Groove Juice: The Norman Granz Recordings + More

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Groove Juice: The Norman Granz Recordings + More
Compilation album by Slim Gaillard

Publication
(s)

2018

Label (s) Verve Records

Format (s)

2 CD, MP-3, download

Genre (s)

Jazz , rhythm & blues , blues , comedy

Title (number)

53

occupation see cast list
chronology
Searching for You: The Lost Singles 0of McVouty 1958–1974
(2016) 		Groove Juice: The Norman Granz Recordings + More -

Groove Juice: The Norman Granz Recordings + More is a compilation with music by Slim Gaillard from the years 1946 to 1953. The original recordings were made for the Clef Records label by Norman Granz . The present edition also contains Gaillard's 1947/48 recordings for MGM Records and was released on August 31, 2018 by Verve Records .

background

The musician, singer and entertainer Slim Gaillard was friends with the music organizer and producer Norman Granz; Gaillard brought him together around 1945 with the saxophonist Coleman Hawkins , who was just performing at Bob Berg's Club in Los Angeles. Granz stuck to Slim Gaillard for many years. As part of his Jazz at the Philharmonic sessions, Gaillard performed (accompanied by bassist Tiny "Bam" Brown) on April 22, 1946 with the Suite Opera in Vout (Groove Juice Symphony), a medley of well-known Gaillard hits with popular numbers from Times like Ellington's “ C-Jam Blues ”, “Hit That Jive, Jack!” By Johnnie Alston / Skeets Tolbert or “Big Noise from Winnetka” by Bob Haggart / Ray Bauduc

Ben Webster in a photo from 1947 (Photo: William P. Gottlieb ). Webster played with Slim Gaillard in December 1952, as a soloist in the Exotica song "Gomen Nasai" and the rhythm and blues number "Potato Chips".

In the following years from February 1947 to December 1953, Granz made further studio recordings for the record labels MGM , Clef , Norgan, Mercury and Verve Records, of which the Groove Juice edition also contains previously unreleased alternate takes of the last sessions. The studio musicians who played with Slim Gaillard included a. Ray Brown , Dick Hyman , Milt Jackson , Dodo Marmarosa , Clyde Lombardi , Armando Peraza , Ernie Shepard , Buddy Tate , Ben Webster and Maceo Williams . One of the last songs that Slim Gaillard recorded for Granz was Sy Oliver's rhythm and blues number "Go Man Go" from the United Artists film of the same name by James Wong Howe .

Music of the album

"The Groove Juice Special"

Gaillard called his medley, which he presented with his bassist Bam Brown (the successor to Slam Stewart ) at Jazz at the Philharmonic , "The Groove Juice Special". The audience, in which other JATP artists such as Charlie Parker , Lester Young and Coleman Hawkins were sitting that evening , reacted ecstatically to his performances, initially the number “Hit That Jive, Jack”, in which Gaillard played Charlie Christian's guitar “Seven Comes Eleven ”from 1940 quoted. For the third part, Gaillard switched to the piano and quoted Ellington's "C-Jam Blues". After his return to the guitar his hit "Flat-Foot Boogie" followed. In the last part, characterized by boogie woogie (“Preston Com Stomp”), an instrumental number, he played drums, with Bam Brown switching to piano.

The recordings for MGM Records 1947/49

In the summer of 1946 Gaillard signed a recording deal with MGM; subsequently a total of 16 titles were created in 1947 and 1948; the first single was "Tip Light" with the B-side "Arabian Boogie"; the latter referred to Gaillard's stay with an Armenian family, from whom he learned a few bits of their language like Saideh! Keefik, Keef i'sshaha? (Eng. about pleasant. How's it going, what's your health? ) and built it into the song. “Tip Light”, which starts with a short guitar introduction, is characterized by simple and quirky lyrics; the song is very minimalistic in its lyrical development: tip light, tip light, tip light, tip light, shhhhhh.

In “The Bartender's Just Like a Mother” Gaillard took up Louis Jordan's “What's the Use of Getting Sober”. The calypso “Money, Money, Money” refers to Gaillard's alleged origin from Cuba; in “Puerto-Voutie” he incorporates Spanish phrases. Percussionist Armando Peraza has a guest appearance here on the congas, who would later become known with Santana .

"Mama's in the Kitchen" and "Little Red Riding Woods" are numbers that Gaillard wrote with Dick Manning ("Takes Two for Tango") and Buddy Raye (known for the signature tune of " Charming Jeannie "); "Mama's in the Kitchen, but We've Got Pop on Ice" is a song in the tradition of similar songs like Harry "The Hipster" Gibson's "Who Put the Benzedrine in Mrs. Murphy's Ovaltine?" Or "Chocolate Porkchop Man" by Pete "Guitar" Lewis.

