WORCESTER, JAZZ This Being a Requiem for the Way It Was When Al Hirt 'FellIn' at the Saxtrum Club

By EVERETT M. SKEHAN Boots Mussulli. . . BOOTS They blew their jazz in ball- By 1938jazz was firmly es- Reynold, Scat Davis, Gene MUSSULLI!Now we're catch- rooms and at private clubs tablished in Worcester. Krupa, Chu Berry, Carl Hoff, Of The Gazette Staff ing up with you, eh? You re- and parties and anywhere During that year a group of Roy Eldridge, Anita O'Day, Did you ever hear a man member the. king from Mil- people would listen. There local musicians started the Cozy Cole, Cab Calloway, blow his horn back in the ford - "Kid Boots" - were no nightclubs in Worces- club that would later become Sam Donaliue, Charlie Ven- ter. . days when Harlem was king , Worcester's most significant tura, Frank Sinatra and many and the blues poured out of The 50s. Nelson's in Fitch- bur g. McCann's Cafe in Their music wasn't polish- contribution to the betterment others made frequent visits to eve r y joint on Summer Leominster. The Wigwam in ed. And it didn't wander far of jazz music. the club and "sat in" with Street? Ayer. from the basic roots. A bop "We had a lot of good cats the local musiciaJ.1s. Did you watch him lean player of today would put it camin' up in those days," Tore Roof Off Stand in ilne baby. The joint down. But believe· it, it was back and close his eyes and is swinging. Howie Jefferson said. "Man, . blow in to the smokey dark- the blues. It was soul and it they just lived for jazz. They Tuesday mgbts they tore the ness until the veins bulged on Look out! That's Howie Jef- got right inside you. It wasn't didn't go in for no day gigs. roof off tbe Saxtrum. his forehead and wide beads ferson on tenor. And he's wai- written down. You either And they didn't want to blow The name bands would ar- lin' "Heavy Juice." of sweat raced each other blew it or you didn't. That commercial. rive in Worcester on Monday was jazz. down his face into the open If you have ever known this "Well, these cats were look- for a three.New Orleans Swan. He is probably most re- that typified the Saxtrum c.a~m I. 0 e c u an s~- I him. Ayer had sessions in the early membered by jazz men for · kl th ougl' tm on hiS tenor case a.ndwall- Westboro. He's blowin' with ... This sure do beat workin' jazz played two to the beat in CIub sprea d qwcy r l"'h 60's but they fizzled. ' George Pearson, who is a good his original composition of the 'the area. Before long musi- .' In rIg t th:ough ~bout 20 Wanled the Best for the WPA." rich, fat sounds spiked with "The last of the real ses. blues organ man. Are you with .me? vibrato that came straight great standard, "When Your cians were beating a path to choruses.~ IndIana. ~thout Lover Has Gone". "Music was competetive sions was held at the Fox "1 guess guys Ilke me and Do you remember Boots from the soul. Those were the the club's door. The member- ~ver comm up .for.?lr, How- then. Everyone who played days when' many musicians ship rose to 135. Ie Jefferson Said. Man, that Lounge in Westborot" Jeffer- Tony will always have to blow Ward's Nite Hawks and Stew Inspiration jazz wanted to be the best. son said. "I hated to see them Watson and the Phil Scott big couldn't read a note of music. . cat could blow." some blues. Anyway, its nicl Some of the best local Jazz But it's not like that tOday. sessions go. because that was to think we will." band? And that really didn't matter. The day of the sessions had artists who joined the Sax- Another regular at the Sax- arrived. They would continue "In those days, we'd push the end of the good old days trum Club were: Dave Rob- trum was a chubby young each' other all night. Then, af- crf jazz. I Young Drummer until the early 1960sas an in- ertson, Henry Monroe, Bobby cornet player they called spiration and joy to every ter the gig, we'd all 'fall in' "Goin' back through the' The man that local musi- Holt, and Barbara Carroll (pi- "Jumbo". to the Piccadilly Restaurant years, I remember bop never jazz musician in the area. ano); Dick Adshead. Joe Fer· cians have nick-named "Jef- Fort [)evens on Shrewsbury Street. For a really caught on around Wor- ferson Lord" goes up on the "The cats loved to blow in razano, Murray Guralnick, buck we could get a platter of cester. Even when things was them days," said Howie Jef· Tony Finelli, Phil Scott and "Old Jumbo was stationed goin' hot down in Boston back stand with Dick Hill, his fine spaghetti and pork chops with jazz organist, and his steady ferson, who became one of Kukonen (sax); Bill Tony, up at