TRIXIE SMITH — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Volume 2 (1925-1939) DOCD-5333 (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Trixie Smith was a fine vaudeville-style singer who could also do a powerful job on the blues when called for. The second of two Document CDs that contain all of her recordings starts out with 13 selections from 1925. Smith is joined by her "Down Home Syncopators" (actually the Original Memphis Five) on the first two songs, "Everybody Loves My Baby" and "How Come You Do Me Like You Do." She is heard on two sets in which she is joined by a quintet that includes trombonist Charlie Green, clarinetist Buster Bailey and most notably Louis Armstrong, and is featured later in the year with several top Fletcher Henderson sidemen. On these dates, the more memorable selections include the masochistic "You've Got to Beat Me to Keep Me," "He Likes It Slow" and her classic train song "Railroad Blues." There are also two takes of "Messin' Around" from 1926 in which Trixie is heard as part of Jimmy Blythe's Ragamuffins, a band including clarinetist Johnny Dodds and the legendary cornetist Freddie Keppard. The final eight selections on this 23-cut CD are taken from Smith's May 26, 1938 session, with one number, "No Good Man," dating from the following year and finding her assisted by a band that includes trumpeter Henry "Red" Allen and clarinetist Barney Bigard. The 1938 set matches Trixie with the fiery young trumpeter Charlie Shavers, a restrained Sidney Bechet on soprano, and a four-piece rhythm section. Although she had not recorded in a dozen years, Trixie Smith is in prime form on such numbers as "Freight Train Blues," two versions of "My Daddy Rocks Me" and "He May Be Your Man (But He Comes to See Me Sometime)." Apparently an alcohol problem shortened both Smith's career and life, but one does not hear any decline during these excellent performances. Highly recommended, while the less essential Vol. 1 is worth picking up too. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Trixie's Down Home Syncopators – Everybody Loves My Baby (Take 6) 2:49
2    Trixie's Down Home Syncopators – How Come You Do Me Like You Do (Take 6) 3:00
3    Trixie Smith, Acc. Her Down Home Syncopators – You've Got To Beat Me To Keep Me    3:02
4    Trixie Smith, Acc. Her Down Home Syncopators –    Mining Camp Blues (Take 1) 3:00
5    Trixie Smith, Acc. Her Down Home Syncopators –    Mining Camp Blues (Take 2) 2:53
6    Trixie Smith, Acc. Her Down Home Syncopators –    The World's Jazz Crazy And So Am I (Take 1)    3:00
7    Trixie Smith, Acc. Her Down Home Syncopators –    The World's Jazz Crazy And So Am I (Take 2)    3:00
8    Trixie Smith, Acc. Her Down Home Syncopators –    Railroad Blues (Take 1)    2:56
9    Trixie Smith, Acc. Her Down Home Syncopators –    Railroad Blues (Take 2)    2:52
10    Trixie Smith–    Everybody's Doing That Charleston Now (Take 1) 3:07
Orchestra – Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra
11    Trixie Smith–    He Likes It Slow (Take 2) 2:51
Orchestra – Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra
12    Trixie Smith–    Black Bottom Hop 2:52
Orchestra – Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra
13    Trixie Smith–    Love Me Like You Used To Do 2:47
Orchestra – Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra
14    Jimmy Blythe And His Ragamuffins–    Messin' Around (Take 1)    2:55
15    Jimmy Blythe And His Ragamuffins–    Messin' Around (Take 2)    2:51
16    Trixie Smith–    Freight Train Blues    3:13
17    Trixie Smith–    Trixie Blues    3:09
18    Trixie Smith–    My Daddy Rocks Me    2:50
19    Trixie Smith–    My Daddy Rocks Me No. 2    2:47
20    Trixie Smith–    He May Be Your Man (But He Comes To See Me Sometime)    2:40
21    Trixie Smith–    Jack I'm Mellow    2:39
22    Trixie Smith–    My Unusual Man    2:43
23    Trixie Smith–    No Good Man    2:46
Credits :
Banjo – Charlie Dixon (tracks: 3 to 13)
Bass – Richard Fullbright (tracks: 16 to 22), Unknown Artist (tracks: 23)
Brass Bass – Ralph Escudero (tracks: 10 to 13)
Clarinet – Barney Bigard (tracks: 23), Buster Bailey (tracks: 3 to 13)
Clarinet [Prob.] – Jimmy Lytell (tracks: 1, 2)
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Johnny Dodds (tracks: 14, 15)
Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone – Sidney Bechet (tracks: 16 to 22)
Cornet – Freddie Keppard (tracks: 14, 15), Joe Smith (tracks: 10 to 13), Louis Armstrong (tracks: 3 to 9)
Drums – O'Neill Spencer (tracks: 16 to 22)
Drums [Prob.] – Jack Roth (tracks: 1, 2), Sidney Catlett (tracks: 23)
Guitar – Teddy Bunn (tracks: 16 to 22), Unknown Artist (tracks: 23)
Percussion [Tapping] – Unknown Artist (tracks: 11)
Piano – Fletcher Henderson (tracks: 3 to 13), Jimmy Blythe (tracks: 14, 15), Sammy Price (tracks: 16 to 22), Unknown Artist (tracks: 23)
Piano [Prob.] – Frank Signorelli (tracks: 1, 2)
Trombone – Charlie Green (tracks: 3 to 13), Miff Mole (tracks: 1, 2)
Trombone [Poss.] – Roy Palmer (tracks: 14, 15)
Trumpet – Charlie Shavers (tracks: 16 to 22)
Trumpet [Prob.] – Henry "Red" Allen (tracks: 23), Phil Napoleon (tracks: 1, 2)
Vocals – Trixie Smith
Wood Block – Jasper Taylor (tracks: 14, 15)

LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND HIS HOT FIVE – 1925-1926 | The Classics Chronological Series – 600 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

If one CD compilation could represent a body of work that defined the art of jazz during the mid-'20s, this might be it: cornetist Louis Armstrong's first recordings as leader of his own band, beginning in November of 1925 and covering almost exactly one year of vigorously creative activity as the OKeh record label's hottest act. In addition to Lil Hardin's skills as composer, pianist, arranger, and professional advisor, Armstrong was fortunate to have in his little group rock-solid trombonist Kid Ory and clarinetist Johnny Dodds, who can be heard playing alto sax on "Come Back Sweet Papa" and "Don't Forget to Mess Around." Last but not least, Johnny St. Cyr's banjo served as the rhythmic and tonal backbone of the Hot Five. Some of these records -- "Cornet Chop Suey," "Muskrat Ramble," "Heebie Jeebies," and "Yes! I'm in the Barrel" -- became archetypal blueprints for jazz performance. Each track is packed with pleasant surprises. "Gut Bucket Blues," named in honor of a diet of entrails dictated by poverty, was one of Armstrong's very first recordings to be punctuated with friendly, vocal outbursts. Inspired by a popular dance step, "Georgia Bo Bo" was composed by Thomas "Fats" Waller. Lil Hardin's "King of the Zulus" is a masterpiece of comically enhanced jazz, topped only by a cover version waxed a few months later by Thomas Morris and the New Orleans Blue Five. The vaudeville aspect of Louis Armstrong is well represented here, particularly when he is joined by punky-voiced Lil Hardin on "Georgia Grind." May Alix, typical of music hall singers of her day, uses a shrill vibrato to serenade her "Big Butter and Egg Man." The effect, especially when tempered by a humorous vocal from the cornet player, is marvelously old-fashioned. Also included are four Vocalion sides from May of 1926 by the Hot Five -- billed as Lil's Hot Shots -- and two featuring Armstrong with Erskine Tate's Vendome Orchestra. Tate's high-stepping group only managed to record four titles, two in 1923 with Freddie Keppard and the two sizzling stomps issued here. With master percussionist Jimmy Bertrand hitting the cymbals with all his might, the two frantic Tate sides contrast wonderfully with the more compact, intimate sound of Louis Armstrong's Hot Five. arwulf arwulf    Tracklist + Credits :

LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND HIS HOT FIVE AND HOT SEVEN – 1926-1927 | The Classics Chronological Series – 585 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Louis Armstrong's Hot Five was the most influential jazz band of the mid-'20s. The first volume of Armstrong's complete works reissued by Classics followed this group's trail of recordings from November of 1925 through those made almost exactly one year later. Opening this second volume of vintage Armstrong, the Hot Five's last three records of 1926 are peppered with hot vocals intended to entertain and amuse. May Alix shouts the lyrics to "Sunset Cafe Stomp" and Armstrong puts across an interesting tune referencing two downtrodden ethnic groups, Irish and Afro-American. "You Made Me Love You" is not the venerable vaudeville number recorded by Al Jolson in 1913, but a punchy Armstrong original similar to the quaint syncopated love songs he had cooked up with Lil Hardin when they were still working for King Oliver. In May 1927 Armstrong expanded his ensemble for the first time to become the Hot Seven. The addition of Pete Briggs on tuba and Baby Dodds at the drums resulted in a full-bodied sound that made "Willie the Weeper" and "Potato Head Blues" so remarkably and enduringly potent. Armstrong's version of Fats Waller's "Alligator Crawl" is a miracle of perfect timing and immaculate ease. If Lil Hardin Armstrong's references to domestic violence seem a bit reckless during "That's When I'll Come Back to You," listeners should be advised that Afro-American music has always caused consternation by openly referring to topics usually swept under the rug. During the autumn and winter of 1927 Armstrong scaled his band back to five pieces, revisiting Kid Ory's 1922 novelty rag "Ory's Creole Trombone," adding a sixth player in guitarist Lonnie Johnson on "I'm Not Rough," and introducing to the world one of Lil Hardin Armstrong's all-time greatest compositions, "Struttin' with Some Barbecue." arwulf arwulf  Tracklist :

KING OLIVER AND HIS CREOLE JAZZ BAND – 1923 | The Chronogical Classics – 650 (1992) FLAC (tracks), lossless

