Marvelous Reissue of Albums By George Lewis and Jimmy Yancey albums

One of the unexpected pleasures of the recent Sony Box set celebrating 50 years of Preservation Hall was the inclusion of some selections from a series of albums issued on Atlantic shortly after that fabled venue opened. It led to my checking into the availability of these albums. They have been issued on the Collectables label in a series of two albums on one CD. One CD, includes an album by a band led by The George Lewis Band of New Orleans, Jazz at Preservation Hall, reissued with an album Pure Blues, by legendary blues and boogie pianist Jimmy Yancey. Included are the original liner notes by Rev. A.L. Kershaw for Lewis and Ralph Gleason, George Hoefer and Art Hodes for the Yancey (with Hodes personal memories being quite moving).

The George Lewis Band of New Orleans included Kid Howard on trumpet; Jim Robinson on trombone; Alcide ‘Slow Drag’ Pavageau on bass; Emmanuel Sayles on banjo; and Joe Watkins on drums. On a few tracks the personnel include Snookum Russell on pianol “Papa John’ Joseph on bass; and Joe Watkins on drums. Lewis is amongst the greatest clarinetists of New Orleans jazz with his simple, blues-drenched style and he also was recorded extensively. This album of his is amongst the best recorded and contains a number of staples of his repertoire including Salutation March, Down By the Riverside, Careless Love, Burgundy Blues and St. Louis Blues along an amiable version of Jelly Roll Morton’s Winin’ Boy Blues. The selections with a full group are marvelous with the interplay between Lewis’ clarinet, Howard’s trumpet and Robinson’s tailgate trombone. Then there is Burgundy Blues, with the other horns sitting out on what is perhaps Lewis’ most celebrated number. The spare backing helps contribute to the melancholic tone of a stunning blues performance. This is amongst the best sounding as well as best recordings of George Lewis that I have heard.

Jimmy Yancey was a ground keeper for the Chicago White Sox (during World War I he played in the Negro Leagues) and also one of the greatest blues and woogie woogie pianists that one might fine playing rent and house parties in Chicago. He was a pioneer in the boogie woogie idiom and an influence on Albert Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis. Atlantic recorded Yancey and his wife Mama Estelle Yancey in 1951 a few months before he passed away. These would be his last recordings although he had been recorded by Jazz Information, Solo Art , Session, Victor and Vocalion. 

One aspect of these performances, on which bassist Israel Crosby lends a light touch, is the focus on slow blues instrumentals (and accompaniments), while his earlier recordings had more in the nature of stomps and boogie woogies marked by his immediately recognizable touch and endings. Yancey’s Bugle Call comes closest to illustrate this aspect of his music, but much of this focus on on his atmospheric slow blues like on Mournful Blues or the musical poetry of his rendition of Leroy Carr’s How Long How Long Blues. The spare left-hand bass supplements the treble runs which focus on feeling and not flash. This same mood is present for another version of this heard here on which Mama Yancey so movingly sings. It is one of five vocals by Mama Yancey heard here which also include her take on the traditional, Make Me a Pallet On The Floor, again with Jimmy Yancey’s simple, moody backing. These vocals, like Yancey’s instrumental performances, are blues performances of the highest order and like the Lewis album would be easy to recommend if they had been issued separately. To have these combined on one release makes this album even easier to recommend.

I purchased this. Here is a video from 1962 of George Lewis performing.

Wonderful Celebration of 50 Years of Preservation Hall

A half century ago, several New Orleans lovers decided to present performances of some of the living masters of traditional New Orleans Jazz in a setting removed from the hucksterism that was part of the Bourbon Street scene at the time. It was an opportunity to present such artists as George Lewis, Jim Robinson, Billie and DeDe Pierce, Sweet Emma Barrett, Alton Purnell, Kid Howard, Percy Humphrey and so many others in a setting that gave them a respect their artistry merited. These concerts evolved in what we know as Preservation Hall, and while these artists became legendary in traditional jazz and have all passed on, Preservation Hall and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band have become iconic and institutions.

