Dardanella
78rpm His Master’s Voice B 8931
Coinciding with WW1, let’s say between 1915 and 1920, oriental types of songs were popular, and this is one of them, published by Fred Fisher in 1919. He also wrote the lyrics, but they are seldom used.
When Paul Whiteman took it up about ten years later, he assigned it to Bill Challis to do the arrangement, and it was recorded in February 1928 and also used in live performances and in broadcasts always with a full cornet chorus by Bix Beiderbecke.
Frankie Trumbauer is heard playing his smooth saxophone in the verse, and then entering in a break comes Bix, well supported by Steve Brown’s bass playing. Everything is there—the attack, the inventiveness, the beautiful sound, and the swing.
Trumbauer is given a few more bars before the end. It’s one of Whiteman’s best records, in my opinion.