"Sweet Georgia Brown" by member's if Ben Pollack's Park Central Orchestra (Earl Baker Cylinder 1926)

In 1926, some members of Ben Pollack's Orchestra traveled to cornettist Earl Baker's home in Seattle, Washington. There they recorded some hot jazz rehersals and jams on an old Edison Phonograph using a special recording reproducer and 12 blank wax cylinders. Over the years the records remained stored away and slowly lost much of their original quality, but eventually they were "re-discovered" and released on an LP in the 60s. The reason for the significants of these cylinders, is that they are the first documented recordings of Benny Goodman (Age 17) and Glenn Miller (Age 22), two musicians who would make names for themselves during the swing era. Also apearing are Cornetist Earl Baker (a Red Nichols sound-alike), saxophonist Fud Livingston and banjoist John Kurbenknabe. These recordings, along with some released recordings ("Davenport Blues" by Bix and his Rhythm Jugglers comes to mind) give us a glimpse into the past of the 1920s Jam Session, and how fortunate it is for listeners today to have the opportunity to listen to these recordings. You'll notice at the end of the recording someone (possibly Baker) yelling "Whooo" which is an indication of the fun these guys were having. By no means were these recordings ever meant to be released to the public. They were private and for fun, so there are some noticeable glitches here and there, but they don't spoil the overall effect.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Glenn Miller
• Benny Goodman
• Young Benny Goodman
• Earl Baker
• Edison Phonograph
• Jazz Cylinder
• Edison Recorder
• 1926
• Fud Livingston
• Earl Baker Cylinders
• Earl Baker Cylinder
• Benny Goodman Cylinder
• Benny
• Goodman
• Cylinders