• Programs A-Z
• Schedule
• Special Programs
• Youth Voices

• Transcripts

• Break Music

January 17, 2004

We opened with the Louis Armstrong Hot Five recording on the not-so-sly for Vocalion records as Lil's Hot Shots in late May of 1926; the tune was "Drop That Sack," from Frog DGF 39. From Victor 21080 [78], we heard "Baby Your Mother," featuring Franklyn Baur with Don Bestor and his Orchestra. Coleman Hawkins recorded "Leave My Heart Alone" in 1945 and it was issued on Asch 3551 [78]. A listener suggests that I overstated the case when I said the number was a "Body and Soul" variant; on another listen, I agree. I would have been more on-target had I said that it "reminded" me of "Body And Soul." "Five Minutes More" featured Marion Hutton from a Collectors Choice Music budget release, CCM-1046. Frank Sinatra was singing with Harry James and his Orchestra in the summer of 1939 on "If I Didn't Care," released on Columbia 66377, a fine reissue with all of Frank's studio recordings with the James band, along with surviving broadcast recordings as well. You'll find two broadcasts from 1940 by Will Bradley's Orchestra (featuring Ray McKinley) on JazzBand 2183. From that CD, we heard Carlotta Dale work her way adroitly through "The Woodpecker Song."

From Banu Gibson's latest CD, devoted to the music of Johnny Mercer, we heard "Dearly Beloved" and "I Wanna' Be A Dancin' Man." It's all on Swing OUT CD 111.

For the balance of the opening hour, we remembered John Wood, who played tuba with the Buck Creek Jazz Band for more than 25 years - since the group's beginnings, in fact - as he also did with the LaSalle Dance Orchestra, established in 1996. John's trademark number was "Old Bones," and we heard John sing and play it on Buck Creek BC-115. "Gone"is on Buck Creek BC-109. " What You Want Me To Do" is on Buck Creek BC-116, the group's latest release.

The LaSalle Dance Orchestra has two CDs out, and John's vocal on "My Canary Has Circles Under his Eyes" appears on the first.

Thanks to Stu Parcher for suggesting some titles for this segment, and bringing "Gone" over to WAMU in time for the evening's broadcast.

Clarence Williams and his Jazz Kings opened the second hour of the show with "If You Like Me Like I Like You," played from one of the valuable Williams reissues from Frog Records, Frog DGF 17. Collectors Choice Music has released a CD of broadcast recordings by guitarist Les Paul and his trio from the mid-forties. We played "Ain't Misbehavin,'" and you'll find much more like it on CCM-390. From November 1934 and Decca 311 [78], we heard "Love Is Just Around the Corner," the vocal by Bob Crosby. Trumpeter "Wooden Joe" Nicholas, joined by Albert Burbank on clarinet and Jim Robinson on trombone, recorded the "Artesian Hall Blues" in - where else? - Artesian Hall in New Orleans. The date was May 1945, and it was released on Bill Russell's American Music label. The reissue is American Music AMCD-5 . From the repertoire of Paul Howard's Quality Serenaders, we heard "Charlie's Idea," rendered by the great French repertory band, the Hot Antic Jazz Band. This version, from 1987, was included on Stomp Off SOS 1154 [LP]. Duke Ellington used "Johnny Come Lately" as the closer for an April 1943 broadcast from the Hurricane Club. Some wonderful selections from these broadcasts have been issued on Jazz Unlimited JUCD 2065.

Noting the 40th anniversary of the Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand," we played just a few of the notable "hand" songs from the era of HJSN. We heard an early Buddy Clark vocal from November 1934, "Hands Across the Table." Buddy was accompanied by Lud Gluskin and his Orchestra. This recording appeared on Sunbeam P513 [LP]. Fats Waller and his Rhythm were on the air with a version of "Hold My Hand" from July 1938, issued on Buddha 99603. Louis Armstrong joined Bessie Smith in mid-January 1925 to record the "Cold In Hand Blues." The latest, and best, comprehensive reissue (nearing completion) of Smith's Columbia recordings is on the Frog label, and this selection came from Frog DGF42. (This is Volume 3 in the series.)

