Josephine Baker – Bonsoir My Love - recordings from 1930-1937

 

Josephine Baker (born Freda Josephine McDonald, naturalised French Joséphine Baker; 3 June 1906 – 12 April 1975) was an American-born French entertainer, French Resistance agent and civil rights activist. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in her adopted France. She was the first black woman to star in a major motion picture, the 1927 silent film Siren of the Tropics, directed by Mario Nalpas and Henri Étiévant.

During her early career, Baker was among the most celebrated performers to headline the revues of the Folies Bergère in Paris. Her performance in the revue Un vent de folie in 1927 caused a sensation in the city. Her costume, consisting of only a short skirt of artificial bananas and a beaded necklace, became an iconic image and a symbol both of the Jazz Age and the Roaring Twenties.

Baker was celebrated by artists and intellectuals of the era, who variously dubbed her the "Black Venus", the "Black Pearl", the "Bronze Venus", and the "Creole Goddess". Born in St. Louis, Missouri, she renounced her U.S. citizenship and became a French national after her marriage to French industrialist Jean Lion in 1937. She raised her children in France.

She aided the French Resistance during World War II. After the war, she was awarded the Resistance Medal by the French Committee of National Liberation, the Croix de Guerre by the French military, and was named a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur by General Charles de Gaulle. Baker sang: "I have two loves, my country and Paris."

Baker refused to perform for segregated audiences in the United States and is noted for her contributions to the civil rights movement. In 1968, she was offered unofficial leadership in the movement in the United States by Coretta Scott King, following Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. After thinking it over, Baker declined the offer out of concern for the welfare of her children.

On 30 November 2021, she entered the Panthéon in Paris, the first black woman to receive one of the highest honors in France.

This compilation is from recordings she made from 1930-1937 where she is accompanied by various artists including the Orchestra Melodic Jazz of the Casino De Paris, Adrien Lamy, Pills and Tabet, The Comedian Harmonists, Lecuona Cuban Boys and the Wal-Berg Orchestra.

Tracklist
1        J'Ai Deux Amours 3:09
2        La Petite Tonkinoise    2:37
3        Voulez-Vous De La Canne A Sucre    2:55
4        Dis-Moi Josephine    3:06
5        Ram-Pam-Pam 2:38
6        Si J'Etais Blanche    2:39
7        Madiana    2:58
8        Les Mots D'Amour    2:51
9        C'est Lui    2:59
10        Haiti    3:14
11        Sous Le Ciel D'Afrique    3:17
12        Espabilate    2:47
13        Partir Sur Un Bateau Blanc    3:03
14        Nuit D'Alger    2:50
15        Doudou    3:09
16        Nuits De Miami    2:51
17        Mayari    3:15
18        La Conga Blicoti    2:24
19        Vous Faites Partie De Moi    3:04
20        C'est Si Facile De Vous Aimer    2:58
21        C'est Un Nid Charmant    3:07
22        Comme Une Banque    3:08
23        J'ai Un Message Pour Toi    3:05
24        Bonsoir My Love    2:51

Josephine Baker

https://youtu.be/_h6GWWX6MQQ

The Ink Spots - Swing High Swing Low

 

The Ink Spots were an American vocal jazz group who gained international fame in the 1930s and 1940s. Their unique musical style presaged the rhythm and blues and rock and roll musical genres, and the sub-genre doo-wop. The Ink Spots were widely accepted in both the white and black communities, largely due to the ballad style introduced to the group by lead singer Bill Kenny.

In 1989, the Ink Spots (Bill Kenny, Charlie Fuqua, Deek Watson, Jerry Daniels and Orville Jones) were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 1999 they were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.

Swing High Swing Low

https://youtu.be/NpwVpz56riE 

 

Berlin Comedian Harmonists - Ein Lied geht um die Welt (A song goes around the world )

 

Internationally successful German vocal group, founded in December 1927, split up in March 1935.

Originally created in imitation of the American The Revelers and called "The Melody Makers," the "Comedian Harmonists," a vocal quintet accompanied by a pianist, developed their own close harmony style. The five singers blended their voices so closely together that there was usually no more than an interval of a twelfth between top and bottom voices; individual singers would emerge from this close vocal texture for solos, and tenor buffo Frommermann, in particular, would contribute comical voice imitations of instruments. The ensemble's repertoire ranged from German Schlager ("Veronika, Der Lenz Ist Da," 1930) and German versions of jazz-tinged American pop songs ("Wochenend Und Sonnenschein" = "Happy Days Are Here Again," 1930) and a vocalized version of Duke Ellington's "Creole Love Call" (1933) to German folk songs ("In Einem Kühlen Grunde," 1932). The Comedian Harmonists recorded first for Odeon (1928-1929), from October 1929 to March 1935 for Electrola. 

