Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 1, No. 12 (1927-09)

498 The Phonograph Monthly Review views in this and other record-review publications or columns, are the places to look, if indeed one cannot find without looking, characteristic records of popular music. Naturally, records of this type make up the largest part of every record catalogue. The “popular” songs by composers of the type of Nevin, Speaks, Spross, et al. (see list in body of the article) are easily found; nearly every singer’s lists include a few. My first intention to prepare a list of characteristic jazz (not necessarily dance records) was abandoned when I soon discovered that any sort of adequate survey would be impossible within the limits here. A note should be made to clarify the remarks on “hot” jazz in the article, a list of a fe(w of the leading jazz orchestras given, and the reader will have to be left to make what progress he can in this unique and—to my mind—very significant aspect of American Music. “Hot” jazz at its best, further study has convinced me, is not necessarily confined to negro orchestras, and the state- ment made that it is “paralleled in white bands by the cor- rectly termed ‘noisy jazz’ ” is both incorrect and confusing, and should be withdrawn. There is very little connection between the two; both exist in both colored and white or- chestras; and (excepting perhaps Ted Lewis, the greatest master of “noisy” jazz) the latter type is usually a very in- ferior imitation of the “hot” variety, with stridency and clumsiness substituted for color and ingenuity. The principal exponent of “hot” jazz is the white orches- tra under the direction of Red Nichols, trumpet player ex- traordinary, and both pioneer and master in this field. His orchestra appears in various metamorphoses in all catalogues: Brunswick and Vocalion: Red Ni'chols and His Five Pen- nies; Columbia: Charleston Chasers; Edison: Red and Miff’s Stompers; Okeh: Miff Mole’s Molers, or the Goofus Five; Victor: Red and Miff’s Stompers. The leading colored or- chestras are: Duke Ellington and his Washingtonians (Bruns- wick and Columbia); Fletcher Henderson (Brunswick and Columbia); Elgar’s Creole Orchestra (Brunswick); Cook’s Orchestra (Columbia); Dixieland Jug-Blowers (Victor); King Oliver’s Jazz Band (Vocalion); New Orleans Owls (Colum- bia) ; Clarence Williams’ Orchestra (Okeh and Columbia) and —for extreme forms of “hot” jazz, which return again to the “noisy” side—Louis Armstrong’s Seven (Okeh). For “symphonic” or “ball-room” jazz, varying through every shade and type, from the “smoothest” waltz to the most strenuous “stomp,” the following bands might be named al- most at random. For Brunswick: Ben Bernie; Vincent Lopez ; Ohman and Arden; Carl Fenton; Ernie Golden; A & P Gyp- sies; Ben Selvin; Six Jumping Jacks; Yacht Club. For Columbia: Paul Ash; Paul Specht; Ted Lewis; Columbians (specializing in waltzes); Cliquot Club; Georgians; Harold Leonard; Ipana Troubadours; Fred Rich. For Okeh: Mike Markel; Ted Wallace; Sam Lanin; Harry Reser’s Jazz Pilots; Vincent Lopez. For Victor: Paul Whiteman; Waring’s Penn- sylvanians; Nat Shilkret; Phil Napoleon: Olsen’s Mu« ; c; Roger Wolfe Kahn; Charles Dornberger; Troubadours; Five Harmaniacs; McEnelly; Jean Goldkette; Jan Garber. Records made by jazz composers playing their own works are particularly interesting: see Gershwin (Columbia and Victor—for listings see under “Composed Music”); Felix Arndt (Victor); Friml (Columbia); Zez Confrey (Brunswick and Victor); Rube Bloom (Okeh), etc. I trust that at some later date it may be possible to deal in detail with some of the material which has had to be hurriedly hinted at here. Careful study of current releases is perhaps the only way to keep up with the rapid-changing developments in jazz. The appearance of another twelve- inch release by Whiteman’s Concert Orchestra and the appar- ent inauguration of a series of two-part ten-inch jazz fanta- sies (Columbia), together with the general excellence in both performance and recording attained by recent dance records, forecast a progress along the lines indicated in the concluding suggestions in the article. COMPOSED MUSIC (For Cadman, Gershwin, Herbert, MacDowell, and Scheli- ing, see separate lists.) Beach, Mrs. H. H. A.: The Year’s At Spring; Victor 88008 (Emma Eames); 87026 (Gadski) “cut-out” list of special rec- ords available only from The Victor Company, Camden, N. J., directly. Bloch, Ernest ; Nigun: Columbia 2047-M (Szigeti, violinist) electric. Bullard, Frederick Field: Stein Song: Columbia 60-M (Seagle); Victor 945 (Werrenrath). Sword of Ferrara; Col- umbia 50016-D (Associated Glee Clubs of America) electric. Burleigh, Harry T.