All files have been Digitally Re-Engineered by our Staff, and others.

• "Astoria Strut", (385kb). Jones and Collins Astoria Hot 8, recorded Nov. 15, 1929 When I was a young man (very young), we lived around the corner from the "Commodore Records" shop. One of the things that the "shop" did, was to re-record the old original Dixieland recordings - by pre-subscription only. I clearly recall placing an order for these two Jones and Collins discs.... and they have been among my most treasured ever since.

  Lee Collins was born in New Orleans at the turn of the 20th century, and by just age 12, was playing in the 'Young Eagles' band. In 1924, Lee joined "King" Oliver, and around that period he, Collins, also recorded with "Jelly Roll" Morton. In 1960, Lee died in Chicago of a stroke after suffering badly during a long period of illness. Very few folks are today in possession of these 1920s "Jones and Collins Astoria Hot Eight" sides.

• "Duet Stomp", (432kb). Jones and Collins Astoria Hot 8, recorded Nov. 15, 1929. It is very interesting to note that, although Jones and Collins were two "real" New Orleans musicians, their playing on these two sides is in the newer "Chicago" Dixieland style. The original old New Orleans Dixieland style featured the clarinet as the main instrument, and a, basically, easy going - sort of music unfolding in front of you - style of playing. In Chicago, "New Orleans Dixieland" morphed into a newer, 'Dixieland' The trumpet/cornet was the main instrument, and the music was a mix of ensemble playing and 'Hot' solos. The music wasn't the old south 'easy going' either... it now represented the hard driving, -let's get on with it, Chicago tempo.

• "Damp Weather", (516kb). Jones and Collins Astoria Hot 8, recorded Nov. 15, 1929

• "Tip Easy Blues", (520kb). Jones and Collins Astoria Hot 8, recorded Nov. 15, 1929

• "Crazy Rhythm", (531 kb), The great George Gershwin tune played here by Fred Elizalde and His Anglo-American Orchestra. Listen for Adrian Rollini's fine Bass Sax work about two minutes into the track. (HMV Nov. 16, 1928 - London, England)

• "San ", (358 kb), Husk O'Hare's Super Orchestra of Chicago. (December 1922. Gennett 5009-A, Rec'd: Chicago, IL, USA)
  
  "SAN" (composed by (Lindsay McPhail / Walter Michels, 1920)
  
  King San of Senegal Sat on the shore At Bulamay, Singing a sad refrain.
  To his dear queen who'd gone away, This was his lay.
  
  One day the queen came home Saw San in sadness on the shore,
  Told him she'd no more roam. Only her San would she adore,
  Then came this lore.
  
  Oh, sweet heart Lona, my darling Lona, Why have you gone away?
  You said you loved me, But if you loved me,
  Why did you act this way? If I had ever been untrue to you,
  What you have done would be the thing to do;
  But my heart aches, dear,
  And it will break, dear,
  If you don't come back home again to San!
  
  Oh, sweet heart Lona, my darling Lona,
  Have you come back to stay?
  You said you loved me, I knew you loved me,
  I knew you'd come some day.
  If I had ever been untrue to you,
  What you have done would be the thing to do;
  But now you're mine, dear,
  For all the time, dear,
  And you're forgiven by your loving San!
  

• "San", (499 kb), The Tub Jug Washboard band recorded June 1928 in Chicago, IL, USA (Paramount 12671-A)

• "San", (662kb) A vocal version by the 'Alabama Red Peppers' (a pseudonym for Bob Haring and His Orchestra.) Arthur Fields on vocal, (Rec'd: Cameo 8109 mx 2788, in 1928). Jimmy Dorsey was on clarinet and alto sax, and Andy Sannella on clarinet, alto sax and steel guitar

• "San", (405 kb), Ted Lewis and His Orchestra. Jan. 8. 1930, (Columbia 2113-D). Music : Lindsay McPhail and Walter Michaels.

• "Tip Toe Through the Tulips With Me", (440 kb), Nick Lucas vocal.

• "There's Yes Yes in Your Eyes", ( kb), The Paul Whiteman Orchestra. plkaying an Al Dubin and Joe Burke song. Rec'd: May 1929, Los Angeles, CA, USA. by Brunswick -4418)

• "Moonlight and Roses", (497 kb), The Henry Halstead Orch. playing a Neil Moret and Ben Black tune. Rec'd: Feb 6, 1925, Oakland, CA, USA. Victor 19579-B The Halstead Orchestra was one of the first jazz or dance bands to make a sound movie short in 1927. The Warner Brothers' Vitaphone film was called 'Carnival Nights In Paris'. After he left the bandleader business Halstead bought an airfield, a restaurant and dance hall in Big Bear, California. Still, he never could get the music business out of his blood. Wherever he relocated, he started up a talent agency.

