unicornmeat

As promised, it is side 2 of “In the Dark“.
I think this might be a little higher quality. This is the side with the Bee Palmer tracks.

In the Dark (side 2)

Since it’s been forever since I’ve done a real music post, I’m gonna put up a whole LP – and an interesting one at that.
This is the kind of record that makes me want to go out and buy records. I don’t remember where this came from but I doubtless bought it for the Bee Palmer track.
Years ago I wrote about my interest in Bee.
Since then I’ve read more about her here and there, including an interesting mention in Remembering Bix.. I saw a screenplay for “The Bee Palmer Story” on ebay but I didn’t win it.
Okay, big digression there.. carried away on Bee.
Not much about this record online other than this unfactual review.
Apparently this is a collection of “aluminum-based studio recordings” found in an antique shop.
I believe that these recordings comprise the only evidence of a jazz scene character by the name of Bill Alamshah, whose story is told on the back of this album cover. So in 1932-1935 he recorded with these dudes, including Bee aka “Beze”, Louis Prima, David Rose, Gene Krupa and Jess Stacy.
The notes make a few mentions of Alamshah’s love of Louis Armstrong. (show me someone who doesn’t..). Like this:
“[Rose and Alamshah] would burn the midnight oil playing [Armstrong] records using sewing machine needles.”
That sounds so dreamy aside from the destroying records part.
Bill’s nickname was “White Louie”..

This LP was released in 83. The typewriter font on the back makes it seem older.. it’s hard to believe that this is the same year that Taco was reviving “Puttin On the Ritz”.

In The Dark (side 1)*

*okay not a whole LP – the other half is on it’s way… soon

non related image. I have this poster.

Part 2: 1920 To 1929 THE ROARING TWENTIES with the actual voices and music of The Original Dixieland Jazz Band, Sophie Tucker, Paul Whiteman, George Gershwin, Irving Caesar, Franklin Bauer, Maurice Chevalier, Charles King, Helen Kane, Gene Austin, Wendel Hall, Vaughn De Leath, Jones & Hare.

George Jessel
Show biz Part 2
RCA Victor (1953)

Next time:

Part 3: 1929 To 1940 WHEN WALL STREET LAID AN EGG
Part 4: 1940 To Date FROM TV TO 3-D

Happy November Sunday. Next week I’ll hole up in the kitchen baking pies and swaying around to mellow old big band songs like this one.
With the mild air outside and the smell of leaves I can’t stop myself from remembering this same time of every notable year before this one.
I had a great weekend actually. I went to see the Jesus Lizard and Double Dagger on Friday, and enjoyed company of old friends before a good show.
On Saturday I went to see Twilight : New Moon and laughed a lot. I took my dog on long walks.
I could wistfully remember this weekend next year, perhaps.

Harry James and his Orchestra
Autumn Serenade
Columbia 36838 (1945)

yesss
Hi Lloyd!!

Ray Noble’s band with vocal by Al Bowly
Midnight with the Stars and You

This is a piano-roll disc of “Scott Joplin’s New Rag,” on ebay. I wish it was a 78. I need to look and see if that song was ever recorded from a contemporary piano roll or on a 78. I have the version of Max Morath playing it and I like it a lot. I never learned any ragtime aside from The Entertainer. Outside of that it was all classical stuff, and I regret that. If I’d known about jazz when I was young enough to learn things I’d have learned to play it.
I was recording some songs with this guy Tim Kaye a few years ago and he had the sheet music for all of Scott Joplin’s songs, so I made him play it for me. And he did, because he can actually read music. Like.. look right at it and play it. There’s a lot of people in the world who can do that but I’ve only ever met a few and I envy them all.
If I could still learn things I’d learn “Scott Joplin’s New Rag.” But I’d also be happy to have an old scratchy record of it. No lovely clear tones recorded on a nice piano in the 1970s.
I like having things on 78 because all the best music is on 78rpm records. I’ve known this from the first time I noticed them being played, at the Circle Bar in New Orleans, around Christmas 2000 or 2001.
I finally found a few podcasts catering to my tastes. Unfortunately I don’t think most of them are still being updated.
I really like Shellac Stack but it hasn’t been updated in months and seems defunct. It’s good and always averages in the 45-50 minute range.
The Sound of 78s is about as good but its only about 20 minutes long.
The Antique Phonograph Music program on WFMU is over an hour but some of that hour is the beginning of the show after it. Plus, there’s not archives of the show except in RealAudio.

And now, an update on China Night. I noticed tonight that I have another record with the exact same song… sung in English. And the singer is “Grace Amemiya.” Searching her name turns up very little but it’s nice to know anyway. A friend commented that the song can be attributed to “Hamako something and the Columbia Orchestra.” These answers probably consolidate somehow.
It is with great regret that I warn you that the record is scratched. So I also put up the B-Side, a song which reminds me of an old Disney fairy tale cartoon.

Grace Amemiya
China Night
Apple Song
late 1940s – Nippon Columbia

The Stars Salute Irving Berlin

May as well paste the link to this here. This was one of the first CDs I bought when I wanted to know more about old timey music. I knew Irving Berlin’s name because Eva Cassidy sang his songs on “Live at Blues Alley.”
I got many new favorites and became aware of the awkward truths about the era I was discovering (“Shakin The Blues Away”).
Apparently this CD is out of print because it’s only sold used for $40 on Amazon.
So here it is, for a limited time only.

I forgot.. I made a unicornmeat mix on “muxtape.” It’s a neat site but you have to be at your computer I guess and I never listen to music at my computer. i wish it would turn the whole thing into one long mp3.
Anyway
unicornmeat.muxtape.com

Baltimore Society Orchestra
Headin’ For Baltimore
(1922)

I wonder if this song was entitled after selecting a phrase from a bag. Or maybe just a city name from a bag. Or maybe there’s a version with lyrics that I haven’t heard.
Anyway whatever.
According to this site, “the Dixie Daisies was a recording pseudonym used by Cameo Records and its subsidiary label Romeo for many Sam Lanin recordings.” You may recall Sam Lanin from this other unicornmeat post.

Baltimore Society Orchestra
Cross My Heart Mother, I Love You
(1925?)

The other side of this record is a song credited to “The Tricky Ten”, which was otherwise known as “Eddie Peabody’s Dance Orchestra”, and had another recording on Oriole in 1925. Baltimore Society Orchestra also has a recording from 1925 called “I Miss My Swiss.” That’s basically all I know.