Gaillard collaborated with Pasadena- based radio celebrity Jim Hawthorne on "The Hogan Song" and "Serenade to a Poodle ." The novelty song "Down by the Station" brought him a hit, of which 325,000 copies were sold. Even Tommy Dorsey and Guy Lombardo coverten the song. During the session, Gaillard's only instrumental title for MGM was created, the lively organ number “Organ Oreenee”. Despite its success, MGM only recorded one session with Gaillard in September 1949; the two tracks ("When Banana Skins Are Falling" and "Bongo Cito") were not released until 1951.

Recordings for Mercury, Clef, Norgan and Verve 1951–1953

In 1953 Gaillard's first studio session produced by Norman Granz produced a remake of the Slim & Slam number "Laughin 'in Rhythm", as the B-side of "Soony Roony", with the subtitle Song of Xsabot and Dick Hyman on piano. His studio band was called His Peruvians , an allusion to the Peruvian singer Yma Sumac , who was popular at the time and whose current Capitol album was called Voice of Xtabay . Granz and Gaillard used the technique of overdubbing in the blues song “Genius” ; The musician played guitar, piano, vibraphone, trumpet, trombone, tenor saxophone, organ, bass and drums at the same time. In addition, Granz turned Gaillard's singing into a vocal ensemble in a multi-track process.

At the next studio appointment on May 25, 1951, Gaillard was accompanied by a band ( His Olympic Trackmen ), with solo performances by saxophonist Buddy Tate . The Afro-Cuban numbers "Yo Yo Yo" and "Babalu (Orooney)" were created; the latter was known from Dezi Arnaz and was interpreted by Gaillard from the style of Billy Eckstine's singing. The minimalist nonsense text on Cuban rhythms contained the lines:

Ah! great Babalu bring her back to me. Babalu aye! Babalu aye! Babalu aye! Babalu aye! Babalu aye! Babalu aye! Babalu aye!

In "Federation Blues" the singer made fun of James C. Petrillo, the then controversial chairman of the American Federation of Musicians . At another Granz session in August 1951, Gaillard sang the 1930 ballad “For You”, and Gaillard bursts into laughter over his Eckstine and Bill Kenny parody. "The Hip Cowboy" was the only trip the singer into the genre of country music , where he his Vout -Kunstsprache with yodeling mixed. The other tracks in this session were remakes of older Gaillard hit numbers, "Yip Roc [k] Heresy" from 1945, the original recording of which was boycotted by American radio stations at the time, and the allusive "Chicken Rhythm".

Milt Jackson, New York, around 1947.
Photograph by William P. Gottlieb .

On March 1, 1952, Norman Granz had the singer accompanied by an entire orchestra and choir; the result was a greasy cover version of the hit track "I Only Have Eyes for You" and the pop song "As You Are", which was soon covered by Dean Martin . But the great success in the pop segment did not materialize; Ricky Riccardi wrote in the liner notes of the album that Gaillard was not buying the serious crooner with the image of the “ingenious clown” . Gaillard and Granz then made another attempt to conquer a broader market and recorded a number of R&B and blues- oriented numbers such as " St. Louis Blues " (in the style of blues shouters like Big Joe Turner) on January 24, 1952 ), "I Know What to Do" and "Taxpayer's Blues"; Bulee Gaillard and His Southern Fried Orchestra were chosen as the band name . One of the resulting titles was "Eatin 'with the Boogie", which Billboard noted that it would fit better into the rhythm and blues segment than into the jazz segment.

In August 1952 Granz brought the singer back into the studio; surrounded by a smaller ensemble (possibly with Budd Johnson ) the calypso number “Make It Do”, the jazz standard “ I Can't Give You Anything but Love ”, and the humorous number “This Is my Song” (aka “This Is My Love ”), in which Gaillard alludes again to Mickey Rooney's name, and a cover version of the song“ Gomen Nasai ”( Forgive Me ), made famous by Harry Belafonte . Other members of the backing band were Ben Webster , Cyril Haynes , Ray Brown and Milt Jackson on drums. The also recorded “Potato Chips” was to develop into a YouTube hit in later years - when it was rediscovered as a children's song ( Crunch crunch, I don't want no lunch / All I want is potato chips! ) . The last session took place in January 1954; this time Granz surrounded him with a big band whose line-up remained unknown. There was another Eckstine parody (“I'm in the Mood for Love”) and the Mambo number “Go Man Go”. Granz had signed a five-year contract with Gaillard; In order to fulfill his contract obligations after three years, he brought the recorded and previously unreleased titles as EPs and on the LP compilation Smargasboard .... Help Yourself from his newly founded label to his label Clef and Norgan Verve Records out.

