The Changing Face Of Harlem (The Savoy Sessions)

Side 1:
01) Twilight In Teheran - Buck Ram All-Stars
02) Morning Mist - Buck Ram All-Stars
03) Swing Street - Buck Ram All-Stars
04) Ram Session - Buck Ram All-Stars
05) Ooh-Wee - Pete Brown Quintette
06) Bellevue For You - Pete Brown Quintette
07) Pete Brown's Boogie - Pete Brown Quintette
08) Moppin' The Blues - Pete Brown Quintette

Side 2:
01) Dance Of The Tambourine - Hot Lips Page & His Hot Seven
02) Uncle Sam's Blues - Hot Lips Page & His Hot Seven
03) Pagin' Mr Page - Hot Lips Page & His Hot Seven
04) I Keep Rollin' On - Hot Lips Page & His Hot Seven
05) I Got What It Takes - Hot Lips Page Band
06) Good For Stompin' - Hot Lips Page Band
07) Lip's Blues - Hot Lips Page Band
08) Blooey - Hot Lips Page Band

Side 3:
01) Honeysuckle Rose - Ben Webster
02) I Surrender Dear - Ben Webster
03) Blue Skies - Ben Webster
04) Run Down - Herbie Fields
05) Nuts To Notes - Herbie Fields
06) Groovin' With Grimes - Tiny Grimes
07) I'll Always Love You Just The Same - Tiny Grimes
08) Romance Without Finance - Tiny Grimes

Side 4:
01) Bye Bye - Miss Rhapsody
02) My Lucky Day - Miss Rhapsody
03) Hey Lawdy Mama - Miss Rhapsody
04) Groovin' The Blues - Miss Rhapsody
05) Smack That Mess - Joe Gregory
06) Dee Dee's Dance - Clyde Hart
07) Little Benny - Clyde Hart
08) Shoot The Arrow To Me Cupid - Joe Gregory

The Changing Face Of Harlem (Mega)

The Changing Face Of Harlem (Zippy)

Founded by local entrepreneur Herman Lubinsky in Newark, New Jersey, in 1942, Savoy Records went on to become one of the USA's most important labels in jazz and R&B. The label didn't really take off until mid 1944 when it started recording musicians from the vibrant club scene in NYC, both from Harlem and 52nd Street. Savoy was one of a number of small labels in the New York area which picked up on the changes taking place in jazz at that time with other examples being Keynote, Blue Note, Beacon, Manor and National.

This two LP set compiles sides mostly recorded in 1944 with the exception of some Herbie Fields sides from May 1945. The dominant style is small group swing with only the faintest hint of the be bop to come with Charlie Parker's appearance on a couple of the Tiny Grimes tracks.

The full line ups on these tracks can be found in the session details on the back cover of this set and fans of R&B or to be more precise, the area where jazz and R&B intersect will be familiar with quite a few of the names including Tiny Grimes, Earl Bostic, Ike Quebec, Ben Webster, Slam Stewart, Hot Lips Page, Don Byas, Jack "The Bear" Parker, heck just read it for yourselves.

Dan Morgenstern's terrific notes both set the scene and provide a running commentary on the tracks and are a model for what such an essay should be. He calls the music here "Harlem jump" which sums it up admirably. These tracks are contemporaneous with the rise to immense popularity of Louis Jordan's brand of jump blues and while they differ slightly from Jordan's style they encapsulate the music scene which would soon give rise to be bop, dynamic small group swing based jazz, and eventually to rhythm and blues.

I've been fascinated for many years by the Savoy Record label, ever since I acquired the cassette "Jumpin' at The Savoy" from the New Musical Express back in the early 1980s. Indeed that cassette was the first music I posted on Be Bop Wino back in September 2007. Follow the trail - there's a working Megaupload link on the post!

Over the years Savoy has featured on numerous posts on the blog, with the most recent example perhaps being a cross-blog collaboration on posting the complete "Savoy Roots Of Rock'n Roll" series. I have a few sets from the "Savoy Sessions" series which concentrates on the jazz side of the label, so you can expect more of these to appear on the blog along with other material from the New York scene of the 1940s.

