I’m always on the lookout for songs that sound like they belong in the soundtracks of Noir films set in smokey nightclubs. When I heard Speaking Of Happiness on the Resistance Radio soundtrack, it was exactly the kind of song I was looking for. I did some digging, and I was able to find the original rendition by an artist named Gloria Lynne.

Okay jazz fans! Last night I talked about Count Basie and Billie Holiday Live in 1937, Tonight I want to talk about a newly discovered collection of Jazz from the 30s. Specifically, I’m talking about The Savory Collection.

There is a free, full-length Firefly novel. I’ve written about this, in passing in the past, but I wanted to take a few minutes today to talk in more detail about the book, and it’s weird, wacky origin story. Buckle up, we’re heading back to the ‘verse.

In 1937, Billie Holiday and Count Basie performed a few tracks at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem. These were broadcast over the radio, and a radio transcription disc survived, with relitively high quality versions of the performance. Listen:

You know what you need in your life? A swamp-rock protest song, with strong country and jazz influences. Something like Bourgeois King from Canyons of my Mind by Andrew Combs. Seriously, this thing has it all. It’s a foot-stomping, barn burning rock song, with guitars that sound like Lousiana or Texas garage, but then you notice the complex instrumentation (there’s some overblown jazz flute!), and the lyrical content that is very much not typical of southern rock. It’s wonderful! Listen: