THE INTERNATIONAL DEMS BULLETIN DUKE ELLINGTON MUSIC SOCIETY 04/1 April-July 2004 FOUNDER: BENNY AASLAND HONORARY MEMBER: FATHER JOHN GARCIA GENSEL EDITOR: SJEF HOEFSMIT ASSISTED BY: ROGER BOYES

Voort 18b, 2328 Meerle, Belgium
Telephone: +32 3 315 75 83
Email: dems@skynet.be

Part 3. New Releases & Re-Releases

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Bear Family double CD BCD 16340 BL
Live from the Cotton Club
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The first message about this very interesting double CD came on 29Nov03 on the Duke-LYM list from Wolfram Knauer.  It was just too late for Bulletin 03/3.
This is taken from Wolfram's email:
It contains a lavishly designed large format 130 page hardcover book (not booklet) in English by Horst J.P. Bergmeier and Rainer E. Lotz, probably known to many on the list as discographers and historians of early jazz andblack music in Europe.The book contains lots of photographs and the story of the Cotton Club from the beginnings in 1923 to the end in 1940 with its history of music and dance and black culture and crime and politics and black aesthetics.  They write about the different bands, musicians, actors appearing at the club through the years, quoting from rare sources, painting a detailed and yet diverse picture of the surrounding which the music documents.  Some of the photographs I have not seen before, printing quality as well as historical research by far exceeds James Haskins' (still valuable) book from 1977.
Their interest in this Cotton Club book started with the first numbers on the CDs, a broadcast for German radio from 1931 (April 20-21), live from the Cotton Club.  We hear Cab Calloway's orchestra with tap dancer Eddie Rector and a German commentator, Hellmut H. Hellmut.  For those of you who understand German, it is quite a document! Hellmut did a series of radio programs giving impressions of New York: "Impressions of the Empire State Building", "Impressions of Macey's", "Impressions of the New York Subway", and "Impressions of the Cotton Club", the last one being the only one which survived.  We all know Ellington's "Nite at the Cotton Club" studio recordings, but these are...  LIVE from the Cotton Club, in 1931, giving all the atmosphere, noise, and dancing.  The plates survived in the RCA archives, until being unearthed by Michael Brooks .
Hellmut's commentary glowingly tells his German audience about the excitement in the Harlem club.  (All this, remember, is before the Nazis made jazz more or less impossible for Germans to hear or like, at the end of the Weimar republic when Berlin was a, some say "the", entertainment metropolis.) Hellmut feels regret for the fact that this Harlem seems not to be the Harlem of five years before and that transatlantic radio had not been possible then.  He stands before the stage, looks at the dancers, comments about everything about a culture which for Germans at that time was more than exotic.  The sound of the recording is quite good.
Bergmeier/Lotz write about the discrepancies between Hellmut's commentary and reality: Hellmut states he's in a cellar bar, describes a mixed audience even dancing together, whereas we know the club to have been on the ground floor, to have been no dive and mostly a meeting place for white high society.  B/L suggest that perhaps Hellmut "felt a need to spice up his reportage with impressions from a visit to Smalls Paradise".
Oh yes, and German speakers may also have a laugh at Eddie Rector dancing and shouting and at the end acknowledging the presence of German radio with a "Ach, Du lieber Strohsack!".
Another gem (more of historical than musical worth) is a short PR recording from 1936 by Adelaide Hall with piano accompaniment (Joe Turner), singing the hits from "Black and White Birds" with a German commentator introducing this as advertisment for the show which was to play Swiss cities such as of Basel and Zurich, but was also planned for Berlin during the Olympic Summer Games.  Bergmeier & Lotz, though could not verify that the show really played in Berlin.  Hall sings short excerpts, just few lines before stopping rather abruptly.  No medley this!
There are selections by Louis Armstrong and his Sebastian New Cotton Club Orchestra, Ethel Waters, Lena Horne, Libby Holman, Luis Russell, Andy Preer, McKinney's Cotton Pickers and Mills Blue Rhythm Band.
More than half the content of the 2 CDs consists of Ellington material.  Dance material most of it, some gems included.  I enjoyed the astounding staccato brass work in "If You Were In My Place" (not quite as astonishing as "Braggin' in Brass" but still a good example of what this band was up to).
Wolfram Knauer

Here are the non-Ellington selections:

CD 1
track  1:     Cab Calloway: I'll Make Fun for You
track  2:      Lethia Hill: Something To Remember You By
track  3:     Cab Calloway: Minnie the Moocher
track  4:     Eddie Rector: The Mystery Song
track  5:     Cab Calloway: St. Louis Blues
track  6: Cotton Club trio: Just a Gigolo
track  7: Cotton Club Band: Farewell Blues
track 15:   Dick Robertson: Minnie the Moocher
track 16: Mills Blue Rhythm Band: Blue Rhythm
track 17:     Cab Calloway: Farewell Blues
track 18:     Cab Calloway: St. Louis Blues
track 20:     Dave Wilborn: I'll Make Fun for You
track 21:       Andy Preer: I've Found a New Baby
track 22:    Adelaide Hall: I Must Have That Man
track 23:       Tramp Band: Miss Linda Brown (take -1)
track 24:     Libby Holman: Something To Remember You By
track 25:     Luis Russell: Ease on Down
track 26:  Louis Armstrong: Just a Gigolo
track 27:     Ethel Waters: I Just Couldn't Take It Baby
track 28:       Lena Horne: As Long as I Live
CD 2
track  1: Adelaide Hall: Excerpts of the Revue "Black and White Birds"

Here are the Ellington selections:

CD 1
tracks 8/12 contain parts of A Nite at the Cotton Club:
track  8: Cotton Club Stomp                12Apr29
track  9: Misty Mornin'                    12Apr29
track 10: Goin' to Town                    12Apr29
track 11: Interlude by Harmonica Charlie   is non Ellington
track 12: Freeze and Melt                  12Apr29
track 13: Hot Feet                         7Mar29
track 14: Ain't Misbehavin'                13Sep29
track 19: The Mystery Song, take -1        17Jun31

CD 2
tracks 2/25 contain a part of the Cotton Club broadcasts in 1938

track  2: Harmony in Harlem                24Mar38
track  3: If You Were in My Place          24Mar38

track  4: Mood Indigo                      24Mar38  FRESH!

track  5: East St. Louis Toodle-O          24Mar38  FRESH!
          Station identification (not on the CD)
track  6: East St. Louis Toodle-O          24Mar38  FRESH!
track  7: Oh Babe, Maybe Someday           24Mar38

track  8: Prelude in C Sharp Minor         29May38

track  9: Rockin' in Rhythm                29May38

track 10: Three Blind Mice                 17Apr38

track 11: On the Sunny Side of the Street  24Apr38

track 12: Dinah's in a Jam                 24Apr38

track 13: Harmony in Harlem                 1May38
track 14: At Your Back and Call             1May38

track 15: Solitude                          1May38  FRESH!
track 16: Gal from Joe's                    1May38
track 17: Ridin' on a Blue Note             1May38
track 18: If Dream Come True                1May38

track 19: Lost in Meditation               15May38
track 20: Demi-Tasse                       15May38
track 21: Echoes of Harlem                 15May38

track 22: Birmingham Breakdown             15May38
track 23: Rose Room                        15May38
track 24: If Dream Come True               15May38
track 25: It's the Dreamer in Me           15May38

Comments:
Listening to these 1938 selections reveals that the source material differs from what was used for the two Jazz Archives LP's (12 and 13) from 1973 (which were in 1995 copied on the two CDs Archives of Jazz 380112 or 389112 or 3891122 and 380113 or 389113 or 3891132).  Many of the selections are directly linked together, and this gives us sometimes a bit more introductory music and also reveals the correct sequence of some of the recordings.  In our listing we have grouped these connected selections together.
Harmony in Harlem on track 2 is wrongly titled Stepping into Swing Society.
The short incomplete intro to Lost in Meditation on track 19 is deleted.
The introduction to Echoes of Harlem on track 21 is complete.
Birmingham Breakdown on track 22 is missing bar 11 and bar 12 of Duke's 18bar piano solo at the start of the first chorus.
Sjef Hoefsmit

