bsgs98 | Ted Lewis (featuring Fats Waller) - Royal Garden Blues (1931) @bsgs98 | Uploaded October 2012 | Updated October 2024, 4 hours ago.
Royal Garden Blues
Words and Music by Clarence Williams and Spencer Williams
Ted Lewis and His Band
Piano and vocal refrain by "Fats" Waller
March 6, 1931, New York
Columbia 2727-D
Ted Lewis, dir / Muggsy Spanier, Dave Klein, t / George Brunies, Sam Blank, tb / Benny Goodman, cl / Louis Martin, as, bar / Hymie Wolfson, ts/ Fats Waller, p,voc / Tony Gerhardi, g / Harry Barth, bb/ John Lucas, d
In 1931 the recording industry was suffering due to the Great Depression, Ted Lewis' career was in decline. His corny vocals and clarinet were out of fashion. The amazing thing about this recording is that Ted Lewis doesn't even play! However the band included a great lineup of jazz artists including Benny Goodman on clarinet, George Brunies on trombone and Muggsy Spanier on trumpet. Around this time, Fats Waller had been established as a composer, organist and pianist and was being featured three days a week on a 15-minute radio show "Paramount on Parade" on WABC in New York. Frank Walker, the music director of Columbia Records, had listened to the radio show and thought that he would schedule Waller as pianist with a Ted Lewis recording session. Lewis agreed and on March 5 and 6, 1931, Columbia recorded "Egyptian-Ella", "I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby", "Dallas Blues", and "Royal Garden Blues." This session contains Waller's first recorded vocals.
Royal Garden Blues
Words and Music by Clarence Williams and Spencer Williams
Ted Lewis and His Band
Piano and vocal refrain by "Fats" Waller
March 6, 1931, New York
Columbia 2727-D
Ted Lewis, dir / Muggsy Spanier, Dave Klein, t / George Brunies, Sam Blank, tb / Benny Goodman, cl / Louis Martin, as, bar / Hymie Wolfson, ts/ Fats Waller, p,voc / Tony Gerhardi, g / Harry Barth, bb/ John Lucas, d
In 1931 the recording industry was suffering due to the Great Depression, Ted Lewis' career was in decline. His corny vocals and clarinet were out of fashion. The amazing thing about this recording is that Ted Lewis doesn't even play! However the band included a great lineup of jazz artists including Benny Goodman on clarinet, George Brunies on trombone and Muggsy Spanier on trumpet. Around this time, Fats Waller had been established as a composer, organist and pianist and was being featured three days a week on a 15-minute radio show "Paramount on Parade" on WABC in New York. Frank Walker, the music director of Columbia Records, had listened to the radio show and thought that he would schedule Waller as pianist with a Ted Lewis recording session. Lewis agreed and on March 5 and 6, 1931, Columbia recorded "Egyptian-Ella", "I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby", "Dallas Blues", and "Royal Garden Blues." This session contains Waller's first recorded vocals.
