Benny Goodman Archives - Paul – and some of that Jazz

From the Record Shelves #274 – Davenport Blues – When Adrian Rollini got a contract for a session with the newly started Decca Company in October 1934, he had help from his brother Art, the tenor saxophone player, to get together a really good line-up, including (…) read more and listenread more and listen

From the Record Shelves #249 – The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise – This is more a demonstration of skills than jazz, but when it is as good as this, I can take it in a small portion. Especially since I know that those musicians can do a lot more than that, which the fine Swaggie LP (…) read more and listenread more and listen

From the Record Shelves #245 – Tangerine – Maybe you are familiar with this French clarinet player called Maurice Meunier. I wasn’t until I found this record about ten years ago. It doesn’t come as a surprise that there are good ones in France because the French influence is (…) read more and listenread more and listen

From the Record Shelves #231 – Flashes – As you can expect, there is a display of Bunny Berigan’s virtuosity and talent here, a lot of “take it, Bunny!” where he shows off his skills and power. Impressive as it is, I still prefer the reading of a handful of arrangements (…) read more and listenread more and listen

From the Record Shelves #230 – Basin Street Blues – I continue to listen to early Jack Teagarden today. This 1931 record starts immediately with his voice, which is proper for this tune that was to become something of his signature. Many trombone players have started the tune by (…) read more and listenread more and listen

From the Record Shelves #219 – China Boy – Today I enjoy the virtuosity of Benny Goodman and his small group members. Virtuosity must be combined with other things to get my attention in more than, say, twenty second. And here the combination is that (…) read more and listenread more and listen

From the Record Shelves #211 – Dip Your Brush in the Sunshine – Ted Lewis (1892–1971) had a long career in the entertainment business, with his top hat and clarinet combined with great charm. In this period, at the beginning of the 1930s, he takes on the task of trying to (…) read more and listenread more and listen

From the Record Shelves #180 – My Kinda Love – This was probably the first record in the Vintage Series that I bought back in 1966. It is a retrospective compilation of trombonist Jack Teagarden’s participation on records from 1928 until 1957 (…) read more and listenread more and listen

From the Record Shelves #178 – Me – It’s rewarding for me to listen to American dance bands from the 20s and beginning of the 30s. We often get good melodies and fine inventive arrangements well played by the best musicians around, and then if (…) read more and listenread more and listen

From the Record Shelves #134 – Magnolia Blues. In 1937 a Broadway Musical called Babes in Arms with music by Rogers and Hart included songs like The Lady Is a Tramp and My Funny Valentine. Andrew Sisters had a hit with By Mir Bist Du Schön and Maxine Sullivan (…) read more and listenread more and listen

From the Record Shelves #103 – Let’s Get Friendly. Today I listen to a Ben Selvin record for breakfast, which puts me in a good mood. Good sound thanks to transfers by Chris Ellis, good work at the original recording studios in New York and (…) read more and listenread more and listen

From the Record Shelves #88 – Just You, Just Me. Five minutes of bebop inspired jazz played in front of an enthusiastic audience in Hollywood. The clarinetist that is the centerpiece in Arnold Ross Quartet is the young swede Stan Hasselgard (Åke Hasselgård) (…) read more and listenread more and listen