Henry 'Red' Allen 1929-1936 - Jazz Classics In Digital Stereo

 

Henry James "Red" Allen Jr. (January 7, 1908 – April 17, 1967) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist, born in the Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana, the son of the bandleader Henry Allen Sr.

Allen's trumpet style has been described by Joachim-Ernst Berendt and others as the first to fully incorporate the innovations of Louis Armstrong, and to develop an emphasis on phrasing. Allen's recordings received much favorable attention. His versatility is shown by his winning of DownBeat awards in both the traditional jazz and the modern jazz categories.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Allen

1 Fats Waller And His Buddies– Lookin' Good But Feelin' Bad

2 Luis Russell And His Orchestra– Jersey Lightning

3 Luis Russell And His Orchestra– The (New) Call Of The Freaks

4 Luis Russell And His Orchestra– Feelin' The Spirit

5 Walter Pichon*– Doggin' That Thing

6 Henry Allen And His Orchestra*– Roamin'

7 Henry Allen And His Orchestra*– Spring Pretty Songs

8 Henry Allen And His Orchestra*– Patrol Wagon Blues

9 Henry Allen And His Orchestra*– I Fell In Love With You

10 Billy Banks And His Orchestra– Bugle Call Rag

11 Spike Hughes And His Negro Orchestra– Sweet Sorrow Blues

12 Spike Hughes And His Negro Orchestra– Sweet Sue

13 Horace Henderson And His Orchestra– Minnie The Moocher's Wedding Day

14 Benny Morton And His Orchestra– Get Goin'

15 Henry Allen And His Orchestra*– Whos Honey Are You?

16 Mills Blue Rhythm Band*– Ride, Red, Ride

17 Mills Blue Rhythm Band*– Yes! Yes!

18 Mills Blue Rhythm Band*– Barrel House

Henry 'Red' Allen 1929-1936

Billy Vaughn 50 Golden Greats

 

Richard Smith Vaughn (April 12, 1919 – September 26, 1991), known as Billy Vaughn, was an American singer, multi-instrumentalist, orchestra leader and A&R man for Dot Records.

Vaughn was born in Glasgow, Kentucky, United States, where his father, Alvis Radford Vaughn, was a barber who loved music and inspired Billy to teach himself to play the mandolin at the age of three. He went on to learn a number of other instruments.

Vaughn charted a total of 42 singles on the Billboard charts, often based on the sound of two alto saxophones. He also charted thirty six albums on the Billboard 200, beginning with 1958's Sail Along Silv'ry Moon and ending with 1970's Winter World of Love. He also had nineteen Top 40 hits in (Germany), beginning with the chart-topping "Sail Along, Silv'ry Moon", also a gold record, which was a cover of a 1937 Bing Crosby hit. He had two more number ones in Germany: "La Paloma" and "Wheels" (all three were reportedly million sellers).

Billy Vaughn's recording of "Wheels" was No.1 for 14 weeks in Germany (Hit Bilanz) as well as No. 1 in India, New Zealand, and Italy (Billboard hits of the world, various issues 1961). Vaughn also charted in Australia, Latin America, and Japan. "Pearly Shells" was a major success in Japan. Vaughn's tours of that country began about the time "Pearly Shells" was a hit in 1965. Many songs which were not US hits or even singles releases there, were major hits in other countries. These included "Lili Marlene", "Zwei Gitarren am Meer", "Blueberry Hill" (Germany), and "Greenfields". Also successful were "Song of Peace", "It's a Lonesome Old Town" (Japan), "Michelle" (No 1 in Argentina and Malaysia), "Mexico" (No. 1 in the Philippines), and "Bonanza" (a major success in Brazil and Italy [Billboard Hits of the World, 1960s]) plus "Theme from the Dark at the Top of the Stairs" (various Latin American countries). The album La Paloma was a success throughout Latin America. 

He also had a number one album in Germany in the early 1980s with Moonlight Melodies, which consisted of 20 of Billy's biggest hits (original Dot recordings, original LP notes and credits). 

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Max Raabe and Palast Orchester...new release "Golden Age" and American tour dates

Berlin's famed crooner Max Raabe and his twelve-piece Palast Orchester will be bringing their collection of meticulously recreated songs from the Weimar era of 1920s Germany as well as the Great American Songbook to six United States cities beginning March 2nd, 2014. 

