Potato-Head

PAUL WHITEMAN - Mr. POTATO-HEAD
A 1929 Columbia Artist Picture Label
Hans Koert

Potato-Head (English) Het Columbia Potato-Head label (Nederlands)
I'm not a record collector pur sang, but I love to share with you rare record labels, or labels with a certain history. Last months I posted a blog about a 100 year Disque Pathé and recently Desirée Muis pointed me to some rare prints to be used for the rare Illustra-record label.
Today I love to share with you a great Columbia label, better known as the Paul Whiteman Potato-Head label.
Great Day 149124-3 - Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra. Recorded in New York City the 9th of October, 1929 and released as Columbia 2023-D ( Hans Koert collection)
Promo picture of Paul Whiteman (1890-1967) for NBC-networks (1930s)
These colourful record label was used by Columbia records from 1928 up to 1930. Paul Whiteman had left, after ten years, the Victor Record Company and signed a contract for Columbia records - a remarkable and lucrative transfer for this relatively small Columbia label as Paul Whiteman was an extreme popular artist in those day. Paul Whiteman kidding with some of his musicians (1930s)

The first Columbia recording with Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra, were released May 1928 and this series lasted up to September 1930, before he returned to Victor. During those two years Columbia gave its Paul Whiteman's record a colourful blue-black-orange-green-blue label with the caricature of Paul Whiteman, which beard a resemblance to a potato and became known as the Potato-Head label.
Artist picture labels were the latest thing in this field and Columbia also made a special label for vocalist / bandleaders like Ted Lewis and Rudy Vallée, but never as colourful as the Potato-Head labels for Whiteman. Without a Song - 149125-3 - Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra. Recorded in New York City the 9th of October, 1929 and released as Columbia 2023-D ( Hans Koert collection)
Bix Beiderbecke ( 1903-1931) had left definitvely Paul Whiteman's band
When Paul Whiteman recorded these records, Bix Beiderbecke, his popular cornet player, was no longer part of the orchestra. His health was bad and as he was addicted to alcohol so he wasn't able to keep his appointments anymore. Bix last recordings with Paul Whiteman where the 13th of September, 1929, almost a month before the one I have in my hands here, but he couldn't finish the set and during this set he could only be heard in one unissued take of When You Counting the Stars Alone and a few bars in the final chorus of Waiting At The End of the Road. Paul Whiteman and Kurt Dieterle, one of the violists of the band, accompanied Bix to the train that would bring him to Davenport, his hometown. On the 14th of October, he is accepted as a patient at the Keeley Institute in Dwight, Ill. where he stayed for one month.
Andy Secrets (photo: Andy Secrets archive)

Andy Secrets. a 22 year young cornet player, originally from the Jean Goldkette band, had become Bix's stand-in since early 1929 and can be heard in the record. The vocals in The Great Day are by Jack Fulton and The Rhythm Boys, featuring Bing Crosby, Harry Barris and Al Rinker. The song The Great Day was composed by Vincent Youmans. Andy Secrets is doing a rather good job on Bix chair, but nearly at the end, he spoils the tune with his growling effects on the cornet. When the composer Vincent Youmans heard this he even tried to let Columbia cancel the record, but ....... that didn't happen. The Rhythm Boys, featuring Harry Barris (on the ground), Al Rinker at the piano and Bing Crosby with cymbals and baton ( Mickey Kapp collection)(source:Bing Crosby - A Pocketful of Dreams (1903-1940)

Love to share with you this song: The Great Day as played by Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra ( New york, 8th of October, 1929)
)
This tune became rather popular and seems to have been the number one during nine weeks. The flip side, Without a Song, is played a bit at a peppy tempo , that displeased its composer too ( Bing Crosby- a pocket full of dreams ) (p. 204) and has Bing Crosby as the only vocalist, after a lengthy introduction by the band.
A great colourful more then 80 years old relic from the Roaring Twenties.
Hans Koert
keepswinging@live.nl
Even is you're not a record collector, you'll admit that the Potato-Head Columbia record is great stuff to have in your collection. Paul Whiteman adopted this Potato-Head caricature in the 1920s and you can find it on photos with his orchestra, on the 1928 - 1930 Whiteman Columbia record labels, in promo advertisements or gimmicks, like buttons and even the spare wheel in his Fords, used for his band members, had this funny Potato-Head. A few months ago I found one of this great Potato-Head Columbia records. Keep swinging loves to share it with you. Follow it at Twitter (#keepswinging) or Facebook (Keep Swinging blog newsletter) or ask for its newsletter ( keepswinging@live.nl)
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De Scandinavian Rhythm Boys met Charleston Mad

