| Issue Date | Click to view | Issue Date | Click to view |
|---|---|---|---|
| (September 12, 1939) | (Unavailable) - Vol I, No. 1 | ||
| September 19, 1939 | Vol I, No. 2 | September 26, 1939 | Vol. I No. 3 |
| October 3, 1939 | Vol I, No. 4 | October 10, 1939 | Vol. I No. 5 |
| October 17, 1939 | Vol I, No. 6 | October 24, 1939 | Vol. I No. 7 |
| October 31, 1939 | Vol I, No. 8 | November 7, 1939 | Vol. I No. 9 |
| November 14, 1939 | Vol I, No. 10 | November 24, 1939 | Vol. I No. 11 |
| December 1, 1939 | Vol I, No. 12 | December 8, 1939 | Vol. I No. 13 |
| December 15, 1939 | Vol I, No. 14 | December 22, 1939 | Vol. 1 No. 15 |
| December 29, 1939 | Vol I, No. 16 | January 5, 1940 | Vol 1 No 17 |
| January 12, 1940 | Vol I, No. 18 | January 19, 1940 | (Not Published) |
| January 26, 1940 | Vol I, No. 19 | February 2, 1940 | Vol I No. 20 |
| February 9, 1940 | Vol I, No. 21 | February 16, 1940 | Vol I, No. 22 |
| February 23, 1940 | Vol I, No 23 | March 1, 1940 | Vol. I No. 24 |
| March 8, 1940 | Vol.1 No. 25 |
Only a few more issues of JAZZ INFORMATION are available, and
these
will be posted in due time. The last issue of the magazine was
November, 1941 and contained a rather detailed
history of the magazine.
Five rare Beiderbeckes, repressed from Gennett originals, will be released this week by the Hot Record Society in an album titled: "Young Man With A Horn; Bix and the Wolverines".
Two sides,"Davenport Blues" and Toddlin' Blues", were made by Bix and his Rhythm Jugglers, featuring Tommy Dorsey, Paul Mertz, Don Murray, Howdy Quickwell and Tom Gargano.
The other eight sides were made by the Wolverines Orchestra, the band in which Bix began his career in the early twenties. The titles include "Fidgety Feet", "Jazz Me Blues", "Oh Baby", "Tiger Rag", "Sensation", "Tia Juana", "Big Boy", and "Royal Garden Blues".
With the new reissues, all of the records Bix made with the Wolverines some fifteen years ago are again available, with the exception of two sides. "Riverboat Shuffle" and "Lazy Daddy" had been previously issued by the H.R.S., and "Copenhagen" is available on U.H.C.A.
A booklet on the records, prepared by Charles Edward Smith, will be released with the album.
YOUNG MAN WITH A HORN: BIXBEIDERBECKE and THE WOLVERINES (Hot Record Society Album No. 2). By the Wolverines: Fidgety Feet (HRS 22); Sensation (HRS 23); Big Boy -- Tiger Rag (HRS 24); Jazz Me Blues -- Oh Baby (HRS 25); Tia Juana -- Royal Garden Blues (HRS 26). By Bix and his Rhythm Jugglers; Davenport Blues (HRS 22); Toddlin' Blues (HRS 23). Personnels listed on labels.
For its second album of reissues the Hot Record Society has selected ten sides by Bix Beiderbecke (eight with the Wolverine Orchestra, two of Bix's Rhythm Jugglers). The masters from which the reissues have been pressed were dubbed, from the Gennett originals, several years ago, for English Brunswick. And, to mention the least important point first, the dubbings are technically uneven. Some are good; on others the reproduction is foggy, and on "Royal Garden Blues" the dubbing needle actually skipped a groove. Comparison of the current prices of Gennetts, however, with the price at which these reissues have been made available, places these facts in their proper perspective.
And these recordings, of course, are invaluable to the student of Bix. They show a less mature musician than Bix's later discs true; but, on the other hand, they are the only ones which show the young man with a horn playing with a permanent band of authentically jazz structure. There are always the Whitemans and Goldkettes and Carmichaels in which Bix took a solo, or a break; there are Frank Trumbauer's rather half-hearted pickup waxings, and Bix's own records with his own pickup band. But only these records of the Wolverines show Bix as a member of a small jazz band, following the jazz tradition as it had been expressed by the Dixieland Band, the New Orleans Rhythm Kings and King Oliver's Creole Band.
No one, we think, has considered the Wolverines as a great band. It was a young band, short-lived, and never reached its maturity. But for what it was, it was good; following the best models, playing the best tunes, and always following its best musician, Beiderbecke.