The tour will support their upcoming February 25th release on Deutsche Grammophon, 'Golden Age', which draws from the era between the two world wars and features timeless classics like "Singing in the Rain", "Dream a Little Dream" and "Cheek to Cheek" as well as tongue-in-cheek interpretations of pop favorites "Sex Bomb" and "Oops...I Did it Again". Raabe mesmerizes a new generation as he celebrates an era when dance halls were thriving, every restaurant had an orchestra, and the Charleston became the sensation.

As the title suggests, Golden Age is a collection of classics from the Great American Songbook. Drawing from the era between World War I and II, with titles like"These Foolish Things," "Singin' In the Rain," "Dream a Little Dream" and "Cheek to Cheek," Raabe mesmerizes a new generation with timeless tunes by Cole Porter, Noel Coward and others and celebrates an era when Josephine Baker danced dressed only a banana skirt, dance halls were thriving, every restaurant had an orchestra and the Charleston became the sensation.

Order on Amazon:  http://www.smarturl.it/goldenage_amazon

Order on iTunes: http://www.smarturl.it/goldenage_itunes

T  H  E     T  O  U  R :

March 2nd, 2014 

Fairfax, VA @ Center For the Arts, George Mason University

Tickets:  http://cfa.gmu.edu/calendar/1472/

March 3rd, 2014

New York, NY @ Carnegie Hall 

Tickets:  http://www.carnegiehall.org/Event.aspx?id=4294999840

March 5th, 2014 

Princeton, NJ @ McCarter Theatre Center 

Tickets:   http://ticketing.mccarter.org/ticketing/tickets/production.aspx?performanceNumber=8314 

March 6th, 2014 

Kennet Square, PA @ Longwood Gardens Ballroom

Tickets: [SOLD OUT]

March 8th, 2014 

Atlanta, GA @ Rialto Center for the Arts, Georgia State University

Tickets:  http://rialto.gsu.edu/rialto-series/max-raabe-palast-orchester/

March 9th, 2014 

Miami, FL @ The Knight Concert Hall, Arsht Center for the Performing Arts

Tickets:  http://www.arshtcenter.org/Tickets/Calendar/2013-2014-Season/Masterworks-Pops/Max-Raabe-Palast-Orchester/

More information:

http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/cat/4765084

http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/artist/raabe/biography

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Vintage Charleston..Original Recordings 1924 - 1928

The Charleston is a dance named for the harbor city of Charleston, South Carolina. The rhythm was popularized in mainstream dance music in the United States by a 1923 tune called "The Charleston" by composer/pianist James P. Johnson which originated in the Broadway show Runnin' Wild and became one of the most popular hits of the decade. Runnin' Wild ran from 29 October 1923 through 28 June 1924. The peak year for the Charleston as a dance by the public was mid-1926 to 1927.

While the Charleston as a dance probably came from the "star" or challenge dances that were all part of the African-American dance called Juba, the particular sequence of steps which appeared in Runnin' Wild were probably newly devised for popular appeal. "At first, the step started off with a simple twisting of the feet, to rhythm in a lazy sort of way (this could well be the Jay-Bird). When the dance hit Harlem, a new version was added. It became a fast kicking step, kicking the feet, both forward and backward and later done with a tap." Further changes were undoubtedly made before the dance was put on stage.

The Charleston was one of the dances from which Lindy Hop and Jazz Roots developed in the 1930s. A slightly different form of Charleston became popular in the 1930s and '40s, and is associated with Lindy Hop. In this later Charleston form, the hot jazz timing of the 1920s Charleston was adapted to suit the swing jazz music of the '30s and '40s. This style of Charleston has many common names, though the most common are Lindy Charleston, Savoy Charleston, '30s or '40s Charleston and Swing(ing) Charleston. In both '20s Charleston and Swinging Charleston, the basic step takes eight counts and is danced either alone or with a partner.

This compilation captures the sounds of the 20's craze about as well as anything. Great titles, especially by Paul Whiteman, "I'd Rather Charleston" by Fred and Adele Astaire with George Gershwin accompanying, "South Wind", by Roger Wolfe Kahn's Orchestra, a great arrangement and spirited playing, plus tracks from Jelly Roll Morton and George Olsen among others. A well remastered collection of hard-to-find recordings.

