A Record a Week: Giants of Jazz - Duke Ellington

SIDE 1.
EAST ST. LOUIS TOODLE-OO
CREOLE LOVE CALL
BLACK AND TAN FANTASY
BLACK BEAUTY
JUBILEE STOMP
YELLOW DOG BLUES

SIDE 2.
HOT AND BOTHERED
THE MOOCHE
SHOOT 'EM AUNT TILLIE
RING DEM BELLS
MOOD INDIGO *The Jungle Band
ROCKIN' IN RHYTHM *The Harlem Footwarmers
IT DON'T MEAN A THING (If It Ain't Got That Swing)

SIDE 3.
BABY WHEN YOU AIN'T THERE
BUGLE CALL RAG
MERRY GO ROUND
HARLEM SPEAKS
IN THE SHADE OF THE OLD APPLE TREE
MERRY GO ROUND
TRUCKIN'

SIDE 4.
CLARINET LAMENT (Barney's Concerto)
ECHOES OF HARLEM (Cootie's Concerto)
CARAVAN
I LET A SONG GO OUT OF MY HEART
SOPHISTICATED LADY
JACK THE BEAR

SIDE 5.
KO-KO
CONCERT FOR COOTIE (Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me)
COTTON TAIL
NEVER NO LAMENT (Don't Get Around Much Anymore)
HARLEM AIR SHAFT
IN A MELLOTONE
WARM VALLEY

SIDE 6.
TAKE THE "A" TRAIN
I GOT IT BAD AND THAT AIN'T GOOD
PERDIDO
C JAM BLUES
ROCKABYE RIVER
JEEP'S BLUES

This one took me a couple of weekends to listen to in its entirety, so I apologize for the delay. Plus things have been busy, plus I had people here last weekend. With a side of I have no other excuses and will get back to business next week.

The 3-record collection is the last of the Giants of Jazz records that I have and as with the others, it takes a journey through the career of the artist over the span of their career. Instead of the way I did the other ones, this album seemed to mostly be Duke Ellington lead groups, except for the few songs I noted where the group name didn't include his name.

Spanning multiple styles and recording qualities, starting with the foundation of jazz and direct wax recording through to the multi-tracking days that were in their early years by the time he died. It's interesting to think that every new style of jazz heard on the record could conceivably have been brought upon by Ellington or even the very song. His progressive musical styling took jazz in new directions with the likes of Louis Armstrong and other innovators at the time. They never were around to experience anything but the beginning of the experimental likes of fusion and other newer branches of jazz. I would be interested to hear his take on that. It may not have suited his style, but as a musician I think he would have appreciated the creativity involved.

I would say this takes the 'bet of' term and brings it all the way up to 'thorough sampling of' territory. Definitely a must listen for fans of Ellington and those curious alike.

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: 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.