\ Jean: Victor 64280 (Evan Williams). Just You: Victor 87261 (Hempel) both in cut-out list. Little Mother of Mine: Brunswick 10208 (John Charles Thomas). Indian Snake Dance: Columbia 4001-M (Seidel, violinist). Chadwick, George W.: Danza: Victor 87020 (Schumann- Heink). Allah: Victor 87172 (Schumann-Heink). Love’s Like a Summer Rose: Victor 88409 (Farrar); all from the cut-out list. Clough-Leighter: My Lady Chloe: Victor 552 (Braslau). Damrosch, Walter: Danny Deever: Victor 6638 (Werren- rath) electric. Columbia 5010 M (Bispham): 5038 M Gra- veure). Brunswick 5166 (Bonelli). Foote, Arthur: Irish Love Song: Victor 88117 (Gadski) his- torical list. Gilbert, Henry F.: Pirate Song: Victor 1104 (Werrenrath) electric. Columbia A 5778 (Bispham) Victor 64472 (With- erspoon) historical. Gootschalk, Louis-M.: Fantasie on the Brazilian National Hymn: Victor 6372 (Novaes, pianist). Pasquinade: Victor 45050, listed in “Listening Lessons in Music”; Dying Poet: Columbia A5932 (Prince’s Orchestra) withdrawn. Grainger, Percy: Spoon River: Columbia 2000M (Grain- ger). Gum Suckers’ March: Columbia 2002M (Grainger). Molly on the Shore: Victor 6121 (Flonzaley Quartet). Scotch Strathspey and Reel: Columbia 7104M (Grainger Singers and Players) electric. Hadley, Henry: Evening Song: Victor 760 (McCormack). Marguerites: Ginn Educational Series G 12 A (Orchestral). Hill, Edward Burlingame: Jazz Study: Victor 45346 (Maier and Pattison, pianists). Hill: Waiata Poi: Brunswick 15117 (Minneapolis Sym- phony) electric. Lang, Margaret Ruthven: Irish Love Song: Columbia 79M (Van Gorden). Victor 64391 (Dan Beddoe). Kramer, A. W Chant negre—an Idyll. Victor 884 (Zimba- list) historical. Parker, Horatio’. Lamp in the West: Brunswick 3165 (Syra- cuse University Glee Club) electric. Columbia 691 D (Uni- versity of Kansas Glee Club) electric. Spalding, Albert: Alabama: Victor 74443 (Zimbalist) his- torical. Skilton, Charles Sanford: (See under Indian music). Taylor, Deems : Captain Stratton’s Fancy: Victor 1104 (Werrenrath) electric. Cadman, Charles Wakefield: At Dawning: Victor 1216 (Mary Garden) electric; Bruns- wick 13095 (Theo. Karle); Brunswick 10167 (John Charles Thomas); Columbia 121-M (Rider-Kelsey); Victor 45170 (Herbert’s Orch.); Victor 20668 (Victor Orch.) electric. Shanewis—Canoe Song and Song of the Robin Woman: Victor *45495 (Elsie Baker) electric. Moonlight Song: Victor 64391 (Dan Beddoe) cut-out list. Little Firefly: Victor 64705 (Maud Powell, violinist) cut- out list. Moon Drops Low: Brunswick 10228 (Branzell); Victor 64200 (Janet Spencer) cut-out list. I Hear a Thrush at Eve: Columbia 106-M (Macbeth); Columbia 4017-M (Hackett); Brunswick 13073 (Karle); Vic- tor 742 (McCormack); etc. Call Me No More: Brunswick 10111 (Chamlee). My Desire: Brunswick 10188 (Chamlee). From the Land of the Sky-Blue Water: Columbia 30486 (Nordica) historical list; Victor 659 (Gluck); Victor 871 (Evan Williams); Brunswick 13065 (Karle); Victor 1140 (Mary Lewis) electric; Victor 1115 (Kreisler) violinist) elec- tric, etc., etc. Gershwin, George: Rhapsody in Blue: Victor *35822 (Gershwin soloist, accom- panied by Paul Whiteman’s Concert Orchestra) electric (see review on page 438, July 1927 issue of this magazine, where the old acoustic record by the same artists (Victor *55225) is also discussed. Banner 2153 (Schubert’s Concert Orchestra). Piano solos (by the composer): Columbia *809-D (Clap Yo’ Hands, and Do-Do-Do). Columbia 812 (Someone to Watch Over Me, and Maybe). English Columbia 4065 (Sweet and Low Dow, and Looking for a Boy). English Columbia 4066 (That Certain Feeling, and When Do We Dance). All are electric. Songs from Musical Comedies: recorded for all companies by many and various singers and dance orchestras.