zaterdag 6 oktober 2012

Blues (Pt 1-3) (1944) / Rockin At The Philharmonic (1958)



Chuck Berry's song "Rock At The Philharmonic" was based upon "Blues" (pt 1-3).
especially the duel between Nat King Cole on the piano and Les Paul on the guitar in part 3.
Nat and Les are chasing each other for almost 3 minutes !!!
The song was part of a concert at the Philharmonic Auditorium in Los Angeles.


That very first concert was held on Sunday, July 2, 1944, at the Philharmonic Auditorium, Los Angeles, and featured Illinois Jacquet, Jack McVea, J. J. Johnson, Shorty Sherock, Nat "King" Cole  , Les Paul, Johnny Miller, Meade Lux Lewis, Bumps Myers, Joe Sullivan, Buddy Rich, Randall Miller, Bud Hatch, Marie Bryant, Red Callender, Lee Young and Carolyn Richards. Illinois Jacquet, Nat "King" Cole and Les Paul, in particular, created a sensation. The title of the concert had been shortened by the printer of the advertising supplements from "A Jazz Concert at the Philharmonic Auditorium" to "Jazz at the Philharmonic". Norman Granz organised the concert with about $300 of borrowed money. Only one copy of the first concert program is known to exist. Norman Granz recorded many JATP concerts, and sold or leased (from 1945 to 1947) the recordings to Asch/Disc/Stinson Records (record producer Moses Asch's labels).

As it happened, Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic show had been recorded for the Armed Forces Radio Service for overseas broadcast to GIs, but the recordings were simply too exciting to keep from the general listening public. So, in 1946, Granz made arrangements with future Folkways Records founder Moses Asch, to issue the first Philharmonic concert on Asch's Disc label. That release offered home listeners the new experience of hearing extended solos, with the musicians egged on by the roar of the audience.


The song "Blues" was divided in 3 parts and was contained on 3 sides (#6024A, #6024B and #6025A) (SEE PICS ABOVE) that were part of the album "Jazz at the Philharmonic Vol. 4",
Recorded Live at the "Philharmonic Auditorium", Los Angeles, CA, July 2, 1944.
This album also contained the song "Lester Leaps In" (also divided in 3 parts)
This 3 record album-set was released c. 1947 on the Disc Label (Set #504).
David Stone Martin made the influential cover illustration. (*SEE BIO on the bottom of this post)



Here's a Youtube of the complete song "Blues" (parts 1-3)
The Nat King Cole / Les Paul battle begins at about 7 minnutes .



Here are a few photos of that first JATP show, taken by Life magazine photographer Gjon Mili.



The personnel for "Blues" (parts 1-3):

J.J. Johnson - trombone
Illinois Jacquet, Jack McVea - tenor saxes
Les Paul - guitar (Les was called in at the last minute, to replace Oscar Moore on guitar).
Nat King Cole - piano (who used "Shorty" Nadine as a pseudonym on this release)
Johnny Miller - bass
Lee Young - drums (brother of Lester Young)


In 1950 Granz leased the recordings to Mercury Records
It was released on Mercury MG 35005
David Stone Martin again was responsible for the cover illustration.




Norman even later reissued/issued them on Norgran (founded 1953), from 1953 on Clef (founded 1946), and from 1956 on Verve (founded 1956), at the time, his own labels.

Nowadays Etaoin Shrdlu is credited as the composer for "Blues" on CD re-issues. But Etaoin Shrdlu is not a real composer. It is a nonsense phrase that sometimes appeared in print in the days of "hot type" publishing because of a custom of Linotype machine operators. It is the approximate order of frequency of the 12 most commonly used letters in the English language.


