Roy Evans - Columbia 14359 (1928)

Kind of an odd pairing...yodeling and jazz.

Roy Evans v / James P. Johnson p / Arthur Whetsel c (Syncopated Yodelin' Man only).

Recorded in New York on July 26 (Syncopated) & September 4, 1928.

Jimmy Johnson & His Orchestra - Columbia 14234 (1928)

Always fun to glean a nugget of information gold when it comes to a record.

In researching this 78, it was revealed that this is Mobile, Alabama's native son, seventeen year old Cootie Williams' debut recording.

Cootie Williams and another t / tb / ? Charlie Holmes cl, as, ss / cl, ts / James P. Johnson, Fats Waller p / Joe Watts sb / Perry Bradford speech (Chicago Blues).

Recorded in New York on June 18, 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.

Lonnie Johnson Acc. By James P. Johnson - Okeh 8291 (1926)

Lonnie Johnson g, v / James P. Johnson p.

Recorded in New York on January 19, 1926.

Ethel Waters Acc. By James P. Johnson - Columbia 14353 (1928)

Recorded in New York on August 21, 1928.

Louisiana Sugar Babes - Victor 21346 (1928)

Recently made a trade with a friend and this (and a few others) arrived in the mail a few days ago.

On a Tuesday, March 27, 1928, the Louisiana Sugar Babes assembled in Victor's Church Studio in Camden, NJ and recorded four tunes. While an additional take of three of the four songs would be released later, this is the only released take of Persian Rug.

Here is the original release of the other two songs.

Jabbo Smith c / Garvin Bushell cl, as, bsn / James P. Johnson p / Thomas Fats Waller or.

Recorded in the Church Studio in Camden, NJ on March 27, 1928.

Clarence Williams & His Orchestra - Vocalion 2654 (1934)

Ed Allen c / unknown tb / Cecil Scott cl / James P. Johnson p / Roy Smeck g, stg / Cyrus St. Clair bb / Clarence Williams v.

Recorded in New York on February 8, 1934.

Louisiana Sugar Babes - Victor 21348 (1928)

Can't believe that I don't have any Fats Waller represented on the blog until now. Seems like sacrilege.

Jabbo Smith c / Garvin Bushell cl, as, bsn / James P. Johnson p / Thomas Fats Waller or.

Recorded in the Church Studio in Camden, NJ on March 27, 1928.

Milton Mezz Mezzrow & Orchestra Under The Supervision of Hugues Panassié - Bluebird 10085 (1938)

From Wikipedia…

Thomas J. "Tommy" Ladnier (May 28, 1900 – June 4, 1939) was an American jazz trumpeter. Clarinetist/writer Mezz Mezzrow rated him second only to Louis Armstrong.

Ladnier moved to New Orleans in his youth. He was influenced by early New Orleans trumpet/cornet players Bunk Johnson and Joe "King" Oliver. About 1919 he moved to Chicago, where he started making records in 1924. In 1926 he moved to New York City to join the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra. Two years later Ladnier toured Europe with Sam Wooding's band, then returned to the States to rejoin Fletcher Henderson, and then played in Noble Sissle's Orchestra, with whom he again toured Europe. In the 1930s Ladnier co-led a band with Sidney Bechet called The New Orleans Feetwarmers, with whom Ladnier made some of his best recordings.

Tommy Ladnier died of a heart attack in New York City at the age of 39 (less than 7 months after these recordings.)

Tommy Ladnier, Sidney De Paris t / Mezz Mezzrow cl / James P. Johnson p / Teddy Bunn g / Elmer James sb / Zutty Singleton d.

Recorded in New York on November 21, 1938.

Gulf Coast Seven (An Ellington Unit?) - Columbia 14373 (1928)

Although continuing with Perry Bradford thread, the focus here is more about James P. Johnson and quite possibly, the Ellington sidemen.

Rust lists the personnel as follows...most with question marks:

Louis Metcalf c / ? Joe Nanton tb / ? Johnny Hodges ss, as / ? Barney Bigard cl, ts / James P. Johnson p / ? Sonny Greer d / Perry Bradford v.

Recorded in new York on October 19, 1928.

Lavinia Turner & Jas. P. Johnson's Harmony Seven - Actuelle 020627 (1921)

Here we have the first two of six sides that Lavinia Turner recorded with James P. Johnson between September and November of 1921.

None of my books or a quick internet search turned up any known personnel listings.

Recorded in New York on September 2, 1921.