The Sheik of Araby
LP Jazzology J-101/102
More from Eddie Condon today!
This LP contains 1944 recordings for World, a company that offered specially recorded music to radio stations. On the two LPs we get, in addition to the released takes, unissued ones, incomplete ones, and even false starts.
On this one that I have selected, the guys follow a routine from a recording that Jack Teagarden made with Red Nichols back in 1930, and that is a nice reference to the youth of, besides Jack, Eddie Condon, guitar; Pee Wee Russell, clarinet; and Max Kaminsky, trumpet, who all played with Nichols even if they were not on that particular record. They may have made the routine on stage, though. Eddie sings a bit, after which Jack interrupts and sings a newly invented verse.
Once the standard jam session tune is started, we get to hear a fine trombone from Teagarden and a well phrased clarinet solo by Pee Wee. I like the way the band comes in and plays just a couple of bars between the solos, something that you also hear in Kid Ory’s band.
And before Teagarden does another short vocal to conclude, still following the 1930 recording, the band does a very good collective ensemble in which George Wettling on drums and Ernie Caceres on baritone sax also play an important part. The usual suspects, Gene Schroeder and Bob Haggart, are on piano and bass, respectively.