Celebrating a half century is a new box set on Columbia/Legacy by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, The 50th Anniversary Collection. It is taken from several sources including three of the albums Atlantic issued in a series of Jazz at Preservation Hall along with recordings made by Preservation Hall itself and some of those issued on CBS (later Sony). From recordings documenting the bands that played at Preservation Hall to the contemporary editions of the Preservation Hall, one has a richness of music and performances. Also included are some of collaborations with artists from outside Preservation Hall that were on some of the more recent recordings of the Hall. There are some previously unissued recordings among the 57 tracks that are spread across the 4 CDs in this box.

Old and new are intermixed throughout. For example, the first disc opens with the late Allan Jaffe introducing the band on tour followed by a rollicking Eh La Bas by Billie and DeDe Pierce from 1966, followed by the 1986 Band with Percy and Willie Humphrey on Oh Didn’t He Ramble. Then we hear from the same 1986 session Narvin Kimball singing I Get the Blues When It Rains, which is followed by a 2008 recording of St. James Infirmary, with Clint Maedgen with a hyperactive vocal and a hot latin-infused groove. Then there is a 2009 rendition of Ice Cream, a perennial of the George Lewis and other bands half a century ago and then we go back to 1967 for a marvelous rendition of the Humphrey Brothers led band doing the Leroy Carr classic In the Evening (When the Sun Goes Down), with pianist James ‘Sing’ Miller handling the vocal, and George Lewis’ 1962 recording of Down By the Riverside. 

Here is the Preservation hall Jazz Band performing at Wolf Trap National Park in Virginia

There is such a richness of material here that I will only reference some of the gems that include the marvelous rendition of In the Evening, referred to above; I’m Alone Because I Love You, featuring the irascible Sweet Emma Barrett; a wonderful Do Lord from 1994 featuring Wendell Brunious singing and on trumpet and a band that included Ellis Marsalis on piano, and Dr. Michael White on clarinet; Billie and DeDe Pierce’s St. James Infirmary, with Billie’s vocal, and George Lewis’ clarinet; Pete Seeger and friends joining for a spirited We Shall Overcome; Tuba Fats’ vocal on His Eye Is On The Sparrow; Nellie Gray, a marvelous vocal by Percy Humphrey on a previously unissued 1986 recording; a rendition of Lil Liza Jane, with Louis Jones on trumpet and benefiting from Shannon Powell’s R&B tinged drums and vocal; Kid Howard’s vocal on the George Lewis Band’s rendition of In the Sweet Bye and Bye; and I’ll Fly Away, from the 2010 collaboration with the Del McCoury Band.

Other gems include Blue Yodel #9, a revival of the Jimmie Rodgers country recording that Louis Armstrong played on the original; George Lewis’ hauntingly beautiful Burgundy Blues; Sweet Emma leading the group on Chimes Blues, originally recorded by King Oliver’s at a historic 1923 session for Gennett; a marvelous take on “Sing On,” a staple of the Brass Bands repertoire; the spirited 1976 take of Joe Avery; Shake That Thing, a revival of a late twenties Sam Morgan recording with a vocal by Clint Maedgen and nice interplay between Charlie Gabriel on clarinet, Freddie Lonzo on trombone and Mark Braud on trumpet; the lovely 1966 Freight Train Blues, with Billie Pierce’s heartfelt vocal and clarinet by George Lewis; and Punch Miller’s 1962 rendition of the languid Nobody Knows The Way I Fell This Morning.

More gems include the bluesy collaboration with Tom Waits of an old Mardi Gras chant Tootie Ma Is a Big Fine Thing; a nice rendition of Paul Barbarin’s Bourbon Street Parade; Ralph Johnson’s clarinet rendition of Sidney Bechet’s Le Petit Fleur; One More ‘Fore I Die, another collaboration with the Del McCoury Band with lovely clarinet by Clarinet Gabriel and mandolin by Ronnie McCoury; Percy Humphrey vocal on the spirited Shake It and Break It; the beautiful funeral march Westward Dirge that is played straight with little improvisation; and Richie Haven’s moving vocal on Trouble on Mind, with considerable restraint shown in the Band’s backing.

