Previous Vocal Group Record of the Week
(Week of 10/11/03 - 10/17/03)


"W. P. A."
by Skeets Tolbert And His Gentlemen Of Swing
on Decca 7722 A
released in 1940


Photo Of Skeets Tolbert And His Gentlemen Of Swing

Above: Photo of Skeets Tolbert And His Gentlemen Of Swing. Campbell "Skeets" Tolbert is second from left (playing the clarinet).

Could Skeets Tolbert have been a member of The Piccadilly Pipers? Click HERE for photo (Skeets at far left). Do both photos of "Skeets" look similar to you? Some known facts: (1) Tolbert was in New York City area in the mid-1940's before moving to Houston and (2) he opened an instrument store in Houston named "The Pied Piper". Interesting, but more than likely all coincidental.



Decca Label-W. P. A.-1940

Above: Decca label image of "W. P. A." recorded on March 12, 1940. Personnel on this recording are Skeets Tolbert (clarinet, alto sax), Carl Smith (trumpet), Otis Hicks (tenor sax), Red Richards (piano), John Drummond (bass), and Hubert Pettaway (drums).

Compare this "W. P. A." to that by Louis Armstrong And The Mills Brothers (recorded four weeks after Skeets' version).

Click on an option below to listen to "W. P. A." by Skeets Tolbert And His Gentlemen Of Swing using Windows Media Player.

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(file size=444KB)



Decca Label-Those Draftin' Blues-1941 Left: Decca label image of "Those Draftin' Blues" recorded on December 17, 1940 and released in 1941. Personnel on this recording are the same as "W. P. A.", except add "Vocal Chorus by Yack Taylor".

Click on an option below to listen to "Those Draftin' Blues" by Skeets Tolbert And His Gentlemen Of Swing, Vocal By Yack Taylor using Windows Media Player.

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(file size=386KB)

Click HERE to stream both "W. P. A." and "Those Draftin' Blues" in sequence.



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