Original Coon-Sanders Nighthawk Orchestra

The Coon-Sanders Band was undoubtedly the most influential jazz band of the 20's.  A recent book about it is entitled "The Coon-Sanders Nighthawks: "The Band That Made Radio Famous" 

In the 20's, records (78's) cost about a dollar apiece, and this was in a time when a dollar was A DOLLAR!!  So, buying a radio was more cost effective and the folks did buy radios!  To listen to Coon-Sanders!! 

The leaders were Carleton Coon on drums, and Joe Sanders on piano.  Both sang.  Carlton played the distinctive splash cymbals which characterized drumming for ten years, and Joe wrote the arrangements.  Their arrangements influenced bands for years and years -- notably the Paul Whiteman band, which became much more famous, probably because of the movie "The King of Jazz."

Coon-Sanders broadcast originally from the Muehlbach Hotel in Kansas City.  They were on from 11:30 to 1, and Carleton Coon remarked that "There was nobody listening in but Nighthawks!" and that became the name of the band!!

You can see a detailed writeup of the band here at RedHotJazz...

And read a lot more about them here at Wikipedia.

Briefly, their arrangements were characterized by:

+ Lots of stops  (or "shots" as BIAB calls them)

+ Changing instruments every four or eight bars

+ Lots of splash cymbal

The solos were not particularly profound -- but there were lots of notes!

As I say often... the music didn't "swing" in the modern sense.  It BOUNCED.  As such, it fueled the whole Flapper movement!

The tune you're listening to was their biggest hit.  "Here Comes my Ball and Chain."  So good, it's never been covered!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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