What 78 are you spinning right now ?

[jeffcrom]

Those "felt" albums give me the creeps.

So we shouldn't be looking for a deluxe reissue of Congliptious on six 78s housed in a classy felt album?

The Pinetop Smith my only such album, and I think it's kinda cool.

[jazztrain]

There's a Barney Bigard (LP) with a felt cover on Liberty. I think there's a Calvin Jackson as well in the same "felt" series.

[jeffcrom]

Okay, something I haven't done for awhile - post a pretty complete list of the 78s I've spun over the past couple of days.

Jazz:

Paul Quinichette - No Parking/People Will Say We're in Love (Mercury, 1953)

Bud Powell - Bud's Bubble/Somebody Loves Me (Roost, 1947)

Bud Powell - All God's Chillun Got Rhythm/Celia (Mercury, 1949)

Kai Winding's New Jazz Group - Always/Grab Your Axe, Max (Savoy, 1945); with Getz and Shorty Rogers.

Barney Kessell Quartet - East of the Sun/Heat Wave (Clef, 1953)

...and one I'm not going to list, because it's pretty rare and I'm probably going to include it on my next blindfold test.

Classical:

A bunch by the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra/Stokowski -

Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (Victrola 12" one-sided, 1920)

Wagner: Tannhauser Overture (Victrola, 1921); conveniently spread over three one-sided 12" records. No matter; it's a fabulous performance.

Sibelius: Finlania/Moussorgsky: Entr'acte from Khowantchina (Victrola 12", 1921/1922)

Handel: Pastoral Symphony from Messiah/Bach: Prelude in B Minor from the WTC (Victrola 12", 1929/1930)

Stokowski was one of those artists, like Duke Ellington, who really understood the recording process, and knew how to make his records sound good. Even the acoustically-recorded discs by the Philadelphia Orchestra are state-of-the-art.

Leopold Godowsky - MacDowell: Witches' Dance (Brunswick one-sided, 1920)

Alfred Cortot - Liszt: Caprice Poetic (Victrola 12" one-sided, 1919)

Efrem Zimbalist - Reger: Andantino from Sonata no. 2 for Violin Unaccompanied) (Victor one-sided, 1915). A beautiful little record.

Marcel Moyse - Ibert: Piece for Solo Flute/Bach: Sarabande from Sonata in A Minor for Solo Flute (Columbia, 1935)

And the two records that got to me the most, probably:

Jussi Bjoerling - Puccini: Recondita Armonia/Verdi: La Donna e Mobile (Victor, 1936)

Jussi Bjoerling - Puccini: Donna non Vidi Mai/Mascagni: O Lola (RCA Victor, 1948)

Both of these were recorded in Stockholm, both are magnificent performances, and both have glorious sound.

[Clunky]

I bet those Bud sides sound fabulous heard on 78. I'd be a happy camper to find those.

[jeffcrom]

To keep the historical record, because it's so important, here were my 78 spins today:

Ray Charles - Someday/I'll Do Anything But Work (Swingtime, 1949)

Ray Charles - Sinner's Prayer/It Should've Been Me (Atlantic, 1953)

Ray Charles - Mary Ann/Down in My Own Tears (Atlantic, 1955)

I think that last pairing would be the Ray Charles single I would take to a desert island.

Dave Brubeck Trio - Body and Soul/Let's Fall in Love (Fantasy, 1950)

Dave Brubeck Quartet - A Foggy Day/Lyon's Busy (Fantasy, 1951)

Dave Brubeck Quartet - Me and My Shadow/Mam'selle (Fantasy, 1951)

Dave Brubeck Quartet/Solo - The Trolley Song/My Heart Stood Still (Fantasy promo, 1953)

I really enjoyed the quartet sides (and the solo); the trios, not so much.

Jacques Thibaud, Pablo Casals & Alfred Cortot - Schubert Trio No. 1 in B flat, op. 99 (Victor, 1926)

This is an early album in Victor's Musical Masterpieces series, with four 12" discs. Yes, you have to change sides every four and a half minutes, but it must have seemed miraculous at the time to listen to an entire thirty-plus-minute composition in your living room, especially one interpreted by these great musicians.

Edited February 14, 2014 by jeffcrom

[Clunky]

Rosa Henderson------Papa will be gone/ I’m a good gal---------------------( Brunswick) USA 2589

Edith Dunn------------- Evil Blues/ Pensacola Blues -----------------------------(Columbia) USA A 3746

Clara Smith ------------Prescription for the blues/ Death letter blues ------(Columbia) USA 14045

Just finished cleaning then spinning todays pick-ups. All equally fine blues.

