The Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings re-mastered

Some Like It Hot: The Hot Five Rediscovered (English) De Hot Five en Hot Seven herontdekt: Some Like It Hot (Nederlands) The Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings re-mastered (English) De Hot Five en Hot Seven opnamen heruitgebracht ( Nederlands)

But what fantastic music this is, it's not just a historical curiosity ... (Tom R.)
THE HOT FIVE AND HOT SEVEN RECORDINGS REMASTERED
HANS KOERT

A few months ago I listened to a 4CD box entitled The best of Louis Armstrong - the Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings, released by Columbia, transferred from the "original masters" by a group directed by Phil Schaap. In a previous blog, entitled Some Like It Hot: The Hot Five Rediscovered, I informed you about the high standards in music of these almost 85 years old recordings by Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five and Seven. Today I love to share with you some of Louis' Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings.

Lil Armstrong ( 1898-1971)

Lil Armstrong, born Hardin, who had married Louis Armstrong, organized a series of concerts with an orchestra at The Dreamland in Chicago in 1925. Thanks to Lil, the Hot Five was born, a group similiar to the Clarence Williams' Blue Five concept, was founded. Thanks to E.A. Fearn, recording executive of Okeh, the band got a contract to record exclusively for Okeh. It wasn't hard to find the musicians for Louis for this studio band: He asked Kid Ory, Johnny St. Cyr and Johnny Dodds to join him - his wife Lil would play the piano.

The Hot Five: f.l.t.r.: Johnny St. Cyr - Johny Dodds - Louis Armstrong - Kid Ory and Lil Armstrong

They started to make a repertoire: I used to sit on the back steps of Lil's house and write five or six songs a day - just lead sheets - Louis remembered later, and Lil would put the other parts to them, cornet, clarinet, trombone etc. Baby Dodds, who was the drummer in some of the Hot Seven recordings remembered how they rehearsed together and everybody could bring in his ideas. We weren't a bunch of fellows to write down anything. That would have made it too mechanical. We would stop and talk it over more than anything else. If there was any writing involved Lil would write down what the musicians were supposed to do. Louis told each other when to take a solo or when not to, and who would come in at different times.

Lil Hardin divorced early 1930s and made her own career in jazz

One of the most virtuosic intro's in Jazz must be the one of the West End Blues? The ultimate test for all trumpet players? Listen to a fragment of this great tune, played by Louis Armstrong's Hot Five, recorded in June 1928. What to think about the percussion instrument, probably the cymbals or a woodblock, used by Zutty Singleton?

One of the things I want to share with you today is the great sound quality of the new master recordings released on the 2008 Columbia 4CD set by a team which contained Seth Foster, Ken Robertson, Tom "Curly" Ruff, Phil Schaap, Mark Wilder, Steve Berkowitz and Michael Brooks.

The fragments you hear on this blog, however, are not from the restored 4CD, but fragments available on YouTube - You should listen the original 4CD and then you'll understand how I enjoyed these transfers.

Louis Armstrong ( 1901-1971)

Louis Armstrong's Hot Five played in the so-called New Orleans style, but this musical style, born in the first decades of the twentieth century, had developed, after the move of most New Orleans musicians to Chicago, into a style that was based on the New Orleans routines, these simple but precise head arrangements were combined with forthright improvisation (The Essential Jazz Records (vol. 1) by Max Harrison a.o.). Dozens of books are written about the early Armstrong and his Hot Five recordings and I don't want to write the next article about it, but I love to share with you the sensation listening to the best of Louis Armstrong's recordings: the Hot Five and Hot Seven.
Alligator Blues ( originally released as Alligator Crawl) on a 1936 Dutch reissue. (Hans koert collection)
Two of the Hot Seven recordings, The Alligator Crawl and the Potato Head Blues, I have on a Parlophone R 2185 78rpm record. It's a Dutch record released in the Second New Rhythm Style Series as no. 116, probably released in 1936 (Thanks Han). My copy has Alligator Blues in stead of Alligator Crawl, but the tune is in fact the same. Listen tothe Potato Head Blues, which is said to be one of Louis Armstrong's best .............

