Portrait of Bubber Miley (Podcast #19-008)

“Bubber Miley was from the body and soul of Soulville. He was raised on soul and saturated and marinated in soul. Every note he played was soul filled with the pulse of compulsion….. Bubber was born in South Carolina, but … Continue reading

“Bubber Miley was from the body and soul of Soulville. He was raised on soul and saturated and marinated in soul. Every note he played was soul filled with the pulse of compulsion…..

Bubber was born in South Carolina, but his family moved to New York when he was quite young, and he was raised there. His growl solos with the plunger mute were another of our early sound identities, and between 1925 and 1929 he laid the foundation of a tradition that has been maintained ever since by men like Cootie Williams and Ray Nance.” –

– Duke Ellington, Music Is My Mistress



The recordings heard on this podcast episode:



 

early ellington rca

Early Ellington (1927 – 1934), Bluebird 6852-2-RB

Black and Tan Fantasy, recorded 6 October 1927, Camden, New Jersey

Bubber Miley, Louis Metcalf – trumpet; Joe Nanton – trombone;  unknown,  Edgar Sampson,  Otto Hardwicke – reeds;  Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – banjo;  Mack Shaw – tuba.

East St. Louis Toodle-oo, recorded 3 December 1927, New York City

Bubber Miley, Louis Metcalf – trumpet; Joe Nanton – trombone; Rudy Jackson, Otto Hardwicke, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – banjo; Wellman Braud – bass; Sonny Greer – drums.

Doin’ the Voom Voom and Flaming Youth, recorded 16 January 1929, New York City

Arthur Whetsel, Bubber Miley, Freddie Jenkins – trumpet; Joe Nanton – trombone; Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – banjo; Wellman Braud – bass; Sonny Greer – drums.


early ellington

Early Ellington – The Complete Brunswick And Vocalion Recordings Of Duke Ellington, 1926-1931, Decca/MCA Records GRD-3-640 (3 CD set)

The Mooche, recorded 17 October 1928, New York City

Arthur Whetsel, Bubber Miley, unknown – trumpet; Joe Nanton – trombone; Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – banjo; Wellman Braud – bass; Sonny Greer – drums.


Okeh Ellington

The Okeh Ellington, Columbia C2K 46177 (2 CD set)

Take it Easy, recorded 19 January 1928, New York City

Bubber Miley, Louis Metcalf – trumpet; Joe Nanton – trombone; Barney Bigard, Otto Hardwicke, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – banjo; Wellman Braud – bass; Sonny Greer – drums.

The Mooche, recorded 1 October 1928, New York City

Arthur Whetsel, Bubber Miley – trumpet; Joe Nanton – trombone; Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Lonnie Johnson – guitar; Fred Guy – banjo; Wellman Braud – bass; Sonny Greer – drums; Baby Cox – vocal.


bix beiderbeck

The Bix Beiderbecke Story, Proper Records P1362 (4 CD set)

Louisiana, recorded 23 April 1928, New York City

Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra: Henry Busse, Charles Margulis, Eddie Prinder – trumpet; Bix Beiderbecke – cornet; Boyce Cullen, Wilbur Hall, Bill Rank, Jack Fulton – trombone; Irving Friedman, Chet Hazlett, Rube Crozier, Frank Trumbauer, Red Mayer, Charles Strickfaden – reeds; Kurt Dierterle, Mischa Russell, Matty Malneck, Mario Perry, John Bowman, Charles Gaylord – violin; Roy Bargy, Lennie Hayton – piano; Mike Pingitore – banjo; Min Leibrook – tuba; Mike Trafficante – bass; Hal McDonald – drums; Bing Crosby, Jack Fulton, Austin Young, Charles Gaylord – vocal.

Rockin’ Chair, recorded 21  May 1930, New York City

Bix Beiderbecke – cornet; James “Bubber” Miley – trumpet; Tommy Dorsey – trombone; Arnold Brilhart, Benny Goodman, Bud Freeman – reeds; Joe Venuti – violin; Hoagy Carmichael – piano, vocal; .Eddie Lang – guitar; Harry Goodman – bass; Gene Krupa – drums; Irving Brodsky – vocal.


