MEZZ MEZZROW – 1944-1945 | The Chronogical Classics – 1074 (1999) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

 Mezz Mezzrow was a fascinating and driven character, very involved during the mid-'40s with dynamic elements like Integration, Socialism, Sidney Bechet, Afro-American culture in general, and most emphatically his personal religion, The Blues. Mezz always returned to this idiom, this way of thinking and playing, as if it were home. The trio session that opens this disc is composed of four variations on blues changes. "Feather's Lament," a searching sequel to "Really the Blues," trails off suddenly at the three-and-a-half-minute mark. It is obvious that Mezz was absorbed in his reverie, probably playing with his eyes closed, and lost track of the time. This is a precious little segment of the Mezzrow chronology. Intimate communication between three friends resulted in music of incredible honesty and depth, particularly at slow tempos. When they picked up steam, Mezz had a way of hammering out shrill tones with very human but also rather taxing insistence. He wheedles and whittles with his woodwind, keening like a locked-out feline as every ounce of his private emotions sincerely splatter all over the room. It's downright cathartic. Mezz probably should not be compared to other reed players. There's just no point, and it's not fair. Pee Wee Russell had a more advanced musical mind, and better chops. So what? Like Pee Wee and a number of peculiarly gifted jazz musicians, Mezz existed in his own alternative reality. He was a poet who adored his Afro-American inspirations. Mezz believed in a hip, integrated society where everybody is on the level. His musical adventures demonstrate terrific courage. Aligning himself with a formidable musician like Sidney Bechet was more than brash hubris or foolish bravado. Mezz had chutzpah and should be respectfully remembered for it. One thing about Bechet's leonine intensity and gravitational pull -- it allowed Mezz to noodle creatively without having to carry the full weight of an embellished melodic line. "House Party" is a beautiful example of a slow drag played by the Mezzrow/Bechet duo fortified with rhythm and a third horn, in this case Hot Lips Page. "Perdido Street Stomp" takes this energy out into the street. "Revolutionary Blues" follows the established pattern of a relaxed blues that heats up to a stomp for the flip side. "Blood on the Moon" is as scary as its title, with Page threatening and complaining in ways that are inseparable from the blues tradition. A whole stack of blues was concocted the next day by this same band, with vocals by an often unpleasant fellow named Pleasant Joe. There is also one vocal by Douglas Daniels, former member of the Spirits of Rhythm. "Ole Miss" demonstrates the precise discipline that Bechet could bring to any ensemble. The remaining tracks, which include a couple of reinterpretations of tunes that had been waxed earlier in the season, are about as solid as anything that this odd couple ever recorded together. arwulf arwulf  
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MEZZ MEZZROW – 1947 | The Chronogical Classics – 1095 (1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Mezz Mezzrow was a jazz musician better known for writing his exaggerated autobiography Really the Blues in 1946 than for his clarinet playing. This Classics disc highlights the year 1947 when Mezzrow was recording for his own King Jazz label. Even on up-tempo hot numbers, a hazy laid back approach was consistently maintained, which may have had something to do with Mezzrow's fondness for marijuana. However, these are highly enjoyable recordings that feature vocalist Coot Grant on six of the discs 20 tracks along with top New Orleans jazzmen including Sidney Bechet, Pops Foster, and Baby Dodds. Al Campbell
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MEZZ MEZZROW – 1947-1951 | The Chronogical Classics – 1302 (2003) FLAC (tracks), lossless

So strong was Mezz Mezzrow's passion for old-style jazz and blues that in 1945 he created his own record label -- King Jazz -- specializing in these traditions. The four tracks that open this volume of the Chronological Mezzrow series were to be the last of the King Jazz recordings. Joined by Sidney Bechet, Sammy Price, Pops Foster, and Kaiser Marshall, Mezz had once again aligned himself with players whose collective experience harked back to the dawn of recorded jazz. These selections roll at relaxed tempi. "Delta Mood" is a slow meditation, "Funky Butt" walks easy, and even "Blues of the Roaring Twenties" strolls peacefully. The discography reads like a diary in that "I'm Going Away from Here" prefaces the clarinetist's Parisian years, a period