RARITY # 56

LA GRANDE TWIST PARTY

25 cm Barclay (France) – 1962

A fairly rare French 10” featuring Twist songs – vocal and instrumental - done in a very French manner by very competent (studio) bands (Eddie Barclay, Jean Bouchety) with obvious jazz chops and lotsa honking sax.   The overall sound his often closer to Louis Prima’s than to rockabilly this is sax-based rock and roll rather than guitar rock.

Les Play Boys were leather-rocker Vince Taylor’s backing band.  Their take on Artistry in Rhythm (renamed Artistry in Twist) is well worth the price of admission.  The tracks by Eddie Barclay Orchestra are very enjoyable also, I really enjoy this type of “big band” rock and roll.   “Play The Thing” sounds very much like Night Train. 

Harold Nicholas was an American expat' with a long career in dancing. See here.

No idea about the identities behind The Daniels, probably a studio band “de circonstance”.  They were obviously French-speakers (listen to “Wee Wee” which sounds like “Oui Oui”) but French or Belgians?  The compositions are credited to J. Evans – N. Byl … two Belgians ! (for more info on jazz pianist Jean Evans, check here).

A better known  band is Les Chaussettes Noires feat. lead singer Eddy Mitchell who was to become a huge star in France and French speaking countries and played a major role in popularizing rock and roll, country music in France and, later on,and American B-series thru’ his TV programme La Derniere Séance in the 80s.

Play it loud and do the twist!

A1       Harold Nicholas           La Grande Twist Party (Rock'n Roll Call)         composed by: D. Gérard, R. Bernet, Hammer, Toombs

A2       Harold Nicholas           Ya Ya Twist     composed by G. Aber, Lee Dorsey

A3       The Daniels      Wee Wee         composed by J. Evans, N. Byl

A4       The Daniels      Scotch Twist    composed by J. Evans, N. Byl

A5       Les Play-Boys  Raunch Twist   composed by Singleton, Ogerman, Larry Coleman

B1        Les Chaussettes Noires Peppermint Twist (1ère Partie) composed by G. Aber, Dee, Glover

B2        Les Chaussettes Noires Peppermint Twist (2e Partie)    composed by G. Aber, Dee, Glover

B3        Eddie Barclay & Les Twisters   5th Avenue Twist        composed by G. Aber, J. Bouchéty

B4        Eddie Barclay & Les Twisters   Play The Thing      composed by   M. Morris

B5        Les Play-Boys    Artistry In Twist          composed by Stan Kenton

RARITY #55

JUAN DOCANTEZ y sus companeros

TROPICAL NIGHTS

25 cm Fiesta Records 10010      Belgium, c. 1953-54

Juan Docantez is an alias for Belgian guitarist Jean Douchamps.  
Douchamps(1915-1976) had a prolific career recording swing jazz, hawaian novelties, proto-rock and roll novelty, exotica, and anything in between.  He was quick to spot a trend:  When he spotted that South American / brasilian rhythms were the next big thing (following the success of Brasilan movie O Cangaceiro in 1953-54), he didn’t hesitate to reinvent himself and his band as Juan Docantez y sus companeros (in a previous incarnation they were Hawaians ...).   He was among the first ones in Belgium to record “proto-rock and roll” (Crazy man, crazy – 1953)  The fashion was to "englicize" names:  Jean Douchamps and band became … John Sweetfield & his Petrolians!

  

Four tracks, four medley

Side 1

A1:  Tropical – O cangaceiro – la Fete des Fleurs – Somebody had stole the wedding bells

A2:  Baiao cacula – Brasileirinho – Pourquoi la Casbah a brulé

Side 2

B1 : Sway – Comedie – El negro zumbon – Delicado

B2: Uska Dara –Rio de Janeiro – Caceres – Signal Samba

Musicians : Jean Douchamps (leader, guitar)

no info on the others. Not listed in the Belgian Jazz Discography (outside the scope of the work).