In addition to the music, Bruce Boyd Raeburn provides an overview of Preservation Hall’s history. Current Hall Creative Director, Ben Jaffe whose father Allan had a similar role with the Hall for several decades, provides his own commentary on each of the selections contained in this box set. My advance copy only had the booklet's text, so I cannot comment of any photos or other graphic material included in the accompanying booklet. I trust these will complement the excellent music. 

This is a joy and soulfulness of all of the performances here (not simply the ones I have highlighted) on this celebration of 50 years of what is truly a cornerstone of American culture, not simply music. 

I was provided an advance copy to review from Legacy Media Relations. It is scheduled to be in stores today, which is when this review is posted. Here are the Preservation hall Jazz Band and the Del McCoury Band from the David Letterman Show.

George Lewis at Congo Square in 1951 and 1952

Many will be aware of my appreciation of the New Orleans Jazz Clarinetist, George Lewis, who was a central figure of the New Orleans revival in the forties and then a major part of the traditional New Orleans jazz scene of the fifties, sixties and beyond. An older release on George Buck’s American Music imprint is Municipal Auditorium, Congo Square 1951 and 1952 by George Lewis’ Ragtime Jazz Band. Included are two performances that were part of charity concerts organized for the National Society for Crippled Children sponsored by the New Orleans Jazz Club.

Lewis’ Band on both occasions included Percy Humphrey on trumpet, Jim Robinson on trombone, Alton Purnell on piano, Alcide ‘Slow Drag’ Pavageau on bass and Lawrence Marrero on banjo. In 1951, Louis Barbarin subbed for Lewis’ regular drummer, Joe Watkins, while in 1952, Albert Walters joined Humphrey on trumpet. Included are five performances from 1951 and six from 1952, although “Bugle Boy Boy March” from 1951 has limited fidelity because of its source material.

The 1951 selections open with a terrific Panama Rag with Lewis clarinet snaking around Humphrey’s lead and Robinson’s potent tailgate style. Just a Little While To Stay Here is a spirited treatment of the hymn where Lewis takes off on his solo with Purnell’s honky tonk piano pushing him along before his own break accented by Lewis with Marrero’s banjo adding to the percussiveness of the playing here. Louis Armstrong’s influence is evident from Humphrey’s sizzling trumpet and Purnell’s vocal on Heebee Jeebies.

The 1952 concert opens with The Star Spangled Banner, played fairly straightly before they launch into a dynamic rendition of the staples of Lewis’ repertoire, Climax Rag, with the two trumpets adding perhaps more sizzle than usual and Lewis taking a highly energetic solo. The is a little raggedness between the two trumpets for the head of the exciting Bugle Call Rag. Perhaps the highpoint is Lewis’ rendition of his classic, Burgundy Blues, with just rhythm backing (Marrero’s chords being effective) Lewis on this superb piece of instrumental blues that was a signature number for him. After his pensive playing, the group ends its performance with a spirited Down in Honky Tonk Town.

A decade later, when Preservation Hall opened, the Lewis Band was the model for the type of music presented, and these musicians were the foundation for the Hall’s own bands as it became the institution it is today. George Lewis at Municipal Auditorium, Congo Square 1951 and 1952 is another excellent release of Lewis’ music that George Buck has issued on American Music and other labels. With so many excellent Lewis recordings available, the music on this one still stands out as among the better ones. This is available directly from www.jazzology.com as well as finer retailers like the Louisiana Music Factory (www.louisianamusicfactory.com).

This was a purchase and here is the George Lewis Band in performance with Kid Howard on trumpet I believe.

George Lewis' Genial Traditional New Orleans Jazz

Emerging as part of the New Orleans Revival with Bunk Johnson, clarinetist George Lewis himself became a highly loved and influential traditional New Orleans musician and led a band that by 1953 toured the United States (and later the world) extensively as well as recorded extensively over the decades, often in the company of trombonist Jim Robinson and trumpeter Avery ‘Kid’ Howard. Lewis and his associates were rooted in the blues (Arhoolie Records founder Chris Strachwitz has referred to Lewis as a blues musician) and their simple musical embellishments may be far removed from the sometimes abstract musical solos of contemporary jazz, but the music is imbued with a simple joyful quality that makes this music spin its hold on folks decades after he has passed.