The tune A Monday Date is also one of those remarkable records by the Hot Five. The record is from June 1928 when the personnel had changed: Louis Armstrong is, of course, to be heard on trumpet and sings together with Earl Hines, who plays the piano ( Louis' relation and marriage with Lil wasn't very good at that time - they divorced in 1931)) - Fred Robinson plays the trombone, Jimmy Strong on reeds, Mancy Cara on banjo and Zutty Singleton drums.

Earl "Fatha" Hines (1903-1983)

Earl Hines was one of the best piano players of the day and opens his composition A Monday Date. Hey, say, Earl Hines, why don't you let us in on some of that good music, Pops? Armstrong asks Hines. Well, come on, let's get together then. Okay, tune up boys, Armstrong continues. That sounds very good, Hines responds. Yes, "That sounds pretty good" I'll bet that if you had half a pint of Mississippi gin you wouldn't say "That sounds pretty good". Then the tune starts with a great intro by Zutty Singleton on the cymbals: Well anyhow we're gonna play anyway. Say, come on Zutty, whip those cymbals, Pops.

Love to conclude this small homage to Louis Armstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven re-mastered recordings with one of those terrible traditionals, which melody won't leave your head, but in which Louis plays the theme in a unforgettable way. It seems as if he jokes with the melody - as if he hates this dated tune ( Earl Fuller recorded this 1914 composition with his Rector Novelty Orchestra ten years earlier,( Even Fats Waller hated it !!), but creates one of the best solo's of the tune, if you compare it with John Thomas on the trombone and Johnny Dodds on the clarinet. The hits on the cymbals by Baby Dodds and the sousaphone by Pete Briggs sound great on the re-mastered Columbia reissue.

Try to find these great Hot Five or Hot Seven recordings on this Columbia 4CD box, released in 2008, (or other reissues) and enjoy the masters of the twenties as how they sounded then ........

Hans Koert

keepswinging@live.nl

A lot of visitors of the Keep Swinging blog sent me their commends regarding the Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings ( But what fantastic music this is, it's not just a historical curiosity... ) (quote Tom R.) and this great compilation, released in Europe only. The Sony box, as released in the US, and the JSP-box, have some extra tracks played by the Johnny Dodds Black Bottom Stompers, which is in fact the Hot Seven
If you love to listen to this great tunes again, Keep Swinging has selected some for you. Keep Swinging loves to unearth such old treasures in music - if you don't want to miss it ask for its newsletter.


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

De Hot Five en Hot Seven herontdekt: Some Like It Hot.

Some Like It Hot: The Hot Five Rediscovered (English) De Hot Five en Hot Seven herontdekt: Some Like It Hot (Nederlands) The Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings re-mastered (English) De Hot Five en Hot Seven opnamen heruitgebracht ( Nederlands)

Ah, whip that thing, Miss Lil! Whip it, kid! (= Rammen maar, Lil, sla d'r op, kind .... )

DE HOT FIVE EN HOT SEVEN HERONTDEKT: SOME LIKE IT HOT

Hans Koert

De verzamelaar van 78-toeren jazzplaten lijkt een menselijke soort, die dreigt uit te sterven ..... Ze zullen herinnerd worden als een groep wereldvreemde, doch onschuldige, meestal blanke grijzende mannen (98% zijn van de mannelijke kunne), die platenbeurzen en tweedehands platenzaakjes afstruinen met onder de ene arm een stapel in grauw-grijze hoezen gestopte zwarte schellakplaten en onder de andere arm de twee lijvige delen van Rust ...... Ze kunnen alleen over matrixnummers en takes praten, Gennett of Brunswick's zijn hun geliefde onderwerpen, maar ook over testplaten en grammofoonnaalden raken ze niet uitgepraat. Tweemaal per jaar worden ze in Wageningen opgevangen ...... Ik denk dat je dit soort wel zult herkennen - R. Crumb heeft er één treffend afgebeeld op de hoes van The Stuff That Dreams Are Made For.