Probably: Georges Clais (tp), Frans L’Eglise (as, fl?), Emile Chantrain (ts), Marcel Picavet or Gus Decock (piano), Jean Warland (bass), Jeff Deboeck or Jo Demuynck (drums) ... just on educated guess based on the composition of the Petrolians in 1953.

Yes it is the same Jean Warland who played with the Clarke-Boland big band, Peter Herbolzheimer Brass Combination & Rhythm and on countless MPS albums.

P.S : another pioneer of proto-rock n roll in Belgium was guitarist Freddy Sunder who recorded a series of great boogie in 53-54 on Ronnex records, sounding pretty close to American hillbilly boogie.  

RARITY # 52

IVON DE BIE and his ORCHESTRA - DANCE-HITS vol.2

Vocal by DAN COOPER

25 cm FIESTA 10.041 (BELGIUM, 1956)

Belgian Pianist Ivon (or Yvon) De Bie (Bruxelles, 1914-1989) is known among swing jazz aficionados for the four tracks he recorded on 16^th April 1942 in Brussels with Django Reinhardt in Brussels.  He is the only pianist to have ever recorded a duo with Django on violin.

During the fifties Ivon Debie was active as a dance band leader and made several popular “dance” records in Belgium, among others two 25 cm 33 rpm for the small label FIESTA.

I have always been attracted to those FIESTA 25cm with their extraordinary “naïve minimalist” cover art.  Until recently, they could be found easily on flea markets for an euro or two but they have begun to attract the attention of 50s Memorabilia collectors.  They are often in fairly poor condition – they were party records … The rip I post today does not escape this condition. 

I bought these FIESTA 10" initially for the naïve charm of their covers rather than the music.  I had no idea who played on these sessions – apart from DeBie - until I got a copy of the Belgian Jazz Discography by Robert Pernet and found the details of the musicians, and first class musicians they were! 

The band features Nick Kletch’, future bassplayer in Marc Moulin’s Placebo and Jean Warland who will make a career as a studio bassplayer in Germany (not to mention his stint in the Clarke-Bolland Big Band and Peter Herbolzheimer RCB), and a very competent sax section that will reappear later in the Francis Bay Dance Orchestra (and its famous 1958 albums on OMEGA) and the BRT Jazz Orkest.

Yvon DeBie was an excellent swing pianist influenced by Billy Kyle, Bob Zurke, Earl Hines and Art Tatum.  He had obviously listened to Basie (One O clock Jump) and was a proficient boogie woogie player but obviously not much into rock and roll … it was just a different generation, they could lindy hop and jitterburg, jump and jive but could not rock.  The band plays two (very short) versions of Bill Haley songs  – Rock Around the Clock and Razzle Dazzle – but they play them in a pre-rock / jitterburg style, sounding not unlike some of the white boogie woogie orchestras of the late thirties (Bob Zurke or Bob Crosby e.g.).  As for Dan Cooper (who was he?), he did not have a clue how to sing rock and roll.   But remember, that was 1956, rock and roll had not yet pervaded Europe.  In a way, they were precursors, like a few other musicians with a jazz background, such as guitarists Freddy Sunder and Jean Douchamps (aka John Sweetfield or Juan Dos Campos), or trumpeter Ferry Barendse, they laid the foundation of rock and roll in Belgium.

This whole period of Belgian popular music is not documented on CD (or even on LP), most of the cats recorded long forgotten 78 rpm on small local labels (Ronnex, Hi Tune …) for the juke box market. 

Dance hits –vol.2  (Fiesta (B) LPIS10041)

Frans L'Eglise, Freddy Lhost, Ayal Jacob, Albert Godfrinnes, José Paessens (saxes) Ivon De Bie (p) Nicolas Kletchkovsky (g) Jean Warland (b) Jean Verworst (d) Dan Cooper (vcl)

Brussels, February 9, 1956

Side A

·        One o'clock jump

·        Hold my hand (dc vcl) -

·        Rock around the clock-

·        From here to eternity (dc vcl) -

·        Something's gotta give (dc vcl) -

·        Tina

Side B

·        The man from Lamarie (dc vcl)

·        The little boy and the old man-

·        Razzle dazzle -

·        Love is a many splendored thing

·        Sluefoot -

In 1958, Yvon Debie became an artistic director for RCA Victor Belgium. He was instrumental in bringing to the studio some of the earliest Belgian rock/twist groups (cfr Les Croque Morts - here too).