SCANDINAVIAN RHYTHM BOYS met CHARLESTON MAD

Deens-Zweeds kwartet richt zich op het klassieke repertoire

Hans Koert

Scandinavian Rhythm Boys releases Charleston Mad (English) Scandinavian Rhythm Boys udgiver Charleston Mad ( Danish) Scandinavian Rhythm Boys met Charleston Mad ( Nederlands)

De Scandinavian Rhythm Boys is een Oude Stijl jazzkwartet uit Kopenhagen. Het is in 1997 opgericht door een paar Zweedse - en Deense muzikanten, die de traditionele muziekstijlen uit het begin van de twintigste eeuw, gespeeld door een drumloos kwartet, wilden doen herleven. Hun repertoire bestaat uit ragtimes, spirituals, work songs en jazzstandards en, als het publiek zich daarvoor leent, Deense - en Zweedse populaire liedjes uit de vorige eeuw. De band bestaat uit Robert Hansson op trompet, Frans Sjöström op saxen, waaronder de monsterlijke bassax, Ole Olsen op bas en klarinet en last but not least, Michael Bøving op banjo en tevens de zanger van de band. Hun eerste album werd opgenomen in januari 2005 en heette Travellin' Blues, gevolgd door Dreaming The Hours Away (2006) en twee cd's die opgenomen werden tijdens een optreden in Montreal (Canada) en samen met Joe Muranyi, de voormalige klarinettist van Louis Armstrong. Onlangs brachten The Scandinavian Rhythm Boys hun vijde album uit, getiteld Charleston Mad, dat vorig jaar in Kopenhagen opgenomen werd. De cd bevat bijna 45-minuten muziek met traditionals als Everybody Loves My Baby, Buddy's Habits en de bekende Lil Hardin compositien Gatemouth, oorspronkelijk opgenomen in juli 1926 door The New Orleans Wanderers. Dit is één van die nummers, die zijn wortels onmiskenbaar in New Orleans heeft, met collctieve improvisaties, zoals op de oorspronkelijke Columbiaplaat. Zo'n andere klassieker is Clarinet Marmalade, die heerlijk primitief klinkt in de versie van de Scandinavian Rhythm Boys, met de Zweed Frans Sjöström als een herboren Adrian Rollini op bassax.

Clarinet Marmalade herinnert me aan die oude, akkoestisch opgenomen platen als van Jimmy Joy's Anthony's Hotel Orchestra, zoals ik die ergens op cd heb staan, opgenomen voor Okeh oktober 1924, maar, uiteraard, zonder de accenten of ritmen op het bekken of woodblok door slagwerker Dick Hammell - dat heb je zo bij drumloze kwartetten. Het titelnummer Charleston Mad bevat weer een collectief gespeeld thema en solowerk van Frans Sjöström op bassax en de uit Malmö afkomstige trompettist Robert Hansson. Ik vond een fragment waarop dit nummer, oorspronkelijk geschreven en opgenomen in 1925 door Lovie Austin and her Blues Serenaders voor Paramount, hier gespeeld door The Scandinavian Rhythm Boys tijdens een rondvaart door Nyhavn in Kopenhagen, december 2010. De plaat bevat ook verschillende leidjes uit het Deense- en Zweedse repertoire van de jaren twintig en dertig - iets minder interessant voor de gemiddelde niet-Scandinaviër. Het nummer Glemmer Du komt van een bekende Deense film en was een hit in de vroege jaren dertig. Het werd o.a. uitgebracht in december 1932 op een kartonnen Super Duriumplaat van het Durium Dance Ensemble. Het nummer Trubble of Trubbel is een Zweeds jazznummer, dat door heel wat Zweedse jazzgroepen is opgenomen. Svend Asmussen nam het op met zijn kwartet in juni 1989 voor zijn album Fiddler Surpreme. Het nummer Det Var På Capri is niks anders dan de Deense versie van het nummer Isle of Capri, bekend geworden door Lew Stone. Het nummer Gunilla werd geschreven door Rolf Ekelund, een Zweedse componist en hier kom ik niet verder dan dat ik kan melden dat het ook de naam is van een gordijnstof, die je bij Ikea kunt kopen ..... Dat noem ik nog eens een uitgekookte vorm van sluikreclame! De Scandinavian Rhythm Boys, geen zanggroepje, hoewel de naam "Rhythm Boys" historisch gezien, anders doet vermoeden, haalt haar inspiratie uit de vroege jazz en ragtime traditie, zoals die akkoestisch werd opgenomen in de eerste decennia van de 20ste eeuw. Het kwartet heeft bewust gekozen voor een bijzondere bezeting: trompet - bassax - bas en banjo - geen slagwerk dus, dat in de vroege akoestische opnamen toch al weinig ruimte kreeg. Geen klonen van oude nummers, maar muziek door een groep enthousiaste zeventigers, die weet hoe het moet klinken. De zang van Michael Bøving klinkt, zoals vaak bij dit soort groepen, als een kloon van Louis Armstrongs raspend stemgeluid en ik had bij nummers als Charleston Mad, liever de doorleefde stem van een zangeres als onze Victoria Varekamp gehoord ( zulke "big mamas" lopen er op Jutland ook zeker rond) .... Tenslotte een fragment van het nummer Clarinet Marmalade in de versoie van de Scandinavia Rhythm Boys. Deze plaat is uitgebracht door Gate2Jazz ( CD 10027) en kan besteld worden op de Hjemmeside (= de huisbladzij) van de Scandinavian Rhythm Boys.

