What are you listening to?

[LizzieMaine]

78s to deal with another soggy sodden morning by --

Starting off in 1934 with a shiny Royal Blue Columbia by Little Jack Little and His Orchestra, featuring a cute novelty ballad, "Like Two Little Flies On A Lump Of Sugar." Sounds for all the world like something Harold Teen would sing to Lillums.

Next, back to 1930 for Maurice Chevalier in all his straw-hatted jut-lipped white-gloved boulevardier glory, with "You Brought A New Kind Of Love To Me." If you can listen to this song without thinking of Zeppo, Groucho, Chico, and Harpo, well, you're just a philistine.

 

[Fletch]

By accident I came across a recording by the German "Capital Dance Orchestra". Nice performance, though I find the vocal refrain oddly disturbing.

It's possible you're taking it too seriously.

 

[vitanola]

Not at all, actually. The vocal is charming, though hearing it evoked the same feelings of disquiet produced by the G & T waxings of Moreschi.

That said, I understand that the only physiological similarity between the living counter-tenor and the late soprano is vocal range.

On the other hand, one has not lived until one has heard Kowalski play Prince Orlovski in performance.

 

[djhatman]

Enjoying some Lilly Allen with dinner before starting homework for the night.

 

[Fletch]

Hot Dogs and Sasparilla, Ted Fio Rito & Orch., 1934.
My chance to ask a certain seaside someone to lunch.
This being March, I'll bring the sheepskin coats. You bring your favorite mustard.

 

[Mario]

Leon Redbone & Bobby Gordon: Some Of These Days

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[RetroToday]

A little Webb Pierce on the turntable today...

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[Antje]

A little Webb Pierce on the turntable today...

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Great one, I'm listening to The Baseballs at the moment

 

[Fletch]

Shuffle Play

Michou - Michel Warlop et son ensemble, Paris, 1943. France's forgotten jazz fiddler with a tasty backing, 3 clarinets, harp and rhythm.

Hokum - Art Hickman's Orchestra, 1921. Not quite what the name implies: a multi-strain Oriental rag written by an up and coming youngster named Ted Fio Rito.

Maiden's Prayer - Bob Wills Texas Playboys, 1935. One of their few instrumentals.

Makin' Whoopee - Benny Goodman & Orch., 1935. The smoothest rendition ever. Hard to believe they got canned from the Roosevelt Grill playing like this.

 

[Chas]

Been transcribing this solo all this afternoon. I'm going to hear this in my sleep...[YOUTUBE]<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Kd3HgDBQplY&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Kd3HgDBQplY&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>[/YOUTUBE]

 

[djhatman]

Nothing wakes you up like Johnny and June Cash.

 

[vitanola]

Are there any more at home like you?


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I've always loved Floradora, and this is a particularly nice performance of the famous double sextette. It is pleasant to hear the theatrical arrangement with an electrically recorded orchestra, complete with percussion.

 

[RetroToday]

Listening to a bunch of Jack Scott today, among other early 1960s stuff.
This is probably my favourite song of his:

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[Quigley Brown]

can't get this one out of my head...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krV0VMlYQq4

 

[LizzieMaine]

78s to work my fool head off by --

Starting off in 1938 with a dandy arrangement from acrost the pond of "Beginner's Luck" by Roy Fox and his Orchestra, vocalized by Mary Lee. I've never heard a Roy Fox record I didn't like, and he keeps the streak going here.

Next, ahead to 1940 as Will Bradley and his Orchestra go in for Raymond Scott-like whimsy, with the ever-popular "Celery Stalks At Midnight." I tried to explain the title of this tune to one of the kids at work and got only a baffled look in return. Such a literal-minded generation.

 

[Fletch]

Celery Stalks at Midnight was one of the first big band recordings I became aware of, at the age of 10. I was also into vintage comic books at the time - as much as a 10yo could be given that the early storylines weren't yet reprinted. Anyway, I remember thinking it would have been neato-keen if Batman and Robin had battled The Stalking Celery Men in some early adventure.

 

[Antje]

Bengawan solo, by Andy Tielman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMbutpMKJ5k

 

[Fletch]

Actual (terrestrial) radio

The Splendid Table, a fun public radio show about food hosted by Lynne Rossetto-Kasper, who has such a warm tangy herb-buttery voice you want to ladle it over pasta and OM NOM NOM NOM.

Today Lynne interviewed one of those freelance pop-culture dweebs you read about, who spoke highly of "endangered" regional candy specialties such as Valomilk and Twin Bing. Name of said dweeb: Steve Almond. I kid you not.

 

[LizzieMaine]

78s to unlax on a night off by --

Now playing, it's 1934 with Richard Himber and his Ritz-Carlton Orchestra and "You're A Builder-Upper." A gem from Himber's first Bluebird recording session, with some pretty-high-powered sidemen in the band, and the always-worthwhile Joey Nash on the vocal. Was there ever a classier, more musical American hotel-style band? Not until Ray Noble crossed the pond.

Next, back to 1930 with the Casa Loma Orchestra and Jack Raymond "Sweeping The Clouds Away." Better put your back into it, Jack, you ain't making much progress. And you'd have better luck with a mop bucket.

 

[Fletch]

Richard Himber and his Ritz-Carlton Orchestra [...] Was there ever a classier, more musical American hotel-style band? Not until Ray Noble crossed the pond.

As I think you and I discussed entre nous, Liz, I'd give the nod to Johnny Green over Himber. But Green might have been too subtle in his colorings and dynamics to really play in the "hotel style."

Himber's music was more stirring than it was intimate - the strings always in the foreground, like a heart on a sleeve - the brasses crescendoing and the harp flourishing with the crackle of Big Time Radio.

Both, in their way, were heady stuff - some of the classiest and most musicianly of "cheap music."