[78-L] Alto sax style omissions (pittman et all)

[Julian Vein]

yves francois wrote:
Julian
Pittman is harder than most, rather elusive until the later 1950's for 
all that please check the following session (the Blanche Calloway's from 
1931 are mostly clarinet and anyways he is not really developed yet)
Freddy Johnson and his Harlemites : Arthur Briggs, Bobby Jones (tp) 
Billy Burns, Herb Flemming (tb) Booker
Pittman (cl,as) Cle Saddler (as) Roy Butler (as,bar) Alfred Pratt (ts) 
Freddy Johnson (p,arr) Sterling
Conaway (g) Juan Fernandez (b) Billy Taylor (d)
Paris, November 10, 1933
6574bkp Sweet madness Br (F)A500340, Tax (Swd)m-8008
6575bkp Harlem bound - , (G)87097, -
6576bkp I got rhythm (F)A500341, -
Paris, December 7, 1933
66451/2bkp I got rhythm Br (F)A500341, Tax (Swd)m-8008
6646bkp Tiger rag
solos on all titles, both alto and clarinet - also issued on a Classics CD
Ahmed Ratip - certain titles 1947/8 on Argentine Victor - the best are 
"Sweet Georgia Brown" and right after the male vocal on "Somebody Stole 
My Gal" are the ones I remember off the top of my head (also check "My 
Blue Heaven" and "Pizza Caliente") - Ratip is a jump band (like a Sabby 
Lewis or Savoy Sultans) that also played good latin music and had a 
couple of good soloists - Hernan Oliva and Edward Morgan are also 
capable of good solos - particularly Oliva on violin.
an interesting Harlequin LP "The Rhythmakers" (also CD "Argentine 
Swing") has some private recordings - one a slow blues "Blues For 
Williams" very good and some covering of popular swing tunes (good 
"Margie"). Even more obscure is a big band playing a good arrangement on 
"Celinto Lindo" (not reissued on Harlequin) also Rhythmakers has a great 
alto break by him and some pseudo Bigard waterfalls on clarinet (rather 
like Franz Jackson actually).
After that 1950's - a good quartet LP on Brazilian Victor (or was it 
Argentine), a more distributed LP on Muscidisc (even issued stateside, 
don't know about UK) - was playing more soprano those days - then 
decided to make some money music with his daughter (too bad - I really 
like the "Honeysuckle Rose" on the Music disc LP).
RE: Horsecollar Williams had a 78 in the 1940's (Etta Jones sang on one 
side), solos on a Lips Page big band item ("Blooey" - not issued until 
Lp era, the blues vocal 78 from the 40's has an Earl Bostic solo - funny 
since Bostic was not yet using the growl Williams was already using), on 
an LP backing Billie Holiday in 1941 (Harlem Odyssey on Onyx) - seems 
like a lesser Pete Brown to me - wondering if I am missing a better record.
RE: Skeets Tolbert - where to check him is on the Jimmy Gunn 78's from 
1936 on Bluebird, better than anything else he did (the "Uncle Eph's 
Dream" on Decca is better than most of the Gentleman of Swing - funny, 
the movie short sounds better than any of their 78's even if it is still 
commercial)
A few more altos - Howard Johnson and (perhaps) Russell Procope be 
influenced by Hilton Jefferson and to a lesser degree Benny Carter - and 
where does this leave the rather buttery loquacious alto of George 
Johnson (probably best on a 1941 broadcast w Newton (I would say angular 
- see the Newton broadcast solo on "Royal Garden Blues" similar to Lem 
Davis in that a sweet tome makes one underestimate the angular nature of 
his spirit), there are also moments with Willie Lewis and Bill Coleman 
and a very good moment on a Lips Page 78 "Uncle Sam's Blues" - and did 
end up having a session for Spanish Columbia under his own name in 1948
Sorry - one more - Bobby Platter , very good and craggily (and similar 
to Rudy Williams) on "Jam and Crackers" Savoy Dictators Savoy 101
let me know if you need anything more
Yves
(aprestitine at yahoo.com)
PS regarding the commercial music of the day for the black American 
music  I will write (in the next day or so) about the other point you 
made today, some interesting observations from musicians of that era and 
recording directors ...
===============
Yves,
Bobby Plater I do know from the Savoy Dictators. I also heard him with 
Hamp in 1956. In fact, I went to 4 Hamp concerts then!

I've just listened to the Freddy Johnson, but couldn't hear much 
distinctive alto, or from any of the other soloists for that matter. I 
shall work my way through your list though. I've got a feeling I had the 
The Rhythmakers LP, but didn't keep it.

      Julian Vein


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