Hans Koert

keepswinging@live.nl

Het Deens-Zweeds kwartet The Scandinavian Rhythm Boys, timmert flink aan de weg met haar muziek - het klassieke jazzrepertoire zoals dat gespeeld werd door bands als die van Joe King Oliver, Clarence Williams en Lovie Austin, in een bezetting van trompet, bassax, klarinet en banjo - geen slagwerk dus. Onlangs verscheen hun vijfde plaat getiteld Charleston Mad. Als je van Oude Stijl jazz hoort, gespeeld door bevlogen musici, dan zou je eens op zoek moeten gaan naar deze cd. Als je dit soort vroege jazzmuziek leuk vindt en je wilt niets missen, volg de Keep Swinging blog dan via Twitter of vraag haar gratis nieuwsbrief

Retrospect Oscar Aleman Choro Music Flexible Records Hit of the Week-Durium Friends of the Keep Swinging blog Keep Swinging Contributions

Scandinavian Rhythm Boys udgiver Charleston Mad

SCANDINAVIAN RHYTHM BOYS udgiver CHARLESTON MAD

Dansk-svensk jazz-kvartet spiller det klassiske repertoire.

Hans Koert ( Dansk oversættelse: Jørgen Larsen )

Scandinavian Rhythm Boys releases Charleston Mad (English) Scandinavian Rhythm Boys udgiver Charleston Mad ( Danish) Scandinavian Rhythm Boys met Charleston Mad ( Nederlands)

The Scandinavian Rhythm Boys er en traditionel jazz-kvartet med base i København, Danmark. Kvartetten blev dannet i 1997 af svenske og danske musikere, der holder af og fast i at spille jazz som den lød i første halvdel af forrige århundrede, før trommesæt og en janitshar blev en selvfølgelig bestanddel af besætningen. Repertoiret er ragtime, spirituals, work songs samt jazz standards - og på opfordring fra publikum også populære danske og svenske schlagere fra de gyldne tider i 1930erne og senere. Kvartettens fire medlemmer er: Robert Hansson på trompet, Frans Sjöström på saxofoner, Ole Olsen på bas og klarinet og, sidst men ikke mindst, kapelmester Michael Bøving på banjo og guitar samt lejlighedsvis vokal. Kvartettens første cd blev indspillet i januar 2005 og har titlen Travellin' Blues, den blev efterfulgt året efter af cden Dreaming The Hours Away, og siden er der kommet to udgivelser mere: Scandinavian Rhythm Boys - Live in Canada med optagelser fra en turné samme sted, og desuden cden Stardust med gæstemedvirken af ungareren Joe Muranyi, der tidligere har været klarinetist hos Louis Armstrong. For nylig udkom så kvartettens seneste udgivelse, en cd med titlen Charleston Mad indspillet i København sidste år. Den indeholder omkring tre kvarters traditionelle jazz standards så som Everybody Loves My Baby, Buddy's Habits og den velkendte Lil Hardin klassiker Gatemouth, oprindeligt indspillet i juli 1926 af The New Orleans Wanderers. Dette nummer har sine rødder i den oprindelige kollektive improvisationsstil fra New Orleans, som den høres praktiseret på den originale 78er Columbia-indspilning. En anden klassiker er Clarinet Marmelade, som i denne version af Scandinavian Rhythm Boys lyder noget primitiv, men krydres af en bassaxofon stemme, som får mig til at tænke på indspilninger fra 1920erne med Adrian Rollini.

