Marsh: Chicago’s Pioneer of Electrical Recording. Raichelson wrote the book on Marsh: Orlando R. Among his extensive musical scholarship, Prof. I was intrigued by the connection between this image and this record, and Berresford was kind enough to connect me with Richard Raichelson. This test pressing was from the Autograph label, which was owned by Marsh Laboratories and Orlando Marsh, a pioneer in electrical recording. Berresford also suggested that with Thomas having been in Chicago since 1920, he could have plugged the song to local bandleaders in the Windy City, including Elgar. By November 1921, Harry Raderman’s Jazz Orchestra in New York City had supplied the tune’s first (known) recording. Thomas published his “Muscle Shoals Blues” in August 1921. Unlike New York, Chicago had a reputation early on for large African American bands such as those led by Sammy Stewart, Dave Peyton, Erskine Tate, Charles Elgar, and Carroll Dickerson, and it is possible one of these aggregations is heard on this record.īerresford explains that if this were the Chicago-based Elgar band, “they would have had to get their skates on.” He pointed out that George W. Nothing is known of the band, other than they sound Black, and as the record was made in Chicago, it is likely they played in one of the large dance halls in the Windy City. “Muscle Shoals Blues” is a mysterious and historically important record. II (which introduced me and many others to this recording): As Berresford explains in his liner notes for the Timeless Historical CD From Ragtime to Jazz, Vol.
It’s uncertain who made this rollicking music, but thankfully, they committed it to record. The music was not available on YouTube, so I offer apologies for my limited knowledge of iMovie in putting this video together: The record he mentioned is a rollicking performance of the tune from an unidentified band on an unissued recording. If that’s the case, it may give credence to the Autograph test pressing of “Muscle Shoals Blues.” I’ve always been fascinated by that photo, as the implication, judging from their faces, especially Darnell Howard’s, is that they are listening to themselves.
While researching the life of Darnell Howard-seated all the way to the right with the biggest grin in the bunch-I emailed the collector and historian about using the image in a future article, and he mentioned the following: The photo is from Mark Berresford’s collection. Web image courtesy of The Syncopated Times. Said smiles belong to Charles Elgar and his band, seen in this photograph dated November 1921:Įlgar’s Creole Orchestra, from left to right: Charles Elgar, Leroy Bradshaw, William Shelby, Walter Wright, Walter Gossette, William Neely, William Randall, Bert Hall, Harry Swift, Richard Curry, Joe Sudler, Clifford King, and Darnell Howard.
This is the story of a record, a photograph, a discographic mystery, a quizzical image, and a lot of smiles.
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