Andy Kirk is back.
And I have two versions of this song for you today.
Froggy Bottom
Version 1: 1929
Version 2: 1936
Andy Kirk and Mary Lou Williams
I found an article you should check out: “Kansas City & The Clouds of Joy”
This is the first paragraph:
The musically well-schooled Andy Kirk soon realized Williams' for inventing original piano pieces. One of her first was “Froggy Bottom,” a blues. Kirk encouraged her as an arranger, and helped her improve her musical reading and writing skills. The band's fortunes rose in late 1929 when talent scouts from Brunswick Records made a field trip to Kansas City, recording talent in a local hotel. They recorded eight sides (two as by John Williams and his Memphis Stompers, the others as by Andy Kirk and His Twelve Clouds of Joy). Three of the recordings featured Mary's compositions and arrangements (“Lotta Sax Appeal,” “Mess-A-Stomp,” and “Froggy Bottom”) and she was at the keyboard all of them. The following year, Williams recorded her first piano solo, “Drag ‘Em,” in Chicago in April 1930.
Title: Froggy Bottom
Artist: Andy Kirk & His Twelve Clouds of Joy with Mary Lou Williams
Recorded: March 4, 1936
Tempo: 149 bpm
Dance: Lindy Hop
You can find all the songs of the series also on my Spotify playlist or on 8tracks.
Official hashtag of the series: #djcsotw
Do you like the “Song of the Week” series? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
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