 Ein Lied geht um die Welt

Mum's the Word....60 Fabulous Songs Your Mother Should Know by various artists

 

Tracklist
1-1    Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra*–    Your Mother And Mine
1-2    Eddy Arnold–    Mother's Prayer
1-3    Flatt & Scruggs–    Mother Prays Loud In Her Sleep
1-4    Bill Haley & His Comets*–    Teenager's Mother
1-5    Jimmie Rodgers –    Whisper Your Mother's Name
1-6    The Stanley Brothers–    Memories Of Mother
1-7    Al Jolson–    My Mammy
1-8    Hank Williams–    I Heard My Mother Praying For Me
1-9    Roy Acuff–    Mother's Prayers Guide Me
1-10    Nat King Cole–    Unforgettable
1-11    Roy Smeck–    My Mom
1-12    Lefty Frizzell–    Mom And Dad's Waltz
1-13    The Sons Of The Pioneers–    Gold Star Mother With Silvery Hair
1-14    George Formby–    Oh Dear Mother
1-15    Charlie Poole And The North Carolina Ramblers–    Write A Letter To My Mother
1-16    The Original Irish Boys–    Gentle Mother
1-17    Five Blind Boys Of Alabama–    Living On Mother's Prayer
1-18    Nina Simone–    My Baby Just Cares For Me
1-19    The Carter Family–    There's No One Like Mother To Me
1-20    Anne Shelton–    My Yiddishe Momme

2-1    Carmen Miranda–    Mama Yo Quiero
2-2    Eddy Arnold–    I Wouldn't Trade The Silver In My Mother's Hair
2-3    Frank Sinatra–    Young At Heart
2-4    Charlie Poole And The North Carolina Ramblers–    Mother's Last Farewell Kiss
2-5    Nat King Cole–    My Mother Told Me
2-6    Morton Downey–    I'll Always Be My Mother's Boy
2-7    Dean Martin–    Memories Are Made Of This
2-8    Peerless Quartette–    I Just Want A Girl Like The Girl That Married Dear Old Dad
2-9    Ella Fitzgerald–    Dream A Little Dream Of Me
2-10    Jim Reeves–    Have I Told You Lately That I Love You ?
2-11    Rosemary Clooney–    This Ole House
2-12    Roy Harvey And Leonard Copeland–    Mother's Waltz
2-13    Sammy Davis Jr.–    Someone To Watch Over Me
2-14    Paul Robeson–    Songs My Mother Taught Me
2-15    The Original Irish Boys–    Your Mother's Eyes
2-16    Bing Crosby–    You Are My Sunshine
2-17    Earl King–    A Mother's Love
2-18    Sister Rosetta Tharpe–    I Heard My Mother Call My Name
2-19    Arthur Tracy–    It's My Mother's Birthday Today
2-20    Al Jolson–    Remember Mother's Day

3-1    Bing Crosby–    My Mother's Waltz
3-2    Ella Fitzgerald–    The Nearness Of You
3-3    Elvis Presley–    Love Me Tender
3-4    Charlie Monroe's Boys–    Once I Had A Darlin' Mother
3-5    Nat King Cole–    Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
3-6    Dinah Washington–    Embraceable You
3-7    Little Richard–    Thinkin' 'Bout My Mother
3-8    Nina Simone–    Summertime
3-9    Vera Lynn–    This Is My Mother's Day
3-10    Ernest Tubb–    My Mother Must Have Been A Girl Like You
3-11    Jewel King–    I Broke My Mother's Rule
3-12    Judy Garland–    Over The Rainbow
3-13    John McCormack –    Mother My Dear
3-14    Arthur Tracy–    To Mother, With Love
3-15    Sammy Davis Jr.–    The Way You Look Tonight
3-16    Jeri Southern–    Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
3-17    Eddy Arnold–    That Wonderful Mother Of Mine
3-18    Frank Sinatra–    I Get A Kick Out Of You
3-19    The Pilgrim Travelers–    Mother Bowed
3-20    Bobby Breen–    M-O-T-H-E-R