[jeffcrom]

I have that Rosa Henderson, as well as several others by her. She's quite underrated, in my opinion.

I also visited one of my regular haunts today, and walked out with a half dozen 78s for a dollar each. The first was is the real gem, and in excellent condition. I'm pretty excited about it.

Rev. W.M. Mosley - Rev. W.M. Mosley's Prayer/Sin No More (Columbia, 1926). Rev. Mosley was from Atlanta, as so many of the great African-American recording preachers were (and still are). This was his first record.

Also cleaned and spun:

Memphis Minnie/Little Son Joe - Jump Little Rabbit/Tonight I Smile With You (Columbia, 1949). From Minnie's last Columbia session. It's not her best work, but Memphis Minnie 78s tend to be expensive when you find them, so I was glad to get this for a dollar.

Boswell Sisters acc. by the Dorsey Brothers - It's the Girl/It's You (Brunswick, 1931). "It's the Girl" was the recording that made me finally "get" the Boswell Sisters and how brilliant they were, so it's nice to have a copy of the original record.

Jimmie Lunceford - Well All Right Then/Uptown Blues (Columbia DJ promo). A later pressing, with excellent sound.

[Clunky]

Rex Stewart--------- Boy means horn/ Don’t get around much anymore-------( Blue Star) France BS 66m

Rex very much in an Ellingtonian mood. Recorded Paris December 1947.

[Clunky]

Red Nelson-------Crying mother blues/ Streamline train------(Brunswick UK) ex Decca



Cripple Clarence Lofton accompanies on piano. CMB is a great blues.

Edited February 16, 2014 by Clunky

[sidewinder]

Damn, I've got to get me one of these 78rpm ear-trumpet rigs..

[Clunky]

The shelves on my local 78 shop yesterday. Sadly they're closing down in just over a month and going on-line only. Can't think I'd buy any shellac by mail order. Too precarious.

[Clunky]

Damn, I've got to get me one of these 78rpm ear-trumpet rigs..

What you need is one of these, perfect for picnics (at this time of year?) I'm tempted to get one myself before they close but I do have a lot of other gadgets already

Edited February 16, 2014 by Clunky

[jeffcrom]

The shelves on my local 78 shop yesterday. Sadly they're closing down in just over a month and going on-line only. Can't think I'd buy any shellac by mail order. Too precarious.

That's a shame. I buy 78s on line (usually from Ebay) all the time. They have always arrived intact when the seller knows how to pack them properly. When they're packed like LPs, (which some inexperienced sellers have done), they are broken about 40% of the time.

[Clunky]

spun to two recent sides by vaudeville performer Emmett Miller

I ain't gonna give nobody none of this Jelly Roll - ------(Parlophone) UK R2163

The Ghost of St Louis Blues---------------------------------(Parlophone) UK R1138

Wilton Crawley and Chocolate Dandies feature on the reverse sides of these two. These two sides are all I have by Miller but they do suggest he was a good performer and worth listening to.

Miller has a pleasant slightly nasal delivery of his yodel / bluesy vocal style. Nice jazzy band backs him up.

[alankin]

Boswell Sisters acc. by the Dorsey Brothers - It's the Girl/It's You (Brunswick, 1931). "It's the Girl" was the recording that made me finally "get" the Boswell Sisters and how brilliant they were, so it's nice to have a copy of the original record.

I love the Boswell Sisters. Crazy stuff.

[Clunky]

Dixie Stompers ----------- Spanish Shawl / Clap hands here comes Charley--------( Harmony) USA 70 H

Jimmy Johnson------------ Go Harlem/ Just a crazy song-------------------------------( Columbia) USA 2448 D

Two recent 78s each sporting a nom de guerre. Dixie Stompers being Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra and Jimmy better know as James P. The latter judging by Rust appears to have alternated between James P and Jimmy. Henderson used other names presumably for contractual reasons (Connies Inn etc). Nice sides.

Edited February 19, 2014 by Clunky

[jeffcrom]

Blues ladies today:

Maggie Jones - I'm a Real Kind Mama/I'm Leaving You (Columbia, 1926)

Maggie Jones - Undertaker's Blues/Northbound Blues (Columbia, 1925)

Both of these are very worn. The first, with Louis Metcalf and Cliff Jackson, sounds as bad as it looks. The second, with Charlie Green and Fletcher Henderson, sounds better than it looks.