Billboard, 19th August 1944

Original Issues:

Buck Ram's All Stars:

Swing Street / Twilight In Teheran - Buck Ram's All Stars - Savoy 572 - February 1946

Morning Mist first released on this LP. 

Ram Session first released on LP Savoy MG 9030 "Jam Session At Savoy" in 1953.

Pete Brown Quintette:

Pete Brown's Boogie / Bellevue For You - Pete Brown Quintette - Savoy 522 - August 1944

Ooh-Wee / Moppin' The Blues - Pete Brown Quintette - Savoy 523 - November 1944

Hot Lips Page: 

Uncle Sam Blues / Paging Mr. Page - "Hot Lips" Page's Swing Seven - Savoy 520 - August 1944

Dance Of The Tambourine / I Keep Rollin' On - "Hot Lips" Page's Hot Seven - Savoy 521 - August 1944

Lips Blues / I Got What It Takes - Hot Lips Page and Orchestra (?) - Savoy 529 - (?) 1944 (?)

"Lips Blues" rereleased as "Double-Trouble Blues" on Savoy 700

"Blooey"; "Good For Stompin'" - first released on this LP.

Ben Webster

"Honeysuckle Rose"; "I Surrender Dear"; "Blues Skies" are unissued alternate takes.

I Surrender Dear / Blues Skies - Ben Webster Quartet - Savoy 505 - (?) 1944.

Honeysuckle Rose / Kat's Fur - Ben Webster Quartet - Savoy 506 - (?) 1944

The released versions are on the Savoy 2LP set "The Tenor Sax Album" which will be posted on the blog.

Herbie Fields

Run Down / Camp Meeting - Herbie Fields Hot Seven - Savoy 591 - February 1946

Nuts To Notes first issued on this LP.

Tiny Grimes

Groovin' With Grimes first released on this LP

I'll Always Love You Just The Same; Romance Without Finance are alternate takes of sides released on Savoy 526 (b/w Tiny's Tempo) and Savoy 532 (b/w Red Cross) respectively.

Miss Rhapsody

Bye Bye Baby / My Lucky Day - Rhapsody with June Cole's Orchestra - Savoy 5510 - August 1944

Hey Lawdy Mama / Groovin The Blues - Rhapsody with June Cole's Orchestra - Savoy 5511 - November 1944

Clyde Hart

Smack That Mess / Shoot The Arrow To Me Cupid - Joe Gregory - Savoy 542 - possibly unreleased?

Dee Dee's Dance / Little Benny - Clyde Hart's Hot Seven - Savoy 598 -  May 1946

Elsewhere On The Web

Small Independent Rockin' 45rpm Labels by Apesville has recently completed a project to compile a complete collection of Savoy singles. Start here and work your way through an absolutely gobsmacking series of posts. Sheer heaven for fans of Savoy.

Lionel Hampton - In The Bag!

Side 1:

01. In The Bag

02. Dig Those Vibes

03. Jack The Fox Boogie

04. How High The Moon

05. Million Dollar Smile

06. Turkey Hop (Parts 1 & 2)

07. Double Talk

08. Empty Glass (Normania)

Side 2:

01. Hamp's Gumbo No 2

02. Mingus Fingers

03. Three Minutes On 52nd Street

04. Hamp's Got A Duke

05. Dancing On The Ceiling

06. Blues For Little 'T'

07. Memories Of You

08. Silver Slipper

Download from:

http://www58.zippyshare.com/v/DqIFQ5AB/file.html

In response to a re-up request, here is the third album of Lionel Hampton Decca sides to be released by Affinity in the 1980s. This time the rips are from a cassette although there are some clicks and pops just like vinyl. I have no idea how that happened.

Twelve of the tracks are from Hamp's swing and R&B heyday in the 1940s and early 1950s. For me the outstanding track is the two-parter "Turkey Hop." The final four tracks were recorded live at The Silver Slipper Club on the Las Vegas Strip in 1963. It's worth your while googling this establishment as it was one of the earliest joints to open up in Vegas. As you can imagine, the final four tracks differ in style from the rest of the album.

