[Dixielandjazz] Re: Lonesome Road (was Al Washington)

[Bill Haesler]

Dear Luis,
A big surprise!
I finally sat down and transcribed the Louis Armstrong spoken words to "That
Lonesome Road" which you first asked for in mid 2000!
I knew when I mentioned it the other day, that you would ask again.
8>)
This is as close as I can get.
Comment on my translation from others very welcome.
Kind regards,
Bill.

"The Lonesome Road" (Nat Shilkret, music-Gene Austin, lyrics) Louis Armstrong
and His Orchestra. 6 November 1931. Okeh 41538.
Louis Armstrong, Zilner Randolph, t; Preston Jackson, tb; Lester Boone,cl/as;
George James, cl/ss/as; Al Washington, cl/ts; Charlie Alexander, p; Mike
McKendrick, stg; John Lindsay, sb; Alfred 'Tubby' Hall, d.

Band singing/humming: Look down, look down, that lonesome road, before you
travel on.....
Louis over: ooo....ooo. Lonesome road, before you... Sing louder, sing louder.
Say louder.
Now sisters and brothers this is reverend Satchel-mouf Armstrong gonna speak to
you this evenin', and I ain't gonna keep you here long.
I jis wanna introduce some of the brethren.
We have  a little Creole member here - or rather a new deacon. He wanna say
something to this congregation. He's none other than the Creole boy, little
satchel-mouth Joe Lindsay. Say something to them Joe.
Joe Lindsay: Now sisters 'n' brothers. We want to pick a good collection here
tonight. For brother Armstrong.
Come on wit, if you're comin'. Aw you dawg.
Louis: An' if you ever get it brother Lindsay, please don't put it in your
pocket, will ya. Thank ya.
Lindsay: Amen.
Louis: Aah. Drop it in there brother Jack Randall. I thank ya.
Now. A..rah. How do you do brother Preston. And, ah - brother Randolph.
Why, here's the sax boys. Little George James, Al Washington and Lester Boone.
Why there's Charlie Alexander there and - ah - reverend Johnny Lindsay.
An' - ah - you can all........
Why here's two little songwriters here. Little Louis Dunlap and George Cuspidor
[Carpenter]. An' what you think about that? They're smokin' a Louie Armstrong
special cigar. More power to you boys.
Hello professa Shermangood. Ah...my dear brother. He lookin' all prosperous.
He's a New Orleans boy too.
O...ah. Swing out brother Washington. (over the tenor solo.)
Have you anything to say brother Mike McKendrick?
McKendrick: well, well, well. Ah, ah - nothin'.
Louis: Yes sir Randolph. What d'ya say Randolph?
Randolph: Brother Armstrong, I haven't got my dole money yet.
Louis: You better go home.
Band member: A truth! A truth!
Louis: O my goodness! What kinda church is this? What kinda church is this?
[some unintelligible talking, then]
I gotta get some of this...
I gotta take one of these choruses. Give me some of this... 
Band member: Swing it brother Armstrong.
[Louis plays.]
Louis: Look out now, brothers 'n' sisters. I thank you all for your little
offerin'. 
Of course it could have been better. Two dollars more would have got my shoes
outa pawn.
But never-the-less I'm in love wit ya.
Band member screams: Aaaaaah!
Louis: Hold that sister, but get offa my foot.
band member: Oh, brother Armstrong. You're killin' me.
Louis sing: Now. Look down, look down, lonesome road . Ooho, Look, look down
that lonesome road, look down that lonesome road.
McKendrick: My ma [Bye bye?] you vipers.

Notes:
This was really Zilner Randolph's orch. Louis fronted it for the 1931-32 tour.
Brian Rust (Jazz Records) incorrectly calls him Zilmer. Randolph also wrote "Old
Man Mose" sometimes credited solely to Louis.
Songwriters Louis Dunlap, Charles Carpenter (and Earl Hines) wrote "You Can
Depend on Me", which Louis had recorded the day before "That Lonesome Road".
But who is Professor Shermangood? 
Could it have been the drummer Tubby Hall, the only member of the band not named
above. Hall was born in Louisiana and moved to New Orleans with his family when
he was very young. He was also a good friend of Louis. ('My dear brother. A New
Orleans boy too'). John Lindsay, was also from Louisiana and grew up in New
Orleans.
Preston Jackson was another New Orleans boy, so Louis was in 'home' company.
Who was Jack Randall? Or did Louis mention Zilner Randolph twice? 

Bill.