So there's no listening to this album merely for Bix's solo work. There are solos, to be sure; an extraordinarily melodic chorus on the "Royal Garden Blues", a restrained solo in "Jazz Me Blues" excited solos in "Oh Baby" and "Tiger Rag", and so forth. There are other solos: some acceptable low-register clarinet work by Jimmy Hartwell, a few poor tenor solos of George Johnson's, even one hardly note-worthy piano solo by Bix. But most of the records are the Wolverines' ensemble; and it's for the ensemble, and Bix's part in it, that they should be heard.
Not that the Wolverines' ensemble was by any means perfect. On some of these sides, in fact, it's downright amateurish. On others, though the kids got together behind Bix and really played with drive and conviction. The best sides, at a rapid recount, are "Oh Baby", which has a pretty excited jump and the three sides which, as Charles Edward Smith remarks in his leaflet with the album, show most clearly the influences of the Wolverines: "Royal Garden Blues", for King Oliver, "Sensation" and "Fidgety Feet" for the Dixieland Jazz Band, "Tiger Rag", "Jazz Me Blues" and Big Boy" are also acceptable; only "Tia Juana" is really bad.
A special word should be said for "Davenport Blues" and "Toddlin' Blues", which were recorded by Bix and a pick-up band including Tommy Dorsey and Don Murray, shortly after Bix had joined Jean Goldkette's orchestra. The men were better musicians than the Wolverines, though doubtless less used to playing together; and the results might well have compared to Bix's best work -- except that, as Charles Edward Smith puts it, the boys got into the bottle before they got into the wax. The product was two pathetically disorganized sides, on which nevertheless ("Toddlin"' especially) Bix and Murray were feeling the music.
These few remarks, evidently, do not pretend to the definitive word either on Bix Beiderbecke as a cornetist, or on the Wolverines as an orchestra. Those who are already familiar with the Gennetts need no review; while those who aren't, had better listen to this album pretty carefully.
From England, R. G. V. Venables writes:
"Your January 5 issue Just received.
"I hope that my good friend Keith Lees will pardon my suggesting that his ears must surely be playing him tricks when they hear Fud Livingston in the Louisiana Rhythm Kings' 'That's A Plenty'. Admittedly I know not who the clarinet player is, but I do assuredly know who it is not, and that is Fud Livingston. I have made a study of this exceptionally fine musician for many years... and I do really know Fud when I hear him."
(And Jules Barton of Cleveland tells us that after comparing this L. R. K. side to Benny Goodman's solo recording of the same tune, he is certain that the soloist in the Nichols disc is Goodman, not Livingston. Incidentally the Goodman solo, coupled with "Clarinetitis" on Melotone 12073, is listed in Discography as accompanied by Frank Signorelli. Actually the accompaniment is by Mel Stitzel, piano, and Bob Conselman, drums.)
"Adding to Lees' information re the Alabama Red Peppers," Venables continues, "I would point out that the presence of Nichols, Mole, Dorsey and Schutt is somewhat doubtful, and that in the main these discs are pretty dire. Matrix number of 'San' is 2788, and it is thus the first of the series. Lang appears to be on this one, but is unfortunately drowned out by an infuriating gentleman on a Hawaiian guitar.
"Dealing with the Six Hottentots (a far more interesting group), I may mention that the correct personnel is Nichols, Mole, Jim Dorsey, Artie Schutt, Vic Berton, and Joe Tarto. The catalogue numbers of 'Hurricane' are 6009 (Banner) and 8335 (Regal); while the catalogue number of 'Rosy Cheeks' is 3931 (Domino) -- matrix is 7175. Incidentally, the Banner backing of 'Hurricane' is 'Nervous Charlie', so that the Regal, Domino and Banner couplings appear to be just about as mixed as possible..."
Mr. Venables also sent us two articles he wrote in the English publication "Melody Maker", one on Fud Livingston and another on Bix. From a discography of Livingston's work in the first article, we take the following information not given in Discography.
Livingston is the sax and clarinet player on the Charleston Chasers' "Red Hair and Freckles -- Lovable and Sweet", Columbia 1925-D.
Venables asserts that the clarinet in Nichols' Five Pennies' records "There'll Come A Time", "Pananam",(sic) and "Original Dixieland -- Imagination", Brunswick 3955, 3961, and 3989 respectively, is Livingston. Delaunay had said that this was probably Pee Wee Russell, even though it sounds like Fud.
Venables also wrote that it was Fud, and not Jimmy Dorsey, in the Victor 21183, "Feelin' No Pain", by Red and Miff's Stompers.
The clipping below is reproduced from "Melody Maker" for August 5, 1939, where it appeared at the end of an article, "Bixology", written by Mr.Venables.