There are more than a handful of undiluted jazz records that predate King Oliver's sessions of 1923, but few had managed to put it together in a recording studio quite so powerfully or, as it turned out, so very influentially. These primordial artifacts, now digitally remastered and chronologically assembled, form a substantial chunk of the bedrock of early recorded jazz. They're also remarkably liberating if, for just a few minutes, you make yourself into a fly on the wall of the Gennett studios. Note that young Louis Armstrong had to pretty well stand outside of the room so that he wouldn't overpower the rest of the players. Johnny Dodds interacted wonderfully with the brass, weaving wreaths of wooded filigree around the exhortations of Honore Dutrey's deep-voiced trombone. Lil Hardin, when you can hear her, is quite the majestic pianist, especially on "Chimes Blues." Baby Dodds couldn't use a full set of drums, as Gennett's Neolithic microphones couldn't handle anything beyond wood block or muffled snare and a small cymbal. Most previous issues of the 1923 Oliver Gennetts didn't include the OKeh sessions from June of that same year. These help to fill out the rest of the picture. The general recording ambience is less muddled, the clarinet seems to have been given greater opportunities for expressing itself in the lower register, and Lil's piano is more audible. Hardin and Armstrong's collaborative "Where Did You Stay Last Night?" sounds like a clear premonition of what Armstrong's Hot Five would be accomplishing by 1925. For years, jazz critics and historians have whined about the presence of Stump Evans, who blew C-melody saxophone on the session of October 5, 1923. As if being nicknamed "Stump" wasn't demeaning enough, Evans has been posthumously reviled for not sounding like Coleman Hawkins, although in 1923 young Hawk was hardly more facile than Stump, who sounds just fine on "Krooked Blues," slap tongue and all. Everything here bears repeated listening. Savor the wonderment of experiencing most of the best recordings King Oliver managed to make before pyorrhea forced him off the scene. Hearing those two cornets flying around the room together is an essential part of any classic jazz appreciation. A special treat lies within the melodic structure of "Camp Meeting Blues," which is clearly recognizable as the basis for Duke Ellington's "Creole Love Call." The inclusion of this and three other Columbia sides makes Classics 650 the ultimate early King Oliver survey, second to none. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist + Credits :

KING OLIVER's JAZZ BAND – 1923-1926 | The Chronogical Classics – 639 (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

We'd like to introduce the last 11 sides that Louis Armstrong made with Joe Oliver's Jazz Band. After listening through three or four of these, you'll have a pretty good idea why this group generated so much excitement in its heyday. Already the ensemble has begun to morph. Papa Charlie Jackson's bass saxophone adds an extra level of funk to "Buddy's Habit," a thrilling stomp gone slightly weird when Louis takes an entire chorus using a slippery "swanee whistle." Jackson played a worthy tuba but his bass sax was all prostate and peritoneum. This was a hot band and these are among the best records they ever managed to conjure. Two cornets harmonize in striking tandem during the breaks. Honore Dutrey's trombone is the perfect counterweight for Johnny Dodds' clarinet. We're experiencing authentic collective improvisation, eight people sharing one microphone. Each of these numbers will charm you if you give the music a chance. Go ahead. Spend more than a half-hour with this amazing band. Suddenly the chapter ends and we've entered a completely different phase of Oliver's life. The group has dissolved after a dispute over pay. Louis lingered longer than the rest but by December of 1924 he's off plowing his own turf. A full year has passed since the band's final session as a unit. King Oliver is heard in duet performance with Jelly Roll Morton, working up a gutsy "King Porter Stomp" and a "Tom Cat" which soon reveals itself as Morton's "Winin' Boy." Now we're wading into the year 1926. Oliver has put his name in front of a band, which is essentially Luis Russell & His Burning Eight. Suddenly there are a lot more reed players than have ever been heard on any of King Oliver's records. There's Albert Nicholas, Barney Bigard and an alto player from Detroit named Billy Paige. He wrote the arrangements for "Too Bad" and "Snag It." Vocals are by the venerably funky Richard M. Jones, the soulful Teddy Peters, the salty Georgia Taylor and the chronically blue Irene Scruggs. Albert Nicholas plays a mean soprano sax on "Home Town Blues." "Deep Henderson" kicks and shakes. "Jackass Blues" is a masterpiece of distorted reality. Gone is the precision of the Creole Jazz Band. The Dixie Syncopators blow hard and swing loose. "Sugar Foot Stomp" is a screamer. Conventional criticism is full of complaints about this band. Why compare it with the smaller, more disciplined ensembles of 1923? These big bumbling bands of 1926 are about feeling good. The records don't exist to authenticate some expert's theories of refined excellence. If Barney Bigard wants to slap his tongue against the reed and Stump Evans tries his luck with a soprano saxophone, well, good for them. It's all about having a good time. And this is good time music. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist + Credits :

KING OLIVER AND HIS DIXIE SYNCOPATORS – 1926-1928 | The Chronogical Classics – 618 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

