My introduction to Frank Westphal’s work was a 78 rpm record I used to have in my collection, called “The Duck’s Quack” which I thought was a delightful novelty number with some good musical skills underneath. I wish that I had had the opportunity to hear more of his work before, so we are indeed fortunate to have Rivermont release this album
Much of Westphal’s work was recorded by Columbia Records (he was advertised as an exclusive Columbia recording artist). I and a number of other collectors have noticed a propensity of Columbia to record at too low a level on occasion. This results in a noise to music ratio which is often unfavorable to the music.
So I am delighted to report that Executive Producer Bryan Wright, who did all the transfers and digital remastering for this album did an extraordinary job of keeping the volume of the music at an excellent level and the “noise” to an absolute minimum. I honestly don’t know how on earth he managed to do it, but the proof is there on the disc. This enables the listener to truly enjoy these amazing arrangements and performances with minimum distraction.
Of all the tracks, my preferences are for “If You Knew,” with its vital and rhythmic banjo solo at the end (it’s not common to hear extended banjo solos on dance band records during these years; and this and “Don’t Bring Me Posies” both feature Al Neilson on banjo); “Those Longing For You Blues,” which features Westphal’s great piano prowess; “State Street Blues” which features a great driving rhythm all the way through, lovely harmonies, unexpected use of rhythms and breaks.
Westphal’s solos of Zez Confrey tunes, “You Tell ’Em Ivories,” and “Coaxing the Piano,” both of which feature a more laid-back tempo than Confrey’s recordings, changes in right hand patterns, make more overt use of the sustaining pedal (Confrey didn’t use the sustaining pedal much in his recordings if I recall).
These are exemplary and amazing historical documents which show that there was actually a great deal of subtlety and variety beyond the “stick to the written score-ism” that one hears in Roy Bargy’s and Confrey’s recordings of their own works). Westphal also adds his own cute little codas onto these pieces which are very effective indeed. These are phenomenally important 78s and I don’t know if they’ve ever been re-released since their original recordings.
Additionally, “Bugle Call Rag” this is perhaps not quite as “hot” as the NORK recording of the previous year, but Westphal’s musicians do some unusual things with the rhythms, for instance for the one of the “bugle calls” at the beginning, the saxophone plays in triplets, which had not been done before; “Two Time Dan”—a more “laid-back” foxtrot than we’re used to hearing, and thanks to Bryan Wright’s digital transfer, we can very clearly hear not just the starring soloists, but the brass bass, piano, and banjo all providing a solid beat to all of this track.
There is also a delightfully clear and rhythmic version of “Pianola”—another solo by Westphal; “Home in Pasadena”—which is not a fast dance number, nor a “hot” rendition of a tune—it is a very simple, straightforward, and plaintive arrangement of a song with a melodious rhapsodic trombone solo—a song which might not otherwise have been given such a sympathetic rendition. Plain as the original song may be, it is given a stellar arrangement and sensitive performance.
Words must also be written about Mark Beresford, whose booklet once again gives us an exemplary written explanation which is neither dry history lesson nor uses folksy language—it treats its reader as an intelligent enthusiast and educates us on all the different musicians and goings on during Westphal’s career (I did not know that he was, at one time, married to Sophie Tucker!). Beresford also discusses in some depth, the importance of Chicago as a musical and cultural center and its importance to Westphal in particular.
There was only one track on this album which didn’t impress me 100%, and that was “Dustin’ the Keys.” I felt that Westphal’s interpretation was a little slow. But that is just my opinion. Overall, this is a really exceptional compilation of Westphal’s best work and shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that he deserves far greater recognition than he ever received. I recommend this compact disc without reservation.
As a short post-script, I’d also like to discuss Rivermont releases in general. On rare occasions, I was, initially, not entirely convinced about the importance of some of the tracks that I’ve listened to, but as I sat down and listened to them, and truly listened (long and seriously), I have always detected great depth, great musicianship, great technical expertise in the recording of more recent musicians, or the re-releasing of early recordings from 100 years ago. And great love. These albums are all, without exception, a labor of love, and all the collaborators on these projects share a great passion for the music presented, and for the concept and outcome of any given project.
In all cases which I have personally encountered, Rivermont has taken its listeners on a truly remarkable journey to places that no other recording label in the world has the courage or foresight to take us to (that last dangling participle notwithstanding). Rivermont Records (and its producer Bryan Wright) also deserve far greater recognition than it (they) has (have) thus far received, and unfortunately Rivermont remains American Music’s greatest and best kept secret. We can only hope that this will change for the better in time. And not just for its individual albums, but for its remarkable catalogue as a whole.
“Oh Sister! Ain’t That Hot!” 1922-1924
Frank Westphal and his Orchestra
Rivermont Records BSW-1158
Matthew de Lacey Davidson is a pianist and composer currently resident in Nova Scotia, Canada. His first CD,Space Shuffle and Other Futuristic Rags(Stomp Off Records), contained the first commercial recordings of the rags of Robin Frost. Hisnew Rivermont 2-CDset,The Graceful Ghost:Contemporary Piano Rags 1960-2021,is available atrivermontrecords.com.A 3-CD set of Matthew’s compositions,Stolen Music: Acoustic and Electronic Works,isavailable through The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music University of Illinois (Champaign/Urbana),sousa@illinois.edu.
