Norfolk Jazz Quartet - Just dream of you

Decca master 62416-A, rec. New York, July 16 1937
Raymond Smith (tenor), Norman "Crip" Harris (lead), Melvin Colden (baritone), and Len Williams (bass).
The last line-up of this legendary jazz and gospel group. The quartet had not been recording since 1929; now that the depression years were over interest in the group grew again, and Decca signed an exclusive contract with them in 1937. Thus the Norfolk Quartet added a further 38 titles to their discography in the following two and a half years. The group was also highly succesful as "The Four Alphabets" doing a weekly show for WMCA, so things looked bright until the group's bassist and allround mastermind Len Williams collapsed during a performance in 1940 and died minutes later. A few months later, the group had fallen apart, a few months short of 25 years on the stage. Harris and Colden then joined the Selah Jubilee Singers (who had already recorded several Len Williams songs when the Norfolks were still performing), and later with the Selah's bass J.B. Nelson were three fifths of the "Master Keys" that recorded for TOP.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• 1920s
• 1930s
• close
• harmony
• American
• male
• vocal
• Norfolk
• Jazz
• Jubilee
• quartet
• novelty
• blues
• Decca

[allaboutrecords]

What an amazing group! Made many recordings, and they're all peoenominal!

This group is certainly in my hall of fame!!!

[jllpmusicman]

Music like this must have influenced the Doo Wop of the 1950s. Outstanding. Thanks for posting!

[slideharp1]

I can see these guys singing on a street corner, late evening - barbershop quartet. Lovely.

[MillerMusicStudiosTV]

I favorited this!  GREAT!

[goonchistaw]

1937 !!!!!! sounds top !

[geofbrit59]

Smooth! Really nice.