6. Bunk Johnson: Last Testament Of A Great New Orleans Jazzman

The best words to describe Geary Bunk Johnson, in my opinion, would be "a character". Here is a man who claimed to have entertained Queen Victoria whilst working with a travelling circus in England in the late 19th century. He also claimed to have played with the, now almost mythical, Buddy Bolden in New Orleans at the turn of the 20th. He embellished his age, gaining ten years, when asked how old he was by a couple of jazz enthusiasts, perhaps to gain more recognition for this role in the birth of jazz. And herein lies the problem with Bunk Johnson. Many critics, especially those around the time that he recorded in the 1940's, were split as to his influence. The answer is probably somewhere in the middle. What is indisputable though is how good this LP from that time is.

Johnson was a highly regarded cornet player from the early days of New Orleans Jazz. He played in parades and funerals and quite possibly with Bolden somewhere along the way. Having left New Orleans in 1915, he wasn't to actually record until the 1940's when he was rediscovered by the above mentioned enthusiasts who had interviewed Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet, both of whom mentioned Johnson in glowing terms. There were two problems however in getting him to record when they located him in New Iberia, Louisiana. Johnson had no trumpet and no teeth, having lost both in a particularly vicious fight following a gig around ten years earlier. Both problems were quickly solved and Johnson embarked on a remarkable revival.

His first recordings were very much in the early ensemble polyphonic New Orleans style, for which it seemed, perhaps surprisingly, Johnson had little time for. This album, recorded in 1947, comprises a mix of New Orleans and New York session musicians, chosen by Johnson himself. The result is music that allowed the musicians to breath, giving space for solos and expression, but without losing the spirit of the early material they were playing. Johnson's solos are perfectly pitched without being flashy or over the top and displayed his superior musicianship.

1. The Entertainer

2. Someday (You'll Want Me To Want You)

3. Chloe (Song Of The Swamp)

4. The Minstrel Man

5. Till We Meet Again

6. You're Driving Me Crazy (What Did I Do)

7. Kinklets

8. Maria Elena

9. Some Of These Days

10. Hilarity Rag

11. Out Of Nowhere

12. The Teasin' Rag

5. Jelly Roll Morton: The Complete Library Of Congress Recordings

Epic and absolutely essential listening for a many different reasons.

This 8 CD boxset is an extremely thorough examination of two things - Jelly Roll Morton and the time and place he inhabited in his youth, early 20th century New Orleans. Hence it is a first hand account (told to the folklorist Alan Lomax) of the birth and rise of jazz music. The recordings were made in 1938, a time when Jelly Roll was at a nadir in his life and big band swing, an offshoot from "hot" jazz that Jelly Roll had a hand in creating, was the most popular form of music. The ambiance is very much fireside storytelling - Jelly Roll sits at the piano and recounts many wild tales from his youth and the highly unsavoury characters he encountered on his journeys. He is prodded by occasional questions from Lomax and the whiskey that he consumes throughout. Jelly Roll paints a very vivid and at times extremely lurid picture (some of the language he uses would make a West Coast rapper blush) that provide fascinating insight into the time and how jazz music came about. Some of the stories need to be taken with a pinch of salt however as Jelly Roll liked it to be known that he had a hand in the invention of jazz music. Nevertheless he gives credit where it's due to a lot of musicians that never had the chance to be recorded or made it big outside of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.

Old fashioned story telling and a very valuable historical document.

Disc 1

1. "I'm Alabama Bound" – 4:03
2. "Time in Mobile" – 4:13
3. "King Porter Stomp" – 4:06
4. "The Story of 'King Porter Stomp'" – 3:53
5. "Jelly Roll's Background" – 4:22
6. "Music Lessons" – 4:05
7. "Miserere" – 4:05
8. "The Stomping Grounds" – 4:15
9. "The Style of Sammy Davis" – 4:17
10. "Tony Jackson Was the Favorite / Dope, Crown, and Opium" – 4:00
11. "Poor Alfred Wilson" – 4:02
12. "Honky Tonk Blues / In New Orleans, Anyone Could Carry a Gun" – 4:20
13. "New Orleans was a Free and Easy Place" – 4:06
14. "The Story of Aaron Harris" – 4:06