It's the middle of September, just past the middle of the 1920s, and Bert Cobb is playing an entire chorus of "Someday, Sweetheart" on his tuba without adding any embellishments whatsoever. Barney Bigard moans through a saxophone, and Johnny Dodds pours the rest of it right out the bottom of his clarinet. Meet the Dixie Syncopators. King Oliver has surrounded himself with about ten musicians who tease, squeeze and wheeze their way through harmless pop songs and authentic jazz tunes without apologizing or going out of their way to prove themselves any better than they need to be to make it through to the end of the year 1926. Kid Ory sounds like Kid Ory and that sounds awfully good. Every tub on its own bottom, like the fellows said. The time line is peppered with exciting changes. By April of 1927, Lawson Buford has captured the tuba. Omer Simeon is in the reed section with Barney Bigard, who is still wielding a dangerous tenor sax. Joe Oliver sounds great most of the time, and his band should be appreciated on its own ground. Comparing it with Duke Ellington's orchestra is a pointless procedure. Ellington was different from this, although both Ellington and Bubber Miley listened carefully to King Oliver. These Dixie Syncopators occupy their own plateau in eternity, and we are free to visit them at will. There are no washouts. Even the drudge-nudge of "Black Snake Blues" is marvelous theater. "Farewell Blues" is gorgeous. Any inquisitive person could learn a lot just by following the stories of all the people who sat in with King Oliver during these years. The reed players! The trombonists! And yes, without a doubt, get a load of those tuba technicians. This is a fascinating period to listen back on, as banjos and tubas were often considered mutually essential equipment. Compare the puffing of Cyrus St. Clair with the huffing of Bass Moore. The session of August 13, 1928 gives us the option of enjoying instrumentals or really nice vaudeville vocals. At least they seem nice enough until you hear the line: "hang the dog and shoot the cat." Gosh, maybe the instrumental version is better after all. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist + Credits :

JELLY-ROLL MORTON – 1926-1928 | The Chronogical Classics – 612 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

While Louis Armstrong was cutting some of jazz's bedrock material, fellow New Orleans native and pianist Jelly Roll Morton was making equally fine, yet long overshadowed, recordings with his Red Hot Peppers combo. And it's his 1926-1927 sides for Victor, cut during a handful of sessions in New York, that form the pinnacle of his '20s heyday. This Classics disc, one of several of the label's chronological Morton titles, includes a good share of those standout tracks, but unfortunately excludes several essential numbers like "Sidewalk Blues," "Black Bottom Stomp," and "Grandpa's Spells" (Classics' earlier 1924-1926 release picks up the slack). While completist Morton fans will no doubt be drawn to this series, curious listeners in search of a well-balanced introduction should check out JSP's superior-sounding Vol. 1 collection. Stephen Cook
Tracklist + Credits :

JOHNNY DODDS – 1926 | The Chronogical Classics – 589 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Dodds was one of the very finest New Orleans clarinetists, and the only non-Creole among them. The peak experiences here, and some of the finest small-group recordings ever made, are the New Orleans Wanderers sessions -- Armstrong's Hot Five with George Mitchell instead of Armstrong. Also present are Freddie Keppard's only two recordings and a bunch of marginally lesser cuts that Dodds transmutes into gold. John Storm Roberts
Tracklist + Credits :

JOHNNY DODDS – 1927 | The Chronogical Classics – 603 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

For those who wish to develop a strong relationship with early jazz, there are certain records that may help the listener to cultivate an inner understanding, the kind of vital personal connection that reams of critical description can only hint at. Once you become accustomed to the sound of Johnny Dodds' clarinet, for example, the old-fashioned funkiness of South Side Chicago jazz from the 1920s might well become an essential element in your personal musical universe. Put everything post-modern aside for a few minutes and surrender to these remarkable historic recordings. It is January 1927, and the band, fortified with Freddie Keppard and Tiny Parham, is calling itself Jasper Taylor & His State Street Boys. The exacting chronology works well here as we are given detailed access to the records made by Dodds and a closely knit circle of musicians during the month of April 1927. Three duets with pianist Parham lie at the heart of Dodds' recorded legacy. Four trio sides feature Lil Armstrong at the piano and some very expressive guitar playing by Bud Scott. "The New St. Louis Blues" is particularly impressive, in fact downright hypnotizing. Scott sounds a lot like Bobby Leecan as he strums and strikes the strings with great deliberation. Speaking of Louis Armstrong, get a load of how he cooks and swings through four incredible stomps with Jimmy Bertrand's Washboard Wizards. Bertrand himself was a lively character, Jimmy Blythe was one of the best pianists in town at the time, and by 1927, Louis was well on his way to becoming the most influential -- and painstakingly imitated -- jazz musician of his generation. The sheer vitality of these records is incredible. Each performance is a delight, and Fats Waller fans will enjoy the Wizards' spunky interpretation of Waller's "I'm Goin' Huntin'." The very next day, Johnny Dodds' Black Bottom Stompers made four records in a Crescent City groove. "Weary Blues" positively percolates, and a perusal of the personnel is illuminating. Cornetist Louis Armstrong, trombonist Roy Palmer and clarinetist Johnny Dodds are joined by Barney Bigard, who boots away on a tenor saxophone. 1927 was the year that Bigard joined Duke Ellington & His Orchestra, there to distinguish himself by playing the clarinet like nobody else before or since. How interesting to hear him laying down basslines and occasionally soloing with a big sweaty sax. The presence of Bud Scott, Earl Hines at the piano and Warren "Baby" Dodds behind the drums rounds out one of the most intriguing ensembles in the entire Johnny Dodds discography. The remaining eight sides, variously attributed to the State Street Ramblers, the Dixie-Land Thumpers and to Jimmy Blythe & His Owls, are scruffy stomps with washboard percussion by Baby Dodds, elegant piano from Jimmy Blythe, and the chattering cornet of Natty Dominique. These are among the best records that Johnny Dodds ever made, and the producers of the Classics Chronological Series are to be commended for having released them in this outstanding package. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist + Credits : 

