[Dixielandjazz] washboard rhythm kings

[ROBERT R. CALDER]

As I recall from various articles in Storyville magazine, this was a recording 
band varying in personnel and the occasion of a discographers' frenzy at one 
time, when it emerged that Clarence Profit,  whom Joe Turner declared possibly 
the only pianist to rival Art Tatum in the 1930s, was on only about four 
numbers.  Or maybe just two. 


There is a lanky pianist with a flat cap on a video of the band on the Daily 
Motion site, an alternative to YouTube, and he is in fact Joe Turner, but 
whether any of the other film clips or shorts by one of the various related 
ensembles is actually Profit I can't say, since nobody seems to have come up 
with a photo of him!

The names varied betweer WASHBOARD RHYTHM SERENADERS and I can't remember the 
others, and there is one set of recordings made by a few of the members of the 
overall group in London,  with the excellent local Derek Neville on alto in the 
1930s. It was one side of an EMI LP which had a US-recorded group on the other 
side.  The ensemble names varied and I could never keep track of which name was 

attached to which 

Presumably they could record a lot of eight number sessions because of the 
unrehearsed style 


This is a batch of personnels. and alternative names and even a couple of tracks 

including a PEPPER STEAK. Bespoke bargain basement stuff -- Teddy Bunn was on 
the session combining one of these ensembles with the Ellington band. 


W A S H B O A R D   S E R E N A D E R S  Harold Randolph (kazoo) Clarence Profit 
(p) Teddy Bunn (g) Bruce Johnson (wbd,vcl) Gladys Bentley (vcl) New York, March 
24, 1930 

59548-1 Kazoo moan (bj vcl)(+) Vic V38127, (F)430700, 
59549-1 Washboards get together (bj,gb vcl,*) 

Henry Allen (tp) replaces Harold Randolph New York, March 31, 1930 
59568-2 Teddy's blues Vic V38610, Jazum 13 
59569-2 Tappin' the time away -, RCA (F)430700, PM42404, 

Harold Randolph (kazoo) prob Arthur Brooks (p) Bruce Johnson (wbd), Film 
Soundtrack, New York, late 

1932-early 1933 
Stomp     Ristic (E)SAC, Harlequin (E)HQ2038 (`Vitaphone filmshot entitled 
"That's the spirit")

Randolph (kazoo,vcl) Derek Neville (cl,as,bassax) Brooks (p) Jerome Darr (g) Len 
Harrison (b) Johnson (wbd,vcl) London, July 19, 1935 

CE7108-1 The sheik of Araby (hr,bj vcl) Par (E)F428, Grand Pree 707 
CE7109-1 Dear old southland (hr,bj vcl) (E)229, Best of Jazz (F)4073(CD), 
CE7110-1 St. Louis blues (hr,bj vcl) (E)F428 
CE7111-1 Black eyes (hr,bj vcl) (E)F358 
CE7112-1 Lonesome road (hr,bj vcl) (E)F229 
CE7113-1 Nagasaki (hr,be vcl) (E)F358, Grand Pree 707 

Five Rhythm Kings : unknown kazoo, p, g, wbd, Jake Henderson, Dallie Foster 
(vcl) Camden, N.J., April 21, 1931 


Washboard Rhythm Kings or The Rhythm Kings* : unknown tp, as, bj, Teddy Bunn (g) 

unknown (wbd) Buck Franklin (vcl) Camden, N.J., May 8, 1931 

The Rhythm Kings : unknown cl, as, p, bj, Teddy Bunn (g) unknown (wbd) Buck 
Franklin, Jake Fenderson, The Melody Four (vcl) Camden, N.J., June 4, 1931 

Chicago Hot Five : unknown cl/as, Eddie Miles (p,vcl) Steve Washington (bj,mand) 
unknown (d,wbd) Jake Fenderson (vcl) Camden, N.J., July 9, 1931 


Dave Page (tp) Ben Smith (as) Carl Wade (ts) Eddie Miles (p,vcl) Steve 
Washington (bj,g) Jimmy Spencer (d, wbd,vcl) Camden, N.J., September 23, 1931 


Dave Riddick (tp) Jimmy Shine (as,vcl) Carl Wade (ts) Eddie Miles (p,vcl) Steve 
Washington (bj) Jimmy Spencer (wbd,vcl) Camden, N.J., March 1, 1932 


70596-1 Pepper steak (js vcl)(*) Vic 22958, RCA LPV540, (F)PM42404, (F) 430700, 
70598-1 You can depend on me (em vcl,+) 23326, RCA (G)LPM10021 

Carl Wade (ts) Eddie Miller (p,vcl) Steve Washington (bj,vcl) Ghost Howell 
(b,vcl) H. Smith (wbd), Camden, N.J., July 6, 1932 



72691-1 Just another dream of you (em vcl) Vic 23348, RCA (G)LPM10021 
72692-1 Depression stomp (sw vcl) 23357, 72693

Valaida Snow (tp) Ben Smith (cl,as) Jerome Carrington (as) Carl Wade (ts) Eddie 
Miles (p) Steve Washington  (bj,vcl) Ghost Howell (b) H. Smith (wbd) Bella 
Benson, Lavaida Carter (vcl) New York, October 5, 1932 


Washboard Rhythm Boys : Taft Jordan (tp) Ben Smith (cl,as) Carl Wade (ts) Eddie 
Miles (p,vcl) Steve Washington (bj,vcl) Ghost Howell (b,vcl) H. Smith (wbd) 
Bella Benson (cl) Camden, N.J., October 18, 1932 


Dave Page (tp,vcl) Ben Smith (cl,as) Jimmy Shine or Jerome Carrington (as) Carl 
Wade (ts) Eddie Miles (p) Wilbur Daniels (bj,vcl) Leo Watson (b,vcl) unknown 
(wbd) Frank Benton (vcl,dir) Camden, N.J., November 23, 1932 


Unknown tp, cl/as, as, Carl Wade (ts) unknown (p) Steve Washington (b,vcl) prob 
Ghost Howell (b) unknown  (d), New York, December 14, 1932 


Washboard Rhythm Band : Taft Jordan (tp,vcl) John Haughton (tb) Ben Smith cl,as) 

prob Jerome Carrington  (as) Carl Wade (ts) prob NOT Clarence Profit (p) Steve 
Washington (bj,g) unknown (wbd), New York, March 8, 1933 


Washboard Rhythm Kings : Dave Page (tp,vcl) John Haughton (tb) Ben Smith (cl,as) 

prob Jerome Carrington  (as) Carl Wade (ts) prob NOT Clarence Profit (p) prob 
Steve Washington () prob Ghost Howell (b) unknown (wbd), Cal Clement (vcl) 
Camden, N.J., June 1, 1933 


Washboard Rhythm Boys : Dave Page, Frank "Fat Man" Humphries (tp) Cal Clement 
(tb) Mildred Humphries, Denny Washington (as) Willie "Biggs" Bigger (ts) Steve 
Washington (p,vcl,arr) Ghost Howell (b,vcl) "Biddy" (wbd), New York, August 19, 
1933