Track list

  • Slim Gaillard: Groove Juice: the Norman Granz Recordings + More (Verve / Universal Music)

CD 1

  1. Opera in Vout (Groove Juice Symphony) (Johnnie Aiston / Duke Ellington / Slim Gaillard / Bud Green / Slam Stewart / Skeets Tolbert ) 11:51
  2. Tip Light (Gaillard) 2:52
  3. Arabian Boogie (Gaillard) 2:48
  4. Boip! Boip! (Larry Greenwood / Sammy Davis, Jr. / Leonard Sues ) 2:50
  5. The Bartender's Just Like a Mother (Alan Clarke / Lee Ricks / Otis Spencer) 2:50
  6. The Hogan Song ( Slim Coates / Jim Hawthorne ) 2:37
  7. Money, Money, Money ( Roy Brodsky / Sid Tepper ) 2:47
  8. Puerto - Vootie (Gaillard) 2:40
  9. Momma's in the Kitchen But We've Got "Pop" on Ice ( Buddy Kaye / Dick Manning ) 2:40
  10. Down By the Station (Gaillard) 2:23
  11. I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You ( Bing Crosby / Ned Washington / Victor Young ) 3:05
  12. Serenade to a Poodle (Slim Gaillard / Lee Ricks) 2:18
  13. Communications (Slim Gaillard / Lee Ricks) 2:30
  14. Organ - Oreene (Gaillard) 2:43
  15. Little Red Riding Woods (Slim Gaillard / Buddy Kaye / Dick Manning) 2:58
  16. When Banana Skins Are Falling (I'll Come Sliding Back to You) (Paul Defrank / Abraham Frazzini / Irving Mills ) 2:52
  17. Bongo Cito (Gaillard) 2:46
  18. Soony Roony (Song of Yxabat) (Gaillard) 2:09
  19. Laughing in Rhythm (Gaillard) 2:56
  20. Sabroso (Gaillard) 2:30
  21. Babalu (Orooney) (Margarita Lecuona / Sidney King Russell) 3:32
  22. Genius (Ride, Slim, Ride) (Gaillard) 2:52
  23. Federation Blues (Gaillard) 3:44
  24. Oh, Lady Be Good ( George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin ) 2:27
  25. For You ( Joe Burke / Al Dubin ) 2:59

CD 2

  1. Yo Yo Yo (Gaillard) 2:44
  2. Chicken Rhythm (Gaillard) 2:29
  3. Yip Rock Heresy (Gaillard) 2:31
  4. The Hip Cowboy (Gaillard) 2:43
  5. I Only Have Eyes for You ( Al Dubin / Harry Warren ) 2:34
  6. As You Are ( Billy Friedman / Herbert Miller) 2:28
  7. Taxpayers' Blues (Gaillard) 2:27
  8. Eatin 'with the Boogie (Gaillard) 2:29
  9. St. Louis Blues ( WC Handy ) 2:19
  10. I Know What to Do (Gaillard) 2:32
  11. I Can't Give You Anything But Love ( Dorothy Fields / Jimmy McHugh ) 2:39
  12. You Goofed (Gaillard) 2:45
  13. Make It Do (Raymond Bloch / William Friedman / Mal West) 2:52
  14. This is My Love (Gaillard) 2:33
  15. Gomen Nasai (Forgive Me) (Ryoichi Hattori / Dr. Benedict Mayers) 2:33
  16. Potato Chips (Gaillard) 3:05
  17. Mishugana Mambo (Gaillard) 2:21
  18. Go, Man, Go ( Sy Oliver ) 2:43
  19. I'm in the Mood for Love (Dorothy Fields / Jimmy McHugh) 2:39
  20. Gomen Nasai [Alternate Take 10] (Gaillard) 2:50
  21. Potato Chips [Alternate Take 7] (Gaillard) 3:10
  22. Potato Chips [Alternate Take 2] (Gaillard) 3:37
  23. Make It Do [Alternate Take 1] 3:02
  24. You Goofed [Alternate Take 7] (Gaillard) 2:25
  25. You Goofed [Alternate Take 10] (Gaillard) 2:21
  26. I'm in the Mood for Love [Alternate Take 4] / Studio chatter 3:49
  27. Mishugana Mambo [Breakdown and Alternate Take 3] 3:03
  28. Go Man Go [Alternate Take 3] 3:04

Editorial notes

The Opera in Vout was first released as a single LP in 1983 on Verve Records. The liner notes for the edition were written by Ricky Riccardi, Director of Research Collections at the Louis Armstrong House Museum.

reception

Billy Eckstine, around 1947
Photo: William P. Gottlieb

Jazzecho wrote: “Everything is there: swing , bebop , calypsos , R&B , proto-rock, ballads with strings, Latin rhythms , country & western , mambos , standards , novelty songs or imitating caricatures of crooner Billy Eckstine or the octaves conquering Andean queen Yma Sumac . Always top-class instrumentation - also on "Genius", in which Slim plays all nine of his [...] main instruments - always at least as charming as thigh-tapping, often ambiguous and so suggestive that the protagonist himself in "Chicken Rhythm" can hardly help but laugh , these recordings are still the prime example of jazz humor. It is no joke that they have never sounded as good as on this release. "

The Clef, Norgran, and MGM Sessions 1946–1953

Note: The titles in italics below are not included in the compilation. The discographic information (including alternate spellings of the original releases) are based on the Jazz Discography of Tom Lord .

  • Jazz at the Philharmonic: Slim Gaillard (p, git, dr, voc), Bam Brown (kb, p, vcl). Live Jazz at the Philharmonic, Embassy Theater , Los Angeles, April 22, 1946: Opera in Vout [Groove Juice Symphony]
  1. [Pt.1) Introduzione - Pianissimo [Softly, most softly]
  2. [Pt. 2] Recitavito e finale [Hit that Jive, Jack] (Clef 11033);
  3. [Pt. 3) Andante cantibile in mode de Blues [C Jam Blues] (Clef 11034)
  4. [Pt. 4] Presto con Stomp: Flat Floot Boogie / Big Noise from Winnetka / Yancey Special (Clef 11034)
  • Slim Gaillard (git, vcl), Bam Brown (kb, vcl), NN (p). Los Angeles, February 11, 1947.
  1. Boip! Boip! (MGM 10111)
  2. The Bartender's Just Like Mother (MGM 10111)
  3. Arabian Boogie (MGM 10017)
  4. Tip Light (MGM 10017)
  • Slim Gaillard (git, vcl), probably with Dodo Marmarosa (p), Bam Brown (kb, vcl) NN (dr). Los Angeles, October 1, 1947
  1. Mama's in the Kitchen (MGM 10231)
  2. Ghost of a Chance (MGM 10309, 10231)
  3. Little Red Riding Woods (MGM 10599)
  4. Puerto Vootie (MGM 10231)
  • Slim Gaillard (git, voc), NN (p), Bam Brown (kb, voc), NN (dr) Jim Hawthorne (barks-1). Los Angeles, December 15, 1947.
  1. Money, Money, Money (MGM 10164)
  2. The Hogan Song (MGM 10164)
  3. Peppermint (unpublished)
  4. Serenade to a Poodle (MGM 10442)
  • Slim Gaillard (git, voc), NN (p), Bam Brown (kb, voc). Los Angeles, December 22, 1947.
  1. Down by the Station (MGM 10309)
  2. Communications (MGM 10442)
  3. Three Little Words (unreleased)
  4. Solitude (MGM 10442)
  • Slim Gaillard Sextet: NN (ts), Cyril Haynes (p), Slim Gaillard (org-1, bgo, voc), Armando Peraza (cga) + others. Los Angeles, November 7, 1949.
  1. When Banana Skins Are Falling (MGM 10938)
  2. I Want a Dinah (unreleased)
  3. Bongo City (MGM 10938)
  4. Organ-oreenie (MGM 10599)
  1. Laughin 'in Rhythm (Mercury / Clef 5606, Clef EPC129, MGC126, Verve MGV2013)
  2. Soony Roony (Mercury / Clef 5606, Clef EPC129, MGC126, Verve MGV2013)
  3. Gulf Ball Gussy (unreleased)
  • Slim Gaillard (tb, ts, vib, org, p, git, kb, voc). New York City, March 31, 195.
  1. Genius (Norgran EPN56)
  1. Lady Be Good (Clef 89013, EPC161, MGC138, Verve MGV2013, Norgran EPN55)
  2. Sabroso (Clef 8950, (Can) 8950, EPC129, MGC126, Verve MGV2013)
  3. Babalu (Clef 8950, (Can) 8950, Clef EPC192, MGC126, Verve MGV2013)
  4. Yo Yo Yo (Clef 809075, Norgran EPN20, MGN13, Verve MGV2013)
  5. Federation Blues (Norgran EPN56)
  • Slim Gaillard: NN (tp), Bennie Green (trb), NN (as), Buddy Tate (ts), Maceo Williams (p), Slim Gaillard (git, voc), Clyde Lombardi (kb), Charlie Smith (dr) . New York City, August 1951.
  1. For You (Clef 89013, EPC161, MGC138, Verve MGV2013)
  2. If You're So Smart, Why Ain't You Rich? (unpublished)
  3. Yip Rock Heresy [without horns] (Clef 8956, EPC161, MGC138, Verve MGV2013)
  4. The Hip Cowboy (Clef 8956, EPC161, MGC138, Verve MGV2013)
  5. Chicken Rhythm (Clef 89075, Norgran EPN20, MGN13, Verve MGV2013)
  • Slim Gaillard (git, voc), with strings and orchestra. New York City, January 1952.
  1. I Only Have Eyes for You (Mercury 5792, Clef MGC138, Verve MGV2013)
  2. As You Are (dto.)
  • Slim Gaillard and His Orchestra: Slim Gaillard (git, voc), u. a. with Harry Carney (bar) [or Cecil Payne (bar)] + string ensemble. New York City, January 24, 1952.
  1. St. Louis Blues (Clef 8998, Verve MGV2013)
  2. I Know What to Do (dto.)
  3. Tax Payer's Blues (Clef 8970)
  4. Eatin 'with the Boogie (dto.)
  • Slim Gaillard (git, voc), with an unknown backing band. New York City, July 1952.
  1. Make It Do (Norgran EPN19, MGN13)
  2. You Goofed (Norgran EPN19, MGN13)
  3. I Can't Give You Anything but Love (Norgran EPN19, MGN13, Verve MGV2013)
  4. This is My Song [This is My Love] (Norgran EPN19, MGN13)
  1. Gomen Nasai [Forgive me] (Clef 89031, MGC138, Verve (F) 2304554)
  2. Potato Chips (Verve B0027591-02 [CD])
  3. Potato Chips (Clef 89031, MGC138, Verve (F) 2304554, MGV2013, Norgran EPN56)
  • Slim Gaillard (git, voc), with brass section , also ts, p, kb, dr. New York City, December 1953.
  1. I'm in the Mood for Love (alternative take & studio chatter) (Verve B0027591-02 [CD])
  2. I'm in the Mood for Love (Norgran EPN20, MGN13, Verve MGV2013)
  3. Mishugana Mambo (breakdown & alt. Take) (Verve B0027591-02 [CD])
  4. Mishugana Mambo (Clef 89103, Verve MGV2013, Norgran EPN56)
  5. Go Man Go (Clef 89103, Norgran EPN20, MGN13, Verve (Jap) MJ-3234/37)

