Six Minutes With Satch: Song of the Islands / Blue Turning Grey Over You
We are firmly in pop territory today, folks--and I love it.
January 24, 1930 must have been quite a day at OKeh's New York studios. First up, vocalist Paolo Cittarella recorded four songs in Italian, followed by Giuseppe Godono for more Italian specialties, both backed by studio orchestras. When the Italians cleared the studio, Luis Russell and His Orchestra entered and cut "Saratoga Shout," a hot one with a great solo by Henry "Red" Allen (look it up). I'd like to think Armstrong was already in the studio to cheer on his homeboys.
Then it was Louis's turn to record something entirely different, "Song of the Islands"--a Hawaiian number. While hardened jazz fans such as Gunther Schuller would spend the next several decades wishing it was Armstrong who recorded material like "Saratoga Shout" instead of trite "Song of the Islands," Armstrong was in seventh heaven. Strings were added to the ensemble for the melody choruses and a glee club of voices harmonized behind Louis's fierce scatting. With Pops Foster bowing away, Armstrong was inspired to literal great heights with his closing, modulated trumpet solo. When the record was issued, he grabbed a copy and made a beeline to his friend Charlie Carpenter's home, playing it over and over, gushing, "I had real Hawaiians and violins on that record!"
Remaking it for 1957's Satchmo: A Musical Autobiography, Louis recorded a spoken intro in which he also remarked that the original featured "real Hawaiians" before delivering a punchline: "including myself." This has led many--including myself for a long time--to feel that the "real Hawaiians" line must have been a joke.
But no! Looking over OKeh's recording logs on the Discography of American Historical Recordings site, it shows that one day later, OKeh brought in a Hawaiian group, the Kalama Quartette to record....wait for it...."Song of the Islands"! Is it possible they were in the studio one day earlier and offered their services?
To go one step further, historian Berhnard Behncke wrote to me to argue that it's not even the Russell band on "Song of the Islands." I have to admit, this has always been something that's lived in the back of my head. The entire sound of the band really sounds nothing like Russell; even the trombone melody bit doesn't scream of J. C. Higginbotham to me. But OKeh's ledgers show that immediately AFTER "Song of the Islands," Louis left and the Russell band sprung back into action for another hot one, "Song of the Swanee."
If you listen to "Saratoga Shout" and "Song of the Swanee," nothing resembles the band backing Louis on "Song of the Islands." Even the brass playing sounds like a period dance band, not Russell. Matrix numbers shouldn't be wrong--but playing devil's advocate, what if they are? Because six days later, on January 30, OKeh recorded the Stan Davis Hawaiian Ensemble's version of "Song of the Islands." I haven't been able to locate a copy but I wonder if it sounds like Louis's? Hmmmm.....
I didn't want these "Six Minutes With Satch" entries to go long but I guess old habits die hard. Anyway, for the flip side, OKeh used Fats Waller and Andy Razaf's beautiful composition, "Blue Turning Grey Over You," recorded on February 1, 1930, the same day as "Bessie Couldn't Help It." The song was brand new and the publishers were doing their best to push it with recordings by Lee Morse on January 16, Irving Kaufman on January 17 and Nat Shilkret on January 24. As usual, it was it was Louis's job to introduce it to the jazz community and to that extent, he must have succeeded; Harry Mills of the Mills Brothers specifically remembered this recording being a big hit, Louis's "first hit" to Mills's ears. Yet for whatever reason, recordings seemed to trickle off; even when co-composer Waller got around to it, he treated it as an instrumental romp. Others, such as the wondrous Catherine Russell (daughter of Luis) have done beautiful things with it but it still remains Louis's property, thanks to this majestic performance (though I do prefer the 1955 remake).
Okay, that's too much writing for today--I'll be more succinct tomorrow. But the music is dynamite, as issued on the pop series as OKeh 41375; listen along below!
LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Louis Armstrong (tp, voc), Otis Johnson, Henry “Red” Allen (tp), J.C. Higginbotham (tb), Albert Nicholas, Charlie Holmes (as), Teddy Hill (ts), Luis Russell (p, vbs), Will Johnson (g), Pops Foster
(b), Paul Barbarin (d), 3 unknown (vln).
OKeh recording session - New York City, NY January 24, 1930
LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Louis Armstrong (tp, voc), Otis Johnson, Henry “Red” Allen (tp), J.C. Higginbotham (tb), William Thornton Blue, Charlie Holmes (as, cl), Teddy Hill (ts, cl), Luis Russell (p), Will Johnson (g),
Pops Foster (b), Paul Barbarin (d).
