“Sweet And Low Down”
Teddy Brown And His Cafe De Paris Band
(Imperial 1655 mx 4514) October 18, 1926
“Two Little Blue Birds”
Teddy Brown And His Cafe De Paris Band; Lionel Rothery, vocal
(Imperial 1655 mx 4513) October 18, 1926
Here are two recordings by a British band led by American-born Teddy Brown, who was regarded as one of the top xylophonists of the era. Unfortunately, his earlier recordings, such as these, were recorded for the Imperial label, which did not switch to the new electrical recording technology, already in use by other labels for over a year, until 1927. Thus these recordings lack the fidelity they would have had if the band had been recording with a different label.
As the label credit indicates, at the time these selections were recorded, the band had an extended engagement at London’s Cafe De Paris, located in the basement of the Rialto Theater. It was one of London’s most fashionable 1920s-era nightclubs and remained in business for 96 years until the loss of revenue during the COVID epidemic forced it to close in 2020.
During an air raid on March 8, 1941, the club survived a direct hit from a bomb that took the life of one of Britain’s most popular swing-era artists, dancer and bandleader Ken “Snakehips” Johnson. Because the club was underground, it was perceived as relatively safe during an air raid. But two bombs landed in the exact spot needed to pass through a ventilation shaft and land directly in front of the band as it was performing.
Both songs on this record are from musical productions that debuted in New York in 1925 and were playing in London at the time of the recording session. “Sweet And Low Down” is a George and Ira Gershwin composition introduced in Tip Toes. “Two Little Blue Birds” is a Jerome Kern composition with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and Otto Harbach from Sunny.