Sissle & Blake's
Shuffle Along of 1950
Continuing with Harbinger Records’ acclaimed series of CDs devoted to jazz pianist, composer, Broadway songwriter, and black music pioneer Eubie Blake, we proudly present the original demo to the proposed Broadway musical Shuffle Along of 1950.
Harbinger’s recording of Sissle and Blake singing the score to the original production of Shuffle Along won the 2017 Grammy Award for its brilliant liner notes by Richard Carlin and Ken Bloom, authors of an upcoming biography of Eubie Blake published by Oxford University Press. They’ve repeated the assignment with liner notes for this recording of Shuffle Along of 1950 and tell the fascinating story of the production and its eventual premiere on Broadway as Shuffle Along of 1952. It’s a story of great highs and the lowest of lows: a tale that both Broadway acolytes and jazz fans will find fascinating.
The 1921 all-black musical comedy Shuffle Along was the most successful Broadway show of its time. The score contained the future standards “I’m Just Wild About Harry” and “Love Will Find a Way.” It marked the emergence of a new black musical theater. It desegregated theaters in New York and across the country. Years later in 1950, songwriters Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle devised a revision of their original hit and made an acetate recording to interest potential backers. This recording contains narration by lyricist Noble Sissle explaining the plot of the new show. Several of the songs from the original Shuffle Along are included, as are new songs written especially for this production by Sissle and Blake. Later, others augmented the score and their songs are also included.
Also included as bonus tracks is a remaster of the only surviving acetate of a historical “Tribute to Ruth King.” Ruth King was a famed Cleveland DJ who celebrated black musicians. Notables as Sissle and Blake and the legendary W.C. Handy, composer of “St. Louis Blues” play for Ms. King.
TRACKS
All songs played by Eubie Blake
All narration and vocals by Noble Sissle unless otherwise indicated
1. Introduction
2. “Election Day”
3. Intro of track 4
4. “My Platform of Swing”
5. Intro of track 6 0:24
6. “Love Will Find a Way”: Charlotte Holloman and Laverne Hutchinson
7. Intro of track 8
8. “Boogie Woogie Beguine”
9. Intro of track 10
10. “Mirandy (That Gal O’Mine) / In Honeysuckle Time”
11. Intro to track 12
12. “Two Hearts in Tune”: Charlotte Holloman and Laverne Hutchinson
13. “If You’ve Never Been Vamped by a Brownskin”
14. Intro to track 14
15. “Gypsy Blues”
16. Intro to track 16
17. “Bandana Days”
18. Musical Interlude
19. “Ain’t You Comin’ Back Mary Ann to Maryland?”
20. Intro of track 19
21. “Shuffle Along”
22. Intro of track 21
23. “The Apple Jack”
24. Intro of track 23
25. “Alone with Love”: Charlotte Holloman and Laverne Hutchinson
26. Intro to track 25
27. “I’m Craving for That Kind of Love”
28. Intro of track 27
29. “Underneath the Swanee Moon”: Noble Sissle and Charlotte Holloman
30. Intro of track 29
31. “If You’ve Never Been Vamped by a Brownskin”
32. “Ain’t You Comin’ Back to Maryland, Mary Ann?”
33. Medley of Cultural Backgrounds
34. “I’m Just Wild About Harry”: Noble Sissle and Charlotte Holloman
35. Closing remarks
TRIBUTE TO RUTH KING
All piano by Eubie Blake unless otherwise indicated
36. Introduction by Noble Sissle
37. “St. Louis Blues”: W.C. Handy (vocal and trumpet)
38. “Bandana Days” and “I’m Just Wild About Harry”: Sissle and Blake
39. Piano Improvisation: Eubie Blake
40. “It’s a Hit”: Madeline Greene
41. “Memories of You”: Billy Banks
42. “I’ve Got a Shooting Box in Scotland” and “Just One of Those Things”: Ruth King (piano): Music and lyrics by Cole Porter
Purchase now on Amazon!
Harbinger’s recording of Sissle and Blake singing the score to the original production of Shuffle Along won the 2017 Grammy Award for its brilliant liner notes by Richard Carlin and Ken Bloom, authors of an upcoming biography of Eubie Blake published by Oxford University Press. They’ve repeated the assignment with liner notes for this recording of Shuffle Along of 1950 and tell the fascinating story of the production and its eventual premiere on Broadway as Shuffle Along of 1952. It’s a story of great highs and the lowest of lows: a tale that both Broadway acolytes and jazz fans will find fascinating.
The 1921 all-black musical comedy Shuffle Along was the most successful Broadway show of its time. The score contained the future standards “I’m Just Wild About Harry” and “Love Will Find a Way.” It marked the emergence of a new black musical theater. It desegregated theaters in New York and across the country. Years later in 1950, songwriters Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle devised a revision of their original hit and made an acetate recording to interest potential backers. This recording contains narration by lyricist Noble Sissle explaining the plot of the new show. Several of the songs from the original Shuffle Along are included, as are new songs written especially for this production by Sissle and Blake. Later, others augmented the score and their songs are also included.
Also included as bonus tracks is a remaster of the only surviving acetate of a historical “Tribute to Ruth King.” Ruth King was a famed Cleveland DJ who celebrated black musicians. Notables as Sissle and Blake and the legendary W.C. Handy, composer of “St. Louis Blues” play for Ms. King.
TRACKS
All songs played by Eubie Blake
All narration and vocals by Noble Sissle unless otherwise indicated
1. Introduction
2. “Election Day”
3. Intro of track 4
4. “My Platform of Swing”
5. Intro of track 6 0:24
6. “Love Will Find a Way”: Charlotte Holloman and Laverne Hutchinson
7. Intro of track 8
8. “Boogie Woogie Beguine”
9. Intro of track 10
10. “Mirandy (That Gal O’Mine) / In Honeysuckle Time”
11. Intro to track 12
12. “Two Hearts in Tune”: Charlotte Holloman and Laverne Hutchinson
13. “If You’ve Never Been Vamped by a Brownskin”
14. Intro to track 14
15. “Gypsy Blues”
16. Intro to track 16
17. “Bandana Days”
18. Musical Interlude
19. “Ain’t You Comin’ Back Mary Ann to Maryland?”
20. Intro of track 19
21. “Shuffle Along”
22. Intro of track 21
23. “The Apple Jack”
24. Intro of track 23
25. “Alone with Love”: Charlotte Holloman and Laverne Hutchinson
26. Intro to track 25
27. “I’m Craving for That Kind of Love”
28. Intro of track 27
29. “Underneath the Swanee Moon”: Noble Sissle and Charlotte Holloman
30. Intro of track 29
31. “If You’ve Never Been Vamped by a Brownskin”
32. “Ain’t You Comin’ Back to Maryland, Mary Ann?”
33. Medley of Cultural Backgrounds
34. “I’m Just Wild About Harry”: Noble Sissle and Charlotte Holloman
35. Closing remarks
TRIBUTE TO RUTH KING
All piano by Eubie Blake unless otherwise indicated
36. Introduction by Noble Sissle
37. “St. Louis Blues”: W.C. Handy (vocal and trumpet)
38. “Bandana Days” and “I’m Just Wild About Harry”: Sissle and Blake
39. Piano Improvisation: Eubie Blake
40. “It’s a Hit”: Madeline Greene
41. “Memories of You”: Billy Banks
42. “I’ve Got a Shooting Box in Scotland” and “Just One of Those Things”: Ruth King (piano): Music and lyrics by Cole Porter
Purchase now on Amazon!
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