Disc 2

1. "The Story of Aaron Harris, continued / Aaron Harris Blues" – 4:05
2. "Aaron Harris, His Hoodoo Woman, and the Hat That Started a Riot" – 4:10
3. "The Story of the 1900 New Orleans Riot and the Song of Robert Charles" – 4:04
4. "The Story of the 1900 New Orleans Riot, continued" – 4:04
5. "Game Kid Blues" – 3:57
6. "New Orleans Funerals" – 4:17
7. "Funeral Marches" – 4:11
8. "Oh! Didn't He Ramble" – 4:07
9. "Tiger Rag, third, fourth, and fifth strains" – 4:02
10. "Tiger Rag / Panama" – 4:02
11. "The Right Tempo is the Accurate Tempo" – 4:39
12. "Jazz Discords and Story of the Kansas City Stomp" – 4:31
13. "Kansas City Stomp, continued" – 4:34
14. "Slow Swing and 'Sweet Jazz Music'" – 4:32
15. "Salty Dog / Bill Johnson, Jelly's Brother-in-Law" – 4:22
16. "Hesitation Blues" – 4:30

Disc 3

1. "My Gal Sal" – 3:51
2. "The St. Louis Scene" – 4:09
3. "Maple Leaf Rag, St. Louis style / Maple Leaf Rag, New Orleans style" – 4:19
4. "Jelly Roll Carves St. Louis" – 4:19
5. "Jelly Roll Carves St. Louis, continued" – 4:23
6. "New Orleans Blues" – 3:58
7. "Winin' Boy Blues" – 3:45
8. "Winin' Boy Blues, continued" – 4:24
9. "The Anamule Dance" – 3:46
10. "The Anamule Dance, continued" – 4:19
11. "The Great Buddy Bolden / Buddy Bilden's Blues" – 4:11
12. "The Great Buddy Bolden, continued" – 4:11
13. "Mr. Jelly Lord" – 4:09
14. "How Jelly Roll Got His Name" – 4:14
15. "Original Jelly Roll Blues" – 4:09
16. "Honky Tonk Blues" – 4:07

Disc 4

1. "Real Tough Boys" – 4:31
2. "Sporting Attire and Shooting the Agate" – 4:33
3. "Sweet Mamas and Sweet Papas" – 4:20
4. "See See Rider" – 4:24
5. "Parading with the Broadway Swells" – 4:22
6. "Fights and Weapons" – 4:27
7. "Luis Russell and New Orleans Riffs" – 4:25
8. "Jelly's Travels: From Yazoo to Clarksdale" – 4:14
9. "Jelly's Travels: From Clarksdale to Helena" – 4:34
10. "Jelly's Travels: From Helena to Memphis" – 4:23
11. "In Memphis: The Monarch Saloon and Benny Frenchy" – 4:24
12. "Benny Frenchy's Tune, continued" – 4:23
13. "Make Me a Pallet on the Floor" – 4:15
14. "Make Me a Pallet on the Floor, continued" – 4:14
15. "Make Me a Pallet on the Floor, part 3" – 4:14
16. "Make Me a Pallet on the Floor, concluded" – 4:35

Disc 5

1. "The Dirty Dozen" – 4:30
2. "The Murder Ballad, part 1" – 4:05
3. "The Murder Ballad, part 2" – 4:17
4. "The Murder Ballad, part 3" – 4:29
5. "The Murder Ballad, part 4" – 4:19
6. "The Murder Ballad, part 5" – 4:15
7. "The Murder Ballad, part 6" – 4:29
8. "The Murder Ballad, part 7" – 4:32
9. "Fickle Fay Creep" – 3:17
10. "Jungle Blues" – 3:43
11. "King Porter Stomp" – 2:55
12. "Sweet Peter" – 3:04
13. "Hyena Stomp" – 3:32
14. "Wolverine Blues, begun" – 3:45
15. "Wolverine Blues, concluded" – 4:04
16. "State And Madison" – 3:48
17. "The Pearls, begun" – 3:28
18. "The Pearls, concluded"

