When I was a teenager my buddies and I used to go to the bars on Delmar Avenue in St. Louis. This was about 1948-49-50. One of the places was "The Barrel" where Ralph played. His sister played there sometimes too. We were stunned by his talent. A few years later I was in the Navy. I was in New York in 1952 or 53 and heard that Ralph was playing at Eddie Condon's place in the Village. A buddy & I went there and almost immediately we were enjoying the music and getting loud about it. The bartender, a typical Brooklynite said he was going to get that other Missouri hillbilly Ralph, to come down to the bar and help us make more noise. Ralph was playing piano during band breaks so we soon were reminiscing about St. Louis and the Barrel. Soon it was closing time so Eddie came to the bar along with Wild Bill Davidson and a few other band members. I think Jack Teagarden was there. (we were drinking a bit so my memory is fuzzy) Eddie spent a lot of time in St. Louis in the late twenties or early thirties and was a good friend of Jimmy _______, the guy who played a comb on tissue paper and sang with his band, the "Mound City Blue Blowers" He was related to the Linehans, my mother's relatives, so we had plenty to talk about. We didn't get out of there until 4:30 AM. but it was worth it. I saw Ralph at a concert at the Budweiser beer baron Augie Busch's mansion in St. Louis back in the seventies or eighties and talked to him a while. I didn't think he would remember that long night but he swore that he did. We had a few laughs. I went to a place in Vail, Colorado a few years later where he was supposed to appear, but he didn't, so I never had a chance to hear him again. He was a nice guy.
I had two years studying piano with his sister Barbara Curtis in Ukiah. I had a great time studying Joplin & arranging, & theory. Best memory was learning sunflower slowdrag. I had no idea in '75-'77 how amazing bros & sis were!
My next door neighbor in the mid-50s had two Ralph Sutton 10-inch 33's....both playing Fats Waller.....one was on the Circle label........I learned Viper's Drag, Alligator Crawl, Ain't Misbehavin, and an absolutely ethereal version of I'm Comin Virginia.....I borrowed them and played the grooves off of them......I'm only slightly ashamed to admit that I stole those records, reasoning that they meant much more to me than to him!......also a 12-inch Commodore recording that included the Bix Beiderbecke Suite which I have loved ever since.....I long since gave up vinyl capability, so I'm depending on RUclips to resurrect those moments for me....also, I'll never forget when the credits rolled for "Around the World in 80 Days", and Ralph Sutton turned around at the piano!
I've heard those first two before, but I'll Dance at Your Wedding and I Got Rhythm are two of the best things I've ever heard Sutton do. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for some really great music,and you didn`t wreck it by doing any doctoring, this was really so relaxing which can be really tough in todays world.Thank you...
@wilscool Yes, quite nice aren't they? I love Sutton, he was one of the better Stride players in the post-WW2 period. These records were in near mint condition, I've done no de-clicking and filtering at all. Mind you, he must have been around 25 when he cut these numbers.
Hi Peter, I've got more stuff by your dad: 2 very early Lp's (from around 1951) that I will post as soon I've set up my system again. I've just moved house, so I've not fully installed my HiFi set. Your dad is one of my ab fav post-ww2 stride players. Peter (what;s in a name? ;=)) )
Hi Peter - thanks for uploading some early music from my dad!
Your dad is/was a genius.
When I was a teenager my buddies and I used to go to the bars on Delmar Avenue in St. Louis. This was about 1948-49-50. One of the places was "The Barrel" where Ralph played. His sister played there sometimes too. We were stunned by his talent. A few years later I was in the Navy. I was in New York in 1952 or 53 and heard that Ralph was playing at Eddie Condon's place in the Village. A buddy & I went there and almost immediately we were enjoying the music and getting loud about it. The bartender, a typical Brooklynite said he was going to get that other Missouri hillbilly Ralph, to come down to the bar and
help us make more noise. Ralph was playing piano during band breaks so we soon were reminiscing about St. Louis and the Barrel. Soon it was closing time so Eddie came to the bar along with Wild Bill Davidson and a few other band members. I think Jack Teagarden was there. (we were drinking a bit so my memory is fuzzy) Eddie spent a lot of time in St. Louis in the late twenties or early thirties and was a good friend of Jimmy _______, the guy who played a comb on tissue paper and sang with his band, the "Mound City Blue Blowers" He was related to the Linehans, my mother's relatives, so we had plenty to talk about. We didn't get out of there until 4:30 AM. but it was worth it.
I saw Ralph at a concert at the Budweiser beer baron Augie Busch's mansion in St. Louis back in the seventies or eighties and talked to him a while. I didn't think he would remember that long night but he swore that he did. We had a few laughs. I went to a place in Vail, Colorado a few years later where he was supposed to appear, but he didn't, so I never had a chance to hear him again. He was a nice guy.
I moved to New York in 1953 at 16 to study tap dancing. Wish I'd know about Ralph and Eddie Condon's place!!!
And by the way, these tracks ARE from the original 78s in my collection. They cleaned up beautifully.
Just love it - striding this old Ragtime Piece. We should never Forget RAlph Sutton!
Never!
I had two years studying piano with his sister Barbara Curtis in Ukiah. I had a great time studying Joplin & arranging, & theory. Best memory was learning sunflower slowdrag. I had no idea in '75-'77 how amazing bros & sis were!
Wow. The more tunes i hear from Mr. Sutton, the more I believe that he was one of the best in stride. Absolutely awesome stuff.
My next door neighbor in the mid-50s had two Ralph Sutton 10-inch 33's....both playing Fats Waller.....one was on the Circle label........I learned Viper's Drag, Alligator Crawl, Ain't Misbehavin, and an absolutely ethereal version of I'm Comin Virginia.....I borrowed them and played the grooves off of them......I'm only slightly ashamed to admit that I stole those records, reasoning that they meant much more to me than to him!......also a 12-inch Commodore recording that included the Bix Beiderbecke Suite which I have loved ever since.....I long since gave up vinyl capability, so I'm depending on RUclips to resurrect those moments for me....also, I'll never forget when the credits rolled for "Around the World in 80 Days", and Ralph Sutton turned around at the piano!
I've heard those first two before, but I'll Dance at Your Wedding and I Got Rhythm are two of the best things I've ever heard Sutton do. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for some really great music,and you didn`t wreck it by doing any doctoring,
this was really so relaxing which can be really tough in todays world.Thank you...
Cant stop listen to these powerful, rolling, unbelievable energetic rythms, chords, harmonies and riffs. Maybe the best stride pianist ever.
I think you are right!
I saw Ralph live in London around 1997/98. Pizza Express in SoHo if my memory serves correct. It was a fabulous gig. Thanks for posting this...
Man these are so awesome! I should transcribe some of these xD
Whitewash Man and Dill Pickles are switched around. The order should be
1. Whitewash Man
2. Dill Pickles
3. I'll Dance at your Wedding
4. I Got Rhythm
Awesome!
@wilscool
Yes, quite nice aren't they? I love Sutton, he was one of the better Stride players in the post-WW2 period. These records were in near mint condition, I've done no de-clicking and filtering at all. Mind you, he must have been around 25 when he cut these numbers.
Hi Peter,
I've got more stuff by your dad: 2 very early Lp's (from around 1951) that I will post as soon I've set up my system again. I've just moved house, so I've not fully installed my HiFi set. Your dad is one of my ab fav post-ww2 stride players.
Peter (what;s in a name? ;=)) )
Dill Pickles is #1 not #2