There are recording details on the cassette sleeve, but as they are hard to read, I've included the information plus original release dates in the post. The musicians involved in these recordings include many who have featured in other posts in this blog, e.g. Illinois Jacquet, Jack McVea, Joe Morris, Johnny Griffin, Arnett Cobb and Morris Lane.

Here are links to the posts featuring those other Hamp LP's on Affinity:

Leapin' With Lionel

Ridin' On The L&N

In The Bag! - the facts on the tracks, in order of recording date:

In The Bag! -

Recorded in NYC, May 26th 1942. Personnel: Lionel Hampton and his Orchestra: Eddie Hutchinson, Mannie Klein, Ernie Royal, Jack Trainor (trumpets); Fred Beckett, Sonny Craven, Harry Sloan (trombones); Marshall Royal (clarinet, alto sax); Ray Perry (alto sax); Eddie Barefield, Illinois Jacquet (tenor saxes); Jack McVea (baritone sax); Lionel Hampton (vibes; arranger) Milt Buckner (piano); Irving Ashby (guitar); Vernon Alley (bass); Lee Young (drums).

Released on Decca 18394 (B Side of "Flying Home") in July 1942.

Million Dollar Smile -

Recorded in Los Angeles, October 16th, 1944. Personnel: Lionel Hampton and his Orchestra : Snooky Young, Wendell Culley, Joe Morris, Dave Page, Lamar Wright Jr., (trumpets); Vernon Porter, Fred Beckett, Andrew Penn, Sonny Craven, Allen Durham (trombones ); George Dorsey, Gus Evans (alto saxes); Arnett Cobb, Fred Simon (tenor saxes); Charlie Fowlkes (baritone sax); Lionel Hampton (vibes); Milt Buckner (piano); Billy Mackel (guitar), Charles Harris, Ted Sinclair (bass); Ted Radcliffe (drums).

Released on Decca 18719 (B Side of "Beulah's Boogie") in November 1945.

Empty Glass (Normania) - 

Recorded in Los Angeles, September 9th, 1946. Personnel: Lionel Hampton and his Orchestra: Wendell Culley, Duke Garrette, Jimmy Nottingham, Joe Wilder, Leo Shepherd (trumpets); Jimmy Wormick, Michael "Booty" Wood, A1 Hayse, Andrew Penn (trombones); Bobby Plater, Ben Kynard (alto saxes); Arnett Cobb, Johnny Griffin (tenor saxes); Charlie Fowlkes (baritone sax); Lionel Hampton (vibes); Milt Buckner (piano); Billy Mackel (guitar); Joe Comfort, Charles Harris (bass); Gene "Fats" Heard (drums).

Empty Glass was not released on a single.

Dig Those Vibes -

Recorded in Los Angeles, September 23rd, 1946. Personnel same as above, September 9th 1946 session, but with Jackie Kelson added on clarinet.

Dig Those Vibes was not released on a single.

Empty Glass and Dig Those Vibes were first released on the LP "Lionel Hampton Rarities (Jazz Heritage Series)" MCA 1351 in 1982.

Double Talk and Jack The Fox Boogie were recorded in Los Angeles, on September 23rd, 1946. Personnel: Lionel Hampton and his Octet: Joe Wilder (trumpet); Jackie Kelson (clarinet); Bobby Plater (alto sax); Arnett Cobb (tenor sax); Lionel Hampton (vibes, piano); Milt Buckner (piano); Billy Mackel (guitar); Joe Comfort (bass); Curley Hamner (drums).

Double Talk and Jack The Fox Boogie were first released on the LP "Lionel Hampton Rarities (Jazz Heritage Series)" MCA 1351 in 1982.

How High The Moon - 

Recorded in New York, April 2nd 1947. Personnel: Lionel Hampton and his Quintet: Lionel Hampton (vibes); Milt Buckner (piano); Billy Mackel (guitar); Charles Harris (bass); Curley Hamner (drums).

Released on Decca 24513 (b/w "Ribs And Hot Sauce") in November 1948.

