Vocalion 02621 – W. Lee O’Daniel and his Light Crust Doughboys – 1933

Posted on March 2, 2016 by R. Connor Montgomery

Please note: this article dates to Old Time Blues’ first year and does not meet the standard of quality to which more recent postings are held. Thank you for your understanding.

1933 Sheet music for Beautiful Texas, words and music by W. Lee O’Daniel.

On March 2, 2016, Texas celebrates the 180th anniversary of its independence from Mexico, and the creation of the Republic of Texas. After ten years as an independent nation, and a hot button issue in United States politics, Texas was admitted to the Union as the 28th state. To celebrate and remember the occasion, here’s two fiercely Texas-themed tunes by the Fort Worth-based Light Crust Doughboys, under the leadership of W. Lee O’Daniel, the radio advertising director for Burrus Mills, makers of Light Crust Flour and future Governor of Texas.

Vocalion 02621 was recorded on October 10, 1933 at Vocalion’s studio in the Furniture Mart Building at 666 Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, the first recorded (but not first issued) sides at the Doughboys’ first Vocalion session, and only second overall session, after their 1932 Victor session, which yielded one disc. The band members on these sides include Herman Arnspiger and Leon Huff on guitars, Clifford Gross on fiddle, Sleepy Johnson on banjo and fiddle, Leon McAuliffe on steel guitar, and Ramon DeArman on string bass.

Guitar player Leon Huff sings lead vocal on W. Lee O’Daniel’s song, “Beautiful Texas”, proudly boasting of “about six million people who’re glad that they’re here to stay.” A truer song has never been written.

Beautiful Texas, recorded October 10, 1933 by W. Lee O’Daniel and his Light Crust Doughboys.

On the reverse, the Doughboys play an instrumental number, “Blue Bonnet Waltz”, taking its name from the official flower of the State of Texas.

Blue Bonnet Waltz, recorded October 10, 1933 by W. Lee O’Daniel and his Light Crust Doughboys.

Updated with improved audio on July 11, 2017.

Vocalion 03405 – Victoria Spivey and Chicago Four – 1936

Posted on October 15, 2015 by R. Connor Montgomery

Please note: this article dates to Old Time Blues’ first year and does not meet the standard of quality to which more recent postings are held. Thank you for your understanding.

On this day, October 15, in 1906, blues singer Victoria Spivey was born into a musical family in Houston, Texas. Her father was a railroad flagman and singer, and her brother and sister also sang professionally. She began a successful recording career in 1926 with “Black Snake Blues” on Okeh Records, and made a film appearance in King Vidor’s Hallelujah in 1929. Victoria Spivey continued to have a successful career in music throughout the 1930s and well into the 1960s until her death in 1976.

Remarkably, Vocalion 03405 was also recorded on this day, October 15 in 1936, Spivey’s thirtieth birthday, at Vocalion’s Chicago studio. Although different sources offer different personnel listings for Spivey’s accompaniment on this record appears to consist of the outstanding lineup of Lee Collins on trumpet, Arnett Nelson on clarinet, J. Harry “Mr. Freddy” Shayne on piano, and John Lindsay on string bass.

“Hollywood Stomp” is an excellent upbeat jazz song with a fine hot backing that harkens back to the times that preceded the swing era.

Hollywood Stomp, recorded October 15, 1936 by Victoria Spivey and Chicago Four.

“Detroit Moan” is one of my personal favorites of the female blues genre, and features excellent performances by the backing musicians, not to mention Miss Spivey’s singing.

Detroit Moan, recorded October 15, 1936 by Victoria Spivey and Chicago Four.

Updated with improved audio on November 16, 2016.

Vocalion 2796 – Joseph Robechaux and his New Orleans Rhythm Boys – 1933

Posted on October 7, 2015 by R. Connor Montgomery

Joseph Robichaux (spelled on the labels of his records with an “e”), born March 8, 1900, was a New Orleans jazz pianist noted for playing with fellow luminaries such as Oscar “Papa” Celestin, and Lee Collins. First recording as a pianist for blues singer Christina Gray in 1929 in New Orleans, Robichaux organized the New Orleans Rhythm Boys in 1931. After being “discovered” by a talent scout, the band traveled to New York to record with the American Record Corporation in their studios at 35 West 43rd Street. In five sessions over five consecutive days, Robichaux and his New Orleans Rhythm Boys recorded twenty-four hot jazz sides, of which twenty-two were issued, ten Vocalions and one budget release with vocalist Chick Bullock fronting the band.

Robichaux’ Rhythm Boys were an excellent band and featured virtuosic musicianship, exemplified by the percussion work of Ward Crosby, who began each recording with a signature rhythmic “tap tap tap” that lent to the group’s unique sound. After these sessions, Robichaux and his band would record again with Decca in 1936, but no records were issued. Although the band continued to perform until 1939, and he performed on numerous recordings as a sideman, the 1933 sessions yielded Robichaux’ only commercially released records as bandleader. After the group disbanded, Robichaux continued to play as an sideman until his death on January 17, 1965.

Vocalion 2796 was recorded on August 22, 1933 in New York City, at the New Orleans Rhythm Boys’ first of their five consecutive recording sessions for the American Record Corporation. The band features Robichaux on piano, Eugene Ware on trumpet, Alfred Guishard on clarinet and alto sax, Gene Porter on clarinet and tenor sax, Walter Williams on guitar, and Ward Crosby on drums.