 Mum's the Word...one...two...three

Have Yourself An Easy Listening Christmas - various artists

 

Tracklist
1    Bing Crosby–    Christmas Is Here To Stay    4:07
2    Connie Francis–    Baby's First Christmas    2:26
3    The Platters–    White Christmas    2:24
4    The Harry Simeone Chorale–    Little Drummer Boy    3:00
5    David Essex–    A Winter's Tale    4:10
6    The Harry Simeone Chorale–    Sleigh Ride    2:42
7    Roger Whittaker–    Little Shepherd    2:50
8    The Swingles–    I Believe In Father Christmas    2:41
9    Isla St Clair–    The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)    3:23
10    John Gregory Strings & Voices –    The Holy And The Ivy    2:29
11    Peters & Lee–    Mary's Boy Child    5:02
12    The Beverley Sisters–    And Kings Came A-Calling    2:19
13    Tommy Steele–    Must Be Santa    2:24
14    The Anita Kerr Singers–    The First Noel    3:06
15    The Springfields–    Bambino    2:30
16    The Statler Brothers–    Christmas Eve (Kodia's Theme)    3:12
17    Sweet Substitute–    A Musical Christmas Card    3:01
18    The Blue Diamonds–    Christmas Day Is Coming    2:42
19    Sari Martin–    Greensleeves    3:58
20    New Jordal Swingers–    Rudolf The Red-Nosed Reindeer    1:51

 An Easy Listening Christmas

Various Artists – What A Wonderful World: Hits Of Yesteryear...popular hits from the 50's and 60's

 

An eclectic mix of popular and classic hits from the 50's and 60's covering rock and roll, jazz-pop, soul, popular, crooners, swing, calypso, reggae and lounge.

Tracklist
1-1    Carl Perkins–    Shake, Rattle And Roll
1-2    The Crickets –    Oh Boy!
1-3    Jerry Lee Lewis–    Great Balls Of Fire
1-4    Elvis Presley–    Suspicious Minds
1-5    The Crystals–    Da Doo Ron Ron
1-6    Neil Sedaka–    Oh! Carol
1-7    Del Shannon–    Runaway
1-8    The Isley Brothers–    Should (Part 1 & 2)
1-9    Ben E. King–    Stand By Me
1-10    The Drifters–    Under The Boardwalk
1-11    Dion –    The Wanderer
1-12    Everly Brothers–    Bye Bye Love
1-13    Chris Montez–    The More I See You
1-14    Bobby Darin–    Dream Lover
1-15    Paul Anka–    Put Your Head On My Shoulder
1-16    Bing Crosby–    Dream A Little Dream Of Me
1-17    Frank Sinatra–    When You're Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You)
1-18    Bobby Vinton–    Blue Velvet
1-19    The Righteous Brothers–    Unchained Melody
1-20    Percy Sledge–    When A Man Loves A Woman
1-21    Rosemary Clooney With Perez Prado And His Orchestra–    Sway

2-1    Sammy Davis Jr.–    Mr Bojangles
2-2    Jimmy Durante–    As Times Go By
2-3    Doris Day–    Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)
2-4    Buddy Greco–    One For My Baby
2-5    Charlie Rich–    The Most Beautiful Girl
2-6    Lesley Gore–    It's My Party
2-7    Mel Tormé–    I've Got You Under My Skin
2-8    Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes–    If You Don't Know Me By Now
2-9    Etta James–    At Last
2-10    Perry Como With Mitchell Ayres And His Orchestra–    Young At Heart
2-11    Ray Peterson With Shorty Rogers–    The Wonder Of You
2-12    Screamin' Jay Hawkins–    I Put A Spell On You
2-13    The Chordettes–    Lollipop
2-14    The Champs–    Tequila
2-15    Chuck Berry–    Johnny B. Goode
2-16    Johnny Nash–    I Can See Clearly Now
2-17    Mario Lanza–    O Sole Mio
2-18    Tony Bennett–    I Left My Heart In San Francisco
2-19    Johnny Ray & The Four Lads–    Cry
2-20    Harry Belafonte–    Banana Boat (Day-O)

 Wonderful World one Wonderful World two

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Julie London...Wild, Cool and Swingin'..the Artist Collection

 

Julie London (September 26, 1926 – October 18, 2000) was an American singer and actress whose career spanned more than 40 years. A torch singer noted for her sultry, languid contralto vocals, London recorded over thirty albums of pop and jazz standards between 1955 and 1969. Her recording of "Cry Me a River", a track she introduced on her debut album, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001.