504 records, a label specializing in the music of New Orleans issued several years ago a double disc by The George Lewis Ragtime Band, Live in Concert — 1963. In addition to the afore-mentioned front-line, the band included that night “Slow Drag” Pavageau on bass; Emmanuel Sayles on banjo; Charlie Hamilton on piano and Joe Watkins on drums with the occasional vocals handled by either Howard, Sayles or Watkins. 16 of the twenty two selections here have never been issued while six was issued on a Danish vinyl album and CD. There is two and a third hours of music presented here.


The songs are pretty representative of the band’s repertoire (and it might be suggested the traditional New Orleans repertoire) with such familiar numbers as Basin Street Blues, Milenburg Joys, Bourbon Street Parade, St. James Infirmary, Tin Roof Blues, Ice Cream Blues, Clarinet Marmalade, St. Louis Blues, Bogalusa Strut, and Walking With The King. There is Howard’s lead trombone with Lewis’ clarinet snaking in and out with Robinson’s blustery tailgate trombone weaving in as well with the rhythm section providing a jaunty rhythm. The sound is quite acceptable. Perhaps not as much presence as on the marvelous Oxford Series of recordings from the mid-50s, but satisfactory. The vocals are some what muffled. And Lewis does his Burgundy Street Blues, with his gentle and wistful tone.


This may not be an essential release perhaps by Lewis, who has numerous releases on a variety of labels, most notably American Music, but certainly a solid and representative collection that can be obtained at www.louisianamusicfactory.com.


I purchased this the Louisiana Music Factory when I was in new Orleans for the 2011 New Orleans JazzFest.

Arhoolie's 1963 Down Home Musical Journey

Arhoolie Records is celebrating its 50th Anniversary. It was a time when a California school teacher Chris Strachwitz went and met a British jazz and blues writer, Paul Oliver and toured part of the US and recorded and interviewed a number of primarily blues performers. A release in 1960 by Mance Lipscomb would launch the label which has produced albums of an incredible range of music. A book and 4 CD set “Hear Me Howling!” has been issued to celebrate this but their are other items to note as well.

In 1963, Strachwitz accompanied a German filmmaker, Dietrich Wawzyn, on a journey across the United States that resulted in three films for German television on blues, gospel and country music. The original negatives for those films have been lost, but with the surviving film and the assistance of the editing of Ingrid Tank, the Arhoolie Foundation presents “Down Home Music: A Journey Through the Heartland 1963.” As Strachwitz observes in his commentary track which one can listen to, the present DVD-film is more akin to his own memories of the 1963 journey than the three genre films produced. Also noted is that Wawzyn had a great interest in jazz and with the exception of the New Orleans jazz presented, apparently did not see get to film much jazz. This DVD has approximately 75 minutes of music from a variety of traditions that includes many amazing moments.

There is certainly some magic here to be seen. The film opens with the music of Jesse Fuller who then is seen entering a door (which Strachwitz advises us was Fuller’s home) and then getting behind the fotdella (a foot pedal bass), picking up a 12-string guitar and adding a rack with a harmonica and kazoo launching into a rousing “San Francisco Bay Blues,” with the camera work displaying his feet moving the pedals to play the bass as he adds harmonica and kazoo to the accompaniment of what has become a classic folk song. Its followed by a skittle band and the great folk singer Barbara Dane backed by a jug band and then a performance of Lowell Fulson in a Fillmore area club (with the night club audience scenes from another filming edited adroitly by Ms. Tank). Some powerful gospel music is presented with the fervent congregation of King Louis H. Narcisse, and the Arizona Pentecostal fervor of Louis Overstreet (on the streets and in church) as well as Brother Davis and a tent revival. There is an Indian conjunto trio presented as well as the traditional Navaho sounds of El Lee Natay.

