"The Swing" & "New Orleans Blues": Johnny De Droit and His New Orleans Jazz Orchestra (Okeh 1925)

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Johnny De Droit and His New Orleans Jazz Orchestra
(House Band at Kolb's Restaurant, St. Charles Avenue & Canal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana)

Johnny De Droit; cnt, dir - Russ Papalia; tb / Henry Raymond; cl / Rudolph Levy; as / George Potter; bj / Frank Cuny; pn / Paul de Droit; dms

"The Swing" (aka "Tulane Swing" or "Washington and Lee Swing" or "Lou'siana Swing" or "Swinging the Swing")
Traditional (Arranged by Johnny De Droit)
ca.1924

"New Orleans Blues"
Written By: Johnny De Droit
1924

Recorded March 15th, 1924
New Orleans, Louisiana
General Phonograph Corporation's Okeh "Field Unit" Mobile Studio:
Ralph Peter, producer / Charles Hibbard, head engineer / Peter Decker, assistant engineer

Transferred with a Gemini TT-1000USB turntable with a Shure N78S 78 stylus and cartridge.

Here's a fantastic set of sides cut by the great Johnny De Droit and His New Orleans Jazz Orchestra. These two tunes, along with four others were waxed in March of 1924 during Okeh's first visit down to New Orleans with their mobile recording unit led by Mr. Ralph Peer. De Droit's was the first band to record for Okeh in New Orleans, and thus the first to make nationally available commercial recordings in the cities history, as well as the first example of New Orleans Jazz commercially recorded in New Orleans.

"The Swing" is a straight ahead traditional standard that proved to be Tulane's first fight song. It was recorded first by De Droit, but many other bands gave their own interpretation to the popular 32 Bar New Orleans melody, such as Piron's New Orleans Orchestra with "Louisiana Swing" recorded that same year. De Droit plays a very technical but good nonetheless solo with Rudolph Levy's alto taking the melody.

"New Orleans Blues" is an interesting and pretty number, featuring excellent trombone work by Russ Papalia and a beautiful clarinet solo by Henry Raymond with Frank Cuny's piano accompaniment in the background.

All in all a couple of great early sides in the pure New Orleans idiom. They recorded several other great tunes and I hope to one day get even more of their sides. Enjoy!