Born in Santa Rosa, California to vaudevillian parents,London was discovered while working as an elevator operator in downtown Los Angeles, and she began her career as an actress. In the mid-1950s, she signed a recording contract with Liberty Records, marking the beginning of her professional musical career. She released her final studio album in 1969.

1        Come On-A My House
2        My Heart Belongs To Daddy
3        Girl Talk
4        You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
5        You're My Thrill
6        Makin' Whoopee
7        Black Coffee
8        'Tain't What You Do
9        Blues In The Night
10        Comin' Thro' The Rye
11        Night Life
12        You And The Night And The Music
13        Nice Girls Don't Stay For Beautiful
14        Watermelon Man
15        Go Slow
16        Wives And Lovers
17        I Must Have That Man
18        Let There Be Love
19        Mad About The Boy
20        Daddy
21        Love For Sale
22        Mickey Mouse March

 Julie London

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50’s Rock'n'Roll/Doo Wop Trio Johnny & The High Jives release ‘Teddy Boy Rock’

 

Birmingham, UK outfit Johnny & The High Jives recently released their first single "Teddy Boy Rock", a hot rockin' number that sounds straight out of the 1950's with a toe-tappin' beat, hot saxophone and enough jive to get you up and dancing from the first notes.

So who are these guys? Let founding member Jack Chetwynd tell the story:

"After playing in several rock/Mod/blues/soul bands over the years..and becoming slightly disillusioned with music, I decided to form a band playing the music that I first remembered hearing and loving as a child. The music that I learned to dance to in my Grandma’s front room and the music that inspired me to be a musician. The Everly Brothers, Chuck Berry, The Drifters, The Platters and Roy Orbison to name just a few.

Around 5 years ago, I enlisted my old Friends ‘Champagne’ Charlie (guitar) & Phil ‘The Count’ (Drums) And ‘Johnny & The High Jives was born.Since then, we have played gigs up and down the country, filling dance floors & making new friends as we go. To me, that is what music is all about. If we make people smile, laugh, dance & have a good time…then we’ve done our job! 

We have no burning ambitions/dreams in relation to our record, we just hope that people will give it a listen and enjoy what they hear."

 

Listen HERE

 

https://www.facebook.com/johnnyandthehighjives/ 

 

 

https://youtu.be/9XJIoKgo2_Q

The Green Hills Of Ireland...Vintage Irish Songs...Original 1920's-1940's recordings

 

The rolling hills, gentle mountains and lush fields, the breathtaking natural wonders, the welcoming warmth of the pubs, the smell of the sea and the charm of the locals: all the very best of the Emerald Isle reaches out to our hearts through Celtic song. Cast your ears back to the tunes of the old country with this collection of vintage Irish songs. The Green Hills of Ireland is sure to rouse the nostalgia, the tradition, the emotions and the cheekiness of the Irish character.

From Galway to Tipperary, Belfast to County Down, from the lanes of Dublin to the Giants Steps, The Green Hills of Ireland is an experience not to be missed. Whether you’ve been enjoying these songs from your earliest years or are discovering them now for the first time, this album will bring alive one of the world’s richest musical cultures and landscapes. Singers Irish-born like John McCormack, James McCafferty and Delia Smith, together with those who embraced Ireland as a spiritual home, including Peter Dawson and Dame Maggie Teyte, bring to life some of the all-time classic Celtic ballads and folk songs enjoyed back home and in the adopted lands of the vast Irish diaspora in the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

You’ll be sure to be whistling along to this grand celebration of vintage Irish song!


