Creole Blues
CD FROG DGF 4
This is March in 1925, just a little century ago! And the place is New Orleans, where the Victor Talking Machine Company had traveled with portable electric equipment.
One of the bands they recorded was led by clarinet player Anthony “Tony” Parenti.
The tune that they play here and that Parenti and the pianist in the band Vic Lebowski put together is mostly made up of melodic choruses in different keys, based on the blues harmonies. (I didn’t have time to check, but I don’t think it has something to do with Elmer Schoebel’s copyrighted tune that has the same name and that came out in a stock arrangement around the same time).
The good cornet player is Henry Knecht, and trombone is played by either Russ Papalia or Charles Hartman. Parenti takes solos both on alto sax and clarinet while the opening tenor sax chorus is played by Tony Papalia.
I think that the overall playing is characterized by a peaceful, laid-back feeling that goes well together with “the city of jazz.”