The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I have just watched the first episode of a series on PBS America, now airing on UK Freeview Channel 94, about the history of jazz. Although interesting it contained a few howlers.

We were told that the Victrola was introduced in 1901 and showed an unidentified external horn machine playing a record of Sousa's band. The story then moved on to 1915, when we were shown a picture of a Victor rigid arm machine with a patent date of 1902. Finally a period photo of a family supposedly listening to the original Dixieland Jazz Band on a cylinder phonograph.

I look forward to the second episode......

I'm assuming that's the Ken Burns series. That series contains other prejudices and issues, too, besides incorrect phonograph ephermera. But it's still worth watching for the earlier episodes.

Just last night I watched the first two episodes online. I also noticed what appeared to be a later Victor disc on the turntable of the dusty old (what I thought was a) Columbia they showed a few times. There also seemed to be lots of Grafonolas.
The machine issues aside, it's a good ahow with lots of great information.

I have the entire series and I think that Ken Burns did a fantastic job telling the story of Jazz. I do wish he had spent some time telling the story my favorite bands, The California Ramblers/Golden Gate Orchestra, Ted Weems Orchestra and The Charleston Chasers. I understand that it was a big topic spanning many decades so he could only hit the historically important bands. The tributes honoring Louis Armstrong were well deserved. Louis Armstrong's contribution to Jazz can't be over estimated. I wish I owned some early Louis Armstrong 78 records, but they are hard to find and expensive. The photos in the series are there to tell a story of jazz and not the story of phonographs.

I wish I owned some early Louis Armstrong 78 records, but they are hard to find

I disagree with this quote. If you don't mind buying the Hot Jazz Classics that were reissued on Columbia, Victor, and Brunswick in the early 40s, you can get some great 4 record albums of the Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five, and Hot Seven records recorded in the late 20s on Okeh records for about $5 to $10 per album in good condition. They are not hard to find. You can also get albums in this series of Jelly Roll Morton and His Red Hot Peppers, Fletcher Henderson, Lionel Hampton, Bessie Smith, Cab Calloway, Benny Goodman and His Boys, Duke Ellington, etc.

^ The person who was mainly responsible for producing the Columbia 'Hot Jazz Classics' sets in the early 40's, one Mr. George Avakian, is alive at around 100 years of age. Don't know if he gets around much anymore, but he was still doing interviews and things in recent years. He went to have a significant career as a producer of jazz LP's later on. Got lots o' stories about the old daze in the biz.

Regarding the Armstrong Hot Five and Seven 'Hot Jazz Classics' sets. The Volume 1 Columbia set (yellow cover) I have is direct re-pressings. The second set (blue cover) has dubbings.

Wolfe wrote:^ The person who was mainly responsible for producing the Columbia 'Hot Jazz Classics' sets in the early 40's, one Mr. George Avakian, is alive at around 100 years of age. Don't know if he gets around much anymore, but he was still doing interviews and things in recent years. He went to have a significant career as a producer of jazz LP's later on. Got lots o' stories about the old daze in the biz.

Regarding the Armstrong Hot Five and Seven 'Hot Jazz Classics' sets. The Volume 1 Columbia set (yellow cover) I have is direct re-pressings. The second set (blue cover) has dubbings.

I'm going to keep an eye out for the reissues described. Thanks for the information!

Wolfe wrote:^ The person who was mainly responsible for producing the Columbia 'Hot Jazz Classics' sets in the early 40's, one Mr. George Avakian, is alive at around 100 years of age. Don't know if he gets around much anymore, but he was still doing interviews and things in recent years. He went to have a significant career as a producer of jazz LP's later on. Got lots o' stories about the old daze in the biz.

Regarding the Armstrong Hot Five and Seven 'Hot Jazz Classics' sets. The Volume 1 Columbia set (yellow cover) I have is direct re-pressings. The second set (blue cover) has dubbings.

Checking internet sources, it seems George Avakian did pass away in November 2017. Should've been more mention on the news, but wasn't. Shame, shame on people.

I just looked at some Hot Jazz Classics on Ebay and the prices there are sky high like many things on Ebay. but I did find a 4 record album of Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five for just about $6.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/COLUMBIA-36152 ... 0752.m1982

^ I have that set. As I put in the other post, it ought to have dubbings rather than being pressing from original metal parts.