A weblog in English and Dutch about jazz and related music, record collecting and other music projects originally created by Hans Koert.|Een webblog in het Engels en het Nederlands over jazz, jazz-verwante muziek, platen verzamelen en verrassende projecten, oorspronkelijk opgezet door Hans Koert.
Bye Bye Blues is a popular standard tune performed by numerous artists and bands. It was written by Fred Hamm, Dave Bennett, Bert Lown, and Chauncey Gray and published in 1925. Fred Hamm and his orchestrarecorded the initial version of the song for Victor in May 1925 as one of the label's first electrically processed recordings
Fred Hamm and his orchestra c. 1925 (YouTube still)
Fred Hamm and his Orchestra were a dance band from Chicago that was managed by Edgar Benson of Benson Orchestra fame. Hamm's Orchestra performed at the Marigold Garden in Chicago from 1923 to 1925. In 1925 Fred Hamm took over the leadership of the Benson Orchestra and recorded some sides for Victor that year. Fred Hamm recorded again in 1929 under the name of Fred Hamm and his Collegians (info from Red Hot Jazz Archive).
Sheet music front feat. Bert Lown
In July 1930 Bert Lown (co-writer of the song) recorded Bye Bye Bluesfor both Columbia and Hit of the Week as Bert Lown & His Hotel Biltmore Orchestra, below is inserted the Columbia 2258-D version recorded July 21 1930 in NYC
Frankie Trumbauer
Frankie Trumbauer and his orchestra recorded their version of Bye Bye Bluesfor Okeh September 8, 1930 in New York, vocal refrain by Smith Ballew
Cab Calloway
Cab Calloway and his orchestra recorded a great big band swing version of Bye Bye Blues in 1940 featuring solos by Chu Berry (ts), Dizzy Gillespie (tp) and Tyree Glenn (vib)
Benny Carter
In April 1946 Benny Carter (as) recorded a swinging version of Bye Bye Blues with Arnold Ross (p), Allan Reuss (g), Artie Bernstein (b) and Nick Fatool (d) for Keynote in Los Angeles
Stan Getz
The last version of Bye Bye Blues to be presented here was recorded by the Stan Getz Quartet in 1957 for the HMV album titled The Soft Swing. Personnel include Stan Getz (ts), Mose Allison (p), Addison Farmer (b) and Jerry Segal (d)
Nobody's Sweetheart was published in 1924 with music by Billy Meyers and Elmer Schoebel, and lyrics by Gus Kahn and Ernie Erdman. The song was introduced by Ted Lewis in the revue The Passing Show of 1923.
Part of music sheet front
Jazz musicians took an immediate liking to the tune, and ever since its inception it has been a favorite of jazz players and listeners everywhere.
Isham Jones and his orchestra
Isham Jones and his orchestrawas one of the first 'hot' dance bands to record a version of Nobody's Sweetheart in February 1924
The lyrics of Nobody's Sweetheart are about a female character who challenges the norm and morality of the the bourgeois, the text reads:
You're nobody's sweetheart now.
They don't baby you somehow.
Fancy hose, silken gown--
You'd be out of place in your own hometown.
When you walk down the avenue,
They just can't believe that it's you.
Painted lips, painted eyes,
Wearing a bird of paradise--
It all seems wrong somehow that
You're nobody's sweetheart now.
Marion Harris
Vaudeville singer Marion Harris had a hit with Nobody's Sweetheart in 1929
Cab Calloway and his orchestra
Bandleader Cab Calloway and his orchestrahad success with the recording of Nobody's Sweetheart with vocal by the leader 1930
During the 1930s Nobody's Sweetheart became part of the standard book of the swing jazz ensemble, here I'll focus on two recordings made on December 5, 1938.
Freddie Valier's String Swing - Robert Normann far right
The guitarist Robert Normannrecorded his first session with Freddie Valier's String Swing in Oslo on December 5, 1938. Among the four recordings was a version of Nobody's Sweetheart featuring a great solo by Robert Normann, inserted below
Oscar Alemán in the 1930s
Also on December 5, 1938, this time in Copenhagen, another version of Nobody's Sweetheart was recorded. Oscar Alemán recorded his solo version of the tune while on tour in Scandinavia with Josephine Baker - the recording is an unaccompanied solo for guitar by a master of the instrument
This particular recording by Oscar Alemán - together with the three other tunes recorded at the same session - was my step stone 35 years ago to embark on a research adventure of the complete discography of Oscar Alemán. Until recently the online discography patiently and carefully collected by Hans Koert has been the most complete listing of Alemán's recorded legacy. Now a revised and updated version of the material including newly found items has been made available by Andrés 'Tito' Liber. You may read more about it at the Oscar Alemán blog that also has the links to an uploaded and free accessible version of the discography, here
Retrospect
Keep Swinging (old)
Oscar Aleman Choro Music Flexible Records Hit of the Week-Durium Friends of the Keep Swinging blog Keep Swinging Contributions
