Eight from the 88s

Meade Lux Lewis was the eldest of the boogie woogie triumvirate and, according to some, the best known of the three as a progenitor of that classic style. Photo from the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz & Blues

Here's a post with no special story to go along with it. I just thought you might like to have these obscure discs. They come from the cleaning woman stash that I've mentioned in several other posts. I picked up a lot of interesting sides in that haul, and these probably won't be the last of them to appear here.

These two gents, along with Albert Ammons, were the pianists most associated with that two-fisted piano romp on the American song form known as boogie woogie. Pete Johnson is most often thought of as a product of the Kansas City jazz era, and so he was, but he also made a name for himself by beating it out in tandem with Ammons or Lewis (and sometimes both). Meade Lux Lewis may have been the first to record in the boogie style, waxing his "Honky Tonk Train Blues" way back in 1929 (he recreates it here, too).

Pete Johnson, left, and Albert Ammons in
the studios of KCKN in Kansas City in the '40s.

These Pete Johnson tunes were originally recorded for National and then were reissued on this little EP for Rendition. In the '50s they came out again on Savoy and are probably available on a number of contemporary CDs, but I couldn't resist posting them anyway. The presence of Ben Webster on one cut and Lips Page on two is an added treat. Including the New Orleans sound of Albert Nicholas makes for a rare pairing, and Higgy literally wails on his number.

Lewis's four tunes for Atlantic, done in 1951, are exactly what you'd expect – bumpda-bumpda in the bass and a fistful of eighth notes in the right hand. To my ear, there's more than a little hint of rock 'n' roll here. He pays tribute to three of the greats – Pinetop Smith, Cow Cow Davenport and Jimmy Yancey – and then fetes himself with his own composition. He's subtly accompanied by a bassist and drummer who, to this date, remain anonymous.

So here's a half-hour of good blues for when you're in a toe-tapping mood. The Lewis disc looks pristine but was plagued with surface noise. Much of it has been removed, but some still remains so be forewarned. The Johnson tunes are all sonically clean. As always, these files were created right from the vinyl originals. Beat me, daddy, eight to the bar!

At the Piano
Meade Lux Lewis 
Meade Lux Lewis, p; unk. b, d.
Chicago, IL; Dec. 4, 1951
Atlantic EP 510

1. Pinetop’s Boogie Woogie
2. Cow-Cow Blues
3. Yancey Special
4. Honky Tonk Train Blues

On the “88”
Pete Johnson
Pete Johnson, p; Hot Lips Page, tp; 
Ben Webster, ts; Albert Nicholas, cl; 
J.C. Higginbotham, tbn; Jimmy Shirley, g; Al Hall, b; J.C. Heard, d.
New York, NY; January 26, 31, 1946
Rendition EP 45-115

5. Mr. Clarinet Knocks Twice
6. Ben Rides Out
7. Page Mr. Trumpet
8. J.C. from K.C.

Find them here: https://www.mediafire.com/?m8jaeh685ry3mzr

Goin' to Kansas City

The unfortunately ill-treated inside cover to Decca's classic "Kansas City Jazz" album. Basie's
been obliterated, but there's a candid of the legendary guitarist Floyd Smith, and one of Joe
Keys from the Blue Devils and another of the unjustly obscure Clarence Trice. Most of these
shots must have been taken during Decca's marathon November 1940 recording sessions
with the guys from Kay-Cee.

It's my firm belief that the familiar swing of jazz – as we understand it today – came to us from the Tom Pendergast's Kansas City of the 1930s. Specifically, from the men and women who created an original sound in the city's many night clubs, dance halls, speakeasies and dives. Four beats to the measure never swung so hard.

Here's impresario Gene Norman with a couple
of wannabe starlets, digging the sounds of
our offering for this posting. A typical period
pose from the editors at Down Beat magazine.

If you're not convinced, I offer this posting as as Exhibit A. It's from Decca Records' 1957 series of regional reissues (the "Chicago Jazz" LP posted a while back is another) and it features a veritable who's who of KC players. Most of these recordings were originally done in New York over a seven day period in 1940, so they come from a time when the heyday of Kansas City jazz had largely passed. But present are many of the original Blue Devils plus pianists Pete Johnson and Mary Lou Williams. The real treat is the two sides from Basie's superb composer and arranger, trombonist and guitar man Eddie Durham.

You hardcore collectors certainly know that all these tunes are available elsewhere – especially the familiar Basie numbers. But having them all in one place is a treat. You get a real feel for KC's hotbed musical environment. The two titles by Mary Lou are fairly obscure and feature terrific work from Shorty Baker (pre-Ellington, of course) and driving solos from long-forgotten Andy Kirk tenor star, Dick Wilson. Ms. Williams herself is in full command of the keyboard and her arrangement of "12th Street" occasionally foreshadows the developments of bop several years hence.

Gems' copy of the original release
is a little worse for wear. We opted
to use the LP version for the upload.

Then there's Eddie Barefield's unattributed clarinet on "South" with Lips Page's pick-up band. That coupled with the leader's muted trumpet solo and Don Byas' still-developing tenor sound make the tune a classic. Pete Johnson's band rollicks through a tune named for the Kansas City Colored Musician's Union, Local No. 627, with the cast the same as for Lips' titles. Great Don Stovall here. Roll 'em, Pete!

The standout for this posting has to be the rare Durham sides. Not only do we get Eddie's advanced electric guitar work, but Buster Smith demonstrates why Bird's sound was compared to his in Parker's early days. And catch the soli toward the end of "Little Girl" – fabulous Durham writing and very tight playing by the guys. 

Note that the liner notes for this LP refer to its selections as "dance compositions." Exactly right. This was music to move your feet to, and if you're like me your toes will be tapping. This is the music that taught the rest of the jazz world to swing. Mixed in, of course, were some of the greatest jazz statements by some of the music's greatest practitioners. You only have to catch the bookended solos by Hershel Evans and Prez on "Doggin' Around" to understand that.

So, download and roll back the rugs! As always, these tunes were ripped from the original vinyl with, in this case, no cleaning of the sound.  

Kansas City Jazz

Various Groups
Personnel listed in download
Decca DL 8044

Pete Johnson's Band
November 11, 1940
1. 627 Stomp
Joe Turner and His Fly Cats
November 11, 1940 
2. Piney Brown Blues
Mary Lou Williams and Her Kansas City Seven
November 18, 1940 
3. Baby Dear
4. Harmony Blues
Andy Kirk and His Clouds of Joy
November 7, 1940 
5. The Count
6. Twelfth Street Rag
Hot Lips Page and His Band
November 11, 1940 

7. South 

8. Lafayette 

Count Basie and His Orchestra

August 9, 1937 

9. Good Morning Blues

10. Doggin' Around 
Eddie Durham and His Band
November 11, 1940 
11. Moten's Swing
12. I Want a Little Girl

Find it here: http://www.mediafire.com/download/r4xq8id26sh088j/KC_Jazz.rar