Slim & Slam [Giant of Jazz]
The duo of Slim Gaillard and Slam Stewart made many novelty recordings together in the late '30s, with the emphasis on Gaillard's jive vocals utilizing nonsense words he invented, such as "McVouty." "The Flat Foot Floogie" (originally "The Flat Foot Floozie" until the censors stepped in) is their best-known work together; it is an easygoing swing song with nearly indecipherable lyrics. Gaillard plays guitar, piano, and vibes, while Stewart's specialty was singing in octave unison with his bass. They also have a lot of fun messing around with standards of the era like "Chinatown, My Chinatown" and "Oh, Lady Be Good." A live broadcast of "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen" contains a number of comic references to various foods. On the last five tracks Bam Brown is credited as the bassist, but the time frame given on this CD is wrong and the sound of Stewart's vocals and bass are easily recognizable, so Brown is not present at all. Most of these songs have appeared on various compilations over the years. The novelty wears thin after a few songs, but this music should be a part of any swing fan's collection.