From: "Doug Bright" <75366.2463@compuserve.com> To: Subject: Article: February, 1982 Date: Monday, June 20, 2005 8:29 PM THE GOLDEN AGE REVISITED--OR WAS IT? By Doug Bright From HERITAGE MUSIC REVIEW: February, 1982 It sounded like one of those events that most oldies-but-goodies fans only dream about. In real life you could easily o~outgrow your blue suede shoes waiting for the TV stations and movie theaters to run the old classics films like "Rock Around The Clock" and "The Big Beat". The plots in these curious productions were usually minimal at best, but what did we care about that? These were shows in which you could see original live shots of Chuck Berry, the Platters, Fats Domino, the Flamingos and Little Richard all in the space of two or three hours. You can imagine my excitement on hearing that Seattle Central Community College was showing a 1955 film called "Rhythm and Blues Revue" for free! In the mid-'Fifties a production called the Harlem Variety Revue was high on the list of things to do in New York. Hosted by Willie Bryant, the show was held regularly at the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem. In 1955 the Revue served as subject for two movies produced by Ben Fry and mistitled "Rhvthm and Blues Revue" and "Rock and Roll Revue" respectively. On January 25, 1982, Seattle Central showed these two films as part of a series entitled "Three Decades of Black Cinema". The First Feature "Rhythm and Blues Revue" got off to a rather surprising start with a visit from--of all people--Lionel Hampton and his band. The tune was dubbed a blues jam but it was actually a fairly well arranged up-tempo blues-swing with some marginally good solos. Following this, the audience, both past and present, got its first real taste of rhythm and blues in the person of Faye Adams. Her song was an expressive ballad called "Every Day" in which, through some electronic mis- hap, the band sounded like it was playing about half a block away. After this came a feature that I soon came to recognize as a mainstay of the Harlem Revues. It appeared that none of these shows was complete without plenty of tap dancing, and indeed this aspect of black culture seemed more vital to the Shows than rhythm and blues. A gentleman by the name of Bill Bailey hoofed out "The World Is Waiting For the Sunrise" and brought the 1955 crowd to a burst of spontaneous applause by the second chorus. If I still had any lingering illusions that I was seeing a rhythm and blues show, they sailed right out the window with the next act: an old-style crooner by the name of Herb Jeffries who sounded almost as black as Perry Como. He did his thing well enough, but rhythm and blues it wasn't. Both films were laced with plenty of C-grade comedy, the only exception being the appearance of Nipsy Russel. Then it was Count Basie's turn, and the band swung into a moderate blues shuffle that never quite got going. Next Willie brought on Big Joe Turner, "the daddy of the blues", for a re-take of "Shake Rattle and Roll" that was more enthu- siastic than almost everything prior to it but bore no melodic resemblance to the record. After this came one of the only two vocal groups in the whole show. The Delta Rhythm Boys emerged with a well harmonized but rather sterile swing arrangement of Dry Bones"--still a long way from rhythm and blues. Next came the real discovery of the show: a truly fine singer by the name of Martha Davis, who also made an appearance in the other film. In this one she belted out a wonderful swing tune whose essence was summed up by one of the great lines of jazz history: "Let the doorknob hit you where the boogie man bit you--baby, good-by!" Her warmth, humor and spontaneity as well as her voice quality reminded me of Pearl Bailey or Bee Smith. After another tap dancer more flashy than the first, Little Buck by name, came a blues shuffle from Amos Milburn called "Bad Bad Whiskey" that was one of the highlights of the whole movie. Next came the only other vocal group in the film: the Larks doing a good job with "The World Is Waiting For the Sunrise' just a few miles under the speed limit. After yet another mediocre skit came a surprise appear- ance by Sarah Vaughan: a swinging take of "Perdido" with plenty of improvisation, Now for once the level of artistic quality re- mained constant as Nat King Cole came out to do "Calypso Blues" quite a bit faster than the tempo of the record but with fine vocal presence and some good bongo licks, too. After a very funny horse-racing routine from Nipsy Russel came a moment the audience had probably been awaiting all evening as the incomparable Cab Calloway came on to bring his characteristic free-wheeling style to his