78rpm pressing: Summit Ridge Drive - Artie Shaw and his Gramercy 5, 1940 - Canadian Victor 26763

Matrix # 55062

Now we continue our odyssey into "The Complete Artie Shaw and his Gramercy 5 Recordings, 1940-1945" with "Summit Ridge Drive".

Blues harpsichord - love it. ;)

The personnel for this September 3, 1940 session are:

Artie Shaw - clarinet
Billy Butterfield - trumpet
Al Hendrickson - amplified guitar
Johnny Guarnieri - harpsichord
Jud DeNaut - bass
Nick Fatool - drums

Dig.....

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Artie
• Shaw
• Billy
• Butterfield
• Al
• Hendrickson
• Johnny
• Guarnieri
• Jud
• DeNaut
• Nick
• Fatool
• small
• band
• jazz
• yt:stretch=16:9

[Tat2NY]

Now THAT was a REAL TREAT thank you for it.

Amamzingly early use of the harpsichord in Popular music.  Gorgeous performance....

[SwingMan1937]

You bet, Tat. :)

Word has it that Johnny Guarnieri, Artie's band pianist at the time, TAUGHT HIMSELF how to play the harpsichord just for these Gramercy 5 recordings.

[partnersbarfly]

From the WSJ article: As Johnny Guarnieri told "Piano Jazz" radio host Marian McPartland in 1981... Shaw called him one day in the fall of 1940: "Shaw asked me if I'd ever played the harpsichord, and I said: 'Certainly.' And he said, 'Well that's great; we're gonna make some records tomorrow.' . . . I was lying! So I said, 'Artie—I don't know what a harpsichord is.' . . . He says, 'I have one up the house; let's go up there tonight—and we'll rehearse, and we'll make some records tomorrow.'"

[SwingMan1937]

Right on! Good looking out! :)

If you're interested, in the "Playlists" section on my home page here, I have all 14 of Artie's original Gramercy 5 recordings (on 78's) from 1940-1945 compiled in a playlist - including all 8 Guarnieri harpsichord performances from September & December, 1940. :)

[Janeece75]

My older sister taught me how to Jitter Bug to this Artie Shaw recording. Of all his music this is my favorite. Memories rush forward when I hear this.

[2agray]

Gosh. My aunt taught me to jitterbug to that record when I was very little. Her copy was so worn that I just can't listen to it super super CD quality clean to this day. LOL! Then when she died and I got it, I put about 70 million more miles on it including the flipside, "Cross Your Heart." I sure danced a lot to that record. Brings back a lot of good memories.

[niagaraorbust]

Oh MY is that not the most cool, almost rock music like, brilliant traditional jazz tune ever recorded. Well, I VOTE yes. Whoo, what a clean sound from that recording too. Just a remarkable job, (a tip of the hat, to you), by the owner of this recording, to keep it so pristine. Well, I'm off to listen to it again.

[niagaraorbust]

Oh MY is that not the most cool, almost rock music like, brilliant traditional jazz tune ever recorded. Well, I VOTE yes. Whoo, what a clean sound from that recording too. Just a remarkable job, (a tip of the hat, to you), by the owner of this recording, to keep it so pristine. Well, I'm off to listen to it again.

[billboy508]

Fantastic stuff,Just been listening to a radio recorded interview made some time ago ,and they mentioned this number but didn't play it so i was determined to give it a listen.Thanks for posting!!

[CubeableGame]

Is there any other blues tunes with a harpsichord? I really dig it!

[JubalCalif]

THANKS for posting this! My favorite Artie Shaw tune! Dig that crazy harpsichord, daddy-o! Strictly from coolsville! He & the Gramercy Five could REALLY swing. You've made my day & my weekend! :)

[ljliljohn]

Yeah, I read the WSJ also, but I can't figure out what all the excitement is about in terms of 'Summit Ridge Drive' since I never really liked the cut; in my opinion 'Cross Your Heart' is the best of this sextet. Just in case you didn't already know it - Gramercy Five was an old NYC phone exchange (GR-5) - not to be confused with Butterfield (no, not Billy) Eight was also an old NYC phone exchange (BU-8). The Goodman sextets were way better, especially with my man Slam Stewart and Georgie Auld.