Hey DJs! Does anyone play.......

[Haydn]

Now because of this thread I'm sitting at work, listening the Harry James in my collection.

There are really only two that I consistently dj . . .

Flash

and

Texas Chatter

I've got quite into early Harry James. As well as being a star trumpeter and long-time bandleader, he wrote a lot of songs, including:

I'm Beginning To See The Light
One O'Clock Jump
Peckin'
Two O'Clock Jump

Few Harry James tracks seem to be played at dances, and those that are are usually the later 1950s recordings - Two O'Clock Jump, Strictly Instrumental etc. But I think the earlier recordings have much more energy. Early recordings of Flash always seems to go down well . I've played Sharp As A Tack and it seemed to be well received. There are some stonking early versions of Two O'Clock Jump (This is the 1939 version, but I prefer the slower 1941 version, which you can find on eMusic (see below) - this goes down well with dancers). Most early versions have tons more energy than the popular 1955 one.

A lot of people seem to dismiss Harry James after being disappointed with the later stuff and don't discover the 'hot' earlier tracks that you can find on albums like Record Session: 1939-1942. This album is also on eMusic as is Flight Of The Bumble Bee (check out the 'Two O'Clock Jump' on this album). There are lots of other good tracks recorded between 1937 and 1942 which I think would work at lindy hop dances. The tracks can be hard to find, but an increasing number are on eMusic (and, I'm sure, on iTunes and Amazon mp3 downloads).

[J-h:n]

As well as being a star trumpeter and long-time bandleader, he wrote a lot of songs, including:

I'm Beginning To See The Light
One O'Clock Jump
Peckin'
Two O'Clock Jump

I don't think HJ really wrote any of those songs. He might have put his name on them to get a piece of the royalties (a common practice back in the days), but I'd say that's about it.

2OJ is really just a version of 1OJ. And that was ALL Basie. Did HJ really try to claim composer's credit for 1OJ? I've never seen any name but Basie on it.

IBTSTL was all Ellington. The lyricist, Don George, brought it to James who recorded it before Ellington could (Ellington was with Victor, which hadn't yet come to terms with AFM.) And Peckin' was lifted note for note from Cootie Williams' trumpet solo on Rockin' in Rhythm.

Having said that, I absolutely agree about HJ:s hot early music. There's some really good stuff there. Songs that I'd DJ include:

One O'Clock Jump (his version is probably unique in that it never gets to the theme; it's mostly solos over riffing. Great solos.)

Two O'Clock Jump (which sort of starts where 1OJ takes off)

Back Beat Boogie

Flash

Flatbush Flanagan

Sharp as a Tack

Jeffrie's Blues

Yes, Indeed! (not as good as Tommy Dorsey's version, but nice as a change of pace)

Stompin' at the Savoy (double-sided and so a little long at 6:52, but it's a lovely version, great for birthday jams and the like)

All from British Jasmine Records' 2CD compilation I've heard That Song Before, which is about 1/3 good, 1/3 so-so and 1/3 horrible. Which, come to think of it, nicely sums up my feelings for Mr. James' music.

[Haydn]

As well as being a star trumpeter and long-time bandleader, he wrote a lot of songs, including:

I'm Beginning To See The Light
One O'Clock Jump
Peckin'
Two O'Clock Jump

I don't think HJ really wrote any of those songs. He might have put his name on them to get a piece of the royalties (a common practice back in the days), but I'd say that's about it.

2OJ is really just a version of 1OJ. And that was ALL Basie. Did HJ really try to claim composer's credit for 1OJ? I've never seen any name but Basie on it.

IBTSTL was all Ellington. The lyricist, Don George, brought it to James who recorded it before Ellington could (Ellington was with Victor, which hadn't yet come to terms with AFM.) And Peckin' was lifted note for note from Cootie Williams' trumpet solo on Rockin' in Rhythm.

Oops . I was wrong - sorry! Harry James was an arranger, and, I think, composer. But I'm sure you're right about One O'Clock Jump being by Basie ...

http://www.jazzstandards.com/compositio ... ckjump.htm

(some sources have James' name against it for some recordings - perhaps he re-arranged it?). Gunther Schuller on page 24 of his book 'The Swing Era' says that James wrote Peckin'. I'm Beginning To See The Light was written by Ellington, but, I think re-arranged by James or his staff for the James band's recording. In summary, I think I should have said that James was an arranger and composer who arranged and wrote many songs, as well as playing trumpet and leading bands.

[Eyeball]

.....I think I should have said that James was an arranger and composer who arranged and wrote many songs.....

I don't think so. His name as composer is on very few songs and I never heard of him being an arranger.

Where is this information sourcing from?

[Haydn]

Where is this information sourcing from?