of overseas activity that would continue until his death in 1972. Mezz toured Europe in 1948. After scuffling to get by in the U.S. for a couple of years he boomeranged back to Paris, where he began recording for the Vogue label. Eight titles from October of 1951 find Mezz surrounded by Claude Luter's jazz band. While Luter's collaborations with Sidney Bechet sometimes highlight the yawning chasm between Bechet's formidable powers and the merely well-schooled proficiency of the Parisian New Orleans revivalists, the combination of Luter and Mezzrow makes sense to the ear, as if they'd been jamming together for years. "Four or Five Times" comes across like a tribute to Jimmie Noone, with the two clarinets harmonizing as they do again on "Blues As We Like 'Em." "Black and Blue" is served up solemnly and "If I Had You" unfolds sad and slow. "Jingle Bells" is full-throttle jolly Dixieland and the three remaining tracks swing steadily. "Old Fashioned Love" is a particularly grand processional. Two blowing sessions from the middle of November 1951 resulted in eight outstanding performances that rate among the best recordings either Mezzrow or old-time trumpeter Lee Collins ever participated in. Here is a golden opportunity to study the artistry of Collins. Pianist André Persiany sets up a fine "Boogie Parisien" and master drummer Zutty Singleton takes an extended solo on "The Sheik." A thoroughly enjoyable album of 20 marvelous exercises in old-fashioned entertainment. arwulf arwulf
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FLETCHER HENDERSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1923 | The Classics Chronological Series – 697 (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Coleman Hawkins once said that Fletcher Henderson's band came across better when heard live than replayed off of old records. Hawkins insisted that Henderson's recordings sounded "like cats and dogs fighting." But this was Hawkins in 1956, consistently in denial about his age and the primal nature of the early sides he'd helped to wax more than thirty years earlier. Safely removed from personal responsibility or temporal proximity to the artifacts in question, the rest of us might be able to enjoy these rickety old sides for what they are: evidence of experimentation in a new musical genre, utilizing what was at the time relatively new technology. There's no question about it: these guys probably sounded a lot looser and hotter in a nightclub than they ever could have while trapped together in the stuffy little rooms designated as recording studios. Here's where a passion for the medium itself comes in handy. Today we can get our kicks from listening to old records because the records themselves are old and we like them that way. We can also enjoy hearing what Coleman Hawkins did with tenor or even bass saxophone behind a raggedy-sounding spasm band working up no less than three versions of "Dicty Blues" with its patented "descending chimes" lick, so specific to the early 1920s. Fats Waller, in fact, used a similar device on his player piano roll, "Your Time Now," also issued in 1923. Today we can marvel at the names of those old time record labels: Ajax, Puritan, Paramount, Vocalion and Pathe Actuelle. Or those four Edison recordings from November 1923 and April 1924 (making the title of this CD a misnomer), each containing more than four minutes' worth of vintage music, offering a full extra minute of entertainment per side. Here, Henderson's group sounds less like a jazz band, closer to a society dance orchestra. It was a calculated attempt to appeal to wider (whiter?) audiences. Most jazz musicians throughout several generations have made similar moves in order to succeed. It's a fact of life, yet jazz critics have always bitched about "commercialism" while ignoring both economic necessity and artistic liberty. Regarding this particular bundle of early Fletcher Henderson performances: they all fit into a larger panorama made up of every jazz record ever made, pressed, purchased, played and heard since the very beginnings of the tradition. None of these Henderson sides are irrelevant. Don Redman is on all but two of them. Americans and people all over the world listened to them in 1923 and have been listening ever since. A French label called Classics thought enough of them to restore and reissue them on this remarkable chronological series. You should probably immerse yourself in this music. Don't be shy. It's just a parcel of dance tunes embellished with hot solos. arwulf arwulf
