Today we pay a visit to the record room of collector and enthusiast Jonathan Holmes in Bristol, England and take a listen to some of his favorite British jazz 78s recorded in the 10s, 20s, and 30s. Jonathan's amazing collection of UK jazz from this period sheds light on some interesting examples of how the music was being created outside of America and we'll hear everything from banjo ensembles to proto-big bands!
Check out Jonathan on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/mojoman4147
British record collector Jonathan Holmes brings us a great track from Fred Elizalde from 1927 in London!
Colin Hancock joines us once again from Austin to tell us about one of his favorite tracks from the huge discography of Clarence Williams, "Lazy Mama"!
This week we bring you some stomping washboard from Chicago in 1928 for today's side of the week, featuring the great Johnny Dodds on clarinet.
Today we check out the driving and bluesy piano playing of Lillian Hardin Armstrong, who is primarily remembered for her important role in kickstarting Louis Armstrong's career during their 15 year marriage in the mid-20s. However, she was also a fantastic and skilled pianist in her own right. On this episode, we take a listen to the great stomping qualities of her playing, the engine behind the King Oliver Creole Jazz Band, Louis Armstrong' Hot 5, and many of Johnny Dodds' greatest records, as well as her rare solo moments in these ensembles and spotlight her high quality musicianship and pianism.
This week's record features the Harlem stride master James P. Johnson in a band setting with his star pupil Fats Waller on the same piano, and an 18 year old Cootie Williams on trumpet!
Multi-instrumentalist Colin Hancock shares his pick for this Friday's "Side of the Week", "Ain't Love Grand" by John Hyman's Bayou Stompers from New Orleans.
Drummer and vintage drumming expert Nicholas D. Ball from London joines Andrew for an interview about his website drumsinthetwenties.com and three of his favorite underrated drummers of the era: Stan King, Jasper Taylor, and Vic Berton.
This week's "Record of the Week" features one of the great New Orleans pioneer Jelly Roll Morton's finest "Spanish Tinge" tunes, in a classic 1923 performance.
This week's "Record of the week" features the Halfway House Orchestra, one of the many great bands who stayed in New Orleans in the 1920s, playing one of their own tunes, "Tell me Who"
On this episode we check out Earl Hines' wild 1932 piano solos of "Love me Tonight" and "Down Among the Sheltering Palms", where he shows his forward-thinking improvisational skills applied to a couple of otherwise mediocre pop tunes, transforming them into great jazz piano workouts! We'll hear the contemporaneous pop versions by Bing Crosby, Mildred Bailey and the Boswell Sisters and then hear several takes of Hines' versions, allowing us a glimpse into his music making process, and lots of amazing piano playing!
This week's "Record of the week" features the great Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra from 1926. Happy weekend!
Pianist and traditional jazz expert Andrew Oliver presents a new podcast about vintage jazz, with history, 78rpm records, stories, interviews, live performances and a "record of the week" each Friday! Here's a preview with some background and a taste of what's on the way. Full episodes first and third Wednesday of the month starting soon!