Thirties Jukebox
In honor of the Glorious Fourth, I decided to listen to an American time capsule of sorts - today's work CD: The Great Depression: American Music in the 30's. Apparently this is a group of musical selections which were part of the soundtrack of a documentary on the Depression. Fittingly, it opens with "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" performed by the cheerfully unctuous Rudy Vallee, and closes with two upbeat tracks - Horace Heidt's theme song for the 1939-40 World's Fair "Dawn of a New Day" and Artie Shaw's version of "Whistle While You Work" (Tom Waits did a definitive proletarian version of that song, industrial clankings and all, on Stay Awake - but that's a posting for another day).
In between there's music from a wide assortment of artists, ranging from Blind Willie Johnson and Barbecue Bob to Ted Lewis (with train sounds, a swinging male quartet, and an inspirational song-talker) and Red Norvo. The most interesting juxtaposition is between the incredibly square "Hungarian Varsovienne" - a kind of square dance without the western swing influence that makes square dancing fun (and it is, it is) - performed by Henry Ford's Old Fashioned Dance Orchestra (yes, the same Henry Ford) and Victoria Spivey & the Chicago Four doing the "Detroit Moan". Hard to believe they're from the same era in the same country.
Overall, it's a pretty tasty collection - mostly blues and swing. Favorite tracks? Duke Ellington's "Creole Love Call", the Rudy Vallee take on down and outness, and a jaunty little pop swing number, "Are You Makin' Any Money", played by Chick Bullock and His Levee Loungers.
The USA has a lot to answer for, both historically and today, but one of the great glories of the people of this country is the music they created and continue to create. This set gives a glimpse of some of the varieties produced during one decade; you can think of the disc as a musical Roman Candle, shooting colored fireballs of music into the warm July night. Happy holiday to all commenters, regular readers, and casual linkers!
In between there's music from a wide assortment of artists, ranging from Blind Willie Johnson and Barbecue Bob to Ted Lewis (with train sounds, a swinging male quartet, and an inspirational song-talker) and Red Norvo. The most interesting juxtaposition is between the incredibly square "Hungarian Varsovienne" - a kind of square dance without the western swing influence that makes square dancing fun (and it is, it is) - performed by Henry Ford's Old Fashioned Dance Orchestra (yes, the same Henry Ford) and Victoria Spivey & the Chicago Four doing the "Detroit Moan". Hard to believe they're from the same era in the same country.
Overall, it's a pretty tasty collection - mostly blues and swing. Favorite tracks? Duke Ellington's "Creole Love Call", the Rudy Vallee take on down and outness, and a jaunty little pop swing number, "Are You Makin' Any Money", played by Chick Bullock and His Levee Loungers.
The USA has a lot to answer for, both historically and today, but one of the great glories of the people of this country is the music they created and continue to create. This set gives a glimpse of some of the varieties produced during one decade; you can think of the disc as a musical Roman Candle, shooting colored fireballs of music into the warm July night. Happy holiday to all commenters, regular readers, and casual linkers!
posted by DJStan at 5:27 PM
1 Comments:
Ah, Bolly (a good tipple, indeed) - Prohibition was repealed in 1933. In fact, Roosevelt ran on a platform that included repeal.
Maybe that's why so many people were singing "Happy Days Are Here Again" (which the Casa Loma Orchestra plays on the disc)?
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