Louis Armstrong, Al Starita and Jack Hylton

[Swing Band Heaven]

Before I upload these to my you tube channel here are MP3s of the three tunes. The first is "Savoyagers Stomp" by Carroll Dickerson and his Orchestra featuring Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines. Interestingly this one doesn't seem to of been issued in the USA for some reason, surprising given that it is such a great tune!

Savoyagers Stomp - Louis Armstrong


Not sure if this has been uploaded here in the past, but here is my transfer of "If I had you" by The Piccadilly Players (Al Starita) Vocals are by Eddie Grossbert and it was recorded September 1928.

If I had you - Al Starita


Finally, the Rogers & Hart tune "With a song in my heart" Recorded by Jack Hylton and his Orchestra in March 1930.

With a song in my heart - Jack Hylton

S-B-H

[Henry]

"Savoyageur's Stomp," originally issued only in Argentina (Odeon 0193329, rec. Chicago, July 5, 1928), was finally issued in the US on Columbia LP G30416, "The Genius of Louis Armstrong, Volume I: 1923-1933" as part of a series entitled "The John Hammond Collection," after the famous (or infamous, depending on your viewpoint) record producer who was the first to discover and/or record a number of early blues and jazz figures. According to Don DeMicheal's [sic] notes on the LP album, "Savoyageur's Stomp" is "an elaboration on 'Muskrat Ramble'." The above label is evidently on a German issue, judging from the wording. I don't know whether the recording was ever issued on a 78 in this country. Anybody?

P.S. The variant spelling of the title is given from the notes to the LP.

[Swing Band Heaven]

Thanks for the additional info Henry..I guess at least this was released (albeit belateldy!) stateside.

Interesting what you say about Savoyager" being an elaboration of another tune as the flip side to this disk is "Knee Drops" which has distinct and strong similarities to "Potato head blues"..although Im not sure which came first.

S-B-H

[Henry]

"Potato Head Blues" was recorded by the Hot Seven in 1927 IIRC. It of course features one of the greatest Armstrong solos on record. I'd be interested to hear "Knee Drops." (Incidentally, "Potato Head Blues" is not structurally a typical 12-bar blues, but rather is built on 4- and 8-bar phrases. They were a little loose in the naming of tunes in those years!)

[alang]

Great tunes. Thank you so much for sharing, and special thanks for sharing them as MP3 instead of YouTube.
Andreas

[syncopeter]

Yes, the Staritas. I bought every record I could lay my hands on. Both Al and Ray had some of the hardest swinging bands in England in the twenties.