1 A Little Bit of Heaven 

2 The Kerry Dance

3 The Lark in the Clear Air

4 Off to Philadelphia

5 The Meeting of the Waters

6 That’s How I Spell I-R-E-L-A-N-D

7 Kathleen Mavourneen

8 That Tumbledown Shack in Athlone

9 The Garden Where the Praties Grow

10 Macushla

11 When They Sing ‘The Wearin’ o’ the Green’

in Syncopated Blues

12 The Last Rose of Summer

13 The Rose of Tralee

14 Rory O’More

15 The Dawning of the Day

16 The Mountains o’ Mourne

17 Oft in the Stilly Night

18 Mother Machree

19 The Star of the County Down

20 The Spinning Wheel

21 The Green Hills of Ireland

22 She Moved thro’ the Fair

23 The Pride of Tipperary

24 Danny Boy

25 Ireland, Mother Ireland

 The Green Hills Of Ireland

 

Swingin' Talkin' Verve...various artists jazz/swing

 

Tracklist
1    Quincy Jones–    Air Mail Special    2:34
2    Louis Jordan–    Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens    2:32
3    The Lionel Hampton Big Orchestra*–    Flying House    3:14
4    Buddy Rich And His Orchestra–    Dateless Brown    3:16
5    Gene Krupa Big Band* With Anita O'Day And Roy Eldridge–    Let Me Off Uptown    3:20
6    Harry James And His Orchestra–    Crazy Rhythm    3:23
7    The Lionel Hampton Big Orchestra*–    The Blues Ain't News To Me    2:54
8    Buddy Rich Quartet–    Jumpin At The Woodside    10:04
9    Harry James And His Orchestra–    Back Beat Boogie    2:23
10    Louis Jordan–    Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby?    3:16
11    Benny Goodman And His Orchestra–    Sing, Sing, Sing (Parts I and II)    14:25
12    Clarence Brown*–    Caldonia    4:31

 Swingin' Talkin' Verve

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Dutch Swing College Band...Collectors Items

 

The Dutch Swing College Band "DSCB" is a traditional dixieland band founded on 5 May 1945 by bandleader and clarinettist/saxophonist Peter Schilperoort.

Highly successful in their native home of The Netherlands, the band quickly found an international following. It has featured such musicians as Huub Janssen (drums), Henk Bosch van Drakestein (double bass), Kees van Dorser (trumpet), Dim Kesber (saxes), Jan Morks (clarinet), Wout Steenhuis (guitar), Arie Ligthart (banjo/guitar), Jaap van Kempen (banjo/guitar), Oscar Klein (trumpet), Dick Kaart (trombone), Ray Kaart (trumpet), Bert de Kort (cornet), Bert Boeren (trombone), Rod Mason, Rob Agerbeek (piano) - among many others.

The band provided the interval act for the Eurovision Song Contest 1976 presented live from Den Haag.

The band continues to tour extensively, mainly in Europe and Scandinavia, and record directed by Bob Kaper, himself a member since 1967, following the former leader, Peter Schilperoort's death on 17 November 1990. Schilperoort had led the band for more than 45 years, albeit with a five-year sabbatical from 13 September 1955, when he left to pursue an engineering career before returning to lead the band again officially on 1st January 1960. 

With a recording history from 1945 to the present day in 2012 many albums and singles have been recorded. Recording media from 78 rpm discs, 33 and 45 rpm records and CDs and DVDs on variety of labels, including Philips and the band's own DSC production label.

As well as recording on its own, recordings were made with a number of notable US solo artists beginning in 1951 with Sidney Bechet and continuing into the 1970s with the likes of Jimmy Witherspoon in 1970, Joe Venuti in 1971, Teddy Wilson in 1972 and 1973, Billy Butterfield in 1973, Bud Freeman in 1975 and Wild Bill Davison in 1976.

Tracks recorded over the history of the band include amongst many others "Tin Roof Blues", "Apex Blues", "Panama", "Shake Rag", "Everything's Wrong, Ain't Nothing Right", "Freeze n' Melt", "Strange Peach", Royal Garden Blues, Jazz Me Blues, High Society, Out of the Gallion, At the Jazzband Ball, That's a Plenty, Nobody Knows When You Are Down and Out, Annie Street Rock, Figety Feet, "Margie". 

Tracklist
1        Oh, Baby     2:26
2        New Orleans    2:52
3        Milenberg Joys    3:53
4        Muskrat Ramble    3:11
5        Rockin' Chair    3:51
6        St. Louis Blues    2:35
7        Mandy, Make Up Your Mind    4:13
8        Aunt Hagar's Blues    3:23
9        I've Found A New Baby    3:08
10        Big City Blues    2:58
11        Stomp Meeting    2:49
12        East St. Louis Toodle-oo    3:42
13        From Monday On    3:17
14        Bei Mir Bist Du Schön    5:58
15        Flying East    3:20
16        Chinatown, My Chinatown    3:26
17        Blues For Pete    3:50
18        Fly Me To The Moon    2:21
19        Desiree    3:05
20        Flying Home    2:36

