Topic: Johnny St. Cyr

[Lastfirstface]

I love the sound of St. Cyr's Vega guitar-banjo on the Hot Fives records. His little bass run intro on Gut Bucket Blues is great, and his boom-chang back up on the vocal break of Heebie Jeebies really shows off his approach. "Play that thing Mister St Cyr!"

[uncle bud]

(I split this off the Who Is This? thread.)

Thanks for posting that Lastfirstface. It was listening to Heebie Jeebies that made me more curious about Johnny St. Cyr and I was going to ask whether anyone had any favourite recordings where he was highlighted or prominent. Heebie Jeebies and Gut Bucket Blues were the ones that came to mind for me.

[banjochris]

He plays great solos in Jelly Roll's "Black Bottom Stomp" and "The Chant," too. And of course there's always this:

[Lastfirstface]

In terms of Louis Amstrong Hot Fives and Sevens, he also sounds great backing Lonnie Johnson on his solos in "Savoy Blues," but he's a bit hard to hear under Lonnie on "Hotter Than That" and "I'm Not Rough."

Another recording of St Cyr that stands out to me is King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band's "Canal Street Blues". You can hear him chugging along under Johnny Dodd's clarinet and playing some slick little runs.

[Batson]

Here is more of the Lomax recordings: http://research.culturalequity.org/get-audio-ix.do?ix=recording&id=10602&idType=sessionId&sortBy=abc

Be sure to check out the second "unidentified guitar rag" (nr 16).

[uncle bud]

Here is more of the Lomax recordings: http://research.culturalequity.org/get-audio-ix.do?ix=recording&id=10602&idType=sessionId&sortBy=abc

Be sure to check out the second "unidentified guitar rag" (nr 16).

Thanks for pointing that out, Batson. And welcome to WC.

[uncle bud]

If anyone with the JSP set of Hot Fives and Sevens is looking for the discographical information (which the set doesn't include), there is a list online here: http://michaelminn.net/armstrong/index.php?section2

Chris, that's quite some Disney show.

[banjochris]

Chris, that's quite some Disney show.

Apparently St. Cyr played quite a bit at Disneyland -- his Wikipedia entry says he led a band there from 1961 until he died in '66 and I found this as well:
http://www.disneyhistoryinstitute.com/2011/03/dixieland-at-disneyland-at-dhi_20.html

Chris

[Rivers]

If anyone with the JSP set of Hot Fives and Sevens is looking for the discographical information (which the set doesn't include), there is a list online here: http://michaelminn.net/armstrong/index.php?section2

Cheers for that Andrew, it's a good accompaniment to the box set. I might just grab a copy of the webpages, since these things all too often disappear overnight.

[Lastfirstface]

Thanks for posting this. Great website.

If anyone with the JSP set of Hot Fives and Sevens is looking for the discographical information (which the set doesn't include), there is a list online here: http://michaelminn.net/armstrong/index.php?section2

Cheers for that Andrew, it's a good accompaniment to the box set. I might just grab a copy of the webpages, since these things all too often disappear overnight.