Clarence Williams with Louis Armstrong and Eva Taylor, 1921-1926

Clarence Williams - 1921-24
(The Chronological Classics, 679)

Although this is not the most essential of the Clarence Williams CDs released in the complete Classics series, all of the releases are highly recommended to fans of early jazz. Many of these titles are quite rare and historical. First Williams is heard as a singer on five period numbers from 1921 ("The Dance They Call the Georgia Hunch" is the most memorable) and has a vocal duet with Daisy Martin on "Brown Skin (Who You For)." Williams also takes four piano solos and on most of the other titles features the great soprano saxophonist Sidney Bechet (heard in his earliest recordings); "Wild Cat Blues" and "Kansas City Man Blues" are classics. In addition Louis Armstrong joins the group on three numbers, two of which have vocals from Eva Taylor.

-Review by Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

01. If You Don't Believe I Love You Look What a Fool I've Been
02. Roumania
03. Dance They Call the Georgia Hunch, The
04. Pullman Porter Blues
05. Decatur Street Blues
06. Brown Skin (Who You For)
07. Mixing the Blues
08. Weary Blues, The
09. Wild Cat Blues
10. Kansas City Man Blues
11. Achin' Hearted Blues
12. 'Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do
13. New Orleans Hop Scop Blues
14. Oh Daddy! (Oh Daddy! You Won't Have No Mama at All)
15. Shreveport Blues
16. Old Fashioned Love
17. House Rent Blues (The Stomp)
18. Mean Blues
19. My Own Blues
20. Gravier Street Blues
21. Texas Moaner Blues
22. Of All the Wrongs You Done to Me
23. Everybody Loves My Baby


Personnel: Clarence Williams (vocals, piano); Erskine Hawkins (trumpet); Daisy Martin (vocals); Buddy Christian (banjo); Chappie's Hot Dogs (violin, alto saxophone, cornet, trombone, tuba, piano); Eva Taylor (violin); Sidney Bechet (clarinet, soprano saxophone); Joseph Samuels (clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Buster Bailey (soprano saxophone); Jules Levy, Jr., Tom Morris , Louis Armstrong, Thomas Morris (cornet); Ephraim Hannaford, Aaron Thompson, John Mayfield, Charlie Irvis (tuba); Larry Briers (piano, drums).
Recording information: New York, NY (10/11/1921-11/06/1924).
Ensembles: Clarence Williams' Blue Five; Chappie's Hot Dogs.

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Clarence Williams - 1924-26 (The Chronological Classics, 695)

The second CD in the Classics label's "complete" Clarence Williams series traces the pianist/bandleader's recordings during a 14-month period. The first six titles feature soprano great Sidney Bechet (who has a unique sarrusophone solo on "Mandy Make up Your Mind") while the first 13 also have Louis Armstrong. The pairing of these two classic and competitive greats is at its zenith on a brilliant version of "Cake Walking Babies from Home"; Satch gets the edge. In addition there are notable contributions on these 23 performances by trombonist Charlie Irvis, tenor-saxophonist Coleman Hawkins, cornetists Joe Smith, Bubber Miley and Ed Allen, clarinetist Buster Bailey and singer Eva Taylor among others. Williams's series of hot performances really epitomized small-group 1920s jazz and every entry in this Classics series is highly recommended. Other highlights include "Coal Cart Blues," "Shake That Thing," "Dinah" (which features Hawkins on baritone), "I've Found a New Baby" and two versions of "Santa Claus Blues."

-Scott Yanow

01. Mandy, Make Up Your Mind
02. I'm a Little Blackbird (Looking for a Bluebird)
03. Cake Walking Babies from Home
04. Pickin' on Your Baby
05. Castaway
06. Papa De-Da-Da
07. Wait Till You See My Baby Do the Charleston
08. Livin' High
09. Coal Cart Blues
10. Santa Claus Blues
11. Santa Claus Blues
12. Squeeze Me
13. You Can't Shush Katie (The Gabbiest Girl in Town)
14. Shake that thing
15. Get It Fixed
16. Spanish Shawl
17. Dinah
18. I've Found A New Baby See All 8
19. I've Found A New Baby See All 8
20. Pile of Logs and Stone (Called Home)
21. Wait Till You See My Baby Do the Charleston
22. Livin' High
23. Wait Till You See My Baby Do the Charleston




