Live at The Old Town Music Hall: Crazy Rhythm Hot Society Orchestra: a 1920s big band

"Live At The Old Town Music Hall"

This recording was recorded "live" at the "Old Town Music Hall" in El Segundo, California. This cozy little theatre (capacity about 100) is in the style of a 1926 movie theater (remember, that was in the pre-"talkies" days). The non-profit theater is home to an authentic antique Mighty Wurlitzer theater organ and two concert grand pianos (a 92-note Bosendorfer and a 1917 Steinway. The Steinway was once owned by Nelson Eddy and played by many great personalities including George Gershwin and Vladamir Horowitz. It was used in the soundtrack for the MGM film "Song To Remember (the life story of Chopin)." The theater has a steady run of silent films (accompanied by the Mighty Wurlitzer), classic "Talkies", ragtime piano concerts, and 1920's orchestras.

The Mighty Wurlitzer organ is a very rare instrument these days, especially one in working condition. The organ is the distant ancestor of the modern-day synthesizer in that it made many different sounds from train whistles to chimes to oriental wood blocks, etc. It is also a giant instrument with an incredibly "large" sound. In the 1920's the dance and theater orchestras and the Wurlitzer frequently crossed paths and, on occasion, they would combine forces. Common sense as well as well as documented accounts verify that such incidences occurred, but other than a few Jesse Crawford recordings, very little recorded evidence exists (probably because of the obvious logistical difficulties involved, given the state-of-the-art of recording in those days). So, here on 4 of the tracks on this recording is the very rare opportunity for one to hear what that incredible combination must have sounded like in the 1920's.

On all of the tracks on this recording (except one), the CRHSO is playing either note-for-note transcriptions of the original vintage 78 rpm recordings or a stock arrangement which was originally published in the 1920's-30's. The one exception is "Never In A Million Years," which was transcribed from the movie soundtrack of "Wake Up & Live." The record transcriptions are: "It Don't Mean A Thing (Duke Ellington)," "Drop Me Off In Harlem (Duke Ellington)," "Hummin' To Myself (Bert Ambrose)," "What A Girl! What A Night! (Coon-Sanders Nighthawks)," "The Mooch (Duke Ellington)," "Tiger Rag (Duke Ellington), "Jazznocracy (Jimmie Lunceford), "A Guy What Takes His Time (Mae West)" and "Just A Crazy Song (Blanche Calloway).

Vocalists include: Miss Kelley Foster, CJ Sams, and Ray Williams.

For more information about the Old Town Music Hall, call (310)322-2592.

Tracks: (click on the links below for a sample of each track)

1 Doin' The Raccoon (1928)

2 It Don't Mean A Thing (1932)

3 Angry (1925)

4 Don't Bring Lulu (1925)

5 Drop me Off in Harlem (1932)

6 Hummin' To Myself (1932)

7 Original Dixieland One-Step (1918)

8 What A Girl! What A Night! (1928)

9 Monkey Doodle-Doo (1925)