Desdemona202's video: Tim Brymn s Black Devil Orchestra: The Great War s Once-Forgotten Jazz Heroes Okeh 1921

Tim Brymn and His Black Devil Orchestra Liut. James Tim Brymn, p, dir: 2c / ?Harry Francis Cole, tb / ?Sgt. Niklos, ?Cpl. Housley cl, ss, as / ?Nelson Kinkaid cl, ts / bj / bb / d. “He's My Man (You'd Better Leave Him Alone)” Fox-Trot (0:00) Okeh Record 8003-A (MX: 7834-B) Recorded New York, ca. April, 1921 Transfer Speed: 79.5RPM “Campmeeting Blues” Fox-Trot (2:54) Okeh Record 4339-B (MX: 7833-A) Recorded New York, ca. April, 1921 Transfer Speed: 80.1RPMRPM “Arkansas Blues” Fox-Trot (5:41) Okeh Record 8002-B (MX: 7866-A) New York, ca. late April 1921 Transfer Speed: 79.5RPM “The Memphis Blues” Fox-Trot (8:25) Okeh Record 4339-A (MX: 7873-B) New York, May, 1921 Transfer Speed: 79.5RPM “Sirene Of The Southern Sea [sic]” Fox-Trot (11:22) Okeh Record 4310-A (MX: 7815-B) New York, March, 1921 Transfer Speed: 79.6RPM “Don't Tell Your Monkey Man” Fox-Trot (14:34) Okeh Record 8003-B (MX: 7865-C) New York, ca. late April 1921 Transfer Speed: 79.1RPM It's Right Here For You (Intro: ‘Crazy Blues’)” Fox-Trot (17:47) Okeh Record 8002-A (MX: 7872-C) New York, May, 1921 Transfer Speed: 79.5RPM “Wang-Wang Blues” Fox-Trot (20:37) Okeh Record 4310-B (MX: 7816-C) New York, March, 1921 Transfer Speed: 79.6RPM While many people associate the African-American military Jazz band tradition with James Reese Europe and Ford Dabney, some of the most overlooked and prolific pioneers of this era were Lieutenant James Tim Brymn and his 350th Infantry “Black Devil” Band. Brymn himself was a pioneer of Jazz and American syncopated music. Having studied at Shaw University in his home state of North Carolina and the National Conservatory where he honed his skills as an accomplished cellist, pianist and conductor, Brymn later worked as the conductor of Williams and Walker’s “In Dahomey” and then as leader of the Clef Club. According to the New York Age, at one time he even had orchestras all playing simultaneously at the Ziegfield Follies, the New York Roof Gardens, Madison Square Gardens, Rectors and Reisenwebers! During his nine months serving in the Great War as lieutenant in the 350th Infantry Field Artillery, the band played by request before president Woodrow Wilson and General Pershing, and held the record for firing the most artillery shells per minute against the enemy, earning them the nickname the “Black Devils.” They returned to the states, starting off a successful tour and it’s notable that the band featured many classical pieces in their repertoire, sometimes referred to as “Symphonic Jazz,” a full year before Paul Whiteman would record. The band then got a steady engagement at Brighton Beach, Coney Island and during this time they were signed by the General Phonograph Corporation’s Okeh Records to cut several sides, eight of which are here. Enjoy! All transferred flat by Colin Hancock via a 3.0ML VM670SP Dual Moving Magnet Stereo Turntable Cartridge. All records from Colin Hancock collection Photos courtesy of Newspapers.com, University of Nebraska Archives, The Syncopated Times and The African American Registry. Discographical Information courtesy of Rust’s Jazz Records, Discography of American Historical Recordings, Colin Hancock, Brownstone Dectectives, and Peter M. Lefferts.