[78-L] Joe Venuti Discography Wiki

[David Lewis]

Mr. Lennick wrote:
There IS a discography published by the Charles Garrod, but I found a number of 
things missing from it such as Joe's incredibly corny soupy swoopy violin 
playing on the Don Blandings album on Tempo. But it's here if any more info is 
wanted.

>>>
Sure, I would be gratified to learn more about the Tempo albums, and I appreciate
the offer. Most of the data I was able to gather about them was through OHIOLINK
and only very sketchy entries (from BGSU if I recall), though admittedly the albums
themselves don't say much. The only Tempo LP I've ever owned was the Doc Evans one.

One Tempo track I'd LOVE to hear -- indeed, the main one of Venuti that I know only
through collecting this data -- is this entry:

Joe Venuti and Bobby Maxwell (Tempo TT-2236)
Joe Venuti, violin and Bobby Maxwell, harp; Recorded ca. 1949

-- Dance macabre (with Brother Bones) -- 

You're right about Joe's tone; though he was a little younger than Jascha Heifitz, 
he had nothing of that lean, mean yet subtly expressive approach. When it came to
portamenti, Joe was of the old school. If your ears are attuned to saxophones and
trumpets, it doesn't sound so hot. But if you play the violin -- and I don't but I
have many friends who do -- you like it.

Joe's more sentimental streak does not sit well with more jazz oriented listeners.
I think "Apple Blossoms" is absolutely essential to the Blue Four literature and 
represents a very different wrinkle in the 1920s, exemplifying a kind of "cool"
approach for that time. But on single disc packages it is often left off in favor
of hotter stuff; it wasn't even included on the "Stringing the Blues" LP on Columbia.

I was even a little surprised at some of the material left off the Mosaic set that was
well within the compass of what they were striving for, although I understand that they
weren't able to obtain good copies of certain things. And Mr. Lennick, I must say that
your particular single-disc compilation has about the best selection that I can imagine, 
and I'm sorry it cannot be offered within in my borders. I did get the ASV Wild Cats at
one point, but couldn't handle the artificial reverb. So I gave it to my late mother,
and she was crazy about it. 
Uncle Dave Lewis
uncledavelewis at hotmail.com