“Blue Lou”—Metronome All Stars

Edgar Sampson's 1935 composition "Blue Lou" was the first record of a group of Metronome poll winners.

When the 1938 poll musicians of Metronome were chosen, the magazine's editor George T. Simon thought how nice it would be to assemble a band of the top favorites and make a record.

Victor recording supervisor Eli Oberstein agreed and on the evening of January 11, 1939 the following men assembled at Victor's 155 East 24th Street recording studios in New York:

Charlie Spivak, Bunny Berigan, Sonny Durham and Harry James - trumpets

Jack Teagarden and Tommy Dorsey - trombones

Arthur Rollini and Eddie Walker - tenor saxophones

Hymie Schertzer - alto saxophone

Benny Goodman - clarinet and second alto saxophone

Carmen Mastren - guitar

And from the Bob Crosby Orchestra rhythm section: Bob Zurke - piano, Bob Haggart - bass, and Ray Bauduc - drums.

There was tension, because the rival bandleaders Dorsey and Goodman were known to have unpredictable tempers.

However, the ice was broken when Dorsey, who directed the All Star Band in "Blue Lou" asked Goodman to kick off the right tempo.

The soloists are: Berigan-tp, Teagarden-tb, Miller-ts, Durham-tp, Goodman-cl, Zurke-p, Bauduc-d, and Berigan-t again in the coda.

It was well into the early hours of January 12, 1939, when the second number -- a traditional called "The Blues," directed by Goodman -- was recorded.

The intro is played by guitarist Mastren and bass player Haggart, followed by Dorsey and Teagarden, with Teagarden playing the lead trombone. Then Rollini on tenor sax and Goodman on his F-clarinet.

Finally Zurke-p and Haggart-sb, and Teagarden again on trombone.