[Dixielandjazz] Jazz in The Charts Volume 1 of 100 CDs.

[Steve Barbone]

For those interested in the Short Course about Jazz. From the All About Jazz
Website this month. Every jazz song that hit the billboard charts from 1917
to 1954. Here's the take on Volume 1.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone


Jazz in the Charts 1/100: 1917-1921 Membran Records  By Elliott Simon

The folks at Germany¹s Membran have completed a fascinating take on the
history of jazz aptly named Jazz in the Charts. In the process, they have
developed a one-of-a-kind compilation of every jazz recording to reach the
Billboard charts between the years 1917 and 1954, years when jazz was truly
America¹s popular music.

A massive one hundred-CD collection, it includes 2,211 recordings with each
CD devoted to multiple years or, at the height of jazz¹s popularity,
multiple CDs devoted to a single year. Like the label¹s other comprehensive
collections, such as the 168-CD Ultimate Jazz Archive, the packaging is
exceptional and a complete set graces a shelf. These are all original
recordings remastered in superb 24 bit/96khz sound that has these nuggets
sounding better than ever.

Now approaching ninety years later, Volume 1: Tiger Rag, covering the years
1917-1921, intrigues as it chronicles the beginnings of jazz as popular
music. During a time when most New Orleans musicians were unknown
nationally, The Original Dixieland Jazz Band hit the charts with ³Livery
Stable Blues.² Jazz historians are not often kind to the ODJB, who are often
painted as pale imitations of the ³real thing.² They weigh in here with
almost half of the cuts in these earliest years and, although light on
improvisatory acumen, in the context of the popular music of the day they
must have been revolutionary with their exciting stage show and performances
that combined novelty with up-tempo dance music.

Two other artists that are much in evidence on Volume 1 are clarinetist
Wilbur Sweatman, the first African-American to release a jazz recording, and
Mamie Smith, the first African-American female to record blues vocally and
whose Jazz Hounds featured pianist Willie ³The Lion² Smith. Volume 100: Mood
Indigo highlights 1954 as jazz¹s popularity was receding with tunes by
Armstrong, Basie and Nat King Cole. The remaining CDs include everything and
everyone else to break into the American charts: Membran has issued in one
place a series that will be of interest to the casual fan as well as the
scholar.      

Track Listing: Original Dixieland Jazz Band: Livery Stable Blues; Original
Dixieland Jazz Band: Darktown Strutter¹s Ball; Original Dixieland Jazz Band:
(Back Home Again in) Indiana; W. C. Handy¹s Orchestra of Memphis: Livery
Stable Blues; Original Dixieland Jazz Band: At The Jazz Band Ball; Wilbur
Sweatman¹s Original Jazz Band: Everybody¹s Crazy ¹Bout The Doggone Blues;
Original Dixieland Jazz Band: Tiger Rag; Wilbur C. Sweatman¹s Jazz
Orchestra: Indianola (Intro: Those Draft in¹ Blues); Wilbur Sweatman: A Good
Man Is Hard To Find (Intro: Sweet Child); Wilbur Sweatman¹s Original Jazz
Band: I¹ll Say She Does (Intro: ¹N¹ Everything); Wilbur Sweatman¹s Original
Jazz Band: Slide, Kelly, Slide; Mamie Smith & Her Jazz Hounds: Crazy Blues;
Mamie Smith & Her Jazz Hounds: Fare thee Honey Blues; Original Dixieland
Jazz Band: Palesteena; Original Dixieland Jazz Band: Margie (Intro: Singin¹
The Blues); Original Dixieland Jazz Band: Sweet Mama (Papa¹s Gettin¹ Mad;
Original Dixieland Jazz Band: Home Again Blues; Mamie Smith¹s Jazz Hounds:
Royal Garden Blues; Mamie Smith¹s Jazz Hounds: You Can¹t Keep A Good Man
Down; Coon-Sanders¹ Novelty Orchestra: Some Little Bird; Original Dixieland
Jazz Band: St. Louis Blues; Original Dixieland Jazz Band: Jazz Me Blues;
Ethel Waters accompanied by Cordy Williams¹ Jazz Masters: Down Home Blues;
Mamie Smith & Her Jazz Band: Dangerous Blues; Original Dixieland Jazz Band:
Royal Garden Blues.