1940-41

Louis Jordan | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 13, 1994)
• Label: Jazz Chronological Classics
• ASIN: B000001NMJ
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #995,063 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. You've Got to Go When the Wagon Comes

2. Lovie Joe

3. Somebody Done Hoodooed the Hoodoo Man

4. Bounce the Ball (Do da Dittle Um Day)

5. Penthouse in the Basement

6. After School Swing Session (Swinging With Symphony Sid)

7. Oh Boy, I'm in the Groove

8. Never Let Your Left Hand Know What Your Right Hand's Doin'

9. Don't Come Cryin' on My Shoulder

10. Waiting for the Robert E. Lee

11. A Chicken Ain't Nothin' But a Bird

12. Pompton Turnpike

13. Do You Call That a Buddy? (Dirty Cat)

14. I Know You (I Know What You Wanna Do)

15. Pinetop's Boogie Woogie

16. The Two Little Squirrels (Nuts to You)

17. T-Bone Blues

18. Pan-Pan

19. Saint Vitus Dance

20. Saxa-Woogie

See all 26 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The early stages of Jordanism, February 12, 2007

By 

Andre M. "brnn64" (Mt. Pleasant, SC United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Louis Jordan 1940-1941 (Audio CD)

These selections are form the early phase of the career of Louis Jordan, the super-lunatic madman supreme of Jazz comedy and grandfather of soul.

He specialized in singing (and acting out) wildly comical stories about everyday African-American life in his times, as well as playing one of the meanest saxophones around. Knee-slapping as well as foot-patting.

In this set of recordings, it shows him struggling to find his winning formula. Most of the tunes here are hit-or miss, undistiunguished, standard small combo jazz of the era, although instrumentals like "Pintetop's Boogie Woogie" and "saxa Woogie" are not bad and listenable. But we catch a few glimpses of the audio-cartoon insanity that was to come.

"Somebody Done Hoodooed the HooDoo Man" is as fall down-on the floor funny as his more famous records. Here he sings about a voodoo con-artist "selling jive" to his gullible customers. In "De Laff's On You," we hear the foundation of his "Jafakean" accent tunes with a West-Indian theme, which endeared (rather than offended) Carribean fans of Jordan.

"Do You Call That a Buddy" is a mildly amusing blues about a "friend" who sneaks off with Jordan's lover, but not as hilarious as the stuff that was to come. "How I Love My Teacher," is a moderately funny tale about a "strapping boy" who falls in love with his teacher.

Jordanites who love the belly-laugh and foot-stomping inducing "Saturday Night Fish Fry," "Beans and Cornbread" brand of Jordanism should be warned that this is largely of historical interest, but even they will be amused by some of this stuff. Buy it used and you'll do alright.