On the first side, Robichaux’ boys play “Saturday Night Fish Fry Drag”, of no relation to the almost identically named Louis Jordan hit of 1949, with two unknown band members doing the vocals at the beginning.

Saturday Night Fish Fry Drag, recorded August 22, 1933 by Joseph Robechaux and his New Orleans Rhythm Boys.

The hot jazz instrumental “Foot Scuffle” seems to be one of the less commonly reissued sides from Robichaux’ 1933 sessions, although I can’t imagine why, it’s a great number, and appears to have been the preferred side of this record’s original owner.

Foot Scuffle, recorded August 22, 1933 by Joseph Robechaux and his New Orleans Rhythm Boys.

Vocalion 1245 – “Pine Top” Smith – 1928

Posted on June 17, 2015 by R. Connor Montgomery

Please note: this article dates to Old Time Blues’ first year and does not meet the standard of quality to which more recent postings are held. Thank you for your understanding.

Last Thursday, June 11, marked the 111th birthday of boogie woogie pioneer Clarence “Pine Top” Smith, who was born on that day in 1904. While Smith was not the first pianist to play in that style, his “Pine Top’s Boogie Woogie” is believed to be the first recorded song to use the term “boogie woogie” in its title*.

Clarence Smith was born in Troy, Alabama, and got his nickname from his childhood fondness for tree-climbing. In 1928, Cow Cow Davenport recommended him to Vocalion Records, and he recorded eight sides with them in three sessions in December 1928 and January 1929. On March 15, 1929, Pine Top Smith was shot dead at the age of 24 during a fight in a dance-hall a day before he had a recording session scheduled. Whether or not the bullet was intended for him is disputed.

On the first side of Vocalion 1245, Pine Top Smith plays his famous “Pine Top’s Boogie Woogie”, take “A”, with his spoken instructions to dancers, recorded December 29, 1928 in Chicago, his first recording session. Just the sort of a performance that you’d hear at a 1920s rent party.

Contrary to what he might have had us believe, Joe Willie “Pinetop” Perkins was not the originator of “Pine Top’s Boogie Woogie”, he got his name from playing Clarence Smith’s composition, which Smith claimed he came up with at a house-rent party in St. Louis, Missouri. It also made a hit in 1938 when it was recorded by Tommy Dorsey’s orchestra as simply “Boogie Woogie”. Please read Mr. Brad Kay’s comment for a definitive explanation.

Pine Top’s Boogie Woogie, recorded December 29, 1928 by “Pine Top” Smith.

On the flip, Pine Top sings on another fine boogie woogie number, “Pine Top Blues”, take “B”, recorded on the same day, which lifts some of its lyrics from other popular blues songs of the day.

Pine Top Blues, recorded December 29, 1928 by “Pine Top” Smith.

Supertone S2061 – Frank Luther and Carson Robison – 1929/1928

Posted on June 8, 2015 by R. Connor Montgomery

Carson Robison and Frank Luther as “Bud and Joe Billings”. From Victor catalog, 1930.

So far I’ve mostly shared jazz records, so I think it’s about time I broke the monotony with something a bit different, so here’s one of my favorite country records, by Frank Luther and Carson Robison.

Carson Robison started out his lengthy and prolific recording career as a guitar player for vaudevillian Wendell Hall in 1924, becoming a studio guitarist and whistler for Victor records. Later that year, he was teamed up with the classically trained hillbilly singer Vernon Dalhart, beginning a partnership that lasted until an acrimonious parting in 1928, and would define “citybilly” music. Soon after, Robison joined forces with minister-turned-singer and fellow Kansan Frank Luther, who had previously sung with the Revelers and as a popular dance band vocalist, and the pair went on to supersede Dalhart as some of the nation’s foremost country recording artists. Their partnership lasted until 1932, when Robison set sail with a new group to bring hillbilly music to the British Isles. Luther continued to record domestically.

Supertone S2061 was recorded on May 21, 1929 and December 10, 1928, respectively, in New York City. The two sides were originally issued apart, with the first side on Brunswick 425 and the second on Vocalion 5278. This Supertone was released around 1931, and draws its masters from the Brunswick/Vocalion catalog rather than the original Gennett masters, after the Brunswick Radio Corporation (a subsidiary of Warner Brothers Pictures) acquired the contract from the Starr Piano Company.

On the first side of Supertone S2061, Frank Luther and Carson Robison perform “Left My Gal in the Mountains”, one of many country songs written by Robison and recorded by the duo on numerous labels. The accompaniment—made up of Earl Oliver on cornet, probably Roy Smeck on steel guitar, and an unknown clarinettist and guitarist—adds a little jazz to the song.

Left My Gal in the Mountains, recorded May 21, 1929 by Frank Luther and Carson Robison.

On the flip-side, Luther, accompanied by Robison on guitar, sings Harry McClintock’s famous “Big Rock Candy Mountains” in an almost flawless imitation of Mac.

The Big Rock Candy Mountains, recorded December 13, 1928 by Frank Luther.

Updated on October 2, 2016, and June 10, 2017.