Red McKenzie

Red McKenzie was virtually jazz's only comb player, putting tissue paper on a comb and making sounds on his "instrument" similar to a kazoo. McKenzie was quite effective playing his "ax," often more so than when he sang sentimental ballads. In 1924, he formed <a href="spotify:artist:7jFdXqDV7DClHi5HiEN6MZ">the Mound City Blue Blowers</a>, a trio with Jack Bland on banjo or guitar and Dick Slevin on kazoo. The group was quite popular for a few years, recording a dozen titles (two with guest <a href="spotify:artist:1wZJPrJG9p0ZkiP1sGTaS7">Frankie Trumbauer</a> and the last six with <a href="spotify:artist:0vjo776QYu8Kp1iFaIQVtF">Eddie Lang</a> making the group a quartet) during 1924-1925. McKenzie also recorded under his own name (as leader of the Candy Kids, the exact same quartet) during 1924-1925. <a href="spotify:artist:7jFdXqDV7DClHi5HiEN6MZ">The Blue Blowers</a> name was used for two classic titles ("Hello Lola" and "One Hour") in 1929, featuring <a href="spotify:artist:0JM134st8VY7Ld9T2wQiH0">Coleman Hawkins</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:61EY7PIU7wT3t3766ZTvqB">Pee Wee Russell</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:2aAHdB5HweT3mFcRzm0swc">Glenn Miller</a>, along with the leader's comb; further <a href="spotify:artist:7jFdXqDV7DClHi5HiEN6MZ">Blue Blowers</a> titles were cut during 1931 (featuring <a href="spotify:artist:0JM134st8VY7Ld9T2wQiH0">Hawkins</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3xPpQCRiTBxgmL4PD8J5ek">Jimmy Dorsey</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:0u61vtGdkaLTguZ5mVxLjK">Muggsy Spanier</a>) and 1935-1936 (often with <a href="spotify:artist:5mzFDFweHwx7BZFmMtdll7">Bunny Berigan</a>). McKenzie, who recorded as a straight singer in 1931 and was with <a href="spotify:artist:1mZm40boQmdGKicfbNkd0r">Paul Whiteman</a> the following year, never did become a major name, but he did front the Spirits of Rhythm (1934) and the Farley-Riley group (1935) on record dates. He was retired during 1939-1943, but came back for a brief while, appearing on some of <a href="spotify:artist:1YaB5mqH5zlJqvJaKIsBrS">Eddie Condon</a>'s Town Hall concerts and recording a few titles during 1944-1947; by then the comb was sadly just a memory. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi