Goofus Five I Need Lovin'

In 1924 Ed Kirkeby, the manager of the California Ramblers, formed a combo to play novelties and hotter jazz numbers. At first known as the Little Ramblers, the quintet (consisting of trumpeter Bill Moore, Adrian Rollini on a goofus, pianist Irving Brodsky, banjoist Tommy Felline, and Stan King on drums and kazoo) they wers soon renamed Goofus Five. The "goofus" that the versatile Rollini played sounded like a mouth organ or a melodica but was shaped like a saxophone. The Goofus Five quickly grew in size, eventually to eight musicians, and Rollini played as much bass saxophone as he did goofus. Other band members included (at various times) cornetist Red Nichols, altoist Bobby Davis, trumpeter Chelsea Quealey, trombonist Abe Lincoln and various vocalists including Ed Kirkeby himself. The final recording session took place on February 28, 1929. This fantastic record was made in 1926.