From the Record Shelves #230 - Basin Street BluesFrom 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 BoyFrom 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 #218 - Ridin’ But Walking’From the Record Shelves #218 – Ridin’ But Walking’ – As often happens, there is an ugly yellow label glued to the LP sleeve that is impossible to take away. It says that you’re not allowed to exchange the record when the seal is broken. I didn’t because (…) read more and listenread more and listen

From the Record Shelves #157 - SugarFrom the Record Shelves #157 – Sugar – In Eddie Condon’s book We Called It music (1947) it’s said, not by him but by his co-author Thomas Sugrue: “the white musicians that went to the Lincoln Gardens, the Sunset Café or the Nest knew that however (…) read more and listenread more and listen

From the Record Shelves #85 - IndianaFrom the Record Shelves #85 – Indiana. When I hear this I can’t help thinking about a passus from Eddie Condon’s book We Called It Music. In a chapter called “Young Man with a Cap” it reads: “The next day we got up as the train came into Cleveland (…) read more and listenread more and listen