ya Ha Ha    3:11
21    Slim Gaillard Trio–    Carne    2:49
22    Slim Gaillard Trio–    Ding Dong Oreeney    2:51
23    Slim Gaillard Trio–    Buck Dance Rhythm    3:10
Credits :    
Bass – Thomas "Bam" Brown (tracks: 1 to 23)
Drums – Leo Watson (tracks: 1, 2, 7 to 14), Zutty Singleton (tracks: 15 to 23)
Guitar – Slim Gaillard (tracks: 1, 2, 7 to 23)
Harpsichord – Slim Gaillard (tracks: 3)
Piano – Dodo Marmarosa (tracks: 15, 17 to 23), Fletcher Smith (tracks: 1 to 14), Slim Gaillard (tracks: 16)
Tenor Saxophone – Lucky Thompson (tracks: 7, 8, 10 to 14), Teddy Edwards (tracks: 9, 11 to 14), Wild Bill Moore (tracks: 10 to 14)
Trombone, Alto Saxophone – Vic Dickenson (tracks: 1, 2)
Trumpet – Howard McGhee (tracks: 7 to 14), Karl George (tracks: 7 to 14), Unknown Artist (tracks: 1, 2)
Vocals – Slim Gaillard, Thomas "Bam" Brown (tracks: 15 to 23

SLIM GAILLARD – 1945, Vol. 2 | The Classics Chronological Series – 911 (1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The nucleus of Slim Gaillard's professional activity during December of 1945 was a trio consisting of himself, singing bassist Tiny "Bam" Brown, and shuffle drummer Zutty Singleton. The addition of pianist Dodo Marmarosa created a modern-sounding quartet that hinted at stylistic changes very much in the air at that time. Sixteen sides originally issued on the Atomic and Cadet labels document this group's evolution over the course of three weeks. By 1945 Gaillard had become extremely popular in the Los Angeles area, and his music was beginning to sound quite different from that of his pre-war period. His collaborations with Slam Stewart between the years 1938 and 1942 were peppered with Stewart's inspired singing over the bowed bass. Bam Brown had a much different approach, which was to echo Gaillard's every utterance in a silly little voice almost like that of a cartoon character. This was essentially a bop-era vaudeville routine and it caught on quickly with West Coast audiences eager for "hip" entertainment but largely distrustful of the less accessible face of modern music as represented by serious, innovative young musicians from New York. Gaillard's topical humor made fun of everything in sight. During "Jumpin' at the Record Shop" he drops the names of famous DJs and popular entertainers, from Carmen Miranda and Xavier Cugat to Spade Cooley, Bob Wills, Jack Benny, and Bob Hope in addition to a solid roster of jazz luminaries including of course his own bad self. On the "Novachord Boogie" Gaillard rocks away on what seems to have been a rudimentary electric piano, sounding almost like a premonition of Sun Ra's Farfisa organ. But Gaillard's main axe was the electrically amplified guitar, the main force behind "The Hop," which has a ferocious, explosive drum solo by Zutty Singleton. This chronology builds up marvelously to the famous "Slim's Jam" session recorded for the Bel-Tone label on December 29, 1945, with an added front line of Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Jack McVea, who Gaillard insists on introducing as "McVouty." These superb performances are greatly enhanced and contextualized by this compilation's unprecedented inclusion of all the records made by Gaillard's groups during December of 1945. "Dizzy Boogie" features Gaillard at the piano and a cool bass solo with vocal accompaniment by Bam Brown, who sounds more dignified than ever. "Flat Foot Floogie" and "Popity Pop" are outstanding novelty jump tunes suffused with the leader's infectious sense of humor. As a prime example of the intersection of innovative modern jazz and immaculately hip shenanigans, "Slim's Jam," with Gaillard introducing each participant in a smooth, laid-back voice, belongs among the very greatest three-minute episodes in the entire history of recorded jazz. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist :
1    Slim Gaillard Trio–    Scotchin' With Soda    2:44
