Six....Okay, Three Minutes With Satch: Blue Yodel Number 9 / Looking for a New Mama
Yesterday, I ended with a dramatic flourish with Louis making his final race record and tomorrow I'll open with a dramatic flourish as he begins recording as astounding series of of selections with his California big bands. But today features something entirely different, though far from filler today's entry includes the most American record ever made: "Blue Yodel Number 9."
We'll never know the exact details of how it came to be but all roads lead to Victor's Ralph Peer, who knew Louis back in his OKeh days and was now overseeing Rodgers's popular, pioneering country music recordings. On July 16, Louis and second wife, pianist Lil Hardin Armstrong, accompanied Rodgers of "Blue Yodel Number 9," with Rodgers borrowing some lyrics from "The Bridewell Blues," a 1926 OKeh record featuring the vocals of Nolan Walsh and the trumpet playing of, yes, one Louis Armstrong.
Thus, the father of jazz met the father of country music on the common ground of the blues and really solidified the American music experience in about three minutes.
Of course, this record wasn't exactly billed this way; the 78 label simply read, "Jimmie Rodgers Singing With Orchestra." But ears don't lie and anyone familiar with Armstrong's work must have fallen off their chair when they heard it.
For much more on the recording, please see my 2015 blog about it here but for now, here's the audio of "Blue Yodel Number 9," plus, for completeness sake, the flip side "Lookin' For A New Mama," which was recorded on June 15, 1931. Enjoy!
JIMMIE RODGERS
Jimmie Rodgers (g, voc), Louis Armstrong (tp), Lil Armstrong (p).
Victor recording session - Los Angeles, CA July 16, 1930
JIMMIE RODGERS
Jimmie Rodgers (g, uke, voc), Cliff Carlisle, (steel g), Wilber Ball (g).
Victor recording session - Louisville, KY June 15, 1931
YouTube links:
We'll never know the exact details of how it came to be but all roads lead to Victor's Ralph Peer, who knew Louis back in his OKeh days and was now overseeing Rodgers's popular, pioneering country music recordings. On July 16, Louis and second wife, pianist Lil Hardin Armstrong, accompanied Rodgers of "Blue Yodel Number 9," with Rodgers borrowing some lyrics from "The Bridewell Blues," a 1926 OKeh record featuring the vocals of Nolan Walsh and the trumpet playing of, yes, one Louis Armstrong.
Thus, the father of jazz met the father of country music on the common ground of the blues and really solidified the American music experience in about three minutes.
Of course, this record wasn't exactly billed this way; the 78 label simply read, "Jimmie Rodgers Singing With Orchestra." But ears don't lie and anyone familiar with Armstrong's work must have fallen off their chair when they heard it.
For much more on the recording, please see my 2015 blog about it here but for now, here's the audio of "Blue Yodel Number 9," plus, for completeness sake, the flip side "Lookin' For A New Mama," which was recorded on June 15, 1931. Enjoy!
JIMMIE RODGERS
Jimmie Rodgers (g, voc), Louis Armstrong (tp), Lil Armstrong (p).
Victor recording session - Los Angeles, CA July 16, 1930
JIMMIE RODGERS
Jimmie Rodgers (g, uke, voc), Cliff Carlisle, (steel g), Wilber Ball (g).
Victor recording session - Louisville, KY June 15, 1931
YouTube links:
Comments