Billy Reed - Men-Del 101 (1967)

Went out today with the wife looking for shellac and got shut out. Did find what seems to be a rare funk/soul 1967 45 rpm out of Columbus, GA.

This is the first of only two releases on this particular label name. (It changed names for subsequent releases)

Here's a nice blog entry detailing the record and label.

And another about the artist.

The Flaming Ember - Hot Wax 7003 (1969)

I know it's not a 78 but when I came across and played it, just had to share.

Can just see & hear this one spinning on Dad's Garrard turntable back in the day.

Machito Y Sus Afro Cubans Canta: Graciela - Seeco 7297

From wikipedia...

Graciela (August 23, 1915 – April 7, 2010) was a Cuban-American singer of Latin Jazz, known as The First Lady of Latin Jazz.

Graciela Pérez-Gutiérrez was born in Havana, Cuba and raised in the Afro-Cuban Jesús María neighborhood. A pioneer in music, as a black Cuban woman, in a so-called man's world, she opened doors for all those who followed her. She performed around the world, recording and sharing the stage with her adoptive older brother, Frank "Machito" Grillo who encouraged her to sing. They played along Mario Bauza (originator of the genre Afro-Cuban Jazz) in the world renowned orchestra Machito and the Afro-Cubans. Graciela was primarily known for her tremendous voice, risque and sassy stage presence and sexy double entendre lyrics. She could sing a jazzy guaracha as easily as handling the most romantic boleros. Though her last name was Perez-Gutierrez, she was only known by her first name, "Graciela", long before doing so became widely fashionable among musicians.

She was summoned to New York City in 1943 by Mario Bauza, when Machito was drafted into the army. She joined the orchestra as lead singer until Machito returned in 1944 and from then on the three shared the stage together until their untimely split in 1975. For 32 years they were on top of the charts and were the orchestra not only to beat, but to emulate. Not only did they travel the USA and the rest of the world, but they were leaders and reigned supreme during the heyday of the Palladium (where blacks, whites, Jews, Italians and Latinos, and celebrities would converge to dance), from 1946 until its closing. Besides the Palladium, they would perform at the Royal Roost, Birdland, the Park Palace, the Corso and the Apollo Theater on a yearly week-long gig—and many other clubs and theatres in New York. Graciela and the orchestra also performed on a yearly basis in Hollywood—specifically at the Crescendo nightclub. Graciela and the band were also a favorite of the famous dee-jay Symphony Sid who had them on his weekly program several times a year, and was broadcast coast to coast in the 1940s and '50s. They were also the summer headliners in the Concord Resort Hotel, in Catskills Mountains, for more than 20 years.

They recorded sorts of albums in which her best-known songs include "Esta es Graciela", "Intimo y Sentimental" and "Esa Soy Yo, Yo Soy As ".

Graciela Perez-Gutierrez died at the age of 94 at New York Cornell-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City at 7:58 am, Wednesday, April 7, 2010. She had renal and pulmonary failure. She was cremated as per her wishes.

The Halfway House Dance Orchestra - Columbia 476 (1925)

Slowly but surely adding to the collection of early New Orleans recordings.

This particular example has the same label for each side.

Albert Brunies c, dir / Charlie Cordella as, cl, ts / Bill Whitmore p / Bill Eastwood bj / Leo Adde d.

Recorded in New Orleans on September 25, 1925.

Maple Leaf Rag - 140998

New Orleans Owls - Columbia 823 (1926)

Benjie White cl, as, dir / Bill Padron c / Frank Netto tb / Pinky Vidacovich cl, as / Lester Smith ts / Sigfre Christensen p / Rene Gelpi bj, g / Dan LeBlanc bb / Earl Crumb d.

Recorded in Atlanta on November 8, 1926.

Ben Pollack & His Orchestra / Joe Morgan & His Palais D'Or Orchestra - Oriole 2208 (1931)

Ben Pollack dir / Charlie Spivak, Sterling Bose t / Jack Teagarden tb, v / Benny Goodman, Gil Rodin cl, as / Eddie Miller cl, ts / Al Beller vn / Gil Bowers p / Nappy Lamare g / Harry Goodman bb, sb / Ray Bauduc d,

Recorded in New York on January 21, 1931.

Take 3

Instrumentation & personnel unknown, Dick Robertson v.

Recorded in January 27, 1931.

Three Jolly Miners - Vocalion 15087 (1925)

From wikipedia...

Bob Fuller (b. c. 1898) was an American blues and jazz saxophonist and clarinetist, best known for his recordings accompanying female singers of the 1920s.

Born and raised in New York City, Fuller toured the United States with Mamie Smith, then settled down to extensive studio work. He was a house saxophonist for Ajax and Victor Records, playing with Elmer Snowden and Louis Hooper. These musicians also recorded on their own, including as the Five Musical Blackbirds. Fuller also played with Fats Waller's combo, Six Hot Babies.

Fuller worked on at least 140 sessions between 1920 and 1928, accompanying singers such as Martha Copeland, Helen Gross, Rosa Henderson, Maggie Jones, Viola McCoy, and Monette Moore.

Among his many 1920's recordings, his trio sides (with piano and banjo) were issued as "Three Hot Eskimos", "The Black Diamonds", "Three Jolly Jesters", and "Three Monkey Chasers".

Fuller left music permanently after he was sent to prison in the 1930s.

Louis Stanley Hooper (May 18, 1894, North Buxton, Ontario - September 17, 1977, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island) was a Canadian jazz pianist.

Hooper was raised in Ypsilanti, Michigan and attended the Detroit Conservatory, where he played locally in dance orchestras in the 1910s. He then moved to New York City around 1920; he recorded with Elmer Snowden and Bob Fuller frequently in the middle of the decade, and performed with both of them in Harlem as well as with other ensembles. Hooper served for some time as the house pianist for Ajax Records and accompanied many blues singers on record, including Martha Copeland, Rosa Henderson, Lizzie Miles, Monette Moore, and Ethel Waters. He participated in the Blackbirds revue of 1928.

In 1932 Hooper returned to Canada, where he played in Mynie Sutton's dance band, the Canadian Ambassadors. He did local work solo and in ensembles for the next two decades, then was brought back into the limelight by the Montreal Vintage Music Society in 1962. Hooper released an LP of ragtime piano tunes in 1973 entitled Lou Hooper, Piano. He taught at the University of Prince Edward Island late in his life and appeared regularly on CBC television in Halifax.

His papers, which include unpublished compositions and an autobiography, are now held at the National Library of Canada in Ottawa.

Elmer Snowden (October 9, 1900 – May 14, 1973) was a banjo player of the jazz age. He also played guitar and, in the early stages of his career, all the reed instruments. He contributed greatly to jazz in its early days as both a player and a bandleader, and is responsible for launching the careers of many top musicians. However, Snowden himself has been largely overlooked in jazz history.

Born in Baltimore, Snowden is remembered today mainly as the original leader of the Washingtonians, a group he brought to New York City from the capital in 1923. Unable to get a booking, Snowden sent for Duke Ellington, who was with the group when it recorded three test sides for Victor that remain unissued and are, presumably, lost. Ellington eventually took over leadership of the band,[1] which contained the nucleus of what later became his famous orchestra. Snowden was a renowned band leader – Count Basie, Jimmie Lunceford, Bubber Miley, "Tricky Sam" Nanton, Frankie Newton, Benny Carter, Rex Stewart, Roy Eldridge and Chick Webb are among the musicians who worked in his various bands.

Very active in the 1920s as an agent and musician, Snowden at one time had five bands playing under his name in New York, one of which was led by pianist Cliff Jackson. Unfortunately, most of his bands were not recorded, but a Snowden band that included Eldridge, Al Sears, Dicky Wells and Sid Catlett appeared in a 1932 film, Smash Your Baggage. Snowden also made numerous appearances as a sideman on almost every New York label from 1923 on. Unfortunately, he rarely received credit, except for two sides with Bessie Smith in 1925, and six sides with the Sepia Serenaders in 1934.

Though Snowden continued to be musically active throughout his life, after the mid 1930s he lived in relative obscurity in New York. He continued to play throughout the 30s, 40s and 50s, but was far from the limelight. After a dispute with the musicians union in New York, he moved to Philadelphia where he taught music, counting among his pupils pianist Ray Bryant, his brother, bassist Tommy Bryant, and saxophonist Sahib Shihab (Edmond Gregory).

Snowden was working as a parking lot attendant in 1959 when Chris Albertson, then a Philadelphia disc jockey, came across him. In 1960, Albertson brought Snowden and singer-guitarist Lonnie Johnson together for two Prestige albums, assembled a quartet that included Cliff Jackson for a Riverside session, Harlem Banjo, and, in 1961, a sextet session with Roy Eldridge, Bud Freeman, Jo Jones, and Ray and Tommy Bryant—it was released on the Fontana and Black Lion labels.

In 1963, his career boosted, Snowden appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival. He toured Europe in 1967 with the Newport Guitar Workshop. He moved to California to teach at the University of California, Berkeley, and played with Turk Murphy.

In 1969, Snowden moved back to Philadelphia, where he died on May 14, 1973.

Bob Fuller cl / Louis Hooper p / Elmer Snowden bj.

Recorded in New York on August 8, 1925.

New Orleans Owls - Columbia 943 (1926)

Other Owls can be heard here and here.

Benjie White cl, as, dir / Bill Padron c / Frank Netto tb / Pinky Vidacovich cl, as / Lester Smith ts / Sigfre Christensen p / Rene Gelpi bj, g / Dan LeBlanc bb / Earl Crumb d.

Recorded in Atlanta on November 8, 1926.

New Orleans Wanderers - Columbia 698 (1926)

From wikipedia...

The New Orleans Wanderers was the name under which Lil Hardin recorded with members of Louis Armstrong's Hot Five on a 1926 session for Columbia Records. Armstrong himself was unable to appear since he was under contract to Okeh, although he collaborated with Hardin on three of the four songs. His place was taken by George Mitchell. Four further songs were released by the same musicians under the name New Orleans Bootblacks.

George Mitchell c / Kid Ory tb / Johnny Dodds cl / Joe Clark as (except on PSB) / Lil Armstrong p / Johnny St. Cyr bj.

Recorded in Chicago on July 13, 1926.

Got My Nichols Worth (Red Nichols On Brunswick)

Some earlier Nichols' posts: Brunswick 4510, Brunswick 6014, Brunswick 4321, Edison 51854.

Red Nichols t, a / Miff Mole tb / Jimmy Dorsey cl, as / Joe Venuti vn / Arthur Schutt p / Eddie Lang g / Vic Berton d.

Recorded in New York on March 3, 1927.

Red Nichols, Leo McConville, Manny Klein t / Miff Mole tb / Pee Wee Russell cl / Fud Livingston ts, a / Adrian Rollini bsx, gfs / Lennie Hayton p, cel / Dick McDonough g / Vic Berton d.

Recorded in New York on August 15, 1927.

Red Nichols t, a / Miff Mole tb / Dudley Fosdick mel / Fud Livingston cl, a / Pee Wee Russell cl, ts / Lennie Hayton p, cel / Carl Kress g / Vic Berton d.

Recorded in New York on February 25 & 27, 1928.

Red Nichols t, a / Manny Klein t / Miff Mole tb / Dudley Fosdick mel / Fud Livingston cl / Benny Goodman cl, as / Lennie Hayton p, cel / Carl Kress g / Vic Berton d.

Recorded in New York on February 5, 1929.

Red Nichols Leo McConville, Manny Klein t / Glenn Miller tb / Jack Teagarden, Bill Trone, or Herb Taylor tb / Benny Goodman cl, as, bar / as / Babe Russin ts / Arthur Schutt p / Carl Kress g / Art Miller sb / Gene Krupa d / Scrappy Lambert v.

Recorded in New York on April 18, 1929.

Red Nichols t, a / Manny Klein t / Miff Mole tb / Dudley Fosdick mel / Fud Livingston cl / Benny Goodman cl, as / Adrian Rollini bsx / Lennie Hayton p, cel / Carl Kress g / Vic Berton d.

Recorded in New York on February 16, 1929.

Red Nichols, Tommy Thunen, Manny Klein t / Jack Teagarden tb, v / Glenn Miller tb / Jimmy Dorsey cl, as / Babe Russin ts / Adrian Rollini bsx / Jack Russin p / Weston Vaughan g / Jack Hansen bb / Gene Krupa d.

Recorded in New York on February 3, 1930.

Red Nichols, Ruby Weinstein, Charlie Teagarden t / Jack Teagarden, Glenn Miller tb / Benny Goodman cl / Sid Stoneburn as / Babe Russin ts / Joe Sullivan p / Treg Brown bj / Art Miller sb / Gene Krupa d.

Recorded in New York on July 2, 1930.

Red Nichols, Ruby Weinstein, Charlie Teagarden t / Jack Teagarden tb v / Glenn Miller tb / Benny Goodman cl / Sid Stoneburn as / Babe Russin ts / Joe Sullivan p / Treg Brown bj, v / Art Miller sb / Gene Krupa d.

Recorded in New York on July 3, 1930.

Red Nichols, Ruby Weinstein, Charlie Teagarden t / Jack Teagarden tb, v / Glenn Miller, George Stoll tb / Benny Goodman cl / Sid Stoneburn as / Larry Binyon ts, f / Jack Russin p / Art Miller sb / Gene Krupa d / The Foursome (Marshall Smith, Ray Johnson, Del Porter, Dwight Snyder) v.

Recorded in New York on September 26, 1930.

Red Nichols, Ruby Weinstein t / Glenn Miller, George Stoll tb / Benny Goodman cl / Sid Stoneburn as / Larry Binyon ts / Ed Bergman, Vladimir Selinsky vn / Fulton McGrath p / Treg Brown g / Art Miller sb / Gene Krupa d / Harold Arlen, Smith Ballew v.

Recorded in New York on April 24, 1931.

Red Nichols t, v, dir / Ernie Mathias t, v / Frank Sacco, Snub Pollard t / Alex Palocsay tb / Ted Klein, Joe Catalyne cl, as / Fred Morrow cl, as, ts / Charlie Roddick p / Tony Sacco g, v / Bill Lower sb / Victor Engle d.

Recorded in Chicago on November 28, 1932.