Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
Texas territory band Boots And His Buddies play the unissued take 2 of "East Commerce Stomp", with great trumpet, tenor sax and piano solos. The trumpet soloist has a wonderful growl. There's a great arranged passage for the sax section after the trumpet solo - some pretty nifty playing here! The brass section is great too, playing powerful punchy riffs.
Take 1 is the issued take, released on Bluebird B-10036. This transfer is from a vinyl 78 master pressing.
Jazz writer Gunther Schuller described Clifford "Boots" Douglas as "a kind of western Chick Webb". There's a bit of a Mid-West Kansas City style to the band as well, I feel, and the pianist sounds like he's been listening to Count Basie!
The title refers to East Commerce Street, one of the main thoroughfares traversing the East side of San Antonio. There were several clubs along the street, where black bands would play, most notably the Avalon Grill, which had a 24-hour Chinese restaurant and liquor store on the ground floor and a 5,000 square foot nightclub on the first floor.
I will be uploading some more unissued test pressings by the band soon.
BOOTS AND HIS BUDDIES
Clifford "Boots" Douglas, drums, directing: C. H. Jones, Percy Bush, L. D. Harris and Charles Anderson - trumpets / George Corley - trombone / Alva Brooks and Artie Hampton - alto sax, baritone sax / Baker Millian and David Ellis - tenor sax / A. J. Johnson - piano / Jeff Thomas - guitar / Walter McHenry - string bass
Recorded San Antonio, Texas, October 28th, 1938
028741-2 …….East Commerce Stomp…….Bluebird B-7217
Texas territory band Boots And His Buddies play the unissued take 2 of "East Commerce Stomp", with great trumpet, tenor sax and piano solos. The trumpet soloist has a wonderful growl. There's a great arranged passage for the sax section after the trumpet solo - some pretty nifty playing here! The brass section is great too, playing powerful punchy riffs.
Take 1 is the issued take, released on Bluebird B-10036. This transfer is from a vinyl 78 master pressing.
Jazz writer Gunther Schuller described Clifford "Boots" Douglas as "a kind of western Chick Webb". There's a bit of a Mid-West Kansas City style to the band as well, I feel, and the pianist sounds like he's been listening to Count Basie!
The title refers to East Commerce Street, one of the main thoroughfares traversing the East side of San Antonio. There were several clubs along the street, where black bands would play, most notably the Avalon Grill, which had a 24-hour Chinese restaurant and liquor store on the ground floor and a 5,000 square foot nightclub on the first floor.
I will be uploading some more unissued test pressings by the band soon.
BOOTS AND HIS BUDDIES
Clifford "Boots" Douglas, drums, directing: C. H. Jones, Percy Bush, L. D. Harris and Charles Anderson - trumpets / George Corley - trombone / Alva Brooks and Artie Hampton - alto sax, baritone sax / Baker Millian and David Ellis - tenor sax / A. J. Johnson - piano / Jeff Thomas - guitar / Walter McHenry - string bass
Recorded San Antonio, Texas, October 28th, 1938
028741-2 …….East Commerce Stomp…….Bluebird B-7217
