Classic New Orleans Jazz from Morand and Barbarin

As regular readers of my blog may be aware, I have a fondness for traditional New Orleans style jazz. The George H Buck Foundation’s group of labels has issued invaluable releases of ‘authentic’ New Orleans Jazz by many of the pioneers of the idiom with many historical releases issued on the American Music label. American Music was originally an historically important label that New Orleans jazz advocate Bill Russell founded. The original American Music label issued recordings by bunk Johnson and others and Mr. Buck purchased the label in 1990. One CD on American Music “Herb Morand 1950/ Paul Barbarin 1951,” brings performances by two prominent New Orleans musicians.

Trumpeter- vocalist Morand, in addition to his performances as a New Orleans trumpeter, had been a member of the celebrated Chicago-based Harlem Hamfats which also included Charlie and (Kansas) Joe McCoy, and New Orleans clarinetist Odell Rand. Initially the Hamfats served as accompanists for singers including Johnny Temple, Rosetta Howard and Frankie Jaxon. After their recording “Oh Red” became a hit they signed to Decca where they recorded 50 odd titles. Wikipedia describes their sound as a mix of blues, dixieland jazz and swing jazz ( I would add boogie woogie), and their recordings presage the mix of blues, swing and jive of Louis Jordan and early jump blues. They broke up around 1939 when Morand returned to New Orleans. 

This CD presents one 1950 session that was recorded at J&M Studio which was the legendary studio that Cosimo Matissa operated and from which many classic recordings by Roy Brown, Paul Gayten, Fats Domino, Smiley Lewis, Lloyd Price and others was made. Morand is joined on a session by a solid band that included pianist Lester Santiago, clarinetist Albert Burbank, Eddie Pierson on trombone, Louis James on piano and Morris Morand on drums. The 5 tunes (2 songs have two takes) include a lively “Down in Honky Tonk Town” displaying the hot jazz style, as well as the hipster, “If You Are A Viper.” Some strong playing can be heard on “Pork Chop Rag,” that Morand kicks off before Burbank takes a solo exhibiting a heavy vibrato (he sometimes comes across as shrill) followed by Santiago’s rag-laced piano. Morand also takes a vocal on “None of My Jelly Roll,” with a stately opening from pianist Santiago before Burbank’s clarinet glides around Morand’s vocal (with some scatting), before taking a lengthy clarinet solo b. There are two takes of the amusing, risqué “Have You Seen My Kitty,” with nice, gruff trombone by Pierson, before the three horns come in together for the coda. The second take has a longer introduction from the horns before Morand’s vocal. 

Paul Barbarin was a celebrated drum, band leader and composer (“Bourbon Street Parade” and “Second Line’). His session dates from 1951 and includes Ernie Cagnolatti on trumpet, Burbank on clarinet, Pierson on trombone and Santiago on piano. His eight selections come from two sessions and open with a terrific, swinging “Eh las Bas,” sung enthusiastically in creole french with Pierson taking a short solo before Cagnolatti rips off some hot trumpet as Pierson and Burbank collectively embellish the trumpet lead. Cagnolatti takes the lead at the start of “Lily of the Valley,” with again the other two horns embellishing things before each takes a short solo as the rhythm joyfully keeps the music going. A medium tempo “Closer Walk with Thee,” has excellent collective playing, while recording of “Panama” is terrific. Barbarin was also a terrific drum which is continually displayed throughout his recordings here.

Having recently praised a CD devoted to Barbarin, I am not surprised how good his recordings on this are. There is also a full CD of Herb Morand on American Music available. Check out www.jazzology.com for more information and to purchase. Other sources for this include louisianamusicfactory.com. 

For purposes of FTC regulations, I purchased this.

Paul Barbarin's Bourbon Street Parade

Paul Barbarin is regarded as one of the greatest of the early new Orleans drummers. He had stints with Freddie Keppard, Jimmy Noone, King Oliver, Luis Russell, Henry ‘Red’ Allen, Sidney Bechet and Louis Armstrong, while often returning to New Orleans. After World II, he remained in New Orleans where he played traditional New Orleans Jazz as well as revived his father’s Onward Brass Band with Louis Cottrell, Jr. He was also a songwriter and composer, a member of ASCAP and some of his compositions including, “Bourbon Street Parade” and “(Paul Barbarin’s) Second Line,” have become core for the traditional New Orleans repertoire and staple of the contemporary Brass Bands. He passed away in 1969 while leading a street parade.

Barbarin recorded with many of the famous musicians he was associated with, as well as made a number of recordings as a leader for Atlantic Records and GHB as well as played on recordings by Bunk johnson, George Lewis and others. The latter is one of the labels that was created by or are now owned by George Buck as part of the George H. Buck, Jr., Jazz Foundation family of labels. In 2008, they released on GHB, BCD-2, Paul Barbarin and his New Orleans Jazz Band. Buck recalled in his JazzBeat magazine from March 2008, “This was the second production we released on our GHB label, and it features Ernie Cagnolatti on trumpet, Eddie Pierson, trombone, Albert Burbank, clarinet, Lester Santiago on piano, Richard McLean on bass, and Paul Barbarin on drums. This was recorded in New Orleans in June 1954, and the original LP has been out of stock for quite a number of years, so I’m happy to report that it is available once again, this time on CD.

It is an interesting group of musicians, although most are little known. This is the only recording by the Afro-Italian, Cagnolatti while pianist Santiago recorded with Herb Morand, as well as George Lewis & Red Allen in addition to Barbarin. Clarinetist Burbank, like Santiago can be heard on a number of GHB Foundation label recordings and a well regarded New Orleans clarinetist, while both bassist McLean and trombonist Pierson are less represented in the Buck Foundation catalog.

Whatever the case, the band that is heard on Paul Barbarin and his New Orleans Jazz Band, is an excellent one in the classic New Orleans tradition. The band has such a ebullient swing to it, of course in part to the leader’s wonderful drums. The selection of songs is marvelous with the three horns all being wonderful, whether doing their collective heads as well as during their solos. From the first moments of “Weary Blues,” with the three horns followed by rollicking piano by Santiago followed by a warm, woody solo from Burbank leading to the three horns in a collective improvisation. Cagnolatti’s obvious influence was Louis Armstrong, and his bright crisp playing enlivens every track as when he takes the lead over the other horns on Barbarin’s classic “Bourbon Street Parade.” Burbank takes the initial solo before Cagnolatti takes his crisp sounding lead followed by honky tonk piano and then the the trombone and clarinet weave in and around the trumpet lead as Cagnolatti leads the way as they ride the number out. Whether handling the nitty gritty of “Tin Roof Blues,” or other staples of the New Orleans repertoire as “Clarinet Marmalade,” “Panama” (heard on two recordings), “Muskrat Ramble,” “Milneberg Joys,” “Just a Closer Walk With Thee,” or “Sweet Georgia Brown,” the ensemble playing is first-rate throughout, and with infectious joy. The rhythm section swings and the solos catch the listener’s attention for a terrific recording of authentic New Orleans Jazz.

This CD is available from better vendors like amazon or the Louisiana Music Factory, but you might check out www.jazzology.com which lists all of the Buck Foundation labels and available releases that include a wide variety of traditional and swing jazz, blues and jazz-inflected vocalists. All there is the Record Collectors Discount Club that has a modest entry fee and allows discounted prices of the catalog of books, CDs and DVDs.

I purchased this CD. My biographical information from wikipedia, drummerworld.com and jazzology.com.