Session details: NBC Studios (April 1946 (a))

Miles Ahead session details

April 1946 (a) (34 items; TT = 60:08)

NBC Studios, Hollywood CA

AFRS Jubilee session (B)

Show chatter

Miles Davis (tpt); Howard McGhee (tpt); Fred Trainer (tpt); Calvin Strickland (tpt); Walter Williams (tpt); Ira Pettiford (tpt); Candy Ross (tb); Johnny Morris (tb); Al Grey (tb); Charley Johnson (tb); Benny Carter (as, tpt); Bob Graettinger (as); Joe Epps (as); Harold Clark (ts); Hubert "Bumps" Myers (ts); Willard Brown (ts); James Cannady (g); Sonny White (p); Thomas Moultrie (b); Percy Brice (d); Ernie "Bubbles" Whitman (ann)

Jubilee 184
1	Announcement (George Dvorak)	0:05
	"One if by land, two if by sea; well, whaddaya know, it's Jubilee..."
2	One O'Clock Jump (theme) (C. Basie)	0:37
	Dvorak: "Yessir, gents, here's your kick for this week, all wrapped up in a big package of eelibuj, beamed especially at you and you. Drag up your pots for a dish of hot and solid chamber music that will [undecipherable] fry you, tie you, and sigh you and [undecipherable]. And here to toss his torso, and to call this here square dance, is your monstress of ceremonies, Ernie 'Bubbles' Whitman..."
3	Introduction (Ernie "Bubbles" Whitman, Benny Carter)	0:48
	EW: "Thank you, thank you, George Dvorak. Gracias and merci beaucoup and stuff. Just like the man said, we got ourselves a pack of hot tonight in hot horn hall. In fact it's the grooviest mess of talent that ever kicked a gutbucket in your area. And right now we're sending down your gunnel and through your funnel that amazing man of modern music, Benny Carter and orchestra... Well, Benny, welcome back to old Eelibuj." BC: "Thanks, Ernie, it's a pleasure to be back." EW: "What's first up?" BC: "Something a little different from my usual, Ernie -- this is almost a jump tune." EW: "What do you mean, almost a jump tune?" BC: "Well, this is just a hop, skip, and..." EW: "Well, just so it isn't longhair." BC: "Longhair? Heh, why Ernie, this hair is so short it's ingrown." EW: "Then clip us, Benny, clip us..."
4	Who's Sorry Now? (T. Snyder-B. Kalmar-H. Ruby)	2:46
5	Introduction (Whitman, Kay Starr)	0:38
	EW: "Yes, indeedy, that left me knock-kneed... Why that must've boiled all the potatoes in my grandfather's pot. Yes, customers, we're really flyin' high now. Well look out, here comes a queen in anybody's day. When this gal sings you can just stuff an apple in my mouth and call me roasted. Here she is with reet beat and choice voice, Kay Starr... Well how do you do there Kay, what you say?" KS: "Not much, Ernie, except it's sure a lot of fun to drop in on old hot horn hall every now and then." EW: "Now hear this, men -- Kay Starr and Carter's little jazz pills making sweet music, 'He's Funny That Way'..."
6	He's Funny That Way (N. Moret-R. Whiting)	2:50
7	Introduction (Whitman, Nat Cole)	0:48
	EW: "Thank you, thank you, Kay Starr. That was full of sweet and mellow, and poured like grade A molasses. Why, bust my belt and let me bust out all over, if I don't see that gleazin' fleazin' throwing down Jubilubilane... Here men, we save a sis-boom-bah and three doubles by [indecipherable], for the King Cole Trio... Ah, the velvet welcome mat is out again, King." NC: "Thank you, O round jester of Jubilee Court." EW: "Well don't stand there, Nat, slip me some skin." NC: "Slip you some skin? Yeah, it looks like old Mother Nature beat me to it." EW: "All right, Nat, you win, but you'd better play now." NC: "OK, Ernie, here's a little instrumental entitled 'Sweet Georgia Brown'..."
8	Sweet Georgia Brown (B. Bernie-M. Pinkard-K. Casey)	2:23
9	Introduction (Whitman, Lester Young)	0:53
	EW: "Oh, be-bop-a-usual, King Cole Trio, that melted a yard of lard off my front... yard, pard... Oh, hi there Gates, if you're gettin' nervous and plannin' to cut out, don't. Here's a mess of groovy glue. Stick around and listen closely. We haven't just an old tenor saxophone man comin' up top the Jubilubi-mic right now, no sir. We only corral the big blow himself, who's been away too long to suit us. Here he is, gents, Lester Young... Hiya Lester, it's a real boot to see you checked out of that khaki suit." LY: "Thanks, Ernie. As you see I've even taken all the GI paint off my horn." EW: "Well let's not just stand around talking, Lester, all of us are planning to hear some of that tenor chanting." LY: "OK, Ernie, with the King Cole Trio and Buddy Rich on drums, we'd like to toy around with 'These Foolish Things'..." EW: "Oh, OK..."
10	These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You) (H. Marvell-J. Strachey-H. Link)	3:52
11	Lester Leaps In (L. Young)	3:37
	Tune begins during applause. EW: "Thank you, thank you, Lester Young. You can't get away with that, you gotta do an encore this time. Now with Buddy Rich on the drums, 'Lester Leaps In'..."
12	Introduction (Whitman, Kay Starr)	0:29
	EW: "Yes, indeedy-doody. That deed it indeed, oh bless your beautiful tone, Lester Young, you really [indecipherable] us. Back again with that lush slush will drip you down Jubilubilane with a big bottle of vocal goodies... Come join the parade Abercrombie, 'cause the gal with the velvet [undecipherable] is singing right in the [undecipherable] by yonder. Yes, our gal gets a meeting, Kay Starr singing uh, uh... say, Kay, what are you singing?" KS: "Well Ernie, if the guys will give me a hand, I think we'd try to meander through 'Sunny Side of the Street'..."
13	On the Sunny Side of the Street (D. Fields-J. McHugh)	2:07
14	Introduction (Whitman, Carter)	0:28
	EW: "Nice, nice... That was the super-elegant Kay Starr busting your bull and fracturing your tractor. Now don't get sent too far, Jackson, we've only begun the beginning and it's still early gray in hip hollow... Why all the hep cats are gathered around, around a big bowl of steamed cream that guaranteed to modulize ya. Yeah, it's amazing man of music himself, Mr. Benny Carter milking his Esquire championship alto saxophone for a tasty sampling of 'Can't Get Started'... Ladle it, Mr. C, ladle it..."
15	I Can't Get Started (V. Duke-I. Gershwin)	3:00
16	Introduction (Whitman)	0:19
	EW: "Yes, of course, of course, that was Benny of Carter sending you the sweetest music this side of... Guy Lombarda [sic]. Well, here we are, we've arrived, we've landed. This is the end of this line. We're trimmin' the lamps in Jubilubiland. In other words, the conclusion has been reached, and now for all the congregation, Benny Carter and the orchestra wrap this [undecipherable] dish up with specs and spots, namely 'Jump'..."
17	Jump Call (B. Carter)	3:31
	Davis plays a 32-measure solo (0:38-1:05). Listed as "Melodrama in a V-Disc Record Room" on V-Disc 701
18	One O'Clock Jump (theme) (C. Basie)	0:52