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FLETCHER HENDERSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1923-1924 | The Classics Chronological Series – 683 (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In 1923, 1924, and 1925, dance bands that wanted to attract attention and make enough money to survive often felt compelled to insert "Charleston" licks into their arrangements, even surrendering entire song titles to the popular trend. Fletcher Henderson's recording of "Charleston Crazy" is a perfect example of this tactic in action. Everything on this CD is charmingly dated in that way. This stuff should not be measured against all the good jazz that's been recorded since then. To pick away at these relics and complain about solos that aren't developed enough for our postmodern sensibilities is a ridiculous waste of time. Don't even bother. Much better to suspend all preconceptions of how music is supposed to sound. Either find a way to place these performances in historical context or simply forget about everything and enjoy the mysterious theater of records so old that most people don't even know they exist. Savor the thrill of being in a different reality, where the band is breathing the air of 1923 and Coleman Hawkins is just beginning to design his own role in developing the saxophone as a dignified vehicle for creative improvisation. Don Redman is also blowing reeds with this band, but hold on a minute. Exactly whose band are we talking about? During the year 1923, Fletcher Henderson didn't really have a regular working band. Holding down the piano chair in an orchestra led by Shrimp Jones, Henderson managed to make phonograph records with members of that organization, billing the studio ensemble as Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra or even Henderson's Sawin' Six, which was really an eight-piece band if you count Henderson himself. It wasn't until the beginning of 1924 that Henderson actually led his own orchestra in public performance. This means that the 1923 recordings are experimental in nature. One of the most interesting numbers is Henderson's arrangement of "Bull Blues," composed by the great cornetist and bandleader Thomas Morris. This piece begins with a pretty air that would surface years later as "What Am I Here For?" by Duke Ellington. Other noteworthy composers represented on this disc are Porter Grainger, Maceo Pinkard, and Shelton Brooks. This is delightful music, old-fashioned and slightly hackneyed, yet well on its way to eventual maturity as big-band jazz. arwulf arwulf
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FLETCHER HENDERSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1924 | The Classics Chronological Series – 673 (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Originally appearing on the Pathe Actuelle, Brunswick, Ajax, Vocalion, Emerson, Columbia, and Banner phonograph labels, Fletcher Henderson's recordings from early 1924 make for peculiarly pleasant listening. It is possible to face up to these heavily arranged dance band records from the early '20s and actually enjoy the rickety arrangements. All you need to do is shed any preconceptions of what jazz is or ever was supposed to sound like. Anatol Schenker's liner notes point out that this music was intended to accompany theatrical performances. Even without that kind of historical perspective, this stuff sounds good with no context whatsoever, provided the listener surrenders to the weirdly wonderful world of thoroughly outmoded popular music. At the very least, these are funny old records. From the standpoint of early jazz, Coleman Hawkins and Don Redman are in here slogging away on their clarinets and saxophones, treading where few had ever set foot before them. Teddy Nixon periodically asserts himself with the slide trombone, and Kaiser Marshall proves to have been a spicy, resourceful percussionist. "Ghost of the Blues" appears to have been co-composed by Sidney Bechet, and sounds a lot like a product of that fine musician's mind. Redman's "Teapot Dome Blues" contains a rare example of Howard Scott soloing on the cornet. "Mobile Blues" allows room for a muffled solo by an unidentified kazoo player. Redman contributes a fine and sassy scat vocal on "My Papa Doesn't Two-Time No Time," which also exists elsewhere as a Rosa Henderson vocal backed only by Fletcher Henderson (no blood relation) at the piano. "Somebody Stole My Gal" bumps along marvelously and has a bass sax solo by Coleman Hawkins with Don Redman playing a weepy clarinet, even removing the mouthpiece from the instrument to achieve maximum cornball effects. "After the Storm" actually has segments of Rossini's William Tell Overture grafted into the chart, with someone blowing a siren whistle and Redman taking a solo on oboe. Nixon opens "Feeling the Way I Do" with growling trombone and Charlie Dixon demonstrates how a banjo could be used to propel nine other instruments by executing a series of well-timed blows across the strings. Together with piano and drums, the banjo was an agitator in these early ensembles. "Red Hot Mama" is an exciting illustration of how, during the first half of 1924, Henderson's band began to settle down and play something like real jazz. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist :

