00 Vertical Jazz Notes.txt
RARE VERTICAL JAZZ 1926-1928
Historical Records HLP-8, 1966
LP rip by Dick Baker, April 2011
Side 1.
RED and MIFF'S STOMPERS
1. Stampede 4:35
2. Alabama Stomp 3:44
3. Hurricane 4:26
4. Black Bottom Stomp 3:48
Red Nichols (cnt.), Miff Mole (tbn.), Jimmy Dorsey (clt.-alt.), Arthur Schutt (pno.), Vic Berton (d.), N.Y. tracks 1 & 2, Oct. 13, tracks 3 & 4, Nov. 10, 1926.
PHIL NAPOLEON'S ORCHESTRA
5. Five Pennies 4:12
Phil Napoleon & Bill Moore (?) (tpts.), Vincent Grande (tbn.?), Manny Prager, George Bohn (reeds), unknown (ten.), Frank Signorelli (pno.), Julian Davidson (gtr.), Joe Tarto (bbs.), Ted Napoleon (d.), N.Y., November 12, 1927.
CALIFORNIA RAMBLERS
6. Sidewalk Blues 4:07
Roy Johnson, Chelsea Quealey (cnts.), Abe Lincoln (tbn.), Bobby Davis (clt.-alt.), Sam Ruby (clt.-ten.), Adrian Rollini (bsx.), Jack Russin (pno.), Tommy Felline (bjo.), Herb Weil (d.), N.Y., December 9, 1926.
Side 2.
CALIFORNIA RAMBLERS
1. Shake 3:30
Roy Johnson (cnt.), Abe Lincoln (tbn.), Bobby Davis (clt.-alt.), Elmer Drown (clt.-ten.), Adrian Rollini (bsx.), Jack Russin (pno.), Tommy Felline (bjo.), Herb Weil (d.), New York, April 16, 1926.
2. I Ain't Got Nobody 3:15
3. Third Rail 3:40
Mickey Bloom, Tony Russo (cnts.), Tommy Dorsey (tbn.), Pete Pumiglio (clt.-alt.), Harold Marcus (clt.-alt.), Sam Ruby (clt.-ten.), Spencer Clark (bsx.), Joe LaFaro (vln.), Chauncey Gray (pno.), Tommy Felline (bjo.), Herb Weil (d.), New York, January 27, 1928.
4. Make My Cot Where The Cot-Cot-Cotton Grows 4:07
Frank Cush, Nick Casti (tpts,), Frank Ferretti (tbn.), Pete Pumiglio, Larry Lloyd (clt.-alt.), Sam Ruby (clt.-ten.), Spencer Clark (bsx.), Jack Russin (pno.), Tommy Felline (bjo.), Herb Weil (d.), New York, November 16, 1927.
5. The Pay-Off 4:06
Frank Cush, Nick Casti (tpts.), Frank Ferretti (tbn.), Pete Pumiglio, Larry Lloyd (clt.-alt.), Sam Ruby (clt.-ten.), Spencer Clark (bsx.), Jack Russin (pno.), Tommy Felline (bjo.), Herb Weil (d.), New York, December 28, 1927.
Original issue information:
Side 1.
1. Edison 51854 (11246)
2. Edison 51854 (11245)
3. Edison 51878 (11291)
4. Edison 51878 (11292)
5. Edison 52147 (18028)
6. Edison 51897 (11361)
Side 2.
1. Edison 51737 (10930)
2. Edison 52206 (18198)
3. Edison 52206 (18199)
4. Edison 52164 (18033)
5. Edison 52181
Discographical Notes: Brian Rust's "Jazz Records"
Cover Art: Arnold S. Caplin
Liner Notes: Paul Burgess, Jazz Columnist, Atlantic City Press
Produced by ARNOLD S. CAPLIN
The very appearance of the Diamond Disc, a quarter-inch thick and with Edison's commanding countenance staring forth from the label, bespoke quality. Edison himself thought his record and phonograph superior to all others and proudly conducted his famous tone tests wherein blindfolded critics were made to guess at what point in time a live artist ceased singing and the record began. That they usually failed was offered in ads as testimony to the superb fidelity of the Edison record and phonograph.
Because of the longer playing time inherent in the vertically recorded disc, the Edison record, from whence these eleven tracks were derived, made possible a recording time in excess of four minutes. The recording bands often filled in this extra time by the simplest expedient of allowing extra improvised jazz solos. Thus, on Edison Diamond Disc as on no other record of the period, are we able to really hear a soloist at length.
MANHATTAN IN THE TWENTIES
The New York white jazz school of the nineteen twenties was laughingly called "The Lanin School of Music" by its student body. Its members--Red Nichols, Phil Napoleon, Tommy Dorsey, Miff Mole, Jimmy Dorsey, Joe Venuti, Arthur Schutt, Joe Tarto, Vic Berton and many others--found their most frequent employment with Sam Lanin and his Roseland orchestra and/or its broadcasting counterpart, the Ipana Troubadours. Their other "home" was with Ed Kirkeby's California Ramblers, the first white New York dance band to have a regular "hot" policy.
Out of the very active New York scene of the mid-twenties came many fine jazzmen, and of these none more prolific than Loring "Red" Nichols. Sam Lanin recalled to me in November 1968 that when he first used Nichols on a record date, "Red was ashen, just scared to death, poor kid." Hymie Farberman, Lanin's ace lead trumpet of the era, remembers the date: "I felt sorry for Red and it was all I could do to get him to play. A great guy, a real gentleman . . . he later became one of the greats."