Deel van de strip: Why I'm Neurotic About My Record Collection van R. Crumb in het bijbehorende boekje van de 2CD set The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Off ( klik op het plaatje om het te vergroten) ( strip: R. Crumb)

Ze verzamelen de muziek die ze hoorden toen ze jong waren - misschien uit de platenkast van hun vaders of opa's. Hun helden zijn Bix Beiderbecke, Red Nichols, Louis Armstrong, Fletcher Henderson, Fats Waller, Duke Ellington of Jelly Roll Morton. Deze musici namen hun platen op in de tweede helft van de jaren twintig van de vorige eeuw en dit is de muziek die ze graag horen en verzamelen. De meeste verzamelaars van deze 78-toeren platen zijn nu, net als hun platen, oud en grijs gespeeld - de "jongere" generatie, nu 55-plussers, zweert bij de LPs uit de periode na Parker met albums, die verzamelaarobjecten geworden zijn van jazzmusici als Milt Jackson en John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy, Thelonious Monk en Miles Davis. Voor hen zijn die zwarte breekbare 78-toeren schellakplaten prehistorische relieken - vergane glorie en onbespeelbaar op hun "moderne" grammofoons, die alleen nog maar een schakelaartje met 33 en 45 hebben. Deze generatie negeert de muziek van deze oude meesters en doet ze af als ouderwets en primitief ........ mottenballenmuziek!

Voorkant van de 4CD box The Best of Louis Armstrong. The Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings ( Columbia 88697301272)

Een paar maanden geleden kocht ik een box met 4 CDs getiteld The best of Louis Armstrong met als onderschrift: the Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings, uitgebracht door Columbia, en overgezet vanaf, zo belooft de box, de "original masters" door een groep o.l.v. Phil Schaap. Ik plaatste het eerste schijfje in mijn CD-speler en werd verrast door de hoge kwaliteit van deze bijna 85-jaar geleden opgenomen muziek en het geluid van deze Hot Five en Hot Seven opnamen klonk nieuw en fris door de huiskamer, alsof de band gisteren in de studio had gezeten. Deze 4 CD box is voor mij één van de meest waardevolle bronnen uit de jaren twintig geworden. Twee jaar geleden had ik zo'n zelfde sensationeel gevoel met een andere heruitgebrachte set van King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band door het Off The Record label van geluidsrestaurateur Doug Benson.

Louis Armstrong ( 1901 - 1971)

In die Joe King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band opnamen speelden toen o.a. Louis Armstrong en zijn toekomstige vrouw Lil Hardin, Johnny Dodds en zijn broer Baby Dodds, die later allen in de Hot Five ( and Seven's) te vinden waren. In 1924 ging Louis weg bij Oliver en trok naar New York waar hij in het orkest van Fletcher Henderson ging werken, die een vast engagement in de Roseland's Ballroom had gekregen. Hierin hoorde Louis niet echt thuis - Fletcher Henderson's band was meer een dansorkest dan een jazzband, waarin Louis was "swing" moest brengen. Louis Armstrong verliet Fletcher Henderson's band voor het eind van 1925 op aanraden van Lil Armstrong, geboren Hardin ( ondertussen waren ze getrouwd) en richtte het studio-orkest de Hot Five op, met daarin Louis Armstrong op cornet, Kid Ory op trombone, Johnny Dodds op klarinet, Johnny St. Cyr op banjo en Lil Armstrong aan de piano. Deze Hot Five ( en later Hot Seven) trad niet echt op, maar nam alleen platen op voor het Okeh label. Op de paar opnamen die gemaakt werden voor Vocalion heet de band Lil's Hot Shots: De Hot Five maakte tientallen opnamen tussen 1925 en 1928 en, uitgebreid met tuba en slagwerk als Hot Seven.

De Hot Five (1925) ( v.l.n.r.: Louis Armstrong, Johnny St. Cyr, Baby Dodds, Kid Ory and Lil Armstrong. ( foto verzameling: Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutger University)

Deze Hot Five opnamen zijn bij alle traditionele jazzliefhebbers bekend, maar liefhebbers en verzamelaars van platen uit de periode na Byrd ( toen werd, volgens hen, de jazz pas echt interessant - toen gebeurde er iets!), kennen deze opnamen alleen van slecht geproduceerde LPs, die ze in hun vader's platenkast vonden, op obscure labels, met weggefilterde ruis, zodat het lijkt alsof je onder een dikke deken naar de luidspreker luistert ......... Ouwe troep, die niet interessant is.