Lillian Glinn - Doggin' Me Blues/Brown Skin Blues (Columbia, 1927). I love this record, which was recorded in Dallas. The New Orleans pioneer Octave Gaspard (how's that for a Creole name?) plays tuba on "Doggin' Me."

Viola McCoy as Amanda Brown - Triflin' Blues/Chirpin' the Blues (Columbia, 1923)

Trixie Smith - Desperate Blues/Trixie's Blues (Black Swan, 1922)

Josie Miles - Baby's Got the Blues/Kansas City Man Blues (Gennett, 1923)

Priscilla Stewart - You Ain't Foolin' Me/True Blues (Paramount, 1924). Another one that looks awful but sounds pretty good, with the great Jimmy Blythe on piano.

And one instrumental from the same period:

The Gulf Coast Seven - Daybreak Blues/Fade Away Blues (Columbia, 1923). A fine little record, with Gus Aiken and Garvin Bushell in the band.

[Clunky]

Picked up five Boswell Sisters sides

Sentimental gentleman from Georgia/ Old Yazoo -----(Brunswick) UK 1379

Down on the delta/ Charlie two-step ----------------------(Brunswick) UK 1403

the fifth was Louisiana hayride coupled with Mary Lou Williams - Night Life

I was drawn to this last title because of the MLW side. I've not previously heard the Boswell Sisters but they have a jazzy and quite charming style.

[Clunky]

Thanks to the tip above I've picked some more Boswell Sisters, I found a Brunswick album (B1003) of 8 of their sides - a reissue from 40s/50s, shellac quality leaves a little to be desired but the discs are unmarked despite the album cover being quite worn. Lovely music

What‘d ya do to me / When i take my sugar to tea 80011

Roll on Mississippi, roll on/ Shout sister shout 80012

Heebie Jeebies/ Shine on harvest moon 80013

River stay away from my door / It’s the girl 80014

played these earlier after a quick clean to remove some dust and finger prints

[Clunky]

Over the past 6 months or so I've picked up some nice British dance band 78s. These often contained hot solos and can be surprisingly jazzy. Jack Hylton's Kit Cat Band has proven to provide good listening. So yesterday I came across this CD of 24 tracks by this band on the Mellotone. Sadly the music has had NR applied excessively which is a real pity. Music sounds metallic and with headphones on you hear weird swishing sounds. Really only any use as reference for which real 78s to look out for.

Edited March 5, 2014 by Clunky

[Clunky]

Elizabeth Johnson-----------Empty bed blues Part 1 & 2------------(Okeh)

Fine blues indeed with King Oliver. Lovely even if my copy is only in V condition.

[Clunky]

Picked up a small number of 78s today.

Fletcher Henderson -----I got to sing a torch song/ New King Porter Stomp-----(Columbia) CB701

I couldn't find the first title under Fletcher's name in Rust but did so under brother Horace. This UK issue was the first predating the US issue.

Five Harmaniacs-----------It takes a good woman/ What makes my baby cry---------(Victor) USA

Jug band from NY 1927. Marked country influence on this and not like any jug band I've heard.

[Clunky]

Art Kahn-----Sometimes I'm happy/ When day is done-----(OKeh)

Rec. June 1927, the only thing that distinguishes these sides is some nice solo work by an uncredited Eddie Lang. Both sides are described as "piano novelty " which is pretty accurate given the exceptionally lame singing

Next

Pavilion Players ------- I want to be happy / Tea for two------( Winner) UK

Despite the billing two entirely separate bands, the Vagabonds with Adrian Rollini want to be happy ( but it's only 50/50 they'll succeed ) whilst the Henry Large orchestra stiffly play for their tea. Neither side is great but both have some charm.

Edited March 26, 2014 by Clunky

[Clunky]

Pola Negri-------------Black eyes/ Farewell my gypsy camp---------(HMV) c.1929

Great pair of sides by femme fatale, Polish born Negri, singing in Russian and released on an UK label . Not sure where is was recorded but it's great music and very evocative of the times.

[Clunky]

Freebies today from the now defunct 78 shop as they clear through their stock before shipping it south.

Two nice Django Swing sides led by others.

Michel Warlop----------Organ grinders swing/ Sweet Sue----------(Swing) France. Complete with one 'Zepelli' on piano. No prizes for guessing. Rec. December 1937

Bill Coleman-------------Swing guitars/ Big boy blues----------------(Swing) France. Small edge flake intrudes in first few seconds but otherwise excellent condition.