By Tony Russell, Thieu Van DeVorst
SESSIONS
26 April 1927 Gennett Recording Studio, Starr Piano Company Building, Whitewater Gorge Park, Richmond, In – Taylor‘s Kentucky Boys (Jim Booker [fiddle], Marion Underwood [banjo]. Willie Young [gt])
001 G12741-A GRAY EAGLE 6130 15315 Silvertone 5082 8183 Supertone 9170 / LP 45003 Yazoo 2200 JSP 77130
002 G12742 FORKED DEER 6130 15300 Silvertone 5082 8183 Supertone 9170 Challenge 302/LP 501 Historical 8003 LP 45003 Yazoo 2200 JSP 77130
COUNTY LP 501 MOUNTAIN FIDDLE MUSIC VOL.1 (1964); HISTORICAL 8003 TRADITIONAL COUNTRY CLASSICS 1927/1929 (1968); MORNING STAR LP 45003 WINK THE OTHER EYE (1980); YAZOO 2200 KENTUCKY MOUNTAIN MUSIC (2003, 7CD); JSP 77130 GENNETT OLDTIME MUSIC (UK, 2010, 4CD)
26 April 1927 Gennett Recording Studio, Starr Piano Company Building, Whitewater Gorge Park, Richmond, In – Marion Underwood and Sam Harris [1]/ Aulton Ray [2] (Jim Booker [fiddle-3], Marion Underwood [vcl-5/banjo]. Willie Young [gt], ? [harmonica-4], Sam Harris [vcl-6], Aulton Ray [vcl-7])
003 G12743-A LITTLE RED CABOOSE BEHIND THE TRAIN [1] -4,5-6 6155 15297 Challenge 334 Herwin 75549
004 G12744-A THE DIXIE COWBOY 6177 15277 [2] -7 Silvertone 5084 8150 Supertone 9250 Challenge 335 Superior 385 Herwin 75552/Yazoo 2022-2023 2200
005 G12745-A JUST AS THE SUN WENT DOWN [1] -4,5,6 6177 15316 Silvertone 5091 8148 Supertone 9248 Challenge 334 Herwin 75549
006 G12746 PICTURES FROM LIFE'S OTHER SIDE [1] -4,5,6 6155 15316 Silvertone 5091 8148 Supertone 9248 Challenge 393
007 G12747 SOLDIER'S JOY [2] -3,7 6205/ LP 45003 Yazoo 2200
008 G12748-A MAXWELL GIRL [2] -3,7 6205 15332 Silvertone 5084 8150 Supertone 9250 Challenge 335 Herwin 75550/ Yazoo 2200
YAZOO 2022/2023 WHEN I WAS A COWBOY VOL.1/2 (1996, 2CD)
27 April 1927 Gennett Recording Studio, Starr Piano Company Building, Whitewater Gorge Park, Richmond, In – Aulton Ray (Aulton Ray [vcl/gt])
009 G12749-A TRUE AND TREMBLING BRAKEMAN 6129 15277 Challenge 269 Superior 385 Herwin 75552 Bell 1186
010 G12750 WILL YOU LOVE ME WHEN I'M OLD AND GREY 6129 15332 Challenge 269 Herwin 75550
27 April 1927 Gennett Recording Studio, Starr Piano Company Building, Whitewater Gorge Park, Richmond, In – Marion Underwood (Marion Underwood [banjo], prob. Willy Young [gt])
011 G12753 COAL CREEK MARCH 6240 Silvertone 5080 8181 Supertone 9167/LP 515 Yazoo 2200 CO-CD-3533 JSP 7780 JSP 77130
COUNTY LP 515 MOUNTAIN BANJO SONGS AND TUNES (1968); YAZOO 2200 KENTUCKY MOUNTAIN MUSIC (2003, 7CD); COUNTY CO-CD-3533 OLDTIME MOUNTAIN BANJO (2005); JSP 7780 SERENADE IN THE MOUNTAINS (UK, 2006, 4CD); JSP 77130 GENNETT OLDTIME MUSIC (UK, 2010, 4CD)
27 August 1927 Gennett Recording Studio, Starr Piano Company Building, Whitewater Gorge Park, Richmond, In – Taylor‘s Kentucky Boys (Jim Booker [fiddle], Doc Roberts [fiddle], John Booker [gt])
012 G13044-A TURKEY IN THE STRAW rejected
013 G13045-A OLD HEN CACKLED AND THE ROOSTER CROWED rejected
014 G13046-A SOURWOOD MOUNTAIN Silvertone 8179 Supertone 9165/ Yazoo 2200 JSP 77130
27 August 1927 Gennett Recording Studio, Starr Piano Company Building, Whitewater Gorge Park, Richmond, IN – Marion Underwood (Marion Underwood [vcl/banjo-1], Jim Booker [fiddle], Doc Roberts [fiddle], Robert Steele [mandolin], John or Joe Booker [gt])
015 G13051 DOWN IN THE VALLEY rejected
016 G13052 LITTLE LOG CABIN IN THE LANE Challenge 331
017 G13053 THAT'S WHAT THE OLD BACHELOR'S MADE OF -1 Challenge 331
SINGLES
Gennett
6129 True And Trembling Brakeman / Will You Love Me When I'm Old And Grey
6130 Gray Eagle / Forked Deer
6155 Little Red Caboose Behind The Train / Pictures From Life's Other Side
6177 The Dixie Cowboy / Just As The Sun Went Down
6205 Soldier’s Joy / Maxwell Girl
