Choro Day

Since the year 2000 Pixinguinha's birthday has been officially celebrated in Brazil as Dia Nacional do Choro. The 23. April this year also commemorate the official date of William Shakespeare's passing. Both Pixinguinha and Shakespeare belong to the immortal artists, Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language, while Pixinguinha is considered one of the greatest Brazilian composers of popular music, particularly within the genre of music known as choro. Both men created a new language through their artistic production - here I'll concentrate on some of Pixinguinha's great works as performed today.

Pixinguinha (April 23, 1897 - February 7, 1973)

Two young musicians, Rafa Nascimento (violão 7 cordas) and Marcel Santiago (bandolim), pay their homage to Pixinguinha in this short video uploaded three days ago

From a choro festival in 2011 Luis Barcelos (bandolim) & Regional Imperial performed Pixinguinha's homage to his people - Minha Gente 

Pixinguinha's music guided the way for the contemporary conception of choro music, here's another example from the same concert - Acerto o Passo 

Pixinguinha's music is often played at concerts and rodas de choros in Brazil, his music has become part of the Brazilian people's national identity and is celebrated whenever a moment's notice is available. Here are some more examples of some of Pixinguinha's immortal pieces.

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Jo

keepitswinging.domain@gmail.com

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Oscar Alemán - TV Presentation 1975

OA in a TV Studio, Dec. 1979/Jan.1980 (photo courtesy Theo van de Graaff)

Film producer Hernán Gaffet has told about the lack of filmed material featuring Oscar Alemán during his research of material for his documentary on the Argentinian guitarist and showman. Gaffet's documentary, Vida con Swing (2002), has only small fragments of filmed sequences featuring Alemán from some of the movies in which Alemán participated and a single TV recording from the 1970s. Considering the popularity of Oscar Alemán in Argentina during the 1940s and 1950s, it's rather strange that very little of his appearance as a performer in public has been saved on film, and as TV became a common media during the 1960s the lack of filmed TV appearance of Alemán seemed to continue - the video recorder had yet to be invented, unfortunately. However, recently the Argentinan DIFilm Archive has found a small fragment from a TV performance in 1975, which I like to share here. The TV recording is without audio and was made as a promo/trailer for a program titled "Siesta" produced in 1975, the sequence lasts just 1:16 minutes but nevertheless gives us the opportunity to have a view of Alemán's stage appearance during his late career.

The video has been re-uploaded by another user of YouTube without the disturbing writing on screen and further has been added the audio of Alemán's recording of Delicado - the music is great, but really does not fit with the recorded silent moves of Alemán's playing on screen. Never mind, here's the 're-mastered' fragment

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Jo

keepitswinging.domain@gmail.com

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Squattin' At The Grotto - A 1938 Musicale

Definition of 'Squatting' (from Wikipedia):

Squatting is a posture where the weight of the body is on the feet (as with standing) but the knees are bent either fully (full or deep squat) or partially (partial, standing, half, semi, parallel or monkey squat). In contrast, sitting, involves taking the weight of the body, at least in part, on the buttocks against the ground or a horizontal object such as a chair seat. Crouching may involve squatting or kneeling. It is possible to squat with one leg and assume another position (such as kneeling) with the other leg. Among Chinese, Southeast Asian, and Eastern European adults, squatting often takes the place of sitting or standing.

Doctors and health preachers advice people to be squatting at the grotto while visiting the toilet, the guy to the right seems to have followed that advice. Now, let's get over with this definition of the meaning of 'squatting'.

William John "Bill" Harty (1899-1959) was an Irish born jazz drummer.

Born in Waterford in Ireland in 1899, Harty moved to Birmingham in England after World War I and took up the drums while working for the Dunlop Tyre Company. He played with various local bands on the early Birmingham jazz scene before deputising with an American band at the Birmingham Palais. He toured around Europe for much of the 1920s before returning to England to play with bands led by Harry Shalson, Al Starita, Jean Pougnet, Bill Gerhardi, Percival Mackey, Arthur Lally and Lew Stone. In 1934 he became the manager of Ray Noble's band, sailing to the United States with Noble later that year. He remained as Noble's manager into the 1950s (info from Wikipedia)

Columbia 35694

In March 1938 Bill Harty arranged a recording session for Columbia in Los Angeles featuring a pick-up ensemble of musicians from Jimmy Dorsey's orchestra and George and Bobby Van Eps. Bill Harty contributed as a drummer on the four sides that were recorded.

