Ella Fitzgerald and Slam Stewart.
(Photograph copyright by William P. Gottlieb.)

Slam Stewart and...

..Eddie South, the dark angel, swing the strings.
(Photographs copyright by William P. Gottlieb.)

Sarah Vaughan swings and Ethel Waters sings.
(Photograph of Sarah Vaughan copyright by William P. Gottlieb.)

Ethel Waters on the cover of a late reissue of RLP 1025.

Don Byas
(Picture taken from the Lp of the French label Black & Blue 33.003 U: "Don Byas 1945" on which he plays with J.C. Heard, Buck Clayton, Eddie Safranski, Denzil Best, John Garnieri, Billy Taylor and Cozy Cole.)

Remington RJ 500 with the re-release of the first recordings of Sarah Vaughan. The session was organized by Leonard Feathers for Continental Records and recorded on December 31st, 1944.

Cozy Cole on Plymouth with Red Norvo (vibra harp), Don Byass (tenor sax) and Clyde Hart (piano). And on Remington.

See also the Classic Jazz Guitar site.

Don Gabor founded his Continental Records Inc. in 1942. The label's catalog was small in the beginning. It was only after World War II that Continental gained importance by releasing recordings of several classical artists, the recordings of polka king Frank Yankovic and, surprisingly, many 78 RPM releases with a variety of jazz artists, artists who had already earned some recognition or were more or less new to the game and explored a new, modern sound.

Many a jazz recording was made at the Cafe Society in New York. The Continental catalogue contained names like those of trumpet players Louis Armstrong and Harry James; violinist Enoch Light; humming bass player Slam Stewart; famous singer Ethel Waters; drummer Cozy Cole; young Sarah Vaughan. And there was pianist(!) Leonard Feather who came from Great Britain and started out as a jazz musician before he gave the world his "Encyclopedia of Jazz" - and did not write an entry on himself in the book but only on the jacket of this fantastic compendium.

Maybe the list of the Continental records is not at all complete. But these are the reference numbers I compiled.

#CR-1001: Louis Armstrong - The night before Christmas + When the saints go marching in. 

#C 1175: Enoch Light and his Orchestra; Loren Becker - Laughing on the outside + Got a date with a disc 

#C 10000: Slam Stewart Quintet - Mood to be stewed + Slammin' the gate

Slam Stewart Quintet: Slam Stewart (singing bass), Red Norvo (vibraharp), Johnny Guarnieri (piano), Morey Feld (drums), and Chuck Wayne (guitar): TALKING BACK and THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY on a Dutch Continental release: Made in Holland.

#C 10001: Slam Stewart Quintet - The voice of the turtle + Time on my hands 

#C 10002: Slam Stewart Quintet - A Bell for Norvo + On the upside looking down

#C 10003: Slam Stewart Quintet - Jingle bells + Honeysuckle rose 

#C 10004: Slam Stewart Quintet - Haw haw + Dozin' 

#C 10005: Slam Stewart Quintet - Talkin' back + The one that got away 

#C 10006: Ethel Waters; J.C. Heard Orchestra - Taking a chance on love + Cabin in the sky 

#C 10007: Ethel Waters; J.C. Heard Orchestra - Dinah + Man wanted 

#C 10008: Ethel Waters; J.C. Heard Orchestra - Am I blue? + You took my man 

#S 3284: Cozy Cole's All Stars - Memories of you + Comes the Don 

#C 3009: Harry James and his Orchestra - Swanee river + El Rancho Grande 

#6000: Cozy Cole's All Stars - Look here + I don't stand a ghost of a chance with you 

#6001: Cozy Cole's All Stars - Take it on back + Willow weep for me. 

#C 6002: Hot Lips Page and his Orchestra - Gee baby, ain't I good to you + The lady in bed 

#6003: Hot Lips Page and his Orchestra - Big "D" blues + It ain't like that 

#C 6004: Cozy Cole's All Stars - Comes the Don + Memories of you 

#C 6007A: Leonard Feather, Dan Burley; with Tiny Grimes, guitar: Morey Feld, drums - A suite in four comfortable quarters (bedroom, living room, kitchen, bath) - part 2: Kitchen connipt + A suite in four comfortable quarters ... - Pt. 4: Bathroom boogie 

Leonard Feather (Picture taken from the jacket of The Encyclopedia of Jazz - Bonanza Books, New York, 1955/1960)

#C 6008: Sara Vaughan - What more can a woman do + I'd rather have a memory than a dream 

#6009: Leonard Feather and his All Stars - Esquire jump and Esquire stomp. 

#C 6013: Clyde Hart's All Stars - What's the matter now + That's the blues 

#C 6014: Cozy Cole's All Stars - When day is done + The beat 

#6015: Hot Lips Page and his orchestra - The lady in bed + Sunset blues 

#C 6016: Leonard Feather and his All Stars - Scram + Thanks for the memory 

#C 6017: Hot Lips Page and his orchestra - They raided the joint + Florida blues 

#C 6018: Edmond Hall and his Cafe Society Orchestra - Continental blues + Face 

#C 6021: Mary Osborne; with Mary Lou Williams Girl Stars - (She's) He's funny that way. 

#C 6022: J.C. Heard & His Cafe Society Orchestra - The walk + Heard but not seen D.D.T. 

#C 6024: Sarah Vaughan; with Dizzy Gillespie and his Orchestra - Mean to me + Signing off 

#C 6025B: Hot Lips Page and his Orchestra - Corsicana + Race horse mama blues 

# C 6027B: J.C. Heard and his Cafe Society Orchestra (J.C.Heard, drums, Budd Johnson)

Remington REP-35: Interlude, East of the Sun, Signing Off, No Smokes Blues. Titles recorded December 31, 1944, New York. Sarah Vaughan (vocals), Dizzy Gillespie (trumpet, and in East of the Sun and No Smokes on piano), Aron Sachs (clarinet), Georgie Auld (tenor sax), Leonard Feather (piano in Interlude and Signing Off), Chuck Wayne (guitar), Jack Lesberg (bas), Morey Feld-drums.

#C 6031B: Sarah Vaughan; Dizzy Gillespie and his Orchestra - Interlude (= A Night In Tunisia; 31st December, 1944 ) + East of the sun (sax George Treadwell) - Azure + Bouncing for Barney + Continental Blues

#C 6033B: Dorothy Donegan, piano, Oliver Coleman, drums, Rail Wilson, bass - Yesterday + Dorothy's boogie woogie 

#6034: Dorothy Donegan, piano, Oliver Coleman, drums, Rail Wilson, bass - Limehouse blues, Tiger Rag 

#6051: Dorothy Donegan, piano - Little girl from St. Louis (boogie woogie) ; Jumping Jack 

#6056: Dorothy Donegan, piano - Some of these days ; Kilroy was here 

#6057: Dorothy Donegan, piano - How high the moon ; Schubert's boogie woogie 

#6058: Dorothy Donegan, piano - Two loves wuz one too many for me + The man I love 

#6061: Sarah Vaughan - No smokes-blues + Willie Mae Willow foot special (boogie woogie) 

#8479: Clarence Williams, piano and Pinewood Tom - Black gal + Milk cow blues

RLP 1025

These recordings were transferred to Lp and issued on the Continental label and later cleverly reissued on Remington long playing records in all sorts of combinations. Originally six ten inch Remington LPs were released:

R-1024 Hot Jazz With Sarah Vaughan with Charlie Parker, Sarah Vaughan, Flip Phillips, Dizzy Gillespie and Max Roach (released in the fall of 1950). That was the time when Sarah Vaughan still was listed under popular music.

R-1025 Ethel Waters in Shades of Blue (released in the fall of 1950; dubbing of C 10006, 10007, 10008 plus 2 other songs).

R-1031 The Birth of Bebop and Blues.
On SIDE 1:
Heard But Not Seen
The Beat Bouncy
What's The Matter Now
(performed by Roy Eldridge (tr), Slam Stewart (b), Cozy Cole (dr), Red Norvo (vibes), Clyde Hart (p), J.C. Heard (dr), Clyde Hart and Timmmie Rosenkrantz Orchestras)

On SIDE 2:
That's The Blues
I Want Every Bit Of It
4 F Blues
(performed by Dizzy Gillespie (tr), Charlie Parker (alto), Don Byas (tenor), Trummy Young (tr), Clyde Hart (pi), Mike Bryan (guitar), Al Hall (cl), Specs Powell (dr), "Rubberlegs" Williams Orchestra)

R-1032 Cafe Society Swing.

R-1033 Modern American Musicians Red Norvo, Johnny Guarnieri, Morey Feld, Chuck Wayne, Eddie South Trio.

R-1035 Moods in Blues with Edmond Hall, Timmie Rosenkrantz, "Hot Lips" Page Orchestra.

R-1037 Sax Appeal with Morris Lane and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis.

Eventually several titles were issued on the Remington as well as on the Plymouth label. Side One of Remington RJ 500 features Sarah Vaughan singing at her first, own record session on December 31st, 1944, produced by Leonard Feather.

Remington RJ-500

On SIDE 1:
What More Can A Woman Do (P. Lee - D. Barbour)
I'd Rather Have A Memory Than A Dream (L. Feather - J. Russel)
Mean To Me (R.Turk - F. Ahlert)
Signing Off (L. Feather - J. Russel)
East Of The Sun (B. Bowman)
Interlude (D. Gillespie - Paparelli - Leveen)

On SIDE 2:
Bouncy (Rosenkrantz - Jones - Cavanaugh)
What's The Matter Now (Clyde Hart)
Continental Blues ((E. Hall)
Heard But Not Seen (B. Johnson - J.C. Heard)
Bouncing For Barney (G. Treadwell - J.C. Heard
Bouncy and Blues At Dawn also appear on Side 2 of Plymouth P-12-155.

Plymouth P-12-155

On SIDE 1:
This release lists on SIDE 1:
Look Here ((Cole - Thomas - Hart)
Take It Back ( Cole - Thomas - Hart)
Comes The Don (Thomas - Cole - Byas)
Bouncy (Rosenkrantz - Jones - Cavanaugh)
Blues At Dawn (Rosenkrantz - Jones - Cavanaugh)
The Drag (Thomas - Cole - Byas)

On SIDE 2:
Saul (H. Sandy)
Squint Look (H. Sandy)
Diggin' Chick (H. Sandy)
Stick Around (H. Sandy)
Fand And Sand (H. Sandy)
Black Rose Blues (Carels - Fennis)

Masterseal MSLP 5013: Sarah Vaughan, Dizzy Gillespie, Red Norvo, Cozy Cole, Charlie Ventura, Dorothy Donegan, Coleman Hawkins, Don Byas.	Masterseal MSLP 55: Sarah Vaughan with some of the selections from Masterseal MS-5013 and Remington RJ-500.

Masterseal MSLP 5013

On SIDE 1:
Mean To Me (R.Turk - F. Ahlert)
Bouncy (Rosenkrantz - Jones - Cavanaugh)
Blues At Dawn (Rosenkrantz - Jones - Cavanaugh)
What (Don Byas)
Every Bit (Dizzy Gillespie)
Rose Noir (H. Carels)

On SIDE 2:
Comes The Don (Thomas - Cole - Byas)
Beat Bounce (Red Norvo)
Cravin' (Hen Gates)
Kilroy Was Here (Dorothy Donogan)
Edna (Sabby Lewis)
Swinging the Blue (Eddie South)

"Sarah Vaughan Sings Sweet and Sultry" was a later release on Masterseal MS-55:

On SIDE 1
Mean to me - Sarah Vaughan with Charlie Parker, Flip Phillips, Dizzy Gillespie, Bill De Aranzo, Max Roach, Curley Russell, Nat Jaffe
Bouncy - Red Norvo, Timmie Rosenkrantz, Charlie Ventura, Harry Carney, Johnny Bothwell, Otto Hardwick, Jimmy Jones, Specs Powell and John Levy.
Blues at Dawn - (the same group)
What - Rubber Legs Williams singing in the old tradition of Bessie Smith, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Don Byas, Trummie Young,
Every Bit - (same group)
Rose Noire - H. Carel's combo

On SIDE 2:
Comes the Don - Coleman Hawkins, Don Byas, Hank D'Amico, Charlie Shavers, Tiny Grimes, Slam Stewart, Johnny Garnieri, Cozy Cole
Beat Bounce - Same artists as for Bouncy and Blues at Down
Cravin - Hen Gates' Combo
Kilroy was Here - Dorothy Donegan
Edna - Sabby Lewis band
Swinging the Blues - Eddie South, Hank Jones, Leonard Garkin

Dizzie Gillespie (at left, with glasses), Don Byas and Sarah Vaughan together again, but now in Paris, 1953. (Picture taken from the French Vogue double Lp DP15 "Memorial" Don Byas.)

Bell For Norvo and Jingle Bells by the Slam Stewart Orchestra, together with Swinging the Blues and Eddie's Blues by Eddie South Trio, were released on a 45 rpm disc.

Since "The" All Star Jazzband was led by Dizzy Gillespie and also by Cozy Cole and on other occasions by Leonard Feather, some of the same material can be found on Plymouth P-12-155, but then the names of Red Norvo, Don Byas and Clyde Hart are explicitly mentioned. Clyde Hart died at the age of thirty five on March 19th, 1945.

Mark Conlan wrote that there is another Continental LP, called "Hot and Cozy". There is no listing of it in the 1950 editions of Schwann Catalog.

On SIDE 1: six recordings by Oran "Hot Lips" Page
The Lady in Bed
Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You
Big 'D' Blues
They Raided the Joint
Corsicana (an instrumental named after Page's home town)
Sunset Blues

On SIDE 2: has four selections led by Cozy Cole and two by Red Norvo:
Look Here
Take It on Back
Comes the Don
Beat Bounce")
Bouncy
Blues at Dawn.

Anthony Barnett's book on Eddie South. Below TRIP Jazz TLP-5803 with a selection of earlier recordings made by the Dark Angel of the Fiddle in 1937.

Eddie South specialist Anthony Barnett told me that the appearance of a title does not necessarily mean that on shellac and vinyl the same take was used. For example: Eddie’s Blues and Twelve O’Clock At Night are different takes on 78 and LP. But Swinging the Blues is the same take on 78 RPM and LP. I can’t Give You Anything but Love was only released on 78 RPM, not on Lp. I have not yet found out on which LPs these were released. However, all the Ethel Waters takes are the same on 78 RPM and on LP.

Editions of Schwann Long Playing Record Catalog from the early nineteen fifties mention these Continental LPs, later released on Remington:
CLP 16004 - Charlie Parker: Bird Live with Sarah Vaughan
CLP 16005 - Red Norvo: Mainstream Jazz
CLP 16008 - Ethel Waters sings with Heard

Rudolf A. Bruil. Page first published March 6th, 2001, and updated since.

Black and White Photographs of Ella Fitzgerald, Slam Stewart, Eddie South and Sarah Vaughan courtesy William P. Gottlieb