April 19, 2019

Pepperism - The Three Peppers Orchestra

cover artwork
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