The Bear Family set can be obtained through J&R Music World and Collector's Choice Music under item number CMBCD 163402.  Contacts: toll free number (800) 923-1122 or <http://www.collectorschoicemusic.com>
Richard Ehrenzeller**

04/1 DEMS 23

CD 1
Treasury Broadcast No. 16 - State Theatre, Hartford, Connecticut,
28Jul45.
 1. Take the "A" Train
 2. Teardrops in the Rain
 3. Frustration
 4. Bond Promo
 5. Everything but You
 6. 9:20 Special
 7. Moon Mist
 8. Rockin' in Rhythm
 9. Bond Promo
10. Every Hour on the Hour
11. Take the "A" Train
12. Medley:
       In a Sentimental Mood
       Black Beauty
       Sophisticated Lady
       Caravan
       Solitude
       I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart
13. Bond Promo
14. Trumpet in Spades
15. Just A-Sittin' and A-Rockin'
16. Go Away Blues
17. Bond Promo
18. One O'Clock Jump

MBS Broadcast from the New Zanzibar, NYC,
28Nov45.
19. Crosstown
20. The Wonder of You
21. Cotton Tail
22. I'm Just a Lucky So and So

CD 2
MBS Broadcast from the New Zanzibar, NYC, continued
28Nov45.
 1. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
 2. Three Cent Stomp
 3. Long, Strong and Consecutive
 4. Blue Skies
 5. Everything but You (and close)

Treasury Broadcast No. 17 - Radio City Studios, NYC
4Aug45.
 6. Take the "A" Train
 7. Dancing in the Dark
 8. Downbeat Shuffle
 9. Bond Bromo
10. Tonight I Shall Sleep
11. Esquire Swank
12. Creole Love Call
13. I Miss Your Kiss
14. Riff Staccato (with Bond Promo)
15. Take the "A" Train
16. Medley:
       Passion Flower
       Frantic Fantasy
       Air Conditioned Jungle
       On the Sunny Side of the Street
17. Metronome All Out
18. Everything but You (with Bond Promo)
19. Solid Old Man

Some of you may have both Treasury broadcasts on the LPs DETS 16 and 17.  This is certainly the first time these broadcasts appear on CD.  But the release of the Zanzibar broadcast is "fresh".
It seems that the sequence of the selections in that broadcast as mentioned in the New DESOR is wrong.  Everything but You was the last selection.
Peter MacHare and Sjef Hoefsmit**

04/1 DEMS 24

See DEMS 03/1-1

Carl Hällström has sent us a copy of the second CD in his Dooji Record Club series.  It is again a perfect transcription but this time almost exclusively from unissued material (I am happy to say).
Benny Aasland published the Meadowbrook recordings in DEMS 83/3-4 (and not in 83/2-4 as erroneously mentioned in the announcement of this CD in DEMS 03/1-1).

The CD has 59 minutes of fine music.  It starts with the complete broadcast of 6Jun51.
track  1. Take the "A" Train
track  2. The Tattoed Bride (Aberdeen)
track  3. Indian Summer
track  4. Love You Madly (vocal Norma Oldham)
track  5. Moonlight Fiesta
track  6. All Day Long
track  7. I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart (vocal Al Hibbler)
track  8. The Hawk Talks
track  9. Take the "A" Train
track 10. Gotta Go %
Only Indian Summer has been previously released (on the LP Stardust 202).

The following 6 tracks contain the recordings made before the start of the broadcast of 9Jun51.  That explains why we do not hear an announcer.
track 11. I Can't Get Started
track 12. Primping at the Prom
track 13. Later
track 14. Unidentified Title
track 15. Take the "A" Train
track 16. New World a-Comin' %
Only Primping at the Prom has been previously released (on the Musica Jazz CD MJCD 1153).
I wonder if the correct title of track 14 will ever be discovered.  It sounds to me very much as a Strayhorn original.  The many times I tried to find it, made the melody too familiar to me.  I now miss the sparkling inspiration to dive into my collection.
Sjef Hoefsmit**

It is a properly pressed CD (no cheap CD-Rs!) and "the mechanical copyrights" are taken care of in the usual way.  The CD will be delivered in plain cover and there will be only one press-run.  This record will not be sold in stores, it can only be purchased from the Club.  Each member may order a total of 3 copies of each release.  (Please note that DE-1 is out of stock.)
Price schedule: USD 17, EURO 15 or GBP 10.  The cost of Air Mail postage is included in all prices.  All CDs are shipped in protective bubble-bags.
Please remit ONLY with bank notes (= paper money) in USD, EURO or GBP currencies.  NO personal cheques.  All orders shipped on buyer's own risk.  If you require special shipping via Registered Mail, please add USD 7 or equality in EURO or GBP to the above sums.
Carl A. Hällström**; P. O. Box 23061; SE-750 23 Uppsala; Sweden
<dooji@swipnet.se>

04/1 DEMS 25

I have lately been checking up on some of my odds-and-ends Ellington CDs.  I have been able to find most of them in old issues of the Bulletin, but these two I cannot trace.  If these two Midnite CDs have not been mentioned previously in DEMS Bulletin, maybe they would be of interest to others too, and so deserve mentioning in a future issue.  It is nice to have the correct data connected to each disc in one's collection.
Frits Schjøtt

04/1 DEMS 26

 1. Perdido                            28Mar46  H   T
 2. Medley:                            26Nov69      T B
       Don't Get Around Much Anymore
       Mood Indigo
       Sophisticated Lady
 3. Moon Mist                          17Jul46  H   T
 4. Crosstown                          28Mar46  H   T
 5. On the Alamo                       17Jul46  H   T
 6. Just You, Just Me                  17Jul46  H   T
 7. The Unbooted Character             16Jul46  H   T
 8. Tootie for Cootie                  26Nov69      T B
 9. Frustration                        21Jan51      T
10. Blue Lou                            9Jun47  H   T
11. Frisky                             10Jun47  H   T
12. Medley:                            26Nov69      T B
       Don't You Know I Care?
       In a Sentimental Mood
       Prelude to a Kiss
       I'm Just a Lucky So-and-So
       I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart
       Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me
13. Rockabye River                     11Jul46  H   T
14. The Suburbanite                    16Jul46  H   T
15. Rugged Romeo                       28Mar46  H   T
16. In a Jam                           17Jul46  H   T
17. Come Rain or Come Shine            11Jul46  H   T
18. It Don't Mean a Thing              21Apr45          D

04/1 DEMS 27

Featuring Ben Webster clarinet transcriptions including the only known and previously unreleased clarinet solo home recordings by Ben Webster with Jimmie Blanton and other sessions with Ray Nance on violin and trumpet away from Duke Ellington.
This CD is scheduled for release 2005 by AB Fable
Advance subscriptions or subscription reservations are invited now at
<http://www.abar.net/
Luis Contijoch

04/1 DEMS 28

Al Hall Quintet               24Jan46
 1. Blues in My Heart        WAX 101A
 2. Emaline                      100B
 3. Am I Blue                    100A
 4. Rose of the Rio Grande       101B

Otto Hardwick Quartet         17Apr47
 5. Come Sunday              WAX 102A

Jimmy Jones Quintet            4Mar47
 6. Birth of the Blues     not issued
 7. Five O'Clock Drag        WAX 103A

Jimmy Jones Trio               4Mar47
 8. New World a-Comin'       WAX 103B

Otto Hardwick's Wax Quintet   17Apr47
 9. I Remember Your Eyes     WAX 105B

Al Hall Quartet               17Apr47
10. Lazy River               WAX 102B

Ben Webster's Wax Quintet     19Apr47
11. As Long as I Live        WAX 104B

Denzil Best's Wax Quintet     19Apr47
12. All Alone                WAX 104A

Ben Webster's Wax Quintet     19Apr47
13. Blue Bells of Harlem     WAX 105A

Jimmy Jones solo                 1947
14. What's New?              WAX 106B

Jimmy Jones Trio                 1947
15. When I Walk with You     WAX 113B

Jimmy Jones solo                 1947
16. I'll See You Again       WAX 110B
17. Loverman                     107A
18. New York City Blues          112B
19. On a Turquoise Cloud         113A
20. Bakiff                       112A

