Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 1, No. 6 (1927-03)

The Phonograph Monthly Review 285 mention. Fletcher Henderson’s orchestra plays Sweet Thing and I Need Lovin’, on 854-D and Ford and Glenn sing Tell Me Tonight and Pal of My Lonesome Hours, on 864-D. Ted Lewis put over 844-D (If You See Sally and Wistful and Blue) and 826-D (Bugle Call Rag and Some of These Day) in his familiar style. 843-D (I Still Believe in You and I Love the Moonlight) is played by Fred Rich and his Hotel Astor orchestra; and A1 Lenz has I Never See Maggie Alone and If I Didn’t Know Your Husband and You Didn’t Know My W ife, on No. 856-D. Ruth Etting sings ’Deed I Do and There Ain’t No Maybe in My Baby’s Eyes, on 865-D in pleasant fashion. The latter song is also sung, less effectively, with Blue Skies by Vaughn de Leath on Okeh 40750. 855-D has Leo Reisman in Angel Eyes and My Little Bunch of Happiness; and 14188-D, the Dixie Washboard Band in the Gimme Blues and Dark Eyes—a striking dance record, well orchestrated and recorded. Martha Copeland doesn’t hit the mark so well on 14189-D (Fortune Teller Blues and On Decoration Day). A little above the average dance record are the following three: 860-D (Tonight You Belong to Me and Blue Skies — the first by the Cavaliers, the second by the Knickerbockers); 859-D (Honey Do and When I First Met Mary) played by Paul Ash and his orchestra; and 853-D (Here or There, Paul Specht and his orchestra and Je t’aime Means I Love You, by Harry Reser’s Syncopaters—the last in an effective arrangement.) The race records should come between Columbia and Okeh, who seem to be running nearly even in issuing them for this month. Some have been mentioned before and Columbia, 861-D deserves notice again. Clara Smith sings, Get On Board and Livin’ Humble (Columbia 14183-D) and Rev. J. C. Burnett preaches on the Gospel Train Is Leaving and Lord Help Me (14180-D). Papa Freddie Gives the Muddy Water Blues and Way Back Down Home, on Okeh 8122. Rev. J. M. Gates preaches on Paul and Silas in Jail and The Judgment Day’s Coming On, 8430. The Mt. Vernon Choir sings When Jesus Comes and Swing Low Sweet Chariot (Okeh 8433). But perhaps the best “blues” of all are given by Hattie McDaniel on Okeh 8434 (Boo Hoo Blues and I Wish I Had Somebody). For an instrumental “blues” number, the P.D.Q. Blues and Blues From the Everglades, by Thomas Morris and his 7 Hot Babies (Victor 20330) is outstanding. Okeh dance records not yet mentioned: 40738 (It Made You Happy When You Made Me Cry and I Gotta Get Myself Someone to Love) Sam Lanin and his famous players; 40742 (Jersey Walk — good—and Little White House) Tom Stack’s Minute Men; 40744 (Idolizing and Tell Me Tonight) Melody Sheiks; 40751 (Since I Found You and Usen’t You to be My Sweetie?) the first done effectively by Reser’s Jazz Pilots and the second touching ditty by Ted Wallace and his orchestra; the Goofus 5 are much better than their name in 40739 (I Need Lovin’ and I got the Girl—I hope there is no mistake in the order in which these two titles come, it would make all the difference in the world!). Then two Okeh vocals: 40746 (I Gotta Get Someone and I’m Telling the Birds, Telling the Bees) sung by Vaughn de Leath; and 40747 (Thinking of You and In a Little Spanish Town) by Russell Douglas. Last, but for from least, come the always dependable Victor dance records. 20281 (Kaala and Waonahele Medleys) are respectively a waltz and a fox-trot played by the Royal Hawaiian Trio with a vocal refrain in Hawaiian (I take the maker’s word for it) in the second number. 20415 (Dr. Jazz Stomp, by Jelly-Roll Morton’s Red Hot Peppers and Mem- phis Shake, by the Dixieland Jug Blowers) are billed as “hot” jazz, a term which puzzled me considerably until I had heard the records; it was a lesson I advise everyone to learn, pre- ferably by this recording—the jug blowing effects are par- ticularly true to the claim, “thermometer-bursting.” 