In conclusion is appended a list of records featuring Bix which are not mentioned in Hot Discography:- (Matrix numbers In parentheses.) Hoagy Carmichael's "Stardust" "One Night In Havana." Gennett; Jean Goldkette's "I'm Proud Of A Baby Like You" (37579), Victor; Jean Goldlkette's "In My Merry Oldsmobile" (38268), Special Victor. (There are also three unissued Goldkettes which in all probability feature Bix solos- "Stampede"(37586), "Lily" (38263). and "Play It Red" (88267). Frankie Trumbauer's "Did You Mean It?" (81576), OKeh; Frankie Trumbauer's "Sentimental Baby" (401135), unissued OKEH; Frankie Trumbauer's "A Letter From Dixie" unissued OKeh; Paul Whiteman's "Seventh Heaven" (148183). Columbia: Paul Whiteman's "When My Dreams Come True" (148407), Columbia; Paul Whiteman's "Reaching For Someone", (148408). Columbia.
(There are, in addition to the above, several unissued
titles
recorded by Whiteman which feature Bix, notably "Forget-Me-Not"
(43665), as well as many more in which Bix played but took no solos.)
I'll Be A Friend With Pleasure
Mary (Vi 26415).
Personnel of first side only: Bix Beiderbecke, Ray Ludwig,cornets; Boyce Cullen,trombone; Benny Goodman, clarinet; Jimmy Dorsey, Pee Wee Russell, saxes; Gene Krupa, drums; piano and bass, unknown.
The Victor company has carried the Bix revival a little too far in reissuing I'll Be A Friend, one of the worst records he ever made. Entirely commercial, and with a horrible vocal by Wes Vaughn, it features also a cornet solo which doesn't add to Bix's reputation. The same might be said of Goodman and his clarinet solo. The reverse, an old Whiteman commercial with violins and all the trimmings, is better.. Between Henry Busse's mute diddling, Bix leads a fine brass ensemble and takes a short break.Bixisms: E. M. Ashcraft III informs us that the cornet in Hitch's Gennett record of "Washboard Blues -- Boneyard Shuffle" was Fred Rollinson. He's from Evansville, Indiana, gave up playing some time ago and is now an automobile salesman.
Walter 0. Trumbley of East Saint Louis thinks he has a Bix find
in the Southern Melody Artists' Okeh 41216, "When The World Is At Rest"
and asks whether it's Bix in Paul Whiteman's Victor of "It Won't Be
Long Now".
We'd say no, offhand, to both suggestions. Any confirmation?
George Hoefer, Jr. writes from Chicago, agreeing with our opinion that "the only method by which an accurate and complete discography can be compiled is through the slow accumulation of data from widely separated sources." Confirming the information on Harmony 1415-H given by McAndrew, he adds that the coupling, Deep Harlem (100599), has not been identified.
Hoefer adds that on Harmony 14-22-H, by the Tennessee Music Men, Baby Won't You Please Come Home (100604) is from Okeh master 401811, originally on Okeh 41286, by Frankie Trumbauer's orchestra,with Bix's "in the hat" chorus, and the vocal, by Trumbauer, credited to "Jack King". The coupling is No Trumps, which he says sounds like the same band that recorded Loveless Love, Harmony 1406-H.
"Loveless Love,' Hoefer goes on, "originally appeared on Okeh
41440 by Fred Gardner's Texas University Troubadours, backed by Papa's
Gone; master numbers 404099 and 404109, respectively. Gardner is
credited with the tune 'No Trumps', which sounds like an arrangement of
Darktown Strutters Ball. Fred Gardner's Orchestra also made No Trumps
for Okeh, backed with Daniel's Blues. These sides have also turned up
on Clarion.
VOL. I, NO. 3SEPTEMBER 26, 1939
Bobby Hackett, young cornetist, has taken himself and his horn to Horace Heidt's schmaltz orchestra, giving up his own band. Hackett is to be featured.
This puts a temporary stop toa sensational stop to a sensational career in jazz. Only last year, he was being discovered by critics who likened his playing to that of Bix Beiderbecke. His reputation seemed to be assured when he stepped into the leadership of an important group of hot men with years of jazz fame and experience behind them -- Pee Wee Russell, Eddie Condon, George Brunies.
Hackett's work on the then new Commodore records brought him into further prominence. But when he ambitiously enlarged his band to full purportions, most of his good men left him. And somehow, the big band was not a commercial success. When approached by Heidt, Hackett had already given it up.
Now he will share billing with the Heidtlites and Frankie Carle, a fate far worse than Bix's ordeal with Whiteman could have been.