all-time classic "Minnie the Moocher". The film finally ended on an energetic note as Ruth Brown swung out with "Teardrops From My Eyes" and Count Basie's band played "One O'Clock Jump", and jump it mostly did. The Second Feature The next film, deceptively titled "Rock and Roll Revue", opened with Duke Eling- ton, thourh I couldn't say his band was at its best. Then the audience was introduced to a fine singer of R&B by the name of Larry Darnell. The song was called "Tell Me What You Want Me to Do" and was done in a rhythm that would be designated three years later as the Stroll. There followed another of the inevitable tap dance routines but this time to a decidedly rocking beat. By now I was just about ready to conclude that what I had come seeking wasn't on the menu, and then it happened! Out came none other than the Clovers to do one of their all-time classics, "Your Cash Ain't Nothin' But Trash". Most of the other performers in both films seemed to have lost their spon- taneity to an epidemic of cameraphobia, but not so the Clovers. Both instrumentally and vocally the song rocked so effectively that it ~ot both audiences--past and present --going. All of us in that college auditorium seemed to share the feeling that Mr. Ben Fry had finally given us what we had come to see. The show trudged along with another piece of mediocre comedy and then Willie brought out a young Dinah Washington. Her song was called "Only a Moment Ago", and it was done in the expressive ballad style that would make her famous in only four short years. After that, our old friend Nat King Cole reappeared to deliver one of the most outstanding performances of the whole show. It was an irresistibly rhythmic swing tune called "The Trouble With Me Is You" that sounded as if it could have been recorded ten years earlier by the original King Cole Trio. A good Joe Turner blues was followed by yet another bad skit and then Lionel Hampton's band returned. I think the tune was called "Crazy Man Crazy" but it actually amounted to a war between the styles. You see, the problem was this: The pianist wanted to rock and succeeded; the rest of the band wanted to swing--and failed. The swing faction took up most of the time, but it was pretty obvious to me won. At this point another tap dance was followed by more swing, but this time for real. "Take the A Train" was performed by the Delta Rhythm Boys with some fine lead vocals by the bass singer. Then Martha Davis came on for an absolute show-stopper that demonstrated not only her fine voice and irrepressible personality but also her piano artistry. This was one lady who remained totally immune to the cameraphobia epidemic. A great comedy routine from Mr. Russel was then followed by another song from Nat King Cole. "Y Call It Madness" was sung in Cole's commonly recognized smooth ballad style but this time without the orchestra and chorus. The accompaniment was more in line with the King Cole Trio concept, and for the first time I realized that Cole's essential style had not changed nearly as radically between the Forties and Fifties as his Capitol records might suggest. Ruth Brown then emerged with an energetic jump tune called "Tears Keep Tumblin' Down" which wasn't as good as her classic "Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean", but it served the purpose. Finally the show came to a mellow conclusion with the nicest Hampton arrangement yet. Although I prefer Earl Bostic's version of "Velvet Sunset", Hampton's arrangement was enjoyable and served as an effective ending for the show. All in all, I think that if I had pro- duced these two films, there are things that I would have done differently. For openers I would have either changed the titles or selected more material that fit them. I would also have been a little more careful to differ- entiate between really good comedy and phony showmanship. In spite of these defects, there was still enough good jazz in these two films to make them worth seeing even if the big bands were somewhat boring. In conclusion I offer a parting word of consolation to all you cool cats and crazy chicks who are sitting at the soda fountain crying into your chocolate malts about missing your only chance to see Chuck Berry, the Platters, Fats Domino, the Flamingos and Little Richard all in the same show. I was there for the whole gig, and they never showed! They were probably all tied up with Alan Freed that week anyway, so my advice is this: Just order up another chocolate malt and a double cheese deluxe, drop the inflationary quarter into the juke box, play something really good like "The Great Pretender" and hope for better things to come. ----------------------------------------