Gut Bucket Blues - Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five ( OPgenomen in Chicago november, 1925) ( Okeh 8261)

De bekendste nummers van de Hot Five en Hot Seven zijn heruitgebracht op tientallen LPs en CDs: nummers als Gut Bucket Blues, Cornet Chop Suey, You're Next en Jazz Lips zijn klassiekers geworden. Tenslotte ter illustratie een fragment van Gut Bucket Blues, één van de titels, die tijdens hun eerste opnamesessie voor Okeh gemaakt werd in Chicago op 12 november 1925.

Op de plaat stelt Louis de leden van zijn band voor ( hier in een vrije vertaling) en de tweede stem is van Kid Ory.
Aw play that thing, Mr. St. Cyr, lawd. ( = Laat horen, meneer St. Cyr). You know you can do it. (= Je kunt het ...). Everybody in New Orleans can realy do that thing.(= Iedereen in New Orleans kan dat ........ ) Hey Hey. - Ah, whip that thing, Miss Lil! Whip it, kid! ( = Hey hey! Rammen maar, Lil, rammen maar kind.) Aw, pick that piano, yeah ( = Laat horen die piano, yeah) - Ah, blow it, Kid Ory, blow it, kid ( = Laat horen Kid, blazen man) - Blow that thing, Mr. Johnny Dodds! Ah, toot that clarinet, boy.” ( = Spelen, Dodds - blaas op die fluit, jongen)

In een volgende bijdrage meer over de Hot Five en Hot Seven opnamen van Louis Armstrong.

Hans Koert

keepswinging@live.nl

De Nachtwacht van Rembrandt of de Mona Lisa van Leonardo Da Vinci behoren beide tot de Werelderfgoedlijst - onvervangbare kunstvoorwerpen, die beschermd en gekoesterd moet worden. Ook de grachtengordel van Amsterdam staat op die lijst, maar is er ook zo'n lijst voor jazzartiesten of jazznummers? De Hot Five en Hot Seven van Louis Armstrong horen daar in ieder geval op - met stip! Ik herontdekte deze muziek dankzij een prachtige 4CD Columbia-box, waarop deze 85-jaar oude opnamen schitterend gerestaureerd gepresenteerd worden. Het verbaast me dat voor veel liefhebbers van moderne jazz deze muziek taboe lijkt, ouderwets, gedateerd, vergane glorie, not done .... je moest je schamen!! De Keep Swinging blog maakt zich af en toe druk over dit soort vergeten muziek of genegeerde jazzmusici en als je dit gevoel deelt, maar niets wilt missen, vraag dan de nieuwsbrief aan. Je kunt op dit emailadres ook nazorg krijgen.

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

Some Like It Hot: The Hot Five rediscovered

Some Like It Hot: The Hot Five Rediscovered (English) De Hot Five en Hot Seven herontdekt: Some Like It Hot (Nederlands) The Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings re-mastered (English) De Hot Five en Hot Seven opnamen heruitgebracht ( Nederlands)

Ah, whip that thing, Miss Lil! Whip it, kid!

SOME LIKE IT HOT: THE HOT FIVE REDISCOVERED

Hans Koert

The traditional jazz collector seems to be a human species that becomes extinct - they will be remembered as a group of unworldly, but harmles, as dry as dust, men ( 98% are white and male species), who snoop about record fairs or junk markets with a bunch of black 78s under one arm and two volumes of Rust's discographies under the other. They talk about takes and matrices, about Gennett or Brunswick, about test pressings and stylus. Well - you'll recognize these men - I'm sure. R. Crumb, artist and record collector himself, made some beautiful drawing which illustrates all.

Part of a comic strip: Why I'm Neurotic About My Record Collection by R. Crumb inside the booklet of The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Off ( click on the picture to enlarge) ( courtesy: R. Crumb)

They collect the music they heard when they were young - the names of their heroes are Bix Beiderbecke, Red Nichols, Louis Armstrong, Fletcher Henderson, Fats Waller, Duke Ellington or Jelly Roll Morton. These musicians recorded during the second half of the 1920s and this is the music they love to hear. Most collectors of these 78s are now old and grey - the "younger" generations, in its 50s and 60s, collect most 33rpm LPs from the 1950s and 1960s - the music from the post-Parker period - Albums from Milt Jackson and John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis are collectables. For those collectors the breakable black shellac 78rpm records are relics of a long gone episode - unplayable on their modern gramophones...... dated noises - prehistorically artefacts. They are not interested in collecting these old masters, this old rubbish ..............