There’s a good bit of cracks and pops but it’s still perfectly listenable and enjoyable.  The rip is from my own fairly scratched copy.  I’m not especially good at cleaning rips, I’m still learning.

Paul D. told me he has the Dance Hits volume 1 (1954) and will send us a rip (which will certainly be cleaner than mine).

RARITY #50

NEW SOUND FROM … GERMANY  -  VOL. 5

HANS KOLLER  AND HIS NEW JAZZ STARS

25 CM VOGUE – LD 144     (FRANCE, 1953)

This is the 50th installment in the Rarity Series already.  As the name of the series implies, it is dedicated to rare and often obscure 45 rpm and 25cm, mostly European Jazz  although there have been a few exceptions (e.g. the French EPs of Mickey Baker and Tony Milton, rare but more rock/soul than jazz).  The series would never have reached #50 without the contributions of Paul D. and onxidlib and a few other occasional collaborators.  Viele dank, Merci Beaucoup, Thanks a Lot & Dank U Wel to all of them.  

This 50th installment comes from the vault of Paul D.  It is ripped from the original French Vogue 10 inch. 33 1/3 RPM. Paul was adamant that it had never been re-issued but in fact there has been a Japanese facsimile in 1998.  The re-issue was fairly confidential and has been long OOP so I have no second-thought about posting a rip.  It's 60 years old..

The music sounds very West Coast.  Should we call it German Cool?  And if you think it's an oxymoron, just give it a listen!

Credits

Tenor Saxophone – Hans Koller

Trombone – Albert Mangelsdorf*

Piano – Jutta Hipp

Bass – "Shorty" Roeder*

Drums – Karl Sanner

Tracklist

A1       The Way You Look Tonight

A2       You Go To My Head

A3       Flamingo

A4       Four Roses In An Iceblock

B1       UnTer Den Linden

B2       All The Things You Are

B3       What's New

B4       Indian Summer

Recorded May, 1953

In cooperation with Horst Lippmann of Deutsche Jazz Federation

NEW LINK (August 2017)

RARITY #49

MITTERNACHT IN MUNCHEN

BRUNSWICK 86016 LBP (10") - GERMANY, 1953

This 10” was recorded just a few days after my birth. Like me, it is 60 years old, a bit scratchy but it still  swings hard!

Thanks to Onxidlib - and an anonnymous friend of his -  for unearthing this memento from a bygone era, the Golden Age of Radio! - and for taking the time to rip and clean it.

Your work is much appreciated my friend!

MITTERNACHT IN MÜNCHEN  - JUBILEE CONCERT ON THE OCCASION OF THE 500TH BROADCAST

Here is some interesting information on the Mtternacht in Munchen radio broadcast (in German):

• Mitternacht in Munchen
• Jazzreitung

TRACKS

Side A:

1. The Beat  (Gene Ammons) 2:46

2. Perdido  (Tizol/Lenk/Drake) 7:03

3. How High The Moon  (Hamilton/Lewis) 2:49

4. Night Train  (Jimmy Forrest) 3:07

Side B:

5. MIM-Boogie  (Werner Scharfenberger) 3:02

6. Muskrat Ramble  (Kid Ory) 4:12

7. The Man I Love  (George Gershwin) 3:20

8. Rosetta  (Hines/Woods) 3:42

9. Festival Riff  (Erich Becht) 1:53

TT 31:57

Track 1, 4, 8 + 9:

Max Greger Big Band;

Fritz Weichbrodt, Rudi Grätz, Harry Franke, Sepp Huber, trumpet

Max Büttermann, Fritz Gläser, Willi Schmidt, Max Höll, trombone

Hugo Strasser, alto saxophone & clarinet (solo on 8)

Herbert Peltzer, alto saxophone

Max Greger, tenor saxophone (solo on 1,2 + 4)

Heinz Eberle, Sepp Seitz, tenor saxophone

Delle Haensch, baritone saxophone

Klaus Ogermann, piano (solo on 5)

Hans Lehmann, bass

Sylo Deutsch, drums

Track 5:

Die Dixie Maximators:

Fritz Weichbrodt, trumpet

Hugo Strasser, clarinet

Max Büttermann, trombone

Klaus Ogermann, piano

Hans Lehmann, bass

Sylo Deutsch, drums

Track 2 + 3

Die Deutschen Jazz-Sieger [The German Jazz-Winners]:

Fred Bunge, trumpet (solo on 2 + 9)

Günter Fuhlisch, trombone (solo on 2 + 3)

Delle Haensch, alto saxophone

Max Greger, tenor saxophone

Paul Kuhn, piano

Max Büttermann, bass

Teddy Paris, drums

Note: Members of the German Jazz-Winners do also play on other tracks except tr.6 + 7.

Track 7:

Paul Kuhn, piano

Max Büttermann, bass

Teddy Paris, drums

Werner Götze, announcer

Recorded at the 'Deutsches Theather, Munich on May 4, 1953 on the occaison of the 500th broadcast of "Mitternacht in München".  (Mitternacht is midnight..).

RARITY # 35

JAZZ FOR MODERNS
HERMAN SANDY, JACQUES PELZER, JEAN FANIS, JEAN WARLAND, JO DEMUYNCK
(25 CM FIESTA IS 10.043 – BELGIUM, 1956)

Hard to get 10" E.P from the Belgian jazz-history, kindly provided to me by Sunbop! Many thanks for this wonderful Christmas present.

In 1956, a jam session with a select crowd of musicians and jazz critics was held in the Decca studios in Brussels. The musicians were Jacques Pelzer on alto sax, Herman Sandy on trumpet, Jean Fanis on piano, Jean Warland on bass and Jo De Muynck on drums. They recorded seven tracks that would end up on this 10” called ‘Jazz For Moderns’. 

Belgian jazz history, captured on a beautiful 10” with modernist art work. 
  
Sunbop also sent it to Peer who posted it on his excellent Dutch Jazz blog (a private blog). 

There is a good biography of Herman Sandy on the very informative Lundis d'Hortense website..

Herman SANDY bought his first vinyl record, Georgia On My Mind, by Nat Gonella, in 1935. He then began studying trumpet and classical music, but was more interested in listening to Buck Clayton, Louis Armstrong and all the great American jazz musicians on the radio.

He toured in Germany after the Liberation, then returned to perform in Brussels.

He played and recorded with the bands of Bill Alexander, Septette Van Bemst, Charlie Calmeyn, Jack Sels, Jacques Pelzer, etc...

While playing in Leo Souris', David Bee's and Fud Candrix's historical Belgian orchestras, he went to perform with Toots Thielemans, Sadi and Jacques Pelzer at the Nice Jazz Festival in 1948.

He played with the band of Léo Souris a the Comblain-la-Tour jazz festival.

He spent six years in the Henry Segers TV orchestra, and 17 years with the great Flemish Francis Bay TV orchestra (later Freddy Sunder's orchestra).

In 1955, he records with the Jacques Pelzer Modern Jazz Sextet, with Jean Fanis (p), René Thomas (gt), Paul Dubois (b) and Rudy Frankel (drs).

In 1957 at a Miles Davis concert held at the Brussels Theatre Patria, Miles stopped Herman after finishing his set (his band opened for Miles Davis) and asked "Was that you playing 'You and the Night and the Music' ? It was damned good!"

He appears on the legendary LP "Jazz in Little Belgium" (1958, on Decca records 123.259) in the company of Willy Albimoor (p), Constant Letellier (ts), Roger Asselberghs (bar sax), Paul Dubois (b) and Johnny Peret (drs).

