Timeless Historical CBC 1-084
www.timeless-records.com

Jean Goldkette and his Orchestra

TRACKS
1) In The Evening; 2) It’s The Blues; 3) Play Me Slow; 4) Dinah; 5) Drifting Apart; 6) "Gimme" A Little Kiss, Will "Ya"? Huh? 7) Lonesome and Sorry; 8) My Ohio Home; 9) So Tired; 10-11) Here Comes The Show Boat; 12) Just A Little Kiss From A Little Miss; 13-15) Just Imagine: 16) That’s Just My Way of Forgetting You: 17) That’s What Puts The "Sweet" in Home Sweet Home; 18-19) My Blackbirds Are Bluebirds Now; 20-21) Don’t Be Like That; 22) Take A Good Look At Mine; 23) Ya’ Comin’ Up To Night, Huh?; 24) Birmingham Bertha : Time 72.31

In 1910, Jean Goldkette as a young child arrived in the USA with his family under his Russian stepfather settling down in Chicago where he completed a scholarship to continue his piano studies that began at the Moscow music conservatory.

An invaluable comprehensive booklet by Ate van Delden accompanies this album, giving insight in depth, extending into the parameters of the CD’s 24 tracks, the bulk of which are Tin Pan Alley, hence with on tasteful vocals, come 1920s dance tunes.

Apart from So Tired HMV - unique horn tone with Hoagy Carmichael on vocals, all numbers are by noted Victor Records not exceeding three minutes per tune, whose director of recording Eddie King not caring much for jazz, therefore, insisting that straight arrangements were the order of the day for the bands.

Bix Beiderbecke of Wolverine fame is not overtly featured within this collection, and noting the overall ethos of the album, it will register by many just why Timeless Records may have compiled this historical CD in the way that they have done.

McKinney’s Cotton Pickers, a black band under Don Redman leadership was part of the Goldkette stable, which by this time had grown to run several bands, and as the main orchestra was stranded on route to Chicago, the Cotton Pickers replaced them and are heard under the Goldkette flag on Birmingham Bertha that by coincidence, the then Goldkette accordionist, vocalist, Harold Stokes was in the line-up.

However, the three opening tracks have subtle jazz flavours - individual. See photo for personnel. In The Evening is a Walter Donaldson number on which the Joe Venuti violin strings are heard. "It’s The Blues, features clarinettist Don Murray. C-melody man, Frank "Tram" Trumbauer replaces Jimmy Dorsey on Play Me Slow - so there we go.

Steve Brown, a first recording for a string bass solo inclusive of Slap and stop-time routines makes Dinah helped by his colleagues a superlative jazz number: Fuzzy Farrar, Ray Lodwing (tpt); Spiegle Willcox, Bill Rank (tmb); Doc Ryker, Jimmy Dorsey, Don Murray (reeds); Joe Venuti (violin); Lou Congo (pno); Howdy Quicksell (bjo); Chauncey Morehouse (drms) and Russ Morgan (director).

Allegretto Con Brio (fast 4/4 tempo) on Lonesome and Sorry becomes a trend setter, after much persuasion of the musicians, taken up on Calliope toot, toot on Here Comes The Show Boat ensemble vocals - two takes.

Just a Little Kiss swings; Ge-us a Wee Kissie blows in with the Venuti vocals: More vocals on Just Imagine three takes. Just sit back folks and enjoy listening to tunes 16-22, dance to the seventeenth along with trumpeter Andy Secret and Pee Wee Hunt, trombonist, later to become a member of the Casa Loma Orchestra if you wish - all very good time keeping, ‘til you come to an orchestrated to perfection one called Comin’ Up To-night at twenty-three, which would have pleased dancers at Graystone in 1929, the year when during the depression, the Jean Goldkette contract with Victor alas came to an end.

The Graystone building (see front cover graphic) stood until 1980 when it was demolished - that’s that.

This is an album for young swinging American music lovers and beyond, heard play at its very best.

Good for you - Timeless.

Ian King
Kings Jazz Review
Monday the 4th of August 2003