Cover of the 4CD box The Best of Louis Armstrong. The Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings ( Columbia 88697301272)
A few months ago I listened to a 4CD box entitled The Best of Louis Armstrong - the Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings, released by Columbia, transferred from the "original masters" by a group directed by Phil Schaap. I played it and was surprised by the high standards in music of these almost 85 years old recordings by Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five and, above all, the great quality of the sound restoration, which makes this box into one of my most valuable sources for the 1920s jazz scene. Almost two years ago I pointed you to another great set restored by Doug Benson on the Off The Record label from the King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band recordings.

Louis Armstrong ( 1901 - 1971)

In King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band Louis Armstrong and his future wife Lil Hardin, Johnny Dodds and his younger brother Baby Dodds played together during the early 1920s; they who would become a few years later members of the Hot Five ( and Hot Seven). In 1924 Louis left Oliver and moved to New York where he was invited to play in the Fletcher Henderson orchestra, which had an engagement to play in the Roseland's Ballroom. In fact, Louis didn't felt at home here, as Fletcher's band was in fact a dance orchestra, in which Louis had to bring some "Jazz" and "Swing". Louis Armstrong left Fletcher Henderson late 1925, due to Lil Armstrong, now Louis' wife, and after a talk with mr. Fearn, the Okeh recording executive, the Hot Five was born, with Louis Armstrong on cornet, Kid Ory on trombone, Johnny Dodds on clarinet, Johnny St. Cyr on banjo and Lil Armstrong at the keys. This Hot Five ( and later the Hot Seven) was, in fact, a studio orchestra for OKeh only - they never played in public. As the Lil's Hot Shots they recorded some sides for Vocalion. The Hot Five made dozens of recordings between 1925 and 1928 - later enlarged with tuba and drums as the Hot Seven.

The Hot Five (1925) ( f.l.t.r.: Louis Armstrong - Johnny St. Cyr, Baby Dodds, Kid Ory and Lil Armstrong. ( photo collection: Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutger University)

These Hot Five recordings are well known by the traditional jazz fans, but jazz cats and collectors of records from the post-Parker period, collectors of bebop and hard bop LPs, seem to be less interested. It is old fashioned; noisy sounds from their grand parents. In fact they learned about these prehistorical recordings thanks to awfully bad transferred LPs on cheap obscure labels, which cleaned the sound by filtering the surface noise and high tones, which makes that listening to the Hot Five recordings was as if you your speakers are hidden under a blanket. And if your "lucky" the mono-tunes were "rechanneled for stereo" ..... Rubbish ! Thanks to modern sounds restoration techniques this belongs to the past .......

Gut Bucket Blues - Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five ( Recorded Chicago 12th of November, 1925) ( Okeh 8261)

These recordings have been reissued on dozens of albums, LPs and CDs, and the tunes Gut Bucket Blues, Cornet Chop Suey, You're Next and Jazz Lips are classics. Enjoy a fragment of Gut Bucket Blues, one of the tunes recorded at the Hot Five's first recording session in Chicago, the 12th of November 1925 in which Louis introduces the members of the band. The second voice is by Kid Ory.

Aw play that thing, Mr. St. Cyr, lawd. You know you can do it. Everybody in New Orleans can realy do that thing. Hey Hey. - Ah, whip that thing, Miss Lil! Whip it, kid! Aw, pick that piano, yea - Ah, blow it, Kid Ory, blow it, kid - Blow that thing, Mr. Johnny Dodds! Ah, toot that clarinet, boy.”

Next time more about these remastered Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings.

Hans Koert

keepswinging@live.nl

The Night Watch or The Militia Company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq by the Dutch 17th Century painter Rembrandt or the Mona Lisa or La Gioconda from Leonardo Da Vinci (some people even visit Paris to catch a glimpse of her) belong to the world treasures of arts - no doubt about that. But what about the treasures in Jazz? What bands or tunes should be inside the Hall of Fame? Well, Louis Armstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven records should - No doubt about that. I rediscovered these wonderful played tunes thanks to a 4CD Columbia album entitled The Best of Louis Armstrong: The Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings. I was amazed to learn that so many (most contemporary) jazz collectors don't know the beauty of these 85 year old recordings. What a shame ............... Keep swinging loves to introduce you to these forgotten treasures from the 1920s - don't miss it. Ask for its newsletter.

