At my other blog

Social science is neither...

Teaser:

"All that s(ocial) scientists have contributed to society is the tradition of declaring the End of Society as We Know It every time some number shifts.  If real science behaved like that, we'd still be riding on wagons and emptying chamber pots in the town square."


Lee

Columbia acoustical gems, 1918-22

I'm not sure which word ("acoustical" or "acoustic") is correct when it comes to pre-microphone sound recordings, but I prefer the former.  You see both words used, and it's probably not that important in the infinite haul, but you've to got to wonder, still.  Certainly, either one sounds better than "horn," as in, "horn recordings."  (Aren't you glad we had this talk?)

So, what horn recordings do we have today?  Well, jazz and dance sides from my favorite Columbia label period, the late Teens and early Twenties.  We start with two sides by the magnificent Wilbur Sweatman and his Original Jazz Orch., including my all-time favorite, Ringtail Blues (1918). This recording changed the way I experience jazz history--I first heard a copy 30+ years ago while stationed in Scotland, and I retained it in memory, almost down to the last note, staccato trumpet line, and manic drum figure.  A marching band gone berserk, I called it. You'll hear a digitization of my musical memory.  No, actually, you'll hear my recently acquired VG- copy of the 78.

Then, two 1918 dance masterpieces by Earl Fuller's Rector Novelty Orch., an outfit way more interesting in terms of early jazz than the same leader's imitation-Dixieland outfit that recorded for Victor.  Enter Gorman's Novelty Syncopators with the ingenious Barkin' Dog (1919), a track which--long before the days of Elvis--features a fade-out ending!  Gorman, by the way, is Paul Whiteman's own Ross Gorman.

The Waldorf-Astoria Singing Orchestra's mega-campy version of The Vamp, a tune campy enough to start with, is jazzy only in the sense of being pretty peppy for 1919.  Great fun, though.  Meanwhile, the 1922 Frank Westphal side is a bit too labored to sound very "hot."  However--I say, however--, Harry Yerke's Happy Six numbers are jazz through and through (and astonishing so, for the period).  Of course, by the conventional definition of jazz--i.e., solo work, and more solo work--they're way too premeditated to count as anything but partial jazz, but Ken Burns doesn't write this blog, I do.  So there.

To the acoustic/acoustical sounds: Columbia acoustical gems, 1918-22.

PLAYLIST (All restorations by me and MAGIX)

Ringtail Blues--Wilbur Sweatman's Orig. Jazz Band (Col. A-2682; 1918)
Bluin' the Blues--Same.
Sand Dunes--Earl Fuller's Rector Novelty Orch. (Col. A-2697; 1918)
Spaniola--Same.
Barkin' Dog--Gorman's Novelty Syncopators (Col. A-2844; 1919)
Toot, Toot, Tootsie! (Goo'Bye)--Frank Westphal and His Rainbo O. (Col. A-3706; 1922)
Why Should I Cry Over You--Knickerbocker Orch., Dir. Eddie Elkins (Same)
Wimmin (I've Got to Have Them That's All)--The Happy Six (Col. A-3542; 1921)
Good-Bye, Shanghai!--Same
The Vamp--Waldorf-Astoria Singing Orch. (Col. A-2758; 1919)
Dardanella--Prince's Dance Orch. (Col. A-2851; 1919)


Lee

I hear the train a'coming...

From 1925, Kelly Harrell's Rovin' Gambler, and its flip, New River Train.   On the first, listen for the lyrics, "I hear the train a'oming, a'coming 'round the curve...."  Sound familiar?  That line later showed up in Gordon Jenkins' Crescent City Blues (1953), and then in Johnny Cash's Crescent City rip-off , Folsom Prison Blues (1955).

I cut as much hiss as I could from these sides--unfortunately, the engineer forgot to turn up the gain, so the performances are very quiet.  Which wouldn't be a problem if this disc were fresh from the stamper and blessed with a silent surface.  However....

Tolerable, nevertheless.  Harrell did a second version in 1926--you can find that one on Youtube.

hRovin' Gambler; New River Train--Kelly Harrell (1925)


Lee

Some of us know how to celebrate science, anyway

At my "Pontifications" blog, I offer friendly and heartfelt--I mean, Hartsfeld--advice to CFI's bloggers on how to respect the accomplishments of science without resorting to a sermon.  I do this by resorting to a sermon as I praise the NASA Mars landing.  Hey, I tried.

And I just made a couple of corrections to the "Pontification" essay: The FFRF litigation victories I cited have actually been successful threats of litigation. Cease and desist, iow.  To maintain the facade of protecting freedom of worship from govt. intrusion--and no one cares more about freedom of worship than those who consider worship dangerous and idiotic-- the group goes after mayors, etc.  Our modern reading of the "establishment" clause (a phrase taken from our one-sentence First Amendment) virtually begs such behavior, since it defines religion as a threat to democracy; this leaves the practicing of faith wide open to attacks in the name of preserving Jefferson's vision.  After all, freedom of worship is a guarantee from the state--what better target than the state itself?

The Sikh temple shootings are scary and heartbreaking--such gentle people of faith, targeted because they wear turbans.  And it appears that someone's trying to start an Internet rumor that the shooter, a white supremacist, voted for Obama.  Rovester, get a life.


Lee

Send your predictions

Send your best guesses to me care of this blog.  Best guesses regarding what, you ask?  Well, Obama, Romney, and the mayor of Oak Creek, Wisc.have all mentioned prayer in their heartfelt responses to the Sikh temple shootings.  How long before we get a CSH- or FFRF-style media statement complaining about same?  Keep in mind that the first such response to the "Batman" shootings arrived the same day.

You can make your predictions in seconds, minutes, and/or hours. It would be plenty ironic if the complainers waited until after Sunday. That is, why would they?

Sunday morning gospel back next week, hopefully

With my eyesight so messed up at the moment, it's hard to keep the music going at this place.  So, I'll have to bow out of SMG for the second Sunday in a row, though I plan to have one ready for next week.  And I hope to get some stuff up during the week.

So weird.  When I use both eyes, I see double and out of focus.  When I use just my right eye, I see single.  And still out of focus.  My church gig tomorrow should be an adventure.

Wish me luck.  And stable vision at some point.



Lee