Ft. Devens." Jefferson five or six forks. in the early 50's, we stuck to Worcester's most noted jazz Kenny Proctor, Eddie Dol- young drummer Steve Pap- remembers. "It got so he was' "Those were the really blues and traditional jazz pas. sax men. ~'Man, everynight beare, Al Mercury, Billy Hall- at the club every Saturday great days, when we'd sit around here. after the gig we'd get togeth. back, Rockie Blunt, Hal night. If he don't have no around all night after the gig "¥ou know there's very few His foot begins to stomp out 'er someplace and blow the Drellinger, and Eddie Temple pass, he get off the ba.. some eating spagbetti and talking cats in this area today that the beat. His fingers are blues until the sun come u~. ( d rum s ) ; Haddad, Benny way. And before you know it jazz. can play blues. The blues has snapping. Hurwitz, Franny O'Connor, "We h~d sessions at the he be up on the stand blowin' "Today the cats can't get to come from the soul, man. And then sucjdenlyhe's lean- r....,....~- "~"'~n::"-rj.t.., "n.i Moe, BatchelderLttw'l ,"herl~h; And -that's w1.at the-musicians ing-baeJ..wilh,the horn'pushed' ,e't);"aml"Edii Wine. Mary'-' }IOIiie Sooll enough~fter--a Center and- ~at Logan's-in When he got out of the gig." comin' up ain't got - soul. . up front just the way it ought Trumbull Square and Domen· Con 1i n and Bert Hardin to be. The veins bulge in his (string bass). army., Old Jumbo changed his "In those days the best jazz Bread Counts ie's Cafe on Green Street and horn from cornet !o trumpet c e n t ere d around Clayton forehead and sweat beads lots of other joints around The Saxtrum's reputation "Things ain't what they race dow his face. He's blow- spread far outside the Wor, and made a pretty fair show· Street and was played mostly town. ing from the experience he by colored musicians and a used to be. Jazz is gone. Mu- ing B·flat blues at you. Real. "Them were the good old cester area. Musicians from sicians don't blow for kicks no gutsy B-flat blues. all over the country knew that gained in those two years of handful of whites. days of jazz when c'ats would "falling in" to the Saxtrum more like they did when I was The tune is "Pork and here was a place where Jazz "Back then a musician comin' up. Today the only come from all around and Club. would starve before he'd Beans" which he has written men got together to exchange thing that counts is the bread. and recorded himself. The blow all nigbt for nothin' just ideas. to create, to Hcarve" His name is Al Hirt. prostitute his music. Today it cause they dug the music." is just the bread that counts "There's plenty of good cats band is cooking. each other, and to help each A Jot ""ofjazz musicians in comin' up today that could The territory bands were with most musicians around You close your eyes and you other. the late 30s and early 40s blow real nice jazz if they had working the Worcester area They loved it. found themselves involved in Woreester. can almost bear Emil Haddad then, playing ballroom and the chance. But the only gigs and Miff George and Ockie personal struggles. that were "The public won't buy jazz. available are weddings and club dates. The Watson Broth· Musicians' Language The old Saxtrum days are Menard and Barney Price impossible to shake. They banquets and shows and danc- joining 'in with him to ex- e r s, Dol Brissette, Gene Those were the days when were living out of suitcases, gone forever." Broadman, Bob Pooley, and es. And of course, rock n' roll change choruses. the musician's language was traveling about the country, Major Influence gigs. Phil Scott all had bands that in tune with the Harlem trying to push a product that Then it's over. The mobbig band in the sonality of any artist, turned The tunes were by Ellington to drugs imd liquor. artist from Milford what they nice things, but baby, it ain't Shadow of Your Smile." country. Kukonen was fea~ and Basie and Goodman. wanted to blow dixie, swing, jazz. You take the real good He plays the melody. tured on sax and clarinet with Jump numbers like "One This'is a fact that has been mainstream, bop. cats t hat are blowin rock, It is very pretty. Bobby Hackett, O'Clock Jump," "Jull1iPing at blown up way out of propor- they could play fine jazz too if The customers are dancing. tion, exploited and dwelled If it was fazz, Boots blew it. the Woodside," and fllndiana" And everybody listened. they was brought up blowin' And you know the price a Regular Job upon in the past. It is enough and pretty ballads, now stan- Local musicians felt the loss jazz. man must pay to keep