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

Satchmo

( Naar de Nederlandse vertaling.)
A few days ago I opened my blog about Don Ellis with the words: There are many jazz musicians that should get more attention nowadays; this Keep Swinging web log wants to give it. I learned that making a daily weblog gives the opportunity to bring certain almost forgotten musicians into the spotlights - musicians almost forgotten and neglected - musicians but few visitors will remember. That's okay, but don't let us forget the icons that are still associated with jazz music by millions of people. Today such an icon, maybe the greatest ... Louis Satchmo Armstrong.

He was born in New Orleans in 1901 ( other sources say 1900, but that seems wrong) and passed away in July 1971. His carreer is well documented and I don't think I have to re-write it ...... His first recordings are with the King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band (Just Gone was his first) and these recordings belong to the best of the best ever made in jazz. Each time I listen to these old accoustical recordings I'm astonished about its quality. Enjoy a part of Ken Burns documentary Jazz describing this period.

These recordings, a must have for all music lovers, have been reissued by Retrieval ( sound editor John R.T. Davies) and Off The Record ( = Archeophone) ( sound editor Doug Benson). The Fletcher Henderson recording, in which Armstrong participated, are less interesting. The Timeless Historical Edition Fletcher Henderson and Louis Armstrong ( sound editor John R. T. Davies) is a reissue that never should had been made ( in my opinion).

The music made by the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra is often stiff, unswinging arangements, full of irrelevant diversions and spoil the elegiac mood that Louis creates, and sometimes Armstrong's colleagues complete the damage by playing corny, ungainly solos, the liner notes read. Okay John Chilton might be right: Louis played as a professional football player in the mids of a group of poor amateurs. But what did John R. T. Davies do? He transfered all Louis's solos and skipped all the solos by the other members of the band and insterted other solo's by Louis from the same tune but from different takes in the empty spaces, so it looks as if Louis is doing all the solo's. Technically superb, but historically a shame. In my opinion this is absolutely wrong: if you listen to the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra you will have to accept that Louis was playing with bad accompanists ....
In 1925 Louis founded his Hot Five which brought dozens of great tunes, featuring Louis Armstrong on trumpet, Kid Ory on trombone, Johnny Dodds on clarinet, Lil Armstrong ( then Louis' wife) on piano and Johnny St. Cyr on banjo. One of those great recordings was Muskrat Ramble recorded the 26th of February 1926 for Okeh.

Louis became the symbol of the jazz, always recognizable by his laugh, his raspy voice and clear trumpet playing. I found a "reunion" that was filmed at Disneyland, Anaheim (CA) for the film Disney After Dark. The fragment with Louis Armstrong was filmed the 30th of September 1961 - no ship, no Mark Twain at all. Monette Moore passed away a year later, while performing in Disneyland. The members of the Kid Ory band are Louis Armstrong trumpet and vocals, Andrew Blakeney trumpet, Kid Ory on trombone, Paul Barnes on soprano sax, Harvey Brooks on piano, Johnny St. Cyr on banjo, Alton Redd on drums. Monette Moore sings in the last tune: Muskrat Ramble - Bourbon Street Parade.

Hans Koert keepswinging@live.nl

ROLAND KIRK - HIP !:

Roland Kirk - Andrew Hill - Vernon Martin - Henry Duncan: Ecclusiastics - Roland Speaks. Recorded on the 11th of June 1957 and released on the Fontana album Hip!

Keep swinging

Hans Koert

keepswinging@live.nl

Nederlands ( To the English translation )

Een paar dagen geleden opende ik de blog over Don Ellis met de woorden: Er zijn best een groot aantal muzikanten, die tegenwoordig nauwelijk nog gehoord worden - de Keep Swinging web log probeert daar iets aan te doen. Ik ontdekte bij het maken van deze dagelijkse routine dat vergeten, ondergewaardeerde muzikanten ideale onderwerpen zijn om in de schijnwerpers te zetten. Prima, maar hierdoor worden de allergrootsten wel eens volledig genegeerd. Vandaar vandaag maar eens het icoon van de jazz, ... Louis Satchmo Armstrong.
Hij werd geboren in 1901 in New Orleans ( andere bronnen zeggen 1900 maar dat schijnt verkeerd) en overleed in juli 1971. Zijn carriere is op veel plaatsen beschreven dus die ga ik niet helemaal opnieuw verwoorden: ik pak er hier en daar wat krenten uit. Zijn eerste opnamen zijn bij de King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band (Just Gone was zijn eerste) en deze opnamen horen bij de belangrijkste en beste ooit gemaakt in de jazz. Elke keer als ik deze oude akoestisch opnamen beluister ben ik daarvan overtuigd. Ken Burns vertelt in zijn documentaire Jazz over deze periode:

