Ladd's Black Aces

One of the very best jazz groups to appear on records during 1921-1922 (before most black bands had an opportunity to be documented) was a white ensemble known as Ladd's Black Aces. Actually, three different (but overlapping) ensembles used that name. All of its 48 recordings were reissued on three LPs by the British Fountain label in the early '70s, and most of its output is quite scarce today. On the first LP, the initial 13 selections feature a band led by Sam Lanin that includes the greatly underrated cornetist Phil Napoleon (one of New York's top early jazz musicians) and a lot of lesser-known names other than the pianists: Frank Signorelli and (on the first eight numbers) Jimmy Durante! The performances (which include "Aunt Hagar's Children Blues," "Shake It and Break It," "Virginia Blues," and "My Honey's Lovin' Arms") are stylistically light years ahead of what was played by the typical recording band of the time in the use of legato and improvised ensembles. The final five numbers on this LP are from the second version of Ladd's Black Aces, which was really the Original Memphis Five (with Napoleon, trombonist Miff Mole, clarinetist Jimmy Lytell, Signorelli, and drummer Jack Roth). Hopefully this valuable music will someday be reissued in full on CD, for it shows the state of jazz circa 1921.