20435 (Oh, Kay! and Queen High Medleys) is played as a piano duet by Fairchild and Ranger; the recording, for which high claims are made, is not much above passable. The B. F. Goodrich Silvertown Cord Orchestra with the Silver-Masked Tenor for vocal refrain figures on two records, 20436 (So Will I) and 20419 (Moonbeams); the other sides are both played by Nat Shilkret, and the Victor orchestra; the first is High, High, High Up in the Hills — with a fine banjo passage — and the other, Sweeter Than You. The same band also play, Do You Love As I Love?, coupled with, I’m a Little Bit Fonder of You. by Waring’s Pennsylvanians on 20393. 20409 (Every Little While and Have You Forgotten) the first by George Olsen and his music, the second by Jan Garber and his orchestra is a good dance recording of the quieter type (“cool” as opposed to “hot”) of fox-trot. 20386 (Memphis Blues and 12th St. Rag), announced as “hot noise or loo-loo-looing” recordings lives up to one’s expectations; Johnny Marvin and William Carola deserve the credit due. 20437 find Shilkret’s and Waring’s orchestras coupled again; the first in I Know That You Know and the latter in Like He Loves Me. And to wind up this month’s lists comes 20370 with two waltzes; the first by the versatile Shilkret (Blame It on the Waltz), the other (One Golden Hour) concentrated on a single side by J. McEnelly’s orchestra. (But on looking over my notes again, I find that “Chippie” Hill and Richard M. Jones’ record—Okeh 8437—of the Street Walker Blues was omitted from its proper classification; an oversight which I correct here.) • Rufus. Foreign Records The foreign releases must be somewhat neglected this month, but they will receive full attention in the next and succeeding issues. Several of the most striking numbers are mentioned in the regular lists. JEWISH Columbia 8125 F—Songs from “Dos Namele,” sung by Molly Picon. 8124-F—In garten fun liebe, sung by Irving Grossman. (See also Cantor Hershman’s record among the Vocals.) Victor 79099 and 79100—Selections from Margarita (Rosen- berg-Secunda). Sung by Lucy German, assisted by Leon Gold, Yudel Dubinsky, chorus, etc. Gems from a popular operetta. 79120—Der Naier Choidesh and Malkele (S. Stramer, tenor). The voice is a trifle nasal, but the songs are given with considerable dramatic power and taste. SWEDISH Columbia 26046-F — Var and Flyg Nina Tankar, sung by Araldo Lindi. The second song has very beautiful qualities, but the recording which is rather extreme and the surface which is far from the Columbia standard prevent Lindi from sounding at his best. MEXICAN Victor 79089—Mexican dances (Briseno) and Valse Bluette (Castro) played by the Orquesta Tipica Mexicana. Interesting rather than immediately appealing, to a non-Mexican at least. LITHUANIAN Victor 79079—Pirslio Daina and Knygnesio Daina, sung by Joseph Vaickus, tenor. 79080—Vai Ku-Ku and Oi Tu Zirge, Zirge, sung by Jonas Butenas, baritone, in robust and vigorous fashion. POLISH Victor 79119—Kaska Byla Latawica, Kiedy Bedzie Slonce i pogoda, W karczmie, and Mowi mu moja mateczka (Chor Nowe Zycie). Male chorus with piano, ex- cellently recorded. NORWEGIAN Victor 79041—Du vet det (Polka) and Halv Tolv-Hambo, accordion duets by John Lager and Eric Olsen. GERMAN Odeon 10429—In einem kuhlen Grunde and Steh ich in fins- trer Mitternacht, tenor solos by Richard Tauber. Excellent songs by the well known lieder singer (mechanically recorded). Columbia 5122-F—Sah ein Knab’ ein Poslein stehn. Ich weiss nicht was soil es bedeuten, sung by the Heidel- berg Quartet. 55069-F—Isabella walzer and Der Fruhling in Berlin, German jazz, played by the Stretz Deutsche Jazz Kapelle. Okeh 1042&—Dorfgrusse and Susanne Polka, played by the Anton Brousek Kapelle of Chicago. HUNGARIAN Victor 79084—Tzidnak enjem az emberek and Edes an jam sir j at, played by a Hungarian gypsy orchestra (Mag- yri Imre Ciganyenekara) and recorded in Europe. Odeon 12141—Ha Pac Pali nem lett volna and Cigamjasszony satora (Gypsy orchestra with chorus).