In 1962 the Atlantic label, within a four-day period, recorded four
albums titled 'Jazz at Preservation Hall, Volumes 1-4', featuring six
different groups of New Orleans jazz veterans.
Today's freeload is a limited-edition 4CD box set from Mosaic Records, from 1998 has all the music from those
sessions, plus two other related albums. The Ertegun Bothers, founders of the Atlantic label, were
very fond of the traditional styles of the time, and we have them to
thank for preserving these historically significant recordings.
For a perfect example of that classic saying, "you are there", is provided by the Young Tuxedo Brass Brand's 1958 remote
recording that recreates funeral and
parade music in the streets of New Orleans. This is the type of music
that inspired the renown "second line", with the parades working up
steam and adding drummers and players as they progressed.
The remainder of the recordings in this set come from five nights taped in July 1962 at the famed Preservation Hall. An icon of the New Orleans jazz community, the hall was an important venue in terms of giving many of the older and once innovative players new exposure and steady work during a time when traditional and Dixieland styles had largely gone out of fashion.
There are sets to be found here from Paul Barbarin, The Eureka Brass Band, Billie and De De Pierce, Punch Miller, Jim Robinson, and George Lewis. Among these groups are such luminaries as Louis Cottrell, Alcide Pavageau, Emanuel Sayles, and Ernie Cagnolatti. All of these men were in their '60s and '70s, yet they still had much to say, and these sides might be considered some of the best of their modest recorded outputs. Like the other material in this set, the sound quality is superb, and it's a joy to hear this type of music presented with in such a desirable sonic light.
The traditional music of New Orleans has such a rich heritage and yet is
so misunderstood and undervalued these days. If you haven't yet explored
this stylistic era of jazz, you really owe it to yourself, and I can't
think of a better place to start in terms of true New Orleans jazz. Historical significance aside, this music is fun, and is guaranteed to put a smile on your face
The 16-page booklet (included in the freeload) contains an informative essay from Bruce Boyd Raeburn, curator of Tulane University's jazz archives, and a treasure of period photographs.
OK, so today I was walking along the Hudson River Greenway, when a woman did a b-line towards me, and screamed "You're not in Germany anymore, this is America!" In typical New York fashion, I replied, "Whatevs", and kept walking...
For the freeload, tell us about something weird you experienced while walking, and minding your own business.
Well I don't know if you call this weird or scary or tragic but I used to work in Docklands and one Friday afternoon I left work early around 4pm to go to a Valentines Day Ball in Hyde Park and I needed to get home about a mile away to get changed (it was penguin suit do). As I was walking out of the building I noticed a flat bed truck outside the next building which looked a bit weird because rather than being flat its' 'bed' was sloped being highest behind the cab almost obscuring the whole of the back window. I popped into the local newsagent to get a London Evening News and headed off to my flat about a mile away to get changed thinking nothing more of it and headed of into central London on the tube an hour later.
ReplyDeleteAnyway at around 7 I was just sitting down at a Restaurant to eat with the friends I was going to the ball with and I my mobile phone rang. It was my daughter (I was divorced by then) asking me if I was alright and I'm like "Well yeah, why shouldn't I be?" and eventually, having convinced her I actually was all right she told me that it was all over the news that there had been a bombing in Docklands at around 6.30pm. Guess where the bomb was....
Once, while working at the camps in the San Bernardino mountains, probably late 70's, I stopped at a liquor store before heading up the hill. I as walking across the parking lot when I noticed cops ducked around the corners of all the close by buildings. With guns drawn. Nobody said anything to me but I decided it was time to get out of there. I guess the liquor store was being held up. This was very unusual at the time. Why were the cops going to let me walk in there?
ReplyDeletethat was in Redlands. It had no crime at the time.
DeleteSometimes, at night, walking under a lamppost, the light turns off.
ReplyDeleteGeez Babs, Your questions always make me think. Digging into my memories. Things I'd burred. I recently had a reunion of Grammar School friends. Friends I didn't even realize were still around. Heck, they even had old teachers there. Who da thunk? But your questions bring back even more memories from my past. Thank you Babs for the memories.
