[Dixielandjazz] Phil Napolen, and more

[Don Ingle]

On 5/30/2011 9:10 PM, Bill Haesler wrote:
> Dear Marek,
> Wow.
> Quite a few questions from you this time.
> 8>)
> But one from me first.
> What is the "protected housing" your friend has moved to?
>
>> ........quite a few LPs, among them Dixieland Jazz Battle (Decca DL 5261), with Pete Daily on one side and Phil Napoleon and his Memphis Five on the other.  The liner notes describes the Napoleon band as "a large slice of jazz history," whereas, according thereto, "the Pete Daily band represents a conscious revival of the old style by a rough and ready group of younger men."
> I bought that 10" LP when it was released in the 1945.
> My copy was issued in England on Brunswick LA 8515 (a branch of the Decca Record Company Limited. London).
> The back of the cover has no details, apart from tune titles and band names. No notes at all.
> To me. there is no doubt that the Original Memphis Five, was historical. Its first records (under Napoleon's nominal leadership) where made in 1922. Phil N was carrying it over into the 40s, as did his contemporary, Red Nichols.
> And the Pete Daily band was, basically, "a rough and ready group of younger men."
> Ask our listmate Don Ingle.
> Napoleon [Filippo Napoli] was born in 1901.
> Pete Dailey was born in 1911 but did not record with his own band until the 1940s.
>
>> I would not have wondered so much about that, except that the notes
>> were by the jazz historian Marshall W. Stearns, written some five
>> years before completion of his Story of Jazz.  Thus, either he was
>> much less knowledgable than is generally believed, or he distorted
>> facts on purpose.
> I can't agree with you on that.
> Jazz critic and musicologist Marshall W[ilson] Stearns was born in 1908 and started contributing to Downbeat from about 1942. He founded the Institute of Jazz Studies in 1952, so was well established as a jazz authority when that Decca LP came out in the mid 1950s.
> However, Stearns' 'The Story Of Jazz' (1955) had little impact on us young Australian 'mouldy figs. Our minds had been well and truly made up in the precious ten years.
> 8>)
> Stearns was, by then, into the current modern scene, and appeared (to us) to be paying lip-service to the Classic Jazz Era. His 'Story Of Jazz' has never ever been a reference work for me.
> However, his book 'Jazz Dance' (co-authored with his wife, Jean, and published posthumously) is one of my favourites.
>
>> Another Napoleon LP (also 10") is "Dixieland Classics, vol. 2" by Phil
>> Napoleon's Emperors of Jazz" on EmArcy MG 26009.  The personnel given
>> is Napoleon, Lou Mc.GArity,Joe Dixon, Frank Signorelli, Chuck Wayne,
>> Felix Globe and Tony Spargo.  However, Jepsen lists the personnel as
>> Napoleon,Vernon Brown, Sal Franczella, and rhythm as above, except
>> that it the spelling of the bassist's name is "Giobbe" rather than
>> Globe.  Which one is correct?
> I have the two esquire Mercury 10" LPs Vols. 1&  2 (MG25078&  MG25079 = EmArcy MG26008&  MG26008) by Phil Napoleon's Emperors Of Jazz. They were released in Australia, under licence, by Astor Radio.
> The 16 tunes were recorded for Swan in April and May 1946 and initially came out on 78s and, later, on EP. All were reissued on Mercury and EmArcy LPs.
> The personnel given on my Mercury LPs is incomplete and also includes the incorrect spelling 'Globe' for Felix Giobbe.
> My 1963 edition of Jepson has, I believe, the correct date and personnel details for the four sessions.
>
>> Some more more questions: were the Commodore records originally issued
>> on 78?
> Yes. I still have several original Commodore 78s.
>
>> And the Firehouse 5 plus 2 on Good Time Jazz (GTJ33-1 and GTJ
>> L-2)?
> All FH5+2 records from May 1949 to January 1954 were Good Time Jazz 78s.
> The L series were 10" LPs.
> Therefore, 33 ("Lonesome Mama/Sweet Georgia Brown") was a 78.
> L2 was a 10" LP.
>
>> Is the Napoleon-Daily LP the original issue?
> Yes. The Decca LP was the original issue.
>
>> By the way, the FH5+2 have bass saxophone rather than brass bass.
> Yes, Ed Penner did not start using tuba in March 1951.
>
> Very kind regards,
> Bill.
>
>
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Not mentioned was the very well done studio album by Napoleon of the 
music from the Musical, "Tenderloin." Great arrangments but they left 
some room for the players to put thjeir touch on each tune.
Pete Daily also has with him at various times such players as drummer 
"Sleepy" Kaplin, pianist "Skippy" Anderson, trombonist and former Bobcat 
Warren Smith.
One mark of the Daily band was their fondness for the "sauce." I 
remember going into the Canyon Room near the junction of Laural Canyon 
and Santa Monica to hear them. The place
was an echo chamber it was so devoid of customers. Skippy had passed out 
with his head on the keyboard, the drummer and Warren almost asleep in a 
padded curved table seat section, and Pete sort of looking as if he was 
in another part of the world. That was a bad night for me, since I loved 
the band from their recordings. Fortunately, I later heard them when 
they were on and playing well. But such happenings still come first to 
mind when the Daily name comes to mind.
Pete Also used a drummer, George Defenbaugh (Sp.) who played a nice, 
restrained but time savvy style. I also remember that he had one of the 
largest bass drums on a drum set that I'd ever seen until that time - 
until I saw the bass drum that the late Ray Smith had in his minimalist 
drum set. He was a surprise - doing so very much with very little and 
making a trad band swing hard while staying true to the style.
Ah, so many players, so much memory, so little time.
Don Ingle.