[Dixielandjazz] Pete Kelly's Blues

[Bill Haesler]

Harry Callaghan wrote [in part]:
> Hopefully, the final word on "Pete Kelly's Blues" as I suspect most subscribers are probably tiring of it.

Dear Harry,
Not quite HC me ole china.
The following is a bit long, so anyone not interested may wish to tune out now.

Notwithstanding statements like Music from Jack Webb's Pete Kelly's Blues; Songs from Pete Kelly's Blues; Pete Kelly's Blues expanded soundtrack and other claims that LPs and CDs contain the sountrack music from Jack Webb's 1955 film 'Pete Kelly's Blues", with the possible exception of a Warner Brothers LP compilation, 'Fifty Years of Film Music' (3XX-2736), that includes the titles "Sugar" and "He Needs Me", and a Philips LP compilation (B21779H) that has the orchestral arrangement of "Pete Kelly's Blues' and "I Never Knew", NONE of the film's music soundtrack has been released on LP or CD. So far as I can find.
For good reason.
There is not enough of it. Full versions of songs/tunes in the film are short and the remainder are fragmented renditions or used as incidental music.
I know, I've just re-watched the recent Warner Brothers DVD. (A great print too.) 
The following tune titles were featured in the film:
"Just a Closer Walk with Thee" , "Oh, Didn't He Ramble" (sung by choir of Israelite Spiritual Church, New Orleans, featuring Teddy Buckner (cornet) and filmed at the Fleming Plantation at Lafitte, Louisiana , "Smiles" (Big 7), "Sugar" (Peggy Lee & Big 7), "I'm Gonna Meet My Sweetie Now" (Janet Leigh & Harper Goff) , "Somebody Loves Me" (Peggy Lee & Big 7), "Bye Bye Blackbird" (the band singing in the car), "Hard Hearted Hannah" (Ella Fitzgerald), "He Needs Me" (Peggy Lee & Big 7), "Sing a Rainbow" (Peggy Lee in the hospital), "Ella Hums the Blues", "Breezin' Along With the Breeze", "After I Say I'm Sorry" (Big 7) and the two theme tunes "I Never Knew" and "Pete Kelly's Blues" (including a version by Ella Fitzgerald).

All were included on the following three LPs from 1955 (which I have.)

RCA Victor LPM1126 and LPM2053. 'Pete Kelly's Blues'. Pete Kelly and His Big Seven.
Dick Cathcart (c) Moe Schneider (tb) Matty Matlock (cl) Eddie Miller (ts)Ray Sherman (p) Dick Van Eps (g) Jud de Naut (sb) Nick Fatool (d) 
Los Angeles. 17 April 1955
   	Pete Kelly's Blues    
    	I Never Knew              
    	Somebody Loves Me              
    	Hard Hearted Hannah              
    	Smiles              
    	I'm Gonna Meet My Sweetie Now              
   	After I Say I'm sorry              
    	Bye bye, Blackbird              
    	Breezin' Along With The Breeze              
    	Sugar              
   	Oh, Didn't He Ramble                     
One of the RCA LPs (LPM1126) includes a narration by Jack Webb. The earlier one (LPM2053) doesn't. This is the one I have. 

Decca DL8166. Peggy Lee and Ella Fitzgerald 'Songs From Pete Kelly's Blues'. 
Ella Fitzgerald (vcl) acc by Don Abney (p) Joe Mondragon (b) Larry Bunker (d) 
Hollywood. 3 May 1955
	Hard Hearted Hannah    
	Pete Kelly's Blues    
	Ella Hums The Blues     
Peggy Lee (vcl) acc by large band, Harold "Hal" Mooney (dir) personnel include Dick Cathcart (c) Matty Matlock (cl) Eddie Miller (ts) Dick McDonough (g) Nick Fatool (d) 
Los Angeles. 6 May 1955
	(What can I Say) After I Say I'm Sorry    
	I'm Gonna Meet My Sweetie Now    
	Oh, Didn't He Ramble   
	Sugar  
	Somebody Loves Me   
Los Angeles. 10 May 1955
	I Never Knew    
	Bye Bye, Blackbird    
	He Needs Me    
	Sing A Rainbow 

Columbia CL690. 'Pete Kelly's Blues'. Matty Matlock and His Jazz Band.
Dick Cathcart (c) Moe Schneider (tb) Matty Matlock (cl) Eddie Miller (ts) Ray Sherman (p) George Van Eps (g) Jud DeNaut (b) Nick Fatool (d) 
Los Angeles. 7 June 1955
	Smiles    
	Sugar       
	After I Say I'm Sorry       
	I'm Gonna Meet My Sweetie Now       
Los Angeles, June 9, 1955
	Breezin' Along With The Breeze    Col CL690, B2105
	Hard Hearted Hannah       
	Bye Bye, Blackbird       
	Oh, Didn't He Ramble  
Note: All the above titles are on Mosaic CD MD8-206 "Classic Columbia Condon Mob Sessions".
     
Ray Heindorf Directing the Warner Bros. Orchestra. 
Ray Heindorf (cond) including Matty Matlock (cl) Warner Bros. Orchestra, 
Los Angeles. 11 June 1955
    Pete Kelly's Blues   
    He Needs Me       
    I Never Knew       
    Somebody Loves Me       

The RCA LP (with narration) and the Decca LP with Peggy Lee and Ella have just been reissued on a Giant Steps CD (GSCR 027), "Pete Kelly's Blues Expanded Soundtrack". Well done too, with all track information included. Unlike the LPs.

Now for a bit of trivia.
Matty Matlock, George VanEps and Ray Sherman appear on screen as members of Kelly's Big 7. 
Other musicians on screen include:
Herb Ellis and pianist Don Abney. Herman S. Saunders (pianist at jazz club) 
And (as members of the Tuxedo Club band) Perry Bodkin, Harper Goff [also the film's production designer] and Joe Venuti.
And did you spot Jayne Mansfield as the brunette cigarette girl?
As usual, more than you needed to know.
8>)
Very kind regards,
Bill.
PS: Now to try and tidy up Ginnys' "Si Tu Vois Mere" query. Better late than never.