The record changer (Jan-Dec 1951)

13 GEORGE A V A K I A N BUCKLIN MOON ROBERT L. THOMPSON records noted lu watters and his yerba buena jazz band -lp emperor norton's hunch, skid dat de dat, when the saints go marching in, Copenhagen, antigua blues, sage hen strut This LP has been out for quite some time and Mercury has never seen fit to promote it or even send out reviewer's copies. The record is quite worthwhile however and this writer will take it upon himself to review his own store-bought copy. The later day Watters' band here includes Lu's magnificent and authoritative trumpet, Bob Helm, clarinet, Don Noakes, trombone, Dick Lammi, tuba, Clancy Hayes and Pat Patton, banjos, Wally Rose, piano, and Bill Dart, drums. These wonderfully rocking sides show Watters and Helm in very good form. For a beautiful and full tone and driving lead, Watters is the tops. The same compliments go to Helm's clarineting. Norton, Sage Hen and Antigua are Watters originals and make interesting material for comparison to the old Watters recordings on the West Coast label. The Watters' band has always earned high commendation for its inspired original compositions. Skid Dat, a very difficult tune, comes off in wonderful form with some very impressive trumpet and clarinet work. It is a good sign to see this old Armstrong Hot Five tune back in circulation. Copenhagen with all its tricky breaks, is a rousing piece. The band is too restrained on Saints, possibly because they are trying to do it a new way or more likely because they are sick and tired of the tune. In any case, it doesn't come off too well. In spite of the Saints, this, as well as the other Watters' LPs on the Down Home label are a must for all who appreciate a rocking, self contained, hot jazz band. (Mercury C-103) (R. L. T.) lu watters and his yerba buena jazz band st. louis blues, broken promises, shake that thing, royal garden blues, blues my naughty sweetie gives to me, tin roof blues, doctor jazz, beale st. blues These recent Watters' releases feature the same personnel as the LP above with the exception that Warren Smith of the old Bob Crosby band replaces Don Noakes on trombone on the last three discs. Rocking as much, if not more than ever, this crew has the sending power of a barrel of plutonium. St. Louis, Promises and Doctor Jazz include splendid vocals by Clancy Hayes. A few licks from Jelly Roll Morton's Jungle Blues turn up in St. Louis. Watters is an expert at backing up vocals as well. Each tune is a continuous process of building up excitement, an art that is often lost in the confusion of contemporary jazz bands. Warren Smith gets off some interesting solos on Royal Garden, Shake and Tin Roof. Wally Rose, Watters and Helm do most of the solo work however and one could not ask for anything more. Lammi's tuba scoops the proceedings along like a mighty steam shovel. On Beale St. and Naughty Sweetie he does almost as much with the string bass. Dart's powerful after-beat cymbal is a capable tool too. And those two banjos . . . they just keep ringin' 'till the break of day. Naughty Sweetie is probably the hottest and most gone of any Yerba Buena rec ord. Watters and Helm try exchanging breaks in the manner of Louis and Johnny Dodds in the Hot Five days and there seem to be no restraints on anyone in the last ensemble. Promises is a hill billy flavored original by Hayes and makes fine listening. Charlie Jackson's Shake That Thing gets a treatment that would shake old Papa Charlie's teeth loose and Royal Garden cuts any other recorded version of the tune. The records are all ten inch, standard playing and a must for everyone. If you can only afford one, Naughty Sweetie should be it. [Mercury 1 1057, 11065,11077,11081) (R.L.T.) ralph willis and brownie mcghee goodbye blues lazy woman blues Mr. Willis sings the blues and plays guitar while Mr. McGhee assists in the latter function only. There is nothing sophisticated about these nor is there anything terribly primitive or rural. Simple, straight blues with a solid guitar beat is the best description and indicates a rather nice recording. Being recently recorded, these sides do not suffer from the acoustical disturbances of their relatives in the old Paramount catalog. If you have a few spare moments, listen to them. You may like them. (Prestige 906) (R. L. T.) duke ellington — vol. I — lp beggar's blues, old man blues, Saturday night function, blues of the vagabond, hot and bothered, syncopated shuffle, black beauty, swampy river The 1928-1930 Ellington band period as represented here was one of special greatness in this writer's estimation. With just the right balance between jazz feeling and orchestral sophistication, these records are sure to endear themselves to a large variety of cats. Black Beauty and Swampy River are Ellington piano solos that even the moldicst will store on the special shelf that includes Jelly Roll Morton et al. The theme of Swampy is one of those things that haunts one into compulsively playing it over and over again. Old Man Blues, Hot and Bothered and Syncopated Shuffle are the fast numbers. Some great horn solos are found on Old Man and Hot and Bothered achieves a nice twobeat swing at times. Syncopated Shuffle is just that, and good too. Beautiful trombone and clarinet solos backed up by a solid beat and sensitive percussion effects distinguishes Beggar's Blues. Saturday Night is also a blues and a most pretty one at that. Vagabond features some effective banjo strumming and a captivating mood. Though this writer has never been a real Ellington fan, this is one batch of recordings from which he'll never part. (Jazz Panorama LP 1802) (R. L. T.) johnny hodges and his orch. — lp hodge podge, pyramid, lost in meditation, empty ball room blues, the jeep is jumpin', i know what you do, prelude to a kiss, dream blues This subdivision of Ellingtonia features Hodges on soprano and alto sax, Cootie Williams, trumpet, Harry Car(Continued on Page 15 )