Herman Sandy & Toots Thielemans

In the nineties and around 2000 he plays with "Jazzfun" (Alex Scorier, Roger Asselberghs, Robert Pernet), and with Paul Dubois'.

Herman SANDY also led several bands, such as Herman Sandy’s Jazz Gang, Five is a crowd, with Vincent Mardens (saxophone), José Bedeur (bass), Jean Haurez (piano), José Wampach.He also played with the Retro Jazz Orchestra.

Album Info & Personnel:

Alto Saxophone – Jacques Pelzer
Bass – Jean Warland
Drums – Jo De Muynck
Piano – Jean Fanis
Trumpet – Herman Sandy


Tracklist:

A1 Confirmation  
A2 Shank's Prank  
A3 Wailing Wall  
A4 Saul  
B1 Salute The Band Box  
B2 These Foolish Things  
B3 You And The Night And The Music

RARITY # 26

GUY LAFITTE, SON SAXO-TENOR, SON ORCHESTRE
arrangements d’ANDRE PERSIANNY
(25 cm – Pathé ST 1057, FRANCE – 1954)

As far as I know this French 10” has never been re-issued.  It’s a shame as it documents the great French tenor sax GUY LAFITTE (1927-1998) at the beginning of his “middle jazz” career.  He recorded earlier but in a “trad” style, with Mezz Mezzrow (1951-52) and Big Bill Broonzy (1951).  By the way, Mezz was probably one of jazz most over-rated musicians (at least in Europe) for a long time.  Luckily he’s almost forgotten now. Nevertheless reading his highly fictionalized “autobiography” - Really the Blues – is great fun, much more than listening to his dreadful records anyway).

GUY LAFITTE was France’s best exponent of the Coleman Hawkins school of tenor.
An added bonus of this album is the playing anmd arrangements of Andre Persiany (1927-2004), a French middle-jazz pianist very much influenced by Milt Buckner’s locked-hands style.

The rip posted here was sent by  occasionnal collaborator and fellow blogger “Moi meme”.  Bear in mind that this album is close to 60 years old and therefore far from mint.  There are a few clicks and skips but it is most probably the only chance you’ll have to listen to this album – unless you’re ready to spend a fair amount of dough if it ever pops up on a list or on e-bay.

CREDITS
Guy Lafitte ts
Guy Longnon tp
Benny Vasseur tb
Low Reed bs (“Low Reed” is actually an alias for French baryton bopper Michel de Villers)
William Boucay as
Al Buddy Banks b
André Persiany p
Jacques David dr

TRACKS
1. You can depend on me
2. Cynthia’s in love
3. Love me or leave me
4. Reminiscing mood
5. My ideal
6. My serenade#
7. Stay cool

TRIVIA
According top the discography, another track was recorded during the session - "Blues for Vidi" – which did not make it to the 10’’ Pathé ST1057 but could be found on an even rarer EP (Pathé EP34) containing three titles from the 10’’ plus "Blues for Vidi".  Considering that the 10’’ is already pretty rare, good luck to locate a copy of the EP!

Even if you do not know Lafitte you’ve probably heard him already.  In 1961, Martin Ritt directed the famous film PARIS BLUES featuring Sidney Poitier as a saxophone player.  In all the scenes where he is seen and heard playing saxophone, he was actually dubbed by Guy Lafitte.

With thanks to "moi même".

THE GERMAN JAZZ HURRICANE

ERWIN LEHN & DAS SÜDFUNK-TANZORCHESTER
"THE GERMAN JAZZ HURRICANE"
(COLUMBIA 33 WS 508  10", Germany, 1956).

This one's for Paul D.  It's been on his wish list for a long, long time and the original 25 cm is now very rare.


I intended to post it within the Rarity Series but I discovered that it had been re-issued on a CD ""Music, Maestro, Please - Erwin Lehn 1947 - 1959" which is still currently available.  It went under the radar as it is usually filed under schlager / german easy listening, a category I rarely browse (perhaps I should, I might come across unexpected surprises).


