From the Record Shelves #327 - A Bag O’ BluesFrom the Record Shelves #327 – A Bag O’ Blues – Jack Pettis Orchestra was really something! It was drawn as a smaller unit out of Ben Bernie’s dance orchestra with the purpose of recording more hot numbers. The musicians were top class. Normally I prefer a session that includes this number (…) read more and listenread more and listen

From the Record Shelves #288- What Kind O’ Man Is You?From the Record Shelves #288 – What Kind O’ Man Is You? – There are a few entries in the discographies of this wonderful Hoagy Carmichael composition. A couple are made in modern times, and among them is a version with my band, because we were (…) read more and listenread more and listen

From the Record Shelves #284- Riverboat ShuffleFrom the Record Shelves #284 – Riverboat Shuffle – As always when he is present, Bix Beiderbecke, with his cornet, is the protagonist here. There are several facets of his genius, and here on this session with Frankie Trumbauer’s Orchestra in 1927 (…) read more and listenread more and listen

From the Record Shelves #217 - The Wild DogFrom the Record Shelves #217 – The Wild Dog – A big department store in the center of town was closing down at the beginning of the 1990s. It was my favorite place to buy records, so it was sad. Now they had made up a plan to get rid of their stock; they lowered the prices (…) read more and listenread more and listen

From the Record Shelves #212 - SundayFrom the Record Shelves #212 – Sunday – The Vintage series made compilations of tunes from special years on some albums. I bought them as they came out in chronological reverse order, starting in 1928 and finish with 1926 which is the album that (…) read more and listenread more and listen

From the Record Shelves #184 - Stompin’ ’em Along SlowFrom the Record Shelves #184 – Stompin’ ’em Along Slow – This LP was a shock to me. I had heard Eddie Lang before and liked him a lot, but when I heard Lonnie Johnson’s solo recordings sounding like a one-man band I could hardly believe my ears (…) read more and listenread more and listen

From the Record Shelves #179 - Boneyard ShuffleFrom the Record Shelves #179 – Boneyard Shuffle – I look at the cover and see a young Red Nichols in a reflective mood, looking at his mouthpiece with his most precious belonging, the trumpet in the lap. He’s well-dressed, and everything in the music is also (…) read more and listenread more and listen

From the Record Shelves #148 - Shivery StompFrom the Record Shelves #148 – Shivery Stomp. On May 19, 1929, The Orchestra played at Metropolitan Opera House in New York, and a few days later they started on their trip to California to shoot the film King of Jazz by appearing in Philadelphia (…) read more and listenread more and listen

From the Record Shelves #145 - Little ButtercupFrom the Record Shelves #145 – Little Buttercup. Frank Signorelli wrote the tune and recorded it three years earlier with Eddie Lang under its usual name, I’ll Never Be the Same. Later versions with touching lyrics were made by among others Billie Holiday (…) read more and listenread more and listen

From the Record Shelves #137 - I’ve Got a Daddy Down in New OrleansFrom the Record Shelves #137 – I’ve Got a Daddy Down in New Orleans. What strikes me immediately when I put on this LP is the good sound quality. It’s, in reality, very good transfers of originals in good condition that make it possible for us to enjoy the outstanding (…) read more and listenread more and listen

From the Record Shelves #128 - Tell Me Woman BluesFrom the Record Shelves #128 – Tell Me Woman Blues. This rare LP contains a lot of good jazz and blues, mostly with female singers with cornet or trumpet accompaniment. The best of them could have a job in a cabaret or tent show but also in bars and cafés (…) read more and listenread more and listen

From the Record Shelves #126 - Hey! Young Fella!From the Record Shelves #126 – Hey! Young Fella!. I bought this LP in 1967. I think it was cheap. But the music on it is anything but that. It’s rich and almost every track is a masterpiece. In February 1933 violinist Joe Venuti brought his fellow musicians (…) read more and listenread more and listen