Disc 6

1. "Bert Williams" – 3:41
2. "Freakish" – 3:59
3. "Pep" – 3:32
4. "The Georgia Skin Game" – 3:54
5. "The Georgia Skin Game, continued" – 3:03
6. "The Georgia Skin Game, conclusion" – 3:19
7. "Ungai Hai" – 4:09
8. "New Orleans Blues" – 4:07
9. "The Spanish Tinge" – 4:13
10. "Improving Spanish Tempos" – 4:06
11. "Creepy Feeling, concluded" – 4:28
12. "The Crave" – 4:37
13. "Mamanita" – 4:12
14. "C'était N'aut' Can-Can, Payez Donc" – 4:21
15. "Spanish Swat" – 4:21
16. "Ain't Misbehavin'" – 4:11
17. "I Hate a Man Like You / Rolling Stuff" – 4:11
18. "Michigan Water Blues" – 3:51

Disc 7

1. "Winin' Boy Blues" – 3:45
2. "Winin' Boy Blues, continued" – 4:24
3. "Boogie Woogie Blues" – 4:21
4. "Buddy Bertrand's Blues, continued / Mamie's Blues" – 4:25
5. "When the Hot Stuff Came In" – 8:40
6. "The First Hot Arrangements" – 9:00
7. "The Pensacola Kid and the Cadillac Café" – 7:57
8. "At the Cadillac Café, Los Angeles" – 9:54
9. "Little Liza Jane, continued / On the West Coast" – 9:45
10. "In the Publishing Business" – 8:50

Disc 8

1. "Original Jelly Roll Blues" – 1:51
2. "Jelly Roll's Early Playing Days in the District" – 1:22
3. "Hot Bands and Creole Tunes" – 4:29
4. "Eh, La Bas" – 2:02
5. "Old-Time Creole Musicians and the French Element" – 3:32
6. "Playing Hot with Buddy Bolden" – 3:17
7. "High Society" – 2:15
8. "Sporting Life Costumes" – 1:38
9. "Buddy Bolden: Man and Musician" – 2:23
10. "Creoles Playing with Negroes: Getting that Drive" – 4:28
11. "Jelly Roll's Compositions" – 3:22
12. "How Johnny St. Cyr Learned to Play Guitar" – 2:20
13. "Guitar Blues" – 2:17
14. "Bad Men and Pimps" – 3:38
15. "The Story of the Coon Blues" – 1:33
16. "Coon Blues" – 2:22
17. "Jazz is Just a Makeup: Buddy Bolden, Honky Tonks, Brass Band Funerals, and Parades" – 5:25
18. "Young Sidney Bechet: Jim Crow and the Dangers of the District" – 3:40
19. "The Main Idea in Jazz: "Just Watch Me" – Improvising and Reading Music" – 3:23
20. "Of All His Mother's Children He Loved Jelly the Best" – 6:17

4. Bix Beiderbecke: Vol.1 Singing The Blues

Bix Beiderbecke's career was all too brief. He was no doubt heavily influenced by Louis Armsrong's recordings in the mid 20's, however his hot jazz sound of the time (along with Frankie Trumbauer) deserves inclusion into the Cannonball Library.

Vol.1 Singing The Blues contains all of the tracks that Bix was well known for. Check out the opening blast on "Trumbology", a track that also beautifully demonstrates the dexterity of the man it was named after. "Singing The Blues" is the standout track for me, an absolute classic. "I'm Coming Virginia" is wonderful, slipping in and out of major and minor chord phrasings effortlessly. Bix's horn simply shimmers on that one - a precursor for what was to be known as "Cool Jazz" thirty years later. "In A Mist" sees the only known recording of Bix on the piano and shows us the potential of what he could have achieved if he been around longer.

More than anything though, the tracks are a great reflection of the times they were made.

1. Trumbology

2. Clarinet Marmalade

3. Singin' The Blues

4. Ostrich Walk

5. Riverboat Shuffle

6. I'm Coming Virginia

7. Way Down Yonder In New Orleans

8. For No Reason At All In C

9. Three Blind Mice

10. Blue River

11. There's A Cradle In Caroline

12. In A Mist

13. Wringin' And Twistin'

14. Humpty Dumpty

15. Krazy Kat

16. Baltimore

17. There Aint No Land Like Dixieland To Me

18. There's A Cradle In Caroline

19. Just An Hour Of Love

20. I'm Wonderin' Who

3. Eddie Lang: Jazz Guitar Virtuoso

This album includes some of the greatest tracks recorded by the first jazz guitar virtuoso, Eddie Lang. Eddie was the most sought after session guitarist in the 1920's. These tracks show his versatility. Songs like "Prelude" show him employing jazz standard techniques such as the use of octaves and harmonics. Also included are the tracks he cut with his peers including Carl Kress ("Picking My Way"), Kress employing a strumming solo technique while Lang wows us with blistering appregios that would become standard jazz guitar fare thirty years down the line. His ear for the Blues is also demonstrated on the tracks recorded with Lonnie Johnson, including "Blue Guitars" and "Blue Room". A great album showcasing an extremely innovative guitar player. The sound quality is excellent considering that these were recorded in the 1920's and early 1930's.

