V-Disc

1943年 10月〜 1949年 5月（プロジェクトの始まりは 1941年）までの間に 905枚 ( Army用) が創られた。（ Navy は1944年 7月〜 1945年 9月）
"V"は勿論、"Victory" で（関係者 George Robert Vincent 説もあり）、第二次世界大戦中の兵士向け 12インチ 78rpm (SP)。
1 インチ当たり 136本というグルーヴ（ミゾ）で 12インチで約 6分半の収録が可能になった。

陸軍用（Army）と海軍用（Navy）ではラベルが少し違う。
全てのイシューは Army 用の 905枚で網羅されることになる。
シェラック盤もほんの一部あるが、大部分は戦地へパラシュートで専用の蓄音機といっしょに投げ落とすため、割れにくいビニライト製。

V-Disc は "Victory" の名のもと、最大の国家プロジェクトである戦争に参戦する兵士達のストレス解消に大いに貢献したことと思われる。
クラシックやポピュラーなども多いが、ジャズは 1942年の「吹込ストライキ」の頃の録音が多く、また、レコード会社の契約の制限がなかったので、通常時では考えられないメンバー同士の共演などがあり、V-Disc でしか聴けないものが多く貴重。

Army 用　Navy 用

　V-Disc Original List

Disc No.	Title	Rec.Date	etc.
Army 248	I Love My Man (Billie’s Blues)	440118	Navy 28
672	Do Nothin’ Till You Hear from Me	440118
	I’ll Get By	440418
760	Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans?	470208
771	Don’t Explain	470208

EQ Curve は 250/-14 (Columbia Studio)

Army 248 (Navy 28) I Love My Man (Billie’s Blues)

Billie Holiday
18th, January 1944
Army V-disc 248

I love my man I’m liar if I say I don’t 
I love my man I’m liar if I say I don’t 
But I’ll quit my man 
I’m liar if I say I won’t

I’ve been your slave baby
 Ever since I’ve been your babe
 I’ve been your slave
 Ever since I’ve been your babe
 But before I’ll be your dog 
I’ll see you in your grave

My man wouldn’t give me no breakfast
 Wouldn’t give me no dinner
 Squawked about my supper then he put me outdoors 
Had the nerve to lay a matchbox on my clothes 
I didn’t have so many 
But I had a long, long ways to go

I ain’t good-looking
 And my hair ain’t curls
 I ain’t good-looking 
And my hair ain’t curls 
But my mother, she give me something
 It’s going to carry me through this world

Some men like me ‘cause I’m happy 
Some ‘cause I’m snappy 
Some call me honey
 Others think I’ve got money
Some say Billie,
Baby you’re built for speed 
Now if you put that all together 
Makes me everything a good man needs

1944年1月18日 Metropolitan Opera House で行われた第一回 Esquire誌の年間ポール・ウイナーによる All American Jazz Concert ガラ・コンサートの録音。
Billie は伝説の歌姫 Marian Anderson よりも先に黒人として初めてメトロポリタン・オペラ・ハウスの舞台に登場した。

PERSONNEL
"The All-Star Jam Band"
Roy Eldridge tp; Barney Bigard cl; Coleman Hawkins ts; Jack Teagarden tb; Art Tatum p; Albert Casey g; Odcar Pettiford b; Sidney Catlett ds; Leonard Feather and another unknown ann.; Recorded on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House, NYC Tuesday, 18th January 1944.at Esquire First Annual Jazz Concert

YouTube

672 Do Nothin’ Till You Hear from Me / I’ll Get By

Do Nothin’ Till You Hear from Me
Lyrics : Bob Russell
Music : Duke Ellington
18th, January 1944
V-disc 672

(intro)
Do nothin’ till you hear from me 
Pay no attention to what’s said 
Why people tear the seams of anyone’s dream 
Is over my head

Do nothin’ till you hear from me 
At least consider our romance 
If you should take the word of others you’ve heard 
I haven’t a chance
True I’ve been seen with someone new
 But does that mean that I’m untrue 
When we’re apart the words in my heart
 Reveal how I feel about you

Some kiss may cloud my memory 
And other arms may hold a thrill 
But please do nothin’ till you hear it from me 
And you never will

True I’ve been seen with someone new 
But does that mean that I’m untrue 
When we’re apart the words in my heart
 Reveal what I feel about you

Some kiss may cloud my memory 
And other arms may hold a thrill 
But don’t do nothin’ till you hear it from me 
And you never will
Do nothin’ till you hear from me
(track continues to I’ll Get By)

