South African Blues - State Street Ramblers - 1931 Champion 78rpm

Here is some great early depression era Jazz played by the State Street Ramblers, a group that consisted of some of the great Black Blues artists of the day, including Jimmy Blythe, and Johnny and Baby Dodds among others. The selection is South African Blues, composed by Melrose and recorded on Champion in 1931. The Victrola is a Victor Orthophonic era Model VV-190 Victrola.

[@Henry24542]

The actual personnel playing here is as follows: - Alfred Bell, kazoo and washboard; Darnell Howard, alto sax; Roy Palmer, trombone, Jimmy Blythe, piano and Ed Hudson, banjo and speech. The song, South African Blues, is a renamed Beale Street Mama by Roy Turk and J. Russell Robinson published in 1923.

[@damienkobain2989]

Great clear sounding record. Love the trombone on this

[@RalphDratman]

It is a continuing wonder how good these records sound.

[@brucebelcher4995]

I believe that this was the 2nd to last recording session of the legendary Jimmy Blythe before his untimely death, due to spinal meningitis.

[@guywalker29]

Nothing worse for a shellac record to be subjected to cactus, or any other organic needle. And here's why. When the disc spins, heat from friction of organic material is adhered to the burs that vibrate the needle. No solution will remove the microscopic adhesions that make more surface noise every time you apply the cactus or wood needle to the disc.

[@victrolaman]

I have never had a problem with these bamboo needles. No effect to surface noise or anything else for that matter. The proof is in the use and in the subsequent playing. It simply does not happen as you attest .

[@guywalker29]

Get a microscope, you'll see the little bumps in there. You don't hear it because you use a gramophone, but if you were to take that record and play it with my diamond stylus and high end equipment after I played a minty copy of the same record you'd be taken aback. Us classical listeners, collectors know to avoid English HMV discs sticking to RCA as the Brits used organic needles exclusively. Suit yourself, but every time you run one of those pieces of bamboo through your record, you leave organic residue behind.

[@victrolaman]

Fact of the matter is this. I also have a new equipment on which I play the same records as well, after having played the with the Gramophones (for the historical effect) and there is in fact no difference or negative effect AT ALL. I do not need any microscope, I use good old fashion listening power and common sense to know what I am saying is true. Suit yourself though, and buy all the fancy equipment you like. I love the old time sound equipment to play these records, which is historically correct for this era. Thank you for your suggestion though, and thank you for watching.

[@guywalker29]

Not a suggestion from me, I am merely sharing a simple fact. Common sense might have been great for Thomas Paine, but science has proven that organic needles disturb grooves for said reasons. It is why they were never popular in the U.S. I hope some visitors here get the message.

[@victrolaman]

@@guywalker29 If they were not popular, why did Victor buy out the original inventor of the Fibre Needle, the B&H Company and begin making Fiber needles and selling them to their Customers and even changing their stylus opening on all of their Reproducers to accomodate both regular Steel Needles as well as the Fiber Needles that the continued to manufacture. Even Columbia sold them and also made a fiber needle Cutter along with Victor to repoint them. Amazing, but you of course claim They were never popular.