2    Slim Gaillard Trio–    Cuban Rhumbarini    2:47
3    Slim Gaillard Trio–    As Long As I Have Your Love    3:20
4    Slim Gaillard Trio–    Cement Mixer    3:16
5    Slim Gaillard Quartette–    Atomic Cocktail    2:39
6    Slim Gaillard Quartette–    Yep-Roc-Heresay    3:03
7    Slim Gaillard Quartette–    Penicillin Boogie    2:29
8    Slim Gaillard Quartette–    Jumpin' At The Record Shop    3:08
9    Slim Gaillard Quartette–    Drei Six Cents    2:40
10    Slim Gaillard Quartette–    Minuet In Vout    2:56
11    Slim Gaillard Quartette–    Tee Say Malee    2:49
12    Slim Gaillard Quartette–    Novachord Boogie    2:58
13    Slim Gaillard Quartette–    Baby, Won't You Please Come Home    3:17
14    Slim Gaillard Quartette–    Groovy Juice Jive    3:03
15    Slim Gaillard Quartette–    The Hop    2:46
16    Slim Gaillard Quartette–    Three Handed Boogie    2:58
17    Slim Gaillard And His Orchestra–    Dizzy Boogie    3:09
18    Slim Gaillard And His Orchestra–    Flat Foot Floogie    2:31
19    Slim Gaillard And His Orchestra–    Popity Pop    2:57
20    Slim Gaillard And His Orchestra–    Slim's Jam    3:14
Credits :    
Alto Saxophone – Charlie Parker (tracks: 17 to 20)
Bass – Tiny "Bam" Brown
Drums – Zutty Singleton
Guitar – Slim Gaillard (tracks: 2, 5 to 8, 13 to 16, 18 to 20)
Piano – Dodo Marmarosa (tracks: 5 to 8, 13 to 20), Slim Gaillard (tracks: 1, 3, 4, 17)
Synthesizer [Novachord] – Slim Gaillard (tracks: 9 to 12)
Tenor Saxophone – Jack McVea (tracks: 17 to 20)
Trumpet – Dizzy Gillespie (tracks: 17 to 20)
Vibraphone – Slim Gaillard (tracks: 17 to 20)
Vocals – Slim Gaillard, Tiny "Bam" Brown (tracks: 1 to 16)

SLIM GAILLARD – 1946 | The Classics Chronological Series – 962 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The year 1946 saw Slim Gaillard's act diversifying like never before. This leg of his chronology finds Gaillard singing and playing guitar, piano, drums, and vibraphone. His guest performers included singing pianist Wini Brown, singing drummer Leo "Scat" Watson (an ideal match for Gaillard's bizarre temperament), bop geniuses Marshall Royal, Lucky Thompson, Dodo Marmarosa, and Howard McGhee, and Zutty Singleton or Scatman Crothers on the drums. Boogie woogie was an essential part of the hip end of popular music in 1946, and Gaillard did it up beautifully in the form of a four-handed piano duet with Wini Brown. "Riff City," a prime example of the "Slim & Bam" act in fourth gear, contains some of bassist Tiny "Bam" Brown's best scat singing. The instrumental "Santa Monica Jump" might be the best overall piece of jazz in this grab bag of recordings originally issued on the Bel-Tone, V-Disc, Atomic, Savoy, and Disc labels. Anyone collecting all of the various volumes of the Gaillard chronology on Classics will experience the thrill of amassing several versions of "Cement Mixer." The version heard here faithfully reproduces the Mexican radio announcer routine Gaillard used in live performance, while in fact "Fried Chicken O'Routee" (a remake of "Ya Ha Ha") seems to have actually been recorded in front of an appreciative audience. The live ambiance is even more pronounced during the "Groove Juice Symphony," also known as "Opera in Vout," presented amid much laughter, cheering, and applause on April 22, 1946, at the Shrine Auditorium. Gaillard and Brown open with Skeets Tolbert's "Hit That Jive, Jack," move into a wild version of Duke Ellington's "C Jam Blues" and cap the set with a fractured extension of Gaillard's own "Flat Foot Floogie" tempered with hints of "Big Noise from Winnetka." This disc contains two versions of "Chicken Rhythm," the second introduced by Bob Hope and issued by the Armed Forces on V-Disc. This interesting segment of the Slim Gaillard story ends with a handful of studio sides representing the full range of his musical persona -- cool love songs, hot jam tunes, and weirdly executed novelties with titles like "Oxydol Highball." arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist :
