Sidney Bechet - Cake Walking Babies (From Home)

[vpo2g2]

This, and Potato Head Blues -- the only chemotherapy one needs.

[6x7045]

Unbelievable!!

[vpo2g2]

The fast vibrato means the voice is free and projecting....they didn't need the mikes that today's second and third rate singers need

[JPats100]

This is Eva Taylor. The first version of this song was recorded a couple weeks earlier under the name the Red Onion Jazz Babies for Gennett. Alberta Hunter is the vocalist on THAT version. Eva Taylor is the vocalist on this version.

[LolaEnid]

Yes, this is REALLY Alberta Hunter. I have a blues album with this track, sung by Alberta Hunter.

[EdwardHKDC]

Regarding the vocals - they do indeed sound unattractive to many modern ears, but one has to remember that these are the days before electric amplification, so singers had to adopt an emphatic projective style, particularly since their performances would be in noisy music halls etc. But Armstrong and Bechet are tremendous - I can't think of a better jazz recording up to this time (Jan 1925).

[AAErikCO]

@EdwardHKDC

One thing I had to get used to listening to this (could be interpreted as "obnoxious") was the type of vibrato projected by the vocalist was much faster and tightly controlled; think it was just the style of the day. Seems our modern ears are accustomed to wider and slower vibrato by vocalists as of today.

[MrBDP90]

This song is good but Hunter's vocals, to my modern ears, are obnoxious.

[kingoliver45]

@MrBDP90 This is actually Eva Taylor and she really could sing.

[subtone]

louis and sidney going at it...............

[PorroFirst]

Best thing Louis Armstrong ever did.

[vpo2g2]

I believe vocal is Alberta Hunter. One of the greatest performances in jazz history.

[KawhackitaRag]

This recording would be a superb and, in fact, stellar jazz recording by 1925 standards (and, by today's standards, too) if it ended at 2:12 (or they appended a brief tag or coda). [...]

[KawhackitaRag]

@KawhackitaRag [...] BUT - Louis turns on the heat at 2:12 and really goes nuts. This spurs the rest of the band into high gear, with Williams digging into the piano, Christian getting even hotter on the banjo (but keeping his incredible tone - he could really make the chords ring out musically), Irvis bringing up the tailgate, and Bechet weaving in beautifully with Louis is playing. [...]

[KawhackitaRag]

@KawhackitaRag [...] Having established a new mood, Louis delivers the goods with a set of good breaks at 2:28 and then follows that with two more INCREDIBLE sets of breaks at 2:38 and 2:42 which are simply UNBELIEVABLE...

[KawhackitaRag]

@KawhackitaRag ...as is the ride-out at the end with Louis' wonderful trick rhythmic figure which, to the best of my limited knowledge, must have expanded jazz vocabulary by borrowing from the novelty players.

Who knows what the unsuspecting record buyers thought in 1925 (black or white) when they put this on for the first time? I would LOVE to know what they must have thought!!! Eighty years later its still one of the hottest jazz performances I've ever heard, live or on record!

[KawhackitaRag]

This is a truly great and truly hot recording. THANKS for the post!!!

[tahoeshgrl]

I have this album around somewhere... I believe that Lil Armstrong (Louis' first wife) is credited with piano & vocals. Can anyone substantiate that? Here, Eva Taylor is.

[KawhackitaRag]

@tahoeshgrl I don't know why they'd say that... the pianist here is almost certainly Clarence Williams, although I'm not as familiar with his up-tempo solo and accompanimental work (there are no solos here, although he's playing the old style of very full, almost soloistic accompaniment work - especially behind Eva Taylor).

Williams had a style not unlike other contemporary pianists such as Lemuel Fowler, Clarence Johnson, etc. whereas I think Lil Hardin played more like J. Russel Robinson.

[DoctorForeman]

Bechet, I'd say, has the greater technique, but Armstrong was a little ahead of him in terms of timing. Between them, they show - on this record! - how jazz would go in the future. Two almighty geniuses. Beautiful and profound music.

[TheSanityInspector]

There is an interesting writeup of this song in Terry Teachout's Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong. Apparently Bechet was the first soloist Armstrong played with, who could really go toe to toe with him.

[malfaz67]

can someone pls post the lirycs?

[Corrie121]

This is just marvellous ! it is great to listen to the composers wife singing her heart out on this one.

Thanks for sharing.

[nemesis700]

there are lyrics to this?

[nemesis700]

never mind my comment. lool