TUESDAY

JUNE 28, 1927

A new addition to the Venuti-Lang trio brings Adrian Rollini, armed with a bass sax, goofus, and hot fountain pen, to the team for this OKeh records session. At this point, Venuti and Lang had adequate instrumentation to bring into play a formula for their music that they'd been toying with for a while. For the past four years, Joe and Eddie had been co-leading small groups in nightclubs and social events. In addition to the violin and guitar (and banjo), their group generally had a couple of horns and a rhythm section. The music was played exclusively for dancing; no charts were used as they relied on head arrangements for a repertoire of pop and ethnic numbers. At OKeh, Joe and Eddie had the opportunity to record their music and play jazz. (The "BLUE" groups they led on records never existed outside the recording studio). With this, their first group session, Joe and Eddie unveil a musical vision for their chamber jazz ensemble. They tackle jazz and pop songs and create a unique repertoire of original pieces arranged in a uniquely creative fashion so as not to detract from or prevent the music from swinging. Clever intros, outros, interludes, new harmonies, key changes, and breaks (solo and shared), in addition to utilizing a variety of instruments, only help to enhance performances that appear to be in a constant state of forward motion. By the 1930s, each record contained elements of pop music (plenty of melodies), jazz (improvised solos), and novelty (pizzicato and four-string violin, toy, and novelty instruments), which they sprinkled with humor and shaded with a variety of colors, textures, and rhythms.  

The instrumentation of the little band was unique. Once Venuti & Lang expanded to a trio by adding a piano (Eddie showing his mastery of working with a keyboard), it was natural to add a bass instrument (a tuba was out of the question; it didn't work with strings). An upright bass was considered, but they went with a saxophone (bass or baritone) instead. First and foremost, it gave them bottom. It also added another voice to the front line that could solo and enter into a musical dialog with Venuti's violin. Introducing the piano into the band altered Eddie's role, as did the saxophone(s) with Venuti. Joe welcomes the addition. He shares the front line with the saxophone, which inspires his solo, ensemble, and arranging talents. (It couldn't do anything less in the hands of Rollini and, eventually, Don Murray and Jimmy Dorsey). Rollini's bass sax weaves in and out of the ensemble seamlessly, going from bass chair to front line to ensemble and back in no particular order while utilizing the full range and qualities of the instrument. As for the musical arrangements, Joe and Eddie would often sketch out what they had in mind the night before, and then, at the next day's session, everyone would contribute to shaping the little chart. With a pool of collective talent as this, the Joe Venuti Blue Four (and subsequent Blue Five) dates brought to jazz the genre's first wind and string ensemble.

On a stool close to the microphone, Lang sets the tone with a jangling six-bar chord intro on KICKIN' THE CAT (Rollini's goofus picks up bars seven and eight). Venuti leads with support from the goofus on another harmony-based original (no melody) dominated by the sound of Eddie's guitar (and his extra thick bass string), laying down the chord progression. Joe and Eddie incorporate some early classical period salon music in the interlude.

BEATIN' THE DOG is a Jazz Me Blues/Original Dixieland One-Step jam tune. Rollini, on bass sax for the entire number, offers his typically brilliant bass/counter line/fill style, which never fails to deliver a tremendous boost to the ensemble. As for his bass sax solo, it's on par with anything Beiderbecke or Armstrong created in the era. Rollini, a child prodigy on piano, could play virtually any dance band instrument. He also could make toys sing, as he does with the goofus and the hot fountain pen.