Blue Flamingo turns back the clock

One of the more entertaining mixes I've come across this year is the Congo Jazz (Excelsior) CD assembled by Rotterdam-based record collector Ziya Ertekin aka DJ Blue Flamingo from his own sizable stash of rare 78s. The title of his second release, the follow-up to Blue Flamingo - 78 rpm, is a bit misleading as the disc is similarly split into three separate thematic sets only one of which deals with vintage jazz recorded in Central Africa during the 1950s.
Not that I'm complaining, however, since the 17 minutes of swinging Congolese rumba tracks by Tino Baroza, Ochestre African Jazz and Marola & Oliveira Tchade comes bookended with a well-chosen set of hot jazz (including contributions from bands led by Red Nichols, Clarence Williams and Winnipeg's own Hartzell "Tiny" Parham) and a lengthy dip into jubilee and hard gospel which boasts a super rare Thomas A. Dorsey demo recording of Hide Me In Thy Bosom from the early 30s that predates Sister Rosetta Tharpe's popular version of 1937. Clearly it's not the sorta stuff you encounter every day so the Congo Jazz selection is well-worth tracking down. And vinyl fiends should grab the double LP version of Congo Jazz which includes a bonus mix of West African highlife and calypso recorded for the Senafone label on the fourth side.

Congo Jazz (Excelsior)

Jungle Crawl [Hot Jazz and Exotica from the 20s and 30s]
1     Jungle Expedition        
2     Leon Rene's Orchestra  -  I'm Mister African
3     Tiny Parham & His Musicians  -  Jungle Crawl
4     Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra  -  Borneo
5     Red Nichols & His World Famous Pennies  -  Jungle Fever
6     Clarence Williams & His Orchestra  -  Jungle Crawl
7     Phillips' Louisville Jug Band  -  Tiger Rag
 
Congo Jazz [Congolese Rumba from the 50s]
8     Congo Dances Are Very Gay Affairs
9     Tino Baroza  -  La Fiesta Cubana        
10     Orchestre African Jazz  -  Bolingo E Gagne
11     Kaba Joseph & Le Groupe Rhythmique Ngoma  -  Bana T'atomic Jazz
12     Mariola & Oliveira Tchade -  Canta Del Negro
13     Orchestre African Jazz  -  Elie Violette   
14     Orchestre Rock A Mambo  -  El Rico Cuban Mambo
     
That Old Time Religion [Jubilee, Gospel & Hard Gospel from the 30s - 50s] 

15     Daniel In The Lion's Den    
16     Professor Johnson & His Gospel Singers  -  That Old Time Religion
17     Happyland Singers  -  I'll Fly Away
18     Mahalia Jackson  -  I'm On My Way To Canaan
19     Mary Deloach  -  Our Father Loves His Son
20     Alex Bradford & The Bradford Specials  - Lord, Lord, Lord
21     Rev. Crum & The Mighty Golden Keys  -  Don't You Know Me Thomas
22     Thomas A. Dorsey  -  Hide Me In Thy Bosom     




Links
Blue Flamingo http://www.ziya.nl/
Congo Jazz CD
Congo Jazz 2 LP