On April 22, 1946 an all-star band recorded a slow version of "Blues" (this time called "JATP Blues")
The introduction is by Norman Granz himself.
The personnel for this April 22, 1946 concert :
Buck Clayton - trumpet
Charlie Parker, Willie Smith - alto saxes
Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young - tenor saxes
Irving Ashby - guitar
Kenny Kersey - piano
Billy Hadnott - bass
Buddy Rich - drums

Listen here:




In 1958 Chuck Berry made his own Rockin version of "Blues".
His cover-version was titled "Rock At The Philharmonic" (on the back-cover)
Though on the label the title is spelled "Rockin' At The Philharmonic".
Recorded  December 29–30, 1957 in Chicago, Illinois
Released March 1958 on the album "One Dozen Berrys" (Chess LP 1432)
Personnel
Chuck Berry – vocals, guitar
Fred Below – drums
Willie Dixon – bass
Lafayette Leake – piano


Listen here:


"Rock At The Philharmonic" was also contained on the EP "Sweet Little 16" (Chess EP 5121)




British group The Scorpions recorded two singles at Abbey Road. The second single was a cover of Chuck Berry's "Rockin' At The Phil" (Rock At The Philharmonic).  A demo was recorded in December 1960, the EMI release was in May 1961 on Parlophone R4768 Rockin' At The Phil b/w Scorpio.



Listen here




A US group called "The Legends" recorded a very similar version in 1961 but it was not released at the time.
Finally released on a Dutch compilation CD:


Listen here:





*BIO David Stone Martin:
David Stone Martin was born in Chicago 1913. He graduated from the art school in 1935 and came to New York in the early 1940s. Always interested in jazz, he hade a close friendship with pianist Mary Lou Williams and when she recorded for the Asch label in 1944, she persuaded the owner, Moses Asch (later the founder of Folkways Records), to let Martin design the album cover. It was his very first record album.
During the 1940s he continued to work for Asch and also for the company´s other labels, Disc and Stinson. But it was working with Norman Granz and his various impresario ventures, that he made his reputation.

David Stone Martin´s first commission for Granz was to design a logo for the "Jazz At The Philharmonic" concerts and tour. He created the famous Trumpeter logo, which Norman Granz featured on all his concert programs and record labels. It continues to be used today on reissues and is still perhaps the best recogniezed logo in jazz.

David Stone Martin: Clef Records trumpet logo

woensdag 3 oktober 2012

I Wish I Was In Bowling Green (1947)


The Originals © by Arnold Rypens - I WISH I WAS IN BOWLING GREEN

Cousin Emmy was born Cynthia May Carver in 1903 in Barren County, Kentucky, near the Tennessee border. The first woman to win the National Old Fiddlers contest in Louisville in 1936, Cousin Emmy achieved national acclaim as a “banjo pickin’ girl” from Kentucky. Carver began her radio career playing banjo in a string band with two of her cousins; later she taught a young Grandpa Jones how to play frailing-style banjo.
Cousin Emmy made few recordings but, in 1947,  folklorist Alan Lomax arranged for Carver to sign with Decca Records and also included her music in his anthology of field recordings, Kentucky Mountain Ballads. On this collection she played banjo and sang ao “Pretty Little Miss Out in the Garden”,  “I Wish I Was a Single Girl Again.”, "Ruby" (her only 78 released) and the song, the song where this post is about: "I Wish I Was In Bowling Green". 
It was based on an old fiddle-tune from central Kentucky (according to D.K. Wilgus)

Cousin Emmy recorded the song on April 12, 1946, possibly in Chicago.
It was released on the Decca-label (# 24214)



Listen here:





The 78 above was contained in the 78-album pictured below:



If you want to take a closer look in the Cousin Emmy-album pictured above click on the LINK BELOW (scroll down to the bottom and click on the album-sheets and click again to enlarge the album-sheets)

http://collections.si.edu/search/results.htm?print=yes&q=record_ID:nmah_1213330



A very beautiful version was done by the Kossoy Sisters (& Erik Darling: banjo) in 1956 on the album: "Bowling Green and other Folk Songs from the Southern Mountains" (Tradition TLP 1018 LP)
Details about this album can be found on the next link:

 http://clancybrothersandtommymakem.com/trad_1018_bowling_green.htm



Listen to the Kossoy Sisters and Erik Darling here:





In 1961 at a “Country & Western Night performance” at the Disneyland Resort in 1961, Cousin Emmy happened to meet the New Lost City Ramblers, who accompanied her on an album, that was released in 1968 on the Folkways label (FT 1015).








