When did the name "All Stars" come from?
24/08/07 - Sid Bailey asks, "Is there any evidence of any band being called "All Stars" before Louis' ?" Perhaps someone out there can let me know?
29/08/07 - In response to Sid Bailey's question, "Is there any evidence of any band being called "All Stars" before Louis' ?", Steve Voce tells me, "The Metronome All Stars began in, I think, 1939. Louis All Stars weren't called that until 1947".
05/09/07 - Hi Fred, regarding The Metronome All Stars as mentioned by Steve Voce. I am almost certain that this wasn't a working band. The readers of Metronome magazine voted for their favourite musicians who subsequently made a record. I have a copy of King Porter Stomp and the musicians include Tommy Dorsey, Jack Teagarden Benny Goodman and Gene Krupa. Hardly a regular working band!
Hi Fred,
Re the "All Stars" debate, in pursuance of Steve Voce's contribution and for the benefit of those who are of a discographical disposition, according to my records - "The Jazz Discography" by Tom Lord, the earliest recording by the Metronome All Stars was February 7, 1940. There was also an "All Star Band" which recorded on January 11-12, 1939. The details I have extracted are as below.
Metronome All Stars
[M6450-7]
Charlie Spivak, Harry James, Ziggy Elman (tp) Jack Teagarden, Jack Jenney (tb) Benny Goodman (cl) Toots Mondello, Benny Carter (as) Eddie Miller, Charlie Barnet (ts) Jess Stacy (p) Charlie Christian (g) Bob Haggart (b) Gene Krupa (d) Fletcher Henderson
(arr)
New York, February 7, 1940
WCO26489 King Porter stomp (breakdown) Blu-Disc T1012
WCO26489-A King Porter stomp (fh arr) Col 35389, (Arg)291180, (Au)DO-2107, (Swd)M-233,
Par (E)R2746, B71082, (Sw)PZ11172, Harmony HL7044,
Col CL2528, Tax (Swd)m-8039, Queen (It)009,
V-Disc 894, Sony (Jap)SOPM188, Archives of Jazz
(It)101.611, CBS/Sony (Jap)SONP-50419
WCO26489-B King Porter stomp (fh arr) Phontastic (Swd)NOST7610
WCO26490 All star strut (breakdown)(1) Blu-Disc T1012, Masters of Jazz (F)MJCD40 [CD]
WCO26490-A All star strut (1) Col 35389, (Arg)291180, Col CL2528, (Swd)M-233,
(Au)DO-2107, Par (E)R2746, B71082, (Sw)PZ11172,
Harmony HL7044, Archives of Jazz (It)101.611
V-Disc 879, CBS (Jap)SOPM188, Queen (It)009, Col
G30779, Tax (Swd)m-8039, Col (Jap)S10009, CBS/Sony
(Jap)SONP-50419, Masters of Jazz (F)MJCD40 [CD]
WCO26490-B All star strut (1) Col G30779, Sony (Jap)SOPM188, CBS 67233, Tax
(Swd)m-8039, CBS/Sony (Jap)SONP-50419, Masters of
Jazz (F)MJCD40 [CD]
Note: (1) Spivak, Elman, Jenney, Mondello and Barnet out.
Masters of Jazz (F)MJCD40 [CD] titled "Charlie Christian - Vol. 3, 1939-1940"; rest of this CD by Charlie Christian, Benny Goodman.
See also "All Star Band" for the first session in this series.
All Star Band
[A2559-7]
Charlie Spivak (tp) (1) Harry James (tp) (2) Bunny Berigan, Sonny Dunham (tp) Jack Teagarden, Tommy Dorsey (tb) Benny Goodman (cl) Hymie Schertzer (as) Arthur Rollini, Eddie Miller (ts) Bob Zurke (p) Carmen Mastren (g) Bob Haggart (b) Ray Bauduc
(d)
New York, January 11-12, 1939
031445-1 Blue Lou (1) Jazz Arch JA40, RCA (F)PM43689, Neatwork
(Au)2057 [CD]
031445-2 Blue Lou (1) Vic 26144, Camden CAL426, Bluebird 9986-2-R [CD],
Classics (F)990 [CD]
031445-3 Blue Lou (1) Vic 26144, LPV528, Neatwork (Au)2057 [CD]
031446-1 The blues (2) - , Bluebird 9986-2-R [CD],
Classics (F)990 [CD]
031446-2 The blues (2) Bluebird 9986-2-R [CD], Neatwork (Au)2057 [CD]
Note: Although not designated as such on the record label, this was the first annual Metronome All Band recording of poll winners.
Take 2 & 3 of MX 031445 also on RCA (F)741101 and Bluebird AXM2-5568.
Classics (F)990 [CD] titled "Benny Goodman 1938-1939"; see Benny Goodman for rest of CD.
Neatwork (Au)2057 [CD] titled "Benny Goodman, volume 3 - The Different Version, 1938-1939"; see Benny Goodman for the rest of CD.
Bluebird 9986-2-R [CD] titled "Jack Teagarden"; other titles by other leaders.
I hope this information may be of interest to those who like me are compulsive discographers.
Further research indicates that there was an “All Star Orchestra” recorded on December 13th, 1927. Details are as below:
All Star Orchestra
[A2589-7]
prob. Tommy Gott, Del Staigers (tp) Miff Mole (tb) Dudley Fosdick (mel) Fud Livingston (cl,ts) Max Farley (cl,as,fl) Don Murray (cl,bar) Joe Venuti (vln) prob Milt Rettenberg (p) Carl Kress (g,bj) Al Armer (b) Joe Tarto (tu) Chauncey Morehouse (d) Franklyn Baur (vcl)
New York, December 13, 1927
41167-2 Chloe [Song of the swamp] (fb vcl) Vic 21149
41168-2 Alexander's ragtime band (fb vcl) Meritt 11
“All Star Orchestra” recorded on several subsequent occasions in 1928 and 1929. Therefore the term “All Stars” was used well before Louis Armstrong coined it for his small group.
Kind regards,
Alan Brown
05/09/07
Hi Fred
Metronome Magazine had an annual poll during 1939-1961 that picked who their readers considered the top jazz instrumentalists on each instrument for that year. Unlike with other magazine polls, Metronome actually recorded the all-stars (trying for the actual winners, but usually also including a few runners-up) on a fairly regular basis with sessions gathering the victors of the 1939-1942, 1945-1950, 1953, and 1956 contests. In most cases, the group recorded two songs and there were short solos (generally one chorus) from practically all of the participants. The early groups were swing-oriented, while the later ones were filled with top bop players, but sometimes the combination of players was unusual. Highlights included Benny Goodman playing with many of his alumni in 1940 (including Harry James, Jess Stacy, and Gene Krupa); Nat "King" Cole and June Christy sharing the vocal mike on "Nat Meets June" (1946); Dizzy Gillespie, Fats Navarro, and Miles Davis trading off in 1949; and Billy Eckstine scatting quite effectively in 1953. A jam on "Billie's Bounce" in 1956 wrapped up the valuable series, which was recorded for labels now owned by Columbia, RCA, and Capitol.
The first session (in 1939) was called simply "The All Star Band" but there is an earlier reference of the California Ramblers recordings on the Arc label in 1930 using the term "All Stars"
Hope this helps
Chris Walker
06/09/07