The complete recordings of Merritt Brunies and His Friars Inn Orchestra, led by the New Orleans trumpeter and his brother, trombonist Henry Brunies. The compilation also includes several other rare New Orleans tracks by Johnny De Droit, Papalia & His Orchestra, Brownlee’s Orchestra of New Orleans, Scranton Sirens Orchestra, New Orleans Owls and Ellis Stratakos & His Jung Hotel Orchestra. The extensive liner notes are by noted researcher Ate van Delden.
Single, $18.00
Merritt Brunies and His Friars Inn Orchestra
Merritt Brunies (c), Henry Brunies (tb), Volly de Faut (cl, as), Clarence Piper (as, bjo), Sumner “Rip” Logan (ts), Dudley Mecum (p), Norman Van Hook (bb), Bill Paley (d).
Chicago, September 1924
1. 613-2 Up Jumped The Devil (Merritt and Henry Brunies) Auto un-numbered
2. 614 Follow The Swallow (Rose-Dixon and Henderson) Auto un-numbered
Chicago, November 1924
3. 661 Angry (Merritt and Henry Brunies-Cassard) Auto 610
4. 662 (I Don’t Know Why) I Weep Over You (De Faut-Clarke-Straight) Auto 610
Chicago, May 1925
5. 793 Flag That Train (Richmond-McPhail-Rothschild) Auto 624
Chicago, June 1925
6. 817 Clarinet Marmalade (Shields-Ragas) Auto 624
Merritt Brunies and His Friar’s Inn Orchestra
Bill Creger (as, cl) added. From now on, Piper plays banjo only. Lew King (v).
Chicago, November 14, 1925
7. 9491-A Sugar Foot Stomp (Oliver) OKeh 40526
8. 9492-B Want A Little Lovin’ (Davis-Warren)-vLK OKeh 40526
9. 9493-A She’s Got ‘Em (—) OKeh test
10. 9494-A Up Jumped The Devil (—) OKeh test
Maurice Friedman (p) replaces Mecum. Gordon Pouliot (vln) added where noted. Creger may play bassoon where noted.
Chicago, February 26, 1926
11. 9539-A I’m As Blue As The Blue Grass Of Kentucky (Keithley)-vLK, vlnGP OKeh 40576
12. 9540-B When Autumn Leaves Are Falling (Coslow-Silver)-vLK, vlnGP, ?bsnBC OKeh 40576
13. 9541-A Flamin’ Mamie (Rose-Whiteman) OKeh 40579
14. 9542-A Hangin’ Around (Gardner-Hamm) OKeh 40579
Logan plays C-Melody saxophone where noted.
Chicago, March 2, 1926
15. 9549-A Up Jumped The Devil (Brunies-Brunies-Lyons) OKeh 40618
16. 9551-A Masculine Women! Feminine Men! (Leslie-Monaco)-vLK, C-melSL OKeh 40593
17. 9552-A Someone’s Stolen My Sweet, Sweet Baby (Brown-Clarke-Pinkard)-vLK, vlnGP, C-melSL OKeh 40593
Johnny De Droit and His New Orleans Orchestra
Johnny De Droit (c) directing Ellis Stratakos (tb), Henry Raymond (cl), Rudolph Levy (as), Frank Froeba (p), George Potter (bjo), Paul De Droit (d).
New York, October 29, 1924
18. 72943-B Eccentric (—) OKeh test
Papalia and His Orchestra
Russ Papalia (tb) directing possibly: Henry Knecht (c), unknown (cl, as), Eddie Powers (ts), Vic Lubowski (p), Mike Holloway (bjo), George Triay (d).
New Orleans, January 23, 1925
19. 8898-A Cross-Word Mama You’re Puzzling Me (Papalia) OKeh 40347
20. 8899-A Sometime When You’re Alone (Ed. J. Powers) OKeh 40347
Brownlee’s Orchestra Of New Orleans
Sharkey Bonano (c), Tom Brown (tb), Harry Shields (cl, bar), Hal Jordy (as), Howard Martin (ts), Norman Brownlee (p), Behrman French (bjo), Alonzo Crumby (d).
New Orleans, January 23, 1925
21. 8900-A Peculiar (Shields-Brownlee-Sharkey) OKeh 40337
22. 8901-A Dirty Rag (Shields-Brownlee-Sharkey) OKeh 40337
Scranton Sirens Orchestra
Billy Lustig (vln) directing 2 unknown (t), Russ Morgan (tb), Alfie Evans-Sid Trucker (cl, as), Jim Crossan (ts), Itzy Riskin (p), unknown (bjo), Mike Trafficante (bb), Teg Noyes or Ray Bauduc (d).
New Orleans, c. January 24, 1925
23. 8909-A Why Should I Believe In You? (Henri Therrien-Joe Verges-Irwin Seclere) OKeh 40297
24. 8910-B Common Street Blues (Al Cannon) OKeh 40329
New Orleans Owls (at the Hotel Roosevelt, New Orleans)
Benjamin “Benjy” White (cl, as) directing Bill Padron (c), Lester Smith (ts), Edward “Mose” Farrar (p), Rene Gelpi (bjo), Dan LeBlanc (bb), Earl Crumb (d).
New Orleans, September 24, 1925
25. 140993-1 Oh Me! Oh My (Barr) Columbia 489-D
Ellis Stratakos and His Jung Hotel Orch.
John Hyman (Wiggs)-Howard Reed (c), Ellis Stratakos (tb), John Reininger-Joe Loyacano (as), Eddie Powers (ts), unknown (vln), Joe Wolfe (p), Fred Loyacano (g, v), Dave Fridge (bb), Von Gammon (d). One of the reedmen plays baritone saxophone where noted.
New Orleans, c. March 1929
26. NO-132 A Precious Little Thing Called Love (Davis-Coots)-vFL, bar Vocalion 15792
27. NO-133 Weary River (Clarke-Silvers)-vFL Vocalion 15792