Hamp's Got A Duke and Three Minutes On 52nd Street -

Recorded in Los Angeles, 6th August 1947. Personnel: Lionel Hampton and his Orchestra: Wendell Culley, Duke Garrette, Jimmy Nottingham, Kenny Dorham, Leo Shepherd (trumpets); Britt Woodman, Jimmy Wormick, Sonny Craven, Andrew Penn (trombones); Jackie Kelson (clarinet, alto sax); Bobby Plater, Ben Kynard (alto saxes); Morris Lane, Johnny Sparrow (tenor saxes); Charlie Fowlkes (baritone sax); Lionel Hampton (vibes); Milt Buckner (piano); Billy Mackel (guitar); Joe Comfort, Charlie Harris (bass); Earl Walker (drums).

Hamp's Got A Duke was released on Decca 24248 (b/w "Gone Again") in October 1947.

Three Minutes On 52nd Street was released on Decca 24429 (b/w "Midnight Sun") in May 1948. This disc was part of the four disc album "New Movements In Be-Bop" (Decca, A-661).

Mingus Fingers -

Recorded in Los Angeles, 10th November, 1947. Personnel: Lionel Hampton and his Orchestra: Wendell Culley, Duke Garrette, Walter Williams, Teddy Buckner, Leo Shephard (trumpets); James Robinson, Andrew Penn, Jimmy Wormick, Britt Woodman (trombones); Jackie Kelson (clarinet, alto sax); Bobby Plater, Ben Kynard (alto saxes); Morris Lane, John Sparrow (tenor saxes); Charlie Fowlkes (baritone sax); Lionel Hampton (vibes); Milt Buckner (piano); Billy Mackel (guitar); Joe Comfort, Charles Mingus (bass); Earl Walker (drums).

Released on Decca 24428 (b/w "Muchacho Azul") in May 1948. This disc was part of the four disc album "New Movements In Be-Bop" (Decca, A-661).

Hamp's Gumbo -

Recorded in New York,  25th January 1950. Personnel: Lionel Hampton and his Orchestra : Walter Williams, Benny Bailey, Ed Mullens, Duke Garrette, Leo Shepherd(trumpets); A1 Grey, Benny  Powell, Paul Lee, Jimmy Wormick (trombones); Bobby Plater, Jerome Richardson (alto saxes); Curtis Lowe, Johnny Board, Billy "Smallwood" Williams (tenor saxes); Lonnie Shaw (baritone sax); Lionel Hampton (vibes); Doug Duke (piano); Wes Montgomery (guitar); Roy Johnson (bass); Ellis Bartee (drums); Sonny Parker (vocal).

Released on Decca 24946 (b/w "Sad Feeling"), March 1950.

Turkey Hop, Parts 1 and 2 -

Recorded in New York, 23rd March, 1950. Personnel: Lionel Hampton and his Orchestra : Benny Bailey, Duke Garrette, Ed Mullens, Leo Shepherd, Walter Williams (trumpets); A1 Grey, Paul Lee, Benny Powell, Jimmy Wormick (trombones); Bobby Plater, Jerome Richardson (alto saxes); Johnny Board, Lonnie Shaw, Curtis Lowe (tenor saxes); Ben Kynard (baritone sax); Lionel Hampton (vibes); Gus Domerette (piano); Rudy Mason (guitar); Roy Johnson (bass, vocal); Ellis Bartee (drums); Curley Hamner (2nd drums).

Released on Decca 24992, April 1950.

Billboard, 29th April 1950

Dancing On The Ceiling, Blues For Little 'T', Memories Of You, Silver Slipper -

Recorded at the Silver Slipper Club, Las Vegas, Nevada, 20th March, 1963. Personnel: Lionel Hampton and Charlie Teagarden : Charlie Teagarden (trumpet); Bill Harris (trombone); Lionel Hampton (vibes); Ronnie di Fillips (piano); Carson Smith (bass); Tom Montgomery (drums).

Released on Coral LP The Great Hamp And Little 'T', CRL 57438 / CRL 757438(S), August 1963.

Above: The Silver Slipper, 1960. Below: Burlesque and Fight Nights at The Silver Slipper. Just over a year after Hamp recorded there, Gaming Control Board agents raided the joint and closed it when they found that shaved dice were being used. The Silver Slipper re-opened under new management and kept going until the 1980s.

Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra - Ridin' On The L&N

Side 1
1 - Ridin' On The L&N
2 - The Pencil Broke
3 - Doublin' With Dublin
4 - Boogie Woogie Santa Claus
5 - Royal Family
6 - There Will Never Be Another You
7 - I've Been A Fool (Thinking You Cared)
8 - Hawk's Nest
9 - The Man I Love

Side 2
1 - Adam Blew His Hat
2 - Cherokee
3 - Wee Albert
4 - Moonglow
5 - Everybody's Somebody's Fool
6 - Tempo's Birthday
7 - Lavender Coffin
8 - Sky Blue
9 - I'll Remember April

Download from:

http://www89.zippyshare.com/v/IyNsNtIj/file.html

More big band swing with quite a few small group tracks in the mix this time round. This LP is much more of a mixed bag than the uniformly excellent "Leapin' With Lionel." There's a smattering of sentimental ballads and formulaic instrumental workouts, but there are definitely quite a few gems in among the mediocre tracks. "Ridin' On The L&N", "The Pencil Broke", "Boogie Woogie Santa Claus", "Adam Blew His Hat", "Wee Albert" and "Lavender Coffin" are all outstanding in my opinion.

Here's the lowdown, track by track:

"Royal Family" - recorded by The Lionel Hampton Octet, 2nd March 1942. Not released as a single.

"Doublin' With Dublin" recorded by Lionel Hampton & His Septet, 21st May 1945. Released on 1969 LP "Steppin' Out."

"Ridin' On The L&N" recorded by Lionel Hampton & His Quartet on  30th January 1946. "Ridin' On The L&N" released February 1947 on Decca 23839 with "Hamp's Walkin' Boogie."

Billboard November 9th 1946

"Tempo's Birthday" and "Adam Blew His Hat" were recorded by Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra on September 9th, 1946. "Tempo's Birthday" was released on Decca 23696 with "The Pencil Broke", November 1946. "Adam Blew His Hat" b/w "Reminiscing Mood" was released on Decca 24015 in August 1947.

"The Pencil Broke" recorded by Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra, September 17th, 1946. Released on Decca 23696 b/w "Tempo's Birthday", November 1946.

"Hawk's Nest" recorded by Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra, 10th November 1947. Released on Decca 24505 b/w "Goldwyn Stomp" October 1948.

"Cherokee" recorded by The Lionel Hampton Sextet, 14th November, 1947. Released on Decca 24430 b/w "Re-Bop And "Be-Bop" in May 1948. Part of 4 disc album "New Movements In Re-Bop."

"Wee Albert" recorded by Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra, 28th January, 1949. Released on Decca 24699 b/w "Beulah's Sister's Boogie", August 1949.

"Moonglow" recorded by Lionel Hampton Quartet, 28th April 1949. Not released as a single.

"Lavender Coffin" recorded by Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra, 10th May, 1949. Released on Decca 24652, b/w "The Hucklebuck", May 1949. "Hampton's version of this highly original novelty really jumps sanctified" says Billboard review, 25th June 1949. Listen to "Lavender Coffin":



"Sky Blue" recorded by Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra, 29th December, 1949. Not released as a single.

"I've Been A Fool (Thinking You Cared)" recorded by Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra  with vocal by Little Jimmy Scott, 5th January, 1950. Released on Decca 24864 b/w "I Almost Lost Mind", January 1950.  "Young Jimmy Scott gets off a haunting, note-bending vocal in his piercing, high-pitched voice" says Billboard on 18th February 1950. They were being very kind.

"Everybody's Somebody's Fool" recorded by Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra with vocal by Irma Currey, 25th January 1950. Released on Decca 27176 in October 1950, b/w "September In The Rain" by Gil Bernal.

"There Will Never Be Another You" recorded by Lionel Hampton And His Quintet, 26th January, 1950. Released on Decca 27198, b/w "Where Or When",  in September 1950. "Mood jazz disking of this revival spots large chunks of Hamp's vibes in subdued garb. There's a neat slice of Doug Duke's Hammond organ work sandwiched in as well." Billboard, 30th September 1950.

