"Snakes' Hips" Cotton Pickers (Original Memphis Five) Brunswick 2418 (1923) Phil Napoleon hot jazz

March 17, 1923 "Snakes Hips" Spencer Williams is the composer The musicians are Phil Napoleon, Charlie Panelli, Jimmy Lytell, Frank Signorelli, John Cali, and Jack Roth. The Original Memphis Five was formed in 1917 by Phil Napoleon and Frank Signorelli. They were not from Memphis. These were New York musicians. The band was named after W.C. Handy‘s song “Memphis Blues“. The Cotton Pickers is a name used at times by the Original Memphis Five (the "Memphis" here pays tribute to "The Memphis Blues"--not one of the musicians was from Memphis). Other names are Ladd's Black Aces, Jazzbo's Carolina Serenaders, Bailey's Lucky Seven, and The Southland Six. It takes dedication and study for a record collector to keep all these names handy when going through piles of 78s--the records are always worth picking up though one doesn't want to pay too much. The musicians are white, but they played jazz in a relatively hot manner. Frank Signorelli had been in the Original Dixieland Jazz Band though he was not an original member. This widely-recorded 1920s band had its roots in 1917 with Phil Napoleon and Frank Signorelli forming a musical friendship. The most regular line-up would be these musicians: Banjo – John Cali Clarinet – Jimmy Lytell Drums – Jack Roth Piano – Frank Signorelli Trombone – Charles Panelli Trumpet – Phil Napoleon Tuba – John Helleberg Red Nichols, Miff Mole, and the Dorseys (Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey) played in the band from time to time. I have a hard time keeping it straight--who tends to be in Ben Selvin ensembles, who is in California Ramblers, who is in Original Memphis Five (Phil Napoleon & Frank Signorelli, right?), who is in Sam Lanin studio groups. And then the Virginians (Ross Gorman & a few few other Paul Whiteman guys)... And the Georgians (Guarente, Arthur Schutt, & Joe Tarto, right?)... Many of these 1920s ensembes of white musicians sound the same, but they are always professional, sometimes "hot." And then outfits led by Red NIchols... For California Rambers/Varsity Eight, we can always expect to hear Rollini, right? And Irving Brodsky & Stan King, yes? (But so many names to keep track of--Golden Gate Orchestra, Goofus Five, University Six, Five Birmingham Babies, Vagabonds, more). ODJB is easy. Distinctive sound (but most ODJB discs are pre-1920, so that's not a fair comparison). Wolverines = easy to know their sound because if you know their 14 tracks or so, that's it.