JOHNNY DODDS – 1927-1928 | The Chronogical Classics – 617 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Cut around the time Dodds was wrapping up his association with Louis Armstrong's Hot Fives and Sevens, this Classics disc finds the venerable New Orleans clarinetist mixing it up nice and rambunctious with his Chicago Footwarmers. Along with brother Baby Dodds on washboard and vocals, the quartet featured a revolving cast that included cornet player Natty Dominque, trumpeter George Mitchell, trombonists Kid Ory and Honore Dutrey, pianist Jimmy Blythe, and bassist Bill Johnson. Their sound was ragged and irrepressible, with enough in the way of top-notch solo work by Dodds and Ory to keep things truly exciting. And while these sides don't match the quality of Dodds' earlier recordings with his New Orleans Footwarmers and Bootblacks, they still qualify as some of the best work of his career. After checking out Classics' stellar 1926 disc of No Foot and Boot sides, don't forget to give these tight gems a whirl. Stephen Cook
Tracklist + Credits :

JOHNNY DODDS – 1928-1940 | The Chronogical Classics – 635 (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

By 1928 and '29 jazz was beginning to mature and recording technology was growing up along with it. Even taking into account his remarkable accomplishments on phonograph records from 1923 through early 1928, the exciting material gathered together on this disc represents -- without question -- some of the very best jazz ever recorded by New Orleans/Chicago clarinet archetype Johnny Dodds. On the first 11 selections, Natty Dominique blows one tough little cornet, and Bill Johnson's bull fiddle comes across more clearly and dramatically than ever before. Throughout the 1920s, many bands relied on the tuba to provide the bassline on their recordings. Bolstered by the Victor Record company's superior equipment, Johnson's pulsing, visceral viol carries everyone along on a tonal current of unforgettable intensity. Anybody interested in trombonist Honore Dutrey should listen closely as this has got to be some of his best work on record. There's nothing quite like hearing Baby Dodds using the washboard as a neat, precise percussion tool. All the same it's refreshing when he switches to the drum kit and Lil Hardin Armstrong presides at the ivories. "Heah Me Talkin'" is a triumph, "Goober Dance" is pleasantly weird, and "Indigo Stomp" a wonderful ritual for piano, clarinet and bass fiddle. At that same session Johnny's group backed blueswoman Sippie Wallace on one song. This would be the only time Sippie and Johnny would collaborate in the studio. "I'm a Mighty Tight Woman" is a remarkable document, one of the strongest performances that this singer ever put across. The Paramount Pickers and Beale Street Washboard Band sessions are a delight, the sort of music you can go back and revisit regularly. The crowning glory of this collection is the inclusion of eight Decca recordings from 1938 and '40 that constitute the phonographic last will and testament of Johnny Dodds. Hearing his noble clarinet resounding in the same company as Charlie Shavers, John Kirby, Lonnie Johnson, Teddy Bunn, and the mighty Richard M. Jones brings out all of the best qualities in each musician. With O'Neill Spencer singing, drumming and rubbing on a washboard, we're faced with fully half of the John Kirby Sextet, a decidedly modern contingent mingling perfectly with players whose experience reached back towards the very beginnings of recorded jazz. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist + Credits :

