Five Pennies
LP Historical No 8
The title of the LP, Rare Vertical Jazz, refers to the recording system used by Edison. Their discs were different: You needed special equipment to play them, and the playing time of a record was longer than the normal three minutes.
No reliable records seem to have survived regarding personnel. On this session released under the name of trumpet player Phil Napoleon from November 1927, one tune has survived. There is a late entrance of another hot trumpet player that has always thrilled me as to his identity. He has a New Orleans style different from the rest in which rhythm is essential. My ears tell me that it is Wingy Manone, especially if I compare it with Baltimore, which is a Red Nichols recording under the name ”The Red Heads” where Wingy appeared just a month before this.
I’m surprised that nobody, as far as I know, has considered this since his playing here is outstanding.