Playboy

Jackie “Moms” Mabley at The Playboy Club. Chess Records. (1961) Moms debuted in the twenties with Butterbeans and Susie at the Cotton Club, suffered racism on the chitlin circuit, was a regular at the Apollo for years and her album sales in the sixties made her the highest charting comedienne in Billboard history. I seem to remember her on TV doing the Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas talk show circuit. I think she took her teeth out and talked funny. A legend.

“The Playboy Farmer” Lonnie “Pap” Wilson on Starday. “Jokes, Laffs, Songs & Gags about the Funny Side of Life Or How to Have Fun - Even if You’re Married“

O Som Da Pilantragem

Playboys Party with the Hotvill’s.

The Uncensored Humor of The Rebel Playboys “Laugh Out #1″ A stag party record.

“Jazz for Playboys” on Savoy.

With Ellis Larkins at the Piano and Joe Benjamin on Bass.  Decca Records (1958)

Don Sherman at the Playboy Club

Couldn’t resist.

A hip little single from Playboy magazine that went to subscribers in 1957 in conjunction with that year’s first annual Playboy Jazz Poll. Included on this record are cuts from the Playboy Jazz All-Stars LP including “Play, Boy” by Shorty Rogers; “Fine’s Idea” by Charlie Ventura; “Sophisticated Rabbit” by Shelly Mann and “Joey, Joey, Joey” by J.J. Johnson. I collect Playboy related records so this is a nice one that’s pretty rare.

Hazy Osterwald Sextet.

There are maybe a dozen albums from the sixties that feature Playboy bunnies. Some are comedians and performers at the Playboy clubs like this one. Playboy branched out to become a label for a short time in the early seventies (I think Barbie Benton might have been the biggest name they had. She was Hef’s girl at the time.), but I like the classic look and feel of the early years. I’ll be back with others.