Gunther Schuller's 'The Swing Era':

p.24 "The twenty year old James wrote Peckin' originally for Pollack."
p.25 "Another fine example of Harry James's exuberant arranging skills is Life Goes To A Party"

[Haydn]

Flatbush Flanagan

Stompin' at the Savoy (double-sided and so a little long at 6:52, but it's a lovely version, great for birthday jams and the like)

All from British Jasmine Records' 2CD compilation I've heard That Song Before

I love 'Flatbush Flanagan' . Must check out that Stompin' At The Savoy too - thanks.

[J-h:n]

Where is this information sourcing from?

Gunther Schuller's 'The Swing Era':

p.24 "The twenty year old James wrote Peckin' originally for Pollack."
p.25 "Another fine example of Harry James's exuberant arranging skills is Life Goes To A Party"

I'd say that HJ tried his hand at writing and arranging at a young age, but gave it up quite early. Sure, James got writing credits for Peckin'. Who really wrote a tune is often a moot point - many songs were collaborative efforts which the band leader took credit for, many songs were based on more or less shamelessly borrowed ideas. And anyone who could get away with it would put his name as composer - just look at all the early Ellington songs "co-written" by Irving Mills.

[Eyeball]

Where is this information sourcing from?

Gunther Schuller's 'The Swing Era':

p.24 "The twenty year old James wrote Peckin' originally for Pollack."
p.25 "Another fine example of Harry James's exuberant arranging skills is Life Goes To A Party"

OK...but that only indicates he wrote one song and arranged another song. There no indication there that he was a prolific writer and arranger.

[Haydn]

I'd say that HJ tried his hand at writing and arranging at a young age, but gave it up quite early. Sure, James got writing credits for Peckin'. Who really wrote a tune is often a moot point - many songs were collaborative efforts which the band leader took credit for, many songs were based on more or less shamelessly borrowed ideas. And anyone who could get away with it would put his name as composer - just look at all the early Ellington songs "co-written" by Irving Mills.

It would be interesting to know 'the truth' behind the origin of some of these songs. How do we discover the truth though?

that only indicates he wrote one song and arranged another song. There no indication there that he was a prolific writer and arranger.

You know, you're right John

[Eyeball]

IBTSTL was all Ellington. The lyricist, Don George, brought it to James who recorded it before Ellington could (Ellington was with Victor, which hadn't yet come to terms with AFM.)

IIRC, both Columbia (James' label) and Victor (Ellington's label) both signed agreements with the AFM in the middle of November 1944 and their artists began recording again immediately. So unless Columbia signed right before Victor did and Victor artists didn't know it was happening that way, your citation likely did not go down in that manner.

[Eyeball]

that only indicates he wrote one song and arranged another song. There no indication there that he was a prolific writer and arranger.

You know, you're right John

I try to be!

[J-h:n]

IBTSTL was all Ellington. The lyricist, Don George, brought it to James who recorded it before Ellington could (Ellington was with Victor, which hadn't yet come to terms with AFM.)

IIRC, both Columbia (James' label) and Victor (Ellington's label) both signed agreements with the AFM in the middle of November 1944 and their artists began recording again immediately. So unless Columbia signed right before Victor did and Victor artists didn't know it was happening that way, your citation likely did not go down in that manner.

Right. I did a slight misreading of Dan Morgenstern's liner notes to the RCA Victor Ellington Centennial Edition. Somehow he makes the dates when the different companies signed with the AFM look more significant than they are. He's pretty straightforward about Harry James' role in the writing of the song, though:

"When Duke Ellington entered RCA Victor's New York studios on December 1, 1944, for his band's first commercial recording since the summer of 1942, his first concern was to quickly prepare for release the best possible version of a song he had recently written with lyricist Don George, I'm Beginning to See the Light. Convinced of its hit potential, the energetic George had already brought the song to Harry James, and the trumpeter had liked it so much that he had recorded it for Columbia a week earlier. That label had also just come to terms with the American Federation of Musicians. The third major label of that era, Decca, had settled in the fall of 1943. A two-year recording ban had ended. Now Ellington had to hurry to avoid being beaten to the punch with his own material.

The James version of the song rose to first position on the charts, Ellington's climbed as high as sixth, and both stayed in the Top Ten for several months, while sheet music sales ranked 15th for the year. In all, it became one of the biggest hits of Ellington's career as a songwriter, and James got his name on the song - published by the company with which he was affiliated - in recognition of his role in having made it so."

[russell]

This review on allmusic makes some interesting comments about his shift from hot stuff to more ballady stuff. Looks like driven by desire for commercial success.

http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sq ... frxqt0ldte

Coincidentally the CD in question I have sitting in my to be ripped pile at home. Will give my opinions after I have processed it.

I like the sound of some of the previews though.

[Eyeball]

This review on allmusic makes some interesting comments about his shift from hot stuff to more ballady stuff. Looks like driven by desire for commercial success.

http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sq ... frxqt0ldte

That's the same ill-informed AMG 'review' that an earlier poster in this thread cited.

[russell]

oops my bad