FLETCHER HENDERSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1924, Vol. 2 | The Classics Chronological Series – 657 (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

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FLETCHER HENDERSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1924, Vol. 3 | The Classics Chronological Series – 647 (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

During the autumn of 1924, Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra continued to make hot little records for many different labels. The front line begins to look impressive, with trombonist Big Charlie Green sitting not far from Coleman Hawkins and Don Redman. "Forsaken Blues" has an ooh-wacka-ooh brass line and a big nasty bass sax solo by Hawkins after someone -- probably Redman -- makes a noise like an enraged ferret. On the catchy "Cold Mamas (Burn Me Up)," the bass sax is accompanied by a goofus, or melodica, played by the ever-resourceful Redman. Conventional jazz history states that the addition of Louis Armstrong to the Henderson orchestra in September of 1924 initiated a change in this organization's overall chemistry, which would soon become evident. This particular CD provides audible evidence. The diminutive trumpeter from New Orleans-cum-Chicago really did transform Henderson's band beginning with his participation in the session of October 7, 1924. First heard on "Manda," composed by Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake, Armstrong stands out as King Oliver's right-hand man. "Go 'Long, Mule" has a bizarre novelty solo by Redman using only the mouthpiece of his horn to generate a sort of Punch & Judy cartoon voice. Four tunes recorded for Pathe Actuelle on October 13, 1924, are notable for the insistent burping sound of Ralph Escudero's tuba. The exciting "Shanghai Shuffle" comes across in two distinctive interpretations, with an oboe solo by Redman on the first version. "Copenhagen" is real jazz with a hot solo from Armstrong, strong trombone breaks from Charlie Green, and a Redman arrangement to make it cook properly. The first of three versions of "Naughty Man" has a fine solo by Green, while on the second he seems to be getting his licks in quickly, and by version number three he muscles in for two solo breaks. But the real highlight here is definitely Armstrong. Everything he blows is remarkably fine, and it's easy to see why he quickly went from being an object of ridicule to the most imitated musician in all of jazz. The man had a lot of soul, and his solos -- along with Redman's arrangements -- quickly transformed Henderson's records from run-of-the-mill dance music into real jazz. The crowning glory on this CD is "Everybody Loves My Baby," both an instrumental take and Armstrong's very first recorded vocal, consisting of merrily shouted outbursts during the coda. Listening to all of these sides in sequence, it is obvious what a difference Louis Armstrong made in this band, and the chronology spells it out unmistakably. arwulf arwulf  
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FLETCHER HENDERSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1924-1925 | The Classics Chronological Series – 633 (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This excellent European LP contains 14 performances (including three alternate takes) from Armstrong's period with Fletcher Henderson's orchestra. Most of these selections are fairly rare (such as "My Rose Marie," "Twelfth Street Blues" and "Me Neenyah") and only one performance is duplicated from the CD Fletcher Henderson (1924-1927). Almost all of these cuts have memorable Louis Armstrong solos that easily take honors and are state-of-the-art for 1925. Scott Yanow
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FLETCHER HENDERSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1925-1926 | The Classics Chronological Series – 610 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The Classics series has undergone the admirable task of reissuing on CD in chronological order every selection (although no alternate takes) of Fletcher Henderson's orchestra. This set finds the post-Armstrong edition of this pacesetting big band swinging hard on a variety of standards and obscurities. With cornetist Joe Smith, trombonist Charlie Green, clarinetist Buster Bailey and tenor great Coleman Hawkins contributing many fine solos and Don Redman's often-innovative arrangements inspiring the musicians, at this period Fletcher Henderson's orchestra had no close competitors among jazz-oriented big bands. Even the weaker pop tunes (like "I Want to See a Little More of What I Saw in Arkansas") have their strong moments. Scott Yanow
