Biography
String ensembles arise across intersecting traditions rooted in country, blues, and jazz, with one of the most significant jazz-derived examples being the Spirits of Rhythm. Such groups rely on stringed instruments for vocal accompaniment, occasionally incorporating homemade devices or a harmonica. The Spirits of Rhythm earned recognition for its driving, rhythmic pulse. Central to that pulse was the tiple, an instrument comparable in scale to the mandolin, featuring paired strings and occasional single-string variants, yet distinguished by its richer tonal depth that enhanced both rhythmic strumming and distinctive solo passages unlike those produced on guitar. Rivalrous interplay among the various string voices, coupled with the musicians’ competitive energy, formed a core appeal. Echoing the approach of Django Reinhardt’s ensembles, the rhythm section was doubled and, in this case, tripled. The tiple chairs were held by brothers Douglas and Walter Daniels, the second of whom bears no relation to the Austin, Texas, harmonica player of the same surname. Players performed entirely without picks or plectrums, further shaping the ensemble’s singular texture. These tiple specialists rank among the foremost jazz practitioners of the instrument, owing in part to their scarcity; jazz nonetheless counts a handful of such players, whereas numerous other idioms count none. The lineup also featured guitarist Teddy Bunn, double bass, and assorted homemade percussion instruments. Much of the repertoire favored elaborate nonsense delivered through scat singing, Harlem slang, and jive talk. The group exerted a formative influence on the duo Slim and Slam—guitarist and singer Slim Gaillard alongside bassist Slam Stewart—who supplemented the string-band foundation with piano, an instrument whose percussive contribution, while rhythmically serviceable, remains outside the string family. The same lyrical sensibility and engagement with the more knowing currents of Black culture position the Spirits of Rhythm as an early antecedent of rap.
The Spirits of Rhythm developed from an earlier aggregation that performed under multiple designations, among them the Sepia Nephews, Ben Bernie’s Nephews, and the Five Cousins, two of whom were actual brothers. Singer and tiple player Leo Watson entered in 1929. Three years later guitarist Teddy Bunn joined and the name was formally adopted as Spirits of Rhythm, a title later borrowed by an unrelated rock band and by several swing-revival ensembles in the 1990s. The reconfigured unit made its first recordings under the new name in 1932. Virgil Scoggins arrived the following year, introducing homemade percussion. Shortly afterward the group backed Red McKenzie, whose skiffle or “spasm” style is also documented in his collaborations with guitarist Eddie Lang. The Spirits of Rhythm became a fixture on New York’s 52nd Street during its jazz peak and also appeared in Hollywood. The ensemble continued performing well into the second half of the 1940s, at times including bassist Wellman Braud, long associated with Duke Ellington, and drummer Zutty Singleton, frequently a leader in his own right.
The Spirits of Rhythm developed from an earlier aggregation that performed under multiple designations, among them the Sepia Nephews, Ben Bernie’s Nephews, and the Five Cousins, two of whom were actual brothers. Singer and tiple player Leo Watson entered in 1929. Three years later guitarist Teddy Bunn joined and the name was formally adopted as Spirits of Rhythm, a title later borrowed by an unrelated rock band and by several swing-revival ensembles in the 1990s. The reconfigured unit made its first recordings under the new name in 1932. Virgil Scoggins arrived the following year, introducing homemade percussion. Shortly afterward the group backed Red McKenzie, whose skiffle or “spasm” style is also documented in his collaborations with guitarist Eddie Lang. The Spirits of Rhythm became a fixture on New York’s 52nd Street during its jazz peak and also appeared in Hollywood. The ensemble continued performing well into the second half of the 1940s, at times including bassist Wellman Braud, long associated with Duke Ellington, and drummer Zutty Singleton, frequently a leader in his own right.
Albums
