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Big Time Woman

Wilton Crawley & His Orchestra

Bruce Johnson , Charlie Holmes , Jelly Roll Morton, Pops Foster , Red Allen, Teddy Bunn, Wilton Crawley

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This record was produced in New York City on June 3rd 1930 featuring Wilton Crawley clarinet & vocals, Henry 'Red' Allen trumpet, Charlie Holmes alto sax, Jelly Roll Morton piano, Teddy Bunn guitar, Pops Foster tuba, and Bruce Johnson washboard.

*"Big Time Woman" was composed by Wilton Crawley.

Known for his comic vocal lines and novelty clarinet effects, gifted songwriter and contortionist Wilton Crawley was quite a popular vaudeville entertainer throughout the 1920's and '30's. His clarinet style relied heavily on strange squawks, laughs, and extensive slap tonguing, that although limited were enormously popular among audiences of the day.

Known for doing a bit referred to as the "human worm", for the finale of his stage act Wilton Crowley would launch himself across a stage with a lit kerosene lamp balanced atop his head!

With many of Crawley's recordings featuring a number of famous jazz men including Jelly Roll Morton, Red Allen, Eddie Lang, Lonnie Johnson, and Luis Russell it's no wonder they sold well. But despite his instrumental limitations he was a talent who was truly one-of-a-kind. During the early 1930's Wilton Crawley's great success as an entertainer even prompted a European tour.