• "Me and My Shadow", (479 kb), Arthur Briggs and His Savoy Syncopators Rec'd: Jan. 28, Berlin, Germany. Deutsche Grammophon 21124 / Polydor 21124. This African-American bandleader who worked primarily in Europe. In 1931, he returned to Europe and led bands in Paris, France. He had stayed in Paris at the start of World War Two, and was captured and imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp during the Nazi occupation of France. He survived the ordeal and after his liberation continued to play Jazz in Europe until the mid-1960s.

• "Mississippi Mud", (5128 kb), Paul Whiteman Orch. playing a Harry Baris tune (he was one of the band's "Rhythm Boys" vocal group). Rec'd: Feb. 18, 1928, New York, NY, USA. Victor.

• "Those Little White Lies", (410 kb), The Clicquot Club Eskimos (a group out of the Harry Reser Orchestra). Rec'd: July 16, 1930, in New York, NY, USA. A Walter Donaldson tune.

• "Hindustan", (646 kb), Joseph C. Smith Orch. (Music: Oliver G. Wallace and Harold Weeks). Rec'd: July 29, 1918, New York, NY, USA. Victor 18507-A. Though he mostly played in New York, in 1923, the Smith orchestra became resident at the Mount Royal Hotel in Montreal, Canada. In 1925, under the name of 'Joseph C. Smith and His Mount Royal Orchestra', he made his last recordings in Montreal.

• "Five Foot Two, Eyes Of Blue", (442 kb), The Melody Sheiks, playing a Sam M. Lewis, Joe Young, and Ray Henderson tune. Rec'd: Dec. 1, 1925, New York, NY, USA. Okeh 40529

• "Charleston", (381 kb), Paul Whiteman Orch, playing this world famous song. Rec'd: May 7, 1925 by Victor. On October 29, 1923, the George White musical Runnin' Wild opened at New York's Colonial Theatre with an all-black cast. Without a doubt, the show's biggest hit was a James P. Johnson, and Cecil Mack tune titled "Charleston". It was the start of a global dance craze that continues to this day. Almost instantly, a flood of new "Charleston" type songs began appearing from the pens of composers everywhere.

• "Charleston", (607 kb) The Golden Gate Orchestra. Rec'd: 1925

• "Ev'rybody's Charleston Crazy", (1.04 MB), played here by the Georgia Melodians, Rec'd: 1926 (Edison MX 10918 31730-L). The Georgia Melodians were a sub-group out of the Charles Boulanger Orchestra, and recorded for Edison between 1924 and 1926.

• "Sunday", (538 kb), Jean Goldkette's Orchestra with "The Keller Sisters and Lynch" vocalizing. Rec'd: 1926

• "Original Black Bottom Dance", (326 kb) Perry Bradford's Gang.

• "Positively Absolutely", (710 kb), Harry Bidgood's Broadcasters, rec'd: 1927 London, England. Vocal by John Thorne (with Chorus).

• "Clap Yo Hands", (690 kb), Harry Bidgood's Broadcasters, rec'd: 1927 London, England. Vocal by John Thorne (with Chorus). A Geroge Gershwin song.

• "Peanut Vender" ("El Manisero"), (857 kb), Don Azpiazu And His Havana Casino Orchestra, with vocal by Antonio Machin. Rec'd: Victor 22483-B November 1930 In 1928 Havana pianist Moisés Simóns composed the song which was an immediate hit in his native Cuba, and a huge American hit when the Azplazu Orchestra recording was released. Azplazu performed the "Peanut Vendor" the next year in the movie "Cuban Love Song."). Incidentally, the English lyrics were written by Azplazu's sister-in-law Marion Sunshine, and L. Wolfe Gilbert. Interesting trivia: In 1931, this orchestra recorded the original (latin) version of "Green Eyes".

• "A Room With A View", (519kb) Ben Selvin And His Orchestra, with vocal chorus, Rec'd: 1928 (Columbia 1693-D mx 147730). This Noël Coward composition was the hit song from the C.B. Cochran revue This Year of Grace which opened at the London Pavilion on March 22, 1928. (On November 7, 1928, the American production opened in New York's Selwyn Theatre.)

• "Down Where The Rajahs Dwell", (689kb) Louisiana Five. Rec'd: 1919 (Emerson 10116 mx 4738).

