Desdemona202's video: Willard Robison Perfect Pathes 1926-1928

Willard Robison: “Perfect” Pathes (1926-1928) 1. Speedy Boy–v. Annette Hanshaw (6 Apr. 1928) [0:00] 2. New Hampshire Highway–solo by Robison (ca. Sep. 1927) [2:52] 3. Darby Hicks "American Suite No. 3" (22 Oct. 1926) [6:08] 4. So Tired–v. David Gay (5 Mar. 1928) [9:05] 5. Deep River Blues–solo by Robison (28 Jul. 1926) [11:21] 6. At Sundown–v. Murray Johnson (28 Apr. 1927) [14:15] 7. Yellow Dog Blues–solo by Robison (15 Dec. 1926) [17:17] 8. Frankie and Johnny (8 Aug. 1927) [20:05] 9. Four Walls–v. Frank Bessinger (17 Dec. 1927) [23:01] 10. Deep River “American Suite No. 7” (ca. 22 Nov. 1926) [25:37] 11. Blue Baby–v. Deep River Quintet (ca. 29 Jul. 1927) [28:46] 12. Hello Bluebird–v. Walter J. Neff* (ca. 26 October. 1926) [31:59] 13. Just a Memory–solo by Robison (ca. Sep. 1927) [35:03] 14. I Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man–v. Joe Wilbur (14 Feb. 1928) [38:20] 15. What Do We Do on a Dew-Dew-Dewey Day–v. Bob Christie (ca. 16 June, 1927) [41:04] 16. What a Wonderful Wedding That Will Be–v. Fred Wilson (16 Dec. 1927) [44:20] 17. Where the Shy Little Violets Grow–v. Irving Kaufman (28 Dec. 1928) [47:06] 18. I’m Comin’ Virginia–v. Murray Johnson (ca. 25 May, 1927) [49:48] 19. Rhapsody in Blue–Parts I. and II (ca. 25 May, 1927) [52:39] Transferred with 3.0ML lateral stylii via VM670SP and 3.0ML VM95SP cartridges in an Audiotechnica AT-LP120 Turntable. Discs from Colin Hancock Collection. Discographical Information from Rust’s “American Dance Band Discography”, Steven Abrams’ “Online Discographical Project,” Vince Giordano, Andy Senior, and Colin Hancock. Willard Robison is one of the most intriguing and bilateral figures of the jazz age. As a singer he was largely overlooked in comparison to contemporaries, yet as a composer he was revered by them. Paul Whiteman placed him in the highest regard, recording his tunes (sometimes with Robison on piano) and promoting him enough to land the composer a regular radio spot in New York in the late 1920s and record deals with Autograph, Pathe, Columbia, and Victor. At various times he employed or involved with musicians like Larry Conley, Loren McMurray, Frankie Trumbauer, and Jimmy Dorsey. Indeed, Jack Teagarden (who had previously worked with Robison in Kansas City) made some of his first recording with Robison in 1928. His singing was rather plain on the surface, earning him descriptions like the “western Hoagy Carmichael,” but its simplicity lent itself to a certain “down home” and honest charm that was and is widely appealing. His compositions touched on the beautiful and often basic imagery of American life, particularly in the American South and Southwest from where he hailed (but not exclusively)–yet the music itself was usually quite complex and creative, very much in its own distinct style. Described as “Deep River Music,” pieces like his “American Suite” combined elements of classic American songbook melodies with elements of impressionism, modernism, symphonic jazz, and out and out hot playing. And while his music was in the words of Andy Senior “imbued with spirituality,” having an air of god-loving sentimentality from his childhood in a religious Missouri preacher’s family and a love for Negro Spirituals which permeated into much of his music, he chose the route of show business writing tunes like “T’ain’t So, Honey T’ain’t So,” “Deep Ellum,” and “The Rhythm Rag.” He was truly a black sheep musically, and that may account for his being lesser known today. Robison got his professional start leading bands in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri with Coffeyville, KS and Kansas City as his home bases. He became a legend throughout the southwest, even plotting to start a super band in Dallas with Jack Gardner and Larry Conley in the early 1920s. But fame called from elsewhere, and by 1924 he was in Chicago then New York, under Paul Whiteman’s wing. He soon started composing more, striking a hit with “Peaceful Valley” in 1926. His Deep River Orchestra began broadcasting around that time and continued into the 1930s before he retired in favor of more serious composing. Few recordings show as much of Robison’s genius and creativity quite like his sides for the Pathe Freres Phonograph Company. Beginning with his recordings of just solo piano and voice and culminating with his revamped Deep River Orchestra, the dozens of recordings he made for the label gave him the space to record many of his compositions both famous and lesser known, just as he wanted to. This level of artistic creativity worked perfectly with Robison’s experimental artistic process, and offering some of the most interesting ensemble sides of the late 1920s. Further still, he was able to arrange fascinating renditions of several pop tunes of the day, an occasional demand from the label. This set of 19 of those recordings attempts to show off some of this variety, and includes two movements from the “American Suite,” his take on Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” a surprise vocal by Annette Hanshaw, and more!