George Olsen and His Music..Beyond the Blue Horizon.. 24 original mono recordings 1923 - 1933

For fans of 1920's music!  24 original mono recordings 1923 - 1933

George Olsen (originally from Oregon, USA) went from being drum major of the University of Michigan marching band to leading successful pit orchestras for some of the most famous Broadway musical productions of the 1920s. He appeared in numerous Ziegfield follies, George White scandals, etc. His orchestra began recording for Victor records in 1924 and soon became a rival to the top-rated orchestras of Paul Whiteman and Fred Waring. Olsen's most successful recording was the 1925 smash hit, "Who?", and was followed by many others including, "Lucky Day", "Do Do Do", "Varsity Drag", and "Doin' the Racoon". Olsen appeared in the Eddie Cantor talking picture, Whoopee, in 1930. He also was Jack Benny's first orchestra leader when Benny began his weekly show on radio in 1931.

Olsen's recordings were generally up-tempo renditions of Broadway or other popular tunes. The arrangements were complex, musically "busy", and featured a rotation of lead instruments on repetitions of the main theme, driven by a relentless rhythm section of the "boom-chick" variety. The music reflects and embodies the carefree spirit and hyperactivity of the "jazz age". The vocals are remarkably good and surprisingly understated, for the period. The lead singer was usually Fran Frey who had an unpolished-but-effective-and-charming, relaxed, baritone delivery. (Frey was later musical director for the Ice Capades.) Other songs were tastefully and satisfactorily performed by a vocal trio. Several songs on this CD were sung by Olsen's wife, Ethel Shutta, who had an almost angelic, ethereal, soprano voice.

click here for more information

                                   



   

Ivie Anderson (with Duke Ellington Orchestra)...It Don't Mean A Thing

Ivie Anderson (sometimes Ivy) (July 10, 1905 – December 28, 1949) was an American jazz singer. She is best known for her performances with Duke Ellington's orchestra between 1931 and 1942. Anderson, was born in Louisiana. With a sweet, clear singing voice, she was a popular attraction with Ellington's band. Her performance of "Stormy Weather" in the movie short Bundle of Blues (1933) was only eclipsed by the later and far better-known version sung by Lena Horne in Horne's movie that was also entitled Stormy Weather (1943).

Over Ellington's long career as bandleader, his indifference toward vocalists changed with the hiring of Anderson, who was generally considered the best vocalist he ever employed. She also appeared as a singer in the Marx Brothers movie A Day at the Races (1937) and the same year in Hit Parade of 1937 (as Ivy Anderson).

Distinguished Jazz critic Nat Hentoff described Anderson as 'easily the sensitive and musical female vocalist Ellington ever had'. She 'sang with a simplicity ... so artless that she is ... remarkably neglected in ... writings about jazz.' She 'sang with a supple warmth and caressing beat that made her one of the unforgettable voices in Jazz.' He also calls her 'direct, completely unpretentious and ungimmicked'

There are many who regard Ivie Anderson as The Duke's best vocalist, and this compilation can only reinforce that belief. It covers the period of her career with Ellington, from 1932 when she first recorded with him, to 1942 when she gave up touring, and throws in for good measure her 1946 recording of Empty Bed Blues. She melded perfectly with the orchestra, establishing herself in a predominantly male clique, and was adored by musicians and audiences alike. As with all the best singers, her personality radiates from the recordings, be they exuberant up-tempo numbers like "Truckin'" or melancholy numbers like "Troubled Waters".

This very generous 26 track compilation is a joy to listen to. Recommended without reservation.

Ivie Anderson

That's What I Call Sweet Music: American Dance Orchestras of the 1920s

This compilation of 1920's American dance music features long-forgotten artists such as Paul Sprecht, Red Nichols' Stompers, Rudy Vallee and others playing some truly infectious jazzy numbers that once comprised popular music in the U.S.A. Sure, some of the lyrics are corny, but the playing is consistently great (and the sound quality respectable). It's hard not to get nostalgic hearing these bygone numbers that blend big band, orchestral, and novelty music. As Robert Crumb states in the gorgeously illustrated liner notes, "what you hear on this CD is the good-time, social music of a vanished urban civilization, a lost world of smokestack factories, clanging trolley cars--and everybody wore hats!" True enough. --Jason Verlinde (Amazon)