Discography:

Clarence Williams' Blue Five:
Louis Armstrong (cnt) Charlie Irvis (tb) Sidney Bechet (sop,sarrusophone-1) Clarence Williams (p) Buddy Christian (bj) Eva Taylor (vcl)
New York, December 17, 1924
73026-B Mandy, make your mind (et vcl,1)
73027-B I'm a little blackbird looking for a bluebird (et vcl)

Clarence Williams' Blue Five:
Louis Armstrong (cnt) Charlie Irvis (tb) Sidney Bechet (sop) Clarence Williams (p) Buddy Christian (bj) Eva Taylor (vcl)
New York, January 8, 1925
73083-A Cake-walking babies from home (et vcl)
73084-B Pickin' on your baby (et vcl)

Clarence Williams Williams' Blue Five:
Louis Armstrong (cnt) Charlie Irvis (tb) Sidney Bechet (sop) Clarence Williams (p) Buddy Christian (bj) Eva Taylor (vcl) Buster Bailey (sop) Don Redman (as)
New York, March 4, 1925
73204-A Cast away (waltz) (et vcl)
73205-A Papa de da da (et vcl)

Clarence Williams' Blue Five:
Louis Armstrong (cnt) Charlie Irvis (tb) Buster Bailey (cl,sop) Don Redman (as,sop) Clarence Williams (p) Buddy Christian (bj) Eva Taylor (vcl)
New York, October 6, 1925
73686-B Just wait 'til you see my baby do the charleston (et vcl)
73687-B Livin' high sometimes (et vcl)

Clarence Williams' Blue Five:
Louis Armstrong (cnt) Charlie Irvis (tb) Don Redman (cl) Buster Bailey (sop) Clarence Williams (p) Buddy Christian (bj) Eva Taylor (vcl)
New York, October 8, 1925
73694-B Coal cart blues (et vcl)
73695-B Santa Claus blues (et vcl;dr out)

Clarence Williams' Trio:
Louis Armstrong (cnt) Clarence Williams (p,vcl) Buddy Christian (bj) Eva Taylor, Clarence Todd (vcl)
New York, October 16, 1925
73721-A Santa Claus blues (et,cw,ct vcl)

Clarence Williams' Blue Five:
Louis Armstrong (cnt) Charlie Irvis (tb) Don Redman (cl-1,as-2) Coleman Hawkins (ts) Clarence Williams (p) Buddy Christian (bj) Eva Taylor (vcl)
New York, October 26, 1925
73738-A Squeeze me (et vcl,1)
73739-B You can't shush Katie [The gabbiest gal in town] (et vcl,2)

Clarence Williams
Big Charlie Thomas (cnt) Buster Bailey (cl) unknown (as) Clarence Williams (p) Buddy Christian (bj) Eva Taylor (vcl)
New York, December 15, 1925
73837-B Shake that thing (et vcl)
73838-B Get it fixed (et vcl)

Clarence Williams' Stompers:
poss. Bubber Miley (cnt) Charlie Irvis (tb) Don Redman (sop,as) Coleman Hawkins (ts,cl,bar) Clarence Williams (p) Leroy Harris (bj) or poss. Buddy Christian (bj) Henry "Bass" Edwards (tu)
New York, January 4, 1926
73893-B Spanish shawl
73894-B Dinah

Clarence Williams' Blue Five:
Bubber Miley (cnt) prob. Charlie Irvis (tb) Otto Hardwick (as) or Don Redman (as) Clarence Williams (p) poss. Leroy Harris (bj) poss. Henry "Bass" Edwards (tu) Eva Taylor (vcl)
New York, c. January 22, 1926
73957-A I've found a new baby (et vcl)
73958-B I've found a new baby (et vcl)
73959-B Pile of logs and stones [called home] (et vcl)

Dixie Washboard Band
Ed Allen (cnt) Bennie Moten (cl,as-1) Clarence Williams (p) Jasper Taylor (wbd)
New York, January 25, 1926
141553-1 Wait till you see my baby do the Charleston
141554-1 Livin' high

Dixie Washboard Band (same pers.)
New York, February, 1926
6431-3 Wait till you see my baby do the Charleston
Note: Domino issued as "Louisiana Washboard Band", Oriole as "Dixie Jazz Band" and BRS as "Clarence Williams' Washboard Beaters".

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