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Band Box Shuffle

Bennie Moten's
Kansas City Orchestra

Bennie Moten, Booker Washington, Buster Moten, Count Basie , Ed Lewis, Eddie Durham , Harlan Leonard, Jack Washington , Thamon Hayes, Vernon Page , Willie McWashington , Woody Walder

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This recording was made in Chicago on October 23rd 1929 featuring Bennie Moten director, Booker T. Washington and Ed Lewis trumpets, Thamon Hayes trombone, Woody Walder clarinet & soprano sax, Harlan Leonard clarinet, alto, & soprano sax, Jack Washington clarinet & baritone sax, Ira 'Buster' Moten accordion, Count Basie piano, Eddie Durham guitar, Vernon Page tuba, and Willie McWashington drums.

*"Band Box Shuffle" was written by Bennie Moten and William Basie.

Featuring the revolutionary guitar styling of Eddie Durham this arrangement is also unique for the band's use of "Pyramid Chords" for an entire chorus. "Pyramid Chords" were an impressive orchestral effect consisting of every interval stacked low to high that came and went and was almost completely out of trend by the end of 1929.

Eddie Durham who was the arranger, performs an unforgettable 16 bar guitar solo in his landmark style. The descending parallel 9th chords (dominant 7th with the 9th added) in the intro and coda are an early Durham arranging signature, as we will see. The "pyramid" section uses a popular (orchestral) device of the time in Eddie's style, again utilizing 9th chords. -Daniel Weinstein