Miss Annabelle Lee
Missouri Jazz Band (Nathan Glantz & His Orchestra)
(v: Arthur Fields)
Banner 6030 (1927)

The stock arrangement of "Miss Annabelle Lee" was unusually good, and one most studio bands used on their recordings of the tune. This session by Nathan Glantz is no exception; they've made a few minor cuts, and opened it up a bit for the trumpet soloist. I'm afraid I don't know who the soloist is - he does a nice job, in the Red Nichols vein. All told, this recording is quite a bit hotter than the usual Nathan Glantz side!

Strolling In The Sunshine
Imperial Dance Orchestra (Billy James' Dance Orchestra/?Sam Lanin)
Banner 6070 (1927)

*Strolling* in the sunshine??? How about *Romping*, or *Barreling Head-long*? Rust credits this to Billy James, but it sounds very much like a Lanin session to me, with some of the standard Lanin tell-tales: perhaps Red Nichols (trumpet) and another, perhaps Leo McConville (who takes a brief solo on the last chorus), trombonist Sam Lewis and the mystery lead-alto man (I think he's Louis Martin, but I can't prove it), who takes a bit of a solo on the bridge of the first chorus as well.

Memories Of You
Missouri Jazz Band (Billy James & His Orchestra/?Nathan Glantz)
(v: Arthur Fields)
Banner 6079 (1927)

Were you expecting the Eubie Blake "Memories Of You"? This definitely isn't that, is it? Again, Rust credits this to Billy James, but I suggest it's Glantz based on the sound of the band and that very hokey alto sax solo in the last chorus. Glantz had made quite a name for himself as a "sweet" alto sax soloist in the early twenties, appearing on many trio and small orchestra sides. It seems he felt led to take a hot solo here, and, well, he didn't do it often, thank goodness! A note to bandleaders: listen to the soprano sax trio after the vocal; there's a very good reason you *never* let soprano saxes play in unison!

Once Over Lightly
Al Goering's Dance Orchestra (Jack Pettis & His Band)
Banner 7001 (1927)

Another not-particularly-well-recorded side by Jack Pettis and his fellow members of the Ben Bernie band, this time under pianist Al Goering's name. Nice solos from trumpeter Bill Moore, Pettis on C-melody sax and a guitarist who could be Eddie Lang. Rust suggests Dick McDonough is playing banjo on this session, in place of Lang, but that is definitely a guitar, and it sounds very much like Lang. Listen to him "chonk" (to borrow a term from guitarist Charlie Christian) behind Pettis' solo. Listen also to the rhythmic drive and unity in the last chorus - this is a band that is used to playing together.

Casey Jones Special
Cloudy
Andy Kirk & His Twelve Clouds Of Joy
Brunswick 4653 (1929)

This was recorded in Kansas City by a Brunswick recording engineer who was definitely having a bad day. It sounds as if it was recorded in a broom closet, and yet the soloists are too far from the mike and the band is too close. The poor fellow wasn't expecting the big orchestra entrance after the piano solo on "Cloudy"; you can hear the gain suddenly drop.

Speaking of the pianist, that's Mary Lou Williams, wife of band member John Williams. As you can hear, she was an exceptionally talented musician, and rose to fame with the Kirk band.

Got The Bench, Got The Park
Loveless Love
Noble Sissle & His Orchestra
(v: Noble Sissle)
Brunswick 6073 (1931)

Sissle had made quite a name for himself in the early twenties by his work with pianist Eubie Blake. After several stage successes, he moved to England in 1927 where he was well received as a singer and a bandleader. He and his band appeared throughout Europe, returning to the United States early in 1931.

I know this arrangement of "Got The Bench, Got The Park" quite well; it's a slightly modified stock arrangement that I used with my own band. It's interesting to hear them hit the same clinkers we did! Featured soloists on these sides include Tommy Ladnier (trumpet), Rudy Jackson (clarinet & alto sax) and Sidney Bechet (soprano sax). Listen closely and you'll hear a baritone or bass sax playing the bass line - my first thought is that it *is* a bass sax, but it sounds very "light" and the fellow seems to have some serious intonation problems, something one would expect from a baritone player in this situation.

Brown Sugar
Joe Candullo & His Orchestra
Cameo 1048 (1926)

Candullo managed to record this tune (by future "Rhythm Boys" member Harry Barris) for a number of companies in 1926: Oriole in September, Edison and Harmony in October and Cameo (the source of this recording) in November. Not much is known of the personnel of the band; Rust suggests that Red Nichols is present on the Edison session, and it sounds as if he's on this session as well. I think that it may well be Miff Mole on trombone as well, but I have no way to prove it. That's Candullo on the rather "whiny" violin solo.

I'm Back In Love Again
Lou Gold & His Orchestra
(v: Arthur Hall)
Cameo 1137 (1927)

Are you tired of me second-guessing the Rust discographies? This sounds so much a like Lanin session, but it's credited on the label to Gold. Of course, we've seen several instances of the Lanin band being mis-credited on the Cameo label, so I could well be correct! I believe that's Jimmy Dorsey taking the very nice alto sax solos and soloing on clarinet in the last chorus.

Cuddle Closer
Cole McElroy's Spanish Ballroom Orchestra
(v: Trio)
Columbia 959-D (1927)

McElroy had a very well-respected band on the West coast, and this side is an excellent example of why they were held in such high regard. Listen to how assured they sound; listen to how simple and sparse the arrangement is: the chorus of just baritone sax, trombone and rhythm is amazing, and listen to the tiny but important role the accordian plays behind the trumpet solo. That vocal trio is "way-out", but *good*, and the banjo player is absolutely rock-solid!

Red Lips, Kiss My Blues Away
Leo Reisman & His Orchestra
(v: Harry Maxfield)
Columbia 973-D (1927)

Boston-based society bandleader Reisman claimed that he didn't like jazz at all, but this side gets rather warm after the vocal, with a nice mellophone solo and some impressive cymbal work from drummer Harry Sigman.

Sugar
Sam Lanin's Dance Orchestra
(v: Scrappy Lambert)
Imperial (UK) 1860 (1927)

Many folks know this tune from the ill-fated recordings by Red Nichols and Frank Trumbauer: it seems Nichols had the idea of taking a band that included Frank Trumbauer and Bill Rank (as well as Nichols regulars Pee Wee Russel, Arthur Schutt and Adrian Rollini) to the Victor studios to record in the morning of October 26, 1927 (to be released as Red Nichols' Stompers), then Trumbauer would take the same band (including Nichols) to the Okeh studios to record in the afternoon (to be issued, presumably, under Trumbauer's name). When Okeh's recording director saw that Nichols and not Bix Beiderbecke (Trumbauer's usual cornet soloist) was on the date, he insisted that Beiderbecke be brought in and Nichols was dismissed. According to legend, Bix was found at a speakeasy in no condition to play, but the director was insistent: No Bix, no date. The resulting recording was very poor; indeed, Okeh issued it under a pseudonym! For years many collectors have thought that it couldn't be Bix on the session (it was just so bad!) but the general consensus now is that it is indeed Bix on the date. Here's what the tune sounds like, without all the fuss - it's nice to hear it without the extra baggage!

Ain't That The Way It Goes
Hal Swain & His Band
(v: Hal Swain)
Imperial (UK) 2566 (1931)

Many thanks once again to Colin Holmes who provided the discographical info for this side. Swain was a Canadian saxophonist who brought a band from Toronto to England in 1924. He later parted company with them and put together another band, which was quite popular. That's Swain himself singing the vocal chorus.