Discographical info from Tom Lord's discography (vers. 9.0), click to enlarge

According to the discographical info shown above, two of the recorded tunes were issued on Columbia 35694 while the other two were issued on Vocalion 4183. Here I'll focus on the two tunes at the Columbia 78 rpm disc containing the recording of Squattin' at the Grotto and Lock It Up on the flip side, both registered as a George Van Eps musicale. A musicale is a music program forming the main part of a social occasion, the word points to the same event as the French 'soirée musicale' and in the context of the record it may be interpreted as music for listening rather than dancing. The tune Squattin' at the Grotto is composed by John and George Van Eps and it is subtitled as a Banjo Novelty, a rather strange tune, which may be characterized as a theme with variations. The flip side of the disc featuring Lock It Up may be considered a further evaluation of the theme and structure of Squattin' including short solo spots of improvisation by trumpet, trumbone, reeds, piano, guitar and drums. The title Squattin' at the Grotto has been said to refer to a famous Chicago restaurant and club, which occasionally had Earl Hines and his orchestra as musical entertainment.

Below is inserted Squattin' at the Grotto as recorded on March 15, 1938 by the George Van Eps Ensemble

The flip side of Columbia 35694 has the recording of Lock It Up by the same ensemble

As mentioned, Squattin' at the Grotto is a somewhat strange music. When recorded in March 1938 it must have been considered this way, at least. The arrangenment, however, is great and so is the arrangement of Lock It Up. Both tunes are (co-)penned by George Van Eps,  who is the inventor of the 7-string jazz guitar and a master of this instrument. He constructed the first model in cooperation with the Epiphone company in 1938 to extend the possibilities of playing both bass lines, chords and melody line simultaneously by applying a finger picking technique. In this context you can perceive Squattin' at the Grotto and Lock It Up as examples or drafts of a way of thinking music with/for the guitar which George Van Eps would evalute later after having switched to the 7-string jazz guitar. Fact is, that an arrangement of Squattin' at the Grotto for solo guitar copyrighted 1939 exists. This arrangement of Squattin'at the Grotto, however, is to be played using plectrum chord style picking technique, and it has been recorded by Bucky Pizzarelli, another jazz guitarist who plays the 7-string guitar, using the plectrum chord style technicque.

Bucky Pizzarelli

Squattin' at the Grotto was released on Bucky Pizzarelli's Arbours solo album titled April Kisses.

The other two recordings from March 15, 1938 under the direction of Bill Harty were released on Vocalion, Voc 4183. They are inserted here to complete this session. Here is first the George van Eps musicale: A ducky dish from Voc 4183 A.

Voc 4183 B is noted in some discographies as a Jim Taft musicale: The Varsity drag, recorded with the same ensemble as above under the direction of Bill Harty

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Jo

keepitswinging.domain@gmail.com

Retrospect Keep Swinging (old) Oscar Aleman Choro Music Flexible Records Hit of the Week-Durium Friends of the Keep Swinging blog Keep Swinging Contributions

Cherokee - A Jazz Standard

Original sheet front illustration (1938)

Cherokee (1938) is a jazz standard - also known as Cherokee (Indian Love Song) - written by Ray Noble and originally intended as the first of five movements for an Indian Suite (Cherokee, Comanche War Dance, Iroquois, Seminole, and Sioux Sue).

Ray Noble (1903-1978)

Cherokee has been recorded over the years by many jazz musicians and singers, including Charlie Parker, Charlie Barnet and His Orchestra, the Count Basie Orchestra, Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughan, Art Tatum a.o.

Charlie Parker

Charlie Parker used Cherokee for the basis of his 1945 composition Ko-Ko. The song has also been covered as an instrumental by Bud Powell, Clifford Brown, Don Byas, Stan Getz, Lionel Hampton, Harry James, Johnny Smith a.o.

Below is inserted some examples of different versions of Cherokee. The original version by Ray Noble and his Orchestra was recorded in October 1938 for Brunswick

Charlie Barnet (ts) and his orchestra

Billy May arranged Noble's Cherokee for Charlie Barnet and his Orchestra, which had a hit in 1939 with the probably best known version of the tune. Here's Charlie Barnet and his Orchestra in a filmed presentation of Cherokee 

Charlie Parker

Charlie Parker recorded his first version of Cherokee in September 1942 featuring Efferge Ware (g) and Little Phil Phillips (d)

In 1946 Charlie Parker took part in a live recording session in Los Angeles featuring Nat King Cole Trio extended with Benny Carter and Willie Smith (as) besides Parker; one of the recorded tunes was Cherokee 

As mentioned above, Charlie Parker used Cherokee as the basis for his own composition Ko-Ko, first recorded by Parker's Reboppers featuring Dizzy Gillespie (tp,p), Curley Russel (b) and Max Roach (d) in November 1945

Another version of Cherokee explored by be bop giant of the piano Bud Powell was recorded in 1950

Harry James (tp) and Buddy Rich (dm) together in a TV presentation of Harry James and his Orchestra from 1964 end this small review of a famous jazz standard used as a vehichle for improvisation by both swing and be bop musicians

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Jo

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Oscar Alemán In New York City, March 1944.

