Bob Dunn's Vagabonds - Decca Discography 1939-40

https://mega.nz/#!n7gSyShD!ycs5EoeszT8TL_1CUuU8g7PKjRCBV9KRJOldOOWg-Z8

Bob Dunn is widely considered the true pioneer of the world’s first electrically amplified steel guitar.

His first recordings for Decca, with Milton Brown (the "Father of Western Swing"), are considered to be the first electric instrument recordings. Dunn was a jazz guitarist who first heard electric steel guitar played by a down and out blues performer on the Coney Island boardwalk; Dunn's innovative steel guitar solo riffs single-handedly created country & western's most recognized solo instrumental sound.

After Brown's death in 1936, Dunn played with many different groups, including Roy Newman, Cliff Bruner's Texas Wanderers, Bill Mounce and the Sons of the South, and Buddy Jones. He made some recordings on Decca under the name Bob Dunn's Vagabonds (actually Cliff Bruner's Texas Wanderers) between 1938 and 1940, which are collected here.

Bob Dunn ended his professional musical career with the onset of World War II. He enlisted and served during the war. After the war, he earned a degree in music from the Southern College of Fine Arts and opened a music store in Houston. He died in Houston on May 27, 1971.

• Mama's Gone Goodbye - Bob Dunn's Vagabonds | 1939
• Too Long - Bob Dunn's Vagabonds | 1939
• Blue Skies - Bob Dunn's Vagabonds | 1939
• Toodle-Oodle-Oo - Bob Dunn's Vagabonds | 1939
• When Night Falls - Bob Dunn's Vagabonds | 1939
• You Don't Know My Mind - Bob Dunn's Vagabonds | 1939
• It Must Be Love - Bob Dunn's Vagabonds | 1939
• Mean Mistreater - Bob Dunn's Vagabonds | 1939
• Graveyard Blues - Bob Dunn's Vagabonds | 1939
• I Want the World To Know I Love You - Bob Dunn's Vagabonds | 1939
• You'll Pay Some Day - Bob Dunn's Vagabonds | 1939
• Basin Street Blues - Bob Dunn's Vagabonds | 1939
• Was That All I Meant To You - Bob Dunn's Vagabonds | 1938
• Sweet Bunch of Daisies - Bob Dunn's Vagabonds | 1938
• Stompin At the Honky Tonk - Bob Dunn's Vagabonds | 1939
• Wednesday Rag - Bob Dunn's Vagabonds | 1939
• I'll Tell The World (She's A Good Little Girl) - Bob Dunn's Vagabonds | 1940
• Meet Me Tonight in Dreams - Bob Dunn's Vagabonds | 1940
• I'll Forget Dear (That I Ever Loved You) - Bob Dunn's Vagabonds | 1940
• Juke Box Rag - Bob Dunn's Vagabonds | 1940
• I Found You Out When I Found You (In Somebody Else's Arms) - Bob Dunn's Vagabonds | 1940
• Marcheta - Bob Dunn's Vagabonds | 1940
• I'll Tell The World (She's A Good Little Girl) - Bob Dunn's Vagabonds | 1940
• 'Round Her Neck She Wears a Yeller Ribbon - Bob Dunn's Vagabonds | 1940

Vintage Christmas Wax

https://mega.nz/#!frR2SAIS!cEch-lrAUiyoFPrJCjwUBWSUiqdlmgnCGJaFH60Zl3U

Rare turn-of-the-century Christmas recordings taken from wax cylinders. 

 Some of the earliest recordings around are of Christmas music, both in the popular vein, as well as more traditional hymns and other Christmas classical favorites. The Archivist doesn't recall where he first collected these transcriptions from wax cylinders (some are from the Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project at the University of California - Santa Barbara, released under Creative Commons), but they represent some of the earliest music in my library.