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FLETCHER HENDERSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1926-1927 | The Classics Chronological Series – 597 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This CD, in Classics' chronological series, which captures the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra at its peak, is overloaded with classics: "Jackass Blues," "The Stampede" (which has a very influential tenor solo by Coleman Hawkins), "Clarinet Marmalade" "Snag It" and "Tozo" among others. In addition to Coleman Hawkins, Tommy Ladnier emerges as a major trumpeter and Fats Waller drops by for his "Henderson Stomp." Eight years before the official beginning of the swing era, Fletcher Henderson's orchestra was outswinging everyone. Scott Yanow
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FLETCHER HENDERSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1927 | The Classics Chronological Series – 580 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Fletcher Henderson's orchestra was at the peak of its powers during this period, as can be heard on such torrid recordings as "Fidgety Feet," "Sensation," "St. Louis Shuffle," and "Hop Off"; even the overly complex Don Redman arrangement "Whiteman Stomp" (which Paul Whiteman's musicians apparently had trouble learning) is no problem for this brilliant orchestra. Classics' chronological reissue of Henderson's valuable recordings on this CD covers the many highpoints of the peak year of 1927; only Duke Ellington's orchestra was on the level of this pace-setting big band. Scott Yanow
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FLETCHER HENDERSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1927-1931 | The Classics Chronological Series – 572 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 With its high musicianship and many talented soloists (including trumpeters Rex Stewart and Bobby Stark, trombonist Jimmy Harrison, Coleman Hawkins on tenor, and altoist Benny Carter), the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra should have prospered during this period, but unaccountably, its leader (never a strong businessman) seemed to be losing interest in the band's fortunes and made several bad decisions. The result is that by 1931, Henderson's orchestra was struggling while Duke Ellington's was becoming a household name. This Classics CD, in covering over three years, demonstrates how few recordings this band made (only four songs apiece in both 1929 and 1930), although the quality largely makes up for the quantity. The original band version of "King Porter Stomp" and an explosive "Oh Baby" are the high points of this satisfying collection. Scott Yanow
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WINGY MANONE AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1927-1934 | The Classics Chronological Series – 774 (1994) FLAC (tracks), lossless

A publicity photo of Wingy Manone shows him apparently poised in the act of doing the dance called a buck-and-wing, but that's not where the moniker came from. When Joe Manone was ten years old he lost his right arm in a trolley accident. In time he came to be called "Wingy," and wore a wooden limb with a glove over the end of it, securing his cornet between the wooden fingers and working its valves with his left hand. Wingy's bands swung hard. He developed a warm, gruff voice and almost invariably displayed a wild sense of humor. What Classics 774 delivers is a step-by-step synopsis of Manone's earliest work, including quite a bit of previously hard to find material. The four titles from 1927 were recorded in Wingy's home town of New Orleans. Earl Warner's twerpy vocal on the first selection illustrates exactly why listeners should be thankful for Wingy's decision to develop himself as a singer. Up in Chicago a year and a half later, Wingy fell in with a set of rough-and-tumble blokes who earnestly cooked each number to the bone. Next stop: the Gennett recording studio in Richmond, IN, where Manone led two sessions under the inspiring banner of Barbecue Joe & His Hot Dogs during the late summer and early autumn of 1930. Every single one of these sides is solid and catchy, especially the Hot Dogs' revival of Papa Charlie Jackson's "Shake That Thing." Most notably, "Tar Paper Stomp," also known as "Wingy's Stomp," is the earliest known recording involving a bouncy lick