"One time I went to New York, for only four days... and they didn`t allow me to play because I was not associated to the Federation of Musicians. And the Federation required at least six months of residence before being accepted. Then if they said no, I had to get back. Imagine that I had the money to spend during those six months, but if they then didn`t accept me? How could I return [...], having run out of money? I went away and never returned." (Sopeña, G.: Oscar Alemán. Abrazado a mi cavaquinho. Crisis, Nº 21 pp. 29-35 - January 1975) (English translation by 'Tito' Liber)

In March 1944, Oscar Alemán made a mysterious trip to New York. Mysterious, as I haven't been able to find info on the background of this trip. Was it a promotion effort, possibly sponsored by the Argentine devision of Odeon Records to market their recent and successful Latin artist in The Big Apple? Or was it merely Alemán's personal attempt at a breakthrough in the United States to follow up on the success in Argentina? No exact info about the decision and circumstances that gave rise to his trip to the United States seems to be available. Nevertheless, as stated in the short passage of an interview quoted above, he stayed 4 days in New York City. Alemán's problem, however, was that he had not got a license to work as a musician in the USA in advance of the trip. This meant that he could not perform in any of the music venues of the city, which had an agreement with the American Federation of Musicians, nor was he allowed to record without a license. Overall, the trip  seems to have depended on a wrong decision of time and place, as music business in the US in addition was in the middle of a strike launched by the American Federation of Musicians.

AFM seal

On August 1, 1942, the American Federation of Musicians (AMF) had started a strike against the major American recording companies because of disagreements over royalty payments.This meant that union organized musicians no longer were allowed to record for any record company, however, union musicians were allowed to participate on radio programs and other kinds of musical entertainment, but not in a recording session. The AMF recording ban was part of a struggle to get royalties from record sales for a union fund for organized out-of-work musicians. The union had previously opposed the recording of music, or “canned music”. The argument was that musicians were replaced with records in radio, and in cafes and bars bands were replaced with jukeboxes.

Record companies recorded as much music as they could in the run up to the strike and released this backlog through, but also resorted to re-releasing old recordings. Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby were among the singers that had to release records without instrumental accompaniment (vocalists were not in the union as they were not considered musicians). One record company recorded and released Shakespeare’s Othello when they had no music to release. An exception to the strike was “victory discs” (V-Discs), which were recorded for US soldiers fighting in World War II and sent to them overseas. Another exception was some small speciality labels. 

The strike stopped business between major record labels and musicians under contract with them. With recording and manufacturing equipment idle from the strike, enterprising music promoters, record distributors, and store owners with the right connections took the opportunity to start small specialty labels, such as Savoy (1942) and Apollo (1943–44), that catered to musicians who were not under contract. Sometimes musicians under contract restrictions recorded for them under pseudonyms. That business model worked in large urban markets such as New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, where concentrated markets allowed a sufficient return from local distribution. Many of the historically important recordings of jazz and R&B from the mid-1940s originated from these small labels. Although not lucrative for musicians, these small labels gained them exposure that later led to contracts with more established labels.

Decca and Capitol gave into the AFM in 1943, RCA Victor and Columbia held out but eventually backed down in November 1944, and the recording ban ended. (info excerpted from Wikipedia, here, and another online source, here). 

It was these circumstances that met Oscar Alemán when he arrived in New York March 1944. The mentioned record ban was still on and the demand of a six month residence before a musician's license card to work possibly would be allowed him made the situation rather unsecure and hopeless, as a foreign musician eventually would be considered a possible blackleg and a thread to the strike. However, Alemán stayed in NYC for 4 days and surprisingly managed to record a session on March 17, before he decided to return to Argentina!

According to the online OA discography Hans Koert has listed two recordings by Alemán made on March 17, 1944 in NYC. No details about the label and personnel besides Alemán are available, just the matrix numbers and the title of the two tunes. Alemán's latest hit in Argentina was one of the recorded tunes, Bésame mucho (mx 71882), the other was Sweet Georgia Brown (mx 71883). However, these two recordings were unissued and remain an unsolved mystery. 