MPS collectors will recognize some familiar names for sure!

CREDITS (completed)
Trumpet – Horst Fisher, Georg Ernszt, Franz Bummerl, Eberhard Schnidt-Schultz 
Trombone - Ernst Mosch, Ferencz Lakatos, Mladen Gutesha
Bass Trombone: Kurt Krause
Alto Saxophone, Clarinet: Werner Baumgart, Karl-Heinz Tischendorf
Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Gerald Weinkopf
Tenor Sax, Clarinet: Fritz Dautel 
Barytone Sax, Clarinet:  Ernst Machwitz 
Vibraphone, Leader – Erwin Lehn
Piano – Horst Jankowski
Double Bass – Peter Witte
Drums – Herman Mutschler

 TRACKS



A1. Drummer's Holiday (Arno Flor)               3:23
solo: Hermann Mutschler, drums


A2. Lester Leaps In (Lester Young)              2:59
solo: Ernst Mosch, trombone / Gerald Weinkopf, tenor saxophone


A3. Blues Für Tenorsaxophone (Gerald Weinkopf)  3:33
solo: Gerald Weinkopf, tenor saxophone


A4. Stratosphäre (Werner Baumgart)              2:50
solo: Erwin Lehn, vibraphone / Werner Baumgart, clarinet


B1. C-Jam Blues (Duke Ellington)                3:33
solo: Horst Jankowski, piano / Ernst Mosch, trombone / Werner Baumgart, tenor saxophone /
Horst Fischer, trumpet / Peter Witte, bass


B2. South African Clipper (Mladen Gutesha)      3:09
solo: Horst Fischer, trumpet / Hermann Mutschler, drums


B3. The Lady Is A Tramp (Richard Rodgers)       3:21
Solist: Horst Jankowski, piano


B4. Jumping With Symphony Sid (George Shearing) 2:44
solo: Horst Fischer, trumpet / Gerald Weinkopf, tenor saxophone


Recorded on February 23 & 27, 1956 in Stuttgart, Germany

COLUMBIA 33 WS 508  10" (original release)

Erwin Lehn (source: Wikipedia)

Thanks to onxidlib for the rip & to the bloggers who introduced me to the music of Erwin Lehn (Arkadin & Basso if I remember right).
Thanks to Paul D. for the complete discographical information.

RARITY # 18

HELMUT BRANDT COMBO  
"GOOD-BYE, HELMUT BRANDT"
EUROPÄISCHER PHONOCLUB/OPERA 3218 (10", Germany, 1958)

Three rarities in a month!  All German and all three thanks to onxidllib.
Here is another contribution to the discography of forgotten German sax wizard, Helmut Brandt:  this time a rare 25 cm (10") dating from 1958. 

Versatile is the name of the game, Brandt could play in any style.


Side A offers typical fifties jazz, boppish, west coast oriented.

Side B - as the title indicates - is pure swing in the Benny Goodman - Lionel Hampton style.  Enjoyable but already dated in 1958 (IMHO). .

  Musicians:

Helmut Brandt, baritone saxophone, clarinet
Conny Jackel, trumpet
Gerhard Mann, piano, vibes
Klaus Gernhuber, bass
Heinrich Schroeder, drums

Brandt und Jackel

Tracks:    

Side A "SOUNDS":

1. 'S Wonderful (Gershwin/Brandt)          03:12
2. Love For Sale (Cole Porter/Brandt)     05:54
3. Good-bye Blues (Brandt)                       03:23
4. Atlantic (Brandt)                                       02:58




Side B "HELMUT BARNDT PLAYS SWING":

1. Some Of These Days (Shelton Brooks/Brandt)   03:03
2. Reminiscences (Brandt/Jackel)                            03:29
3. Tin Roof Blues (Melrose/Brandt)                          03:33
4. Sweet Georgia Brown (Ben Bernie/Brandt)       02:49

Recorded on December 17, 1958 in Stuttgart, Germany.

EUROPÄISCHER PHONOCLUB/OPERA 3218 [10"]