• "I'm Following You", (361 kb) The High Hatters Orchestra, with Frank Luther vocal.
  "I'm Following You", (447 kb): Another version, this time by Jimmy Noone's Apex Club Orchestra, with vocal refrain. Rec'd: Feb. 18, 1930, Chicago, Illinois. Vocalion 1471. (Tune: Dreyer / MacDonald) Introduced in the M.G.M. Motion Picture "It's A Great Life"
  "Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me", (503 kb): Jimmy Noone's Apex Club Orchestra Rec'd: August 23, 1928, Chicago, Illinois. Vocalion 1215 Brunswick 80026 (Tune: Swanstone / MaCarron / Morgan)

• "You Went Away Too Far And Stayed Away Too Long", (733 kb), Jacques Renard and His Orchestra with Johnny Marvin, vocal and ukulele. Rec'd: 1927 (Victor 20487-A). Many of Jacques Renard's recordings from the late 1920s are billed as "Jacques Renard and His Cocoanut Grove Orchestra." CAUTION: There were two very famous "Cocoanut Grove" ballrooms. One was in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, and is the one where Renard was resident for quite some time. An interesting sidenote: On November 28, 1942, 'The Cocoanut Grove' (the Boston nightclub owned by Barney Welansky, who openly boasted of his ties to the Mafia and the Boston Mayor's Office) became the scene of America's most deadly nightclub fires. Although the legal capacity was 460, that night over 1000 people were in the club. A fire began in the club's basement, and 492 people lost their lives in the stampede to get out. The other (and perhaps best known) 'Cocoanut Grove' was located in the old Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California, - the same hotel where U. S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy was later assassinated.

• "Lonely", (770 kb), Jacques Renard and His Orchestra. Rec'd: 1927 (Victor 20487-B).

• "West End Blues", (619 kb) King Oliver Orchestra. Rec'd: 1928 (Victor V-38034-B)

• "Rio Rita", (551 kb). Nat Shilkret and His Orchestra, with a James Lewis, vocal. Rec'd: 1927 The hit song from the Florenz Ziegfeld production of the same name.

• "What'll I Do", (483 kb) The beautiful Irving Berlin song.

• "I Have Never Seen A Straight Banana", (397 kb) Harry Reser's Jazz Pilots. Rec'd: 1927.

• "Happy Days Are Here Again", (352 kb) Talk about 'timing'. In 1929, the New York Stock Market crashed. It was the start of a World Wide economic disaster. Homes broke apart because men couldn't find work. Businesses closed down in every nation of the world. Men were standing on street corners selling apples, and living in the empty wooden boxes in which the apples came. And the newest song that year was "Happy Days Are Here Again". Here it is as played by Leo Reisman's Orchestra in 1929.

• "Yesterday", (331 kb) Eddie Miller's Dance Orchestra. Rec'd: 1927. A visitor to our site sent this lovely 1927 tune along. Unfortunately, we do now know who the singer is, or the record label.

• "I've Got Something In My Eye", (465 kb), Amanda Randolph and Her Orchestra. Amanda Randolph vocal. (Bluebird B-6619-B. Rec'd: 1936) The reverse side had Charlie Barnet and his Orchestra: "Rainbow on the River"

• "East Of The Sun and West Of The Moon", (325 kb), Chick Bullock vocal. Rec'd: 1936.

• "Der Alta Cowboy", (566 kb). Comedian Harmonists, vocal group. The American title is "The Last Round Up." (composed by Billy Hill).

    "J'ai Deux Amours", (514 kb): (English: "I Have two Loves") Josephine Baker singing her signature song. Recorded in Paris July 1930
        On Dit qu'au delà de mer
        La-bàs sous Le ciel clair
        il exist une cité
        Au séjour enchanté
  
        et sous les grand arbres noir
        chaque soir
        Vers elle-s'en va tout
        mon espoir
  
        J'ai deux amours
        Mon Pays et Paris
        par eux toujours
        mon coeur et ravi
  
        Manhattan est belle
        mais à quoi bon le nier
        ce qui m'ensorcelle
        C'est Paris c'est Paris
        tout entier
  
        Le voir en jour
        C'est Mon rêve joli
        J'ai Deux Amours
        Mon Pays et Paris

• "Alcoholic Blues", (409 kb) Irving Kaufman vocal, rec'd: Silvertone 5025-A

• "Anything Goes", (524 kb) Paul Whiteman Orchestra with Ramona (Davies) vocal. Rec'd: 1934 Victor-24770 album. (Cole Porter words and music)

• "Oh! By Jingo! (Oh! By Gee! You're the Only Girl for Me)", (468 kb) Margaret Young vocal. Rec'd: ca. 1919 Victor 18666-A (Lyric: Lew Brown, Music: Albert Von Tilzer). This comic romance was originally introduced by Charlotte Greenwood in the New York musical "Linger Longer Letty", in 1919.

