#ray noble

[scholarofgloom]

[audiemurphy1945]

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[courseyoulovemeyoudontknowme]

Fun & Fancy Free (1947, Jack Kinney, Bill Roberts, Hamilton Luske and William Morgan)

28/03/2025

[essential-music]

In a small New York studio in 1938, Billie Holiday stepped up to the microphone, her voice poised to breathe life into Ray Noble’s tender ballad, "The Very Thought of You." - backed by a tight ensemble of jazz luminaries, she crafted a performance that would resonate far beyond the crackle of the 78 RPM record.

Holiday’s voice, warm and slightly husky, weaves through the melody like a soft thread, its delicate timbre carrying an intimacy that feels almost confessional. She doesn’t overpower the song with virtuosic flourishes; instead, her restrained delivery—marked by subtle vibrato and microtonal shifts—draws the listener into the heart of the lyrics’ longing. Her phrasing is the pulse of the performance, lagging just behind the beat in a way that feels effortless, almost improvisational, yet meticulously controlled. When she sings “the very thought of you,” her gentle emphasis on key syllables and softened consonants transform simple words into a private reverie. Her dynamic range is narrow but masterful, with breathy whispers giving way to moments of quiet intensity, each note shaped to serve the song’s wistful narrative.

The ensemble forms a seamless backdrop, their playing as disciplined as it is soulful. The clarinet solo is a standout, its smooth, lyrical tone echoing Holiday’s vocal warmth while adding a distinctive texture. The piano, with its elegant, understated chords, provides harmonic depth without stealing focus, while the rhythm section creates a gentle swing that cradles the melody. The brass, muted and soft, weaves in delicate fills, ensuring the spotlight remains on Holiday’s voice.

The arrangement is a model of economy. Clocking in at just under three minutes, it balances vocal verses, a brief instrumental interlude, and a return to Holiday’s voice with fluid precision. The moderate tempo and restrained dynamics craft an atmosphere of introspection, the muted brass and soft piano chords enveloping the listener in warmth. Noble’s composition, with its flowing melody and poetic lyrics—“I see your face in every flower / Your eyes in stars above”—is deceptively simple, its diatonic harmonies spiced with occasional chromatic touches that lend sophistication. Holiday and her band elevate this framework, infusing it with a jazz sensibility that feels both timeless and personal.

The production, bound by 1938’s technological limits, captures the performance with surprising clarity. Holiday’s voice sits upfront in the monaural mix, every nuance preserved, while the instruments are balanced with care, though the bass and drums are slightly subdued. The recording’s warmth outweighs its flaws—some surface noise and a muted high-end, rolling off around 2kHz, are artifacts of the era, not detractions from the artistry. The fidelity, for its time, is remarkable, letting the timbres of Young’s clarinet and Johnson’s piano shine through.

Holiday’s interpretive genius—her ability to make each phrase feel like a whispered secret—sets a standard for vocal jazz. The ensemble’s cohesion, particularly the interplay between Holiday and Young, creates a performance greater than the sum of its parts. The arrangement’s restraint, the melody’s elegance, and the lyrics’ universal yearning coalesce into a work of quiet power. This is music that doesn’t shout but speaks, its authenticity and emotional clarity undimmed by time.

In "The Very Thought of You," Billie Holiday and her orchestra craft a moment of pure, unadorned beauty—a testament to the enduring craft of song.

Year: 1938

Composer, Lyricist: R. Noble

Producer: John Hammond

The Very Thought of You - Wikipedia

[gayahguy]

Lil Al Bowlly photo dump💋

[cyclesofmystery]

I’ve been very into Abner Dean's work these last couple days. Here's one of his New Yorker Covers from 1934.

I’ve also been thinking about pairing music with my posts. Here’s the Ray Noble Orchestra getting particularly jazzy in 1933 with a vocal refrain by Al Bowlly (everybody loves Al Bowlly), some hot trumpet by Nat Gonella, some great baritone saxophone by Ernest Ritte, and reedman Freddy Gardner.

[autumncottageattic]

[vinylspinning]

Count Basie and his Orchestra: “Cherokee, Parts 1 & 2” (1939)

I rarely listen to big band jazz and I’ve always been more of ‘Duke Guy’ than a ‘Count Guy,’ for reasons I can’t properly explain, but this surprisingly well-preserved 78 RPM shellac 10-inch featuring Basie’s celebrated rendition of “Cherokee” was too cool to pass up.

And then I had to do some homework ...

At which point I learned that “Cherokee” was actually composed in 1938 by New York-based British-born jazzer Ray Noble, and that it was just the first of five movements in a so-called Indian Suite, comprised of “Cherokee,” “Comanche War Dance,” “Iroquois,” “Seminole,” and “Sioux Sue.”

Now, if you find the notion of associating Native American tribes with swinging, big band jazz (minus any native music cues that I can discern) at best tenuous and, at worst, preposterous,  preposterous, you’re not alone, but that’s some extra credit research I didn’t sign up for ...

What I did learn is that “Cherokee” quickly infiltrated late-night jazz jam sessions and that this six-minute (literally chopped in half to fit each side of this 78), 1939 recording by William James ‘Count’ Basie and his Orchestra became one of its most successful and referenced renditions. 

Not least because it boasted the patented, rhythmic swing style Basie and his groups (*) had developed in Kansas City and Chicago, before they started waging nightly battles with Chick Webb’s orchestra (**) and other key ensembles of the swing era at top New York ballrooms like Roseland and the Savoy. 

When applied to what the Financial Times described as “Cherokee’s” long chord sequence, simple melody, but tricky key changes and fast tempo, Basie’s style turned this into a statement piece for legendary stylists like his long-time tenor saxophonist, the great Lester ‘Prez’ Young. (***)

See them in the photo overhead ...

Another key interpreter was Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker, who joined countless other jazz and pop musicians in covering this track over the years and even based his later composition “Koko” on the same chords, so credit again to Noble for penning such an influential standard.

* Later to include a singer named Billie Holiday.

** Featuring another lady you may have heard of, Ella Fitzgerald.

*** Other notable players here include trumpeters Harry ‘Sweets’ Edison and Shad Collins, alto sax player Earle Warren, guitarist Freddie Green, bassist Walter Page and drummer Jo Jones.

More Count Basie: Basie at Birdland.