Six....Fine, Three Minutes With Satch: Body and Soul / Ring Dem Bells
This is an odd, but satisfying little record. We open with Louis's "Body and Soul," helping to make the showtune an integral part of the Great American Songbook. I detailed in an old blog from four years ago but it's worth pointing out that it ends with another ritard and a dramatic climb to a final high note, similar to the two October 1930 tracks I discussed yesterday.
Anyone who heard Louis in California in this period seemed to agree that this was truly his prime period. Musicians couldn't get enough of him, especially those in Duke Ellington's Orchestra, who were out for California for a while in 1930, filming Check and Double Check. Cootie Williams, who worshipped Armstrong, remembered in the 1970s that this was the greatest he ever heard Armstrong play.
Ironically, it's Williams who is featured on the flip side of "Body and Soul," Duke Ellington's "Ring Dem Bells," performed by the Duke himself, masquerading as "The Harlem Music Masters" because of his contract with RCA Victor. It's a fine slice of Ellingtonia but how in the world did it end up as the flip side of an Armstrong pop side?
We'll never know, but it is odd because Louis had a leftover side recorded in December 1930, "Sweethearts on Parade," that would have made the perfect pairing, but it was shelved for a time and finally issued on Columbia, not OKeh, with an already released Armstrong performance on the flip side (I'll tackle that record tomorrow). Perhaps OKeh was taking a page out of Parlophone's book? Parolophone was OKeh's European distributor but instead of copying American 78s verbatim, they often made up new couplings, often with a different band on each side.
Regardless, it's the kind of thing one only notices when listening to the original 78 or by following this series. No one can argue with Duke Ellington so stick around for six minutes, dig Pops teach us how to sing and play "Body and Soul," then stay for a hot little "Ring Dem Bells." Another anomaly followe tomorrow---til then!
LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND HIS SEBASTIAN NEW COTTON CLUB ORCHESTRA
Louis Armstrong (tp, voc), George Orendorff, Harold Scott (tp), Luther Craven (tb), Les Hite (as, cond), Marvin Johnson (as), Charlie Jones (ts), Henry Prince (p), Bill Perkins (bj), Joe Bailey
(b), Lionel Hampton (d).
OKeh recording session - Los Angeles, CA October 9, 1930
THE HARLEM MUSIC MASTERS
Arthur Whetsel, Freddie Jenkins (t), Cootie Williams (tp, voc), Joe Nanton, Juan Tizol (tb), Barney Bigard (cl, ts), Johnny Hodges (cl, ss, as), Harry Carney (cl, as, bar), Duke Ellington (p), Fred Guy (bj), Wellman Braud (b), Sonny Greer (d, ch)
OKeh recording session - New York, NY October 30, 1930
YouTube links:
Anyone who heard Louis in California in this period seemed to agree that this was truly his prime period. Musicians couldn't get enough of him, especially those in Duke Ellington's Orchestra, who were out for California for a while in 1930, filming Check and Double Check. Cootie Williams, who worshipped Armstrong, remembered in the 1970s that this was the greatest he ever heard Armstrong play.
Ironically, it's Williams who is featured on the flip side of "Body and Soul," Duke Ellington's "Ring Dem Bells," performed by the Duke himself, masquerading as "The Harlem Music Masters" because of his contract with RCA Victor. It's a fine slice of Ellingtonia but how in the world did it end up as the flip side of an Armstrong pop side?
We'll never know, but it is odd because Louis had a leftover side recorded in December 1930, "Sweethearts on Parade," that would have made the perfect pairing, but it was shelved for a time and finally issued on Columbia, not OKeh, with an already released Armstrong performance on the flip side (I'll tackle that record tomorrow). Perhaps OKeh was taking a page out of Parlophone's book? Parolophone was OKeh's European distributor but instead of copying American 78s verbatim, they often made up new couplings, often with a different band on each side.
Regardless, it's the kind of thing one only notices when listening to the original 78 or by following this series. No one can argue with Duke Ellington so stick around for six minutes, dig Pops teach us how to sing and play "Body and Soul," then stay for a hot little "Ring Dem Bells." Another anomaly followe tomorrow---til then!
LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND HIS SEBASTIAN NEW COTTON CLUB ORCHESTRA
Louis Armstrong (tp, voc), George Orendorff, Harold Scott (tp), Luther Craven (tb), Les Hite (as, cond), Marvin Johnson (as), Charlie Jones (ts), Henry Prince (p), Bill Perkins (bj), Joe Bailey
(b), Lionel Hampton (d).
OKeh recording session - Los Angeles, CA October 9, 1930
THE HARLEM MUSIC MASTERS
Arthur Whetsel, Freddie Jenkins (t), Cootie Williams (tp, voc), Joe Nanton, Juan Tizol (tb), Barney Bigard (cl, ts), Johnny Hodges (cl, ss, as), Harry Carney (cl, as, bar), Duke Ellington (p), Fred Guy (bj), Wellman Braud (b), Sonny Greer (d, ch)
OKeh recording session - New York, NY October 30, 1930
YouTube links:
Comments