• Charlie and His Orchestra. During WWII, "Charlie and his orchestra" was "created" by the Nazi administration to confuse the Allied listeners, with lyrics adapted against the British, American, or Soviet governments. It was a psychological trick, with lyrics against Winston Churchill, Stalin or Roosevelt meant to ridicule and abuse the people of the allied nations. Most of the records included hot Swing and dance music, and not all records had the propaganda lyrics on them. The quality of the recordings was fairly high, and the discs are now very rare, and highly prized collectors items." Listen now to 3 of the sides of these WWII Nazi propaganda records, that were beamed to the Allied troops.
  
•        "Indian Love Call", (550 kb) .
  
•        "Nice People", (539 kb)
  
•        "Thanks For The Memory", (532 kb)

• "Jazz Me Blues", (519 kb) Original Dixieland Jazz Band.

• "Doin' The Raccoon", (475 kb) 'George Olsen and His Music' with a tune from the 'roaring 20s Jazz Age'. (Victor 21701-A) back in 1928. Raccoon coats were all the rage with the young Collegians.

• "Sunday", (512 kb) More George Olsen orchestra with a typical "Vo-Do-De-Oh" roaring 1920s tune, with the William's Sisters doing the vocalizing.

• "The Wedding of the Painted Doll", (467 kb) Sam Lanin's Dance Orchestra. (Banner 6350-A) with George Weaver vocal.

• "Cake Walking Babies From Home", (692 kb)
  Caution: Two versions of this song are extant, one with vocal by Alberta Hunter, and Lil Armstrong on piano. the other with the composer, Clarence Williams on piano and Eva Taylor on vocal.
  This is "Cake Walking Babies (From Home)", --- with Louis Armstrong, and Alberta Hunter
  Alberta Hunter & Clarence Todd (vcl duet), accompanied by Louis Armstrong (cnt), Charlie Irvis (tbn), Sidney Bechet (sop), Lil Armstrong (pno), Buddy Christian (bjo). New York, December 22 1924. Originally recorded for Gennett. Josephine Beatty was Miss Hunter's sister's name. The sound of the Williams and Armstrong sessions are fairly close; in fact the only differences are Lil Armstrong for Clarence Williams, and Hunter for Taylor.
  On our ogg page 5, onr may listen to:
  "Cake Walking Babies From Home", --- with Eva Taylor accompanied by Clarence Williams' Blue Five
  Eva Taylor (vcl), accompanied by Louis Armstrong (cnt), Charlie Irvis (tbn), Sidney Bechet (sop), Clarence Williams (pno), Buddy Christian (bjo). New York, January 8 1925. Originally recorded for OKeh (Okeh 8181). These two sessions were recorded either on the same or subsequent days; The cornet player definitely changes between the sessions, although it is less clear who the trombonist is.
  (Clarence Williams is one of the great un-sung heroes of jazz. He was a pianist, composer, singer, arranger, leader, record producer, music publisher, and even a jug blower. He encouraged many jazz legends like Sidney Bechet, Bennie Moten & King Oliver. In fact, it was Williams who encouraged the young Sidney Bechet, and arranged for the first meeting on disc (1924/5) of Bechet and Louis Armstrong, producing such timeless jazz classics as this "Cake Walking Babies From Home".)

• "Na-pierwszy-znak", ("At The First Sign From You") -(460kb) a 1933 recording by the Henryk Gold and his Orchestra, with vocal by Hanka Ordonowna - who was the grand disseuse of Polish pre war singing. The song was originally heard in Henry Wars' great film schlager "A Spy In The Mask". To understand why she was called "the grand disseuse", listen now to her singing probably the most touching Polish song of that period "Milosc ci wszystko wybaczy", ("Love Will Forgive You Everything") -(475kb). Both files courtesy of Dr. Grzegorz Musial, -and here digitally re-engineered.

• "I Found a Million Dollar Baby" (In A Five And Ten Cent Store) , 570kb. ("Ich habe leider kein Vermogen"). played by 'Adolf Ginsburg Tanz-Orchester'. The song was originally composed for producer Billy Rose's 1931 Broadway musical "Crazy Quilt", with music by Harry Warren, and lryic by Mort Dixon & Billy Rose. When Bing Crosby recorded the song, it became a world-wide hit.

• "Alone", (627 kb) played by the George Hall Orchestra. Recorded: Regal Zonophone, 1936. The lovely song was originally heard in the Marx Brothers film "A Night At The Opera", where Allan Jones sang the tune to Kitty Carlysle
    "A Hundred Years From Today", (525 kb): Adrian Rollini and His Orchestra, with Vocal Chorus by Chick Bullock. (Tune: Young / Washington / Young). Rec'd: Feb. 26, 1934, New York, NY. Vocalion 2675