King Mutt & His Tennessee Thumpers

Ruler Mutt & His Tennessee Thumpers stay among the great mysteries of jazz discography. They documented only ten edges at one program on the Gennett studios in Richmond, IN, on Feb 12, 1929. Issued in no constant purchase on Gennett, Champ, and Supertone, primary 78-rpm copies of Ruler Mutt records are really uncommon and one tune, “St. Louis Bound,” was hardly ever released. When the initial two sides with the Tennessee Thumpers to become reissued appeared with an Arnold S. Caplin Traditional Information LP in the 1960s, they didn’t list workers but ventured a reckon that Punch Miller was the cornetist. This watch has been verified over time, as well as the Gennett ledger reveals that mandolinist Al Miller also documented that time; as there have been no various other jazz mandolin players known in Chicago in the 1920s, his existence is undoubtedly verified. Giga-obscure clarinetist Arnett Nelson is normally tentatively defined as “Ruler Mutt,” though generally since Punch Miller isn’t known to possess utilized the name. From then on, it turns into rather muddled, as Jimmy Blythe is normally credited as author of a number of the Ruler Mutt quantities and before Blythe was seen as a pianist. Nevertheless, the ledger also demonstrates pianist Frank Melrose documented some solos in this session. Since it stands, the ill-heard pianist within the Ruler Mutt sides could possibly be either Blythe or Melrose, so the piano is undoubtedly having been performed by either musician — or both. The same scenario is definitely held regarding the drums. Both Jimmy Bertrand and Tommy Taylor receive as you can, and both had been present at a somewhat later on Brunswick session, acknowledged towards the Kansas Town Tin Roof Stompers, that included a tune, “Aunt Jemima Stomp,” that’s similar to “Tremble Your Shimmy” as documented by Ruler Mutt, although Bertrand performed xylophone within the Tin Roof Stompers day. Another possible link with the Tin Roof Stompers would be that the declined “St. Louis Bound” was actually documented by that group, but Junie Cobb is definitely defined as the cornetist there and, aside from Bertrand and Taylor, non-e of the various other members has been the same. Gleam guitarist present, hardly audible; the books display that obscure blues vocalist Willie Baker documented some music that day, non-e of which had been issued until these were afterwards remade. Nevertheless, based on the ledgers, Baker is at and from the Gennett studios many times between January and March attempting to make information Gennett would move. Using one of Al Miller’s single records, your guitar accompanist can be listed just as “…Rodgers” as well as perhaps it really is he instead of Baker — there is no real method of informing. The drums in the Gennett Electrobeam documenting are extremely noisy and boomy to get a day in the 1920s; they pack a whole lot of punch, but also have a tendency to obscure the various other rhythm players. No-one is rolling out a proposal concerning who has saxophone over the time; perhaps this is “Ruler Mutt?” With regards to style, the Ruler Mutt sides are really primitive in support of very loosely organized, if. Solos arrive and go without rhyme or cause, ensemble breaks are spontaneous, and the sensation of everything for the day can be that of a free-for-all. Considering that the Ruler Mutt sides had been the merchandise of an organization composed of a loose confederation of jazz and blues players, in ways the aggregation could be seen as a kind of forerunner to groups just like the Harlem Hamfats, a lot more common in the 1930s. Therefore, Ruler Mutt & His Tennessee Thumpers look like fairly exclusive among the many small rings that documented in the 1920s.