Deze opnamen, een must voor elke muziekliefhebber, zijn uitstekend heruitgebracht door Retrieval ( geluidsrestaurateur John R.T. Davies) en Off The Record ( = Archeophone) ( geluidsrestaurateur Doug Benson). De Fletcher Henderson opnamen, waarin Armstrong meespeelt, zijn minder interessant. De CD in de serie Timeless Historical Edition Fletcher Henderson and Louis Armstrong ( John R. T. Davies) is een heruitgave zoals die, naar mijn bescheiden mening, op deze manier nooit gemaakt had mogen worden.

De muziek van het Fletcher Henderson Orchestra is often stiff, unswinging arangements, full of irrelevant diversions and spoil the elegiac mood that Louis creates ( = is vaak stijf, de arrangementen swingen niet, zitten vol nietszegggende onderdelen en ruineren vaak de sfeer die Louis heeft opgebouwd. ) and sometimes Armstrong's colleagues complete the damage by playing corny, ungainly solos (= en soms verwoesten de collega's van Louis in het orkest zijn solo's en spelen uitgesabbelde frases als antwoord), staat er te lezen op het doosje. Prima, wat John Chilton zegt mag waar zijn: Louis speelde, om in de waan van de dag te blijven, profvoetbal tussen een stel amateurs, maar dat neemt niet weg dat wat John R.T. Davies gedaan heeft niet zomaar mag. Hij nam de opnamen stevig onder het mes - poetste de solo's van Satchmo op, schrapte alle nietszeggende onderdelen van de anderen en zette solo's van Louis van alternatieve takes daarvoor in de plaats - technisch zeer knap, maar historisch onverantwoord. Ik wil het orkest van Fletcher Henderson horen met Louis Armstrong als enige stersolist tussen de amateurs ...... die opnamen zijn toen gemaakt !!

In 1925 richtte Louis zijn beroemde Hot Five op, die tientallen schitterende opnamen aan de groef toevertrouwden, met Louis Armstrong op trompet, Kid Ory op trombone, Johnny Dodds op klarinet, Lil Armstrong ( toen de vrouw van Louis) op piano en Johnny St. Cyr op banjo. Eén van die opnamen is Muskrat Ramble opgenomen op 26 februari 1926 voor Okeh.

Louis werd voor velen het symbool van de jazz, altijd herkenbaar door zijn gulle lach, zijn raspende stem en zijn heldere trompetgeluid. Ik vond een fragment dat opgenomen is in Disneyland, Anaheim (CA) voor de film Disney After Dark. Het fragment met Louis Armstrong is opgenomen op 30 september 1961 - geen schip de Mark Twain, dus, die suggetie wordt alleen maar gewekt door de beelden en de gesproken tekst. Monette Moore, die in het laatste nummer zingt, overleed een jaar later tijdens een concert in datzelfde Disneyland. De leden van de Kid Ory band zijn meest oudgedienden: Louis Armstrong trompet en zang, Andrew Blakeney trompet, Kid Ory op trombone, Paul Barnes op sopraansax, Harvey Brooks op piano, Johnny St. Cyr op banjo, Alton Redd op slagwerk. Monette Moore zingt op het laatste nummer: Muskrat Ramble en Bourbon Street Parade:

Hans Koert keepswinging@live.nl

ROLAND KIRK - HIP !:

Roland Kirk - Andrew Hill - Vernon Martin - Henry Duncan: Ecclusiastics - Roland Speaks. Opgenomen op 11 juni 1957 en verschenen op de Fontana LP Hip!

Keep swinging

Hans Koert

keepswinging@live.nl

Retrospect

Oscar Aleman Choro Music Flexible Records Hit of the Week-Durium Keep Swinging News letter Keep Swinging Contributions