October 2005

October 27, 2005
 

 
Deep Purple
Artie Shaw And His Orchestra
Helen Forrest, vocal                                    1939
(Bluebird B-10178-A)

Say It With A Kiss
Artie Shaw And His Orchestra
Helen Forrest, vocal                                    1938
(Bluebird B-10079-A)

It Took A Million Years
Artie Shaw And His Orchestra
Helen Forrest, vocal                                    1938
(Bluebird B-10178-B)

Melancholy Mood
Artie Shaw And His Orchestra
Helen Forrest, vocal                                    1939
(Bluebird B-10334-B)

I Want My Share Of Love
Artie Shaw And His Orchestra
Helen Forrest, vocal                                    1939
(Bluebird B-10134-B)

Thanks For Ev'rything
Artie Shaw And His Orchestra
Helen Forrest, vocal                                    1938
(Bluebird B-10055-B)

Between A Kiss And A Sigh
Artie Shaw And His Orchestra
Helen Forrest, vocal                                    1938
(Bluebird B-10055-A)
 

 
Helen Forrest was one of the most popular female big band vocalists and was a member of three of the era's most famous bands.  Born Helen Fogel, she began her vocal career at age ten performing with her brother's band in the Washington D.C area.  Later she performed vocals on CBS radio under the name Bonnie Blue.   In 1938, Artie Shaw hired her to replace Billie Holiday as his band's vocalist.  In 1939 when Artie Shaw disbanded and moved to Mexico for what would turn out to be a very brief retirement, Forrest signed up with the Benny Goodman band where she remained until 1941 when she joined the Harry James band.  It was with the Harry James band that Helen Forrest reached the height of her popularity.   She left the Harry James band in 1943 to pursue a solo career and continued to perform into the early 1990s. 
 
 

EXTRA

This section will  present 78 rpm recordings that do not fall within the range of the vintage pop and jazz  fare that I usually  present.  Here I will feature recordings from a wide variety of eras, musical genres and nationalities as well as occasional spoken word recordings. 
 

Swamp Ghosts
Wayne King And His Orchestra
Burke Bivens, vocal                                              1930
(Victor 22600-B )

A Clarinet In A Haunted House
Johnny Messner And His Orchestra                       1941
(Decca 4040-B mx 69759)

Haunting Blues
Jan Garber And His Garber-Davis Orchestra         1922
(Columbia A 3781 mx 80640 )
 

Since Monday is Halloween, I thought I would feature some Halloween themed recordings.

I think "Swamp Ghosts" is a fascinating recording.   The Wayne King band mostly played waltzes and this recording is very different from the band's normal style.  According to the record's label, the vocalist on the recording, Burke Bivens was the song's composer. 

I featured Johnny Messner's "A Clarinet In A Haunted House" for the Halloween 2002 update.  However, since that was before I acquired my Souvenir VSP for audio restoration, I have decided to feature it again using my new equipment.

"Haunting Blues" is performed by the early Jan Garber band when it was co-led by Milton Davis.  Throughout the 1920s,  the Garber band played "hot" dance music and it wasn't until the early 1930s that it switched to the Guy Lombardo-esque saccharine sweet style that it is best remembered for. 

October 20, 2005
 
 

 
Note:  This week's updates  (the regular update as well as the "extra") come courtesy of guest contributor Christian Kohlhaas who has provided both the music and the commentary.   My only contribution was to transfer, restore and digitalize the recordings from Christian's 78 rpm discs.  Previously, Christian was the guest contributor on the June 16, 2005 update.  Since then, he has started his own Internet radio station Radio Moscow which is devoted to vintage Russian recordings from the 1930s and 1940s.  You can read more about Christian Kohlhaas as well as view his photo and contact information by clicking here
 
 
 

I Got The Ritz From The One I Love
Lofner-Harris St. Francis Hotel Orchestra 
Phil Harris, vocal                                    1931
(Victor 22830-A)

I'm Sorry Dear
Lofner-Harris St. Francis Hotel Orchestra 
Hal Schaer, vocal                                    1931
(Victor 22830-B)

 

The Lofner-Harris St. Francis Hotel Orchestra was as one might suspect, an orchestra led by bandleader Phil Harris.  It was formed in the late 1920s with pianist Carol Lofner and played at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco with Harris as the vocalist.  In 1932 the band went on tour and shortly thereafter Harris took sole leadership of the band, soon becoming the house band at the famous Cocoanut Grove in Los Angeles.  Phil Harris went on to became the bandleader on Jack Benny's network radio show in 1936 which is probably his most famous role.  Harris had a unique singing voice which can be heard in the first selection in this week's update.  This first song highlights the best aspects of  Harris's band and singing talent I think, with its upbeat rhythm and fun vocal although his band also had the range to be able to play slower numbers like "I'm Sorry Dear."
 

