“In the Sweet Long Ago” – The King’s Orchestra & The Sterling Trio (1916)

Posted on March 14, 2024 by Richard Barry

A while ago for no particular reason I posted the song that was No. 1 on the Billboard chart on Dec. 7, 1941, the day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor (Chattanooga Choo Choo). This made me wonder what the most popular song was in America on the day the U.S. entered WWI, April 2, 1917.

The ability to provide such rankings was rudimentary at the time and had much to do with things like sheet music sales, but one can find some relevant information.

Not surprisingly as the war effort picked up steam songs like “Over There” and “Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag” would soon make their mark. One with which I was not familiar, “In the Sweet Long Ago,”  hit the charts in April of 1917 and stayed there for five weeks.

Someone has gone to a great deal of trouble to devise a methodology to rank songs of the period. You may want to check that out. Unfortunately, it may not be possible to state definitively that any one song was at No. 1 on a given day prior to 1920. My only claim is that it seems “In the Sweet Long Ago” was becoming popular as American boys started getting used to the idea they would be fighting and perhaps dying on the fields of France.

By the way, The Library of Congress National Jukebox is an amazing resource for historical sound recordings. They provide the following information on this song:

It was recorded below by the King’s Orchestra with vocals by the Sterling Trio (John H. Meyer, Albert Campbell, and Henry Burr) pictured above. The song was written by Arthur Lange and Alfred Solman, words by Bobby Heath. If you really want to dig deep, instrumentation is 2 violins, viola, flute, bass, 2 clarinets, trombone, oboe, bassoon, and 2 cornets. It is categorized as traditional/country and was recorded in New York City on December 11, 1916.

It is rather touching that this song, harkening back to simpler times, would be popular as America entered a war that would change everything.

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“Hip Strut” – Jackie McLean (1959)

Posted on March 14, 2024 by Richard Barry

“Hip Strut” is the first cut on Jackie McLean’s 1959 album New Soil, on the Blue Note label. Personnel are Jackie McLean (alto sax), Donald Byrd (Trumpet), Walter Davis Jr. (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), Pete LaRoca (drums).

As Steve Huey writes at AllMusic, “New Soil wasn’t the first session Jackie McLean recorded for Blue Note, but it was the first one released, and as the title suggests, the first glimmerings of McLean’s desire to push beyond the limits of bop are already apparent.” The implication here is that McLean’s early recordings as leader were in hard bop, though he later moved in the direction of modal jazz “without abandoning his foundation in hard bop.”

McLean created a lot of high quality music with the biggest names in jazz of his era. But what I find perhaps most interesting about the arc of his career is that, like so many of his contemporaries, he struggled with drug addiction early on but by the mid-1960s was touring internationally and then became a music teacher and drug counselor, and

In 1970 McLean joined the Hartt School of Music (now Hartt School) at the University of Hartford. He helped found the school’s department of African American music in 1980 and served as its first director; the department was renamed the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz in 2000.

Britannica

In addition, in 1970, he and his wife, Dollie McLean, along with jazz bassist Paul Brown, founded the Artists Collective, Inc. of Hartford, with the mandate of preserving the art and culture of the African Diaspora.

McLean received an American Jazz Masters fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2001 and numerous other national and international awards. In 2006, he was elected to the Down Beat Hall of Fame via the International Critics Poll. Most impressive, though, may be that McLean was the only American jazz musician to found a department of studies at a university and a community-based organization almost simultaneously, each still in existence. Impressive.

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“Chattanooga Choo Choo” – Glenn Miller & His Orchestra (1941)

Posted on March 12, 2024 by Richard Barry
220px-Chattanooga3

What, you may ask, was the No. 1 record on December 7, 1941, the day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour, precipitating WWII? Why it was “Chattanooga Choo Choo” by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra.

The song was written by Harry Warren (music) and Mack Gordon (words) and was originally featured in the 1941 movie Sun Valley Serenade.

Sun Valley Serenade is the first of the only two movies featuring The Glenn Miller Orchestra (the other is 1942’s Orchestra Wives). Besides “Chattanooga Choo Choo”, other Glenn Miller tunes in the film are “Moonlight Serenade”, “It Happened in Sun Valley”, “I Know Why (And So Do You)”, and “In the Mood”.

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The musical film starred Sonja Henie, John Payne, Glenn Miller, Milton Berle, Lynn Bari, and the Glenn Miller Orchestra as well as dancing by the Nicholas Brothers and Dorothy Dandridge. “Chattanooga Choo Choo” was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song.

The No. 1 ranking of the song is according to Billboard Magazine and was based on the 10 best selling records of the past week at a selection of national retailers from New York to Los Angeles.

“Chattanooga Choo Choo” became the #1 song across the United States on December 7, 1941, and remained there for nine weeks. The flip side of the single was “I Know Why (And So Do You)”, which was actually the A side. Funny how that works.

It was released on the RCA Bluebird label. This is the clip form Sun Valley Serenade.