6240 Coal Creek March / [Frank Jenkins]
Champion
15277 The Dixie Cowboy / True And Trembling Brakeman
15297 Little Red Caboose Behind The Train / [Price Goodson] – as by The Clinch Valley Boys
15300 Forked Deer / [Frank Jenkins] - as by Tennessee Travelers
15315 Gray Eagle / [Price Goodson] – as by Allen’s Creek Players
15316 Just As The Sun Went Down / Pictures From Life's Other Side – as by The Clinch Valley Boys
15332 Maxwell Girl / Will You Love Me When I'm Old And Grey
Silvertone
8179 Sourwood Mountain / [Doc Roberts] - as by Hill’s Virginia Mountainers
5080/8181 Coal Creek March / [Frank Jenkins] – as by Floyd Russell
5082/8183 Gray Eagle / Forked Deer
5084/8150 The Dixie Cowboy / Maxwell Girl
5091/8148 Just As The Sun Went Down / Pictures From Life's Other Side – as by The Clinch Valley Boys
Supertone
9165 Sourwood Mountain / [Doc Roberts] – as by Hill’s Virginia Mountainers
9167 Coal Creek March / [Frank Jenkins] – as by Floyd Russell
9170 Gray Eagle / Forked Deer
9248 Just As The Sun Went Down / Pictures From Life's Other Side – as by The Clinch Valley Boys
9250 The Dixie Cowboy / Maxwell Girl
Challenge
269 True And Trembling Brakeman / Will You Love Me When I'm Old And Grey
302 Forked Deer / [Short Creek Trio] – as by The Clinch Valley Boys
331 Little Log Cabin In The Lane / That's What The Old Bachelor's Made Of – as by Kenneth Borton
334 Little Red Caboose Behind The Train / Just As The Sun Went Down - as by Borton and Thompson
335 The Dixie Cowboy / Maxwell Girl – as by Charlie Prescott
393 Pictures From Life's Other Side / [Grayson and Whitter] - as by Borton and Lang
Herwin
75549 Little Red Caboose Behind The Train / Just As The Sun Went Down
75550 Maxwell Girl / Will You Love Me When I'm Old And Grey
75552 The Dixie Cowboy / True And Trembling Brakeman
Superior
385 The Dixie Cowboy / True And Trembling Brakeman
Bell
1186 True And Trembling Brakeman / [David Miller] – as by Carl Bunch
By attributing all of these recordings to "Taylor's Kenucky Boys" a confusion has been created. This is not a list of recordings for Gennett that were issued as by "Taylor's Kentucky Boys." Instead is a list of recordings made in April and August 1927 that contain musicians who appeared on the April and August sessions that Dennis Taylor brought to the Gennett studio to record for him, although some of these people made recordings that are not listed here. The only recordings that Gennett listed as Taylor's Kentucky Boys were Gray Eagle," and "Forked Deer" Recorded in 8/27/1927 and "Turkey in the straw," "Old hen crackled and the rooster crowed", and "Sourwood Mountain" which were recorded on August 27, 1927. All of these were instrumental pieces. All other pieces this group of musicians made were attributed to the name or working pseudonym of any vocalist no matter how brief his vocal such as Alton Ray's one verse on "Soldier Joy" in the April Sessions, with the exception of the Booker Orchestra recordings of August 27 1927. This has engendered misinformation that such a group existed as an independent non-recording band in Kentucky, an idea that has no support in fact. Taylor's may have been a device for Dennis Taylor to get a bigger share of instrumental tunes royalties. However, most of these recordings do not have "Taylor's Kentucky Boys" on their labels and were not registered as such by Gennett records.
ReplyDeleteTo be more precise this is a list of some of the white musicians as well as the three Booker Brothers and Robert Steele Taylor brought with him, since Sam Collins and perhaps other Black musicians who recorded for Taylor made recordings on these dates as well.
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