[Dixielandjazz] Armstrong and Rodgers

[Anton Crouch]

Hello all

"Blue yodel no 9" is, indeed, fascinating - not least because the
"standard" story about how it came to be recorded is suspect.

For example, in the "backgound" posted by Steve B it says "They (ie
Armstrong and Rodgers) met in Holly-wood on July 16, 1930, at the end of a
long session ..." This is misleading. Rodgers spent a lot of time in the
Victor studio between 30 June and 16 July 1930 but only made a single side
("Blue yodel no 9") on 16 July. That day was actually a very short session.
I suspect that the recording was
a "spur of the moment" event, thought-up by A&R man Ralph Peer.

Also, to be pedantic, the Victor files (from Brian Rust's Victor Master
Book vol 2) show the accompaniment as "cornet and piano".

As for the identity of the pianist, it has long been agreed that it is not
Earl Hines. But is it Lil Hardin? I don't think so. Miss Lil always kept
the rhythm going and the pianist on this recordingn plods a bit. It's more
likely that he/she is an unknown studio musician.

All the best
Anton