专辑简介

Volume five in the complete recordings of the Norfolk Jazz and Jubilee Quartets opens with the last of their Paramount recordings, which were waxed in February 1929. After two years spent recording exclusively sacred material, they polished off a longstanding involvement with Paramount by cutting a pair of pleasantly secular titles, "Please Give Me Some of That" and "Oh What's the Matter Now." These sides mark the close of a productive working relationship that had existed since April of 1923 when the abruptly deceased James "Buddy" Butts had been replaced by tenor Norman "Crip" Harris. For nearly six years, the Norfolks had operated with Otto Tuston singing lead next to Harris, Delroy Hollins singing baritone, and the group's manager Len Williams holding everything together, as his excellent and often downright fascinating bass voice punctuated every turn of phrase. After February, 1929, the Norfolks ceased production until the middle of July, 1937, when a reconfigured quartet began recording for Decca using the old familiar adjustable (Jazz/Jubilee) name. By this time, Harris had assumed the position of lead vocalist with Raymond Smith singing second tenor, alongside baritone Melvin Coldten with Len Williams helming in the bass clef, as he had since the Norfolk Jazz began making records in 1921. While devotional airs like "You Got to Live So God Can Use You," "Didn't It Rain," and "My Feet Been Taken Out the Mirey Clay" are as satisfying and inspirational as ever, and it's a pleasure to hear this group work up regular everyday rhythm tunes like "Tell That Broad (You Came Too Late)," "Swinging That Blues," "Ha Ha Shout," and a return to that timeless query, "What's the Matter Now?"