his After playing for four or dards like "Sophisticated to say that these problems ex- heavily when Boots died in "I'm lucky. I been playin' music alive. five hours on their regular job Lady" and "Stardust" and isted in the Worcester area to 1965. at one of the local ballrooms, "Body and Soul." a very small extent, as they In the late 40s and early 50s so often will wherever you ! the jazz men in these territo- About the lime the Saxtrum the nightclubs really began to ry bands gathered at places Club really began to swing, find men capable of producing swing. There were jam ses- Area Musicians Plan like the Town Club on Lake the big-name bands were ap- real art in any form. sions and jazz sessions all~ Avenue and the Jackson Club pearing at the Plymouth The- Armed Forces through the area. Gazene Pholo for jam sessionsI that would ater. The Wonder Bar in Auburn Club of Their Own Tony Finelli plays iazz at the Bonfire in Westboro. last far into the night. Top artists like Tommy In the early 1940smany of nsed to close its doors at mid- the local musicians went into night so the jazz men could The spirit of the Saxtrum Club will live again. the armed forces. This was come in· and blow till the Musicians want to play jazz, but the public isn't interested. tbe end of the Saxtrum Club. small hours of the morning. So the musicians plan to unite and build their own cluhhouse. Although the few members The Wigwam in the Hotel And they'1! dedicate it to bringing the "artistry" back to who stayed out of the service Lincoln in Ayer had back-to- popular music. tried to keep the club alive, back sessions that lasted all The Worcester Musician's Association. AFM local 143, things just weren't the same. day Sunday. They were plans to consolidate the neighboring associations in Milford, Funds soon ran out and the fronted by Jefferson and oth- Marlboro, Southbridge, Fitchburg, Athol and Framingham. club was abandoned. Today the er local jazz stars. The union locals have a combined membership of 1200pro- Saxtrum is being demolished Seymour's in Shirley was fessional musicians. for urban renewal. swinging with sessions all It was in the 40s that a jazz through the 40s and Nelson's Too Much Apathy band called the Rockie Blunt in Fitchburg was turning "There's far too much apathy in the music business to- All Stars was organized by a them away at the door in the day," said Edward Shamogian, president of local 143. "IVe young Worcester drummer, 50s. need a place where musicians and friends can come to re- This was one of the first McCann's Cafe in Leomin- hearse and experiment and develop their creative abilities. predominantly Negro jazz ster regularly featured Mus- What we really want is a club of our own, like the Saxtrum bands in the area to have a sulli, Jefferson, Frankie Capp, Club of the late 30s, where musicians can feel free to come white leader. Two of its musi- Joe Roland, Morgan Sorrell any time of the day or night and play whatever kind of music cians were members of the and Howard McKee. they want." original Boots Ward Nite §Iammed Shut The musicians have picked a site for the club on the Hawks'band: Jefferson on sax Boston Tunrpike. Ground breaking for the new building is and Price on trumpet. The Then, as suddenly as it had expected by the beginning of 1970. band was rounded out by Hen- been opened, the door ry Monroe on piano, Morgan slammed shut. Will Rais. Funds Sorrell on bass. and Blunt on The public no longer craved' Funds for the building will be raised by the musicians jrums. jazz. themselves through performances in concerts, clubs and lInion Blunt's band toured the Rock and roll had begun to sponsored affairs. I . Worcester area for several creep into favor with the young Shamogian, a Worcester lawyer, known in local music years and was noted for its set in the 50s. By the early circles as jazz drummer Eddy Sham, said the American Fed- fine sessions and concerts. 60s it had a firm hold on the eration of Musicians is watching the movement very closely. The Rockie Blunt AII·Stars swing a diorus of lie-Jam" blues (trumpet), Morgan Sorrell (boss), Howie Jefferson fsox), HI can remember the carv.. music scene. "They're 100per cent in favor of what we're trying to do," during an all.night jazz session at Nelson's Cafe, Leominster and Chet Lavallee (piono). Ing sessions we use d to Guitars, amplifiers, organs he said. "They're as much aware of what's happening to In 1949; (from leftl Rockie Blunt (drums), Barney Price have," Blunt _said. "A man and loud drummers were the local musicians as we are. H •