LOVIE AUSTIN – 1924-1926 | The Classics Chronological Series – 756 (1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Cora Calhoun was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee on September 19, 1887. After years of active service as a touring vaudeville pianist, she put together a studio band called the Blues Serenaders. Professionally known as Lovie Austin, she was in her late thirties when these recordings were made. Anyone who has ever fished around trying to find Austin's music will appreciate the opportunity to soak up all 14 of the instrumental sides cut for the Paramount label under her leadership, in addition to 11 vocals backed by the pianist and various members of her band. Accompanying blues singers was Lovie's specialty, the most famous examples being her collaborations with Gertrude "Ma" Rainey and Ida Cox. The muddy sound of early Paramount recordings is nothing to be afraid of. Once you get acclimated the crusty boxed-in acoustics have a charm all their own. Listen to Edmonia Henderson as she belts out the lyrics to "Jelly Roll Blues" accompanied by Austin, Tommy Ladnier and Johnny Dodds. This trio backs the vaudeville team of Ford and Ford, giving us a taste of what Austin's regular theatrical working environment must have sounded like. Yet these vocal tracks seem like pre-show entertainment when compared with "Steppin' on the Blues" and its flip side "Traveling Blues," a catchy stomp closely resembling the "Weary Blues" by ragtime composer Artie Matthews. Clarinetist Jimmy O'Bryant sounds great in this company -- in fact this is some of his best work on record. When W.E. Burton's percussion is added on the next session, it is clear why early recording engineers were reluctant to allow drummers to play anything more disruptive than a woodblock in front of those old carbon microphones. Burton, also an accomplished washboard artist, hammers away during two numbers exploiting the popularity of James P. Johnson's "Charleston" with snappy vocals by Priscilla Stewart. "Heebie Jeebies" sounds like "Some of These Days" while "Peepin' Blues" has a little bit of "King of the Zulus" about it. With "Mojo Blues" we're already at the tail end of Ladnier's recorded work with Austin. "Don't Shake It No More" sounds like "Ballin' the Jack," "Rampart Street Blues" has a bit of a West Indian chorus and "Too Sweet For Words" sounds like one of Jelly Roll Morton's prettier ditties. With the amazing "Jackass Blues" and "Frog Tongue Stomp" we're faced with a solid front line of Kid Ory, Natty Dominique and Johnny Dodds. "Frog Tongue" contains a fine example of Lovie's ragtime piano. Of the six blues vocals from 1926, "Walk Easy 'Cause My Papa's Here" is the most substantial. The interplay between Natty Dominique and Kid Ory during the closing instrumentals is complimented by the presence of Johnny Dodds and banjo man Eustern Woodfork. After this magnificent history lesson, you'll want to hear Lovie Austin's Blues Serenaders accompanying Alberta Hunter on an album recorded in 1961, part of Riverside's remarkable series Chicago: The Living Legends That slogan seems particularly pertinent to the life and work of Lovie Austin. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist :
1    Edmonia Henderson–    Jelly Roll Blues 3:05
Clarinet – Johnny Dodds
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Edmonia Henderson
Written-By – Morton
2    Ford And Ford–    Skeeg-A-Lee Blues 2:53
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Ford And Ford
Written-By – Ford-Ford
3    Ford And Ford–    I'm Three Times Seven 3:01
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Ford And Ford
Written-By – Douglas
4    Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders–    Steppin' On The Blues
Clarinet – Jimmy O'Bryant
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano – Lovie Austin
Written-By – O'Bryant, Austin, Ladnier
5    Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders–    Traveling Blues 2:35
Clarinet – Jimmy O'Bryant
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Piano – Lovie Austin
Written-By – Austin
6    Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders–    Charleston Mad 2:33
Clarinet – Jimmy O'Bryant
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Drums – W.E. Burton
Piano – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Priscilla Stewart
Written-By – Austin
7    Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders–    Charleston, South Carolina 2:49
Clarinet – Jimmy O'Bryant
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Drums – W.E. Burton
Piano – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Priscilla Stewart
Written-By – Mack, Johnson
8    Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders–    Heebie Jeebies 2:48
Clarinet – Jimmy O'Bryant
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Drums – W.E. Burton
Piano – Lovie Austin
Written-By – Ladnier
9    Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders–    Peepin' Blues 3:04
Clarinet – Jimmy O'Bryant
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Drums – W.E. Burton
Piano – Lovie Austin
Written-By – Austin
10    Lovie Austin And Her Blues Serenaders–    Mojo Blues 2:45
Clarinet – Jimmy O'Bryant
Cornet – Tommy Ladnier
Drums – W.E. Burton
Piano – Lovie Austin
Written-By – Ladnier
11    Lovie Austin And Her Serenaders–    Don't Shake It No More 2:33
Clarinet – Jimmy O'Bryant
Cornet – Bob Shoffner
Drums – W.E. Burton
Piano – Lovie Austin
Written-By – Dorsey
12    Lovie Austin And Her Serenaders–    Rampart Street Blues 2:50
Clarinet – Jimmy O'Bryant
Cornet – Bob Shoffner
Drums – W.E. Burton
Piano – Lovie Austin
Written-By – Austin
13    Lovie Austin And Her Serenaders–    Too Sweet For Words 2:42
Clarinet – Jimmy O'Bryant
Cornet – Bob Shoffner
Drums – W.E. Burton
Piano – Lovie Austin
Written-By – Shelton
14    Lovie Austin And Her Serenaders–    Jackass Blues 2:54
Clarinet – Johnny Dodds
Cornet – Natty Dominique
Drums – W.E. Burton
Piano – Lovie Austin
Trombone – Kid Ory
Written-By – Kassel, Stitzel
15    Lovie Austin And Her Serenaders–    Frog Tongue Blues 2:31
Clarinet – Johnny Dodds
Cornet – Natty Dominique
Drums – W.E. Burton
Piano – Lovie Austin
Trombone – Kid Ory
Written-By – Austin
16    Edmonia Henderson–    Who's Gonna Do Your Loving (When Your Good Man's Gone Away?) 2:54
Clarinet – Johnny Dodds
Piano – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Edmonia Henderson
Written-By – Austin
17    Edmonia Henderson–    Nobody Else Will Do 2:43
Clarinet – Johnny Dodds
Piano – Lovie Austin
Vocals – Edmonia Henderson
Written-By – Austin
18    Viola Bartlette Acc. By Lovie Austin's Serenaders–    Sunday Morning Blues 2:51
Clarinet – Johnny Dodds
Piano – Lovie Austin
Trombone – Kid Ory
Vocals – Viola Bartlette
Written-By – Austin
19    Viola Bartlette Acc. By Lovie Austin's Serenaders–    You Don't Mean Me No Good 2:41
Clarinet – Johnny Dodds
Piano – Lovie Austin
Trombone – Kid Ory
Vocals – Viola Bartlette
Written-By – Stevens
20    Viola Bartlette Acc. By Lovie Austin's Serenaders–    Out Bound Train Blues 2:57
Clarinet – Johnny Dodds
Piano – Lovie Austin
Trombone – Kid Ory
Vocals – Viola Bartlette
Written-By – Bartlette
21    Viola Bartlette Acc. By Cobb's Paramount Syncopators–    Walk Easy 'Cause My Papa's Here 2:53
Clarinet – Johnny Dodds
Cornet – Jimmy Cobb
Piano – Lovie Austin
Trombone – Unknown Artist
Vocals – Viola Bartlette
Written-By – Cobbs
22    Lovie Austin And Her Serenaders–    Chicago Mess Around 3:00
Banjo – Eustern Woodfork
Clarinet – Johnny Dodds
Cornet – Natty Dominique
Drums – W.E. Burton
Piano – Lovie Austin
Trombone – Kid Ory
Vocals – Henry Williams
Written-By – Austin
23    Lovie Austin And Her Serenaders–    Galion Stomp 3:02
Banjo – Eustern Woodfork
Clarinet – Johnny Dodds
Cornet – Natty Dominique
Drums – W.E. Burton
Piano – Lovie Austin
Trombone – Kid Ory
Written-By – Austin
24    Lovie Austin And Her Serenaders–    In The Alley Blues 2:55
Banjo – Eustern Woodfork
Clarinet – Johnny Dodds
Cornet – Natty Dominique
Drums – W.E. Burton
Piano – Lovie Austin
Trombone – Kid Ory
Written-By – Austin
25    Lovie Austin And Her Serenaders–    Merry Maker's Twine 2:54
Banjo – Eustern Woodfork
Clarinet – Johnny Dodds
Cornet – Natty Dominique
Drums – W.E. Burton
Piano – Lovie Austin
Trombone – Kid Ory
Vocals – Henry Williams
Written-By – Mack, Nelson