ReplyDeleteIn Rangoon, at night, maybe twenty years ago now. Empty streets, and I'd been the only white tourist I'd seen for days. There's a big, shiny 4x4 parked under a street lamp clouded with flies. The window rolls down, and I'm beckoned over. He looks like Schwarzenegger, cut sharper. He smiles, holds out his hand, we shake, my hand like a child's in his. He wants to know what I'm doing, I say, touristing, walking, having a look. A man comes down the steps of a building and gets into the back of the car. He and the driver talk - I recognise Russian, and the passenger door pops open.
ReplyDeleteI have nothing else to do, I get in. The driver shows me a firearm he takes from under the seat - beautiful!
The man in the back with me wears an expensive suit, expensive watch, looks a little oily, with a trimmed mustache. Friendly enough. We go for a drink? Sure. The car stops in front of an obviously closed bar. The driver gets out and hammers on the door until a man in his underwear comes to open it. It's clear he knows these people and is scared of them. He turns on a light, fetches beer.
We talk, they get drunk, I am careful.The driver challenges me to arm wrestle, sending bottles bouncing across the floor. I decline, thank them, and walk slowly out. They're not paying me any attention, I am useless to them. I find my way back to my hotel. I had the boss's business card in my wallet for a while, then lost it. Just his name, and a number I never called.
FT3
About 15 years ago, I was visiting my son in Lafayette, and we were walking on a street in the business district, when a snake fell onto the sidewalk about 3 feet in front of is. About 4' long, uncertain as to what species, other than scarethefuckoutofme.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the Pres Hall Band on these recordings is now quite different and under the leadership of the founder's son, Allen Jaffe to Ben Jaffe. The band now has a strong Cuban sound at play. Highly recommend their last 3 lps, and a viewing of the documenmtary they did about their recording and touring in Cuba: That's It, So It Is and A Tuba in Cuba.
ReplyDeleteI was standing outside a shop on the local high street minding my own business when a guy came up to me and said "Oi, mate, d'you think I'm ugly?" (this is how we talk in south London). Taken aback slightly, I answered as honestly as I could without giving offence: "I've seen worse, mate". He considered this for a moment. As if vindicated, he replied "...Yeah!" with an affirmatory nod of the head and went on his way, apparently happily. I think I may have helped with whatever situation he found himself in.
ReplyDeleteYears ago, I was visiting family in Chicago. I drew the short straw & had to walk 5 or 6 blocks to the Hyde Park Coop for milk for breakfast. I'm about halfway to the store when a guy on a bicycle hopped the curb, blocked my path & asked if I was visiting my brother (who was mentioned by name). I have no idea how the dude recognized me. More people lived on that block than in the town where I resided at the time.
ReplyDeleteAfter attending an all day festival called Acid Daze (featuring Hawkwind and Pink Fairies and others) in Finsbury Park, London in 1987, me and two friends got on a tube to Leicester Square and then to walk the rest of the way to Waterloo for our return train home. We had plenty of time and despite being ‘enhanced’ with mushrooms, all was good until the police stop us because our friend Roger had foolishly thrown an empty can of beer into a fountain. My friend Andy and I hadn’t witnessed the can incident (Roger was behind us) so as one policeman was searching Roger, the other was really friendly and just chatted to us two for a few minutes before telling Roger not to litter again.
ReplyDeleteWhat was weird about this was that I was totally calm all through this, and if anything our ‘buzz’ continued for the two and a half hours home. Also it’s the only thing about that day I remember with any clarity.
Thanks for all the cool stories!
ReplyDeleteHere's the link
https://we.tl/t-A6CXYB1Ysq
Quite a few years ago I'd left office and walked towards the main road (Tiwanon Rd) to catch a bus home. First thing I'd noticed was the absence of traffic and people just standing, watching... Turned out the police had blocked the road because of a 'suspicious' car. That car suddenly came to life and tried James Bond/Mission Impossible style to drive away across the foot path. Unlike in the movies it never got very far as the police fired a couple of rounds in the tires... A stand-off continued for awhile, until 1 guy came out of the car, holding a gun against his head and walked away, unreal, the cops didn't do anything!
ReplyDeleteLater I heard the full story, the guy in question was dumped by his girlfriend, got very upset and persuaded a friend to help him kidnapping her! They never got very far as the police were notified almost immediately... The girl and his friend stayed in the car and went straight to the police after he'd left him. Despite threatening to blow his brains out in public he was arrested soon afterwards.