Bill Frawley Sings the Old Ones, Plus Reups

A quick post tonight to present one new item and a bunch of reups and remasters.

The new offering is by Bill Frawley, usually billed as William Frawley, and perhaps even better known as Fred Mertz of the 50s smash TV show I Love Lucy.

I confess that this is a record I transferred many years ago, and only resurrected because I wanted to listen to Frawley's version of "My Melancholy Baby" - a tune that he claimed to have introduced in 1912. Who knows if this is true, but Frawley was a vaudeville artist, and he probably did perform this number, and the other "Old Ones" on this LP as well. They all would have been heard in the music halls of 100 years ago, when Frawley was a trouper. The album dates from 1957, when Lucy was still on the air. Bill/William/Fred had little voice left at that time, but much style. You'll like this despite yourself.

Full disclosure: I only had mp3s of my original transfer, and I have no idea where the LP has gone to (they sneak away if you don't keep your eye on them). So I remastered the mp3s. This is something I usually don't do, but it is acceptable for material like this, I think, and the result sounds fine.

Here are the reups and remasters, by request:

Brahms - Piano Concerto No. 2 (Serkin, PO-Ormandy) (remastered). Superb pianism in Serkin's first recorded go at the Brahms First, one of three with Ormandy and the Philadelphians. From 1945.

Freddie Mitchell - Boogie Bash (remastered). Honkin' tenor sax from Mitchell and his band, taken from 1949-52 Derby 78s and an Label "X" LP reissuing Derby masters. I spent a lot of time getting the pitch right on these sides, which is more than I can say for the musicians. It's crude but vivid!

Ida May Mack and Bessie Tucker. Two obscure Texas blues singers as heard on a Label "X" reissue from 1955. mp3 only.

Jimmy Yancey - Blues and Boogie. More from Label "X" - this one from Chicago pianist Yancey as heard in 1938 and 1940 recordings. mp3 only.

Kings of the Blues. This final Label "X" offering presents mainly August 1928 Memphis recordings of Jim Jackson, Frank Stokes, Furry Lewis, and Ishman Bracey. mp3 only.