Skillet Dick His Frying Pans Champion 78 Syd Valentine

$

158

Hot Jazz from Syd Valentine and with His Patent Leather Kids, later renamed Skillet Dick and His Fryin' Pans for the budget Champion record label in 1929.
# 15883, Patent Leather Stomp / Asphalt Walk.
Label is VG+ with light wear along the spindle hole, record surface is a very nice VG to VG+ with one feelable scratch on the b side, very nice sheen and luster.

Born in Indianapolis, IN, in November 1908, Raymond "Syd" Valentine studied trumpet during the early '20s with Frank Clay, leader of the pit band at the local Washington Theatre. Valentine's first professional gigs took place during the mid-'20s with Fred Wisdom's Merrymakers in Kansas City and in the company of clarinetist Jimmy O'Bryant with Paul Stewart's band in Terre Haute. After finishing high school in Terre Haute, Valentine headed back to Indianapolis, where in 1927 he hired in with The Jigfield Follies, a variety show that featured eccentric novelty clarinetist Wilton Crawley. Valentine first performed with the company at the Washington Theatre, then followed the show to New York City.

Early in 1928 Valentine formed a ten-piece band in Indianapolis and called them the Patent Leather Kids. Just when the Kids were starting to get gigs locally, Valentine took off with his trombonist, Wheeler Moran (later known as Doc Wheeler), to work with Bernie Young's orchestra at the Wisconsin Roof in Milwaukee, performing with excellent musicians like Preston Jackson and Eddie Barefield. Valentine began to earn himself a reputation in Chicago by gigging with George Mitchell, Bob Shoffner, Jabbo Smith, and Carroll Dickerson. Before the year was up, Valentine was a member of Horace Henderson's orchestra, based at that time in Columbus, OH. In 1929 he toured the East Coast as a member of the Hardy Brothers' band, a group that operated out of Richmond, VA.

By early October 1929 Valentine was back home again in Indiana, making a series of recordings for the Gennett label with his Patent Leather Kids, now reduced to a trio. Valentine played trumpet, James "Slick" Helms was at the piano, and Paul George operated the banjo. Of 14 sides recorded on October 2, 1929, four featured vocals by Horace Smith and six by Hattie Snow. Two of the instrumentals, "Rock and Gravel" b/w "Jelly Bean Rag" (otherwise known as "Jelly Bean Drag") were also issued on the Champion label as by Skillet Dick & His Frying Pans. During the remainder of 1929 Valentine played in a band led by Speed Webb.

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