[Dixielandjazz] Herb Jeffries on Exclusive Records

[Robert Ringwald]

Of possible interest to some members of DJML.  

>From another email list.  


Some notes for the in-my-dreams CD of Herb's work for Exclusive Records.
Herb Jeffries' Exclusive Years
By 1938 the young Herb Jeffries, had sung with a few known mid-western bands and
had achieved celebrity on the black film circuit as a singing cowboy. This, as well
as a couple of early recordings, brought him to the attention of Duke Ellington who
was impressed enough to invite him to join his orchestra in 1940. You can hear Jeffries
being introduced as "The Bronze Buckaroo" on one of the Duke's Boston broadcasts
in the early part of that year, an appellation soon left behind as he became one
of the Duke's more successful vocalists. After the mega-hit he and the band had with
"Flamingo" he left in 1942 to start a solo career. As he often said he was delivered
by a Flamingo not a stork.
Although the Ellington association helped his reputation immeasurably, he was not
a star in his own right; but he knew how to build upon success. In 1943 he appeared
at his own club in L.A. The Black Flamingo and he signed a record contract. The company
was Exclusive Records, newly established by Leon Rene, an experienced entertainment
entrepreneur and composer (along with brother Otis). Located at the corner of Sunset
Blvd. And Vine, the company was one of the first black-owned independents on the
coast. Herb would join as singer and PR manager. The post-war period provided a small
window opportune for such new beginnings, and the Renes were to make the most of
it.
Buddy Baker, who joined Exclusive as music director, deserves much credit for its
success. A former trumpeter who turned full-time arranger once he got to Hollywood,
Baker worked as a music director in radio in the early 1940s before coming to Exclusive.
He would later be head of music for Walt Disney Studios. With Jeffries as their star
singer, and other successful acts like Joe Liggens and The Honeydrippers, and Baker's
band as well, the company's recordings sold well.
Herb recorded at least 42 masters for Exclusive, 78rpm singles made mostly with Baker,
which were a mix of standards and original tunes by others, especially Leon Rene.
They brought the sound of the 1940s to an peak, clarifying with a dramatic understatement
the sentiment of the war years while simultaneously pointing toward a cooler jazz
future for popular music. Combining vocal drama with lyric aplomb and perfect enunciation,
Jeffries was the right vocalist for the time and Exclusive. His records with Baker
were consistently excellent. Little expense was spared, taste and musicianship were
paramount, large orchestras as well as tight jazz groups were employed, and unique
arrangements were prepared which allowed orchestra and soloists to shine.
Good sales first attracted critical notices like an early 1943 item in Billboard
stating that Herb's records may "be well received in the race markets where Jeffries
is better known" to an article in that same publication a few years later about Herb's
Exclusive album Magenta Moods winning him a cover story as Metronome magazine's Singer
of the Year. By 1948 the critical press found Herb's Exclusive recordings "from the
top drawer."
In recent years, Gunther Schuller in his book about the swing era, compared Jeffries's
Ellington style to that of his Exclusive years, noting that "A much more creative
and mature Jeffries can be heard, for example, on his 1946 Exclusive recordings with
Buddy Baker's Trombone Octet in first-rate modern arrangements by the late Paul Villepigue
that are well worth rediscovery and study." And our own Will Friedwald has praised
this period of Herb's career as well in his essential A Biograghical Guide to The
Great Jazz and Pop Singers.
The talented people at Exclusive kept very busy for four years, but their attention
not only to the creation of some great recordings but also to public relations and
distribution of product were not to prove sufficient in a new period of cut-throat
competition, mob bootlegging and the inroad of the long-playing record. But as an
indy they made quite a mark. By the time they were toppled in 1949 Jeffries had moved
on to Columbia, but only after an offer from Stan Kenton and Capitol was declined.
Building upon the success of his singles and especially his album Magenta Moods,
he was booked into some of the most celebrated clubs in America, and proved as great
a success at the Blue Angel as he had been at the Club Monaco in Hollywood. By 1951
his arrival was noticed by Life magazine's lengthy article with pictures about his
career as a celebrated artist crossing racial lines, prompting several letters to
the editor, some not favorable.
Although by this time he had recorded for Columbia and was under contract to Coral,
he was not yet done with the Exclusive years though they had officially ended. In
1951 Magenta Moods had its second premier, this time on Mercury records, a successful
re-release (this time as a 10" long player with two added songs) which pushed sales
of the album to 400,000 copies, according to Life. Mercury which had purchased the
Exclusive singles proceeded that year to re-release 24 more on three further 10"
LPs. Finally, Look magazine proclaimed Magenta Moods "Album of the Year."
Along with the arrangers, composers, and musicians at Exclusive, Jeffries would seldom
work so hard or record so much of such consistent quality as he did in these years.
With his developing talents (which could grow over-ripe in later years) at their
peak, he produced recordings which may well be his best.


--Bob Ringwald
www.ringwald.com
Fulton Street Jazz Band
530/ 642-9551 Office
916/ 806-9551 Cell
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