[78-L] Arnold Johnson on Gennett?

[David Lewis]

Got this now:
 
Made by
STARR
CO of CANADA
London Ont.
GENNETT 4552
 
A - Coney Island Jazz Orchestra
7089 The Music of the Wedding Chimes (Fox Trot)
(Leslie-Wendling)
B- Johnson's Big Five
7090 Gates of Gladness (One-Step)
(Brennen-Cunningham-Rule)
 
90c
 
Gennett mx. 7090 (which is, of course, NY) is the only one credited to Johnson's Big Five. The Coney Island Jazz Orchestra 
have mxs. 6512, 6513, 6514, 7089 and whatever the mx. is on Ge 4609, which is unknown to me and lacking from the 
sources I have. 6512-14 date from July 1919, 7089 from November and Ge 4609 perhaps from December.
 
Arnold Johnson (1893-1975) was a pianist and composer who was involved in the very early jazz record industry in addition to his
better known, later recordings. He was the pianist in the Frisco Jazz Band, led by Rudy Wiedoeft, that recorded for Edison in 1917. 
Johnson also led bands that recorded under his name for Brunswick in 1922-1923 and 1928-1929. The Johnson band also recorded 
a test for Victor in early 1920 that didn't pass; he played in piano duets with Ferde Grofe on a couple of Paul Whiteman records in 
1921 that did. He did fairly well as a songwriter; his 1917 "Johnson's Jazz Blues" eventually had lyrics added and became the 1920 
hit "O," which Billy Murray recorded. I can find songwriting credits for Johnson as late as 1929. Arthur Johnson is also credited for
the piano accompaniments on Florence Mills' failed Vi tests in 1923. 
 
I have a theory that "Johnson's Big Five" is Arnold Johnson's group, and that by extraction the Coney Island Jazz Orchestra
was also his. redhot lists the instrumentation of the CIJO as trumpet, trombone, alto saxophone, violin, piano, slide whistle, 
banjo, 
drums, vocals. Johnson's Big Five consists of trumpet, trombone, violin, piano & drums, which is like the Frisco Jass 
Band without Wiedoeft or the banjo; Arnold Johnson, piano; Buster Johnson, trombone; Marco Woolf, violin, unknown drums, 
unknown Banjo. It's a shame that the drummer is not known, as he is quite good on 7090. The vocalist on 7089 appears to be 
Billy Murray. Of the redhot listing, I really don't hear banjo or alto saxophone on the take; it sounds like exactly the same group
on both sides.  
 
Does anyone have an argument against this? Has someone else already figured these bands out? If so, please advise. You may
find the tracks at: https://www.box.com/s/77873cd5c1d12ac807d1 The style of the music has a resemblance to the Waldorf-Astoria Dance Orchestra of that time. Led by Joseph Knecht from 1908-1925, the WADO recorded for Victor, Columbia and in 1921, Gennett, with Knecht listed as leader. They also recorded "The RedLantern," which the CIJO recorded on Gennett mx. 6512, and Billy Murray also sang with WADO on "The Vamp," recorded for Columbia in July 1919. Likewise the drummer sounds the same in both groups. However, the WADO used a distinctive, weirdly groaning bass clarinet in their recordings of that time, along with alto sax and 2 violins, rather than one, as here. I've never seen a personnel for the WADO of this time; perhaps there was a relationship of some kind? Arnold Johnson was in WADO too? Or not, which means my theory is toast?     

Uncle Dave Lewis
uncledavelewis at hotmail.com