[Dixielandjazz] Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon Info Needed

[Bill Haesler]

> I'm looking for the players and the date of "Christ Was Born On Christmas
> Morn" by the Cotton Mountain Sanctified Singers. Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon
> and either Punch Miller or Freddie Keppard were in the band.

Dear Stan,
Louis [Lince] must have been sitting there waiting for your email.
8>)
His prompt reply represents the discographal consensus over many years, based on listening and association.
As you will know, the Cotton Top Mountain Sanctified Singers was a Brunswick Records group that put down gospel-type songs on 27th February 1929 ("She's Coming Round The Mountain" and "Give Me That Old Time Religion" [unissued]) then 30th July 1929  ("I Want Two Wings To Veil My Face" and a rerecording of "Give Me That Old Time Religion") and, on 28th August 1929, the one you are enquiring about - "Christ Was Born On Christmas Morn".
Frankie 'Half-Pint' Jaxon, a popular black vaudeville entertainer and female-impersonator 
   <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankie_Jaxon> 
has always been associated with the 'Cotton Top' sessions because of his distinctive voice. 
Your reference to Freddy Keppard as the cornet player is the first time I've heard this put forward.
Although I can't agree, based on listening to other known Keppard recordings. 
Punch Miller has always been the main suspect. Supported by the fact that it sounds like the same man who recorded the day before with a Jaxon group in the same Brunswick studio.
However, my ears tend to reject the hot but rugged cornet player as Punch Miller on the first two 'Cotton Top' sessions (Feb/July 1929).
Or was it just a bad period for Punch? 
But I certainly hear Punch's wonderful presence on the 28th Aug 1929 record date and "Christ Was Born On Christmas Morn".
Apart from the adjoining record session on 27th August 1929, another obvious association with Jaxon is the composer credit on the record label of "Christ Was Born On Christmas Morn" - (Jaxon-Henderson).
I initially acquired this side on a Wax Shop 10" 78 disc in the late 1940s, then a Historical LP and now a Document CD.
Unfortunately, I could not find it on the Red Hot Jazz Archive site.
But try this link:
   http://capsuper.vox.com/library/audio/6a00c2252cf2a78e1d01240b80aaf3860e.html
I have noted (but do not recall the source) that the tuba player on "Christ Was Born On Christmas Morn" could be Quinn Wilson.
It certainly sounds like his distinctive playing.
Wilson was with a popular band, Tiny Parham and His Musicians, at this time. 
It may also be significant that Punch Miller worked and recorded with the Parham band in 1928 and again in the second half of 1929.
So far, to my knowledge, nobody has yet identified the piano, banjo, tuba or vocal group on "Christ Was Born On Christmas Morn".
They are not the same musicians as the first two sessions. 
Could it be Tiny Parham, p; Mike McKendrick, bj; and Quinn Wilson, tu? 
Not so silly when "Christ Was Born On Christmas Morn" is compared to the confident piano and tuba playing on Tiny Parham's "Steel String Blues"
  http://redhotjazz.com/songs/tiny/steelstring.ram 
or Parham's "Black Cat Moan"
  http://redhotjazz.com/songs/tiny/blackcat.ram 
or Dodds & Parham's "Loveless Love"
  http://redhotjazz.com/Songs/dodds/lovelesslove.ram 
So back to the Jaxon session on 27the August mentioned above. "Take It Easy", vocal with cornet, piano and drums.
  http://www.mainely-jazz.com/rhsongs/songframes.html
Also a contingent from the Parham band? 
Punch, Parham and Ernie Marrero? 
The same cornet, piano and tuba as on "Christ Was Born On Christmas Morn"?
I think so. 
To answer your question:
"Christ Was Born On Christmas Morn" (Jaxon - Henderson). 
The Cotton Mountain Sanctified Singers.  
Brunswick 711
Recorded in Chicago. 28th August 1929.
Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon with unknown vocal group accompanied by (probably) Punch Miller, c; Tiny Parham, p; Mike McKendrick, bj; Quinn Wilson, tu. 
Sorry for all that.
As usual, more than you needed to know.
Very kind regards,
Bill.