I have not been able to point out a specific record label which may have made the recordings, any help from readers, discographers and collectors would be much appreciated. Unfortunately, I never had a chance to discuss this matter with Hans Koert, he may have had more info, at least from which source he had the knowledge of a record by Alemán made in NYC with added titles and mx-numbers. My friend and collector of the recently updated Alemán discograpy, 'Tito' Liber, forwarded the short passage of an interwiev with Alemán touching on the trip to the US, but he found no further info on the subject in Argentine sources. 

So, to end this, I encourage anybody with more knowledge about this Alemán trip and the two recordings made in NYC on March 17, 1944 to respond to my request for further info. Contact me by using the e-mail stated below, or feel free to use the comment facility with this blog entry. Thanks in advance!

NB! This entry will also be posted at the Oscar Alemán blog.

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Jo

keepitswinging.domain@gmail.com

Retrospect Keep Swinging (old) Oscar Aleman Choro Music Flexible Records Hit of the Week-Durium Friends of the Keep Swinging blog Keep Swinging Contributions

Svend Asmussen - 100th Birthday Today!

Svend Asmussen (photo by Leif Å.Andersson, 2003)

Today the phenomenal Danish jazz violinist, Svend Asmussen,  can celebrate his 100th birthday. The Keep(it)swinging blog likes to mark this great day by inserting some examples of music by Svend Asmussen from a career that spans more than 80 years of artistic activity at an absolute toplevel by international standards. A short career profile in English is available here.

Always attentive (photo in public domain)

Svend Asmussen debuted in 1933 with his own quartet - inspired by Joe Venuti's Blue Four. In 1935 he recorded his first record under his own name Tiger Rag / My Blue Heaven with a sextet - Here is Tiger Rag 

In 1940, Svend Asmussen recorded the initial version of June Night, which has become his signature tune, in a trio setting. Asmussen contributes the lead vocal and plays violin as well as vibraphone

Svend Asmussen's orchestra - most often a quintet with changing sidemen - had great success in Denmark during the 1940s. Denmark was occupied by the German Nazi regime 1940 - 45, which cut off the opportunities of an international career for artists like Svend Asmussen. Nevertheless, some of his best recordings were made in those years, unfortunately mostly unknown outside Scandinavia until much later. Below some highlights recorded in 1940 are inserted to mark this important period of Asmussen's recording career. - Here is first Honeysuckle Rose 

Also from 1940, Asmussen and his quintet recorded Some of These Days 18.08.40, the leader again contributes the vocal and great violin playing

Another great recording from this period is the quintet's version of After You've Gone, recorded 11.09.40

Svend Asmussen's career has been rich in facets as a musician, but also as an actor and entertainer. He has appeared in a number of Danish music films and revues 1943-57, where he performed with the siblings Gerda and Ulrik Neumann (1943-45).Cooperation with the latter led to the establishment of the successful trio Swe-Danes (1958-61) with the Swedish singer Alice Babs. - Here I'll mark this corner of Asmussen's career by inserting two examples of  musical entertainment at the highest artistic level, first a TV performance by Asmussen and his companion Ulrik Neumann presented in Dutch TV 1961

Together with Swedish singer Alice Babs, Svend Asmussen and Ulrik Neumann had success internationally as the Swe-Danes, here is a short TV performance of the trio's signature tune, Scandinavian Shuffle 

Svend Asmussen has made a number of recordings with internationally acclaimed artists including Duke Ellington, pianists John Lewis, Jan Johansson and Kenny Drew and instrument colleagues Stephane Grappelli and Stuff Smith. - Here's an example from Asmussen's cooperation with Duke Ellington in 1963, Don't Get Around Much Anymore, from Ellington's jazzviolin sessions feat. Stephane Grappelli and Ray Nance besides Asmussen, who is playing the viola

Svend Asmussen stands out as one of the greatest Danish jazz musicians ever. He has enriched the 1900s and the beginning of a new century with a wide range of timeless recordings, ranging from the Swing era of the 1930s and 1940s to seriously balanced cooperation with the best musicians of a younger generation. - To mark the succesfull years of Asmussen's later career with his jazz quartet feat. excellent Danish sidemen including Jacob Fischer on guitar, here's a recording by this ensemble performing Stardust 

Let's end this small musical portrait of Svend Asmussen's long and succesfull career enjoying his signature tune, June Night, one more time and this way express our best wishes for a Happy 100th Birthday!

Storyville Records has just released a box-set of 5 CDs + 1 DVD of recordings by Svend Asmussen - more info to be found here

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Jo

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The WASO Quartet - Part 2

Georg Lankester

Georg Lankester has collected info about the legendary Gypsy swing ensemble WASO and shares the story in two parts. Below follows the second part, the first part is available here 

WASO Further in the Eighties

By now WASO frequently was a welcome guest in the jazz scene of the Benelux and France although Fapy sometimes also was invited to play in England. There he joined other musicians and occasionally performed with Koen. NOTE: It is a fact  that the British were always very fond of Django’s and Stéphane’s performances and that their swing style is appreciated up to the present day.

