Clarence Todd

When Sidney Bechet was simply starting to develop his facility over the clarinet, he did a few of his first public performing in house parties using a music group of youthful New Orleans music artists that included a piano participant simply by the name of Clarence Todd. The only real other information regarding Todd out of this period may be the idea that he resided on St. Phillips Road within the Crescent Town. Following the exemplory case of his friend Clarence Williams, Todd ultimately made his method to NY and participated in a large number of documenting sessions through the 1920s and early ’30s. The to begin these led to a set of kazoo duets (“YOU DO NOT Know My Brain Blues” and “Western world Indies Blues”) documented for the OKeh label with Clarence Williams on, may 10, 1924, followed over the piano by way of a youthful Fats Waller along with a secret percussionist called Justin Band. In December of this same yr, Todd sang an extremely spirited duet with Alberta Hunter on the documenting of “Wedding cake Walking Babies from your home,” supported by Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, as well as the Crimson Onion Jazz Infants. IN-MAY of 1925, Buster Bailey produced his initial recordings under his personal name (billed as William Bailey). Both of these solo clarinet information (“Press Me” and “Papa De Da Da”) got banjo and piano accompaniment by Friend Christian and Clarence Todd. Over summer and winter 1926, Todd frequently billed himself as Shufflin’ Sam, showing up like a vocalist on greater than a dozen edges using the Dixie Washboard Music group, also called the Louisiana Washboard Music group and Clarence Williams’ Washboard Beaters. Another corporation led by Williams lower four game titles in June of 1926 with Todd as vocalist. This music group, with Ed Allen blowing the cornet and Jasper Taylor stroking the washboard, defied categorization by phoning themselves the Blue Lawn Feet Warmers. On August 23, 1926, Todd sat directly into sing using the OKeh Melody Celebrities, an ensemble offering the cornet of Charlie Thomas as well as the trombone of Charlie Irvis. While “WATCH OUT, Mr. Jazz” can be an welcoming name, every collector of unusual old jazz information would probably want to obtain a duplicate of the turn side, “One glass of Ale, a Hot Pet and you also.” An ensemble phoning itself the Shakey Todd and Holland Trio cut two sentimental amounts in Apr of 1927. (No one understands who Holland was. Actually, Todd may be the just participant whose identification has been founded.) Beyond savoring the easy pleasures of his best-known melody “Ooh! Looka There Ain’t She Fairly?” mainly because performed by Excess fat Waller and His Tempo, Clarence Todd’s melodic sensibilities can greatest be valued on hearing Waller offer pipe body organ accompaniment for Alberta Hunter mainly because she sings Todd’s “I’m Goin’ to find out My Ma,” a documenting waxed on, may 20, 1927. Todd also collaborated with Adam P. Johnson and Fatty acids Waller on music for the 1928 stage present called Maintain Shufflin’. Lyrics because of this creation had been by Henry Creamer and Andy Razaf. The ultimate stroke within this sketchy family portrait consists of jugs and washboards. A funky treatment of “Jazz It Blues” (aka “Jazz Me Blues”), documented Oct 3, 1934, with the Alabama Jug Music group, provides Willie “The Lion” Smith presiding on the piano along with a homey scat vocal chorus with the Ham and Cabbage Trio: Clarence Todd, Clarence Williams, and Banjo Ikey Robinson. It’s the last known appearance on record of the all but ignored composer and entertainer, whose participation with early jazz from New Orleans to NY seems really worth more identification than he provides ever received.