• Hail Smiling Morn (Christmas Carol) - The Edison Quartette | 1904
• Christ The New Born King - Robert Price | 1904
• Winter - Harry Macdonough & Haydn Quartet | 1905
• Will You Love Me In December, As You Do In May - Harry Macdonough & Haydn Quartet | 1905
• Silent Night - Edison Male Quartet | 1905
• Joy To The World - Edison Concert Band | 1906
• O Tannenbaum - Nebe-Quartett | 1907
• Ring Out The Bells For Christmas - Edison Concert Band | 1907
• Christ Is Come - Edison Concert Band | 1908
• Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - Henry Burr | 1908
• The Star Of Bethlehem - A Christmas Song - Henry Burr | 1908
• Auld Lang Syne - Frank C. Stanley | 1910
• Christmas Time Seems Years And Years Away - Manuel Romain | 1910
• Ring Out The Bells For Christmas - The Edison Concert Band | 1912
• Silent Night - Elizabeth Spencer & Anthony Harrison | 1912
• Bells Of Christmas - Edison Concert Band | 1913
• Hail! Hail! Day Of Days - Edison Mixed Quartet | 1913
• Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - Edison Mixed Quartet | 1914
• O Come, All Ye Faithful [adeste Fideles] (Take 2) - Edison Mixed Quartet | 1914
• Night Before Christmas - Harry E. Humphrey | 1914
• Ring Out, Wild Bells - Carol Singers | 1916
• Christmas Eve: a Fantasie On Old German Christmas Carols - Robert Gayler | 1916
• Hallelujah Chorus - Messiah - Oratorio Chorus | 1916
• The First Nowell - Carol Singers | 1916
• Christmas, Christmas, Blessed, Blessed Day - Metropolitan Quartet | 1917
• God Rest You, Merry Gentlemen - Carol Singers | 1917
• Christmas Morn - Miro's Band | 1918
• Christmas Eve - Miro's Band | 1918
• Christmas Bells - Robert Gayler | 1919
• If Winter Comes - Atlantic Dance Orchestra | 1922
• Ave Maria - Kathleen Parlow | 1923
• Silent Night - Florence Easton | 1924
• Holy Night - Florence Easton & Chorus | 1928
• Bethlehem - The Shepherd's Nativity Hymn - Westminster Glee Singers | 1929
• The Only Thing I Want For Christmas (Is Just To Keep The Things That I've Got) - Eddie Cantor | 1939

Sunnyland Slim - The Airway Collection

https://mega.nz/#!v3gSkaxb!PZBbSPlmduPiwgsarASCL652rhVzQ83VrICd-mf9OSc

Born in Mississippi in 1907, Sunnyland Slim (b. Albert Luandrew) relocated to Chicago in the early 1940's, where he became an important contributor to the Post-War Chicago Electric Blues sound.

The list of people Sunnyland played with reads like a Who’s Who of the Blues: Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter, Big Walter Horton, Jimmy Rogers, Snooky Prior, Hubert Sumlin, and more. His piano style was characterized by heavy basses or vamping chords in the left hand and tremolos with his right.

After recording for a number of smaller labels (including the Specialty, Hy-Tone, Aristocrat, and J.O.B. imprints), both as as an accompanist or backup for other bluesmen, as well as leading his own bands, in 1973 he decided to take a more hands-on control of his recordings and started Airway Records, on which he issued four long out-of-print albums, of which the tracks are collected here.

Sunnyland Slim was awarded a National Heritage Fellowship in 1988, and died from medical complications in Chicago in 1995, at the age of 88.

• She Got That Jive | 1977
• I Done You Wrong | 1977
• Levee Camp Moan | 1977
• Station Break | 1977
• Ain't Gonna Drink No More Whiskey | 1977
• It's You Baby | 1977
• Sad And Evil Woman | 1977
• Standing On The Corner | 1977
• She's Got A Thing Goin' On (alt) | 1977
• See My Lawyer | 1977
• Depression Blues | 1977
• Rocking My Blues Away | 1979
• Black Cat Cross My Trail | 1979
• Johnson Machine Gun | 1979
• Mr. Cool | 1979
• Bassology | 1979
• Long Tall Daddy | 1979
• Big Time Operator | 1979
• Patience Like Job | 1979
• Midnight Jump | 1979
• I Done You Wrong (alt) | 1979
• Have A Good Day Now | 1981
• You Can't Have It All | 1981
• I've Been Workin' Two Jobs | 1981
• Speak Once And Think Twice | 1981
• Be Careful How You Vote | 1981
• Chicago Jump | 1981
• Tired But I Can't Get Started | 1981
• Get Further Little Brother | 1981
• Shake It Baby | 1981
• Just You And Me | 1981
• Be Careful How You Vote (alt) | 1983
• I Done You Wrong (alt 2) | 1983
• Sunnyland Train | 1983
• You Have Heard Of A Woman | 1983
• Past Life | 1983
• She Got A Thing Going On | 1983
• Going Back To Memphis | 1983
• The Devil Is A Busy Man | 1983
• Woman Trouble Overnight | 1983
• We Gonna Jump | 1983
• Orphan Boy Blues | 1983