1. Prelude
2. Picking My Way
3. Rainbow Dreams
4. Blue Guitars
5. April Kisses
6. I'll Never Be The Same
7. Blue Room
8. Eddie's Twister
9. Midnight Call Blues
10. Perfect
11. A Little Love, A Little Kiss
12. Melody Man's Dream
13. Pickin' My Way
14. Church Street Sobbin' Blues

2. Duke Ellington: The Bubber Miley Era 1924 - 1929

The album captures some of the very early work of Duke Ellington and the various bands he was in at that time. This includes the very first recordings of The Washingtonions, The Kentucky Club Orchestra, The Cotton Club Orchestra and finally Duke Ellington and His Orchestra. Featuring prominently is Bubber Miley whose use of the plunger mute gave rise to the so called jungle sound of the time.

The earliest recording is an acoustic one from 1924. "Choo Choo" features Miley's trademark growl although it is somewhat restrained belying what was to come later. The song features an old fashioned banjo sound and uses sound effects that tip the hat to the work of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band.

Of course no collection of early Ellington or Bubber Miley would be complete without the triumverate of "Black & Tan Fantasy", "East St Louis Toodle-oo" and "The Mooche", of which I spoke of in the blog. There are other gems though. "Jubilee Stomp" is a great song and a good example of early walking bass and slap technique. Ellington's piano playing is also wonderful on this track. "Hot & Bothered" demonstrates how talented each individual member of Ellington's bands were. "Sweet Mama" involves some serious wah sounds from Miley's trumpet, a precursor for what Hendrix would be doing on this guitar 40 years later. "Tiger Rag Pts I & II" are almost a 1920's jazz opus - something that would have covered two sides of a 78rpm disc.

Not everything on the album stands the test of time though, in my opinion. "Diga Diga Doo" has a very old fashioned vocal line that is rooted firmly in the 20's, for example.

Overall however this album gives us a very good feel for what Duke Ellington was trying to do fron very early on. He was extremely innovative and a pioneer for the swing/big band era that was to follow in the 1930's. These tracks give us an insight into his early genius with his sidekick, Bubber Miley.

1. Choo Choo.
2. Birmingham Breakdown.
3. Hop Head.
4. Creole Love Call.
5. Black And Tan Fantasy.
6. Washington Wobble.
7. East St Louis Toodle-Oo.
8. Sweet Mama.
9. Black Beauty.
10. Jubilee Stomp.
11. Diga Diga Doo.
12. Swampy River.
13. Mooche.
14. Hot & Bothered
15. Louisiana.
16. I Can't Give You Everything But Love.
17. Bandanna Babies.
18. I Must Have That Man!
19. Tiger Rag Pts I & II.
20. Flaming Youth.
21. Saturday Night Function.

1. Louis Armstrong: The Complete Hot Five & Seven Recordings

This being only the first album in The Cannonball Jazz Library, I cannot obviously say if it is the best jazz album of all time.(As with such early recordings it's not even an album per se, more a collection of the recording made by Louis Armstrong from 1925 to 1928) Such things are a matter of taste anyway. It is is undeniable however that these are some of the most important jazz recordings in the history if the genre. You just have to listen to the very first track, Gut Bucket Blues, to see why. A swinging, bluesy number with each of the Hot Five taking their turns soloing, egged on by Louis Armstrong calling out their names.

The early recordings take a lot from old style emsemble playing but they demonstrate the direction Armstrong is heading. His vocals are to the fore early on and his playing is succint and powerful. "Heebie Jeebies" is one of the earliest examples of scat singing. "Oriental Strut" is fun yet complex. "Don't Forget To Mess Around" references the Charleston - the dance craze of the time and shows that he was an entertainer first and foremost. "Whos'it" employs a slide whistle solo, echoing Bechet's experimentation with a sarrusophone in one of his recordings - these guys were not afraid to try new things.

