Search - Marion Harris :: The Complete Victor Releases

	Marion Harris The Complete Victor Releases Genres: Blues, Jazz, Special Interest, Pop, Broadway & Vocalists Between 1916 and 1919, Marion Harris was the first female vocalist to record songs with "jazz" and "blues" in their titles. Performing the songs of African-American songwriters such as Creamer and Layton, Harris represents... more » « less
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CD Details

All Artists: Marion Harris
Title: The Complete Victor Releases
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Archeophone Records
Original Release Date: 2/24/2005
Release Date: 2/24/2005
Genres: Blues, Jazz, Special Interest, Pop, Broadway & Vocalists
Styles: Vocal Blues, Vocal Jazz, Nostalgia, Oldies, Vocal Pop
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPCs: 777215104600, 077721510460

Synopsis

Album Description

Between 1916 and 1919, Marion Harris was the first female vocalist to record songs with "jazz" and "blues" in their titles. Performing the songs of African-American songwriters such as Creamer and Layton, Harris represents a pivotal moment in recording history, when ragtime and jazz met up. When she returned in 1927 to the label where she began her career, Marion Harris brought a new and understated style of singing to bear on hits that would become tomorrow's classics. Now in its second edition, this collection of Marion Harris' songs has been completely remastered and features a bonus track, a rejected take of one of Ms. Harris' best-known songs, "When Alexander Takes His Ragtime Band to France." The accompanying notes have been expanded to 20 pages, featuring several rare illustrations and new revelations about Marion's early life. Archeophone proves again why they are the leaders in reissuing acoustic-era material.

CD Reviews

22 Pieces of American musical history

F. Behrens | Keene, NH USA | 03/15/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
Once upon a time there was a fetching comedienne named Marion Harris whose name was well known to vaudeville audiences and record collectors, but it strikes no bells today. This was a serious loss until one of my favorite "bring back the golden oldies" companies, Archeophone, brought out 22 of her recordings on "Marion Harris: the Complete Victor Releases" (ARCH 5001A).

It seems she did not have a very good voice but what she had was just right for songs like "I Ain't Got Nobody Much," "They Go Wild, Simply Wild, Over Me," "I Wonder Why" (a very early Jerome Kern show tune), and "When Alexander Takes His Ragtime Band to France." What made her really interesting is that she was possibly the first white female performer to popularize songs and lyrics written by black artists such as Henry Creamer and J. Turner Layton.

As is true with many of the Archeophone compilations of music recorded at this time, there is some "racially derogatory language." What is one to make of a line that says a black will be a hero in wartime because his color will not run? This was meant as a high compliment-but is of course an embarrassment today. Still, as Archeophone said about an earlier release, we cannot ignore the sins of the past if it means suppressing historical material such as that on this CD. I would like to hear your comments on this subject.

The booklet is loaded with all sorts of background material and photographs about the singer and the songs, including "Victor Supplements," printed comments that the Victor company included with the original discs. Fascinating.

"