The Spirits of Rhythm

The Spirits of Rhythm

Genres: jazz, All, string band, vocal jazz

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About The Spirits of Rhythm

Spirits of Rhythm were an American jazz string band. Members * Douglas Daniels - tiple * Walter Daniels - tiple * Teddy Bunn - guitar * Wellman Braud - bass * Leo Watson - vocals, tiple * Virgil Scoggins - percussion * Red McKenzie - percussion The ensemble's members had previously played under several other names (The Sepia Nephews, Ben Bernie's Nephews, The Five Cousins), and upon adding Teddy Bunn as guitarist in 1932, the group began calling itself Spirits of Rhythm. They occasionally recorded, and performed frequently on 52nd Street in New York City as well as in Hollywood in the 1930s and early 1940s. The group featured vocalists accompanied by string instruments, sometimes with other accompaniment such as homemade percussion instruments and harmonica. In addition to the ordinary varieties of string instruments, the Spirits of Rhythm also featured a tiple, an instrument similar to the mandolin but with a lower, deeper sound. The group's vocalists often sang in nonsense syllables or in scat, employing the singer's voice more like an instrument rather than as a vehicle for lyrics.

Taken from Last.fm

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