— Our closing music —-

0000120517

It’s Something You Ought To Know (Paul Gonsalves – “Ellingtonia Moods and Blues,” RCA Victor / RCA63562)

Recorded 29 February 1960, New York City

Paul Gonsalves- tenor sax; Johnny Hodges – alto sax; Ray Nance – cornet; Mitchell “Booty” Wood – trombone; Jimmy Jones – piano; Al Hall – bass; Oliver Jackson – drums.

 

Portrait of Fred Guy (Podcast #19-007)

Fred Guy played banjo and guitar in the Ellington Orchestra from 1925 to 1949. Continue reading

“Freddy Guy  was born in Georgia, but he had been in New York most of his life when he joined us in 1925, and he knew Harlem backwards and forwards. He was rather a serious type of fellow, and was always giving us advice, but his guitar was a metronome and the beat was always where it was supposed to be. He was a good man at managing finances, too. Herman Stark, the manager of the Cotton Club, used to say to me, “You are going to be a very famous star, but Freddy Guy is going to wind up with the money.””

-Duke Ellington, Music Is My Mistress


guy and duke

Fred Guy and Duke Ellington, 1925


Fred GuyFred Guy, 1946


Fred Guy's Autograph.jpg

Fred Guy’s Autograph (from eBay)


1939_Levin_ad_2.jpgFred Guy played and endorsed Levin, a Swedish guitar brand


fred guy newspaper clipping

 The Atlanta Constitution, Thursday, 25 November 1971



The recordings heard on this podcast episode:



MI0001923424

Rainy Nights (CD: 1924-1926: Birth of a Band, Vol. 1 EPM #HS151042)

Recorded November, 1924 New York City

Bubber Miley  – trumpets; Charlie Irvis – trombone; Otto Hardwicke – alto sax; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – banjo; Sonny Greer – drums.


41HG64z6N4L._SX450_

Echoes of the Jungle (CD: Highlights from the Duke Ellington Centennial Edition (1927-1973) RCA Victor 09026636722)

Recorded 16 June 1931, Camden, New Jersey

Arthur Whetsel, Cootie Williams, Freddie Jenkins – trumpet; Joe Nanton, Juan Tizol – trombone; Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – banjo; Wellman Braud – bass; Sonny Greer – drums.


elling_duke_complete1_101b

The Sergeant Was Shy (CD: “The Complete 1932-1940 Brunswick, Columbia and Master Recordings of Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra” Mosaic Records #248)

Recorded 28 August 1939, Boston

Wallace Jones, Cootie Williams, Rex Stewart – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Joe Nanton, Juan Tizol – trombone; Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Otto Hardwicke, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – guitar; Billy Taylor – bass; Sonny Greer – drums.


stereo reflections

Warm Valley (CD: “Duke Ellington: Stereo Reflections In Ellington” Natasha Imports ‎– NI-4016)

Recorded 31 July 1940, Detroit

Wallace Jones, Cootie Williams, Rex Stewart – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Joe Nanton, Juan Tizol – trombone; Barney Bigard, Ben Webster, Johnny Hodges, Otto Hardwicke, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – guitar; Billy Taylor – bass; Sonny Greer – drums.


bbbcd

Caravan (CD: “Black, Brown & Beige” Bluebird 6641-2-RB)

Recorded 11 May 1945, New York City

Shelton Hemphill, Taft Jordan, Cat Anderson, Ray Nance, Rex Stewart – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Joe Nanton, Claude Jones – trombone; Jimmy Hamilton, Otto Hardwicke, Johnny Hodges, Al Sears, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – guitar; Junior Raglin – bass; Sonny Greer – drums.


— Our closing music —-

0000120517

It’s Something You Ought To Know (Paul Gonsalves – “Ellingtonia Moods and Blues,” RCA Victor / RCA63562)

Recorded 29 February 1960, New York City

Paul Gonsalves- tenor sax; Johnny Hodges – alto sax; Ray Nance – cornet; Mitchell “Booty” Wood – trombone; Jimmy Jones – piano; Al Hall – bass; Oliver Jackson – drums.