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“Centerfield” – John Fogerty (1985)

Posted on March 6, 2024 by Richard Barry
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Spring is on the horizon and the Boys of Summer are warming up for the real thing. No better time for this classic, which I thought was called “Put Me In, Coach,” but no, it’s called “Centerfield,” as is the album from which it comes, which was John Fogerty‘s third solo effort, released in 1985.

I do understand that it is not uncommon to hear this song played at baseball games around the country and, I did not know, in 2010 John Fogerty became the only musician to be feted at a Hall of Fame induction ceremony when “Centerfield” was honored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

I did,  however, remember that the song was used in 1988 in the movie Bull Durham.

All very cool.

Let’s not forget it’s a rockin’ tune and a real foot-tapper. And the video, complete with vintage footage, is also very nice.

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“Garbage Man Blues” – Pokey LaFarge (2013)

Posted on March 5, 2024 by Richard Barry

I have been enjoying Pokey LaFarge‘s music the past several years, once I discovered him, probably surfing the net late one night. It’s right in the sweet spot for me: old time blues, string band stuff, with a clarinet and a harp thrown in. Just fantastic.

Some highlights from his bio tell us that Mr. LaFarge is “a musician, songwriter, bandleader, entertainer, innovator and preservationist.” He plays a “mix of early jazz, string ragtime, country blues and western swing.” He was born Andrew Heissler in Bloomington, Illinois, in 1983, where he developed an early interest in American literature and history, as well as roots music of the 20th century. After high school he hit the road, often playing on street corners, and meeting others with similar interests which led to the formation of a band and a recording career including ten studio albums since 2006.

This song below, “Garbage Man Blues,” appeared on a 2013 album called Pokey Lafarge – Live. The performance was done at Music City Roots, a live radio program out of Madison, Tennessee. Yes, this is the thing.

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“Black Mountain Rag” – Gordie MacKeeman and His Rhythm Boys (2015)

Posted on March 5, 2024 by Richard Barry

The Mariposa Folk Festival announced their line-up recently for this summer’s event, which will as usual take place at Tudhope Park in Orillia, Ontario in early July – this year the 5th to the 7th. I’ll be there covering things for Roots Music Canada. Lots of good stuff to take in that weekend, some of which I’ll be previewing here from time to time.

First up is a string band hailing from Prince Edward Island called Gordie MacKeenan and His Rhythm Boys. The group is made up of Gordie MacKeeman (fiddle, acoustic guitar, feet percussion, vocals), Peter Cann (guitars, banjo, vocals), Thomas Webb (guitars, bass, banjo, steel guitar, vocals), and Jason Burbine (bass, percussion, guitar, vocals).

Discogs lists five albums by the group coming out every few years beginning in 2010. The most recent is called Dreamland and it came out in 2019, which appears to be a kid’s album based on the subtitle: Folk for Little Folk.

Their website says that “the roots quartet features all-star pickers and singers, with everything from down-home country to reckless rockabilly to intricate bluegrass.” By the look of things, they are an exciting live show with hot fiddling and picking and the occasional bit of Canadian clogging and step dancing.

They have garnered a bunch of awards including the “Roots/Traditional Group Recording of the Year” at the 2014 East Coast Music Awards. Tom Power, host of CBC Radio’s Deep Roots, called them his “Best Discovery Band” that year at the ECMAs.

Though the tune below is from an earlier recording, it probably gives a better sense of what they do than the most recent material. My guess is they will be a pretty heavy draw at this years Mariposa.

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“Lookin’ Out My Back Door” – Creedence Clearwater Revival (1970)

Posted on March 5, 2024 by Richard Barry

This is another song that sure sounds like it’s about drugs but that the author, John Fogerty, swears is not. With lyrics like “giants doing cartwheels, “statues wearing high heels,” and a reference to flying spoons, the speculation is understandable. Fogerty has always, however, stuck to the claim that the playful references make sense if you understand that it was written for his three-year old son, Josh. In fairness, the ever-helpful site Songfacts points out that Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) were never known to be into the whole psychedelic drugs thing so we’ll take Fogerty at this word.

Another fun fact is that the lyrics contain a reference to country singer Buck Owens, which is interesting because the song draws on what is sometimes called the Bakersfield sound, a style with which Owens is closely identified.

“Lookin’ Out My Back Door” was included on CCR’s fifth album Cosmos Factory. The flip side was a beautiful gospel/New Orleans soul thing called “As Long As I Can See the Light.” The two songs were released as a double-sided single getting up to #2 in the U.S. As much fun as “Lookin'” is, “As Long As I Can See the Light” is a powerful slow ballad beautifully showing off Fogerty’s pipes. In fact, when Fogerty went solo, this was a song that frequently appeared in his live shows. Bonus track below.

Some seriously good Rock “N” Roll going on here.