1. That's What I Call Sweet Music, played by Paul Specht and his Orchestra, recorded on Jan 14, 1929

2. Make My Cot Where The Cot-Cot-Cotton Grows, Red Nichols' Stompers, Oct 26, 1927

3. Be My Baby, Blue Steele and his Orchestra, Feb 8, 1928

4. I'm The Last Of The Red Hot Mammas, Herman Kenin and his Ambassador Hotel Orchestra, Apr 26, 1929

5. Hy Honey's Lovin' Arms, Ray Miller and his Orchestra, Oct 2, 1927

6. 'Leven-Thirty Saturday Night, Fess Williams and his Royal Flush Orchestra, Apr 18, 1930

7. I'm Bringing A Red, Red Rose, George Olsen and his Music, Dec 6, 1928

8. Do Something, McKinney's Cotton Pickers, Apr 9, 1929

9. Wedding Bells, Fred Rich and his Orchestra, Feb 19, 1929

10. St. Louis Blues, Leroy Smith and his Orchestra, Feb 23, 1928

11. Sing Song Girl, Leroy Shield and the Victor Hollywood Orchestra, Sep 26, 1930

12. Sweet Ella May, Earl Hines and his Orchestra, Feb 13, 1929

13. The One That I Love Loves Me, Rudy Vallee and his Connecticut Yankees, Apr 1, 1929

14. Aristocratic Stomp, Paul Tremaine and his Aristocrats, Oct 2, 1929

15. Buy, Buy For Baby, Ben Pollack and his Park Central Orchestra, Oct 15, 1928

16. Hum And Strum, 'Doc' Cook and his 14 Doctors of Syncopation, Mar 30, 1928

17. Give Your Little Baby Lots Of Lovin', Anson Weeks and his Hotel Mark Hopkins Orchestra, Jan 28, 1929

18. That's What Puts The Sweet In Home Sweet Home, Jean Goldkette and his Orchestra, Nov 21, 1928

19. Singin' In The Rain, Gus Arnheim and his Orchestra, Apr 28, 1929

20. The Pay Off, California Ramblers, Feb 10, 1928

21. My Little Old Home Down In New Orleans, Tal Henry and his Orchestra, Dec 5, 1928

22. Oh, You Have No Idea! Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra, May 23, 1928

23. She's A Great, Great Girl, Hal Kemp and his Orchestra, Mar 7, 1928

24. Happy Days And Lonely Nights, Charlie Fry and his Million Dollar Pier Orchestra, Jun 5, 1928

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(updated 03/2021)

Another Stroll Down Memory Lane...various artists

A 40 track collection of hits from the 40's and 50's. Artists include Johnny Ray, Teresa Brewer, The Andrews Sisters, Bing Crosby, Al Jolson, Victor Silvester, Patti Page, Glenn Miller, Frankie Lane, Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Bob Crosby, Nat King Cole and many more......

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Music Suggested by Woody Allen's Movies

Many of Woody Allen's movies have a nostalgic theme or story to them and Woody incorporates the appropriate or relating music to the soundtrack. This 22 track collection has classics from the 30's and 40's from Harry James, Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Frank Sinatra, Carmen Miranda, Django Reinhardt, Duke Ellington, Dooley Wilson, Louis Armstrong, Chuck Webb and Benny Goodman.

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Nipper's Greatest Hits - The 30's Volume 1...20 nostalgic tracks by various artists

20 track compilation of classic nostalgic hits featuring the cream of artists of the day including Bing Crosby, Maurice Chevalier, Fred Astaire, Cab Calloway, Hoagy Charmichael, Cole Porter, Mae West, Fats Waller, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Bunny Berrigan and more. 

These essential recordings of the 1930's show America's attitude towards the state of the nation with Bing Crosby's Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams and Fred Astaire's We're in the Money , but also highlight the birth of jazz with Fats Wallers' Honeysuckle Rose and Bunny Berigan's I Can't Get Started with You.

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So Rare...various artists collection 1930's to 1940's..as selected by Barry Humphries

A selection by actor Barry Humphries of his favourite gramophone records

The first post of this blog is a 46 track collection of hits and classics from the 1930's and 1940's with artists including Fred Astaire, Rudy Vallee, Hildegarde, Dick Powell, The Comedy Harmonists and more...

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