Red's shyness was overcome in short order as he began appearing on a multitude of labels for a variety of bands. His horn was always identifiable, and it became a mark of prestige to an aspiring band to boast having made a record with Red on cornet. He was everywhere on the New York jazz scene of the twenties, and just how many hundreds of records he made is still a mystery which has been occupying researchers Woody Backensto and Stan Hester for a number of years.
Red was not, as has been alleged, a Beiderbecke copier. He respected and admired Bix by his own admission but, aside from certain superficial stylistic similarities, he was his own man, a unique and highly creative jazzman. His intricate choruses were harmonically and rhythmically in advance of everyone else's--Bix's included--and could only have been played by one with complete mastery of the instrument, and Red's fluency on the cornet was such that his solos always had a casual off-handed sound to them. In a way, Red was the stylistic ancestor of "the cool sound."
Red found his alter-ego in Miff Mole, a shy young trombonist who by 1925 had already set the music world on its ear as a result of his dazzlingly technical work with the Original Memphis Five and the band of Ray Miller. Red and Miff joined forces in 1926 and created many marvelous sides of which our opening four tracks are amongst the rarest.
The lead-off track, "Stampede," sets the stage with a typical Nichols treatment: skillfully inventive solos interlaced with complex arranged ensemble portions. This tune demonstrates Jimmy Dorsey's unusual approach to a solo. The opening bars to his alto sax chorus, in which he uses his octave key to produce a repeated rhythmic figure, suggests Lester Young of some ten years hence.
"Alabama Stomp" is an especially lyrical tune much favored by Nichols. Mole's dexterous trombone shines brightly and is followed, after an instrumental interlude, by some of Vic Berton's renowned drumming, a complex piano solo by Schutt, some sinuous clarinet by Dorsey and, then, ensemble with Red leading the way out.
Jimmy Dorsey leads off "Hurricane" with a multinoted clarinet solo that gives a clue to the high regard in which he was held by such demanding leaders as Sam Lanin and Ed Kirkeby. More of Schutt's esoteric piano leads into some ensemble which, in turn, launches a beautifully constructed Nichols solo. Schutt's off-beat chorus, more varied goings-on lead ultimately into a punchy alto ride by Dorsey and then a solo by Mole in which he slithers effortlessly from one end of his horn to the other. Red takes one of his freak breaks leading into a solidly wrought ride out.
Jelly Roll Morton's classic "Black Bottom Stomp" is notable for, among other things, a handsome solo by Red. One of Nichols's best tunes--"Five Pennies"--is given a very un-Red treatment on the next track by the band of Phil Napoleon. The driving horn leading the ensemble and doing the breaks might be Phil himself, but to my ear it sounds like Bill Moore. The trombone doesn't seem to have the fuency of Miff Mole, so I'll put forth the name of Vincent Grande, a capable jazzman and former Memphis Fiver himself. The nicely booted-out tenor sax is anybody's guess.
The final track on side one serves to introduce the California Ramblers in their prime. Jelly Roll Morton's "Sidewalk Blues" is given a thorough going-over with Chelsea Quealey (?) taking a tasty ride leading into the ensemble. Bobby Davis follows with a well-paced alto solo that shows why his peers considered him to be every bit as good as Jimmy Dorsey. The venerable Abe Lincoln is heard with a gutty trombone chorus after which the band's great pivotal musician Adrian Rollini comes on strong with his bass sax.
Side two is an all-California Ramblers show. The first track is called "Shake." The discerning collector will realize, in quick order, that what he's hearing is actually Papa Charlie's fine old "Shake That Thing." Apparently, Tom Edison did not cotton to seeing the full title in print on an Edison label. The track is nonetheless hot, however, as fine solos are turned out by Lincoln, Roy Johnston, Bobby Davis, Rollini and somebody's kazoo.
"I Ain't Got Nobody" is next and gives a good view of "the sentimental gentleman" Tommy Dorsey in the years when his trombone was inclined less to sentiment and more to funky jazz. Pete Pumiglio's clarinet spells Dorsey's trombone just prior to a bit of "worry music" ensemble culminating in a pyramid chord which introduces a brief tenor spot by, I think, Sam Ruby.
"Third Rail" is one of those fine tunes so neglected by jazz revivalists. This number, by a chap named DeMars, features some more very unsentimental Tommy Dorsey, the trumpet of Mickey Bloom (?), and Spencer Clark, who demonstrates very ably why he was chosen to replace Rollini when the latter sailed for England and Fred Elizalde's band in late 1927. The marvelous alto is Pete Pumiglio, and the up-in-the-air ending is part of the charm that was 1928.
"Make My Cot" is an example of how a pop tune can be turned into first rate jazz. Al Duffy is said to be the violinist but, in my opinion, it's more likely to be Joe LaFaro. Frank Ferretti solos briefly but well on trombone and is followed, after a banjo interlude, by what sounds to me like Sam Ruby playing a C-melody sax. The trumpet this time is by Frank Cush with Pumiglio returning for the alto chorus. Discographies to the contrary, bass saxist Spencer Clark is not present but is replaced by another chap who favors tuba.
The final track is "The Pay-Off," a number the Ramblers waxed several times under that name and also as "Dustin' the Donkey." Banjoist Howdy Quicksell composed this simple but effective tune. The personnel is not well established, but certainly the man responsible for recreating a note-for-note Venuti solo could only be the remarkable violinist Al Duffy. The bass sax certainly sounds like Rollini, but as he was in England the very next month recording for Elizalde, it probably is Spencer Clark deputizing with authority. This track, as all I've heard by the Ramblers, boasts an excellent and steady rhythm section, obviously one of Ed Kirkeby's first requirements.
--Paul Burgess
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