The first part of this post focused on Leonid Utesov, who can be considered as the most popular Soviet singer of the 30's. This second part introduces the pianist and composer Alexander Tsfasman (Александр Цфасман). Both of them are the most emblematic artists of The Golden Age of Soviet Jazz, which reached its peak in the mid … Continue reading The Golden Age of Soviet Jazz (2/2) : Alexander Tsfasman (Александр Цфасман) on 78 rpm record
The golden age of Soviet Jazz (1/2) : Leonid Utesov (Леонид Утёсов) on 78 rpm record
You might remember that I posted a few weeks ago this unexpected Russian version of La Cucaracha and wrote about the funny way I managed to find some 78 rpm records in Armenia. Here are two other interesting recordings from the late 40's... To be honest, I didn't know anything about music of USSR before … Continue reading The golden age of Soviet Jazz (1/2) : Leonid Utesov (Леонид Утёсов) on 78 rpm record
Orquesta Típica Bianco-Bachicha – Angustia (Tango) on 78 rpm record
Even though Buenos-Aires is the birthplace of Tango, Paris played a major role in the history of this dance and musical style. To be more precise, Paris was one the place where Tango evolved from a controversial subculture to a popular and "respectable" artistic movement. Since its appearance in the second half of the 19th … Continue reading Orquesta Típica Bianco-Bachicha – Angustia (Tango) on 78 rpm record
Zé e Zilda – Olha o côco Sinhá (Samba) on 78 rpm record
I bought this record a few days ago in a very nice place called "La Phonogalerie", a huge shop devoted to phonographs and 78 rpm records located in the north of Paris, near Montmartre. I found a few Brazilian records there, mostly samba songs of the early 50's. My favourite one, "Olha o côco Sinhá" … Continue reading Zé e Zilda – Olha o côco Sinhá (Samba) on 78 rpm record
Watanabe Hamako – Shina No Yoru (China night / She Ain’t Got No Yoyo) on 78 rpm record
I listen to this record quite often, but I only discovered recently that this song called Shina No Yoru (支那の夜, which means "China night") had a special and controversial story. It was actually not so easy to find out who was its original performer, so that I had to make several researches to make this … Continue reading Watanabe Hamako – Shina No Yoru (China night / She Ain’t Got No Yoyo) on 78 rpm record
Alphonso et son orchestre typique antillais – Oye, mes z’amis… on 78 rpm record
This track called "Oye, mes z'amis..." is a samba performed by Louis-Jean Alphonse, aka Aljean and Alphonso, and his orchestra. I didn't find a lot of information about this musician, who was born in 1905 in Martinique, a French island in the Caribbean Sea. According to this short biography, Alphonso started playing the piano in … Continue reading Alphonso et son orchestre typique antillais – Oye, mes z’amis… on 78 rpm record
Ivo Robić – Tajna, a cover of Nat King Cole, on 78 rpm record
Aktivista, who is the author of the blog Sa Starog Gramofona, asked me this morning (see his comment here) to post the other side of Ivo Robić's record. Here it is ! This one is called "Tajna" and is much more jazzy than yesterday's song Domino. Don't hesitate to post comments if you have additional … Continue reading Ivo Robić – Tajna, a cover of Nat King Cole, on 78 rpm record
Ivo Robić – Domino on 78 rpm record (1952)
I bought this record in 2007 in Ljubljana, capital city of Slovenia. Domino is a French song, originally performed in 1950 by André Claveau (lyrics by Jacques Plante and music by Louis Ferrari). This version is a cover of 1952 by Croatian singer and songwriter Ivo Robić. The record was released on Jugoton, the main label … Continue reading Ivo Robić – Domino on 78 rpm record (1952)
A Russian version of La Cucaracha (Кукарачча) on 78 rpm record
In the summer of 2007, I spent a few weeks travelling in Armenia. Finding some records there was not so easy... At the end of my journey in the capital city Yerevan, I went to the antiques market and spent two hours searching everywhere and asking and asking again if there was anyone selling records. … Continue reading A Russian version of La Cucaracha (Кукарачча) on 78 rpm record
Zhou Xuan (周璇) – The flower on my chest (襟上一朵花) on 78 rpm record
I bought this 78 rpm record in 2008 in the antique market of Chengdu, in China. This sweet jazzy stuff was performed in the early 40's by famous Chinese actress and singer Zhou Xuan (more information here), who was one of the most popular artist in the last years of the pre-communist era in China. … Continue reading Zhou Xuan (周璇) – The flower on my chest (襟上一朵花) on 78 rpm record
Ceints de bakélite 