(2011) The Human Orchestra

Various Artists

... read moreThe Human Orchestra, which featured 16 tracks by pre-rock & roll black vocal groups from the 1930s and 1940s, was originally released as an LP in 1985 by a Swedish label. This two-disc set takes the original 16-track archival collection and adds 34 additional tracks from the same era to come up with...

02:16′:40″ 50 Songs

1
Various Artists
Mr Ghost Goes To Town
 3:03
The Five Jones Boys
2
Various Artists
My Walking Stick
 2:21
Golden Gate Quarter
3
Various Artists
Oh! Mabel Oh!
 2:37
Lewis Bronzeville Five
4
Various Artists
Dixie Rhythm
 2:36
The Four Blackbirds
5
Various Artists
Suntan Baby Brown
 2:40
Norfolk Jazz Quartette
6
Various Artists
Swingin' At The Cotton Club
 2:27
Three Peppers
7
Various Artists
Minute And Hour Blues
 2:35
The Five Breezes
8
Various Artists
Kickin' The Gong Around
 3:10
Rollin’ Smith’s Rascals
9
Various Artists
Jungle Fever
 3:07
Mills Brothers
10
Various Artists
Wah Dee Dah
 2:58
Three Keys
11
Various Artists
Swingin' On The Strings
 2:37
The Ink Spots
12
Various Artists
Moonglow
 2:44
Mississippi Mud Mashers
13
Various Artists
Hambone Am Sweet
 3:02
Four Southern Singers
14
Various Artists
Za Zu Swing
 2:09
Five Jinks
15
Various Artists
Pickin' A Rib
 2:43
Jones Boys Sing Band
16
Various Artists
Let The Party Go On
 2:39
Cabineers
17
Various Artists
Fool That I Am
 2:58
Quintones
18
Various Artists
Somebody Stole Gabriels Horn
 2:59
Three Keys
19
Various Artists
Basin Street Blues
 2:53
Three Keys
20
Various Artists
Fit As A Fiddle
 2:26
Three Keys
21
Various Artists
Jitterbug Sadie
 2:39
The Four Blues
22
Various Artists
That's The Rhythm
 2:39
Three Sharps & A Flat
23
Various Artists
I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
 2:59
Three Sharps & A Flat
24
Various Artists
Dirt Dishing Daisy
 3:47
Five Jinks
25
Various Artists
Just A Jitterbug
 2:45
The Five Breezes
26
Various Artists
I’D Rather Drink Muddy Water
 2:48
The Cat's & The Fiddle
27
Various Artists
Heebie Jeebies
 2:35
Three Keys
28
Various Artists
That Doggone Dog Of Mine
 2:50
Three Keys
29
Various Artists
My Sugar Walks Down The Street
 2:21
Quintones
30
Various Artists
Way Down Yonder In New Orleans
 2:19
The Charioteers
31
Various Artists
That’S On Jack That’S On
 2:31
The Cat's & The Fiddle
32
Various Artists
Its Sleepy Time In Hawaii
 3:15
Jones Boys Sing Band
33
Various Artists
My Buddy Blues
 2:52
The Five Breezes
34
Various Artists
Return, Gal Of Mine
 2:44
The Five Breezes
35
Various Artists
I Miss You So
 2:48
The Cat's & The Fiddle
36
Various Artists
I’M Through
 3:10
Three Sharps & A Flat
37
Various Artists
Love Grows On The White Oak Tree
 2:23
Three Peppers
38
Various Artists
Somebody Loses, Somebody Wins
 3:07
Three Keys
39
Various Artists
Sweet Lousie
 2:55
Cabineers
40
Various Artists
Swinging At The Candy Store
 2:27
Three Sharps & A Flat
41
Various Artists
Swing Out Uncle Wilson
 2:36
Three Peppers
42
Various Artists
The Jive Is Jumpin’
 2:28
The Four Clefs
43
Various Artists
I Like Pie, I Like Cake
 2:50
The Four Clefs
44
Various Artists
Nuts To You
 2:31
The Cat's & The Fiddle
45
Various Artists
“Murder” He Says
 2:30
The Four Vagabonds
46
Various Artists
Hit That Jive Jack
 2:25
The Four Vagabonds
47
Various Artists
Milk Shake Stand
 2:55
The Three Barons
48
Various Artists
Comin’ In On A Wing And A Prayer
 2:53
The Four Vagabonds
49
Various Artists
Rosie The Riveter
 2:22
The Four Vagabonds
50
Various Artists
Ooh Look A There Ain’T She Pretty
 2:32
The Charioteers
Released 12 August 2011, ℗ Jasmine Records

Review

The Human Orchestra, which featured 16 tracks by pre-rock & roll black vocal groups from the 1930s and 1940s, was originally released as an LP in 1985 by a Swedish label. This two-disc set takes the original 16-track archival collection and adds 34 additional tracks from the same era to come up with a fascinating survey of jump and jive black vocal acts, many of which were capable of approximating an orchestra with their voices. Among the gems here (all recorded between 1932 and 1947) are sides cut by the Mills Brothers, the Ink Spots, the Five Jones Boys, the Four Blackbirds, the Three Keys, and the Four Clefs , among many others, and these exciting and revealing performances clearly prefigure the later street-corner harmonies of the doo wop era. ~ Steve Leggett

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