THOSE WACKY (and Hot!) GREY GULLS ( 1926-30)

AMERICAN GROOVES RADIO HOUR hosted by JOE LAURO

THERE WERE MANY SMALL INDEPENDENT RECORD LABELS COMPETING WITH THE BIG 5 ( COLUMBIA, VICTOR, BRUNSWICK, VOCALION & OKEH) BACK IN THE 1920S. GREY GULL RECORDS AND ITS' ASSOCIATED LABELS ( RADIEX, VAN DYKE, SUNRISE AND OTHERS) WERE BY FAR THE LEASE EXPENSIVE ( 25 CENTS) AND WORSE SOUNDING ( BEING PRESSED WITH A THIN SHELLAC COMPOUND LIKELY INCORPORATING SAND AND WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE!) - GREY GULL EMPLOYED A "HOUSE" BACKING BAND MADE UP OF SOME FINE MUSICIANS ( Mike Mosiello TRUMPET, Charlie Butterfield or Tommy Dorsey, TROMBONE / Andy Sannella REEDS AND STRINGS!, Charlie Magnante, ACCORDION / John Cali, BANJO/ George Hamilton Green XYLOPHONE , Joe Green, DRUMS, MARIMBA) WHICH RESULTED IN SOME FABULOUS JAZZ MIXED IN WITH THE USUAL DRECK! THERE ARE THE USUAL POP TUNES OF THE DAY AND MANY TUNES WRITTEN BY MOSSIELO TO AVOID HAVING TO PAY COPYRIGHTS ON BOTH SIDES OF RECORD RECORD!. SOME FABULOUS BLACK JAZZ MADE IT'S WAY TO THEIR STUDIOS BY THE LIKES OF J.C. JOHNSON, NICK NICHOLS AND CLIFF JACKSON. NOT TO MENTION THE OLD SCHOOL PHONOGRAPH SINGERS WHO RECORDED FOR EVERYONE BACK IN THE TEENS AND EARLY 20S BUT WHO WERE HEADING TOWARDS OBLIVION WHEN THEY GOT TO GREY GULL...

IN MY OPINION, WHEN GREY GULL CLOSED ITS' DOORS IN LATE 1930 PART OF THE NEW YORK BASED HOUSE BAND WENT A FEW BLOCKS OVER TO THE MAX FLEISCHER STUDIO WHERE THEY PROVIDED SOUND TRACKS FOR THE MANY EARLY BETTY BOOP, POPEYE AND TALKATOON CARTOONS! THE BAND ON THESE EARLY CARTOONS SOUNDS VERY SIMILAR TO THE GREUY GULL HOUSE BAND! ( RESEARCH RESEARCH!!!)

THIS SHOW WILL FEATURE A CROSS SECTION OF FUN GREY GULL SIDES!

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