Jubilee 186
19	One O'Clock Jump (theme; with voiceover (George Dvorak)) (C. Basie)	0:31
	"Yessir, gents, here's your kick for this week, all wrapped up in a big package of eelibuj, beamed especially at you and you. Drag up your pots for a dish of hot and solid chamber music that will [undecipherable] fry you, tie you, and sigh you and [undecipherable]. And here to toss his torso, and to call this here square dance, is your monstress of ceremonies, Ernie 'Bubbles' Whitman..."
20	Introduction (Ernie "Bubbles" Whitman)	0:28
	"Thank you, thank you, George Dvorak. Gracias and merci beaucoup and stuff. Just like the man said, we got ourselves a pack of hot tonight in hot horn hall. In fact it's the grooviest mess of talent that ever kicked a gutbucket in your area. And right now we're sending down your gunnel and through your funnel that amazing man of modern music, Benny Carter and orchestra..."
21	Just You, Just Me (R. Klages-J. Greer)	4:28
	Davis plays a sixteen-bar solo (0:42-0:59)
22	Introduction (Whitman, Lucy Elliott)	0:19
	"Well, we baked it, fried it, and boiled it. And now to accentuate the Jubiolin-willate-theluba, we gonna mess with some romance in between. Right now we welcome another newcomer to the hallowed hollow of help. Just what Doctor Jive prescribed, with open arms and a big fat twinkle in my eye, I'm saying hello to Lucy Elliott..."
23	Lover Man (J. Davis-R. Ramirez-J. Sherman)	2:31
24	Introduction (Whitman, Nat Cole)	1:19
	EW: "Ah-ha... Oh me oh my, that left my tongue hanging out farther than my eyes. Thanks a padding heap, Lucy Elliott. Once more I assume my usual role of court jester, for sashaying up to the mic again is that royal monarch of rocking rhythm, Old King Cole..." NC: "[undecipherable] why, you're older than me. And I hear that you wanna get married -- is that so?" EW: "Yeah, Nat. I, I wanna settle down. They say marriage is a tie that binds." NC: "You don't need a tie that binds." EW: "Huh?" NC: "You need a two-way stretch that doesn't sag. [Laughter] Why I bet you don't even know the facts of life." EW: " Well, I, uh... That is, I, uh..." NC: "You mean you never heard about the birds and bees?" EW: "No..." NC: "Don't you know that when a little boy bee marries a little girl bee, they raise little bee-bees? [Laughter] EW:" Oh, it's useless. You won't give me any help. How 'bout singing something for the customers, comedian?" NC: "Name it and claim it." EW: "OK, with Oscar Moore on the guitar, Johnny Miller on bass, Nat Cole on piana [sic] -- that's the King Cole Trio, that is. And I wanna get my kicks from that new tune of yours, 'Route 66'..."
25	Route 66 (B. Troup)	3:10
26	Sweet Georgia Brown (B. Bernie-M. Pinkard-K. Casey)	2:22
	Repeated from Jubilee 184
27	Introduction (Whitman, Benny Carter, Charlie Parker)	1:25
	EW: "Maaan, oh man. I gotta put parachutes on my feet or they're gonna get up on the moon like that... [splice] Right, here's where we have another approach shot on the stratosphere. We got a mess of talent lined up that'll square the squares. Pull up your socks, Jackson, and you can jump into this. Shake hands with Esquire's gold award winner for this year on alto saxophone, Benny Carter..." BC: "Thanks, Ernie, but right now I want you to meet somebody." EW: "OK, Benny, who is it?" BC: "It's this year's ?m>Down Beat poll winner on alto saxophone. His name is Charlie Parker!" EW: "Yo! Welcome, Charlie, what's your story?" CP: "Well, Ernie, I want you to meet one of the nation's all-time greats on alto saxophone. He's Down Beat's winner, his name is Willie Smith." EW: "Oh, Willie Smith. Hey, wait a minute, wait a minute. Willie and Charlie. Now I know what's goin' on..." CP: "You do, Ernie?" EW: "Yes sirree. Here we have the greatest alto men in music today. That means a bit of jammin' the likes of which have never been heard before, or even previously. All right, gents, catch this. Willie Smith, you lead off this mess, Benny Carter on deck, Charlie Parker in the hole. Buddy Rich on drums and the ever-lovin' King Cole Trio backing up in the background. Every man for himself, no holds barred, a jazz free-for-all that's free for all of you. It's a great Jubilee first! Go in swingin', men, go in..."
28	Tea for Two (Willie Smith solo) (V. Youmans-I. Caesar)	2:44
	Smith solos, Parker out
29	Body and Soul (Benny Carter solo) (J.W. Green-E. Heyman-R. Sour-F. Eyton)	2:32
	Carter solos, Parker out
30	Cherokee (Charlie Parker solo) (R. Noble)	2:49
31	Introduction (Whitman)	0:21
	"Thank you, Willie Smith, Benny Carter, Charlie Parker, King Cole Trio, and Buddy Rich. That did it, gentlemen, that really did it... [splice] Well, straighten out my curves and call me a blockbuster, if it ain't that amazing man of music and his all-boy band, creating some steam in hot horn hall's big boiler room. Yes sir, Benny Carter and band now provide an old rocker that really can get you, son..."
32	Jump Call (B. Carter)	3:31
	Repeated from Jubilee 184
33	Closing announcement (Whitman)	0:37
	"Well, we baked it, fried it, and boiled it. Another part of Jubilee jam has been spread and thanks a gooey million to all you hep citizens who passed the bread. And right now, we've got nothing left by old cigar butts and [undecipherable]. So we might just as well batten down the swing doors at hot horn hall. While they're mopping up around here I just want to remind you that all next of the week the curfew theme song will be 'Loading More [undecipherable] on Your Deck'... So watch for it. Till then, this is your hep Ka-moo-assa of ceremonies, Ernie 'I may be wrong but I think I'm wonderful' Whitman saying from the bottom of my big fat... heart -- so long and good luck!"
34	One O'Clock Jump (C. Basie)	0:58


