Seeking recommendations of pre-Swing big band recordings

[Solomon]

I'm always writing new arrangements to expand the reportoire of my ten-piece orchestra, and right now I want to do so by regressing in time. Currently most of my book is stuff from the late 1930s to the mid 1960s, with a special emphasis on late 1950s (New Testament Basie etc.) I want to start doing a bunch of music from the period 1915-1935.

Therefore, I'm asking for recommendations ("requests", if you will) of recordings from that period that I should take a listen to! Here are my parameters. Because of the size of my band (three reeds, three brass, four rhythm), I'm going to focus on songs with great written arrangements rather than collective improvisation. In other words, I'm more interested in pre-Swing big band repertoire (or small-group repertoire with a minimum of group improvisation) than polyphonic New Orleans hot jazz. I'm also looking for instrumental music rather than vocals.

For example, here are some artists I'm thinking of (with examples of the sort of song I mean)

• Duke Ellington (The Mooche, Saturday Night Function, Black Beauty, many others)
• Benny Moten (Moten Swing)
• Jimmie Lunceford (Flaming Reeds And Screaming Brass, White Heat, Stomp It Off)
• Fletcher Henderson (King Porter Stomp, Sugar Foot Stomp)
• Jelly Roll Morton (Deep Creek, New Orleans Bump)
• Fats Waller (The Minor Drag)
• King Oliver (Struggle Buggy)
• Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra (Casa Loma Stomp, San Sue Strut)
• Mound City Blue Blowers (Hello Lola!)
• Reuben Reeves (Yellow Five)

By the way, I love vocal music, and I love New Orleans-style group improvisation. It's just that my band is not well-suited to playing that kind of stuff.

Oh, and also, I'd especially appreciate stuff that's between 120bpm and 220bpm... it seems much easier to come up with great stuff outside of that range, as you can see from my list above. But feel free to suggest songs at any tempo, as long as they were recorded before 1936.

Thanks in advance! I look forward to seeing what suggestions you guys can come up with.

Solomon

[Solomon]

Oh, and to clarify:

1. It obviously doesn't have to be songs for which published sheet music exists. I'm going to write my own arrangements based on the recordings.

2. I'm looking for good music for "swing dancing" (Charleston, Balboa, Blues, Collegiate Shag, Lindy Hop, Peabody, etc.)

Once I narrow my selections down to about 20 songs, I'll write the charts. You can hear my band play all this great music at the Ottawa exchange at the end of June!

Solomon

[CafeSavoy]

You could look into Don Redman and the McKinney Cotton Pickers material
(http://www.redhotjazz.com/cotton.html). Some of the songs i like include Stop Kidding, It's Tight Like That, Four or Five Times, I Want A Little Girl, and If I Could Be With You.

Another artist who might qualify is Chick Webb who has some early material.

[texas-eddie]

Hmmm, I've lately been listening to a lot of Louis Armstrong's stuff from that era (Mahogany Hall Stomp, Savoyager's Stomp, Symphonic Raps).

Can't wait to hear what you've got planned!

[Campus Five]

There are several stocks that you could use as a base - why reinvent the wheel if you don't have to?
Check out www.yestertunes.com
Also there are plenty of late 20's-early 30's tunes already written for a 3/3 band on there.

[Solomon]

cool, that looks like a great resource. thanks, jonathan.

the reason i want to reinvent the wheel is that i enjoy learning about the music by transcribing it. i'm sort of stubborn that way.

There are several stocks that you could use as a base - why reinvent the wheel if you don't have to?
Check out www.yestertunes.com
Also there are plenty of late 20's-early 30's tunes already written for a 3/3 band on there.

[Matthew]

Joseph Robichaux and His New Orleans Rhythm Boys, all the way. "She Don't Love Me," and "Why Should I Cry for You?" would probably fit your criteria. Most of the rest is above 250, but is flat-out spectacular. My choice would be "King Kong Stomp," but it's about 250.

[Campus Five]

I've learned a lot just by copying arangements in to the computer and then reaaranging them slightly. It's not a totally education-less experience.

[Eyeball]

I like those King Oliver Victors from 1929 - 1932? Good charts, good playing and good sound quality.

[Eyeball]

You know who is unjustly neglected? BEN POLLACK!

His Victor sides from the late 20s can be hot hot hot! And at the very least - peppy. BG, JT and lots of fine sidemen.

Oh - tossing in a plug for the hotter Ted Lewis sides - like the collector's fave -"Dip Your Brush In the Sunshine" - Man, that's a great side! Even Lewis can't mess it up...and he sings on it, too.

[trev]

A few suggestions:

Black Bottom - Johnny Hamp's Kentucky Serenaders (1925)
Lindbergh Hop - Te Roy Williams & His Orchestra (1927)
Flaming Youth - Duke Ellington (1929)
Saratoga Drag - Louis Russell (1930)
The Growl - Mills Blue Rhythm Band (1932)
Wrappin it Up - Fletcher Henderson (1934)
Rose Room - Jimmie Lunceford (1934)
There's Rhythm In Harlem - Mills Blue Rhythm Band (1935)
Oh Boy! - Jimmie Lunceford (1935)

It would be especially nice to have fresh recordings of good arrangements that are either poorly recorded or never covered.

[Toon Town Dave]

Besides all the suggestions above, check out some of Benny Carter's early stuff. Most of it is either Benny Carter and His Orchestra or the Chocolate Dandies.

[Eyeball]

http://www.redhotjazz.com/pollackpco.html

I had forgotten how many great things he did!

BASHFUL BABY
BUY BUY FOR BABY
FUTURISTIC RHYTHM
MY KINDA LOVE

[zzzzoom]

2. I'm looking for good music for "swing dancing" (Charleston, Balboa, Blues, Collegiate Shag, Lindy Hop, Peabody, etc.)

More of a Charleston feel:
I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate - Jan Garber - 1928
South - Bennie Moten - 1928
El Rado Scuffle - Jimmie Noone - 1930
Edna - King Oliver - 1930
I'm Crazy 'bout My Baby - 1931

More of a bal feel:
Madhouse - Earl Hines - 1932
Shim Sham Shimmy - Dorsey Brothers - 1933
By Heck - Dorsey Brothers - 1933
Hocus Pocus - Fletcher Henderson - 1934
Troubled - Frankie Trumbauer - 1934

Keep us posted on your progress, Solomon!

[Swifty]

That Lindy Hop - Duke Ellington (1930) There's a vocal on the 1930 recording but I've got one or two instrumental versions of it.