The Varsity Eight was the name under which recordings made by a group most commonly known as the
California Ramblers were issued on the Cameo label between the years 1923 and 1931. Noteworthy participants were the Dorsey brothers, trombonist Abe Lincoln, trumpeter
Red Nichols, and bass saxophonist
Adrian Rollini, who also operated a goofus; properly known as a couesnophone, this gadget looked and sounded like a toy sax with a rubber mouthpiece. In 2000 the Timeless label compiled and released a delicious sampler of 25
Varsity Eight recordings made between September 1923 and January 1926. There are plenty of delightful surprises here, particularly for those who aren't too uptight to cut loose and enjoy some innocent, slap-happy old-fashioned entertainment. In addition to solid little jams with titles like "Beets and Turnips," "Those Panama Mamas." and "Last Night on the Back Porch," the grab bag is chock-full of name tunes such as "Oh Joe," "Oh, Mabel!" "Hula Lou," "Row, Row, Rosie!," "Don't Bring Lulu," "Hard Hearted Hannah," and "If You Knew Susie." Best of all, the Varsity Eight left us durable renditions of early jazz marvels like "Milenberg Joys," "San," Elmer Schoebel's "T.N.T.," Maceo Pinkard's "Sweet Georgia Brown" and
Mel Stitzel's "Doodle-Do-Doo." Ideal music for cooking without recipes, smoking with no ashtray, dancing on furniture, or driving cross country without a map. ~ arwulf arwulf