The Cats and Fiddle

The Cats And The Fiddle was one of the pre-eminent, pioneering R&B vocal groups of 1930s, and its place in the history of this style is assured. It was 1937 when the group formed, amalgamating two earlier, separate bands: the "Harlem Harmony Hounds," led by singer Austin Powell, and the aspiring trio of Jimmie Henderson, Chuck Barksdale and Ernie Price. The latter, Chicago-based group needed a lead singer, and Powell slipped into this role perfectly, so that the initial four-part vocal-instrumental line-up was born.

Discography

We Cats Swing For You

The Cats and the Fiddle was one of the pre-eminent pioneering R&B vocal groups of the 1930s. "The Fiddle" in the group's name is not purely whimsical: it alludes to the stand-up bass they used, while in jazz parlance each member of the group was a "hep cat," as in track 17 of this compilation, "Hep Cat's Holiday." And what a compilation it isÑ27 swinging, jiving mono recordings from 1939 to 1946. All songs are lightly accompanied by the infamous "fiddle" and guitar, but whatever it was that made whole generations go nuts over R&B music, these "Cats" have got a boatload of it! Listen to the title tune, a too-hip-for-words "Killin' Jive," "Gang Busters," "Thursday Evening Swing," "Nuts To You," "Mr. Rhythm Man," "When I Grow Too Old to Dream," "Public Jitterbug Number One," "That's On, Jack, That's On," "One Is Never Too Old to Swing," "Stomp, Stomp," "Life's Too Short" - these guys are simply cookin' on every one of these cuts. Over 77 minutes of the finest jive and swing you never got a chance to hear - an unbelievable bargain!

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