Carlton Gomes (Mighty Spitfire) With Tom Durham & His Orchestra - Sagomes 129 (1952)

Sold all of my calypso a few years back and have regretted it since. This recent get helps soothe the pain.

Recorded at Sa Gomes Studio in Trinidad in 1952.


Roy Milton's Sextet - Hamp-Tone 104 (1945)

From wikipedia...

Roy Milton (July 31, 1907 – September 18, 1983) was an American R&B and jump blues singer, drummer and bandleader.

Milton's grandmother was a Chickasaw. He was born in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, United States, and grew up on an Indian reservation before moving to Tulsa, Oklahoma. He joined the Ernie Fields band in the late 1920s as singer and, later, drummer.

Moving to Los Angeles, California, in 1933, he formed his own band, the Solid Senders, with Camille Howard on piano. He performed in local clubs and began recording in the 1940s, his first release being Milton's Boogie on his own record label. His big break came in 1945, when his R.M. Blues, on the new Juke Box label, became a hit, reaching number 2 on the Billboard R&B chart and No. 20 on the pop chart. Its success helped establish Art Rupe's company, which he shortly afterwards renamed Specialty Records.

Milton and his band became a major touring attraction, and he continued to record successfully for Specialty Records through the late 1940s and early 1950s. He recorded a total of 19 Top Ten R&B hits, the biggest being Hop, Skip And Jump (# 3 R&B, 1948), "Information Blues" (# 2 R&B, 1950), and "Best Wishes" (# 2 R&B, 1951). He left Specialty in 1955. However, releases on other labels were unsuccessful, and the development of rock and roll had rendered him something of an anachronism by the middle of the decade.

Nevertheless he continued to perform, appearing in 1970 as a member of Johnny Otis' band at the Monterey Jazz Festival, and resumed his recording career in the 1970s with albums for Kent Records (# KST-554), "Roots Of Rock, Vol. 1: Roy Milton" and the French label, Black & Blue (# 33.114), Instant Groove.

Roy Milton ("The Grandfather Of R&B") died in Los Angeles, California, on September, 18 1983, aged 76.

Here are two of four sides from Milton's first recording session.

Jimmy Nottingham, Hosea Sapp t / Lorenzon 'Buddy' Floyd ts / Camille Howard p / Dave Robinson sb / Roy Milton d, v.

Recorded in Los Angeles in September, 1945.

Carolina Cotton Pickers Orchestra - Vocalion 03580 (1937)

Just completed the run of Carolina Cotton Pickers' sides last night...quite by accident.

John Williams, Thad Seabrooks, Joseph Williams t / Leroy Hardison or Ben Martin, Julius Watson tb / Eugene Earl tb, bb / Booker Starks, Albert 'Pepper' Martin as / Lew Williams, Walter Bash ts / Cliff Smalls p / W.J. Edwards g / Lee Thurman sb / Otis Walker d, v.

Recorded in Birmingham, AL on March 24, 1937.



Cab Calloway & His Orchestra - Perfect 15791 (1932)

Cab Calloway v, dir / Edwin Swayzee, Lammar Wright, Doc Cheatham t / De Priest Wheeler, Harry White tb / Eddie Barefield cl, as, bar / Arville Harris cl, as /Andrew Brown bcl, ts / Walter Thomas as, ts, bar, f / Bennie Payne p / Morris White bj, g / Roy Seck g / Al Morgan sb / Leroy Maxey d.

Recorded in New York on November 9 & 15, 1932.


Celestin's Original Tuxedo Jazz Orchestra - Columbia 14396 (1928)

I believe this is the last pre-war Celestin recording before the revival years down the road.

Oscar Celestin c, dir / Guy Kelly c / ? Ernest Kelly tb / Earl Pierson cl, as / Sid Carriere cl, ts / Jeanette Salvant p / Narvin Kimball bj / Simon Marrero bb / Abby Foster d, v.

Recorded in New Orleans on December 13, 1928.