 Collectors Items

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Chart-Toppers of the Forties - the 25 Greatest Hits of the decade ..original mono recordings

 

In the mood (Glenn Miller) (3:31) --
I'll never smile again (Frank Sinatra) (3:09) --
Tuxedo Junction (Glenn Miller) (3:31) --
Frenesi (Artie Shaw) (3:05) --
Only forever (Bing Crosby) (3:04) --
Chattanooga choo choo (Glenn Miller) (3:27) --
Amapola (Jimmy Dorsey) (3:22) --
Moonlight cocktail (Glenn Miller) (3:21) --
Paper doll (The Mills Brothers) (2:38) --
I've heard that song before (Harry James) (2:58) --
Pistol packin' mama (Al Dexter) (2:52) --
Shoo-shoo baby (The Andrews Sisters) (2:52) --
Swinging on a star (Bing Crosby) (2:29) --
Rum and Coca-Cola (The Andrews Sisters) (3:13) --
Sentimental journey (Doris Day) (3:14) --
Till the end of time (Perry Como) (3:08) --
Oh, what it seemed to be! (Frankie Carle) (2:58) --
The gypsy (The Ink Spots) (2:44) --
To each his own (Eddy Howard) (2:24) --
Rumours are flying (Frankie Carle) (2:52) --
Heartaches (Ted Weems) (2:34) --
Peg o' my heart (Jerry Murad) (2:06) --
Near you (Francis Craig) (2:48) --
Ballerina (Vaughn Monroe) (3:18) --
White Christmas (Bing Crosby) (3:03).

 Chart-Toppers of the Forties

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Ethel Waters 1931-1940

 

Ethel Waters (October 31, 1896 – September 1, 1977) was an American singer and actress. Waters frequently performed jazz, swing, and pop music on the Broadway stage and in concerts. She began her career in the 1920s singing blues. Waters notable recordings include "Dinah", "Stormy Weather", "Taking a Chance on Love", "Heat Wave", "Supper Time", "Am I Blue?", "Cabin in the Sky", "I'm Coming Virginia", and her version of "His Eye Is on the Sparrow". Waters was the second African American to be nominated for an Academy Award. She was the first African American to star on her own television show and the first African-American woman to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.

Tracklist
1        Georgia On My Mind    3:26
2        Frankie And Johnnie    3:04
3        Stop Myself From Worryin' Over You    2:45
4        Jeepers Creepers    2:46
5        Baby, What Else Can I Do?    2:57
6        I Just Got A Letter    2:24
7        Cabin In the Sky    3:21
8        Taking A Chance On Love    3:09
9        Honey In The Honeycomb    2:51
10        Love Turned The Light Out    2:56
11        Old Man Harlem    2:55
12        Down In My Soul    3:01
13        Push-Out    2:45
14        Y'Had It Comin' To You    2:17
15        Harlem On My Mind    3:27
16        Heat Wave    3:00
17        Shadows On The Swanee    2:59
18        Trade Mark    3:03
19        Stormy Weather (Keeps Rainin' All The Time)    3:10
20        I Can't Give You Anything But Love    3:05
21        I Just Couldn't Take It, Baby    2:54
22        Porgy    3:15
23        Shine On, Harvest Moon    2:59

 Ethel Waters 1931-1940

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Helen Forrest ‎– Embraceable You

 

Helen Forrest (born Helen Fogel, April 12, 1917 – July 11, 1999) was an American singer of traditional pop and swing music. She served as the "girl singer" for three of the most popular big bands of the Swing Era (Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, and Harry James), thereby earning a reputation as "the voice of the name bands."

In 1934, 17-year-old Forrest began singing for WNEW in New York. She also performed for WCBS where she was known as “Bonnie Blue” and “The Blue Lady of Song.” Eventually she found a singing job at the Madrillon Club, in Washington, D.C., where she performed for approximately two years. After seeing Forrest at the Madrillon, bandleader Artie Shaw asked her to go on tour with him; Shaw was looking for new talent when vocalist Billie Holiday decided to leave the band. Helen was hired in 1938. For a time she and Holiday were both working with Shaw's band.

Helen joined Benny Goodman in December 1939, with whom she recorded a number of celebrated songs, including the hit song "The Man I Love." Helen recorded 55 studio recordings with Goodman. After leaving Goodman, Forrest briefly recorded with Nat King Cole and Lionel Hampton.

In 1941, she approached Harry James, offering to work for him under one condition: that she be permitted to sing more than one chorus. Although James was looking for a more jazz-oriented singer, he allowed Forrest to audition. The band voted her in and she was hired. It was with the Harry James Orchestra that Helen recorded what are arguably her most popular numbers, including "I Had the Craziest Dream" in 1942, and 1941's "I Don't Want to Walk Without You." In 1942, Helen also appeared with the Harry James Band in the Hollywood film Springtime in the Rockies, starring Betty Grable.

In 1942 and 1943, Helen Forrest was voted the best female vocalist in the United States in the Down Beat poll. At the peak of her career, Helen Forrest was the most popular female singer in the United States. Because of her work with the bands of Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, and Harry James, she is known as "the voice of the name bands" and is regarded by some as the best female vocalist of the swing era. 

Over the course of her career, Helen Forrest recorded more than 500 songs. In 2001, she was posthumously inducted into the now-defunct Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame.

Embraceable You 

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Pennies From Heaven...37 original songs from a golden era

 

Pennies From Heaven one two

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https://youtu.be/_IFgC7JhVrM 

Chart-Toppers of the Thirties - The 25 Greatest Hits of the Decade

 

Tracklist
1    Rudy Vallee–    Stein Song
2    Nathaniel Shilkret–    Dancing With Tears In My Eyes
3    Gus Arnheim–    Sweet And Lovely
4    Bing Crosby–    Please
5    Ted Lewis–    In A Shanty In Old Shanty Town
6    Fred Astaire–    Night And Day
7    Harold Arlen–    Stormy Weather
8    Al Bowlly–    Love Is The Sweetest Thing
9    George Olsen–    The Last Round Up
10    Paul Whiteman–    Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
11    Bing Crosby–    June In January
12    Al Bowlly–    Isle Of Capri
13    Fred Astaire–    Cheek To Cheek
14    Benny Goodman–    The Glory Of Love
15    Bing Crosby–    Pennies From Heaven
16    Fred Astaire–    The Way You Look Tonight
17    Bing Crosby–    Sweet Leilani
18    Tommy Dorsey–    Once In A While
19    Ella Fitzgerald–    A Tisket A Tasket
20    Tommy Dorsey–    Music Maestro Please
21    Larry Clinton–    My Reverie
22    Artie Shaw–    Begin The Beguine
23    Larry Clinton–    Deep Purple
24    Glenn Miller–    Over The Rainbow
25    Frankie Masters–    Scatterbrain

 Chart-Toppers of the Thirties

alt link 

https://youtu.be/Q6CIDved-bY

Chart-Toppers of the Twenties..the 25 Greatest Hits of the Decade..original mono recordings

 

1    Dardenella - Ben Selvin
2    Swanee - Al Jolson
3    When My Baby Smiles At Me - Ted Lewis
4    Whispering - Paul Whiteman
5    Wabash Blues - Isham Jones
6    April Showers - Al Jolson
7    Three O'Clock In The Morning - Paul Whiteman
8    Yes! We Have No Bananas - Billy Jones
9    It Ain't Gonna Rain No Mo' - Wendell Hall         
10    Somebody Stole My Gal - Ted Weems
11    I'll See You In My Dreams - Isham Jones        
12    The Prisoner's Song - Vernon Dalhart
13    Sweet Georgia Brown - Ben Bernie
14    If You Knew Susie - Eddie Cantor
15    Who? - George Olsen
16    Valencia - Paul Whiteman
17    Some Of These Days - Sophie Tucker
18    In A Little Spanish Town - Paul Whiteman
19    My Blue Heaven - Gene Austin
20    Charmaine - Guy Lombardo
21    Ramona - Gene Austin
22    Sonny Boy - Al Jolson
23    Carolina Moon - Gene Austin
24    Honey - Rudy Vallee
25    Tip-Toe Through The Tulips - Nick Lucas

Chart-Toppers of the Twenties

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https://youtu.be/AGQJnCAmuXE 

Roberta Sherwood 'I Gotta Right To Sing' The Rare Singles and More

 

Roberta Sherwood (1913–1999) was an American singer, notable in part for her sudden rise to fame at the age of 43.

