Jazz Horn comb and paper, kazoo
"By far the most important recordings ever made featuring the kazoo are those
made in the 1920s and 30s by the Mound City Blue Blowers. Featured in the
1920s recordings are Jack Bland on Banjo, Dick Slevin on Kazoo and Red
McKenzie on vocals and comb and paper (which he called "Blue Blowing") They
were a sensation and supposedly sold a million records. Later, McKenzie
"Blue Blowing" was featured on records with Coleman Hawkins, Bunny Berigan
Eddie Condon and scores of others. The Classics label (from Europe, but
available widely) just released some mid-thirties Blue Blowers that are
amazing, and McKenzie solos stand up in their own way to those by Berigan
and the rest. In the book Selections from the Gutter, a compilation of
articles from the mid century magazine The Jazz Record, includes an
interview with Bland titles "The Kazoo Comes On." In the book "Lost Chords
author Dick Sudhalter calls McKenzie a legitimate hot jazz stylist on his
homemade kazoo."
I see he picked up on Alligator (from Anthem of the Sun), but the page does contain a funny mondegreen of Creedence's Willy & the Poor Boys. I think the correct line is "Rooster goes into a dance and doubles on kazoo". Incidentally, the song which gives rise to the term "mondegreen", The Bonny Earl of Moray (or is it eel of Moray?) is one of the finest, most haunting, songs in the language, especially as sung by Richard Dyer-Bennet.
Hey Jim, did this comment get counted? I previewed, but when I came back I did not have the option box, just repost.
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"By far the most important recordings ever made featuring the kazoo are those made in the 1920s and 30s by the Mound City Blue Blowers. Featured in the 1920s recordings are Jack Bland on Banjo, Dick Slevin on Kazoo and Red McKenzie on vocals and comb and paper (which he called "Blue Blowing") They were a sensation and supposedly sold a million records. Later, McKenzie "Blue Blowing" was featured on records with Coleman Hawkins, Bunny Berigan Eddie Condon and scores of others. The Classics label (from Europe, but available widely) just released some mid-thirties Blue Blowers that are amazing, and McKenzie solos stand up in their own way to those by Berigan and the rest. In the book Selections from the Gutter, a compilation of articles from the mid century magazine The Jazz Record, includes an interview with Bland titles "The Kazoo Comes On." In the book "Lost Chords author Dick Sudhalter calls McKenzie a legitimate hot jazz stylist on his homemade kazoo."
- bill 6-07-2001 6:55 pm
I see he picked up on Alligator (from Anthem of the Sun), but the page does contain a funny mondegreen of Creedence's Willy & the Poor Boys. I think the correct line is "Rooster goes into a dance and doubles on kazoo". Incidentally, the song which gives rise to the term "mondegreen", The Bonny Earl of Moray (or is it eel of Moray?) is one of the finest, most haunting, songs in the language, especially as sung by Richard Dyer-Bennet.
- alex 6-07-2001 7:35 pm [add a comment]
Hey Jim, did this comment get counted? I previewed, but when I came back I did not have the option box, just repost.
- alex 6-07-2001 10:38 pm [add a comment]