1    Wini Beatty With Slim Gaillard Trio–    Early Morning Boogie    2:55
2    Slim Gaillard Trio And Wini Beatty–    That Ain't Right, Baby    2:43
3    Slim Gaillard Trio–    Riff City    2:50
4    Slim Gaillard Trio–    Mean Mama Blues    2:50
5    Slim Gaillard And His Orchestra–    Chicken Rhythm    3:04
6    Slim Gaillard And His Orchestra–    Santa Monica Jump    3:01
7    Slim Gaillard And His Orchestra–    Mean Pretty Mama    3:03
8    Slim Gaillard And His Orchestra–    School Kids' Hop    2:55
9    The Slim Gaillard Trio–    Cement Mixer    2:19
10    The Slim Gaillard Trio–    Fried Chicken O'Routee    3:04
Slim Gaillard And Bam Brown    Opera In Vout (Groove Juice Symphony)    
11    –    Introduzione - Pianissimo    2:38
12    –    Recitativo E Finale    2:17
13    –    Andante Contabile In Modo De Blues    3:14
14    –    Presto Con Stomp    3:35
15    Slim Gaillard–    Chicken Rhythm 3:14
Speech [Introduction] – Bob Hope
16    Slim Gaillard Quartette–    Jam Man    2:34
17    Slim Gaillard Quartette–    I Don't Know Why    2:22
18    Slim Gaillard–    The Jam Man    3:02
19    Slim Gaillard–    Slim's Riff    1:53
20    Slim Gaillard–    I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)    3:10
21    Slim Gaillard–    Oxydol Highball    2:24
Credits :    
Bass – Bam Brown
Clarinet – Marshall Royal (tracks: 5 to 8)
Drums – Oscar Bradley (tracks: 18 to 21), Scatman Crothers (tracks: 16, 17), Slim Gaillard (tracks: 11 to 14), Zutty Singleton (tracks: 1 to 8)
Drums, Vocals – Leo Watson (tracks: 9, 10, 15)
Guitar – Slim Gaillard (tracks: 1 to 20)
Piano – Bill Early (tracks: 16, 17), Dodo Marmarosa (tracks: 5 to 8), Slim Gaillard (tracks: 10 to 14, 21), Wini Beatty (tracks: 1 to 4)
Piano [possibly] – Dodo Marmarosa (tracks: 18 to 21)
Speech [Introduction] – Bob Hope (tracks: 15)
Tenor Saxophone – Lucky Thompson (tracks: 5 to 8)
Trumpet – Howard McGhee (tracks: 5 to 8)
Vibraphone – Slim Gaillard (tracks: 1 to 4)
Vocals – Slim Gaillard (tracks: 1, 3 to 5, 7 to 18, 20, 21), Bam Brown (tracks: 5, 7 to 18, 20, 21), Wini Beatty (tracks: 1, 2)

SLIM GAILLARD – 1947-1951 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1221 (2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Multi-instrumentalist and gloriously irrational vocalist Slim Gaillard marked 1947 as his last year of steady activity on the West Coast. Popular with the public but rather notorious among record company executives and nosy narks, Gaillard managed to squeeze out a series of records for MGM before relocating to New York City where three more titles apparently fulfilled his contractual obligations with that company in 1949. Gaillard also landed a small piece of work with Mercury in March 1951 and even managed to line up a session with Norman Granz for the Clef label two months later. The first 13 tracks on this peculiar compilation represent the Slim Gaillard/Bam Brown L.A. hipster novelty routine taken to its inevitable extreme. On one session someone named Jim Hawthorne even barks like a dog ("Serenade to a Poodle") and keeps up an irritating refrain of "Hoo-hoo-hoo-Hogan!" ("The Hogan Song"). Discographical rumors persist that the pianist on October 1, 1947, might have been Dodo Marmarosa, but this is almost certainly not the case. The session that took place on December 22, 1947, yielded a surprisingly palatable version of "Down by the Station" and "Communications," a very hip paean to various 20th century modes of keeping in touch. With "Puerto Vootie," Gaillard continued his ongoing tendency to tap into Caribbean and Latin American traditions as fuel for his seemingly endless slaphappy shenanigans. "Money, Money, Money" is one of the best "Cuban" numbers Gaillard ever recorded. The 