The liner-notes of the album ABOVE are here:
http://folklife-media01.si.edu/liner_notes/folkways/FW31015.pdf


On the video BELOW is Cousin Emmy and The New Lost City Ramblers singing "Bowling Green" from the album above. They recorded the song in 1967. Cousin Emmy had a career revival due to the folk era, and even got to perform at the Newport Folk Festival. The video is made of photos from her beloved mountains and her co-performers.





Also covered by:
Weavers (1958)




Brothers Four (1962) (Wish I was in Bowling Green)

https://www.discogs.com/Brothers-Four-Cross-Country-Concert/release/5241897

Listen to a sample here:

http://www.allmusic.com/album/brothers-four-in-person-cross-country-concert-mw0000671751





Alice Gerrard & Mike Seeger (1980)
Spring Creek Bluegrass Band (2007) (Bowling Green)
Blue Harvest (2007) (Bowling Green)
Annie Lou (2009) (Bowling Green)
Alela & Alina (2009) (Bowling Green)
I Draw Slow (2010) (Bowling Green)
Dehlia Low (2010) (Bowling Green)
Molly Tenenbaum (2010) (Bowling Green)
Della Mae (2010) (Bowling Green)
Clay County (2012) (Bowling Green)



NOT TO BE CONFUSED with "Bowling Green" written by Terry Slater and Jackie Ertel and first recorded by the Everly Brothers.

Here's a DEMO of the Everly Brothers from 1967


maandag 1 oktober 2012

El Condor Pasa (1917)



In 1913 Daniel Alomía Robles composed "El Condor Pasa", based on the traditional Peruvian folk song from the 18th Century "Soy la paloma que el nido perdió" ("I'm a dove that has lost the nest").
The words of "El Condor Pasa" were written by Julio Baudouin, under the pseudonym Julio de La Paz.
It was first performed on December 19, 1913 in Lima at the Teatro Mazzi. The song was composed as part of a zarzuela (Spanish operetta) of strong social content about Peruvian miners in Cerro de Pasco and their relations with the foreign mining company.
This zarzuela consisted of eight parts: introduction ("introducción"), male chorus ("coro"), sad Incan Andean music ("yaravi"), a duet of soprano and baritone ("dúo"), romance ("romanza"), king dance ("Kashua"), folk march ("pasacalle") and prayer ("plegaria").
The story is set in a mine in Cerro de Pasco, and deals with a tragic conflict between Indians and "Sajones" (Saxons), their European bosses. The exploitative Mr. King, owner of the mine, is killed by Higinio, but is soon replaced by another owner, Mr. Cup, and the fight continues. The Condor of the title symbolises the ideal of freedom.
The words are in Quechua, the language of the Inca Empire, which is still spoken by the indigenous people of Peru. The singer calls on the mighty condor of the Andes to take him back to the old Inca kingdom of Machu Picchu.
This zarzuela was not copyrighted until 1933, as Robles was staying as a cultural attaché in New York. He chose the music publisher Edward B. Marks Music Corp. and it was registered as "El Condor Pas (Inca Dance)" with BMI.





It was not until 1917, when 2 versions were recorded in Lima, Peru, which were released on the Victor-label.

Here's the first one:

(o) Orquesta del Zoológico 1917.
Matrix G-2295
Recorded August 27, 1917 in Lima, Peru.
Released on Victor 69903.
 



Or here:



Two days later, on August 29, 1917, Banda del Batallón Gendarmes No. 1 also recorded "El Condor Pasa" in Lima, Peru.
Matrix G-2313.
Released on Victor 72089.
 


Listen here:



In the early 1920's Manuel Fajardo recorded a song, which was called "El Condor Pasa" on the label (even crediting Robles).
But the song is not the same as the song we're talking about on this post.
Fact is that Manuel Fajardo was a friend of Daniel Robles and around the same period they even recorded as a duo (Fajardo Y Lopez) in New York. Andrés R. López being a pseudonym of Robles.


