Search - Red Mckenzie :: Sensational Classic Jazz & Blues Re-Issues, Vol. 1

THESE KIDS TOOK THE CANDY

Barry McCanna | Normandy, France | 12/04/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Most people have never heard of the Mound City Blue Blowers, and most of those that have would identify them with the late 1929 studio session which included Coleman Hawkins and produced "Hello, Lola" and "One Hour". The original group, which had as its constant Red McKenzie, a comb and paper player, began recording as a trio in late 1923, expanding in late 1924 to a quartet under the name of McKenzie's Candy Kids.



This is primitive music reminiscent in places of a jug band ("The Morning After Blues" is clearly based on "Boodle-Am-Shake") and an acquired taste, but worth persisting with. Fourteen of these tracks include the early guitar playing of Eddie Lang, and Frankie Trumbauer joins on two. The more successful tracks are those which are taken at a slow or medium tempo, with a leisurely interplay between the participants. The majority of the recordings fell into the acoustic era, and the advent of electrical recording for the last four tracks is quite noticeable. Sensation is to be praised for making these rare and neglected sides available again. If you are coming fresh to them my advice would be to purchase the second volume first, then proceed to this one if it is to your liking.



Just as a footnote, I was less than impressed by the opening sentence of the liner note, which reads "Fred Astaire couldn't sing either - nor could Johnny Mercer, Gene Austin, Jack Buchanan, Noel Coward, Leslie Hutchinson, Hoagy Carmichael or Cliff Edwards.""