Navnlig Clarinet Marmelade får mig til at mindes en temlig primitiv indspilning af denne klassiker med Jimmy Joy's Anthony's Hotel Orchestra fra oktober 1924 for Okeh, her dog uden anvendelse af cymbaler og træblokke, som blev trakteret af Dick Hammell i Okeh-indspilningen. Titelnummeret Charleston Mad har Frans Sjöström på bassaxofon - nummeret blev oprindelig indspillet i 1925 for Paramount af Lovie Austin and her Blues Serenaders. Her er en video, der er optaget i december sidste år på en af kvartettens københavnske kanalrundfartsoptrædener, med nummeret Charleston Mad. Cden indeholder også nogle eksempler på svenske og danske schlagere, mindre interessante for ikke indfødte lyttere. Kai Normann Andersens Glemmer Du'er en kendt dansk film-melodi fra 1930erne, som iøvrigt også blev indspillet af The Durium Dance Ensemble i december 1932. Trubble eller Trubbel er en svensk jazz-melodi, som er indspillet af flere svenske orkestre, men også af Svend Asmussen på cden Fiddler Supreme fra 1989. Det Var På Capri er den danske version af Isle of Capri, oprindelig et stort hit for Lew Stone, her med dansk vokal og tekst i Scandinavian Rhythm Boys' udgave. Nummeret Gunilla er komponeret af svenskeren Rolf Ekelund. The Scandinavian Rhythm Boys - kvartettens navn kan måske lede til misforståelser, eftersom The Rhythm Boys oprindelig var titlen på et vokalensemble - excellerer som sagt i den tidlige jazz og ragtime musik som den blev indspillet på de oprindelige akustiske optagelser tilbage i begyndelsen af forrige århundrede. Kvartetten kopierer dog ikke forbillederne slavisk, men véd hvordan pladen skal skæres for at imødekomme publikum. Hertil lægger kapelmester Michael Bøving gerne stemmen i det rette Satchmo-leje som så ofte blandt mandlige, traditionelle jazzsangere, men på titelnummeret Charleston Mad havde jeg dog hellere hørt en kvindelig vokalist med pondus i stil med vores hollandske Victoria Varekamp, kendt fra adskillige indspilninger i 197oerne (- en oplagt sammenligning ville i følge mine danske kilder være en version sunget af en vokalist af Lone Kellermanns format). For at afrunde er her en version af Scandinavian Rhythm Boys' udgave af Clarinet Marmelade. Cden er udgivet af Gate2Jazz ( CD 10027) og kan købes på Scandinavian Rhythm Boys Hjemmeside

Keep Swinging

Hans Koert

Oversættelse: Jørgen Larsen

keepswinging@live.nl

Den dansk-svenske kvartet, The Scandinavian Rhythm Boys, er intenst optaget af at skabe sin egen profil for ensemblets repertoire - klassisk jazz som den blev spillet af Joe King Oliver, Clarence Williams og Lovie Austin. For nyelig udgav kvartetten dens seneste udspil, en cd med titlen Charleston Mad. Holder man af det klassiske jazz-repertoire som her fremført af fire passionerede musikere, så er denne cd værd at anskaffe sig. Hvis du ikke vil gå glip af indslag her på The Keep Swinging blog, så følg bloggen på Twitter eller bed om

Nyhedsbrevet.