4 Who's Sorry Now? 12" LP: Queen Disc Q-009 CD: Jazz Hour JH-1005
6 He's Funny That Way 12" LP: V-Disc 805
10 These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You) 12" LP: Spotlite SPJ 119 CD: Jass Records JCD-18
11 Lester Leaps In 12" LP: V-Disc 764, Spotlite SPJ 119 CD: Jass Records JCD-18
14 Introduction (Whitman, Carter) 12" LP: 12LP CD: CD
15 I Can't Get Started 12" LP: V-Disc 351, V-Disc 715, Jazz Society AA-502, Musidisc 30JA-5123 CD: New Sound Planet/Jazz Up JU-327, Jazz Door JD 1206, Jazz Hour JH-1005
16 Introduction (Whitman) 12" LP: V-Disc 351, Jazz Society AA-502, Musidisc 30JA-5123 CD: New Sound Planet/Jazz Up JU-327, Jazz Door JD 1206, Jazz Hour JH-1005
17 Jump Call 12" LP: V-Disc 701, Jazz Society AA-502, Musidisc 30JA-5123, Spotlite SPJ 147 CD: New Sound Planet/Jazz Up JU-327, Jazz Door JD 1206, Jazz Hour JH-1005
20 Introduction (Ernie "Bubbles" Whitman) 12" LP: Spotlite SPJ 147 CD: Jazz Door JD 1206, Masters of Jazz MJCD 151
21 Just You, Just Me 12" LP: Spotlite SPJ 147 CD: Jazz Door JD 1206, Masters of Jazz MJCD 151
27 Introduction (Whitman, Benny Carter, Charlie Parker) 12" LP: Phoenix LP 17, Spotlite SPJ 123 CD: Philology Volume 18 (W 848), Rare Live Recordings RLR 88634, ESP-Disk 4050
28 Tea for Two (Willie Smith solo) 12" LP: Phoenix LP 17, Spotlite SPJ 123, Sounds 1206 CD: Philology Volume 18 (W 848), Rare Live Recordings RLR 88634, ESP-Disk 4050
29 Body and Soul (Benny Carter solo) 12" LP: Phoenix LP 17, Spotlite SPJ 123, Sounds 1206 CD: Philology Volume 18 (W 848), Rare Live Recordings RLR 88634, ESP-Disk 4050
30 Cherokee (Charlie Parker solo) 12" LP: Phoenix LP 17, Spotlite SPJ 123, Sounds 1206 CD: Philology Volume 18 (W 848), Rare Live Recordings RLR 88634, ESP-Disk 4050
31 Introduction (Whitman) 12" LP: Phoenix LP 17, Spotlite SPJ 123, Sounds 1206 CD: Philology Volume 18 (W 848), Rare Live Recordings RLR 88634, ESP-Disk 4050
32 Jump Call 12" LP: V-Disc 701, Jazz Society AA-502, Musidisc 30JA-5123, Spotlite SPJ 147 CD: New Sound Planet/Jazz Up JU-327, Jazz Door JD 1206, Jazz Hour JH-1005
33 Closing announcement (Whitman) 12" LP: Phoenix LP 17, Spotlite SPJ 123 CD: Philology Volume 18 (W 848), Rare Live Recordings RLR 88634, ESP-Disk 4050
34 One O'Clock Jump 12" LP: Phoenix LP 17, Spotlite SPJ 123 CD: Philology Volume 18 (W 848), Rare Live Recordings RLR 88634, ESP-Disk 4050