1949 MGM session brought in bongos, congas, and a very gutsy tenor sax to fortify the old vaudeville standby "When Banana Skins Are Falling." This group dishes out a fiery Cubano bop ritual in "Bongo Cito" and tears up with the brisk "Organ-Oreenie," a vehicle for Gaillard's maniacal manhandling of the electric organ. The Mercury date, with the band billed as Slim Gaillard's Peruvians, had the very versatile Dick Hyman at the piano and bassist Ernie Shepard, fated to become an important ingredient in the Duke Ellington ensemble. "Genius," a previously unissued third title from this obscure date, has a lot more going on in it than the discography discloses, with trombone, saxophone, vibraphone, and tap dancing all clearly audible over the organ and "vout"-infested vocals. On May 25th, Slim Gaillard & His Internationally Famous Orchestra were in the recording studio, singing "Oh, Lady Be Good" in well-rehearsed harmony and diving back into the Gulf of Mexico with "Sabroso," "Babalu," and "Yo Yo Yo." The real gem in this ensemble was none other than Count Basie's star tenor saxophonist, Buddy Tate. Anyone searching for songs inspired by the trials and tribulations of a unionized musician should check out the previously unreleased "Federation Blues," peppered with pointed references to James C. Petrillo and his American Federation of Musicians. Small wonder Granz decided not to issue this one. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist :
1    Slim Gaillard And His Trio–    Boip! Boip!    2:50
2    Slim Gaillard And His Trio–    The Bartender's Just Like A Mother    2:49
3    Slim Gaillard And His Trio–    Arabian Boogie    2:47
4    Slim Gaillard And His Trio–    Tip Light    2:51
5    Slim Gaillard And His Trio–    Momma's In The Kitchen    2:38
6    Slim Gaillard And His Trio–    A Ghost Of A Chance With You    3:02
7    Slim Gaillard And His Trio–    Little Red Riding Woods    2:55
8    Slim Gaillard And His Trio–    Puerto Vootie    2:37
9    Slim Gaillard And His Trio–    Money, Money, Money    2:45
10    Slim Gaillard And His Trio–    The Hogan Song    2:35
11    Slim Gaillard And His Trio–    Serenade To A Poodle    2:16
12    Slim Gaillard And His Trio–    Down By The Station    2:20
13    Slim Gaillard And His Trio–    Communications    2:27
14    Slim Gaillard Sextet–    When Banana Skins Are Falling    2:49
15    Slim Gaillard Sextet–    Bongo Cito    2:43
16    Slim Gaillard Sextet–    Organ-Oreenie    2:40
17    Slim Gaillard And His Peruvians–    Laughing In Rhythm    2:57
18    Slim Gaillard And His Peruvians–    Soony-Roony    2:04
19    Slim Gaillard And His Peruvians–    Genius (Ride, Slim, Ride)    2:49
20    Slim Gaillard And His Internationally Famous Orchestra–    Oh, Lady Be Good    2:30
21    Slim Gaillard And His Internationally Famous Orchestra–    Sabroso    2:30
22    Slim Gaillard And His Internationally Famous Orchestra–    Babalu    3:36
23    Slim Gaillard And His Internationally Famous Orchestra–    Yo Yo Yo    2:46
24    Slim Gaillard And His Internationally Famous Orchestra–    Federation Blues    3:40
Credits :    
Bass – Clyde Lombardi (tracks: 20 to 24)
Bass Guitar – Slim Gaillard (tracks: 14 to 16)
Bass, Vocals – Ernie Shepherd (tracks: 17 to 19), Bam Brown (tracks: 1 to 13)
Bongos – Pepe Benque (tracks: 17 to 24)
Congas, Percussion – Armando Peraza (tracks: 14 to 16)
Drums – Charlie Smith (tracks: 20 to 24), Herbie Lovelle (tracks: 17 to 19), Bam Brown (tracks: 5 to 8, 12, 13)
Guitar – Slim Gaillard (tracks: 1 to 13, 17 to 24)
Organ – Slim Gaillard (tracks: 16)
Piano – Cyril Haynes (tracks: 14 to 16), Dick Hyman (tracks: 17 to 19), Maceo Williams (tracks: 20 to 24), Slim Gaillard (tracks: 1 to 4, 9 to 11)
Piano [probably] – Dodo Marmarosa (tracks: 5 to 8)
Speech [barks] – Jim Hawthorne (tracks: 11)
Tenor Saxophone – Buddy Tate (tracks: 20 to 24)
Vocals – Slim Gaillard