By My Side
Majestic Dance Orchestra 
Buddy Blue, vocal                                    1931
(Regal 10322-A mx 10505)

Out Of Nowhere
Majestic Dance Orchestra
Buddy Blue, vocal                                    1931
(Regal 10322-B mx 10506)
 

The "Majestic Dance Orchestra" was actually a recording pseudonym used by many different bands.  Bob Haring's Orchestra is the one which recorded these two selections.  Recording pseudonyms were quite common during the 1920s and early 1930s especially on "dime store" labels such as Regal  which were sold cheaply in discount chains across the nation.  The name of the vocalist on these songs may also be misleading as "Buddy Blue" means these songs were actually sung by Smith Ballew, a prolific and talented singer of the day.  Astute listeners will note that a different version of, "By  My Side" was featured in an earlier update of mine.  This particular  version, I think, is excellent and deserves to be heard too.  "Out of Nowhere" is one of my favorite songs and I think you will agree that this version is outstanding.  It really captures the feel of the early 1930s. 

- Christian Kohlhaas
 
 

EXTRA

This section will  present 78 rpm recordings that do not fall within the range of the vintage pop and jazz  fare that I usually  present.  Here I will feature recordings from a wide variety of eras, musical genres and nationalities as well as occasional spoken word recordings. 
 
 
 

La Papita
Julio Pollero y su Orquesta Tipica             circa 1927-1928
(Victor (Argentina) 79990-A )

Ya No Soy Mas Aquél
Julio Pollero y su Orquesta Tipica             circa 1927-1928
(Victor (Argentina) 79990-B)

Perversa
A Ferrazzano y su Orquesta Tipica           circa 1927-1928
(Victor (Argentina) 79825-B )

Amorios
A Ferrazzano y su Orquesta Tipica           circa 1927-1928
(Victor (Argentina) 79825-A)
 

All of the above tango selections came from two 78 rpm records I found in a flea market in Montevideo, Uruguay this past summer.  Montevideo is essentially the sister city to Buenos Aires, Argentina the two being separated only by a short ferry ride.  And while Buenos Aires is often thought of as the birthplace and home of the tango, Montevideo has its own long tango history as well.  These selections were all recorded in Buenos Aires by Victor.  Both Montevideo and Buenos Aires were thriving centers of commerce and culture during the early part of the 20th century  resulting in cities abounding in beautiful buildings, monuments and parks.   Although economic downturns and political upheaval mean that these two cities are no longer what they once were, both are still wonderful places to visit and explore.  Many areas of these cities are virtually unchanged from the way they were when these tango records were recorded and Argentines still listen to the tango artists of the 20s and 30s.

- Christian Kohlhaas

---

 

NOTE:  This week's update and "extra" come courtesy of guest contributor Ian House who has provided both the music and the commentary.  Ian has just  produced a new CD, Lee Morse: Echos Of A Songbird in collaboration with Jasmine Records in the UK. 

Please note that while all of the selections featured on this update are included in the CD, the audio files presented here are NOT from the CD.  These audio files were made from mp3 files that Ian transcribed from the original 78 rpm records in his collection.  I then ran the mp3 files through my audio restoration equipment.  Unfortunately, the results are not as good as they would have been had it been possible to play the original records through the restoration equipment directly.   Rest assured that the tracks on the CD feature professional quality audio restoration that is vastly superior to what is heard on the audio files in this update.

I would like to congratulate Ian for the outstanding work he has done on both the CD and his LeeMorse.com website.  Both are labors of love which are helping to bring about a much deserved renaissance for a highly talented but long  forgotten artist.   You can read more about Ian House as well as find links to the two outstanding websites he maintains by clicking here.
 

