“My merry Oldsmobile!” As rare as it is to hear that phrase nowadays, is to find an authentic 21st century jazz orchestra, unitedly perfecting the ethereal sensation of dance band music of the late 1920s and early 30s. It’s not exactly about grasping the mere sound of a ’20s dance orchestra, but a specific dreamy, empyrean touch, though untainted by the manipulation of excess reverb. And if there’s an album that attains this phenomenon, it is Mr. Josh Duffee & His Orchestra’s In My Merry Oldsmobile.
Though I might be eighteen years late in writing these thoughts of audio from 2007 and 2008, a renewed recognition is needed to impart upon the recordings of Mr. Josh Duffee & His Orchestra. I am grateful to have discovered the CD at a festival months ago, and to have pleasantly conversed with Mr. Duffee, who brought his ten-piece Graystone Monarchs then. It’s always special to personally meet individuals who contributed to an album, as anecdotal discussions later bring life into the music. Despite its date of production, the recordings of In My Merry Oldsmobile still capture a refreshing sentiment of recency, as well as its premium audio quality!
The sixteen tracks are a fine choice, decorated with a handful of stunning Coon-Sanders Nighthawks, Jean Goldkette, and Fletcher Henderson numbers along with two Boyd Senter compositions, “Tough Break” and “What a Break.” The repertoire consists of a suitable mix of moods too, from, light-hearted tunes like “Borneo” and optimistic “Sunny Disposish,” (as jolly as the 1991 Jeeves and Wooster rendition) to doleful melodies like “I Want to Go Home” and moody “D Natural Blues.”
Additionally, tribute was paid to Jean Goldkette’s vocal trio, “Three Shades of Blue” with impressing expertise by Ms. Vanessa Free, Ms. Holly Sallows, and Ms. Lauren Young, in “Sunday” and “Ya’ Comin’ Up Tonight, Huh?” A notable track featuring a solo by one of them includes “Just Imagine,” a rare gem of the post-Bix Jean Goldkette Orchestra era. Reissued as a dedication to the [now] late Goldkette vocalist, Ms. Greta Heslet (Woodson), the track mirrors the sentiments found in the original 1928 record. Indeed, it’s quite a poem of a song.
Another apposite vocalist, Mr. Jeff Martin, grasped my attention, and I grew fond of his singing in “Borneo,” “Sunny Disposish,” and “I Want to Go Home.” The last-mentioned is heartbreaking, as the liner note grippingly contextualized: “A homesick Joe Sanders wrote and arranged this song in 1931, when contractual obligations kept him and the Coon-Sanders Nighthawks in New York City. The band would protest against their involuntary stay by playing it during their nightly broadcasts. Davenport’s prodigal son, Bix Beiderbecke, died in NYC that year, and this recording of the song is dedicated to his memory.”
There are also two piano compositions performed by Mr. Earle Johnson: “Ennui,” a mesmerizing Paul Mertz original, and “Flashes,” composed by Bix himself. Both possess a melody leading into stumbles of motifs, flowing in an aura of minor mystification with a sense of mild melancholy, sunken in thoughts. In the case of track sixteen, “Flashes,” Mr. Johnson excellently executed the silence stalking in its resolved finale, concluding the album.
Ultimately, the grand feature is the instrumental version of “In My Merry Oldsmobile,” which earned its album’s title. The liner notes written by Mr. Duffee and Mr. Frank Van Nus, states, “An ultra rare treat: a published arrangement by Jean Goldkette himself—and another world premiere recording! Goldkette, a highly accomplished classical pianist, delivered a straight waltz chart.” Unlike the Bill Challis-ian arrangement that most enthusiasts might be accustomed to, this rendition captures the distinct grandeur of late Romantic waltzes. It’s triumphant, consolidated, and regal, if not somewhat heavenly too.
One of my first thoughts on that recording of “In My Merry Oldsmobile” was how it’d be the ideal song to introduce to a classical music devotee. The Goldkette arrangement echoes evident signs of his musical background, creating a gentle mixture of jazz, perhaps appealing to a fellow classical connoisseur. In fact, the overall CD makes a perfect gift to classical music fans and friends. Mayhap it’ll spark their undiscovered passion for 1920s jazz.
If you’re fond of liner notes, In My Merry Oldsmobile also supplies excellent commentary, and I’d rather leave some room now for the authentic dance music of Mr. Josh Duffee & His Orchestra. For it’s worth not one, but innumerable listens! So, here I close, tipping my hat to the words of Mr. Van Nus and Mr. Duffee, as excellently inscribed in the liner notes:
“Again, thank you for your continued support of this wonderful era of music, and thank you for helping spread this music to future generations of musicians and listeners. Now, come along for a musical journey ‘In My Merry Oldsmobile.’”
In My Merry Oldsmobile, Volume III
Josh Duffee & His Orchestra
www.facebook.com/josh.duffee.7
Clorinda Nickols is a homeschooler residing in Georgia. While being an avid pupil of trad jazz, she is also fond of researching history and sharing her thoughts through her writings. Her hobbies also include: playing the cornet/piano/her ‘Pocket Rollini,’ sewing vintage garments, and drawing.
