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The New Call Of The Freaks

Luis Russell and his Orchestra

Bill Coleman, Charlie Holmes , J C Higginbotham, Lee Richardson , Luis Russell, Paul Barbarin , Pops Foster , Red Allen, Teddy Hill , Will Johnson

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This record was cut in New York City on September 6th 1929 featuring Lee Richardson vocals, Henry 'Red' Allen and Bill Coleman trumpet, J C Higginbotham trombone & vocals, Albert Nicholas clarinet, Charlie Holmes alto sax, Teddy Hill tenor sax, Luis Russell piano & leader, Will Johnson banjo & guitar, Pops Foster bass, and Paul Barbarin drums, vibraphone & vocals.

*"The Call Of The Freaks" was composed by Paul Barbarin.

Panamanian native Luis Russell moved to New Orleans with his mother and sister after winning $3000 in a lottery in 1919 and began making his living playing piano in the bars and clubs of the Crescent city. In 1925 Russell moved to Chicago to join Doc Cook and his Dreamland Orchestra and then later became the pianist in King Oliver's band. He moved to New York with Oliver in 1927 before he formed his own Luis Russell Orchestra made up of several other King Oliver sidemen. By 1929 his band had grown to ten-pieces and they recorded a dozen records which are now considered some of the first and best examples of Swing music. The band started backing up Louis Armstrong on a few of his early orchestra recordings and would inevitably become his permanent accompanists.