OKeh recording session - New York City, NY February 1, 1930
YouTube links:
January 24, 1930 must have been quite a day at OKeh's New York studios. First up, vocalist Paolo Cittarella recorded four songs in Italian, followed by Giuseppe Godono for more Italian specialties, both backed by studio orchestras. When the Italians cleared the studio, Luis Russell and His Orchestra entered and cut "Saratoga Shout," a hot one with a great solo by Henry "Red" Allen (look it up). I'd like to think Armstrong was already in the studio to cheer on his homeboys.
Then it was Louis's turn to record something entirely different, "Song of the Islands"--a Hawaiian number. While hardened jazz fans such as Gunther Schuller would spend the next several decades wishing it was Armstrong who recorded material like "Saratoga Shout" instead of trite "Song of the Islands," Armstrong was in seventh heaven. Strings were added to the ensemble for the melody choruses and a glee club of voices harmonized behind Louis's fierce scatting. With Pops Foster bowing away, Armstrong was inspired to literal great heights with his closing, modulated trumpet solo. When the record was issued, he grabbed a copy and made a beeline to his friend Charlie Carpenter's home, playing it over and over, gushing, "I had real Hawaiians and violins on that record!"
Remaking it for 1957's Satchmo: A Musical Autobiography, Louis recorded a spoken intro in which he also remarked that the original featured "real Hawaiians" before delivering a punchline: "including myself." This has led many--including myself for a long time--to feel that the "real Hawaiians" line must have been a joke.
But no! Looking over OKeh's recording logs on the Discography of American Historical Recordings site, it shows that one day later, OKeh brought in a Hawaiian group, the Kalama Quartette to record....wait for it...."Song of the Islands"! Is it possible they were in the studio one day earlier and offered their services?
To go one step further, historian Berhnard Behncke wrote to me to argue that it's not even the Russell band on "Song of the Islands." I have to admit, this has always been something that's lived in the back of my head. The entire sound of the band really sounds nothing like Russell; even the trombone melody bit doesn't scream of J. C. Higginbotham to me. But OKeh's ledgers show that immediately AFTER "Song of the Islands," Louis left and the Russell band sprung back into action for another hot one, "Song of the Swanee."
If you listen to "Saratoga Shout" and "Song of the Swanee," nothing resembles the band backing Louis on "Song of the Islands." Even the brass playing sounds like a period dance band, not Russell. Matrix numbers shouldn't be wrong--but playing devil's advocate, what if they are? Because six days later, on January 30, OKeh recorded the Stan Davis Hawaiian Ensemble's version of "Song of the Islands." I haven't been able to locate a copy but I wonder if it sounds like Louis's? Hmmmm.....
I didn't want these "Six Minutes With Satch" entries to go long but I guess old habits die hard. Anyway, for the flip side, OKeh used Fats Waller and Andy Razaf's beautiful composition, "Blue Turning Grey Over You," recorded on February 1, 1930, the same day as "Bessie Couldn't Help It." The song was brand new and the publishers were doing their best to push it with recordings by Lee Morse on January 16, Irving Kaufman on January 17 and Nat Shilkret on January 24. As usual, it was it was Louis's job to introduce it to the jazz community and to that extent, he must have succeeded; Harry Mills of the Mills Brothers specifically remembered this recording being a big hit, Louis's "first hit" to Mills's ears. Yet for whatever reason, recordings seemed to trickle off; even when co-composer Waller got around to it, he treated it as an instrumental romp. Others, such as the wondrous Catherine Russell (daughter of Luis) have done beautiful things with it but it still remains Louis's property, thanks to this majestic performance (though I do prefer the 1955 remake).
Okay, that's too much writing for today--I'll be more succinct tomorrow. But the music is dynamite, as issued on the pop series as OKeh 41375; listen along below!
LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Louis Armstrong (tp, voc), Otis Johnson, Henry “Red” Allen (tp), J.C. Higginbotham (tb), Albert Nicholas, Charlie Holmes (as), Teddy Hill (ts), Luis Russell (p, vbs), Will Johnson (g), Pops Foster
(b), Paul Barbarin (d), 3 unknown (vln).
OKeh recording session - New York City, NY January 24, 1930
LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Louis Armstrong (tp, voc), Otis Johnson, Henry “Red” Allen (tp), J.C. Higginbotham (tb), William Thornton Blue, Charlie Holmes (as, cl), Teddy Hill (ts, cl), Luis Russell (p), Will Johnson (g),
Pops Foster (b), Paul Barbarin (d).
OKeh recording session - New York City, NY February 1, 1930
YouTube links:
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