King Oliver: Great Original Performances Vol. 2 (1927-1930)

Continuando con el "caso Oliver", traemos aquí una colección que debería interesar a quienes aprecien la mejor cocina casera pero, eso sí, servida con absoluta limpieza y pulcritud, esto es, los célebres "Jazz Classics In Digital Stereo" del ingeniero australiano Robert Parker. Hacia 1992, coincidiendo con el paso de LP a CD de buena parte de ese sorprendente catálogo "stereo" (Louis, Duke, Bessie, Johnny Dodds y cía,), aparecieron dos volúmenes dedicados a King Oliver. El primero (1923-1929), básicamente consagrado a las grabaciones de la Creole Jazz Band no fue especialmente bien acogido por la crítica (eso de pasar a estéreo grabaciones "acústicas" de 1923...), pero éste segundo, ya con la ventaja del registro "eléctrico", se defiende mucho mejor que bien junto a las colecciones de Armstrong o Bessie, en lo que respecta al tema auditivo. Posteriormente (1998) ambos discos aparecerían también reunidos en un CD doble (la cubierta roja que incluímos bajo estas líneas).

La música de Oliver posterior a 1923, aunque de calidad no siempre insuperable y sin la presencia ya del brillante discípulo a la segunda corneta (muy ocupado entonces con los Hot Fives y Hot Sevens) es a menudo tan excitante e interesante como era de esperar, teniendo en cuenta que ya son todo "grabaciones eléctricas" y ello permite mucha más variedad tonal y complejidad en los arreglos. Kid Ory, Red Allen, Barney Bigard, Omer Simeon, Louis Russell, Benny Waters, Clarence Williams, Eddie Lang, entre otros, intervienen en buena parte de los temas, y dos formidables blues singers, Texas Alexander y Sara Martin, añaden la guinda al pastel, o la salsa al suculento guiso, si lo prefieren. Disfrutemos de nuevo, pues, a este gigante del Jazz clásico, una vez maestro incomparable de la polifonía de Nueva Orleans (1923) y aquí anticipando el swing de la década de los 30, pero sin perder el sabor "hot" y el calor de los blues más verídicos.

-Jay Bee Rodríguez

The second volume devoted to the New Orleans trumpet-and-cornet king takes up the story of his Dixie Syncopators from 1927, the year in which he allegedly turned down the job at Harlem's Cotton Club that then laid the foundation of Duke Ellington's fame. Sadly, or appropriately, the pace of change in the band world shows Oliver's own playing gradually sounding more dated, especially in the last two 1930 tracks where he's joined by the much younger New Orleanian trumpeter, Red Allen. The fundamental strength of Oliver's work, however, is resistant to the erosion of time, and his blues-drenched simplicity stands out particularly well in the central group of five 1928 tracks put together by pianist Clarence Williams, two of them featuring authentic blues vocals by Sara Martin and Texas Alexander. The originals here were all rather better recorded than those on Volume One (although musically more variable) yet, as far as the representative selection of material is concerned, this is a worthy follow-up.

-Brian Priestley

King Oliver And His Dixie Syncopators
01. Show Boat Shuffle (1927)
02. Every Tub (1927)
03. Willie the Weeper (1927)
04. Black Snake Blues (1927)
05. Farewell Blues (1927)
06. Sobbin' Blues (1927)
07. Tin Roof Blues (1928)
08. West End Blues (1928) 
Clarence Williams And His Orchestra
09. Longshoreman's Blues (1928) 
Sara Martin with Clarence Williams And His Orchestra
10. Death Sting Me Blues (1928) 
Texas Alexander (with King Oliver and Eddie Lang)
11. Tell Me Woman Blues (1928) 
Clarence Williams And His Novelty Four
12. In the Bottle Blues (1928)
13. What Ya Want Me to Do (1928) 
King Oliver And His Orchestra
14. New Orleans Shout (1929)
15. Rhythm Club Stomp (1930)
16. Edna (1930)
17. Mule Face Blues (1930)
18. Don't You Think I Love You (1930)
19. Shake It and Break It (1930)
20. Stingaree Blues (1930)

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Robert Parker's Jazz Classics In Digital Stereo: New York

Robert Noel Parker (24 December 1936 – 30 December 2004) was an Australian sound engineer, jazz expert and broadcaster, well known for his radio series Jazz Classics in Digital Stereo.

Born in Sydney, Australia, he worked for the Commonwealth Film Unit then moved to Britain in 1964 to work in the film and television industry. On returning to Australia, he received a commission from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for a radio series on jazz.

As a collector of records from the age of twelve, he had built up a large collection of vintage music. He developed a system for transferring recordings to digital media, eliminating noise, adding stereo and enhancing acoustics. He first used an analogue machine, the Packman Audio Noise Suppressor, and later digital equipment from CEDAR Audio Ltd to transfer, retouch and enhance recordings.

With these techniques he produced reproductions of jazz records of the 1920's and earlier that are not only free of surface noise but reveal details, subtleties and a sense of presence that were not previously evident on the records, even in LP re-issues.

He used his enhanced 78rpm transfers in a long-running radio programme Jazz Classics in Digital Stereo, first broadcast in May 1982 by ABC Radio and later carried by BBC Radio 2, amongst other stations.

His transfer of "Milenberg Joys" performed by McKinney's Cotton Pickers was adopted by him as the theme tune for his broadcasts.

He settled back in Britain and set up his own studio in Devon, and followed on from his radio show with a series of vintage record transfers under the banners Jazz Classics in Digital Stereo and The Classic Years in Digital Stereo.


This is the third of four CDs in the Robert Parker series that reissues a cross section of early jazz recordings from a regional area. The music ranges from the famous (Jelly Roll Morton, Fletcher Henderson, Bessie Smith and Duke Ellington) to the lesser known (Charlie Johnson's Paradise Ten, Lloyd Scott and Freddy Jenkins). Veteran collectors will prefer to skip this sampler and get the complete sessions elsewhere but listeners just beginning to explore early jazz should find these early recordings (which range from pre-swing to some heated jams) worth investigating. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

Track List

01 Jelly-Roll Morton & His Red Hot Peppers: Burnin' The Iceberg
02 King Oliver & His Orchestra: Strugglebuggy
03 Fletcher Henderson & His Orchestra: Sugar Foot Stomp
04 Bessie Smith Accompanied By James P. Johnson: Lock And Key
05 Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra: San
06 Miff Mole & His Little Molers: Imagination
07 Eddie Condon & His Footwarmers: Makin' Friends
08 Fats Waller & His Buddies: The Minor Drag
09 Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra: East St. Louis Toodle-Oo
10 Charlie Johnson & His Orchestra: Hot Bones & Rice
11 Luis Russell & His Orchestra: Dr. Blues
12 Fess Williams & His Royal Flush Orchestra: Feelin' Devilish
13 Lloyd Scott's Orchestra: Happy Hour
14 Casa Loma Orchestra, The: Casa Loma Stomp
15 Jungle Band, The: Dog Bottom
16 Cab Calloway & His Orchestra: Minnie The Moocher
17 Jimmie Lunceford & His Orchestra: Stratosphere
18 Clarence Williams' Washboard Five: Cushion Foot Stomp
19 Freddie Jenkins & His Harlem Seven: I Can't Dance
20 Eddie Lang - Joe Venuti & Their All Star Orchestra: Farewell Blues

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Robert Parker's radio podcasts (recommended!)

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