[Dixielandjazz] Edison Records

[Stephen G Barbone]

>> Barbone wrote:
>>
>> Dear Marek:
>>
>> I listened to some of the Edison recordings by the California  
>> Ramblers
>> on Red Hot Jazz site. In my ears, most of them were more on the side
>> of "jazzy dance music" rather than jazz. Just a few song renditions
>> that I would say are jazz. Maybe parsing words, but that's how I hear
>> it. Songs like Ain't Misbehavin' and Button Up Your Overcoat are
>> mostly arranged ensemble passages. Very little solo work, no ensemble
>> improvisation. To me, that is not jazz.
>
Marek Replied:

> At least as jazzy as ?That Funny Jas Band From Dixieland," and neither
> more nor less than on other labels.   And they recorded for Edison
> beginning 1924.  Anyway, there are some quite jazzy numbers among
> them.

Yes, certainly as jazzy as "That Funny Jaz Band From Dixieland". The  
main point is that the above record was the first one to use the word  
Jas in a song title. And who knows, maybe during those brief jazz  
spots in the record,  that's what Jas sounded like in 1916. <grin>

I respectfully disagree that other labels did not have much more jazz  
content than Edison. Gennett easily comes to mind. Goodness me, from  
the early 1920s, on, their jazz output included: NORK, King Oliver,  
Bix, with both the Wolverines and The Rhythm Jugglers, Carmichael's  
Collegians (Stardust etc), Earl Hines with Lois Deppe's Band, Muggsy  
Spanier, Red Nichols, and many others. The Edison list pales by  
comparison.

And Okeh, with Louis Armstrong Hot 5 & 7, far surpasses the jazz  
content of Edison. Plus the others (like Oliver, The Friars etc) they  
recorded.

And Columbia who extensively recorded Bessie Smith (including the  
classic St Louis Blues with Armstrong's backing) has a long list of  
jazz records during the 1920s. Plus, I believe they had more Memphis  
Five Sides than did Edison.

BTW an interesting comparison of what Memphis 5 sounded like with the  
same song on Edison vs. Vocalion can be heard on the Red Hot Jazz  
site. The song is The Great White Way Blues, recorded in January 1923  
for Vocalion and then 6 months later for Edison. Interesting contrast.  
Makes me wonder if Napoleon didn't purposely alter the jazz content to  
get Edison to accept it.

http://www.redhotjazz.com/om5.html

Also interesting on that site is Memphis 5 recording of St Louis Gal  
which was rejected for release by Edison. Why? Too bluesy? Sounds good  
to me. Columbia recorded it in 1924. Both songs can be heard on the  
site.

Many more labels out there in the 20s had more jazz content than Edison.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband