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Una Mae Carlisle
Una Mae Carlisle was a singer, pianist & songwriter, who like Fats Waller, enjoyed success playing in a boogie woogie/stride piano style and incorporating comedy into her act. She did in fact collaborate with Fats Waller who first discovered her around 1932 in Cincinatti where she was already established as a live radio performer. You can hear her accompanying him on the 1939 Waller recording of “I Can’t Give You Anything but Love.”
Two tracks on this album are my absolute favorites:
- Oh I’m Evil
- The Boogie Wooglie Piggy
I love the way that Miss Carlisle’s vocals manage to blend an innocent and carefree sweetness with a deep tone and smoky delivery. Her song lyrics crack me up 
Pure Genius: Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004), known by his stage name Ray Charles, was an American pianist and singer who shaped the sound of rhythm and blues. He brought a soulful sound to country music, pop standards. Several songs you’ve heard from the Jelly Roll Souls playing at Cat’s Corner were popularized by Ray Charles, including “I Gotta Woman” and “This Little Girl of Mine.” Here are some collections and albums worth checking out:
Larry Clinton
Larry Clinton (August 17, 1909 – May 2, 1985) was a trumpeter who became a prominent American bandleader. His practice of rearranging the works of famous composers like Debussy and Tchaikovsky and adding lyrics was known as “swinging the classics”. His version of Debussy’s “Reverie”, with vocalist Bea Wain, was particularly popular. Clinton also provided conventional arrangements for performers like the Dorsey brothers, Glen Gray, Louis Armstrong, and Bunny Berigan.
I recently went on a Larry Clinton buying binge after hearing the song “Chew Your Bubble Gum.” Clinton’s sound reminds me a lot of Benny Goodman, but I like that his rhythm section has a little bit more of a driving drum beat. Here are some fun tracks you can find on emusic.com:
- Chew Your Bubble Gum
- That’s Good Enough For Me
- Zig Zag
- Missouri Gambler
or on Amazon.com:
Enjoy!
George Gee & His Jump, Jive & Wailers
This past Thursday (March 27, 2008) at the 9:20, San Francisco dancers experienced the classy and powerhouse sound of one of the great contemporary big bands: George Gee and His Jump, Jive & Wailers.
It was an interesting contrast to the sound of the 4- and 5-piece swing combos we are used to dancing to here in SF. The Jivin’ Wailers played a number of tunes from their CD “If Dreams Come True”.
I highly recommend grabbing a copy!
or the MP3 Album:
Lionel Hampton
Lionel Hampton was an American jazz vibraphonist, percussionist, bandleader and actor. “Hamp” ranks among the great names in jazz history, having worked with a who’s who of jazz musicians, from Benny Goodman and Buddy Rich to Charlie Parker and Quincy Jones. Tunes like Lavender Coffin and Flying Home are some of his most recognizable swing dance hits and you’ll find them and more on “the Lionel Hampton Story,” a four disc box set on the Proper label.
Bunny Berigan
Rowland Bernard “Bunny” Berigan (November 2, 1908 – June 2, 1942) was an American jazz trumpeter who rose to fame during the Swing Era, but whose virtuosity and influence were shortened by a losing battle with alcoholism that ended in his early death at age 33. He played with several notable big bands include those led by the Dorsey Brothers, Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman. His solo on the Dorsey hit “Marie” became considered one of his signature performances. Berigan got the itch to lead his own band full-time and did so for about three years. Some of their records were equal in standard to the sides he cut with Goodman and Dorsey, but unfortunately they were never financially successful.
Fortunately for us, Bunny Berigan’s recordings still survive, and you can pick up some great tracks at Amazon.com mp3 downloads including some of my personal favorites off the Gangbusters album:
- Walking the Dog
- Button, Button
- Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
- Organ Grinder’s Swing
If you have any recordings of Benny Goodman in your own collection, I encourage you to listen to both of these artists back-to-back and notice some of the similarities in their musical styles.
Northern California Lindy Hop Champions: Nathan and Yon!
Wiebke took some great photos of Yon and me dancing at the 2009 Fillmore Jazz Festival. We won first place in the Northern California Lindy Hop Championship!
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