Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
Frank Trumbauer And His Orchestra play "Borneo", featuring a great "chase chorus" by Bix Beiderbecke and Frank Trumbauer.
Sounds like Trumbauer is soloing on alto sax rather than a C Melody sax. Bix shows the influence of Louis Armstrong here, as evidenced by the long Ab (concert pitch) note he plays at 2:09, which is almost identical to a note that Louis plays in his famous stop-time chorus in "Potato Head Blues", recorded almost a year earlier. I think it's more than a coincidence.
The band slows down and starts to drag a bit after the solos….that's something that happens on other Trumbauer recordings too. Moreover, the recording is too fast and out of key when played at 78 rpm (even more so at 80 rpm!) - I had to reduce it by just over half a semitone to get it in key. Scrappy Lambert's voice certainly sounds better as a result.
This transfer is taken from a French Odeon master pressing. The original American release is OKeh 41039.
FRANK TRUMBAUER AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Frank Trumbauer, C melody sax, alto sax, directing: Charles Margulis - trumpet / Bix Beiderbecke - cornet / Bill Rank - trombone / Irving "Izzy" Friedman - alto sax, clarinet / Chester Hazlett - alto sax / Min Leibrook - bass sax / Lennie Hayton - piano, arranger / Eddie Lang - guitar / Harold McDonald - drums / Scrappy Lambert - vocals / Bill Challis - arranger
Recorded in New York, April 10th, 1928.
400603-B…….Borneo…….Odeon 165.360
Frank Trumbauer And His Orchestra play "Borneo", featuring a great "chase chorus" by Bix Beiderbecke and Frank Trumbauer.
Sounds like Trumbauer is soloing on alto sax rather than a C Melody sax. Bix shows the influence of Louis Armstrong here, as evidenced by the long Ab (concert pitch) note he plays at 2:09, which is almost identical to a note that Louis plays in his famous stop-time chorus in "Potato Head Blues", recorded almost a year earlier. I think it's more than a coincidence.
The band slows down and starts to drag a bit after the solos….that's something that happens on other Trumbauer recordings too. Moreover, the recording is too fast and out of key when played at 78 rpm (even more so at 80 rpm!) - I had to reduce it by just over half a semitone to get it in key. Scrappy Lambert's voice certainly sounds better as a result.
This transfer is taken from a French Odeon master pressing. The original American release is OKeh 41039.
FRANK TRUMBAUER AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Frank Trumbauer, C melody sax, alto sax, directing: Charles Margulis - trumpet / Bix Beiderbecke - cornet / Bill Rank - trombone / Irving "Izzy" Friedman - alto sax, clarinet / Chester Hazlett - alto sax / Min Leibrook - bass sax / Lennie Hayton - piano, arranger / Eddie Lang - guitar / Harold McDonald - drums / Scrappy Lambert - vocals / Bill Challis - arranger
Recorded in New York, April 10th, 1928.
400603-B…….Borneo…….Odeon 165.360
