1. Stan Greening didn't start at Columbia until January 1925. All the Regal sessions shown prior to this date are not Greening's and should be taken out. Most are by members of the Savoy Havana Band, but that research will come in a later article. (This affects Regals up to G-8332, though the 4 Savoy Medley sides on G-8325 & G-8326 are Greenings). Also, one later Corona session (Sept 14, 1925) is actually by the New Princes Toronto Band; matrices A-2421 - 2424.

2. The Hannan Dance Band sessions. This is a little more complicated. Stan would definitely be involved in some way, but nearly all of these are not by his usual musicians and he may not be directing the band. The first Hannan session, January 27, 1925 sounds quite like Greening's band, though 2 pianos are present. At a guess, Percival Mackey may be involved here. Just about all of the other Hannans are by Jack Hylton's band, sometimes even involving Hylton as singer! My cousin and fellow researcher, Charles Hippisley-Cox, first spotted this some years ago and, after listening to all but a couple of the sides which have still eluded us, the only exceptions seem to be the April 30, 1925 session (Columbias 3664 & 3665) which sound like Percival Mackey's band. (Records labelled under Mackey's name didn't start until the following month.)

Incidentally, though no information has been found about who directed the dance band recordings at Edison Bell, the sound of the band and the musicians used makes me think it likely Stan Greening was involved from 1924 onwards. 

Now, let's look at the personnel. This is shown as being constant from 1924 until the middle of 1929. However, closer listening to the records doesn't bear this out. The early Imperials (and Mimosas - not listed) are by a smaller band. The Imperials and acoustic Regals up until some time in 1926 included a trumpeter who I nicknamed "The Noodler" as on virtually every record (or fox-trot, anyway) he would liven up ensemble choruses with a noodling improvisation.

Reference to Stan Greening's notes tell us the names he used on his early records....
Bert Heath-t/Ted Heath-tb/Nat Star-cl-ss-as/Arthur Lally-cl-as-bar/Fred Cooke-p/ Stan Greening-bj/ Joc Merritt-bb/Charles "Wag" Abbey-d-x.

I'm afraid it is almost impossible to identify changes & styles of the 4 rhythm section players  as they rarely get a look in with solos, so let's take the lead players...

First, Bert Heath. It seemed likely from this that he would be "The Noodler" but I wanted more evidence. Unfortunately, his early records with Jack Hylton and The Broadway Five don't give any clue - no noodling! Then he isn't listed on any recordings until the later Greenings and the Nat Star Sternos in the 1930s and, again there's no sign of the familiar noodling, but styles had changed a lot by then. Horst Lange, in his German Hot discography, does give Bert Heath as the trumpeter on the early Percival Mackey Columbias. This fits, as the trumpeter is the same as on the Greenings records. The only other thing I knew about Heath was that he went to Australia in late 1926. Greening confirms this in his notes. Australia dance band recordings from the 1920s are pretty rare, even in Australia, but Antipodean archivist, Chris Long, had dug some out and reissued them privately on a series of CDs. I played a few of these on which he had identified Bert Heath as lead trumpet and, sure enough, here was the same guy as on the Greenings. The last bit of evidence was to affirm when he ceased to play on the Greenings records and I found that from late August 1926, there is a different sound to the lead trumpet. So, I am now pretty convinced that Bert Heath is the trumpeter on all Greenings sessions from the start until mid-August 1926.

Next, Ted Heath. Ted has a very distinctive outgoing sound, quite different from most British dance band trombonists of the period, who were mainly happy to stay in the background and "moan" with the ensemble. My experience with listening to the records shows that Ted Heath was on nearly all Greening's sessions, though there are occasions when the trombone stays much more in the background and this is likely to be Bernard Tipping, who appears in one of the photos of the band which Stan had. Stan also said that he used Bill Morley sometimes from about 1928 onwards, instead of Heath. More research is required to determine who is on which session.

Nat Star(r) has a quite distinctive sound on clarinet and in addition, kept a detailed diary of when he played sessions, probably to ensure he got paid what he had earned! He appears to be on nearly every Greening session from start to end, playign clarinet and alto-saxophone. However, Arthur Lally (see below) was also platying these instruments and may sometimes lead instead of Star. 

Arthur Lally is very well known for his later work with Bert Firman, The Blue Lyres and his own bands, and it is impressive to find he was already in the recording clique in the early 1920s, while still quite young. Many of the Greening records have a fine baritone player. Closer listening shows that, as well as the expected slap-tongue style which was expected to be heard at this period, the baritone player was trying out some quite advanced improvisations. Incidentally, Greening frowned upon too much improvisation at the recording sessions, probably because he didn't was to incur the cost of ruined masters. He expected his players to sight-read the arrangements (often publisher's stock) and to get it right first time! Anyway, comparison between the baritone solos on the Greenings sessions and those on the early Firman sessions with which Arthur Lally was involved (July 1925 onwards) shows the same musician was involved. Lally seems to disappear from the Greenings groups towards the end of 1925. His replacement is the musician who is heard on most Harry Bidgood sessions and some Nat Star ones. I'm fairly sure this is George Clarkson, who is shown on some photos (jncluding Harry Bidgood's band) with an array of saxophones, including a baritone sax.

So, the personnel listed above seems to apply to most Greenings sessions up until late 1925 when Lally was replaced, and then Sept 1926 when Bert Heath left. There may be a second trumpet on some sessions and this could be Charles Mead. Stan Greening stated that, following Bert Heath's departure, he generally used 2 out of the following three musicians on trumpet: Frank Wilson, Frank Biffo and Charles Mead. (I wonder if he meant Arthur Wilson, rather than Frank Wilson?)

Following Bert Heath's departure, he was replaced by a trumpeter who has quite eccentric ideas about how to play hot, usually involving flaltened (or "blue") notes. I think this may be Arthur Wilson (who was playing in Alfredo's New Prince's Orchestra at the time). Arthur's tenure with Greening's band was short and the more permanent replacement was one with a fast vibrato and a very sure way of playing. My opinion is that this is Frank Biffo. Biffo was a highly respected brass player who directed one session under his own name at Homochord in 1929 and also lead "The Devillers" - who made four sides for Regal. These records are quite rare, but I have heard some, and the lead trumpeter on these is the man with the vibrato - likely therefore to be Biffo. I suspect the second trumpeter on the Greenings records is generally Charles Mead.

Some of the early Greenings include a tenor sax player and it is likely this is Jack Denahay, who is present on the band photos of the period. During 1927, George Smith started to be present regularly on tenor sax. I suspect the reed players would have to double soprano, also, tenor, baritone as required by Greening, so even though we tend to associate Smith with the tenor sax, he probably played the other saxes too.

From the beginning of February 1928, Frank Biffo is replaced by Jimmy Wornell. Wornell has quite a distinctive style and a very slow vibrato, quite the opposite of Biffo. Wornell's work can be heard on most Debroy Somers' records of the 1920s and on many Harry Bidgood records (to be taken up on a future article). Then from September 1928, Wornell is replaced by Bert Heath who returned from Australia at this time.