The Ellington Gang      c.Autumn 1947
21. Key Largo                WAX 114B

Johnny Hodges Trio      c.Autumn 1947
22. You're Driving Me Crazy  WAX 114A

Harry Carney All Stars  c.Autumn 1947
23. Why Was I Born?          WAX 115A
24. Triple Play                  115B

04/1 DEMS 29

This CD contains 26 recordings, 12 of which are identical with selections on the Storyville CD, The WAX Label Sessions; 1 is an alternate and belongs together with 5 other selections to the WAX Label session of 1947, which were not included on the Storyville CD and 8 selections were previously issued on the Hot Record Society Label.

Jimmy Jones Big Eight                      10Jan46
 1. Old Jiuce on the Loose                HRS 1014
 2. Departure from Dixie                      1015
 3. A Woman's Got a Right To Change Her Mind  1015
 4. Muddy Miss                                1014

Tracks 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 are the same as on the Storyville CD.

Jimmy Jones trio with Lynn, vocal             1947
11. Empty Space                            WAX 106

Track 12 is the same as track 14 on the Storyville CD.

Jimmy Jones trio                              1947
13. When I Walk with You, alternate take   WAX 113
(Classics gives label number WAX 113 and matrix 4118-X, which seems to be a typo and should probably read W 118-X.  Storyville mentions WAX 113B and matrix W 118)

Track 14 is the same as track 16 on the Storyville CD.

Jimmy Jones solo                              1947
15. Mad About the Boy                      WAX 110
16. Someday I'll Find You                      111

Jimmy Jones with Otto Hardwick on bass        1947
17. Zigeuner                               WAX 111

Jimmy Jones solo                              1947
18. Clair de Lune                          WAX 107

Tracks 19, 20, 21 and 22 are the same as tracks 17, 18, 19 and 20 on the Storyville CD.

Jimmy Jones Big Four                          1946
23. Sunny Side Up                         HRS 1043
24. Strollin' Easy                            1042
25. Keeping Up with Jones                     1043
26. Weeta                                     1042

How refreshing to have these tracks of Ellingtonia.  Especially when the tunes played are not usually performed by other artists.  Storyville gives us the complete Wax Label discography including those items which were not included on the Storyville CD.  This assists greatly the task of filling in the missing items from the Classic disc.
Jones (later to become an Ellingtonian) is on all tracks save for 23-24 on the Wax issue, where Strayhorn takes over.
I am unsure why the "Harry Carney's Big Eight" from HRS of 18Mar46 is not included.  Is it because maybe we will get a Classics Carney issue?
The Classics fills in nicely the omissions from the Wax issue, and gives an alternate (incomplete) take of When I Walk with You.
Dan Morgenstern comments that Triple Play was never recorded commercially by the full band.  Is the Prestige (2PCD 24075-2) Carnegie Hall Concert 27Dec47 not a commercial release?
The surprise for me from this music is Otto Hardwick. Did this poet, pack his sax (or was it left?) in Washington, walk off the band stand into musical oblivion to work at all those menial jobs that historians have accredited to him?
Question, Who is Lynn.  (On track 11 of Classics)
I am confused regarding the allocating of the matrix number W 130, which issue got this, Dieval or Jones?
Lance Travis

The simple response to Lance Travis's query concerning Triple Play, is - yes, the Prestige issue of the 27Dec47 Carnegie Hall concert is a commercial release - but not of a commercial recording.
Roger Boyes

Jimmy Jones' New York City Blues received the matrix number W 130; Jack Dieval's Blue'n Boogie has matrix number 2061.
DEMS