"I'll Remember April" and "The Man I Love" recorded by Lionel Hampton & His Sextet, 14th September, 1950. "The Man I Love" released on Decca 27373; "I'll Remember April" released on Decca 27875. Both discs were part of a 4 disc album "Moonglow" by the Lionel Hampton Sextet, released in March 1951. This album was available in 3 formats - as a set of 4 78 rpm discs; as a set of 4 45 rpm records; and as a 10-inch LP.

"Boogie Woogie Santa Claus" was recorded by Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra on October 27th, 1950. Released on Decca 27325 b/w "Merry Christmas Baby" in November 1950. Both sides sung by Sonny Parker. Said Billboard (2nd December 1950): "Parker chants the ditty registered last year by Mabel Scott. Unimpressive job." Actually I quite like it!

More big band grooves coming soon, swingsters!

Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra - Leapin' With Lionel

I posted "Leapin' With Lionel" on the very earliest incarnation of Be Bop Wino, but an exploding hard drive, the end of upload sites like rapidshare and megaupload, and the takedown of Be Bop Wino Version 1 caused this fine LP to be absent from the blog for about 7 years. It would be impossible to have a vintage R&B blog without Hamp, so here he is again after a long exile. I've re-ripped the LP and re-scanned the cover and labels, so even if you downloaded the tracks first time round, it would still be worth your while to download the new, improved version.

And what an LP this is! It's loaded with tracks from the 1940's when Hamp's big band was a major player in the rise of R&B. A look at the players who passed through the sax section is like reading a who's who of wild R&B honkers with a goodly selection of red hot jazzers thrown into the mix: Dexter Gordon, Illinois Jacquet, Jack McVea, Arnett Cobb, Al Sears, Johnny Griffin, Jackie Kelso, Morris Lane, Johnny Sparrow, Johnny Board, Gene Morris, and Curtis Lowe. Also aboard are Joe Morris, Irving Ashby, Joe Comfort, Charles Mingus, Albert Ammons and Wes Montgomery. If that doesn't float yer boat then I don't know what will.

Full band line ups are detailed at the end of Fred Dellar's sleevenotes. The sides were recorded between May 1942 and December 1949. The selection kicks off with the band's first big hit "Flying Home" which Hamp had written with Benny Goodman (and Charlie Christian?) when he was with Goodman's sextet in 1939. The 1942 version features the famous sax solo by Illinois Jacquet which is often credited with kicking off the trend towards the honking and screeching tenor sax playing which became such an integral part of the R&B of the 1940s and 50s. I tend to go with his maniac performance on "Blues" in the first Jazz At The Philharmonic concert a couple of years later as being the real birth of honk.

There are more big hits in the tracklist including "Hamp's Boogie Woogie", Beulah's Boogie", "Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop" and "Rag Mop." See accompanying notes below for what was hot and what was not.

The biggest seller was "Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop." For an alternative account of the origins of this number see the post on Big Jim Wynn.  Let's just say that "Be Baba Leba" by Helen Humes had been recorded and hit the charts months before Hamp and Curley Hamner came up with the very similar "Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop." Just as an aside Tina Dixon claimed the copyright on "Be Baba Leba" as she had been performing it live before Helen Humes recorded it. In January 1946 Dixon's agent sold the copyright to Charlie Barnet, just as Hamp's "Hey! Ba-Ba-Ba-Re-Bop" came out. I have no idea what Barnet's thoughts were as the Hamp opus eclipsed all other versions. That's showbiz.

Side 1:
1 - Flying Home No 1
2 - Flying Home No 2
3 - Hamp's Boogie-Woogie, No 1
4 - Tempo's Boogie
5 - Beulah's Boogie
6 - Slide, Hamp, Slide
7 - Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop
8 - Rockin' In Rhythm Parts 1 and 2

Side 2:
1 - Air Mail Special Parts 1 and 2
2 - Cobb's Idea
3 - Hamp's Walkin' Boogie
4 - Red Top
5 - Midnight Sun
6 - Hamp's Boogie-Woogie No 2
7 - Beulah's Sister's Boogie
8 - Rag Mop

Download from here:

http://www57.zippyshare.com/v/fttSkjt8/file.html

Here are the facts, Jack, on every track!

