Route 66---
(8 downloads)Tuesday, Nov 27, 2007
This version is performed by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters. The song is written by Bobby Troup and was first recorded by the Nat King Cole Trio, all in 1946, as was this recording, which was a B-side.
Decca 23569, 1946
I saw Pinetop Spit Blood part 2
(11 downloads)Tuesday, Nov 27, 2007
"Pinetop's Blues" by Clarence "Pinetop" Smith, this is the B-side to "Pinetop's Boogie Woogie" (see last episode). The title for these episodes is from the Down Beat headline announcing Pinetop's death from a gunshot wound. I think these numbers were originally released on the Vocalion label, or maybe only the A-side.Brunswick 80008
I saw Pinetop Spit Blood part 1
(12 downloads)Tuesday, Nov 27, 2007
Side A of Pinetop Smith's last or near last recording before he was shot to death in a bar fight, "Pinetop's Boogie Woogie". Pinetop Smith is credited as being the first proponent of the Boogie Woogie piano style. This song was supposedly the inspiration for the Ray Charles number "Mess Around".
Dec 12-I just pulled up this section of an article posted on www.doctorjazz.co.uk which originally appeared in Down Beat, November 17, 1950, page 7, column 1:
The Pinetop Smith legend, disproved by Down Beat’s bizarre 1939 story, I Saw Pine Top Spit Blood and Fall, appeared last November in Sigman Byrd’s column in the Houston Press. Byrd, who goes under the title of “The Stroller,” got his story from a Buster Cartwright who runs a gin mill and plays blues piano in Houston.
Pinetop Story
The legendary tale revolves around how the boogie finally killed Pinetop. Cartwright knowingly told Byrd how Pinetop was born in New Orleans (he was born in Troy, Ala.) and wondered if Duke Ellington would play Smith’s boogie at a forthcoming Houston concert.
Cartwright’s story goes as follows: Pinetop had a gal named Bessie Rose who lived in Galveston. The Boogie Woogie was dedicated to her and she was “the little gal with the red dress on” in Pinetop’s famous lyrics. Fact is, Buster averred Pinetop had only two numbers in his repertoire but could play them all night. One of these was Pinetop’s Boogie Woogie and the other Jump Study. The latter was incorrectly titled Jump Steady.
It seems that one hot summer night in 1929 Pinetop was playing at the Naked club in Galveston. Bessie Rose hadn’t shown as yet. Pinetop usually reserved the Boogie for her as she insisted he sing it just for her. On this particular night another gal who had been picked up by Smith’s roving eye inspired him to go into his Boogie. The new chick, a fancy light-brown gal, followed up and stood by Smith’s piano bending close to his ear whispering, “Play it for me Pinetop.” He was averring that was what he was doing when in walked Bessie Rose.
Red on White
When Bessie surveyed the situation she right then and there drew her West Dallas Special out of her purse and opened the blade. She walked straight towards the piano where Pinetop’s back was turned to her and buried the blade in the Boogie King’s back. He fell over on the piano and every white key turned crimson with his blood. That’s the legend.
For those who didn’t see or don’t remember Down Beat’s 1939 story, we’ll repeat the death facts uncovered by Sharon Pease. Pease obtained a copy of Smith’s death certificate bearing out the truth that Pinetop Smith was killed by a pistol bullet, quite by accident, in a Chicago west side dance hall. Two men whom Smith hardly knew got into a scuffle and a third ran towards them with a pistol. Somehow or other Pinetop was pushed in the line of the third man’s fire. This happened in March 1929.
Brunswick Records 80008, 1928.
Open for business
(15 downloads)Monday, Nov 26, 2007
This is the first podcast from a large collection of 78 rpm records. This is really just a test so I'm just posting one cut. This one is Hoagy Carmichael singing "I May Be Wrong, But I Think You're Wonderful" accompanied by the Chickadees and Vic Shoen with His Orchestra. 1946, Decca 23675, I'll be posting a spreadsheet with reference info soon.