Melotone M 12052 – “Happy” Dixon’s Clod Hoppers – 1930

Posted on July 25, 2016 by R. Connor Montgomery

It’s no secret that I’m fond of folk and country songs adapted to jazz and dance arrangements (see Casey Jones, Hand Me Down My Walkin’ Cane/She’ll Be Comin’ Around the Mountain, another Casey Jones), and this new arrival to my collection fits squarely in that mold. I’ve always found the material on many of these early issues of Melotone records interesting, and looking through the discography, a few records by “‘Happy’ Dixon’s Clod Hoppers” particularly intrigued me. Was it a country band or a dance band playing country music a la Paul Tremaine (as was apparently a passing fad around 1930). No transfers of any of their records seemed to be available, and little information on the group seemed to exist, so I’d been keeping an eye out for one of their for quite a while. This copy having fallen into my possession, I’m happy to finally be able to hear it, and now all of you can too.

Melotone M 12057 was recorded on October 27, 1930 in New York City by “Happy” Dixon’s Clod Hoppers, actually a pseudonym for Harry Reser’s Six Jumping Jacks with vocals by Tom Stacks, and most likely with Bill Wirges at the piano.

The first side is a fine fox trot rendition of the pseudo cowboy ballad “When the Bloom is On the Sage”, punctuated with Harry Reser’s famous banjo and an accordion near the end lends a Western touch.

When the Bloom is On the Sage, recorded October 27, 1930 by “Happy” Dixon’s Clod Hoppers.

The flip-side is a little hotter, with a fast paced novelty arrangement of Henry Whitter’s famous “The Wreck on the Southern Old 97”, made popular by Vernon Dalhart in 1924. In this version, specific reference is made to “Steve” Broady, the engineer of the Southern Railway 1102 pulling the Old 97 “Fast Mail” when it departed Monroe, Virginia on September 27, 1903, bound for Spencer, North Carolina. As the song tells, the Old 97 never made it to Spencer, derailing on a trestle near Danville, Virginia as a result of Engine 1102’s excessive speed. Unlike Steve Broady, Engine 1102 survived the accident, and was still in service when this side was recorded in 1930.

The Wreck On the Southern Old 97, recorded October 27, 1930 by “Happy” Dixon’s Clod Hoppers.

Okeh 41403 – Casa Loma Orchestra – 1930

Posted on June 7, 2016 by R. Connor Montgomery

Before the swing era commenced, you could get an earful of the burgeoning genre from a number of bands. One was Fletcher Henderson’s band, one of the earliest to start swinging music. Another one was the Casa Loma Orchestra, who played swing outright as early as 1930. Today, on the ~~110th~~ 116th birthday of leader Glen Gray, we’ll hear from them.

The Casa Loma Orchestra got its start in 1927 in Detroit as the Orange Blossoms, managed by Jean Goldkette. After an eight month gig at the Casa Loma Hotel in Toronto, they became known as the Casa Loma Orchestra, though they were not actually a house band at the hotel. They first began recording in 1929 for Okeh, with ultra-modern arrangements by band member Gene Gifford. The band incorporated in 1930, with all members as part-owners, and they ran a tight ship. In the early years, they were fronted by Henry Biagini, but Glen Gray assumed the spot later on. Switching to Brunswick, then to Decca, they became one of the leading bands in the United States by the start of swing era, and held that position into the 1940s. After the close of the swing era, the Casa Loma Orchestra continued to play into the early 1960s, mostly remaking swing hits in hi-fi on Capitol Records.

Okeh 41403 was recorded February 11, 1930 in New York City. The Casa Loma Orchestra consists of Hank Biagini directing Joe Hostetter, Fred Martinez, and Bobby Jones on trumpet, Pee Wee Hunt and Billy Rauch on trombone, Glen Gray and Ray Eberle on alto sax, Pat Davis on tenor sax, Mel Jenssen on violin, Joe Hall on piano, Gene Gifford on banjo and guitar, Stanley Dennis on string bass, and Tony Briglia on drums. Both sides were arranged by Gene Gifford.

