This appears to be a pseudonym used at the occasion of one Grey Gull session in 1929. Part of the band members ar unknown, except George James, clarinet, alto saxophone and tenor saxophone, as well as J.C. Johnson, piano and banjo. George James (1906-1995) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and flautist. James's career began late in the 1920s, in the bands of Charlie Creath and Johnny Neal. He moved to Chicago in 1928, where he played with Jimmie Noone, Sammy Stewart, Ida Marples, and Bert Hall. Late in 1931 he toured with Louis Armstrong, and he remained in New York City at the end of the tour, where he joined the Savoy Bearcats and, later, Charlie Turner's Arcadians. Fats Waller assumed leadership of the Arcadians in the middle of the decade, and James played under him until 1937. James finished the decad of the 1930s playing in the Blackbirds Revue. Early in the 1940s he worked with James P. Johnson, Benny Carter, Teddy Wilson, and Lucky Millinder, and led his own band in 1943-44. Later in the decade James played with Claude Hopkins and Noble Sissle. He was active both as a leader and a sideman into the 1970s, playing with Clyde Bernhardt in that decade. Jay Cee Johnson[1] (September 14, 1896 – February 27, 1981), usually known as J. C. Johnson and in some sources, mistakenly, as James C. Johnson (not to be confused with his near-contemporary James P. Johnson), was an American pianist and songwriter, best known for his collaborations with Fats Waller and Bessie Smith. He began working as a session pianist with singer Ethel Waters. He then diversified into songwriting. By 1928 he had begun working with Fats Waller, often contributing lyrics to Waller's music. About this time, he also reportedly used the pseudonym Harry Burke. J.C. also had his own band, J.C. Johnson and his Five Hot Sparks and played piano on many other artists' recordings. In 1930, he wrote a flop Broadway musical, Change Your Luck, which starred Hamtree Harrington and Alberta Hunter. He had greater success, however, in writing songs for Bessie Smith. He also worked with Fats Waller and Andy Razaf. During World War II, Johnson volunteered as an ambulance driver for the U.S. Army. After Waller's death in 1943, Johnson moved to St. Albans, Queens. He wrote for the Ink Spots and for a time acted as their manager. In the early 1950s, he created theatrical shows. After first playing in a night club at 49th and Broadway, it was taken to London's West End, where it was retooled into a large musical review, playing the Piccadilly Theatre and two command performances for the Queen, before touring England and Europe for three years. Johnson then moved to the village of Wurtsboro in upstate New York. In the 1970s, he enjoyed the renewed interest in his songs, which appeared in many movies and revues and were recorded by artists such as Bette Midler, Bobby Short and Della Reese. He died in 1981 at the age of 84. As stated above, this great record was made in 1929.
Comments