[78-L] Cummins-penny whistle-Varsity 8

[Taylor Bowie]

Penny whistle?    That explains why it sounds so high-pitched...quite 
amazing  technique in any case!

Minnie the Mermaid is one of the "must-have" hot dance band records of the 
era...the Cummins band had great soloists and a real feel for jazz.

BTW,  the listing in Rust for some late Varsity Eight sides is very 
misleading.  "New" Rust continues to credit Ed Kirkeby for the sessions of 
October and November of 1930...Ed may have been there,  but playing the 
eight sides reveals that it is the Bernie Cummins band,  mostly in a very 
jazzy mode.

The most common of the eight sides is You're Driving Me Crazy,  of which 
there were at least three issued takes.

There are also at least two issued takes of Never Swat A Fly.

If anyone has any info about multiple released takes of the other six sides 
I'd like to hear about 'em!

Toodle-Oo (I'll Be Seeing You) is one of the best...very hip and witty 
lyric,  great vocal by Bernie...plenty of punchy ensemble jazz.


Thanks from

Taylor



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Cary Ginell" <soundthink at live.com>
To: "78-L Mail List" <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
Sent: Sunday, March 16, 2014 11:28 AM
Subject: Re: [78-L] Early jazz flute solos - Cummins?


>I haven't heard it, but the new Dance Band discography shows it to be a 
>penny whistle, which counts in my book. This was on Victor 22355, March 10, 
>1930. The reed players on that session were Wally Smith, Cecil Armitage, 
>and Paul Blakely. I'll put that one on my "find" list!
>
> Thanks.
>
> Cary
>
> On Mar 16, 2014, at 10:51 AM, Taylor Bowie <bowiebks at isomedia.com> wrote:
>
>> Not long after Piccolo Pete there is another superb piccolo solo on a 
>> Victor
>> dance band...the Cummins of Minnie the Mermaid...that guy REALLY tears 
>> off a
>> terrific hot solo,  showing amazing control of his little horn.
>>
>> Any clues who that might be on the Cummins?
>>
>> Taylor
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Cary Ginell" <soundthink at live.com>
>> To: "78-L Mail List" <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
>> Sent: Sunday, March 16, 2014 10:14 AM
>> Subject: [78-L] Early jazz flute solos
>>
>>
>>> Still compiling my list of early jazz flute or flutelike solos on record
>>> and obtained a copy of "Piccolo Pete" by Ted Weems & his Orchestra (Vi
>>> 22037), recorded 6/28/29. Of course, Rust doesn't list personnel and
>>> instrumentation on a song-by-song basis, just for the general session.
>>> Does anyone know who the likely piccolo player would be on this record? 
>>> My
>>> guess would be Dick Cunliffe or Don Watt, who are the other reed men
>>> besides Parker Gibbs, who was singing during the piccolo playing. Here's
>>> the personnel:
>>>
>>> Director - Ted Weems
>>> Trumpets - Art Weems, Merrill Conner
>>> Trombone - Harry Turner
>>> Mellophone - Dudley Fosdick
>>> Reeds - Dick Cunliffe, Don Watt, Parker Gibbs
>>> Piano - Jack O'Brien
>>> Banjo - Art Jarrett
>>> Brass Bass - Country Washburn
>>> Drums - Ormand Downes
>>>
>>> Cary Ginell
>>>
>>>
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>>
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