Georgia Melodians - She's Drivin' Me Wild

Although I posted a brilliant version of this composition, performed by Jack Hylton (http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xh0dxl_jack-hylton-his-orchestra-she-s-drivin-me-wild_music#.UbcltBZkh8K), I decided to share this one too, since it features a lot of additional, highly interesting solo work. Although largely forgotten today, the Georgia Melodians enjoyed steady work in New York for most of 1924 and had been in existence for about a year prior to that. A note in the Edison files states they were from Savannah, Georgia and the joint leaders were Ernie Intelhouse and Hill Hutchins. Charles Boulanger has always been listed as director, but may have merely "fronted" the band on violin, a common enough practice at the time. Reedman Merritt Kenworthy joined the band in Lynchburg, Virginia during the spring of 1923. They took up a residency at a North Carolina coastal resort for the summer season, playing in a ballroom at nights and giving concerts at the beach on Sunday afternoons. Subsequently, they played a series of college dates while working their way up the coast to New York, where they arrived in about February, 1924. Some changes in personnel occurred at this time. Carl Gerrold (drums) rejoined after a brief absence, and Elmer Merry (banjo) joined the group along with George Troupe (trombone). Troupe was shortly afterwards replaced by Herb Winfield. They played opposite the Paul Van Loan Orchestra at the Cinderella Ballroom on 48th and Broadway shortly before their first recording date for the Edison Company. The residency at the Cinderella Ballroom continued until early September, when they moved to the Strand Roof, playing opposite Henri Gendron's Orchestra. The band broke up (for reasons unknown) towards the end of 1924, and they had apparently left the Strand Roof before Christmas of that year. Their last booking was a New Year's Eve Ball at the Hotel Alamac, New York. Despite the break-up of the band, Edison continued to issue records under their name until April, 1926. Why he should have done so is not clear, but presumably Edison dealers requested further recordings by the group. It is difficult now to establish which musicians were present on recordings in 1925, the year the present side was waxed. Anyhow, whoever is playing, this rendition is particularly great.