Roberta's father, Robert Sherwood, was the manager of a traveling minstrel show; she and her sister Anne were raised on the road after their mother died. Roberta started performing in vaudeville at age 11, and the sisters soon became a vaudeville and nightclub act. In 1932 they met Broadway actor Don Lanning, who mentored Roberta and ultimately married her in 1938. They both abandoned careers to settle in Miami, opening a small nightclub where she continued to perform. After the restaurant lost its lease, they got a concession to operate a hotel lounge. In 1953 Don was diagnosed with lung cancer and lost their concession. After an attempt to start another nightclub failed, Sherwood began to seriously pursue her career.

For several years she met with little success. A trip to Las Vegas failed to advance her career. In September 1955 a chance meeting led to a nightclub gig in a Miami Beach club, and in January 1956 she suddenly became a success. The comedian Red Buttons became a fan and brought columnist Walter Winchell to see her; he gave her rave reviews. Soon she was performing in clubs nationwide and had a contract with Decca Records. She was profiled in Life magazine in October. A November 1956 Billboard poll of DJs picked her as the 19th most popular "album artist" and #8 on a list of "Most Promising Female Vocalists".

Sherwood was usually described as a torch singer; she appeared on stage in a sweater and glasses, and used a cymbal held in her hand for accompaniment. Life described her as "flashy, richly sentimental, as unsubtle as her crashing cymbal and as unpretentious as her $49.50 dress"!

This 2CD collection contains three complete albums, 'I Gotta Right To Sing', 'My Golden Favorites' & 'Live Performance!', plus 25 rare single sides. A must for fans and collectors, but also a terrific way for new listeners to discover her unique voice and vocal style.

 https://youtu.be/RgzL9bjxPE8

disc one disc two
 

 

Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass.....The Lonely Bull and S.R.O.

 

The Lonely Bull

Herb Alpert set up a small recording studio in his garage and had been overdubbing a tune called "Twinkle Star", written by Sol Lake, who would eventually write many of the Brass's original tunes. During a visit to Tijuana, Mexico, Alpert happened to hear a mariachi band while attending a bullfight. Following the experience, Alpert recalled that he was inspired to find a way to express musically what he felt while watching the wild responses of the crowd, and hearing the brass musicians introducing each new event with rousing fanfare. Alpert adapted the trumpet style to the tune, mixed in crowd cheers and other noises for ambience, and renamed the song "The Lonely Bull".

He personally funded the production of the record as a single, and it spread through radio DJ's until it caught on and became a Top 10 hit in the Fall of 1962. He followed up quickly with his debut album, The Lonely Bull by "Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass". Originally the Tijuana Brass was just Alpert overdubbing his own trumpet, slightly out of sync. The title cut reached No. 6 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart. This was A&M's first album with the original release number being #101, although it was recorded at Conway Records. For this album and subsequent releases, Alpert recorded with the group of L.A. session musicians known as The Wrecking Crew, whom he holds in high regard.

 S.R.O. (Standing Room Only)

The Chronological Cab Calloway and His Orchestra...1934-1937

 

Cabell "Cab" Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American jazz singer, dancer, bandleader and actor. He was associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he was a regular performer and became a popular vocalist of the swing era. His niche of mixing jazz and vaudeville won him acclaim during a career that spanned over 65 years.

Calloway was a master of energetic scat singing and led one of the most popular big bands in the United States from the early 1930s to the late 1940s. His band included trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie, Jonah Jones, and Adolphus "Doc" Cheatham, saxophonists Ben Webster and Leon "Chu" Berry, guitarist Danny Barker, bassist Milt Hinton, and drummer Cozy Cole.

Calloway had several hit records in the 1930s and 1940s, becoming known as the "Hi-de-ho" man of jazz for his most famous song, "Minnie the Moocher", originally recorded in 1931. He reached the Billboard charts in five consecutive decades (1930s–1970s). Calloway also made several stage, film, and television appearances until his death in 1994 at the age of 86. He had roles in Stormy Weather (1943), Porgy and Bess (1953), The Cincinnati Kid (1965), and Hello Dolly! (1967). His career saw renewed interest when he appeared in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers.

Calloway was the first African American musician to sell a million records from a single and to have a nationally syndicated radio show. In 1993, Calloway received the National Medal of Arts from the United States Congress. He posthumously received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. His song "Minnie the Moocher" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999, and added to the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry in 2019. He is also inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame and the International Jazz Hall of Fame. . 

 Cab Calloway