Pink Elephants
78 rpm Columbia CB 601
The title “primarily refers to a euphemism for visual hallucinations, often associated with Delirium Tremens, a severe alcohol withdrawal symptom.” The musicians involved in this session may have sent thoughts to their newly deceased friend Bix Beiderbecke or reflected over their own eventual consumption of alcohol, in general high among musicians at the time. Otherwise it’s just a pop tune with funny lyrics by Dixon & Woods.
“Joe Venuti-Eddie Lang Blue Five” do their thing in 1933, and of course one of their assets is to sound much bigger than a quintet. Except for the two mentioned on violin and guitar, we hear the multi-instrumentalists Jimmy Dorsey on alto sax, clarinet and trumpet and Adrian Rollini on bass sax, vibraphone, xylophone and at the end goofus. Before that he even had time to join the fifth member, Phil Wall, at the piano for a duet.