that would show up in Fletcher Henderson's book as "Hot and Anxious" and eventually earn a lot of money for Glenn Miller as "In the Mood." Here on Wingy's plate it comes across honest and natural as hash browns and scrambled eggs with a little bit of hot sauce. There is a discernible change in Wingy's voice over the span of just a few years. In 1928 he's earnest enough but doesn't attract a whole lot of attention. By 1930 he's sounding tougher. But the Wingy of 1934 calls out in a voice of magnetic, husky friendliness that would distinguish him for the rest of his days. Wingy's consistent front line of cornet (or trumpet after 1930), clarinet, and tenor sax was only occasionally beefed up with a trombone or extra trumpets. Three of the five tenors represented here languish in obscurity; Bud Freeman and Eddie Miller are familiar names, but who on earth was George Snurpus? This is exactly why early jazz studies are so adventuresome. You never know who is going to appear before your startled ears. Any hankering for famous and proven presences will be more than satisfied by the session of August 15, 1934. Wingy, Dicky Wells, Artie Shaw, and Bud Freeman are supported by Kaiser Marshall, John Kirby, guitarist Frank Victor, and your choice of pianists Teddy Wilson or Jelly Roll Morton. If that don't get it, nothing will. arwulf arwulf  
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ETHEL WATERS – 1921-1923 | The Classics Chronological Series – 796 (1994) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Ethel Waters was one of the few singers from the early '20s whose early recordings are still quite listenable. This CD from the Classics label has her first 22 sides (many previously rare including five interesting instrumentals by Waters's band) and, although not on the same level as her performances from a few years later, the music is quite good for the time period. The sidemen are mostly obscure but include pianist Fletcher Henderson and cornetists Gus Aiken and Joe Smith with the highlights being "The New York Glide," "Down Home Blues," "There'll Be Some Changes Made" and "Midnight Blues."  Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1     The New York Glide    3:04   
Unknown
2     At the New Jump Steady Ball    3:26   
Tom Delaney / Sidney Easton
3     Oh, Daddy    3:18    
Victor Herbert / Willy Russell
4     Down Home Blues    3:26  
Tom Delaney
5     One Man Nan    2:56   
Victor Herbert / Willy Russell
6     There'll Be Some Changes Made    3:22  
Billy Higgins / W. Benton Overstreet
7     Dying With the Blues    2:57    
Fletcher Henderson
8     Kiss Your Pretty Baby Nice    3:07   
Edgar Dowell
9     'Frisco Jazz Band Blues    3:27    
Unknown
10     Royal Garden Blues    3:12
Clarence Williams / Spencer Williams
11     Bugle Blues    2:38    
W.C. Handy
12     Jazzin' Babies Blues    3:07    
Ralph "Shrimp" Jones
13     Kind Lovin' Blues    3:04    
Fletcher Henderson / Sidney Mitchell / Ethel Waters
14     Georgia Blues    3:13    
Billy Higgins / W. Benton Overstreet
15     That Da Da Strain    2:55    
Edgar Dowell / Mamie Medina
16     Tiger Rag    3:09   
Harry Da Costa / Eddie Edwards / Nick LaRocca / Henry W. Ragas / Tony Sbarbaro / Larry Shields
17     Pacific Coast Blues    3:36    
Hegamin / Hammed
18     At the New Jump Steady Ball    2:53    
Tom Delaney / Sidney Easton
19     Oh Joe, Play That Trombone    2:37    
Edgar Dowell
20     Memphis Man    2:44    
Henry / Grant
21     Midnight Blues    3:02
 Clarence Williams
22     Brown Baby    2:59
Grant
Credits :    
Alto Saxophone – Clarence Harris (tracks: 1, 2), Unknown Artist (tracks: 1, 2)
Banjo – John Mitchell (tracks: 20 to 22)
Bass Saxophone – Unknown Artist (tracks: 9 to 11)
Brass Bass – Ralph Escudero (tracks: 1 to 4, 7, 8), Unknown Artist (tracks: 18, 19)
Clarinet – Edgar Campbell (tracks: 3, 4, 20 to 22), Garvin Bushell (tracks: 5 to 11), Unknown Artist (tracks: 7, 8, 18, 19)
Clarinet [?] – Clarence Robinson (tracks: 12 to 17), Elmer Chambers (tracks: 20 to 22)
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone [?] – Joe Elder (tracks: 9 to 11)
Cornet – Gus Aiken (tracks: 9 to 11), Joe Smith (tracks: 12 to 17)
Drums – Kaiser Marshall (tracks: 1, 2), Raymond Green (tracks: 16, 17)
Piano – Fletcher Henderson (tracks: 3 to 22), Wilson Kyer (tracks: 1, 2)
Trombone – Bud Aiken (tracks: 9 to 11), George Brashear (tracks: 12 to 17, 20 to 22), James Reevy (tracks: 1, 2), Unknown Artist (tracks: 5, 6, 18, 19)
Trombone [?] – Chink Johnson (tracks: 3, 4, 7, 8)
Trumpet – Unknown Artist (tracks: 3 to 8, 18, 19), Wesley Johnson (tracks: 1, 2)
Violin – Cordy Williams (tracks: 3, 4)
Violin [?] – Charlie Jackson (tracks: 5 to 8)
Vocals – Ethel Waters (tracks: 1 to 8, 12 to 15, 18 to 22)