Victor 22641 – Blanche Calloway and her Joy Boys – 1931

Posted on February 9, 2016 by R. Connor Montgomery

Blanche Calloway. From Cab’s autobiography.

On February 9, 1902, 114 years ago to the day, Blanche Calloway came into this world. Her career is overshadowed by the fame of her brother, Cab Calloway, but she easily possessed just as much musical talent as her better known sibling. Here are two first-rate jazz songs in honor of Ms. Calloway.

Born into a middle class family of Baltimore, Maryland, Blanche Calloway made her first professional appearance in the local production of Sissle and Blake’s Shuffle Along, against the wishes of her parents. Beginning in 1923, she toured in Plantation Days, starring Florence Mills, which wound her up in Chicago. Sometime during her time with Plantation Days, she was joined by her brother Cab. In 1925, Blanche made her recording debut on Okeh records, singing a pair of blues songs with accompaniment by Louis Armstrong and Richard M. Jones. Later in the 1920s, she recorded several songs with Ruben Reeves’ River Boys before joining Andy Kirk’s Twelve Clouds of Joy as a vocalist. After attempting and failing to take control of the Twelve Clouds of Joy (Andy would have none of that), Blanche formed her own band, the Joy Boys, with some of Kirk’s former band mates, and at times had in her ranks Ben Webster and Cozy Cole. The Joy Boys toured and recorded sporadically throughout the 1930s until she and a band member were arrested in Yazoo, Mississippi for using a whites-only restroom, and while incarcerated, another member of the band absconded with all the group’s money and hightailed it. After retiring from music in the late 1930s, Blanche went on to a variety of occupations, including founding a cosmetics company in the late 1960s. Blanche Calloway died of breast cancer on December 16, 1978, at the age of seventy-six.

Victor 22641 was recorded March 2, 1931 in Camden, New Jersey, at Blanche Calloway’s first Victor session. The band is actually Andy Kirk’s Twelve Clouds of Joy under Blanche’s name, and consists of Harry Lawson, Edgar Battle, and Clarence E. Smith on trumpets, Floyd Brady on trombone, John Harrington on clarinet and alto sax, John Williams on alto sax, Lawrence Freeman on tenor sax, Mary Lou Williams on piano, Bill Dirvin on banjo, Andy Kirk on tuba, and Ben Thigpen on drums. Blanche Calloway of course provides the vocals on both sides.

First, Blanche sings “There’s Rhythm in the River”, with Andy Kirk’s always excellent Twelve Clouds of Joy backing her.

There’s Rhythm in the River, recorded March 2, 1931 by Blanche Calloway and her Joy Boys.

On the flip she sings “I Need Lovin'”, with an even better performance by both Blanche and the band. Interestingly, this issue has the song incorrectly listed as “All I Need is Lovin'” though some labels show the correct title.

I Need Lovin’, recorded March 2, 1931 by Blanche Calloway and her Joy Boys.

Victor 18537 – Billy Murray/Arthur Fields – 1919

Posted on January 16, 2016 by R. Connor Montgomery

January 16, 2016 marks the 96th anniversary of the passage of the Volstead Act and the ratification of the 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution, better known as Prohibition. That noble experiment lasted for thirteen years, ten months, nineteen days, seventeen hours, thirty-two minutes, and thirty seconds, before it was repealed by the 21st Amendment, passed by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on December 5, 1933. To commemorate that occasion, here’s a record with two topical tunes, one for the Volstead Act, one for the end of the First World War, sung by two popular personalities of those days.

Victor 18537 was recorded February 14 and 27, 1919 in Camden, New Jersey by Billy Murray and Arthur Fields, singing two topical songs about current events of the day. Both sides feature an orchestra directed by Josef Pasternack.

On what is actually the “B” side of the record, that consummate vaudevillian Billy Murray laments the ratification of the 18th Amendment with “How Are You Goin’ to Wet Your Whistle” (When the Whole Darn World Goes Dry)”.

How Are You Goin’ to Wet Your Whistle? (When the Whole Darn World Goes Dry), recorded February 14, 1919 by Billy Murray.

On the “A” side, Arthur Fields, in his vaudevillian element, sings one of his better remembered songs, “Hot Ya Gonna Keep ‘Em Down on the Farm? (After They’ve Seen Paree)”, referring to the homecoming of our boys from the Great War.