WASO Quartet (courtesy decauterfam.be)

In 1983, two special events are worthwhile to be reported.

LP - WASO, Gipsy Swing Vol. 5 (info, click here)

Due to WASO’s continuing successes “Munich Records” made again studio recordings in March, which shortly afterwards, were issued on the album  Gipsy Swing Vol. 5 

This record includes 13 tracks and it is striking that again a great variety in the repertoire is shown. Django themes, French ‘chansons’ and compositions of Koen and Fapy, all of these can be found on this fine long play record. Just a few examples: Sweet chorus, Waso, (composed by Koen) Django’s tiger, Minor swing and Fapy’s composition Aurore !

Again recordings which belong to the gems of my collection.

Hot Club de France  - Holland

The spring of 1983 had seen the birth of a Django society in the Netherlands. On my ininitiative and in close cooperation with some jazz friends I founded such a society in order to keep the Hot Club Music alive.

At the end of that particular year, my society invited WASO for a club concert in Utrecht. I had heard them before in the city-theatre of Haarlem and was most impressed. Here was an opportunity to show this ensemble to the members of our society with - among them - many guitarists. During an unforgettable evening concert we could experience one set where Fapy was playing violin while Koen took his guitar for accompaniment and solos..- A rare photo shows their unique performances that particular night (10 November 1983).

WASO in live performance (Utrecht, 1983)

After a few more years playing in the usual line-up, the end of this formation was now approaching. Towards  the end of 1985 a change within the quartet would follow. Fapy, who then had some health problems, considered to leave the formation. He was thinking of a new career and had received a few offers. So early 1986 the WASO line-up fell apart after abtout 11 years of existence.

I happened to be present at their very last concert which took place in a jazz café in the town of Haarlem. In a cosy ‘ambiance’ the four musicians - for the very last time - created a gypsy swing in which those present could taste the unforgettable sounds of the  past. As far as I remember this must have been early 1986. My story ends here.

For those who never were aware of this extraordinary Gypsy Jazz formation, I would strongly recommend to listen tracks  on the Internet, or  try to obtain some of their vinly albums or cds. You will enjoy listening to one of the best Django groups Europe has had.

Koen’s WASO quartet would continue with different musicians, thereby often performing with great jazzmen and producing more jazz albums (more info, here). Since 2003 the latest formation (WASO 7) includes several of Koen’s children (all experienced in gypsy swing, jazz and French chansons).

Young Koen and Fapy, 1969 (courtesy petrus53.com)

Some caracteristics on the leading WASO men (1975 – 1986)

Fapy Lafertin, 1984

Fapy Lafertin (born in March 1950). Growing up in a very musical environment  this talented Romani son concentrated on all kinds of instruments, but in particular the guitar. As he once told me, he studied very seriously to get control over this string instrument and he indeed managed to master the Django technique completely, however, always adding to his improvisations his own interpretation.

Fapy can be considered as the guitarist who comes the nearest to Django. He produces a beautiful liquid tone in charming melodies and has a strong but fluid rhythm. He can play ten instruments, among which also the guitarra (Fado guitar).

Apart from WASO he played with great jazzmen in the UK and USA and formed several own formations, which is illustrated by lots of cds.. He is a highly respected  jazz improvisator.

Koen de Cauter, 1983

Koen de Cauter  (born in 1950). Was already as a boy fascinated by music, especially Flamenco guitar. Became a pupil of masters such as Manitas de Plata and Manolo Sanlucar. Very interested in gypsy  music he started (at early age) to play with Fapy Lafertin, Vivi Limberger and many others.

Became a singer and multi-instrumentalist, capable to play (next to guitar): banjo, violin, clarinet, soprano- alto- and tenor sax. Is active in gypsy swing, jazz eg. New Orleans and also Musette. Performs with his children in a family band and is moreover an  excellent interpreter of George Brassens. He can be considered as one of the best Belgian artists.

Koen and Fapy (courtesy decauterfam.be)

February 2016 – with thanks to my Belgian friend Jef Van Gool for very useful information

Georg Lankester  georglankester@gmail.com

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Jo

keepitswinging.domain@gmail.com

Retrospect Keep Swinging (old) Oscar Aleman Choro Music Flexible Records Hit of the Week-Durium Friends of the Keep Swinging blog Keep Swinging Contributions