Some of the most remarkable footage for blues fans follows next. Mance Lipscomb, Lightnin’ Sam Hopkins, and Black Ace are filmed on the porch, in their yard or living room. Their is a frustrating short live club clip of legendary steel guitarist Hop Wilson who Strachwitz in his commentary admits he did not think much of at the time but is regarded as a blues legend today. This little bit of video of Wilson may cause some jaws to drop (I remember the first time I saw a clip of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie on Joe Franklin’s New York City tv show. Then its followed by a terrific clip of pianist Whistlin’ Alex Moore pounding out some barrelhouse piano and whistling fiercely.

From then we travel to Louisiana for a terrific cajun two-step by Shorty LeBlanc, Jay Stutes and the Sugar Bees and gospel by Willie Thomas and family. The then recently opened Preservation Hall is the scene of the George Lewis Quartet with Sweet Emma playing and singing about not giving any of her jelly roll away while Lewis’ two selections include his marvelous “Burgundy Blues.” The filming is marvelous in capturing the personality of The Bell Girl as well as the warmth and soulful bluesy feel of the New Orleans clarinetist. Also filmed was the Eureka Brass Band coming to and from a video. This is priceless because this was the classic brass band. The American Music albums of the Eureka Brass Band are invaluable for those interested in this aspect of New Orleans music.

The remainder of the DVD is primarily devoted to traditional country music by the likes of The Hodges Brothers and J.E. Mainier’s Mountainers, but also includes some film from a Red Sovine Nashville recording session and the Western sound of The Willis Brothers with an amusing fiddle playing routine. Interspersed with this is some lively, archaic African-American string band blues and hokum from Blind James Campbell.

Those interested in American vernacular music will find “Down Home Music: A Journey Through the Heartland 1963,” a fascinating video glimpse at traditions that still move us today. I would suggest watching it and then way=tching it a second time with the optional audio track featuring off-the-cuff commentary by Chris Strachwitz. This is available at a variety of sources including www.bluebeatmusic.com, but you may want to check it out at Arhoolie Records own website, www.arhoolie.com.

I will be reviewing ”Hear Me Howling!” in a few days. That like this was a purchase.

New Orleans 1960

In 1960, noted photographer William Claxton and German musicologist Joachim Berendt travelled the United States to document the American Art Form. The massive coffee table book JazzLife was published by Taschen and available in a regular edition which lists for $200 or a deluxe edition with prints and an audio CD for over $1000. It is a 700 page book and weighs over 17 pounds. Did I say coffee table book, the book itself might serve as a coffee table. Ok enough for the poor attempts at humor.

From JazzLife, Taschen has published the portion devoted to the New Orleans, New Orleans 1960, which is a more manageable 191 pages and has pertinent text portions to explain their trip across the United States and their experiences in the Crescent City and also Angola Penitentiary. It is dedicated to the many souls who lost their lives and the survivors who are rebuilding the city.

The selling point for this are the stunning photos of Claxton, who is probably best known for his iconic images of James Dean and Chet Baker. There are many striking images here, mostly of traditional jazz performers including the Eureka Brass Band, the Tuxedo Brass Band, the marvelous clarinet player George Lewis (and one of a marvelous one of Lewis' wife and Lewis 100 + year old mother), Nick LaRocca (who they recall was still claiming to have invented jazz), drummer Paul Barbarin, blues singer Lizzie Miles, trombonist Jim Robinson, Lewis Keppard and so many others. There are a couple images of a picnic in Slidell where Snooks Eaglin and band are seen playing on a truck bed, as well as a marvelous image of the Melvin Lastie Quintet (which included at the time drummer Charles ' Honeyboy' Otis), one of the few representations of modern jazz that they captured. A series of images here also follow a funeral to the cemetery and then back witnessing the second line exploding on the way back. The section on Angola includes marvelous images of Hoagman Maxey and Roosevelt Charles.

Text is presented in English, French and German and certainly helps the appreciation of the marvelous images. Certainly this will appeal to lovers of traditional jazz and the Cresent City.