CD1
Theme; Dear Old Southland
St Louis Blues
Tin Roof Blues
I've Found A New Baby
Honeysuckle Rose (Joe Sullivan, piano)
Bucket's Got A Hole In It
When the Saints Go Marching In
Theme; Dear Old Southland
Mahogany Hall Stomp
I Want To Linger
Dippermouth Blues
Chicago (Joe Sullivan, piano)
Bluin' The Blues
Tiger Rag
CD2
Theme; Dear Old Southland
Panama Rag
Save It, Pretty Mma
Tailgate Ramble
I Found A New Baby (Joe Sullivan, piano)
Farewell Blues
Everybody Loves My Baby
Theme; Dear Old Southland
That's A Plenty
Basin Street Blues
Indian Love Call
Honeysuckle Rose (Joe Sullivan, piano)
Riverboat Shuffle
Buckner's Boogie
Teddy Buckner (trumpet): William Woodman Sr (trombone); Joe Darensbourg (clarinet, soprano saxophone); Harvey O Brooks (piano): Arthur Edwards (bass); Jesse Sailes (drums)
Intermission pianist Joe Sullivan
Announcer Bob Guerner
Broadcasts live from the Club Hangover June and July 1955, previously unreleased
[60:14 + 61:04]
I had, as they used to say, a Blast. We have here two hours of previously unreleased material from the Club Hangover in San Francisco given over four evenings during the months of June and July 1955. The club was famous. Earl Hines was a regular, and Muggsy Spanier played here often too. The club was a hotbed of traditionalism in a similar sort of way to the Beverley Cavern in Hollywood where Kid Ory was a featured artist.
The radio broadcasts from the Hangover were half hour ones. They began with a sig tune, featured an intermission pianist, and an announcer guided the radio listeners through the set. All these elements are much to my liking. The band was Teddy Buckner's All Stars; the intermission pianist was Joe Sullivan and the announcer-and I never like announcers, they're invariably a flea in the ear-was Bob Guerner and he's no flea: he grows on you like single malt. He's great.
The music is righteous revivalist Dixieland. The Saturday night broadcast captured it in all its larva flow of enthusiasm. The music went on long beyond the close of transmission of course, and night owls would have been disgorged from the club at 2am. When I'm reincarnated I'm going to be a barfly (on both coasts) in the 40s and 50s, slowly nursing a beer and watching the guys on the bandstand until they come and drag me away.
My note pad is crawling with notes on the performances. Let's say first that despite the fact that there's been no editing, the tapes are in excellent condition; there's a real club atmosphere but no undermiking (undermiking of the piano, or one of the front liners was something of an occupational hazard but not this time). Similarly the bass and drums come through well. Buckner played a solid Armstrong-derived lead, especially audible tonally in the higher register where his vibrato is very similar to Armstrong's. Darensbourg played with Armstrong's All Stars, but if he ever applied to play his soprano sax, as he does here, I suspect Louis turned him down (it's interestingly queasy). When he evokes Barney Bigard on clarinet he's a lot better. Trombonist William Woodman Sr was an ex-Ellingtonian, whose son is the better known Britt Woodman (who also played in the Duke's band). Hear Woodman's preaching `bone on Tin Roof Blues.
Some of the pleasures of the set also include hearing a few asides, some cut-offs, time running out etc. It was Buckner's birthday on one date and we can enjoy Guerner telling him to extend one song to six minutes (tricky with such a tight running time). There are a couple of interesting tune choices - Indian Love Call springs to mind - and some valuable tempo doubling moments. Otherwise it's ensemble and solos and a wrap up out chorus. Nothing fancy, just solid swinging.
Sullivan Harlem Strides with the best of them and essays Honeysuckle Rose on two of the broadcasts, not that I mind. Who would mind?
Paul Watts has written an extremely good booklet note.
Finally, the record company asks rhetorically if we want any more from the unreleased stash from Club Hangover? Allow me, on your behalf, to say yes with a capital Y.
Jonathan Woolf
CD Reviews
ACROBAT MUSIC ADDCD3065
