[Dixielandjazz] Edison Records

[Marek Boym]

 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.

I meant that The Ramblers on Edison were neither more nor less jazzy
than on other labels.

 >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.

Sure.  Except for Bessie Smith, I've got most of the stuff mentioned
(most - because coping with the sheer quantity of Red Nichols and The
Memphis Five under its various guises is practically impossible).
>
> 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.

That, as already explained, was NOT the point.
>
Cheers,