The fine habit of Kofi, imbibed unfiltered

[Ian Thumwood]

I listened to JRR on the way down to the match yesterday and the record which staggered me more than any of the others for a number of reasons was the record made in London in 1916. I had never heard of this group before and was totally unaware of it's existence. The drumming was incredible and there were moments when it sounded extremely modern. I have never heard anything quite like this before on a record that old not least due to the audio quality. For me, the drumming seemed like it belonged to a different record and it completely lacked the stiff, clockwork feel of so much of the music from that era. On top of this, you would have to remember that the record was made at the height of World War One and shortly after the sinking of the Lusitania. There has been a lot of hostility towards banjoes on this site of late but I thought this vintage record was a revelation.

The Tony Kofi concert sounded brilliant and I will have to listen again. Don't think I will to the same with the football as the Saints performance was abject. Not a fan of Claude Puel.

[Manupstairs]

Just been listening to the Hear and Now and quite enjoyed the Braxton but I often do enjoy his music for about 10 listens and then have no desire to hear it again. I wonder why I get that reaction.

[elmo]

I listened to JRR on the way down to the match yesterday and the record which staggered me more than any of the others for a number of reasons was the record made in London in 1916. I had never heard of this group before and was totally unaware of it's existence. The drumming was incredible and there were moments when it sounded extremely modern. I have never heard anything quite like this before on a record that old not least due to the audio quality. For me, the drumming seemed like it belonged to a different record and it completely lacked the stiff, clockwork feel of so much of the music from that era. On top of this, you would have to remember that the record was made at the height of World War One and shortly after the sinking of the Lusitania. There has been a lot of hostility towards banjoes on this site of late but I thought this vintage record was a revelation.

The Tony Kofi concert sounded brilliant and I will have to listen again. Don't think I will to the same with the football as the Saints performance was abject. Not a fan of Claude Puel.

Ian
I have to agree with you regarding this track, I too was stunned by the sophistication of the drumming and the way the whole piece seemed to be of a much later period. I am surprised that this track has not elicited more comment. I am going to try and track down some more info about this band and others of this ilk.
elmo

[Serial_Apologist]

Ian
I have to agree with you regarding this track, I too was stunned by the sophistication of the drumming and the way the whole piece seemed to be of a much later period. I am surprised that this track has not elicited more comment. I am going to try and track down some more info about this band and others of this ilk.
elmo

It's to be found under the fourth black dot from the left above the iPlayer slider: just click on the link I provided on #12

[elmo]

Thanks SA - There is a nice little biography of "The versatile four" on the Allmusic website by one Arwulf Arwulf.
elmo

[Ian Thumwood]

Elmo

I would have to say that this was one of the most fascinating records I have heard on JRR for ages. I was totally unaware of the Versatile Four and must admit to looking them up on the internet when I got in from football.

Some of their other tracks were not so well recorded and are more typical of that era. The nominal leader, Gus Haston, actually lived in London for some time although the band itself had connections with James Reece Europe who regularly is cited as a pioneer musician at that time. On the record requested the drummer is listed as George Archer but I can find nothing at all about him. Another drummer who played with the group, Gordon Stretton, was a black British musician from Liverpool and also called himself William Masters. I found out that he made some records on France as well as working in the same troupe as Charlie Chaplin at one time.

There were so many amazing things about that record. The sound quality was staggering and, as you say, the drumming just seemed to belong to another , more modern era. It is the kind drumming that you still mind find in New Orleans marching band whereas the vocal interjections recall street performance. It is incredible to think that people were listening to something like this whilst World War One was raging and that they would have been ignorant of the fact that this music could be construed as modern. The banjoes also recalled Gottschalk's music and I don't doubt that this was exactly the kind of thing that would have inspired him.

The weirdest thing about the record is to contemplate just how much the tip of the iceberg The Versatile Four might have been. They much have shocked their Music Hall audiences yet I suspect there were many such bands like this in the States at the time and you can see a connection with some of the more fringe jug bands that materialised in the next decade. The composer of "Down home rag" that the band played was Wilbur Sweatman who is another fascinating character who bridges the gap between Ragtime and Jazz. I first read about him when I was a teenager when his name cropped up as an employer of a young Duke Ellington. Some credit him as the first black jazz musician to record.

[Ian Thumwood]

..and now played by the composer : -

[elmo]

Ian
The drummer was Charles Wesley Johnson a pioneer drummer that was also associated with James Reese Europe. apparently Johnson went back to the U.S. in 1917 and was replaced by George Archer. Have a look at that ALLMUSIC website and also the youtube entry for this track.
Perhaps that inherent swing was more prevalent than recordings from that period have led us to believe. I bet the British music hall performers hated it, they were not very nice to Louis when he came over here in the early thirties - early Brexiteeers
elmo

[Tenor Freak]

Last Saturday afternoon I was listening to Gilles Peterson over on 6music. Liked his sly remark on playing Muhal Richard Abrams and Anthony Braxton (no, really) that "Sometimes you have wait until the final track of Side B before you find the spine-tingling moment" {NO SHIT SHERLOCK?} (Listen here around 2:26:45 mark http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08ccsg4)