Web links

Notes and individual references

  1. ↑ Tad Hershorn: Norman Granz: The Man Who Used Jazz for Justice . Berkeley, University of California Press, 2011, p. 79.
  2. ↑ Coleman then performed at JATP with Neal Hefti , Shorty Sherock (tp), Corky Corcoran (as), Milt Raskin (p), Dave Barbour (git), Charles Mingus (kb) and Dave Coleman (dr) in the Philharmonic Auditorium, Los Angeles on February 12, 1945.
  3. ↑ a b c Slim Gaillard - Sir Gaga, the clown prince of jazz. Jazzecho, August 29, 2018, accessed December 4, 2018 .
  4. ↑ a b Tom Lord The Jazz Discography (online, accessed December 5, 2018)
  5. ↑ Groove Juice: The Norman Granz Recordings + More in the Internet Movie Database (English)
  6. ↑ a b c d e f g h Ricky Riccardi: Liner Notes .
  7. ↑ Tip Light: A Comparison of Three Songs
  8. ^ John Egerton: Cornbread Nation 1: The Best of Southern Food Writing . University of North Carolina Press, 2002, p. 108
  9. ↑ Thomas Meinecke quoted the song title in his novel Hellblau (2001); “I turn Yolanda's cassette over and hear Slim Gaillard sing the unbelievable sentence: When banana skins are falling I'll come sliding back to you . My American friend opens her pretty mouth, half shocked, half amused ”.
  10. ^ Osvaldo Romberg, Dominique Nahas: Thousand, Minus Two Thousand, Even . 2000
  11. ↑ The title was based on an Armenian court. See Ian Carr , Digby Fairweather , Brian Priestley : The Rough Guide: Jazz. 1995
  12. ^ Slim Gaillard and His Flat Foot Floogie Boys, Vocalion 5138, recorded September 15, 1939, New York City.
  13. ^ Opera in Vout at Discogs