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“On the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe” – Johnny Mercer and the Pied Pipers (1945)

Posted on March 5, 2024 by Richard Barry

As a thought exercise, I was wondering what song topped the American charts on August 15, 1945, also known as Victory over Japan Day (VJ-Day), or the day hostilities ended for WWII (with hostilities having already ended in Europe on May 8th). And the answer to the question is “On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe,” recorded by Johnny Mercer and the Pied Pipers. The music was written by Harry Warren with lyrics by Mercer. It was published in 1944, and was at #1 from July 28, 1945 to September 14, 1945.

The song was then featured in the 1946 film, The Harvey Girls, where it was sung by Judy Garland, along with members of the MGM Chorus (Ben Carter, Marjorie Main, Virginia O’Brien, Ray Bolger). “The Atchison, Topeka, and the Sante Fe” won the 1946 Academy Award for the Best Original Song as featured in this movie.

I mention the Garland version not only because it won an Academy Award, but because when a lot of people hear this song, they hear Garland’s voice singing it. I know I did. The list of additional covers for such a catchy tune is long, including Bing Crosby, Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra, Rosemary Clooney, and Petula Clark. More recently came Harry Connick, Jr. and even John Denver(!).

If you don’t know, it’s a song about a railroad – an iconic American railroad with some destinations mentioned in the lyrics. The point, however, is that this would have been one of the songs on the lips of Americans as they celebrated the end of the war, and as they started to think about what would come next in their lives. For that reason alone, aside from the fact that it is wonderful tune, it is of interest.

First clip up is Mercer because that is the answer to my question, as above. Bonus track is the Garland, because you have to.

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“Have You Met Miss Jones?” – Lucky Thompson (1959)

Posted on March 4, 2024 by Richard Barry

Eli “Lucky” Thompson (1924-2005)  played tenor and soprano saxophone. He was one of the earlier musicians, along with Coltrane and Steve Lacy, to reintroduce the soprano sax as a jazz instrument.

His career arc saw him starting out playing swing with the orchestras of Lionel Hampton, Don Redman, Billy Eckstine (along with Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker), Lucky Millinder, and Count Basie. He worked in rhythm and blues, then in bebop and hard bop with Kenny Clarke, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and Milt Jackson.

Jason Ankeny at AllMusic writes:

Born in Columbia, SC, . . .  tenor saxophonist Lucky Thompson bridged the gap between the physical dynamism of swing and the cerebral intricacies of bebop, emerging as one of his instrument’s foremost practitioners and a stylist par excellence.

Due in part to a distaste for the music business, he moved to Paris in the late ’50s and early ’60s where he recorded and also during this time began playing soprano sax. Some time in the mid-70s he left the music business entirely. Sadly, it was reported that he was homeless by the early ’90s. He died in an assisted living facility in 2005.

In all, he put out 14 albums as a leader, and several more as a sideman with Oscar Pettiford, Art Blakey, Dizzy Gillespie, Milt Jackson, Thelonious Monk, Stan Kenton, and Dinah Washington. The album Lucky in Paris on which “Have You Met Miss Jones” appears, was recorded in 1959, but not released until 1999.

Personell are Lucky Thompson (soprano and tenor sax), Martial Solal (piano), Michel Hausser (vibes), Gilbert Gassin (bass), Gerard Pochonet (drums). As for the album in its entirety, the folks at AllMusic write that “[t]his might very well be his best recording. Highly recommended.”

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“My Reverie” – Larry Clinton and His Orchestra with Bea Wain (1938)

Posted on March 4, 2024 by Richard Barry

Larry Clinton (1909-1985) was a trumpet player (among other things) and a well-known bandleader.

Early in his career he was also an arranger for a number of dance orchestras including for bands led by Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Glen Gray, Louis Armstrong, and Bunny Berigan.

He first worked as a bandleader from 1937 to 1941, with a number of hits for Victor Records (notably in the period between Tommy Dorsey’s initial success and the rise of Glenn Miller).

Among Clinton’s hits were swing adaptions of classical compositions, including “My Reverie” with vocals by Bea Wain, which reached No. 1 in 1938.

As Dave Lewis at AllMusic writes:

Clinton’s specialty was “jazzing the classics,” transforming familiar classical melodies into dance hits; for example, Claude Debussy’s early piano piece Reverie became “My Reverie” and an enormous hit with a lovely Bea Wain vocal. Clinton also similarly transformed music by Tchaikovsky, Flotow, and the hoary anthem “I Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble Halls” into solid sensations — musicians’ scuttlebutt of the era in reference to Clinton eulogized such efforts as “it goes into one ear and flows out of his pen.” Purists cried “desecration,” but Clinton defended his work by stating that he was bringing quality music to the dancefloor.

In 1941, Clinton joined the military as a pilot and served with distinction as a flight instructor. After the war with big band music no longer popular he eventually got out of the business entirely to do other things, including write fiction.

Lewis states that Clinton’s work is “unfairly neglected and is often referred to as “Mickey Mouse” or as having ‘no jazz interest.’ However, it was highly intelligent, sophisticated, and extremely well-played music.” He goes on to say that “Bea Wain in particular was a major artist, a singer every bit as good as her competitors.”

Popularizers always have a tough go of it.

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