Blue Steele And His Orchestra - Washington And Lee Swing

Blue Steele And His Orchestra play "Washington And Lee Swing", one of the band's hottest sides. After cheering the Washington and Lee University football team on, the band flips into "Tiger Rag" mode, upping the tempo and playing a string of fine solos, followed by a great ensemble passage with the front line cutting loose, before returning to the football chanting. Blue Steele signs off with "sounded kinda raw to me".

This side was recorded in Memphis by Victor engineers using portable electrical recording equipment, during one of the company's "road trips". The venue was the Memphis Auditorium, a large building located at 255 North Main Street, later renamed the Ellis Auditorium. Built in 1924, it served as a concert hall, convention centre and athletic arena. The previous Victor session at the venue that day recorded four numbers by the Memphis Jug Band.

Blue Steele was quite a character! Born Eugene Charles Staples on March 11, 1897 in Salem, Arkansas, he may have acquired the name Blue Steele after having had a metal plate fitted as a result of being shot in the First World War, though it is difficult to determine what is fact and what is fiction when it comes to Blue Steele's colourful life and career. He was certainly known for his mercurial temper. He was once so angry with his own band that he drove off with all the instruments and arrangements half way through an engagement. It's also claimed that he killed an A & R man in Atlanta in the 1940s. He eventually retired as a bandleader in the 1950s to run a chicken farm.…or so it's said! He died on July 1st, 1971.

"Washington And Lee Swing" was written in 1910 and quickly became the "fight" (sports team) song of the Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia. It was later adopted by other US universities.

BLUE STEELE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Blue Steele, ?trombone, directing: Sam Goble and Goof Morrison - trumpets / Ole Hoel - trombone / John Langley - alto sax, clarinet / Kenny Sargent - alto sax, baritone sax, clarinet / Pete Schmidt - tenor sax, clarinet / Sol Lewis - piano / Ted Delmarter - banjo / Marvin Longfellow - brass bass, arranger / Henry Cody - drums

Recorded in Memphis, February 13th, 1928

41892-3…….Washington And Lee Swing…….Victor 21262