LU WATTER’S YERBA JAZZ BAND ARCHIVE
Fresh transfers of rare acetate discs
from the Selman Collection,
and other rarities.
I. YBJB acetate disc sides
Selman collection, unissued
A. Misc:
CHIMES BLUES - Dawn Club, 1941 [with intro announce]
Ellis Horne (clarinet), probably Hi Gates (trombone), Lammi (tuba)
PANAMA - Dawn Club, 1941
probably same
B. Recordio discs (fiber-core) in poor condition, YBJB Dawn Club 5.22.42
Selman collection, mostly unissued:
SUNSET CAFE STOMP - Dawn Club 5.22.42 - Selman Collection
ROYAL GARDEN BLUES - Dawn Club 5.22.42 - Selman Collection
Watters, Scobey, Murphy, Horne, Rose, Hayes (banjo, vocal), Bennett, Dart
A GOOD MAN IS HARD TO FIND - Dawn Club 5.22.42 - Selman Collection
Watters, Scobey, Murphy, Horne, Rose, Hayes, Bennett, Lammi, Dart
Vocalist may be Bob Best (who announced the band at the Dawn Club).
CLARINET MARMALADE - Dawn Club 5.22.42 - Selman Collection
same as “A Good Man...”
SENSATION RAG + announce - Dawn Club 5.22.42 - Selman Collection
[labeled “Fidgety Feet, Dawn Club” in pencil]
as above, Squire Girsback (bass)
IRISH BLACK BOTTOM - Selman Collection
(Very poor condition, fragment of previously issued disc.)
C. Pat Patton’s Frisco Jazz Band
Selman collection, unissued:
I AIN’T GONNA GIVE NOBODY NONE OF MY JELLY ROLL
THE SAINTS
Bob Scobey (trumpet, vocal?)
Bob Helm (clarinet)
Turk Murphy (trombone, washboard)
Burt Bales (piano)
Patton (string bass)
This disc is clearly labeled, Pat Patton Frisco Jazz Band, concert at Oakland City Library.
Hal Smith: “Date and personnel are probably 1947; Scobey (vocal), Turk doubles on washboard.”
II. Previously issued YBJB acetate disc sides
Selman collection, issued sides
These disc recordings of the ‘orthodox’ band line-up have been previously published by Fairmont, SFTJF, Good Time Jazz, Jazz Man or other specialty labels:
EMPEROR NORTON'S HUNCH -- Dawn Club, 1946 [or Hambone Kelly’s]
THE CASCADES - Dawn Club, 1946
featuring Wally Rose (piano), Mordecai , Lammi, Dart
DARKTOWN STRUTTERS' BALL - ABC/KGO [Dawn Club 1946, vocal by Turk]
Hal Smith: “One of my favorite live recordings by the YBJB. Listen to the ensemble chorus after the verse, with Scobey playing lead. The band is really stomping, and starting to play a double ending to go out, but Lu holds a C for two bars, taking them into another chorus that is even hotter!”
OSTRICH WALK - [label says Fidgety Feet - 1946, ABC/KGO sign-off]
GET IT RIGHT - Dawn Club, 1946 [“Hambone Kelly’s, Helm” written in pencil].
Hal Smith: “Helm plays a verse that is not really part of the song. You may recognize it as the main theme of "Little John's Rag" by Turk. He said that he wrote the verse to make "Get It Right" a more interesting song, but that Lu ultimately didn't like the additional part.”
GOT DEM BLUES - [label says Minstrels of Annie Street] - Dawn Club, 1946
Watters, Scobey, Murphy, Helm, Rose, Mordecai, Lammi, Dart.
TROMBONE RAG - Dawn Club, 1946 [“YBJB Broadcast” in pencil.]
Turk Murphy composition and featured soloist.
PASTIME RAG #5 - Dawn Club, 1946 [“Hambone’s on label in pencil.]
featuring Wally Rose (piano)
[Each side of the disc below has “Dawn Club” or “Hambones” added in pencil.]
MEMPHIS BLUES with announce & DIPPERMOUTH fragment - Dawn Club, 1946 [Dawn Club in pencil on label.]
Helm? (clarinet), Turk Murphy (trombone), Dick Lammi (tuba)
THE PEARLS - Dawn Club, 1946 [Hambone’s in pencil on label.]
featuring Wally Rose (piano)
Note on the Selman collection discs:
The two dozen extremely rare Yerba Buena air shots
and private recordings in this collection were amassed over decades by
Bill Raynolds, and are currently in the possession of Frank Selman who
has made them available.
Recorded between c. 1941-50, the dates
and locations are provided where available, but many disc labels are
erroneous. About half have been previously issued in small numbers by
specialty labels such as Fairmont, Down Home, or The San Francisco Traditional Jazz
Foundation.
Mostly recorded at or from the Dawn Club, they include some of the players who substituted during WW II such as: Bill Bardin (trombone), Burt Bales (piano), Russ Bennett (banjo) or Squire Girsback (tuba). Clarinet players are Bob Helm or Ellis Horne.
Disc condition and sound quality vary widely.
Despite my restoration efforts a great deal of disc noise remains audible in these historic musical artifacts.
Thanks to Hal Smith for research and assistance.
Disc transfers by Eric Jacobs of <B><I>Audio Archive</I></B>.
III. More rare YBJB, courtesy of San Francisco Trad Jazz Foundation
(Data cited where available):
Friendless Blues & announce - YBJB.mp3
Dawn Club broadcast, possibly Benny Strickler (trumpet), late 1942
Jazzin' Babies Blues - YBJB
Dawn Club broadcast, Benny Strickler (trumpet), late 1942
Skid-Dat-De-Dat - YBJB
Irish Black Bottom - YBJB
Compete (issued) take similar to fragment above.
Kansas City Stomps - YBJB
No tuba.
Maple Leaf Rag - YBJB
Incomplete at start, Ellis Horne (clarinet) 3.41
St. James Infirmary - YBJB
Ellis Horne (clarinet), Clancy Hayes (banjo)
Probably rehearsal for Dawn Club, 3.31.41
Smokey Mokes - YBJB
Possibly from Rudi Blesh “This is Jazz” broadcast.
Willie the Weeper - YBJB
Possibly from Rudi Blesh “This is Jazz” broadcast.
YBJB-related links (this site):
Yerba Buena Jazz Band (main page)
<B>Phil Elwood on YBJB</B>
Hear the legendary 1957/1966 series including interviews with Lu Watters and Bob Scobey,
and 97 rare recordings, broadcasts and acetates.
Benny Strickler
Bill Bardin
Bill Dart
Bob Helm
Bunk Johnson
Burt Bales
Clancy Hayes
Lu Watters
Turk Murphy
Wally Rose
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