LOUIS ARMSTRONG & HIS HOT FIVE & HOT SEVEN - 1926-1927 {CC, 585} (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Louis Armstrong's Hot Five was the most influential jazz band of the mid-'20s. The first volume of Armstrong's complete works reissued by Classics followed this group's trail of recordings from November of 1925 through those made almost exactly one year later. Opening this second volume of vintage Armstrong, the Hot Five's last three records of 1926 are peppered with hot vocals intended to entertain and amuse. May Alix shouts the lyrics to "Sunset Cafe Stomp" and Armstrong puts across an interesting tune referencing two downtrodden ethnic groups, Irish and Afro-American. "You Made Me Love You" is not the venerable vaudeville number recorded by Al Jolson in 1913, but a punchy Armstrong original similar to the quaint syncopated love songs he had cooked up with Lil Hardin when they were still working for King Oliver. In May 1927 Armstrong expanded his ensemble for the first time to become the Hot Seven. The addition of Pete Briggs on tuba and Baby Dodds at the drums resulted in a full-bodied sound that made "Willie the Weeper" and "Potato Head Blues" so remarkably and enduringly potent. Armstrong's version of Fats Waller's "Alligator Crawl" is a miracle of perfect timing and immaculate ease. If Lil Hardin Armstrong's references to domestic violence seem a bit reckless during "That's When I'll Come Back to You," listeners should be advised that Afro-American music has always caused consternation by openly referring to topics usually swept under the rug. During the autumn and winter of 1927 Armstrong scaled his band back to five pieces, revisiting Kid Ory's 1922 novelty rag "Ory's Creole Trombone," adding a sixth player in guitarist Lonnie Johnson on "I'm Not Rough," and introducing to the world one of Lil Hardin Armstrong's all-time greatest compositions, "Struttin' with Some Barbecue." by arwulf arwulf
Tracklist :
1     Sunset Cafe Stomp 2:53
Louis Armstrong / Percy Venable
2     You Made Me Love You 2:59
Louis Armstrong / Percy Venable
3     Irish Black Bottom 2:45
Louis Armstrong / Percy Venable
4     Willie the Weeper 3:10
Marty Bloom / Walter Melrose / Grant Rymal
5     Wild Man Blues 3:17
Louis Armstrong / Jelly Roll Morton
6     Chicago Breakdown 3:27
Big Maceo Merriweather / Jelly Roll Morton
7     Alligator Crawl 3:05
Joe Davis / Andy Razaf / Fats Waller
8     Potato Head Blues 2:58
Louis Armstrong
9     Melancholy Blues 3:04
Marty Bloom / Walter Melrose / Elmer Schoebel
10     Weary Blues 3:03
Artie Matthews
11     Twelfth Street Rag 3:12
Euday L. Bowman
12     Keyhole Blues 3:31
Wesley Wilson
13     S.O.L. Blues 2:59
Louis Armstrong
14     Gully Low Blues 3:22
Louis Armstrong
15     That's When I'll Come Back to You 3:00
F. Biggs / Frank Biggs
16     Put 'Em Down Blues 3:12
E. Bennett / E.J. Bennett
17     Ory's Creole Trombone 3:06
Edwin H. Morris / Kid Ory
18     The Last Time 3:27
Bill Ewing / Sara Martin
19     Struttin' with Some Barbecue 3:04
Lil Hardin Armstrong / Louis Armstrong / Lil Hardin / Don Raye
20     Got No Blues 3:22
Lil Hardin Armstrong / Lil Hardin
21     Once in a While 3:14
William Butler
22     I'm Not Rough 2:59
Lil Hardin
23     Hotter Than That 3:01
Lil Hardin Armstrong / Lil Hardin
24     Savoy Blues 3:24
Kid Ory