You Ya Gonna Keep ‘Em Down on the Farm? (After They’ve Seen Paree), recorded February 27, 1919 by Arthur Fields.

Victor 21142 – Jimmie Rodgers – 1927

Posted on September 8, 2015 by R. Connor Montgomery

On this day, September eighth, in the year of our Lord 1897, the Father of Country Music, America’s Blue Yodeler, the great Jimmie Rodgers was born. Rodgers began recording at Victor’s legendary Bristol sessions, and became one of America’s most popular singing stars throughout the late 1920s and early 1930s, until his tragic demise from tuberculosis at the age of thirty-five.

James Charles Rodgers was born in Meridian, Mississippi or Geiger, Alabama; after his mother died when he was a child, the young Jimmie spent much of his youth with various relatives before returning to live with his father, a railroad man. Following in his father’s footsteps, Jimmie began working as a water boy, and later a brakeman for the New Orleans and Northeastern Railroad, though his first love was entertainment. Working on the railroad, Jimmie Rodgers learned the ways of music from the likes of gandy dancers and hobos. After tuberculosis put his railroad work on hiatus, Rodgers turned to entertaining, and organized various groups and shows on vaudeville and radio.

In 1927, Ralph Peer headed a recording field trip for Victor records in Bristol, Tennessee, and on August 4 of that year, from 2:00 to 4:30 in the afternoon, Rodgers recorded his first sides, Sleep, Baby, Sleep and The Soldier’s Sweetheart. After his first record’s moderate success, Jimmie Rodgers traveled north to record further sides and held his second session in Camden, New Jersey. Achieving great success with his records over the next few years, Rodgers became one of the nations most popular artists, earning nicknames such as “America’s Blue Yodeler” and “The Singing Brakeman”, and later “The Father of Country Music.” He was also one of the first artists to popularize country music, after Vernon Dalhart. Ultimately, his tuberculosis caught up with him, and a mere two days after his final recording session, Jimmie Rodgers died in the Taft Hotel in New York City.

Victor 21142, from Jimmie Rodgers’ second recording session, was recorded November 30, 1927 at Victor’s Camden, New Jersey studio and issued in May of 1928. The record was a hit, and remained in Victor’s catalog for many years, well into the 45 RPM era.

On the first side, Jimmie sings his first of thirteen “Blue Yodels”, this one simply titled “Blue Yodel” here, but also frequently known by the title “T for Texas”.

Blue Yodel, recorded November 30, 1927 by Jimmie Rodgers.

On the flip, Rodgers sings Kelly Harrell’s “Away Out on the Mountain”, which features some of his more elaborate yodeling.

Away Out On the Mountain, recorded November 30, 1927 by Jimmie Rodgers.

Updated with improved audio on November 30, 2018.

Victor 23781 – Jimmie Rodgers – 1932

Posted on July 14, 2015 by R. Connor Montgomery

Around this time of the year, the weather starts to heat up, and on trees all around the South (and California), the peaches begin to ripen, so I figure what better time to listen to this classic by the Father of Country Music, Mr. Jimmie Rodgers.

Victor number 23781, issued in their special 23500 series intended for rural audiences, was recorded late in Jimmie Rodgers’ career on August 15 and 29, 1932 in Camden, New Jersey. It was issued in April of 1933, a mere two months before Rodgers’ untimely death. I had the fortune of finding this great record in the backroom of one of my favorite record stores down in Austin.

First up, Jimmie sings “Peach Picking Time Down in Georgia”, recorded on the earlier date, accompanied by members of Clayton McMichen’s Georgia Wildcats, including the great McMichen on fiddle, who shares composer’s credit for the tune, on fiddle, Oddie McWinders picking the banjo, and Hoyt “Slim” Bryant filling in for the ailing Rodgers on guitar.

Peach Picking Time Down in Georgia, recorded August ,1932 by Jimmie Rodgers.

Peach Picking Time Down in Georgia, recorded August 15, 1932 by Jimmie Rodgers.

Next, Jimmie sings the waltzy, western themed “Prairie Lullaby”, recorded on the later date, again with Slim Bryant on guitar, and an unknown accompaniment on two violins, clarinet, and piano. This could be classified as one of Jimmie’s efforts to tailor his music to the tastes of the popular music consumer of 1932, still makes for fine listening.

Prairie Lullaby, recorded August 29, 1932 by Jimmie Rodgers.

Updated on January 1, 2017, and with improved audio on July 6, 2017.