Paul Howard’s Quality Serenaders as a name may mean little to European enthusiasts, perhaps because only one side “New Kinda Blues” was ever released outside of America at the time. Such names as Lawrence Brown, the trombonist, Lionel Hampton the drummer (and on “Moonlight Blues“, “Stuff“, “Cuttin’ Up” and “California Swing” he is the vocalist) and Reginald Foresythe are at once familiar to us.

Brown was soon to join Duke Ellington and stay in his band for many years; Hampton joined Benny Goodman’s Quartet as a vibraphonist par excellence in 1936, and played drums on several Goodman sides in the later 1930s, while Foresythe came to London in 1933 and for some years produced very forward-looking compositions, scored for a most unusual assortment of woodwinds against a standard rhythm section.

 

The quality of the Quality Serenaders, however lies in their arrangements by their lead saxophonist, Charlie Lawrence, who composed most of their recorded repertoire, although the brilliant Alex Hill, who died before he was thirty, wrote the score of “Quality Shout“. Trumpeter George Orendorff was an exciting soloist. Open or muted, he drives the band along with an attack that never becomes frenzied.

by Brian Rust (from the liner notes of Jazz In California 1923 to 1930 on Timeless Records)

If you would like to order the Timeless Records’ CD of Jazz In California 1923 to 19301 you can do so direct from Timeless Records.

Title	Recording Date	Recording Location	Company
Burma Girl (Charlie Lawrence)	7-25-1930	Culver City, California	Victor LPM-10117
California Swing (Earl Thompson)	4-30-1930	Culver City, California	Victor 23354
Charlie’s Idea (Charlie Lawrence)	4-28-1929	Culver City, California	Victor 38070-B
Cuttin’ Up (Charlie Lawrence)	4-30-1930	Culver City, California	Victor 23420
Gettin’ Ready Girl (Charlie Lawrence?)	7-25-1930	Culver City, California	Victor 23420
Harlem (Charlie Lawrence)	4-30-1929	Culver City, California	Victor 23354
Moonlight Blues (Charlie Lawrence)	4-28-1929	Culver City, California	Victor V-38068-A
New Kinda Blues (Charlie Lawrence)	4-30-1930	Culver City, California	Victor 22660-A
Over Night Blues (4) (Charlie Lawrence)	4-29-1929	Culver City, California	Victor V-38070-A
Over Night Blues (5) (Charlie Lawrence)	4-29-1929	Culver City, California	Victor V-38070-A
Quality Shout (Alex Hill)	4-29-1929	Culver City, California	Victor V-38122-A
Stuff – Stomp Vocal refrain by Lionel Hampton (Harvey O. Brooks)	4-29-1929	Culver City, California	Victor V-38122-B
The Ramble (Charlie Lawrence)	4-28-1929	Culver City, California	Victor V-38068-B

Artist	Instrument
Harvey Brooks	Piano
Lawrence Brown	Trombone
Reginald Foresythe	Piano
Lionel Hampton	Drums, Vocals, Piano
Paul Howard	Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Leader
Skip Jackson	Tuba
Charlie Lawrence	Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Arranger, Composer
George Orendorff	Trumpet
Earl Thompson	Trumpet
Lloyd Reese	Clarinet, Alto Saxophone
Charlie Rousseeau	Guitar
Thomas Valentine	Banjo, Guitar