 

LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND KING OLIVER'S CREOLE JAZZ BAND - Louis Armstrong & King Oliver (1992) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Louis Armstrong's tenure as second cornetist to the great King Oliver is one of jazz history's legendary apprenticeships, on par with the one Miles Davis served with Charlie Parker or Stephane Grappelli's with Django Reinhardt. Sadly, only a handful of recordings survive from this formative period in Armstrong's career. This LP features 18 of King Oliver's 1923 recordings with Armstrong, as well as a bonus appendix consisting of seven tracks recorded in 1924 by the Red Onion Jazz Babies under Armstrong's sole leadership (and featuring, on one number, a very young Alberta Hunter). The performances are as red-hot as you'd expect, and include two King Oliver and Jelly Roll Morton duets. by Rick Anderson
Tracklist:
1 Just Gone 2:41
Bill Johnson / King Oliver
2 Canal Street Blues 2:28
Louis Armstrong / King Oliver
3 Mandy Lee Blues 2:09
Marty Bloom / Walter Melrose
4 I'm Going Away to Wear You off My Mind 2:49
W. Smith
5 Chimes Blues 2:52
King Oliver
6 Weather Bird Rag 2:41
Louis Armstrong
7 Dippermouth Blues 2:25
King Oliver
8 Froggie Moore 2:59
Jelly Roll Morton
9 Snake Rag 2:57
King Oliver / Armand Piron
10 Alligator Hop 2:22
King Oliver / Armand Piron
11 Zulu's Ball 2:28
King Oliver / Alvin Robertson / Robinson
12 Working Man Blues 2:09
Lil Hardin / King Oliver
13 Krooked Blues 2:43
Bill Johnson / Dink Johnson / Benjamin Franklin Spikes / John Spikes
14 Mabel's Dream 2:47
Ike Smith
15 Mabel's Dream 2:43
Ike Smith
16 Southern Stomp 2:42
Richard M. Jones
17 Southern Stomp 2:42
Richard M. Jones
18 Riverside Blues 2:56
Tommy Dorsey / Richard M. Jones
19 Texas Moaner Blues 3:03
Fay Barnes / Clarence Williams
20 Of All the Wrongs You've Done to Me 2:49
Edgar Dowell / Lawrence Payton / Chris Smith
21 Terrible Blues 2:49
Clarence Williams
22 Santa Claus Blues 2:45
Gus Kahn / Charley Straight
23 Nobody Knows the Way I Feel This Morning 2:50
Pearl Delaney / Tom Delaney
24 Early in the Morning 2:54
William Higgins / W. Benton Overstreet
25 Cake Walking Babies from Home 3:08
Chris Smith / Henry Troy / Clarence Williams
Credits:

Banjo – Bill Johnson (tracks: 1 to 9), Buddy Christian (tracks: 19 to 22), Johnny St. Cyr (tracks: 10 to 13)

Bass Saxophone – Charlie Johnson (tracks: 14 to 18)
Clarinet – Johnny Dodds (tracks: 1 to 18)
Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone – Buster Bailey (tracks: 19 to 22)
Cornet – King Oliver, Louis Armstrong
Drums – Baby Dodds (tracks: 1 to 18)
Piano – Lil Hardin Armstrong
Producer [Reissue] – Orrin Keepnews
Saxophone – Stump Evans (tracks: 10 to 13)
Soprano Saxophone – Sidney Bechet (tracks: 23 to 25)
Trombone – Aaron Thompson (tracks: 19 to 22), Charlie Irvis (tracks: 23 to 25), Honore Dutrey (tracks: 1 to 18)
Vocals – Clarence Todd (tracks: 25), Josephine Beatty (tracks: 19 to 25)