The House Is Too Damn Quiet

I took Walker Evans to the Brighton Eggert Animal Clinic to have a dental procedure (serious teeth cleaning of tartar) and a check of a growth on his stomach this morning.
He came through the dental procedure fine so far and is coming out of the anesthesia, and the growth is apparently not cancerous, so we are happy at the moment but won't be too happy until Val and I have our pup home.
It was strange not having him barking, walking, coming up to me for petting or to be let outside today, so hopefully, things will be back to normal soon.

Just What I Need, More Social Media

Yes, I took yet another leap today and created a Twitter account for myself. You can connect with me and read all of the self-important comments I have and will make at @kjhosey.
We'll see if this is as enlightening and fun as it has been made out to be, or if no one cares what I have to say in 140 characters or less.

Inside Fats Waller

As I wrote last week, my late father Edward's record collection featured two albums with covers stating they contained music by Fats Waller, but neither contains any actual Fats Waller music. While I was at my mother Sheila's house earlier today, I found them to check their contents.
Both albums are called "'Fats' Waller Favorites," a "Victor Musical Smart Set," and have a painting of a close up of Waller's face and part of his left hand on their covers.
The first one contains these records: Jazz at the Philharmonic, Volume 4, "Lester Leaps In," Part 2, b/w "Lester Leaps In," Part 3, Disc New York 6026. The musicians listed are Jack McVea and Illinois Jacquet, saxophone; J.J. Johnson, trombone; Shorty Nadine, piano; Johnny Miller, bass; Les Paul, guitar, and Lee Young, drums. Also, "Wild Bill" Davison and His Commodores with Edmund Hall, "Baby Won't You Please Come Home," b/w "At the Jazz Band Ball," Commodore C 575, and by the same performers, "Clarinet Marmalade," b/w "Original Dixieland One-Step," Commodore 549; George Brunis and His Jazz Band, "Ugly Chile," b/w "That Da Da Strain," Commodore 546.
The other album features four records by Tommy Dorsey in various groupings: Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra, "A Friend of Yours," b/w "There's No You," Victor 20-1657; Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra, "There You Go," b/w "Boogie Woogie," Victor 20-1715; Tommy Dorsey and His Clambake Seven, "Sweet Eileen," b/w "There's No One But You," RCA Victor 20-1866; Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra, "Until," b/w "After Hour Stuff," RCA Victor 20-3061.
Some of this disorganized organization from my dad is surprising; from his days in the U.S. Army Security Agency, he was always closely-scripted and orderly to the point of being anal. I wish I could have talked to him more about his record collection before he died. Some day, I will write about some of his musical loves, especially Stan Kenton.

Another Great Record Find

Sometimes, the most enjoyable parts of searching through and sorting my late father Edward's record collection are the surprises I find.
Recently, I found a plain blue book-like holder containing 12 records, with no writing on the outside or the inside. Finding out which records were inside was like a trip through a music history book.
From front to back, these are the records I found: Jo Stafford and Gordon MacRae and the Starlighters with Orchestra, "My Darling, My Darling," b/w "Girls Were Made to take Care of Boys," Capitol Records 15270; Benny Goodman and His Orchestra, "Stompin' at the Savoy," b/w "Don't Be That Way," RCA Victor 20-1549; Artie Shaw and His Gramercy 5, "Summit Ridge Drive," b/w "Cross Your Heart," Victor (RCA) 26763; Johnny Hodges and His Orchestra, "Passion Flower," b/w "Going Out the Back Way," Bluebird (RCA) 30-0817; the Mills Brothers, "You Always Hurt the One You Love, " b/w "Till Then," Decca 23930; Erskine Hawkins and His Orchestra, "Remember," b/w "Tippin' In," Victor (RCA) 20-1639.
Also, Duke Ellington and His Orchestra, "Mood Indigo," b/w "Wall Street Wail," Brunswick 80003; Harry James and His Orchestra, "Love and the Weather," b/w "Forgiving You," Columbia 37588; The Three Suns, "Twilight Time," b/w "It's Dawn Again," Majestic 1027; Ken Griffin at the Organ, "You Can't Be True, Dear," b/w "Cuckoo Waltz," Rondo R-128; Bob Haggart and Ray Bauduc, "Big Noise from Winnetka," b/w Bob Crosby and His Orchestra, "Honky Tonk Train," Decca 25117; Charlie Barnet and His Orchestra, "Caravan," b/w "Darktown Strutter's Ball," Apollo 1070.
I am familiar with almost every artist and with most of the songs, and there are three records here, those by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra, the Mills Brothers and Duke Ellington and His Orchestra, that all but make my heart stop and cause my eyes to widen and mouth to hang open. I am too nervous and not yet in possession of the proper gloves to take these records out of their sleeves and individually hold just yet. It is also fascinating to read the musicians listed on several of the records.
This, folks, is part of the joy of being a music geek.