Could I ? I Certainly Could
Lee Morse 
And Her Blue Grass Boys             1925
(Pathé 25182)

Yes, Sir, That's My Baby
Lee Morse 
And Her Blue Grass Boys             1925
(Pathé 25146)

Old Man Sunshine, Little Boy Bluebird
Lee Morse 
And Her Blue Grass Boys             1928
(Columbia 1621-D)

Tain't No Sin (To Dance Around In Your Bones)
Lee Morse 
And Her Blue Grass Boys             1930
(Columbia 2136-D)
 
 

 
Lee Morse, the long forgotten and enigmatic songbird from the 20s, is my favorite female vocalist. During the period 1924-1933, she recorded close to 200 songs -first, her acoustic sides for the Pathé label, and then, beginning in 1927, her electronic recordings for Columbia's "Viva Tonal" label. Fortunately, she was given, by both of these studios, a great deal of artistic license to not only compose much of her own material (roughly a third of her catalogue) but to also experiment with a number of playful vocalization styles. As a result, she has left us with dozens of infectious recordings chock full of whoops, yelps, grunts, whispers, warbles and yodels. But novelty scat singing was just one aspect of her delightful persona; Lee was an accomplished singer who brilliantly expressed herself in almost every nuance of Jazz and Blues -torch songs, ballads and red-hot dance numbers as well. Whatever it was, she was willing and able to put it over. As Ruth Etting herself was graciously willing to concede, Lee was a master of three full octaves. Her lowest register could reach so deep at times that it was sometimes mistaken for a man's voice by her record-buying audience. To counter this confusion, the Pathé executives found it necessary to change her label credit to "Miss Lee Morse", a moniker that would forever remain with her. And, in its soprano range, Lee's voice could effortlessly soar into the stratosphere, especially with her warbling embellishments.

Lena Corinne Taylor was born in Portland, Oregon on Nov. 30th, 1897 into a large musical family. She was the 9th child out of 12 born to Pleasant John Taylor, a singing preacher from Palo Pinto, Texas. It has been speculated that the deeper registers in her vocal range developed as a result of her impersonating her 9 singing brothers at such a tender age. Lee's first public singing experience was at the age of 3 when she was introduced by her father to his congregation. In 1908, the Taylor family moved to Kooskia, Idaho where Lee would spend the second half of her childhood. By this time, 4 of her elder brothers were already professional entertainers. And, like her brothers, Lee was destined, since birth, to pursue a life in show business; In 1920, she would leave Kooskia (and her first husband, Elmer Morse)  in pursuit of a career in Vaudeville. In just 4 short years, she rose to national prominence as a Vaudeville and stage performer in California and later, on Broadway. In 1924, Lee Morse began her prolific recording career which would last until 1933. She made two subsequent attempts to revive her career -first in 1938 and, then again, in 1950 (on the Decca label). During this period, she was also engaged in radio and nightclub appearances. In 1939, Lee moved to Rochester, NY, where she would remain in relative obscurity until her premature death in 1954. As the Jazz Age faded, Lee quickly became a forgotten songbird. She deserves to have her tremendous contributions remembered and celebrated once again.
 

For anybody wishing to pay tribute to Lee's memory and to learn more than can be written here, I invite you to visit my website, LeeMorse.com. There, you will find 150 of her recordings, a full discography in progress, a visit to Kooskia, Idaho (her childhood home), a biographical outline, a Taylor family tree, a list of her "Blue Grass Boys", a photo album, the lyrics for "Lee's Lullaby" and  3 short subject films from 1930, her only known film appearances. 

 
 

 
 
 
 

It is with great pride that I announce the release of "Echoes of a Songbird", a 2 CD (50 song) set that I have been producing in collaboration with Jasmine Records in the UK. Until now, there has only been one CD reissue dedicated to Lee's work made available, Jim Bedoian's Take Two release called "Lee Morse, A Musical Portrait" which is now out of print but still widely available online. With the exception of one song, the Jasmine release offers a completely different track list than the one found on Jim's CD. This collection is a balanced representation of her complete catalogue: 25 of her Pathé recordings (disc 1) and 25 of her Columbia recordings (disc 2).

As a warning, when it comes to the first disc of this set, the listener is frequently in for a rough and tumble ride across those Pathé grooves. Until now, much of Lee's acoustic catalogue (half of her work) has never been reissued due to the poor fidelity of the Pathé and Perfect labels. I am so grateful that Jasmine has shown the courage to defy this trend in the face of potential criticism from the most discerning of audiophiles. (For any such person, I would strongly advise against the purchase of this collection) By sharp contrast, the Columbia "Viva-Tonal" recordings on the second disc have an exquisite fidelity and reproduce Lee's voice faithfully. Every one of her guitar plucks is sharp and crisp!

And finally, I would like to sincerely thank Dismuke for graciously inviting me to borrow this forum :-)

- Ian House
 
 

EXTRA

This section will  present 78 rpm recordings that do not fall within the range of the vintage pop and jazz  fare that I usually  present.  Here I will feature recordings from a wide variety of eras, musical genres and nationalities as well as occasional spoken word recordings.
 
