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Lenox Avenue Shuffle

The Texas Blues Destroyers

Alvin Ray, Bubber Miley

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Recorded in New York City on October 2nd 1924 featuring Bubber Miley trumpet, and Arthur Ray reed organ.

*"Lenox Avenue Shuffle" was composed by James "Bubber" Miley and Arthur "Alvin" Ray.

Considered a key component leading to the early success of the "Duke Ellington Orchestra" trumpeter James 'Bubber' Miley by all accounts was carefree and generally a joy to work with. Alongside fellow band member Joe 'Tricky Sam' Nanton he helped develop the wah-wah effect characteristic of Ellington's Jungle style.

Things were not always peaches and cream, Miley was notoriously unreliable often missing in action for club dates and his heavy drinking only made it worse. In the Fall of 1924 joined by his buddy, organist Alvin Ray, he managed to bamboozle three separate record labels into paying them for recording the same two sides billed as "The Texas Blues Destroyers".

The duo cut this side and its companion "Down In The Mouth Blues" for Pathe (Perfect) in September 1924 and proceeded to perform the same numbers at two more sessions, one for Ajax on the 2nd of October, and one for Vocalion on the 7th of October.