John Hyman's Bayou Stompers - Victor 20593 (1927)

Been after this New Orleans recorded 78 for a long time.

Gonna keep looking for a better player, but for now, couldn't be happier to finally have it in the NOLA collection.

(Also Nappy Lamare's debut recording)

From wikipedia...

Johnny Wiggs (July 25, 1899 - October 10, 1977) was a jazz musician and band leader.

Born John Wigginton Hyman in New Orleans, Louisiana, he started his music career on the violin. He soon adopted the cornet and moved to New York for some time before returning to New Orleans. His main stylistic influences were Joe "King" Oliver (who Wiggs insisted did his best work in New Orleans in the years before he moved up North and was recorded) and Bix Beiderbecke.

In the late 1920s he took a job as a teacher in Louisiana and moonlighted in New Orleans jazz clubs at night. He made his first recordings as "John Hyman's Bayou Stompers" in the late 1920s.

In the 1940s he again became a full time musician, leading several bands and laying down a good number of tracks. He took on the nickname "Johnny Wiggs" for his musical work as jazz was still looked down on in some circles. He became an important figure in the local traditional jazz revival. In the 1960s he returned to performing part time only, though he remained active until the 1970s. He was a mentor to such younger musicians as George Finola.

Along the way he helped found the New Orleans Jazz Club and was a force behind the jazz revival in the 1940s. Pete Fountain is one of his more famous pupils.

John Hyman c / Charles Hartman tb / Elry Maser cl / Alvin Gautreaux h / Horace Diaz p / Nappy Lamare g / Monk Hazel d.

Recorded in New Orleans on March 10, 1927.

Morrison's Jazz Orchestra - Columbia A2945 (1920)

Recently heard a radio show that mentioned this early black jazz outfit from Denver and their only released side (on the flip side of a Ted Lewis).

They recorded a handful of sides for Columbia but only this one made it to the public. Victor caught wind of the group and brought them in for a tone test but Columbia stepped up and let it be known that they were under exclusive contract. When this happened, George Morrison, supposedly set Victor in the direction of another Denver bandleader, Paul Whiteman.

The main reason I sought this record was because it was the debut of a certain saxophonist. He grew up and worked in Denver...as a postman...and studied music under Paul Whiteman's father, Wilberforce. He would eventually make his way to Kansas City and the rest, one would say, is history.

Here is twenty two year old Andy Kirk's debut recording.

George Morrison vn, dir / Leo Davis t, as / Ed Caldwell tb / Cuthbert Byrd as / Andy Kirk ts / ? Jimmy Walker p / Lee Morrison bj / Alfonso Garcia sb / Eugene Montgomery d.

Recorded in New York on April 22, 1920.

The Washingtonians - Harmony 557 (1928)

If memory serves me right, this was the first 78 I purchased on eBay back in the '90s. I do believe that I created my account after seeing this listing in order to bid.

Duke Ellington p, a, dir / Bubber Miley, Louis Metcalf t / Joe Nanton tb / Otto Hardwick ss, as, bar / Harry Carney cl, as, bar / Barney Bigard cl, ts / Fred Guy bj / Wellman Braud sb / Sonny Greer d.

Recorded in New York on January 9, 1928.

Original Jazz Hounds - Columbia 14207 (1927)

From wikipedia…

Louis Metcalf (February 28, 1905 - October 27, 1981) was a jazz cornetist and trumpeter. He played for a short time with Duke Ellington for which he is best remembered.

Metcalf was born in Webster Groves, Missouri. As a youth he first trained on the drums but switched over to cornet permanently. As a teenager in St. Louis, Missouri he played with Charlie Creath.

Metcalf moved to New York City in 1923 and participated in the fertile jazz scene there, playing with such legends as Willie "The Lion" Smith, Jelly Roll Morton, Benny Carter and King Oliver. In 1926 Duke Ellington hired Metcalf to play in his seminal orchestra, where his mellow tone contrasted with Bubber Miley's. In the 1930s Metcalf led his own bands and joined Fletcher Henderson's.

In 1946 Metcalf moved to Montreal and formed the International Band, the first to play the nascent bebop style in Canada. Under his leadership the Café Saint-Michel was the hub of the jazz scene in Montreal for a few years, with local musicians such as the young Oscar Peterson and visiting Americans such as Art Pepper, Fats Navarro and Sonny Rollins sitting in with the band.

A drug bust prompted Metcalf to return to New York City in 1951. He released an album entitled "I've Got The Peace Brother Blues" in 1966 where he demonstrates that his style had indeed evolved since his days with Ellington. Metcalf was less active after falling ill in 1968 and died in 1981.

Louis Metcalf c / Jake Frazier tb / Bob Fuller cl / James P. Johnson p / bj / ? Harry Hull bb / d, chimes / Perry Bradford v.

Recorded in New York on March 15, 1927.