This 1996 release from The French Classics (a/k/a Chronological [Jazz] Classics) label presents the recorded work by Oliver "Toy" Wilson (piano), Bob Bell (guitar) and Walter Williams (bass), the Three Peppers, a late 1930s - 1940s "jive" vocal and instrumental combo. Some time after 1940, Roy Branker replaced Wilson, but no work by that aggregation appears in this package.
Little is known of the group's history other than that they were formed in St. Louis, played venues in New York and Philadelphia, and recorded again for a brief period on Philadelphia's Gotham label circa 1947. They were apparently "discovered" for recording purposes by impresario Irving Mills, who managed Duke Ellington, as their first recordings are on the Mills-owned Variety label.
There's a lot of humor in some of these jive tracks, so it can be argued that the Peppers were among the forerunners of such Rock 'N' Roll groups as the Coasters, even though their styles were vastly different.
Worth acquiring.
Dates shown below are recording dates.
Track Listing:
1. Get The Gold (Variety 523) 27 Feb 1937
2. The Sheik Of Araby (Variety unreleased) 27 Feb 1937
3. Alexander's Ragtime Band (Variety 523) 27 Feb 1937
4. Swingin' At The Cotton Club (Variety 650) 27 Feb 1937
5. Yours, All Yours [with Sally Gooding] (Variety 554) 9 Mar 1937
6. The Midnight Ride Of Paul Revere (Variety 650) 9 Mar 1937
7. It Must Be Love [with Sally Gooding] (Vocalion 4169) 9 Mar 1937
8. Smile Up At The Sun [with Sally Gooding] (Variety 554) 9 Mar 1937
9. Swing Out, Uncle Wilson (Variety 590) 27 May 1937
10. If I Had My Way (Variety 630) 27 May 1937
11. Serenade In The Night (Variety 630) 27 May 1937
12. The Duck's Yas Yas Yas (Variety 590) 27 May 1937
13. Down By The Old Mill Stream (Decca 2239) 16 Dec 1938
14. Fuzzy Wuzzy (Decca 2239) 16 Dec 1938
15. Swing Out Uncle Wilson (Decca 2257) 16 Dec 1938
16. Smile Up At The Sun (Decca 2751) 22 May 1939
17. Love Grows On The White Oak Tree (Decca 2257) 22 May 1939
18. It's A Puzzle To Me (So What!) (Decca 2609) 22 May 1939
19. Three Foot Skipper Jones (Decca 2609) 22 May 1939
20. Pepperism [instrumental] (Decca 2751) 22 May 1939
21. Tom Tom Serenade (Decca 3342) 2 May 1940
22. Hot Dogs (Decca 3342) 2 May 1940
23. Mary Had A Little Lamb (Decca 8508) 2 May 1940
24. Was That All I Meant To You? (Decca 8508) 2 May 1940