Record Madness

Since my mother Sheila moved into assisted living last year, my sister Heather and I have been working on various projects to get the house ready for sale and to make as much money for our mother as possible.
One of my main jobs is to try to arrange, place in order and/or classify my late father Edward's record collection; this collection dates back to his first purchases from the 1940s (Frank Sinatra, Stan Kenton, tons of other vocalists and big bands), as well as some from earlier that he obtained through various methods (including some Fats Waller, Pete Johnson, tons of opera and show tunes and other jazz).
As I have worked on this, one main concern/problem that many of you readers who have worked with record collections in one way or another for years have also come across has been the actual identity of the records. That means not only making sure something is a first edition, but also the larger and more time-consuming concern of "is the record in the jacket/container the same one the jacket itself states?"
I have almost too many examples to mention, but here are a few: my father has two of the same Fats Waller compilation folding holders, each containing four 78s, but neither one contains any actual Fats Waller records. He does have a few Fats Waller records elsewhere in his collection, none from these jackets.
I also have right in my lap a dark blue record jacket with silver writing, containing a Capitol Records logo with the nation's Capitol Building and the words "Long Playing" underneath it, with the title "Music Out of the Moon: Music Unusual Featuring the Theremin;" apparently, the number is H2000. On the back, the notes state that "Harry Revel created the basic 'idea' and themes, while Leslie Baxter, arranger and conductor, has given them appropriately unique tone color..." The Theremin itself on this recording is played by Dr. Samuel J. Hoffman, and the song titles are "Lunar Rhapsody," "Moon Moods," "Lunette," "Celestial Nocturne," "Mist O' the Moon" and "Radar Blues." My research shows that this 33 1/3 RPM record, or at least jacket, is a 1950 reissue of the 1947 original release.
So, what is my concern/problem? The record inside this very cool and fascinating jacket is "Andre Kostelanetz and his Orchestra in Eight All-Time Hits," Columbia Masterworks ML2106. The songs are "One of Those Things," "If There Is Someone Lovelier Than You," "Frenesi" and "The Very Thought of You," b/w "I'll Follow My Secret Heart," "You and the Night and the Music," "Beautiful Love" and "Carousel Waltz."
On the other hand, I also have in my lap "The King Cole Trio," again on Capitol Records, a four-record, eight-song album (Album A-8) with a very nice red, yellow, grey, black and white cover released in 1944. Inside are the actual four records that are supposed to be here: "Sweet Lorraine" b/w "Embraceable You," "Prelude in C Sharp Minor" b/w "What Is This Thing Called Love?" "It's Only a Paper Moon" b/w "Easy Listenin' Blues" and "The Man I Love" b/w "Body and Soul."
I have to admit that it is a very enjoyable concern/problem to have to go through my father's records, and one no doubt I'll be writing about more as it continues.

I'm Available to Work

Unfortunately, as some of you know, I rejoined the ranks of the involuntarily unemployed recently, and no longer work for the nonprofit agency I had worked for since October.
So, yes, I am searching for a new full-time job, as well as once again picking up my efforts to obtain freelance writing assignments and freelance proofreading, copy editing and research/writing assignments. I have a couple of writing opportunities I am working on, and again, am available for writing, proofreading and editing, and no job is too small to consider.
So, if you are looking for an experienced, award winning freelance writer, proofreader and copy editor, please feel free to contact me at kjhosey@roadrunner.com. Also, if you want a copy of my resume, feel free to contact me and ask for it. Thanks.