Side 1
1 - Flying Home No 1 - recorded May 26th 1942. Released on Decca 18394
Number 3 on Billboard's Harlem Hit Parade, May 15th, 1943.

2 - Flying Home No 2 - recorded March 2nd 1944. Released on Decca 23639
Billboard, September 21st 1946: "... band packs a powerhouse into the side, with Alvin (sic) Cobb's tenor sax solo keeping pace with the standard set by Illinois Jacquet in the original cutting. No mistaking the Hampton jump designs here, and spinning is on the terrific side for the jump set."

3 - Hamp's Boogie-Woogie, No 1 - recorded March 2nd 1944. Released on Decca 18613, July 1944.
Number 1 in the Harlem Hit Parade, September 9th, 1944. Louis Jordan's "G.I. Jive" was number 2.

4 - Tempo's Boogie - recorded October 16th 1944. Released on Decca 18910, July 1946.
Billboard tip, August 3rd, 1946 - "With beaucoup vibe work, phono fans will take some to 'Tempo's Boogie.'"

5 - Beulah's Boogie - recorded May 21st 1945. Released on Decca 18719
Billboard November 8th 1945: "unlike most originals this Hampton by Hampton is really swell stuff. It's something to write home about in ledger black ink. Beulah and Hampton are both okay, even in conservative spots." Number 2 on Billboard's Most Played Juke Box Race Records chart, December 22nd, 1945. Joe Liggins' "The Honeydripper" was number 1. Number 3 on February 9th, 1946. Louis Jordan's "Buzz Me" was number 1.

6 - Slide, Hamp, Slide
7 - Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop - tracks 6 and 7 recorded December 1st 1945. Both issued on Decca 18754, January 1946. "Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop" became a huge seller, reaching number 9 in the pop charts and dominating the race charts for over half a year. Billboard review of "Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop" on February 9th, 1946:
"Chalk this one up as no.1 played (best seller) race disk right now, and it should also prove big with Hamp's fans in any kind of nabe in retail sales, or any location. Tune, penned by Hamp and Curly Hamner, is a jive natch, and the Hampton band, plus a vocal by the maestro, sell it right up to the hilt. You'll be hearing plenty of cats yelling 'Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop.'"

8 - Rockin' In Rhythm Parts 1 and 2 - recorded January 29th, 1946. Released on Decca 24415, April 1948. Billboard review, May 8th 1948: "Hamp takes the Ellington oldie over the coals for two sides, with Part 1 stacking up as the juke bet with its Hamp and wild sax solos, raucous band and heavy handed rhythm."

Side 2
1 - Air Mail Special Parts 1 and 2 - recorded January 31st, 1946. Released on Decca 18880, June 1946. Billboard, June 29th, 1946: "It's a field day for the hot horns in the Hampton household. But instead of re-bopy, it's a speed jam special for Benny Goodman's familiar 'Air Mail Special' stomper. Instrumental stars play it hot and heavy for both sides with the maestro's own vibe hammerings stealing the solo spotlight. The B-side, with beaucoup vibes and hot tenoring, provides more steam for the phono spin."

2 - Cobb's Idea - recorded January 31st, 1946. Unissued on Decca. Arnett Cobb recorded a different version with a small group for Apollo Records on May 13th, 1947, which was released on Apollo 772, September 1947.

3 - Hamp's Walkin' Boogie - recorded September 17th, 1946. Released on Decca 23839, along with "Ridin' On The L & N" and released February 1947.

4 - Red Top - recorded November 7th, 1947. Released on Decca 24281 in January 1948. Billboard, 17th January 1948:"Tastiest, cleanest Hamp instrumental in some time. Good riff, solos, cleffing." B-side was "Giddy-Up."

5 - Midnight Sun - recorded November 10th, 1947. Released on Decca 24429  and also as part of the May 1948 Decca album "New Movements In Be-Bop" which consisted of 4 Hampton 78 rpm singles.

