What a nice discovery. I never heard Ray West prior to this. A really proficient and snappy dance band in the 1930 idiom. I enjoyed this one a lot. Many thanks, sir!
This is truly a wonderful treat! WOW! WHAT A Spectacular couple of sides! Such a smooth transition from one side to the next BEAUTIFUL side is not even noticeable, Superb upload indeed!
....here's an email I just received from Dave Hignett: -- "The dancer and vibraphonist who’s Asian in your photo and also the video on TH-cam is Fumiko Kawabata. She moved to Japan in 1933 and had an extensive recording career in the 30’s for the Columbia and Teichiku labels. She was also in several movies and is still very popular in Japan."
....Kevin Coffey replies: "For what it's worth, there's a personnel listing for West's band from a few weeks before this session; it has a couple of errors (misspellings, wrong first or last names), but it probably represents the core of this band. I notice in the discussion on this video on youtube, you're discussing the vibraphonist and the Asian dancer in the Ray West 1930 Fowler Studio short being the same person. Dave Hignett identifies the dancer as Fumiko Kawabata (Mme Fumi in the film credits). I don't think she's directly related to West's band, however, and I don't think she's the vibraphonist seen during West's sequence. Everything I have seen about West and the band, including several things from around the time of this recording and the shooting of the film short, points to the band's vibraphone player being West's wife, Manilla Le Mori. West's brother Wayne is one of the reeds (likely the guy on the left). The other reeds are probably Don Short and Ken Becker, who is probably the guy on the right in the film/photo. The trumpeter seen over the clarinet players' shoulders in the Fowler short is Morey Darr and trombonist Cally Holden can be seen behind the reed guys in the same sequence. The other trumpet may have been Walt Howell. The band's drummer was Johnny Ulch. The piano player is Manilla Le Mori's first husband, Claude Thorpe. The bass may have been Owen Shaeffer. No idea on the extra violins or the Hawaiian guitar trio seen in the Fowler short."
Woman on xylophone! I was looking at the band members' hairstyles and thought "A Beatles haircut in 1930??" I blew up the photo and saw ... skirt and legs!
What a nice discovery. I never heard Ray West prior to this. A really proficient and snappy dance band in the 1930 idiom. I enjoyed this one a lot. Many thanks, sir!
....thank you doctor -- glad it hit the spot!
Love this
Glorious sound! If there were a ministry of jazz happiness, you’d be the perfect person to run it.
....thank you -- I will accept your nomination!
Awesome ❤❤❤
Timestamps:
Love Is Like That - 0:00
When The Sun Goes Down - 3:10
....thanks!
Great sounds
....thanks!
This is truly a wonderful treat! WOW! WHAT A Spectacular couple of sides! Such a smooth transition from one side to the next BEAUTIFUL side is not even noticeable, Superb upload indeed!
Superb transfer as always! Many thanks!
....thank you!
Awesome
....here's an email I just received from Dave Hignett: -- "The dancer and vibraphonist who’s Asian in your photo and also the video on TH-cam is Fumiko Kawabata. She moved to Japan in 1933 and had an extensive recording career in the 30’s for the Columbia and Teichiku labels. She was also in several movies and is still very popular in Japan."
....Kevin Coffey replies: "For what it's worth, there's a personnel listing for West's band from a few weeks before this session; it has a couple of errors (misspellings, wrong first or last names), but it probably represents the core of this band. I notice in the discussion on this video on youtube, you're discussing the vibraphonist and the Asian dancer in the Ray West 1930 Fowler Studio short being the same person. Dave Hignett identifies the dancer as Fumiko Kawabata (Mme Fumi in the film credits). I don't think she's directly related to West's band, however, and I don't think she's the vibraphonist seen during West's sequence. Everything I have seen about West and the band, including several things from around the time of this recording and the shooting of the film short, points to the band's vibraphone player being West's wife, Manilla Le Mori. West's brother Wayne is one of the reeds (likely the guy on the left). The other reeds are probably Don Short and Ken Becker, who is probably the guy on the right in the film/photo. The trumpeter seen over the clarinet players' shoulders in the Fowler short is Morey Darr and trombonist Cally Holden can be seen behind the reed guys in the same sequence. The other trumpet may have been Walt Howell. The band's drummer was Johnny Ulch. The piano player is Manilla Le Mori's first husband, Claude Thorpe. The bass may have been Owen Shaeffer. No idea on the extra violins or the Hawaiian guitar trio seen in the Fowler short."
Woman on xylophone! I was looking at the band members' hairstyles and thought "A Beatles haircut in 1930??" I blew up the photo and saw ... skirt and legs!
....she was an Asian dancer who also played the vibraphone.
@@Prozoot cool! Unusual for the '30s, no?
@@Blood_Eagle_wife ....I just added more on the girl in the photo. Yes, I think that was unusual.
Muy bueno
....thank you!
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Recorded on February 20, 1930.