The Legends of the Rocking Dutchman - episode 77

Aladdin releases 1946

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

And today I'll take you to the year 1946 with some fine releases of the Aladdin label. The label had started off with some of the best of West Coast Rhythm & Blues in 1945 under the name of Philo, and in 1946 it was renamed to Aladdin. Under this name it became one of the most influential independent labels in West Coast race music - the name Rhythm & Blues still had to be invented by then.

And I start with the great saxophonist Lester Young with a great instrumental, that was issued as number 127, the first to bear the name of Aladdin. Listen to It's Only A Paper Moon.

127 - Lester Young - It's Only a Papermoon
129 - Johnny Moore's Three Blazers - Race Track Blues

The Race Track Blues - Johnny Moore's Three Blazers and vocal on that was of course the great Charles Brown, whose style so much influenced Ray Charles. The Blazers themselves had listened very carefully to Nat King Cole, copied the line-up of piano, bass and guitar, but their sound was more bluesy than Cole's. Now Charles Brown definitely was the star of the Three Blazers but Johnny Moore didn't want to give Brown the credit he deserved. Eventually that caused Brown to leave the group in 1948. Moore employed several other vocalists, including Billy Valentine and Floyd Dixon, but with Brown, success left him - while Charles Brown remained succesful for several years until Rock 'n Roll made his mellow style outdated.

Next some old-fashioned big band swing - and old-fashioned it already was for 1946. Jimmy Mundy had been a succesful arranger and composer for Earl Hines, Bennie Goodman and Gene Krupa in the thirties. By the mid-forties he led a considerable large band that played for radio broadcast - but information on band members is hard to get and sources list different personnel and erratic dates. The CD liner notes of the Classics CD that I took this from and even that comprehensive bible of jazz, the Lord discography, say that the session was done in '47 which is impossible since the record was released in May of 1946.

Listen to Jimmy Mundy's orchestra with the One O'Clock Boogie.

130 - Jimmy Mundy - One O'Clock Boogie
136 - Jack Larue & His Quartet - Ringside Boogie

(jingle)

137 - Lester Young - New Lester Leaps in
141 - Velma Nelson - Early Morning Blues

You heard Velma Nelson with the Early Morning Blues and that was Aladdin number 141. Aladdin did some effort to push this singer with several ads in Billboard Magazine, but unfortunately she hasn't become one of the great names of Rhythm & Blues. Before that you got Lester Young with a re-recording of Lester Leaps in, that he had done before with Count Basie's Kansas City Seven in 1939 for the Vocalion label. Then I have to account for what was before the jingle, well you heard the obscure Jack Larue and his quartet with the Ringside Boogie that was number 136 in the Aladdin catalog.

Next Jo Jo Adams backed up by Maxwell Davis' All Stars on Aladdin number 142. Shortly before, he had his recording debut with the Melody Lane label, soon renamed to Hy-Tone and after this one session with Aladdin he returned to Hy-Tone to record with Floyd Smith's combo. Adams may be somewhat forgotten now, in the forties he was famous in the Chicago scene. Listen to his Disgusted.

142 - Jo Jo Adams - Disgusted
143 - Jo Jo Adams - Jo-Jo's Troubles

More Jo Jo Adams with Jo-Jo's Troubles on Aladdin 143 and again you heard the band of Maxwell Davis backing him up.

Next Kansas City singer and trumpeter Monte Easter and he's another one of these forgotten legends of Rhythm & Blues. Like so many musicians from Kansas City, he moved to Los Angeles, in his case to study at the L.A. conservatory. He's been a session man for many musicians but also led his own combos, the very first of them included a drummer who would become famous for his own - Johnny Otis.

In his session for Aladdin his band backs up singer Mary De Pina. Listen to the Boogie Woogie Man on Aladdin 147.

147 - Monte Easter feat. Mary De Pina - Boogie Woogie Man
151 - Effie Smith - Effie's Boogie

And that was Effie Smith on Aladdin 151 with Effie's Boogie. This singer and comedienne was born Effie May Bly in 1914 and somewhere must have married some guy named Smith in her teenage years. By the time she came in the spotlight this husband already was out of sight and in the late thirties she re-married with comedian and record label owner John Criner. It was for his labels G&G and Gem that she made her first records in 1945 - she'd recorded for the AFRS jubilee radio shows that were distributed to the armed forces overseas during the war.

On here she was backed up by the band of Buddy Harper and man these riffs on this one were great.

Some more Effie Smith on Aladdin 153 with Sugar Daddy.

153 - Effie Smith - Sugar Daddy
154 - Al Hibbler - How Long

Al Hibbler was that with How Long on Aladdin 154. Now Hibbler does fantastic singing and the orchestration is fine, but most of his songs are too far from Rhythm & Blues and to close to pop music for me. When he did this session for Aladdin he was the featured vocalist for Duke Ellington. Now many people, and that includes me, think he had an over-the-top delivery but in the forties he won several awards including Best band vocalist for Downbeat magazine.

It did make him very succesful, both during his 8 years with Ellington, and after - in the mid-fifties he had big hits with Unchained Melody, He and After the Lights Go Down Low, but is musical career faded when he became involved with civil rights activism, probably scaring off the major labels to record him.

Well I made clear that I'm not a very great fan of him, but still I want to throw in another song of him. Here is Aladdin 156, Fat and Forty.

156 - Al Hibbler - Fat And Forty
157 - Henry Hayes' Four Kings - Hayes' Boogie
160 - Amos Milburn - My Baby's Boogying

That was Amos Milburn with My Baby's Boogying on Aladdin number 160, from the first session of Milburn with Aladdin. The story goes that Aladdin boss Eddie Mesner was in hospital when Milburn's manager Lola Ann Cullum played the demos at the bedside. It did earn Milburn the recording contract he wanted and the session that got us this song. His breakthrough was recorded in November of 1947 to be stocked up for the Union's recording ban of '48 and saw its release in October of that year - of course that's the Chicken Shack Boogie.

I do have to tell you what was between the Al Hibbler tunes and Milburn's boogie. That was Hayes Boogie of the obscure Henry Hayes and his Four Kings.

But we're staying with Amos Milburn for another while. That same session brought a cover of Down The Road Apiece, a boogie-woogie that was first recorded by Will Bradley and his trio - that is, with singer and songwriter Don Raye they actually were four.

The lyrics name the members of the band of Will Bradley by their nicknames, and in his version Milburn altered them, and so would most artists that covered this song, do.

Here is on Aladdin 161 Down The Road Apiece

161 - Amos Milburn - Down The Road Apiece
165 - Lightnin' Hopkins & Thunder Smith - West Coast Blues

Thunder Smith with his West Coast Blues and on guitar was Lightnin' Hopkins. There are two issues of this record; the first only credits Smith on the label, while the second version bills as Lightnin' Hopkins & Thunder Smith. There's some confusion in discographies and on the different CD's that re-issued this song whom to bill.

Well that brought us to the end of this hour of Legends of the Rocking Dutchman. In the future I will surely spotlight the Aladdin label again as they brought great Rhythm & Blues. And I hope you liked it, so let me know and send me an e-mail to rockingdutchman@rocketmail.com. Or find me on the web - the easiest way to find the site is doing a google search for the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman. On there you can read back what I told you today, review the play list and see what's on next time. Well for once let me tell you. Next show is show number 78 - that magical number so I will play from 78's only. Don't miss that - see you next time on the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman!