Harry Reser's Syncopators - Shaking The Blues Away, 1927

[Lapisha1929]

Good Christ on a jumped up pony....what is all the fuss about....history is history....I've got a 1917 Victor NIGGER LOVES HIS POSSUM racist as hell, but is a thing they sold and I am damed proud to own it....gotta make folks remember the coo-coo craziness just like carnival freak shows. Political correctness makes me puke!

[majtom58]

Yes, many of songs had lyrics that wouldn't fly today, but that was then. Consider Clarence Ashley's "Shanghai in China" or Prince Albert Hunt's "Blues in the Bottle" or, from Reser-"Nagasaki". Offensive, but funny in a lighthearted way. JMO

[56Edify]

Music like this was certainly reflective of the optimism of the times that was, sadly, in a few short years, killed.

[Bigband78]

The vocalist is definitely not Tom Stacks.

[56Edify]

I can listen to this version and feel the joy. On the other hand I can watch and listen to later versions done in the 40's, 50's, and later and think to myself (What crap!) Post WW II sanitized for white america and totally devoid of anything like real feeling. It has made me realize why so many young people were really glad when rock & roll come along to kill that stuff off

[56Edify]

My thoughts exactly. How anyone can consider the 40's & 50's versions to be worthy of recognition is beyond me. Only if you are Mr. & Mrs Ward Cleaver. Your description of those versions being "crap" is overly kind.

[paintmonkey61]

more than uncomfortable, I am extremely offended by it's usage from anyone today but back then it was just one of many awful words in common use in America. This is why video work like this is important, it lets us reflect on an older age and see not only their joys but also their prejudices. It lets us see how we have grown as a culture, how we have grown in respecting our fellow Americans and to know something of the origins of the racial dicord that still vexes us today.

[56Edify]

I know where you are coming from with the "discomfort". I recently ran across the song elsewhere here on youtube. I have become somewhat obsessed with it as I am with a lot of music from that period. gotta keep things in context. It is preserving history, and THAT'S important

[56Edify]

I like to think that although certain words like "darkie" were in common usage, in general most people did not think of them as racist, even though they were. My mother used to lament from time to time about "the good old days". I would just laugh and say "yeah ma. Do you mean the good old days before the polio vaccine? Or when blacks were still having to sit at the back of the bus?" But we can't lose history nor should we attempt to sanitize it for 2009 consumption.

[Sshelly34213]

uhhh...

anyone extremely uncomfortable at the word Darkie??

[jazzgirl1920s]

I noticed you had pictures of singers Cab Calloway and Al Bowlly. You might add Ruth Etting, who also had a very good Columbia recording of "Shaking The Blues Away."

[fatsfan70]

Well G. thanks for all your trouble, I saw the wonderful Eugeniusz performing Sex Appeal and I was absolutely smitten - couldn't understand a single comment but there are obviously 77,488 crazy Poles out there who agree with us!

Yes YT don't seem to accept anything that looks like a web address or a link - mine have often failed

[fatsfan70]

G. A very cheery posting - your Polish Mae West at 1:48 really chased my blues away! What kind of bizarre scenario was this from? He (surely not a she?) looked a bit like Jack Lemmon's 'Josephine' in 'Some Like It Hot'.

[fatsfan70]

Oops, sorry - Jack was 'Daphne'.

[kspm01]

Nothing to add to this eloquent description.... Great presentation of comical artistes!

[MrReser]

I have a record that I would love to hear by Harry Reser George Brooks And His Synocopators on Perfect or Pathe playing Ginger Snaps. It was recorded on September 1928. Does anyone have a copy of this record? Please let me know if anyone has heard this?

Thanks,

MrReser

[dzheger]

The happy tune and the gallery of comedians surely shake the blues away. I only got to know about Stacks from your Channel, G, and I adore his singing. To me it sounds like his voice without the enthusiastic boyish style. A subdued Stacks?

[HarborGuy]

Wonderful - this would truly shade the Blues loose.............5 Stars as always.........

[tiarabozen]

super

[syncopcgda]

I have been waiting the whole days through - for a new fine tune of Harry Reser´s Band. And here it is! Really a surprising Christmas Gift just in time, I am very happy with it.

It´s Harry at his very best, the typical Reser sound.

Thank You all so much, especially Rainer for posting me very kindly.

[Stompy23]

Awesome, sparkling rendition. I really like those VERY typical 1920s hot dance recordings. LOU seems to be right. Doesn't sound much like Stacks.

[Victrolaman1]

Gregorz,that dosen't sound like Tom Stacks on the vocal.I'll have my Reser Expert check it out.

You always do a great job with the photos.

LOU

[MrReser]

Hi Lou,

The vocal is Franklyn Baur (Shaking The Blues Away) recorded on Columbia August 29th, 1927.

It's a great record. Reser was the best and still is.

[Victrolaman1]

Thanks Gus,It solves a mystery for us.

[genia106]

Love those BOUNCING BANJOS! This is such a BANJOLISCIOUS song! Love the photo of my girl, LA MIS, at 1:30 and Eugeniusz Bodo STEALS the video at 1:48. Grzegorz, I thought that movie title was Sex Appeal!

This was GREAT! Thanks.