Monkey on a Stick

A chronological history of jazz vocal presented by André Francis and Jean Schwarz. 10 CDs with more than 12 hours of music.
The resulting 2 boxed sets of 10 CDs in each, unlike any other available today, groups together the main vocalists in the story of jazz from the first half of the 20th century. Each of these 20 CDs offers in more or less the same proportion, the purest of African-American song with gospel and blues singers, from truculent Ma Rainey to majestic Bessie Smith, sophisticated Sarah Vaughan to popular Louis Prima, the folk-related tones of Charlie Patton to the honeyed voice of Frank Sinatra.

In the military, Granville entertained his buddies as he played his guitar. One of the songs that McGhee was best known for was “Drinkin’ Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee“.
In their first Atlantic session “Stick and his Buddies”, comprising of brother Brownie ,Wilbert “Big Chief” Ellis ,Gene Ramsey and an unknown drummer (possibly Gene Moore) cut six tracks (Tall Pretty Woman Blues was released) on Valentine’s day 1949. The band was in quite good form, having practised Drinking Wine over and Over again and Granville’s writing style and performances were versatile. He could move effortlessly from proto rock and roll to somewhat unpolished crooning jazz styling and of course he was a fine blues performer…