Davis only solos on the tunes indicated, sc. "Jump Call" and "Just You, Just Me." He begins his solo on "Jump Call" with a quotation from Charlie Parker's "Moose the Mooche," which he and Parker recorded in Hollywood at Radio Recorders Studios on March 28.

There is a lot of uncertainty and confusion about the Benny Carter recordings from 1946. Most of the items usually associated with Miles Davis were Armed Forces Radio Services (AFRS) "Jubilee" sessions which were transcribed on 16" 33-1/3 rpm LPs and distributed to radio stations around the world. The four sessions in questions are numbers 184, 186, 191, and 193. Recording sessions were typically an hour, in front of live studio audiences. The recordings were later edited and assembled into 30-minute Jubilee sides. In the process, some announcements and introductions (and tunes) were used more than once, which adds to the confusion. Recordings for the programs numbered 184 and 186 were made in early April at NBC Studios in Hollywood; those for programs numbered 191 and 193 were recorded on April 29.

According to a Friday, April 5 entry in the Los Angeles Daily News (page 22), "Kay Starr appeared with the King Cole Trio on this week's Jubilee program. Willie Smith, Benny Carter, and Charlie Parker, all top alto-men, were a starring trio, too." So the date of this session can be fixed pretty precisely.

Davis joined the Carter band after a January 1946 engagement at the Riviera Club in St. Louis, and traveled to Los Angeles in February. Looking back years later, Carter remarked,

When Miles joined me it was quite clear that he was already thinking along different lines. But he was a good reader and certainly had no trouble with the book. (Quoted in Morroe Berger, Ed Berger, and James Patrick, Benny Carter: A Life in American Music, Vol. 2, p. 123)

In addition to playing with Carter's orchestra and a smaller Carter group, Davis began sitting in with Charlie Parker at the Finale Club. In March he became a regular member of the Parker Quintet, and he participated in a Dial session on March 28. He continued to play regularly with Carter's bands, as evidenced by a March 31 broadcast from the Streets of Paris. Eventually the musicians' union caught up with him and he was fined. He chose to leave the Carter group; but exactly when this happened is not clear. On April 12 Parker brought an eight-piece band -- Davis, Britt Woodman (tb), Parker, Lucky Thompson (ts), Dodo Marmarosa (p), Arvin Garrison (g), Red Callendar (b), and Perc White (d) -- to a concert at UCLA's Royce Hall Auditorium, sponsored by the Carver Club. Also on the bill were Lester Young, the Nat Cole Trio, Herb Jeffries, and Kay Starr. There is a nice review in the June 1946 issue of Metronome magazine.

There is a CBS radio broadcast from the Trianon Ballroom from about this time, and Davis is clearly present. Berger et al. list two additional broadcasts from the Trianon -- dated April 30 and May 5 -- with Davis as a possible member of the trumpet section. I believe that Davis had left for good by this time, but I have not heard these recordings.

A nearly complete discography of the Jubilee series was published by Rainer Lötz and Ulrich Neuert: The AFRS Jubilee Transcription Programs: An Exploratory Discography, Vol. 1-2 (1985). Dennis M. Spragg has updated the discography and maintains it on the Glenn Miller Archive website, http://www.colorado.edu/amrc/glenn-miller-archive/gma-catalogs/jubilee. I am grateful to Craig Neilson, Jan Lohmann, and Leif Bo Petersen for their help with these Jubilee sessions, and to Tommaso Urbano for his expertise in identifying the trumpet soloists. Thanks also to Robert Shoji for pointing me to the UCLA Carver Club photos and for sharing with me the Metronome review.