6 - Hamp's Boogie-Woogie No 2 - recorded January 28th, 1949. Released on Decca 24607 with "New Central Avenue Breakdown" on other side.

7 - Beulah's Sister's Boogie - recorded January 28th, 1949. Released on Decca 24699 in August 1949. Other side was "Wee Albert." Both sides feature Albert Ammons on piano.

8 - Rag Mop - recorded December 29, 1949. Released on Decca 24855 in January 1950. Other side was "For You My Love." Billboard February 15th, 1950 - disc is number 12 in the best selling Rhythm and Blues chart and number 5 in most juke box plays for R&B records. On May 20th disk is still in juke box chart at number 4.

Recommended purchase:

Properbox 12 - "The Lionel Hampton Story". A 4 CD set covering his small group sides recorded for Victor 1937 - 1940 (CD1) plus 3 CDs covering the Decca big band sides from 1942 - 1949. Includes terrific booklet by Joop Visser. Might be getting hard to get, so hurry, hurry!

Lionel Hampton - Live in Paris (2LP set)

My thanks go to a donor from Switzerland who ripped this rare 2LP set of a Lionel Hampton concert at the Olympia in Paris.

Although the inside of the gatefold sleeve states that this album was recorded at the Olympia in 1961, it is in fact a recording of a 1956 concert at the world famous Paris venue. The tracks were recorded on the 28th and 30th of January. The band personnel includes Eddie Chamblee and Rickey Brauer on tenor saxes and Curtis Lowe on baritone sax.

For the most part this is red hot raucous stuff played to a wildly enthusiastic audience. It’s just the kind of thing that used to get certain jazz critics shaking their heads and muttering in disapproval at such disorderly goings on at a jazz concert, but it’s also the kind of music that is the very essence of Be Bop Wino. One thought that occurred to me while listening was – “with music like this already in existence, why did they bother inventing rock and roll?” Keep on boogying!

Ripped from vinyl at 128 kbps. Password = greaseyspoon. Sleeve scans included.

Download from here:

Link Removed
Or here:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ZL2ROPB5

Many thanks again to our anonymous donor!

1. Albuquerque
2. Paulette's Boogie
3. Panama
4. Gladys
5. Flying At The Olympia
6. Memories Of You
7. Halleluia
8. Battle Of The Saxes
9. One O'Clock Jump
10. The Rice
11. Blues For Sacha
12. Where Or When
13. Patricia's Boogie
14. Perdido
15. Drums Fight
16. Rocking At The Olympia
17. Blues One
18. Clopin Clopant
19. 10 Rue Caumartin
20. Hey Ba Ba Re Bop

Lionel Hampton - In The Bag!

Here is another album in Charly’s “Big Band Bounce & Boogie” series, and this is the second of the Lionel Hampton issues in the series. See the earlier post “Leapin’ With Lionel” for another helping of the hardest swinging big band of them all.

Tracks 1-12 were recorded between 1942 and 1950 in the heyday of the Hampton outfit and are a mixture of swing, jazz and R&B. Musicians include Illinois Jacquet, Jack McVea, Charles Mingus, Morris Lane, Arnett Cobb, Johnny Griffin and Johnny Sparrow. There’s also a fine blues shouting vocal from Sonny Parker on “Hamp’s Gumbo No.2”.

The final four tracks were recorded live at the Silver Supper Club in Las Vegas in 1963 and are pleasant enough jazz, but don’t really stand comparison with the earlier tracks from the great days of swing and early R&B.

Ripped from cassette at 320 kbps. Password = greaseyspoon

Download from here:

http://rapidshare.com/files/143141341/In_The_Bag_.rar

Or here:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=KH51BV53

1. In The Bag
2. Dig Those Vibes
3. Jack The Fox Boogie
4. How High The Moon
5. Million Dollar Smile
6. Turkey Hop (Parts 1 & 2)
7. Double Talk
8. Empty Glass (Normania)
9. Hamp's Gumbo No 2
10. Mingus Fingers
11. Three Minutes On 52nd Street
12. Hamp's Got A Duke
13. Dancing On The Ceiling
14. Blues For Little 'T'
15. Memories Of You
16. Silver Slipper