#694 (Week of 1/8/11 - 1/14/11)

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MELODISC LABEL - PART ONE

THIS WEEK'S SELECTIONS PROVIDED BY JOE WEISMANN

"Snoqualimie Jo Jo"/"Jack, You Just Ain't Booted"
by The Four Blazes
on MeloDisc M 1011
released in 1946

Not much is known about Hollywood's Four Blazes on Excelsior, The Four Blazes on MeloDisc, and The Hollywood Four Blazes on Lamplighter, except that they consisted of Connie Jordan (drums), Ulysses Livingston (guitar), La Grand Mason (bass), and George Crawford (piano). Roy Porter replaced Jordan on drums for the Lamplighter sides.

Livingston had been with The Eddie Beal Trio in 1943 and Ella Fitzgerald's Orchestra before that. He also worked with Pete Johnson in the early 1950's.

Mason and Crawford worked together with Johnny Moore in The Three Blazes in the early 1940's. Their act featured Mason moving from bass to piano for double-piano, while Moore moved over from guitar to bass.
(Gee.... wonder where Mason and Crawford came up with the name "Four Blazes" for their new group)

Jordan became "Buzz Connie" and recorded for Coral in the late 1940's as a vocal/instrumental trio.

Excerpts from The Billboard:

HOLLYWOOD'S FOUR BLAZES
• (5/5/45) This combination of rhythm instruments satisfy when hitting it off in a Harlemese jive groove, with the noodling of piano and guitar and the unison sing swinging of all four Blazes plenty hep to the jive words and music....
• (1/5/46) Hollywood's Four Blazes, taking in piano, guitar, bass and drums, are on a King Cole Trio kick in their offerings. However, the foursome have a measure of individuality that is as easy to take as the Cole unit. With the piano and guitar for the instrumental noodling, and the entire group for the singing, the foursome spin with plenty of lifto for their Harlemese jive ditties....
  (The above reviews certainly are consistent with each other)

Above: Lamplighter Records clipping and column from The Billboard 5/4/46 and 2/2/46, respectively.

Here are links to Spotlights for Excelsior and MeloDisc.

Above: Label image of MeloDisc M 1011, which is the third of three consecutive releases by The Four Blazes on the MeloDisc label (1009-1011) in 1946. This is a different group than The Four Blazes on the United label.

"Snoqualimie Jo Jo" was also done by The Town Criers on Ara Records in 1945, and The Delta Rhythm Boys as a Soundie (video) and on transcription disc, both in 1945.

Listen to this week's selections by the The Four Blazes on MeloDisc M 1011 from 1946:
[Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]

A. Stream RealAudio (DO NOT USE...LISTEN USING DOWNLOAD REALAUDIO)...             1. Snoqualimie Jo Jo           2. Jack, You Just Ain't Booted             BOTH played in sequence      B. Download RealAudio...             1. Snoqualimie Jo Jo           2. Jack, You Just Ain't Booted      C. Stream/Download Media Player...             1. Snoqualimie Jo Jo           2. Jack, You Just Ain't Booted

     [To download audio files, right-click on link and then select "Save (Link) Target As..."]

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