The Legends of the Rocking Dutchman

The Legends of the Rocking Dutchman - episode 264

Instrumentals

This transcript of the radio show is an approximation of what I said in the show. The real spoken parts may differ slightly.

And every now and then, listeners, I dedicate a whole show to instrumentals and last time I did that is over half a year ago so I guess it's about time and so here it goes.

And we start in the year 1955 with a recording done in Chicago for the Parrot label. Paul Bascomb moved to the Windy City in '53, apparently intending to stay 'cause he bought a house on 4722 South State Street. Before, he'd worked a few years in Detroit in the El Sino club. It's that club that's commemorated on the next track - here is Paul Bascomb with Jumping At The El Cino. *)

01 - Paul Bascomb - Jumping At The El Cino
02 - Lynn Hope - Driftin' (Goin' Home)

Lynn Hope was that on Aladdin with a 1953 recording - you heard Driftin' a.k.a. Goin' Home. Hope was known for wearing a fez or turban on stage, after he converted to Islam. Between '51 and 57 he recorded for Aladdin. His only hit, he recorded that before for the Premium label but it was released on Chess, titled Tenderly.

Next from 1947 on the Capitol label, Joe Lutcher. On this label he followed his sister Nellie - she'd signed some time before. Joe was a good saxophonist but he never got the success that his sister had. Later he quit the Rhythm & Blues scene for the gospel.

Luke the Spook of Morris Lane was that as the last of four-in-a-row and that was from 1947 on the Savoy label in a special where I play instrumentals only, here on the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman.

Before that you got the Resistor of Maxwell Davis from 1950 on the Modern label. Now there's not so many recordings under his name but his saxophone is to be heard on numerous West Coast Rhythm & Blues recordings on all kinds of labels. Next to being a valued session man, Davis worked as an arranger and producer for Aladdin and for the labels of the Bihari brothers, such as Modern, Flair and RPM.

Then I have to account for what I played before the jingle - that was Stuffy of Coleman Hawkins and he recorded that in 1945 for the Capitol label.

The next one is for the band of Jack McVea and he recorded it for the Black & White label. McVea led the house band of the label, backing many recordings. Jack McVea was one of the greats of the forties, but like so many stars of the Rhythm & Blues he fell out of favor when Rock 'n Roll hit the nation. For many a musician that meant a job outside music, but McVea found himself a job as clarinettist in the Disney dixieland band for the twenty-five years up to his retirement - he was a daily appearance in Disneyland's New Orleans Square.

07 - Jack McVea - Jack's Boogie
08 - Illinois Jacquet - Illinois Blows The Blues

Illinois Blows The Blues - recorded in 1947 for the Aladdin label. His name - Jean-Baptiste Illinois Jacquet - it reveals his ancestry as a Louisiana Creole, but he was raised in Houston, TX. As a 19 year old he was the star of Lionel Hampton's 1942 recording Flying Home where Illinois honked the tenor saxophone, introducing a whole new style of playing the sax, and the audience loved it. The style became popular in the Rhythm & Blues and even survived into the earlier rock 'n roll recordings. Well in this goodie he very much holds back, but the elements are still in.

Next an instrument that's seldomly used for instrumentals - the harmonica mostly spices up the blues. Sonny Terry shows us that it's well suitable without twelve-bar blues lyrics - it could well have done without his shouting. Here he is with a 1947 recording for Capitol - the Harmonica Rag.

Recorded in December of 1944 for the Savoy label - but unreleased at the time - that was Blooey of Hot Lips Page. In the mid-thirties, Oran Page decided not to follow Count Basie after the death of Bennie Moten and the following demise of his band, but to pursue a career as a band leader for himself and in the first years he was quite succesful, getting Small's Paradise in Harlem packed every evening. But through the following years he had troubles maintiaing his band and he formed and re-formed bands and combos while touring the country, and he worked as an often uncredited session man. Most notable is where his band backed Wynonie Harris on his groundbreaking Good Rocking Tonight.

His influence is much forgotten, but he was one of the greats of swing and a major influence in the making of Rhtyhm & Blues.

For the next one, Sidney Bechet, he had left the country for the Paris jazz scene when Rhythm & Blues took off - playing the clarinet and the soprano saxophone, he was of another generation of musicians. This was recorded in 1947 probably for the Jazz Limited label and one of his latest sessions in the USA, but it has a typical late thirties jazz atmosphere. Here is Groovin' The Minor.

The Royal Family of Lionel Hampton - recorded in 1942 in New York and it has Jack McVea on the saxophone, Marshall Royal on the clarinet and of course, the vibes of Lionel Hampton. Hampton had served in Benny Goodman's band from 1936 to '40 - he left to form his own band. In his new band he gave the energetic performances that he's known for - he was, next to a great musician, also a great showman. In old movie shorts, it's a pleasure to see the enthusiasm that sparkles from him. Look for instance for the Snader telescription of I Love You Like Mad, I Love You Like Crazy where he declares his love to a line of women - the faces he makes are priceless.

When he was with Goodman, he played alongside Charlie Christian in some of the best recordings of the band of Benny Goodman. The next is one of them. Here is the AC DC Current.

And with that we made a jump to the late twenties, with the combo of Fats Waller - named his buddies, it were a mixed race group that included the white musicians Jack Teagarden, Gene Krupa and Eddie Condon, and for the twenties that was pretty unusual. Fats stride piano style is easily recognizable in this Minor Drag, that he recorded in '29 for the Victor label. It got a re-release on Bluebird ten years later - and by then it still didn't sound old-fashioned.

Next the hot jazz of Jelly Roll Morton, hot enough to burn icebergs - according to the title. In fact it's a version of the Weary Blues, a 1915 composition that's in ragtime style rather than blues.

Well here he is, the self proclaimed inventor of jazz, Jelly Roll Morton, with Burning The Iceberg.

15 - Jelly Roll Morton - Burnin' the Iceberg
16 - Duke Ellington - Washington Wobble
17 - Louis Armstrong - Oriental Strut

And two greats from the twenties end today's show - the Oriental Strut of Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five, recorded in February of 1926 for the Okeh label. And before that the band of Duke Ellington from October of 1927 on the Victor label. An ending in style, with the best trumpeter ever and America's greatest composer, both from the time that I think they were at their best - but you can disagree with me if you want. Of course, your ideas and opinions are valued in this program - and feedback is greatly appreciated. So if you have anything to comment, say or ask - drop me a line at rockingdutchman@rocketmail.com.

And all that I told you today - you can find it on the website of this program, together with a sneak peek on what will be on for next week. Finding my website is easy - type Legends of the Rocking Dutchman in Google and it will show up first. Once in - this is show number 264 and remembering that number, it helps a lot when you want to find this particular show.

For now I'm done, so you'll have to do without me for another week. Don't get the blues - I'll be back for more Legends of the Rocking Dutchman!

*) Mark the difference in spelling: the Detroit club was named El Sino but the record label spelled El Cino. So no, it's not a typo, at least, not my typo.