Poor Eddy Howard! He's "Got Her Off My Hands," but "(Can't Get Her Off My Mind)." This was a Lang-Worth transcription from Sept 1951, available on Circle CCD-29. Clarinetist George Lewis and his Ragtime Band of New Orleans followed with a 1953 performance of "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" to be found on American Music AMCD-24. From Jazz Oracle BDW 8018, we heard a 1927 recording of "Pardon the Glove," recorded in Atlanta by Jack Linx and his Orchestra. Alice Faye closed this set with "I've Got My Fingers Crossed" from a complete reissue of her Brunswick recordings produced by Collectors Choice Music. It's CCM-351.

Another production from Collectors Choice Music in 2003 was a collection of Benny Goodman small group performances taken from Camel Caravan broadcasts during the first half of 1939. We noted what a different year 1939 was for Benny from 1938. Gene Krupa had left in March of 1938, bringing an end to the original Goodman Trio and Quartet. In the interim, Benny frequently deployed Lionel Hampton on drums until Benny settled on a drummer he could tolerate. Teddy Wilson would leave in February of 1939 to start his own band. It really wouldn't be until fall 1939, with the arrival of Charlie Christian, that the small group format settled down once again. Goodman had experimented with electric guitar as far back as January of 1939 (a performance with guitarist Leonard Ware is on this CD), but the whole year, until Charlie's arrival, reveals experimentation and a shifting personnel in the small group performances. This can be heard in the selections on this CD, Collectors Choice Music CCD 392. We heard "Opus 3/4," ""The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise," "Tea For Two" (a clarinet/bass duet), "Wishing" and "I Got Rhythm."

The Chiaroscuro label has recently released an album by the title, "Milt Hinton: The Basement Tapes." It's the first release of sessions during 1989 and 1990 that Hinton did at his own expense with some of his favorite musicians, including trumpeter Warren Vache, clarinetist Kenny Davern, drummer Kenny Washington, guitarist Howard Alden, and singer Sylvia Sims is on three tracks. We heard "Raincheck," "Wade In the Water," and "Travelin' All Alone." This and more is on Chiaroscuro CR(D) 222.

In light of the very cold weather in our environs, a set of a few tunes associated with Florida began with the recording of a namesake song, "Florida," recorded by Alex Hyde and his Orchestra in Berlin in June 1925. It so happened that the publisher of the song, Jack Song, was in the city at that time and not only persuaded Hyde to record it, but Robbins himself did the vocal! This track came from one of two volumes of a Hyde reissue that appeared several years ago on Harlequin HQ 2034 [LP]. The Original Indiana Five didn't have a song named "Indianpolis" at hand, so they recorded "Pensacola" in April 1926. In fact, they recorded it for a number of different labels; we heard the Okeh release, which is on Jazz Oracle BDW 8031. Jazz Oracle has issued four CDs of the OI5 discography; a fifth is on Frog, and with these five, the complete oeuvre of this group is on CD. Who would have ever imagined that? (Personally, I fantasize about a comprehensive Original Memphis 5 series; that would certainly run into a goodly stack of CDs.) From the Dixieland Jug Blowers, we had the "Florida Blues," from a reissue of that group's Louisville sessions, on Frog DGF6. Lastly, we heard the striking 1927 recording, well known among collectors, by the Ross DeLuxe Syncopators of "Florida Rhythm," last available on Yazoo 2024. [The Florida set was not coincidental. After a few hours' z-z-z-z-z's, I caught an early plane for Tampa Sunday morning. However, it turned out to be relative chilly for Florida during the next few days.]

The program closed with selections from a couple of November 1940 broadcasts by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra, playing in the Cafe Rouge of the Hotel Pennsylvania. We heard "Pennsylvania 6-5000," "Yes, My Darling Daughter," "The Call Of the Canyon," and the "Anvil Chorus." These titles came from a very limited edition CD.