First up, they play it hot on on “China Girl”.

China Girl, recorded February 11, 1930 by the Casa Loma Orchestra.

Next up is an even hotter rendition of Wingy Manone’s “San Sue Strut”.

San Sue Strut, recorded February 11, 1930 by the Casa Loma Orchestra.

Okeh 41393 – Carl Webster and his Yale Collegians – 1930

Posted on May 11, 2016 by R. Connor Montgomery

Born on this day 128 years ago was one of the finest songwriters Tin Pan Alley has ever known, Irving Berlin.

Berlin was born Israel Isidore Baline in the Russian Empire on May 11, 1888, and emigrated to the United States when he was a young boy. As did many immigrants in that day and age, he Americanized his name, changing it to Irving Berlin. Like so many greats, Berlin began working as a song plugger in New York City as a young man, and before long published his first song, “Marie From Sunny Italy”. Having never taught himself to play piano in more than one key, Berling purchased a special piano that allowed him to transpose the key at the flip of a lever. In 1911 came Berlin’s first big hit, “Alexander’s Ragtime Band”. When the Great War came around, Berlin was drafted, and, always full of patriotic vigor, was tasked with writing songs for the war effort. In that period, he gave us such hits as “Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning!” from the all-soldier musical revue Yip Yip Yaphank. From then on out, he had a string of popular hits, including “Blue Skies”, “Puttin’ on the Ritz”, “God Bless America”, and too many others to list. Berlin’s composing began to wind down after the 1940s, with the preceding decades being his most productive. In 1989, Irving Berlin died peacefully at the age of 101.

Okeh 41393 was recorded March 1, 1930 in New York City by Carl Webster and his Yale Collegians, playing two Irving Berlin tunes from the United Artists motion picture Puttin’ on the Ritz. Interestingly, these sides were apparently recorded on the same day the show premiered. The Yale Collegians consist of Stew Pletcher, Seelye Vidal, and Bob Stanley on trumpets, Andy Wiswell on trombone, Louis Rappaport (who later changed his name to Barry Wood) on clarinet and alto sax, Bob Bruce on cornet, clarinet, and alto sax, Hank Palmer on alto sax, Al Thompson on tenor sax, Sidney Fine on piano, Neil Waterman on guitar, Carl Webster on tuba and string bass, and Jimmy Devlin on drums.

The Yale Collegians rendition of “Puttin’ on the Ritz” is, I believe, the only original 1930 recording that can be considered hot jazz as opposed to the popular dance band styling, and it’s one of the best there ever was, if you ask me. Stew Pletcher sings the vocal on this side.

Puttin’ on the Ritz, recorded March 1, 1930 by Carl Webster’s Yale Collegians.

“With You” is not nearly as hot as the previous side, but it’s still a fine version of this ballad by a competent band. According to invaluable information from Mr. Paul Lindemeyer, the vocalist on this side is probably Dick Webster, Carl’s brother. He later worked with Jimmie Grier’s band in Los Angeles.

With You, recorded March 1, 1930 by Carl Webster’s Yale Collegians.

Oriole 8122 – Bessie Jackson – 1930

Posted on April 1, 2016 by R. Connor Montgomery

Hailing from Birmingham, Alabama was the blues singer Lucille Anderson, better known by her married name Lucille Bogan, or her commonly used pseudonym, Bessie Jackson. Born on April Fools’ Day of 1897 in Amory, Mississippi, Bogan is sometimes considered among the “big three” of blues singing, along with Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith (though I would argue that Lizzie Miles deserves a position among them). She was known for her unadulterated singing with lyrics ranging from raunchy to downright filthy, often much more so than those of her contemporaries. This record contains some of her tamer material, but there’s one record floating around out there with lyrics that would put some of the present day’s songs to shame for their “explicit content”. However, this is a family website, so I’m not going to go into detail on that one. Bogan died of coronary sclerosis in 1948.

