A Record a Week: Giants of Jazz Collection - Johnny Dodds

SIDE 1.
CANAL STREET BLUES
DIPPER MOUTH BLUES
SNAKE RAG
SOBBIN' BLUES
LONESOME BLUES
PERDIDO STREET BLUES
GATE MOUTH

SIDE 2.
TOO TIGHT
MIXED SALAD
I CAN'T SAY
MAD DOG
SOMEDAY SWEETHEART
SALTY DOG
SKID-DAT-DE-DAT

SIDE 3.
OH DADDY
THE BLUES STAMPEDE
WILD MAN BLUES
MELANCHOLY
S.O.L.
WOLVERINE BLUES
COME ON AND STOMP STOMP STOMP

SIDE 4.
AFTER YOU'VE GONE
JOE TURNER BLUES
WHEN ERASTUS PLAYS HIS OLD KAZOO
ORIENTAL MAN
HOT POTATOES
BLUE CLARINET STOMP

SIDE 5.
BUCKTOWN STOMP
WEARY CITY
BULL FIDDLE BLUES
BLUE WASHBOARD STOMP
GOOBER DANCE
INDIGO STOMP
FORTY AND TIGHT

SIDE 6.
PIGGLY WIGGLY
WILD MAN BLUES
MELANCHOLY
25TH AND DEARBORN
RED ONION BLUES
GRAVIER STREET BLUES

The earliest recorded days of jazz remind me of Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes from Star Wars, in that the songs from that era all sound like they might be the same one repeated with different rhythm or tempo. The songs, as I have previously alluded, mostly sound like the instrumental soundtrack to early movies (with some lyrics strewn in) or oldschool jukeboxes in diners.

The songs on this record start off featuring Dodds in a group that also had a very young Louis Armstrong (possible crossover from this Armstrong record). These were groundbreaking recordings, as they were the first recordings of African-Americans doing original 'black music'. Any earlier records were white groups, because as sad as it is to say, that was what was acceptable at the time.

It is not until the second record comes in that the songs more prominently feature Dodds and his clarinet. Also, as these songs are from years later, the sound has started to evolve from the 'talkie' style of the early 1900's jazz. This more progressive sound is where I start to take more of an interest. Perhaps recording techniques improved so you could begin to hear subtleties you couldn't previously, or perhaps the style gained a bit of substance (in my opinion, that is).

It is always exciting to me to have my eyes opened to an instrument that I had not thought much about, something I used to find a challenge to do. Also, I used to think of such instruments, unjustly, as the ones that kids got stuck with if they weren't there on instrument selection day in 8th grade music class.

Dodds, although he did not possess the instrumental versatility of a Louis Armstrong, he nonetheless played the clarinet with mastery.

A Record a Week: Herwin Records Presents - Dixieland Jazz Classics (1917-1928)

SIDE 1.
DIXIELAND JAZZ BAND ONE-STEP(Original Dixieland 'Jass' Band
MEMPHIS GLIDE(Original Memphis Five)
MOBILE BLUES(The Bucktown Five)
SAN SUE STRUT(Arcadian Serenaders
THAT'S NO BARGAIN(Red Nichols and his Five Pennies)
BIG BOY(The Wolverines)
AT THE JAZZ BAND BALL(Bix Beiderbecke and his Gang)
SAN(Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra)

SIDE 2.
DIPPER MOUTH BLUES(King Oliver's Creole Band)
MUSKRAT RAMBLE(Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five)
WEST END BLUES(Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five)
BLACK BOTTOM STOMP(Jelly Roll Morton and his Red Hot Peppers)
KANSAS CITY STOMP(Jelly Roll Morton and his Red Hot Peppers)
KATER STREET RAG(Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra)
HERE COMES THE HOT TAMALE MAN(Doc Cook and his Dreamland Orchestra)
ROCKY MOUNTAIN BLUES(Fletcher Henderson and his Orchestra)

Much of dixieland sounds like the soundtrack to a silent film to me. Specifically the type where the characters move around very choppily and slap their faces in an exaggerated way and there are breaks between scenes that say 'I don't care how she votes I'm still going to marry her' (Buster Keaton in The Scarecrow). Perhaps that's because this was the style of music that coincided with the time of silent films. Either way, it's not just silent films that come to mind when listening to this music. Flappers, bobs, the Charleston, prohibition, speakeasies and many other things that happened in the first world war and post-war era.

If you didn't know that this album was a collection, you may think that it was the chronicle of one artist. The only real difference being the quality of the recording improves over time. The one notable difference on the album is Louis Armstrong, who adds a bit of the progressive jazz style that jump started his solo career. He also adds some of his signature vocals to the mix, something that most, if not all of the other groups did not do.

A Record a Week: Bix Beiderbecke (Giants of Jazz Collection)

SIDE 1.
COPENHAGEN (Wolverine Orchestra)
BIG BOY (Wolverine Orchestra)
MY PRETTY GIRL (Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra)
CLARINET MARMALADE (Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra)
SINGIN' THE BLUES (Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra)
OSTRICH WALK (Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra)
RIVERBOAT SHUFFLE (Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra)

SIDE 2.
I'M COMING, VIRGINIA (Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra)
WAY DOWN YONDER IN NEW ORLEANS (Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra)
FOR NO REASON AT ALL in C. (Tram, Bix and Lang)
THREE BLIND MICE (Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra)
BLUE RIVER (Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra)
IN A MIST (Himself)
CLEMENTINE (Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra)

SIDE 3.
WRINGIN' AND TWISTIN' (Tram, Bix and Lang)
HUMPTY DUMPTY (Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra)
KRAZY KAT(Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra)
THERE AIN'T NO LAND LIKE DIXIELAND TO ME (Broadway Bell-Hops)
AT THE JAZZ BAND BALL (Bix Beiderbecke and His Gang)
ROYAL GARDEN BLUES (Bix Beiderbecke and His Gang)
JAZZ ME BLUES (Bix Beiderbecke and His Gang)

SIDE 4.
GOOSE PIMPLES (New Orleans Lucky Seven)
SORRY (Bix Beiderbecke and His Gang)
CRYIN' ALL DAY (Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra)
SINCE MY BEST GIRL TURNED ME DOWN (Bix Beiderbecke and His Gang)
THREE BLIND MICE (The Chicago Loopers)
CHANGES (Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra)

SIDE 5.
LONELY MELODY (Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra)
MISSISSIPPI MUD (Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra)
DARDANELLA (Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra)
FROM MONDAY ON (Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra)
SUGAR (Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra)
'TAIN'T SO, HONEY, 'TAIN'T SO (Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra)
THAT'S MY WEAKNESS NOW (Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra

SIDE 6.
BECAUSE MY BABY DON'T MEAN "MAYBE" NOW (Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra)
LOUISIANA Bix Beiderbecke and His Gang)
LOUISE (Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra)
I LIKE THAT (Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra)
CHINA BOY (Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra)
BESSIE COULDN'T HELP IT (Hoagy Carmichael and His Orchestra)

(Performance groups in parentheses and italics)

This record set comes with a delightful booklet detailing everything you could possibly want to know about Bix Beiderbecke. He lived a short life that was centred around music and booze. He was a natural talent that played from the heart and could repeat a song by ear, never actually bothering to learn how to read any music. He played alongside the likes of Bing Crosby and his skills were (and are) the envy of jazz musicians from all styles and cultures. Cornet was the instrument he most frequently played, though he was also adept at the piano.

This collection has a lot of good dixieland-style jazz on it. It's a style I'm not normally into, but this record could certainly provide a basis for liking it. The style often comes across a little 'silly' for me, but the talent is quite evident there on this record.