Disc two picks up with the original Hot Five almost a year later. "Struttin' With Some Barbecue" stands out as well as the three tracks with Lonnie Johnson on the guitar, "I'm Not Rough", "Hotter Than That" and "Savoy Blues". (For some reason the rest of the disc comprises of tracks made prior to the Hot Five recordings)

Disc Three highlights the Hot Seven lineup. Kid Ory had left to pursue his own band and Armstrong also brought in a tuba and drums. The increased quality in sound is evident as the technology of the time allowed a move away from acoustic to electric recording methods. (Note that these songs are chronologically out of order as they were recorded before the Hot Five recordings made later in 1927)It is very interesting to hear how the tuba was a straight replacement for a bass fiddle due to the sound constrictions of the latter (Check out "Alligator Blues" and "Potato Head Blues" in particular.)

Disc Four represents Louis moving on from the original Hot Five to a completely new line up that included Earl Hines on the piano and Zutty Singleton on the drums. These tracks are regarded as perhaps some of the best recordings, not only by Louis Armstrong, but of the genre itself. "West End Blues" is one of the most analysed songs in musical history.

Listening to these tracks in the chronological order they were recorded is effectively listening to a musical genius growing in stature and confidence over time and inventing a style that would not only influence jazz but 20th century popular music as a whole. The school of thought is that these tracks represent Louis Armstrong's creative peak and that he had "sold out" by the turn of the decade to become more of an entertainer. However listening to these very early recordings it's easy to see that he was always an entertainer first and foremost but that he was still, musically, a cut above everyone else. Sit back and enjoy.

Disc One covers the Hot Five recordings from November 1925 to November 1926.

1. Gut Bucket Blues
2. My Heart.
3. Yes, I'm In The Barrel
4. Come Back Sweet Papa
5. Georgia Grind
6. Heebie Jeebies
7. Cornet Chop Suey
8. Oriental Strut
9. You're Next
10. Muskrat Ramble
11. Don't Forget To Mess Around
12. I'm Gonna Gitcha
13. Droppin' Shucks
14. Whos'it
15. King Of The Zulus
16. Big Fat Ma & Skinny Pa
17. Lonesome Blues
18. Sweet Little Papa
19. Jazz Lips
20. Skid Dat-De-Dat
21. Big Butter And Egg Man
22. Sunset Cafe Stomp
23. You Made Me Love You
24. Irish Black Bottom

Disc Two The Final Hot Five Recordings September 1927 - December 1927

1. Put 'Em Down Blues
2. Ory's Creole Trombone
3. Last Time
4. Struttin' With Some Barbecue
5. Got No Blues
6. Once In A While
7. I'm Not Rough
8. Hotter Than That
9. Savoy Blues
10. He Likes It Slow
11. Gambler's Dream
12. Sunshine Baby
13. Adam And Eve Had The Blues
14. Put It Where I Can Get It
15. Washwoman Blues
16. I've Stopped My Man
17. Georgia BoBo
18. Drop That Sack
19. Cornet Chop Suey

Disc Three showcases the Hot Seven Recordings made in May 1927

1. Willie The Weaper
2. Wild Man Blues
3. Alligator Crawl
4. Potato Head Blues
5. Melancoly
6. Weary Blues
7. Twelfth Street Rag
8. S.O.L. Blues
9. Gully Low Blues
10. That's When I'll Come Back To You
11. Chicago Breakdown
12. Weary Blues
13. New Orleans Stomp
14. Wild Man Blues
15. You're A Real Sweetheart
16. Too Busy!
17. Was It A Dream
18. Last Night I Dreamed You Kissed Me

Disc Four. The Hot Five but with Louis Armstrong the only member from the original lineup. Included is his famous duet with Earl Hines, Weatherbird.

1. Fireworks
2. Skip The Gutter
3. Monday Date
4. Don't Jive Me
5. West End Blues
6. Sugarfoot Strut
7. Two Deuces
8. Squeeze Me
9. Knee Drops
10. No, Papa, No
11. Basin Street Blues
12. No One Else But You
13. Beau Koo Jack
14. Save It Pretty Mama
15. Muggle
16. Hear Me Talking To Ya
17. St. James Infirmary
18. Tight Like This
19. Weather Bird
20. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
21. Mahogany Hall Stomp
22. Knockin' A Jug