Oriole 8122, issued in their “race records” series, was recorded in Chicago sometime in March of 1930. It features Lucille Bogan under her typical pseudonym Bessie Jackson, accompanied by boogie woogie piano player Charles Avery. This record was originally issued as Brunswick 7210, this issue likely dates to 1931.

First up, Bogan sings on the boogie woogie piece “Alley Boogie”, probably one of the earliest instances of a song title using the term “boogie”, following “Pine Top’s Boogie Woogie”.

Alley Boogie, recorded March 1930 by Bessie Jackson.

Labeled here as the “B” side, but generally and more properly serving as the “A” side on most issues of this pair is the quintessential “Sloppy Drunk Blues”, one of Bogan’s signature numbers.

Sloppy Drunk Blues, recorded March 1930 by Bessie Jackson.

Okeh 41440 – Fred Gardner’s Texas University Troubadours – 1930

Posted on February 21, 2016 by R. Connor Montgomery

In my never ending hunt for Texas jazz records, this one by Fred Gardner’s Texas University Troubadours is a necessity. Unfortunately, the only copy I was able to get my hands on is in rather rough condition. I think it’s still enjoyable, but it’s no prizewinner by any stretch of the imagination. Years ago, an English magazine misidentified the cornet on these records as that of the legendary Bix Beiderbecke, in what they credited as a band organized by British saxophonist Freddy Gardner, who was alleged to have been vacationing in Texas at the time. In actuality, the cornet player on this and the other record from this session was Tom Howell, and the leader was an entirely different Fred Gardner.

Cornetist Thomas Alva Howell, Jr., born in 1906, and his brother Lee learned to play by ear, and attended the University of Texas together beginning in 1921, where they played in the Howell Brothers Moonshiner Orchestra. They later joined Steve Gardner’s Hokum Kings, which recorded in 1930 under the direction of saxophonist Fred Gardner in San Antonio for Okeh Records. Howell and his brother also played in Sunny Clapp’s Band o’ Sunshine and can be heard playing on two of their San Antonio recorded sides from 1929, as well as singing on one of their Victor records.

Okeh 41440 was recorded on June 9, 1930 in San Antonio, Texas. Judging by the personnel, the band was something of a family affair, and features leader Fred Gardner on clarinet and tenor sax, Tom Howell on cornet, Lee Howell on trombone, Steve Gardner on clarinet, Chester Seekatz on clarinet and alto sax, Tommy Howell on piano, Bill Lewis on banjo and guitar, John Gardner on tuba, and Jay “Bird” Thomas on drums and vocals.

Gardner’s Troubadours play W.C. Handy’s classic song “Loveless Love” (a re-working of the traditional “Careless Love”) slow and with a steady beat, and it doesn’t disappoint, serving as an outstanding example of Texas-area territory jazz, with a fine vocal to top it off.

Loveless Love, recorded June 9, 1930 by Fred Gardner’s Texas University Troubadours.

A bit worse for wear, Glen Caraway, Louis Andre, and Bob Miller’s blues song “Papa’s Gone” is played hotter and more uptempo than the previous side, with a great bounce, and is one of my favorites. Originally a blues song performed by the likes of Rosa Henderson, this number seems to have been something of a standard in Texas jazz in those days, as it was recorded by at least four Texas-based bands in the 1920s and 1930s: first by Jimmy Joy’s St. Anthony Hotel Orchestra as “Mama Will Be Gone” in 1924, then by Eddie and Sugar Lou’s Hotel Tyler Orchestra as “Sweet Papa Will Be Gone” in 1929, then this one in ’30, and finally (or not?) by the Nite Owls in 1937.

Papa’s Gone, recorded June 9, 1930 by Fred Gardner’s Texas University Troubadours.

Updated with improved audio on July 11, 2017.