 

Powerhouse
Raymond Scott             1937 
(Saturday Night Swing Club -WABC )

In An 18th Century Drawing Room
Raymond Scott             circa 1939
(Rhythm Roundup -CBS)

Even if the name Raymond Scott does not immediately ring a bell, his eccentric work may seem strangely familiar to you. He was responsible for composing several original pieces that were used liberally by Carl Stalling in the scores for more than a hundred Warner Bros. cartoons produced during the 40s and 50s. Although Scott, at the time, never received the proper recognition for his contribution, his work will live on for generations to follow. "Powerhouse" is probably his best known composition today due to its wide exposure and familiarity. His six member "Quintette" was primarily active between 1936 and 1939 and was formed by Scott to bring a new "crisp" energy into Swing music which he perceived to be growing stagnant at that time. 

Raymond Scott led a duel career; Although he was a working musician, his first passion was to invent various machines to produce synthetic, electronic sounds and music -and he was one of the earliest pioneers to do so. Throughout the 40s, 50s and 60s, he was able to successfully market his inventions, on a limited basis, for use in niche applications. Here are some links to his various inventions. Make sure to explore the photos and listen to the sound files!

The Clavivox
The Circle Machine
The Electronium 
The Videola

- Ian House

October 5, 2005
 
 

Dinah
Harold Leonard 
And His Waldorf Astoria Orchestra            1926
(Brunswick 3000-B)

Kentucky's Way Of Sayin' Good Mornin'
Harold Leonard
And His Waldorf Astoria Orchestra            1926
(Brunswick 3000-A)

 
Unfortunately, I have very little information about the Harold Leonard Orchestra other than the fact that it was a real band and not a recording pseudonym. I also know that the band did, in fact,  appear at the old Waldorf=Astoria Hotel (which was later torn down to make way for the Empire State Building).  There was a Harold Leonard band in Canada but I do not know whether or not it was the same band as the one featured here. 

"Dinah," composed in 1925 by Harry Akst with lyrics by Sam Lewis and Joe Young,  has come to be recognized as a standard.   The song was introduced by Ethel Waters and became a big hit for her.  Several websites say that Waters introduced the song in a show called the Plantation Revue.  But that should not be confused with the 1922 Lew Leslie production of the same name.   Instead, that was apparently the name of the floor show at a New York nightclub called the  Plantation Club.   The were actually two Plantation Clubs,  both owned by Harry Block.  The first was located on top of the Winter Garden Theatre at Broadway and 50th.  At some point in the mid 1920s, Block  moved the club to West 126th Street in Harlem as competition to the very successful Cotton Club.  Owney Madden, the gangster who owned the Cotton Club, apparently was not amused as he was reportedly responsible for Harry Block's subsequent murder.   Some websites state the Waters introduced the song at the club's Broadway location while other say it was at the 126th Street location.   Regardless, the song's success at the club helped Ethel Waters get a recording contract with Columbia Records.  Other artists also had success with the song causing it to hit the popular music charts a number of times in the 1930s and 1940s. 

"Kentucky's Way Of Sayin' Good Mornin'" was also introduced in 1925.  It was composed by Egbert Van Alstyne with lyrics by Gus Kahn. 
 
 

EXTRA

This section will  present 78 rpm recordings that do not fall within the range of the vintage pop and jazz  fare that I usually  present.  Here I will feature recordings from a wide variety of eras, musical genres and nationalities as well as occasional spoken word recordings. 
 
 

Mad About The Boy
Edythe Baker - Rhythm Pianist             1932 
(Decca (British) F3231-A mx GB5062 )

Words And Music - Selections
Edythe Baker - Rhythm Pianist             1932
(Decca (British) F3231-B mx  GB5063)

Here are some piano renditions of songs by famous British composer Noel Coward from the 1932 review Words And Music. 

Edythe Baker was a well-known 1920s era piano player.  From 1919 through the mid 1920s she cut a series of piano rolls for the Aeolian company.  She also appeared in several Broadway musicals between 1921 and 1926.  Baker moved to England in 1927 where she continued to appear on stage and in the recording studios.  Eventually, she married into a British banking family and gave up show business.  After World War II Edythe Baker returned to the USA and became a piano teacher in Wurstboro, New York. 

Both of these selections come from a British 78 rpm on the Decca label.   Decca records first appeared in 1929 and were immediately successful.  The American record label of the same name was established in 1934.