1939年に Cootie Williams のために「Concerto for Cootie」として書かれた曲に43年に歌詞が付けられた作品。ここで使われた「tear」は壊すという動詞。
Esqire First Annual Jazz Concert でのライブ録音。
チャンピオン達のバッキングで Billie はゆったりと恋の忠節を唄う。中でも超絶技巧の Art Tatum のピアノ伴奏は目を見張るものがあるが、それに呼応するかのように Billie は素晴らしい歌唱を披露する。天才と天才のインター・プレイには脱帽。

I’ll Get By
Lyrics : Roy Turk
Music : Fred E. Ahlert
18th, January 1944
V-disc 672

I’ll get by 
As long as I have you 
Though there’ll be rain 
And darkness too
 I’ll not complain 
I’ll laugh it’s true
Poverty
 May come to me that’s true 
But what care I? 
I’ll get by
 As long as I have you

PERSONNEL
"The All-Star Jam Band"
Roy Eldridge tp; Barney Bigard cl; Coleman Hawkins ts; Jack Teagarden tb; Art Tatum p; Albert Casey g; Odcar Pettiford b; Sidney Catlett ds; Leonard Feather and another unknown ann.; Recorded on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House, NYC Tuesday, 18th January 1944.at Esquire First Annual Jazz Concert
YouTube

760 Miss New Orleans

Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans ?
Lyric : Eddie DeLange
Music ; Louis Alter
8th, February 1947
V-disc 760

Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans 
I miss it most night and day 
I know I’m not wrong 
The feelings getting stronger 
The more I stay away
Miss the moss colored vines 
The tall sugar pines 
Where mockingbirds seem to sing 
And I’d like to see the lazy Mississippi 
A hurry in to spring

Oh, the mardi grass the memories 
Of Creole tunes that fill the air 
I dream the oleanders in spring 
That’s when I’m wishing that I was there

Do you know what is means to miss New Orleans 
When that’s where you left your heart 
And there’s one thing more 
I miss the one I care for
 More than I miss New Orleans

(Billie Holiday singing)

Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans 
I miss it each night and day 
I know I’m not wrong 
The feelings getting stronger 
The longer I stay away
Miss the moss covered vines 
The tall sugar pines
 Where mockingbirds use to sing 
And I’d like to see the lazy Mississippi 
A hurry in to spring

The mardi grass memories 
Of Creole tunes that fill the air 
I dream of oleanders in June 
And still I’m wishing that I was there

Do you know what is means to miss New Orleans
 I miss it each night and day
 And there’s something more I miss the one I care for
 More than I miss New Orleans

1947年のUA映画「New Orleans」の主題歌として使われた曲。映画の中でBillieとLouis Armstrongが演奏し唄った。
（Billieはピアノ弾き語りもある。映画では短いがワンコーラスのサウンド・トラックが後にLPで発売される）
他にバーニィ・ビガード、キッド・オーリィ、ウディ・ハーマンなど豪華なゲスト・ミュージシャン出演だが、内容の貧弱な映画と酷評される。

この盤はSatchmoのCarnegie Hall ConcertにBillieがゲスト出演したときのBillieの歌とWNEWで放送したときのSatchmoの録音をつなぎ合わせて戦時レコードの12インチV-Discに納めている。

PERSONNEL
Louis Armstrong tp & vc.; with Edmond Hall & His Cafe Society Band
Mouse Randolph tp; Edmond Hall cl; Henderson Chambers tb; Charlie Batman p; John Williams b; James Crawford ds; Recorded on the stage of Carnegie Hall, 57th Street at 7th. Avenue, NYC Sataday, 8th February 1947.
YouTube

771 Don’t Explain

Billie Holiday & Arthur Herzog Jr.
8th, February 1947
V-disc 771

(BH self intro: Thank you very much, Ladies and Gentlemen, and now I’d like to sing a song, that I wrote, its title is Don’t Explain)

Hush now, don’t explain 
I know you raise Cain 
I’m glad you’re back 
Don’t explain

Quiet, don’t explain 
You mixed with some dame 
Skip that lipstick 
Don’t explain

You should know I love you 
And what love endures 
All my thoughts are of you
 For I’m so completely yours
Cry to hear folks chatter
 And I know you cheat 
But right and wrong, don’t matter 
When you’re with me, sweet

Hush now, don’t explain 
You’re my joy and pain 
My life’s yours, love 
Don’t explain

Carnegie Hall Concertの実況録音。
PERSONNEL
Louis Armstrong tp & vc.; with Edmond Hall & His Cafe Society Band
Mouse Randolph tp; Edmond Hall cl; Henderson Chambers tb; Charlie Batman p; John Williams b; James Crawford ds; Recorded on the stage of Carnegie Hall, 57th Street at 7th. Avenue, NYC Sataday, 8th February 1947.
YouTube