1933

Venuti/Lang Small Group Session-35

JOE VENUTI-EDDIE LANG BLUE FIVE (1)

JOE VENUTI AND HIS BLUE FIVE (2)

Joe Venuti (violin), Eddie Lang (guitar), Phil Wall (piano), Jimmy Dorsey (alto sax, clarinet, cornet), Adrian Rollini (bass sax, goofus, vibraphone).

February 28, 1933

Recording Location: Columbia Studios, 55 Fifth Avenue (at 12th St.), NYC.

W265066-2 Raggin’ The Scale (Claypoole)-Col 2765-D (1)

W265067-2 Hey! Young Fella (Fields-McHugh)-Col CB 601 (1)

W265068-2 Jig Saw Puzzle Blues (Rollini)-Col 2782-D (2)

W265069-2 Pink Elephants (Dixon-Woods)-Col CB 601 (1)

The declining state of America's economy caused the recording industry to plummet, resulting in many record companies going out of business or filing for bankruptcy. Production was drastically reduced, which led to fewer jazz recordings after 1930. By 1932, it was evident that Joe and Eddie had concerns about the future of their recording band; the Venuti-Lang ensemble did not record a single side for any American record company in 1932 or 1933. The sessions that do exist were recorded for English Columbia. This arrangement, which included a few other recordings, was part of a deal to create music for the British market, encompassing both pop music and jazz. It appears that the deal was somewhat underhanded, as money changed hands among publishers, record producers, agents, and artists—typical behavior in the music business. However, this small deal gained prominence because the lack of activity in the record industry led to people being willing to pay a premium to participate. The artists selected for the 1932-33 sessions were often obscure, primarily out of fashion in America, and likely unknown in England. Few English record buyers showed interest, and some recordings were never even released. This arrangement continued until the spring of 1933, when John Hammond created a more credible deal with EMI. This new agreement offered the British a roster of respected American jazz talent, including Fletcher Henderson, Benny Carter, Benny Goodman, and Joe Venuti. Unfortunately, by the time Hammond became involved, Lang had already passed away.

By the winter of 1932-1933, Eddie had been Bing Crosby's accompanist for over a year. During that time, the singer maintained a busy schedule filled with radio broadcasts, stage appearances, recording sessions, and films (for Paramount & Mack Sennett). The silver screen helped Crosby reach a national audience. In this early phase of the crooner's rise to fame, Eddie was rarely more than an arm's length away from him. While Venuti did appear on some of Bing's records and broadcasts, his role was minimal compared to that of Lang and pianist/conductor Lennie Hayton. Everyone believed that by 1934, Joe would have joined Bing and Eddie in California if circumstances had worked out differently. Only a month after a February 1933 session, Eddie was set to travel to California with Crosby to begin filming the first of five pictures for Paramount (College Humor). Tragically, the guitarist's ride was cut short just days before his departure.

For their final Venuti-Lang recording session, Joe and Eddie brought together two of the most outstanding instrumentalists of the previous decade. Jimmy Dorsey and Adrian Rollini had delivered remarkable performances on several earlier Blue Four dates, but they had never recorded together under Joe and Eddie's leadership until this session. The result was spectacular. It is arguably their finest session as an ensemble, during which Venuti and Lang perfected their approach to jazz interpretation with a wind and string ensemble. Each three-minute side explores small group arranging, interpretation, and collective and individual performance. They expertly utilized every element of the Venuti-Lang small group formula. The repertoire featured them looking back while also making forward strides, as they magnificently rearranged two contemporary pop songs, reinvented one classic, and concocted a last-minute original.

Joe and Eddie had previously recorded RAGGIN' THE SCALE in 1930 with a quartet that included Rollini. Three years later, now expanded to a quintet, they produced a masterpiece. Notably, the final sixteen bars feature Joe and Jimmy performing together over a pulsating rhythm section—truly perfection! In 1977, when Venuti heard Dorsey's clarinet play the opening notes of HEY! YOUNG FELLA, having not listened to the record in over five decades, the Maestro jumped to attention, “That’s Hey! Young Fella, I got fifty potatoes (dollars) for recording that." He listened silently as the record played on, clearly satisfied with the result. (Joe plays bass for the first chorus behind Rollini's vibes.) Fans of the pop group Fleetwood Mac may recognize the title JIG SAW PUZZLE BLUES. In 1968, Mac guitarist Danny Kirwan incorporated parts of Jimmy Dorsey's clarinet solo into a new song. The 1933 original recording features twelve bars of single-string guitar that start bluesy but culminate in a flurry of notes. When it came to showcasing one’s skills, few could compete with Jimmy Dorsey. A master of the reeds and an outstanding cornet player, Dorsey shines on PINK ELEPHANTS. By the introduction, it’s evident how deeply these musicians understood each other as they seamlessly set up the song by trading one-bar phrases—few did it better!

Eddie Lang dies March 26, 1933, NYC.