Retrospect Oscar Aleman Choro Music Flexible Records Hit of the Week-Durium Friends of the Keep Swinging blog Keep Swinging Contributions

The Scandinavian Rhythm Boys releases Charleston Mad

SCANDINAVIAN RHYTHM BOYS releases CHARLESTON MAD

Danish-Swedish Quartet plays the classic repertoire

Hans Koert

Scandinavian Rhythm Boys releases Charleston Mad (English) Scandinavian Rhythm Boys udgiver Charleston Mad ( Danish) Scandinavian Rhythm Boys met Charleston Mad ( Nederlands)

The Scandinavian Rhythm Boys is a traditional jazz quartet based in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was founded in 1997 by some Swedish and Danish musicians who loved to play jazz as played by those drum less groups in the first half of the XXth century. Its repertoire contains ragtime’s, spirituals, work songs and jazz standards and, if the audience asks for it, popular Danish or Swedish pop tunes from the 1930s up to 1950s. The band has four members: Robert Hansson on trumpet, Frans Sjöström on saxes, Ole Olsen on bass and clarinet and, last but not least, Michael Bøving on banjo and guitar and sings if the tune asks it. Its first album was recorded in January 2005 and was entitled Travellin' Blues followed by Dreaming The Hours Away (2006) and two albums, which were recorded during a tour in Canada and Hungary. Recently the Scandinavian Rhythm Boys released its 4th album entitled Charleston Mad, which was recorded in Copenhagen last year. The album contains almost 45 minutes of traditional standards like Everybody Loves My Baby, Buddy's Habits and the well known Lil Hardin composition Gatemouth, originally recorded July 1926 by the New Orleans Wanderers. This is one of those tunes that has its roots in New Orleans, with a collective improvisation like at the original Columbia record. Another classic is Clarinet Marmalade, which sounds in the Scandinavian Rhythm Boys version very primitive, using the bass-saxophone which reminds of course to the 1920s recordings with Adrian Rollini on bass sax.

Clarinet Marmalade reminds me to one of those primitive version, like I have by Jimmy Joy's Anthony's Hotel Orchestra ( recorded for Okeh October 1924) but, of course without the accents on the cymbals or woodblock rhythms by drummer Dick Hammell. The title tune Charleston Mad features Frans Sjöström on bass saxophone; the tune was originally recorded in 1925 for Paramount by Lovie Austin and her Blues Serenaders. Love to share with you a fragment of this tune played by the Scandinavian Rhythm Boys, at a Canal Tours in Copenhagen. December 2010. The album contains several folk songs or local Danish and Swedish hits - less interesting for foreign listeners. The tune Glemmer Du is a well known tune from a Danish film and was a hit in the early 1930s. It was recorded by the Durium Dance Ensemble in December 1932. The tune Trubble or Trubbel is a Swedish tune, which has been recorded by a lot of Swedish bands. Svend Asmussen recorded it with his quartet in June 1989 for his album Fiddler Surpreme. Det Var På Capri is the well known tune Isle of Capri, which became a hit due to Lew Stone. In the Scandinavian Rhythm Boys version is has a Danish text. The song Gunilla is written by Rolf Ekelund, a Swedish composer. The Scandinavian Rhythm Boys, the titles could lead to confusion as "The Rhythm Boys" where a well known vocal group, finds its roots in the early jazz and ragtime tradition which was recorded acoustically in the first quarter of the 20th Century. They don't copy the old tunes, but know how to play the game. The vocals by Michael Bøving sound, like so many vocalists who sing in a traditional jazz band, as a clone of Satchmo's creaky voice and in some tunes, like the title tune Charleston Mad, I'd love to hear a female voice marked by age of a Big Mama like our Dutch Victoria Varekamp in her 1970s recording, but I'm sure there are Danish Big Mammas too, who can do this job as well. Love to finish this small review with a fragment of Clarinet Marmalade This album was released by Gate2Jazz ( CD 10027) and can be ordered at the Scandinavian Rhythm Boys Hjemmeside (= homepage)

Keep Swinging

Hans Koert

The Danish - Swedish quartet, the Scandinavian Rhythm Boys, is busy creating a distinct profile for its music - the classic jazz repertoire as played by Joe King Oliver, Clarence Williams and Lovie Austin. Recently its 4th album was released which is entitled Charleston Mad. If you love these classic sounds played by four passionate musicians, try to find a copy of this album.

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Retrospect Oscar Aleman Choro Music Flexible Records Hit of the Week-Durium Friends of the Keep Swinging blog Keep Swinging Contributions