(c) Manuel Fajardo (around 1920)





(c) Banda De La Marina Americana (around 1930)
Released on Columbia 5217-X


Also released on Columbia 5376-X


Listen here:





(c) Ensemble Achalay (1958)





In 1963 Jorge Milchberg adapted this traditional song for his group Los Incas and it became a worldwide hit.
"El Condor Pasa" was contained on the album BELOW, which was released in France on the Philips-label.




Listen here:




In France, Marie Laforêt performed her ""La Flûte Magique" in 1965 and with the same melody and different words as "Sur les chemins des Andes" (aka "Sur le chemin des Andes") in 1966. It is said to be based on Jorge Milchberg's adaptation.



In 1965 Paul Simon performed at the Paris Theatre del L'Est Parisienne. Los Incas were also performing there.
Simon was quite impressed with their performance and they gave him their LP with traditional South-American tunes as pictured above
Los Incas told Simon, perhaps through ignorance, that the song was a 19th century musical composition by an anonymous composer. Simon became interested in the song and composed new lyrics for the melody. The song appeared on Simon and Garfunkel's 1970 album Bridge over Troubled Water. The instrumental track on the S&G version was performed by Los Incas with full authorization of Philips Records.




BELOW a Youtube of the S&G version with some beautiful pictures of the Andean Condor.




In 1970 Alomía Robles' son, Armando Robles Godoy, filed a copyright lawsuit against Simon and demonstrated that song had been composed by his father and that his father had copyrighted the song in the United States in 1933. Robles Godoy said that the lawsuit was almost friendly and that he bears no ill will towards Simon for what he considers a misunderstanding


Here's a version by WAYNA PICCHU, a Latin Folk Band from Peru, they perform the song "El Condor pasa" with the ORIGINAL lyrics in Quechua, the language of the Inca Empire, which is still spoken by the indigenous people of Peru. The singer calls on the mighty condor of the Andes to take him back to the old Inca kingdom of Machu Picchu.


El Condor Pasa (Quechua)
Yau kuntur llaqtay orgopy tiyaq
Maymantam gawamuhuakchianqui, kuntur kuntur
Apayllahuay llaqtanchikman, wasinchikman chay chiri orgupy,
Kutiytam munany kuntur kuntur.

fuga:
Kuzco llaqtapyn plazachallampyn suyaykamullaway,
Machupicchupy Huaynapicchupy purikunanchiqpaq.

El Condor pasa (English)
Oh mighty Condor owner of the skies, take me home, up into the Andes
Oh mighty Condor.
I want go back to my native place to be with my Inca brothers,
that´s what I miss the most, Oh mighty Condor.

fuga:
Wait for me in Cusco, in the main plaza,
so we can take a walk in Machupicchu and Huayna-picchu.




After the hit-version of Simon & Garfunkel various versions followed:

In the UK Julie Felix took advantage of Simon and Garfunkel's decision not to release their version as a UK single, and had a UK Top 20 hit with it.




In 1970 in Italy Gigliola Cinquetti covered it as "Il Condor" (Italian Lyrics Bruno Lauzi)




In 1970 in Germany Jürgen Marcus covered it as "Nur Du" (German lyrics Joachim Relin, Joachim Heider)



Also in 1970 Mary Roos covered it as "Der Condor zieht" (German Lyrics Michael Holm)


In 1971 the Canadian singer Michele Richard had a hit with her cover-version entitled: "L'Oiseau de Feu"


In 1971 Yma Sumac, born in Peru and nicknamed the Incan Princess, also covered "El Condor Pasa" on her album "Miracles".





In a 1980 episode of The Muppet Show, the song was given a parody treatment by The Great Gonzo, earning the mock ire of guest star Paul Simon.
From episode 511 (with Paul Simon) Gonzo messes with El Condor Pasa: El Gonzo Pasa




In 1994 Belgian singer Dana Winner covered "El Condor Pasa" (with new lyrics and title: "Jij En Ik")




In 2002 DJ Shadow sampled "El Condor Pasa" in "You can't go home again".