Perfect 6-05-09 – Joe Haymes and his Orchestra – 1936

Posted on October 12, 2015 by R. Connor Montgomery

With all the controversy we have surrounding Columbus Day, who knows, they might decide to abolish it after this year. With that in mind, I can’t think of a better time to share this fine swing record, and you’ll see why. Though this was recorded near the beginning of the swing era, recordings like this represent swing’s finest, or at least jazziest period, in my opinion.

Joe Haymes got his start in the music industry as arranger for Ted Weems’ orchestra before breaking out with his own band in 1930. Eventually developing a reputation for doing so, Haymes sold off his first band to movie star and musician Charles “Buddy” Rogers in 1933. He put together another band the next year which was taken over by Tommy Dorsey after the famous Dorsey Brothers split. Afterwards, he organized yet another band to record with the American Record Corporation, which is heard on this record.

Perfect 6-05-09 was recorded on March 11, 1936 in New York and features the talent of Cliff Weston, Zeke Zarchy, and Gordon Griffin on trumpets, Mike Michaels and Frank Llewellyn on trombone, Leo White on clarinet, Edgar Sarason on alto sax, Freddy Fallensby on tenor sax, Ben Herrod on baritone sax, Bill Miller on piano, Brick Fleagle on guitar, Jack Fay on string bass, and Charlie Bush on drums.

First, Haymes’ orchestra plays Leon “Chu” Berry and Andy Razaf’s composition, Christopher Columbus (A Rhythm Cocktail). You may recognize this tune from Benny Goodman’s famous performance of “Sing, Sing, Sing”, which featured the theme along with Louis Prima’s famous composition.

Christopher Columbus (A Rhythm Cocktail), recorded March 11, 1936 by Joe Haymes and his Orchestra.

On the flip, they play Stuff Smith’s “I’se a Muggin'”, with a vocal chorus by trumpeter Cliff Weston. I can’t figure out what the heck is going on in these lyrics.

I’se a Muggin’, recorded March 11, 1936 by Joe Haymes and his Orchestra.

Melotone M 12639 – Cab Calloway and his Orchestra – 1930

Posted on August 21, 2015 by R. Connor Montgomery

I think it’s about time I featured a Cab Calloway record, so here it is, one of his earliest records, as well as one of his best. At such an early recording date, Calloway’s band retained the most of the members, and hot sound of their predecessor, the Missourians.

Melotone M 12639, originally issued as Brunswick 6020, was recorded on December 23, 1930 in New York, two days before Cab’s birthday, in New York City, this Melotone was issued around early to mid 1933. These sides feature Cab singing and directing the band, and includes R.Q. Dickerson, Lammar Wright, and Reuben “River” Reeves on trumpets, De Priest Wheeler and Harry White on trombones, William Thornton Blue on clarinet and alto sax, Andrew Brown on bass clarinet and tenor sax, Walter “Foots” Thomas on alto, tenor and baritone saxes, Earres Prince on piano, Morris White on banjo, Jimmy Smith on bass, and Leroy Maxey on drums.

The band’s energetic performance of the evergreen classic “Some of These Days” is one of Cab’s hottest tunes ever recorded, with the (ex-)Missourians playing as hot as ever. This side has a few small needle digs that cause slight disruption near the end, please try to excuse them.

Some of These Days, recorded December 23, 1930 by Cab Calloway and his Orchestra.

Maceo Pinkard’s “Is That Religion” is performed in the form of a mock-sacred song, with a chorus singing in the background, and Cab preaching.

Is That Religion?, recorded December 23, 1930 by Cab Calloway and his Orchestra.

Spotlight: Chick Bullock

Posted on August 2, 2015 by R. Connor Montgomery

From early 1930s "Perfect" record sleeve. An illustration of the only known photograph of Bullock in his prime.

An illustration of Bullock in his prime, from 1930s “Perfect” record sleeve.

One of the most prolific male vocalists of the 1930s was Charles “Chick” Bullock. With his relaxed style and smooth tenor voice, Bullock recorded innumerable titles with groups ranging from sweet dance orchestras like Waring’s Pennsylvanians and Ed Kirkeby to hot jazz bands like Cab Calloway’s orchestra and the Mills Blue Rhythm Band, even Antobal’s Cubans as “Chiquito Bullo”, as well as his own group, the Levee Loungers. Over the course of his career, Bullock worked with many, if not most, top musicians of the 1930s, recording hundreds of sides. In fact, if you pulled out any record from the ARC labels (Banner, Perfect, Romeo, et al), there’s a good chance you’ll see “vocal chorus by Chick Bullock”.

Charles Sibley Bullock was born September 16, 1898 in Butte, Montana to British parents William (b.1858) and Emily Bullock (née Sibley) (b.1872), an engineer and teacher, respectively, who met and married after emigrating to the States. Though his family wanted him to pursue a career as a doctor, he was destined for a life in the show business. His first job in the entertainment industry had him working as an illustrated song performer between acts on the vaudeville stage. Later, he worked his way from venue to venue into motion pictures, scoring a few small parts in silent films, but soon found he preferred singing, and left Hollywood to pursue a career in music. In Salt Lake City, Bullock met Mary Newton, whom he would marry soon after.

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A Brief Guide to the ARC Numbering System

Posted on June 12, 2015 by R. Connor Montgomery

Around September of 1935, the American Record Corporation (ARC) revamped their catalog numbering system for most of their budget labels. Prior to this change, all of the multitude of labels made by the ARC used different numbering schemes for their cataloging, and this new system created a unified system of numbers.

This new cataloging system involved a five digit code consisting of three numbers separated by hyphens. The first number represents the year of release, the second the month of release, and the third the release number and series (e.g. popular, race).

The first number used a single digit code for the release year. For example: 6 would equate to 1936, 7 to ’37, and so on. The first two months of releases using this system used 35 as the first number before changing to the single digit system in November of that year.

The second, two digit number, quite straightforwardly, refers to the month of release, 01 for January, 04 for April, 11 for November, and so on.

The third number refers to the release number of the record, 01 would be the first issue, 12 for the twelfth, etc. Beginning around November 1935, releases in the popular series used numbers beginning at 01 for the final number, and releases in the Race/Country & Western series began at 51.

For example: 7-04-18 would be the eighteenth issue in the popular series for April of 1937, 7-04-68 would be the eighteenth in the Race/Country series.

In the case of the record pictured, Romeo 6-06-03, the numbers equate to the following:

6: the year of release, 1936
06: the month of release, June
03: the release number, third in the popular series

That means the above record is the third record released in the popular series in June of 1936.

The ARC used this system for Banner, Melotone, Oriole, Perfect, and Romeo. Conqueror and many of the ARC’s small client labels did not adopt the system.