George Wettling and his Chicago Rythmn Kings

https://mega.nz/#!CzQAnAQI!8ySrfhMDjSfzSwzDgQ5nKyTR6k7oLhfYrMmkhuA9MKs

George Wettling was one of the great Dixieland drummers of the 20's and 30's

George was one of the young white Chicagoans who fell in love with jazz as a result of hearing King Oliver's band (with Louis Armstrong on second cornet) at the Lincoln Gardens in Chicago in the early 1920s (where he moved with his family in 1921).

Wettling re-located to New York in the mid 30's, where he played with numerous orchestras in that city, including the big bands of Artie Shaw, Bunny Berigan, Red Norvo, and Paul Whiteman. Although he did not lead bands on a regular basis for long, he led some excellent dates for Decca (1940), and Black & White, Commodore, and Keynote (1944), which are the tracks collected here.

• Bugle Call Rag - George Wettling And His Chicago Rhythm Kings | 1940 (Decca 18044A)
• If I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate - George Wettling And His Chicago Rhythm Kings | 1940 (Decca 18044B)
• The Darktown Strutter's Ball - George Wettling And His Chicago Rhythm Kings | 1940 (Decca 18045A)
• I've Found A New Baby - George Wettling And His Chicago Rhythm Kings | 1940 (Decca 18045B)
• Some Of These Days - George Wettling Trio | 1944 (Black and White 7A)
• Everybody Loves My Baby - George Wettling Trio | 1944 (Black and White 7B)
• China Boy - George Wettling Trio | 1944 (Black and White 27A)
• That's A Plenty - George Wettling Trio | 1944 (Black and White 27B)
• Struttin' With Some Barbeque - George Wettling And His Chicago Rhythm Kings | 1944 (Commodore 561A)
• How Come You Do Me Like You Do - George Wettling And His Chicago Rhythm Kings | 1944 (Commodore 561B)
• Blues For Stu - George Wettling And His Chicago Rhythm Kings | 1944 (Commodore 619A)
• Heebie Jeebies - George Wettling And His Chicago Rhythm Kings | 1944 (Commodore 619B)
• Home, Cradle Of Happiness - George Wettling's New Yorkers | 1944 (Keynote 1311A)
• Too Marvelous For Words - George Wettling's New Yorkers | 1944 (Keynote 1311B)
• You Brought A New Kind Of Love To Me - George Wettling's New Yorkers | 1944 (Keynote 1318A)
• Somebody Loves Me - George Wettling's New Yorkers | 1944 (Keynote 1318B)

Pepperism - The Three Peppers Orchestra

https://mega.nz/#!7zRw3QqY!VAdKUN60Lx2TzGQp0qWGGcOOcV1HvK0Oxx6jKiw1EuA

The Three Peppers were formed in Saint Louis in the mid-1930s, and stuck together in one form or another until about 1950.

The trio consisted of Oliver "Toy" Wilson (piano), Bob Bell (guitar) and Walter Williams (bass). Little is known of the group's history other than that they were formed in St. Louis, played venues in New York and Philadelphia, and recorded again for a brief period on Philadelphia's Gotham label circa 1947. They were apparently discovered by impresario Irving Mills, who managed Duke Ellington, as their first recordings are on the Mills-owned Variety label.

They weren't the top of their game, to be sure, but they were a pretty good group with plenty of perk and wit, and great delivery. These small novelty combos are almost forgotten footnotes of the swing era.

• Swing Out Uncle Wilson | 1937
• The Ducks Yas Yas Yas | 1937
• Get the Gold | 1937
• Serenade In The Night | 1937
• Down By the Old Mill Stream | 1939
• Fuzzy Wuzzy | 1939
• Love Grows On The White Oak Tree | 1939
• Swing Out Uncle Wilson | 1939
• Hot dogs | 1940
• Alexander's Ragtime Band | 1947
• Mary Had A Little Lamb | 1947
• Pepperism | 1947
• Swingin' At the Cotton Club | 1947
• The Sheik Of Araby | 1947
• Tom Tom Serenade | 1947

Doc Sausage: The recordings of Lucious "Dr. Sausage" Tyson

https://mega.nz/#!SrpQDSyZ!FeuPQfV0MEVBlt9cz7XAiKoONHtLdb7IkXjFe6nSGng

Doctor Sausage and His Five Pork Chops/His Mad Lads were something of a fringe act, and today very little is documented about them.

They recorded 2 singles for Decca Records in 1940, four more in 1950 for Regal (including a Top 10 R&B single with Rag Mop) and then were never heard from again. Considered a Novelty Act throughout their career, they provide an interesting if brief peek into the late 30's and 40's East Coast “hep culture” and “Race Records”.

1940:

• Wham [Re-bop-boom-bam] / Doctor Sausage Blues (Decca 7736)
• Birthday Party / Cuckoo Cuckoo Chicken Rhythm (Decca 7776)

1950:

• She Don’t Want Me No More / Please Don’t Leave Me Now (Regal 3248) --Wanted --
• Rag Mop / You Got Me Cryin’ (Regal 3251) – Peaked at #4 on the US R&B Charts / Feb. 1950
• Sausage Rock / I’ve Been A Bad Boy (Regal 3256) --Wanted (Side B) --
• Door Mat Blues / I’m A Poor Man (Regal 3283) --Wanted --

If you have access to any of the missing tracks, please let me know.

Dorthy Dandridge - In The Movies

https://mega.nz/#!3nhGwQBD!a462assMOr_fflSKaEkbGnP71BmXwB9q6WPzk-yZAJc

Some collected tracks from Dorthy Dandridge, at the start of her solo career.

These tracks span the dates 1941-1943, with the last track dated 1953. Audio quality is not always great, due to music sources. A companion piece to the Dandridge Sisters On Record compilation.

• Chattanooga Choo Choo / Dorthy Dandridge With Glenn Miller Orch
• A Jig In The Jungle / Dorthy Dandridge
• I Got Rhythm / Dorothy Dandridge
• Lazy Bones / Dorothy Dandridge With Hoagy Carmichael Orch
• Swing For My Supper / Dorothy Dandridge
• A Zoot Suit (For My Sunday Gal) / Dorothy Dandridge With Paul White Orch
• Cow Cow Boogie / Dorothy Dandridge
• Hit Parade Of 1943 / Dorothy Dandridge
• Whatcha Say / Dorothy Dandridge With Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra
• Taking A Chance On Love / Dorothy Dandridge 

The Dandridge Sisters On Record

https://mega.nz/#!7jpyXKbC!Zt94wuAiXt8wO3i8EfzkBiioi9_YAk29b60zaPcYpcA

This 6 track compilation features some rare performances from the Dandridge Sisters, prior to their sister Dorthy pursuing her own solo career.

Featuring Dorthy Dandridge, Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra, and Cats & The Fiddle. Recordings circa 1940.

1. Undecided
2. The Harlem Yodel
3. You Aint Nowhere
4. Red Wagon
5. Minnie The Moocher Is Dead
6. I Ain't Gonna Study War No More

Sunshine Records: Los Angeles 1920's

https://mega.nz/#!7jpyXKbC!Zt94wuAiXt8wO3i8EfzkBiioi9_YAk29b60zaPcYpcA

Sunshine Records was a small California-based record label of the early 1920s, producing gramophone records of early jazz and blues. 

This compilation features the following:

Sunshine 3001-A: Krooked Blues
Sunshine 3001-B: When You're Alone Blues
-  Roberta Dudley accompanied by Ory's Sunshine Orchestra

Sunshine 3002-A: Maybe Someday
Sunshine 3002-B: That Sweet Something Dear
- Ruth Lee accompanied by Ory's Sunshine Orchestra

Sunshine 3003-A: Ory's Creole Trombone
Sunshine 3003-B: Society Blues
  - Spike's Seven Pods of Pepper Orchestra

Why? Why Not?

So I collect music - all kinds of music, lots of different kinds of music. Rare music, important music, unimportant music, music from many different times and genres.

Sometimes I come across music that originally was released as singles (usually 78 RPMs), that for whatever reasons are not collected elsewhere. So I create a compilation. It's fun. It's interesting. Then I share.

Here ya go.

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This is the second incarnation of this blog, mostly because I've lost all the admin details from the previous version, and the email address and phone number I used previously are long gone. Oh well.

I've continued to make compilations since I stopped posting here in 2012, and so first I'll re-up the earlier posts (with refreshed links), then I'll start adding more.

Enjoy