© 2013 Melba Joyce Bradford ALL RIGHTS RESERVED THE JAZZ WIDOWS by MELBA JOYCE BRADFORD A thesis submitted to the Graduate School-Newark Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Graduate Program in Jazz History and Research written under the direction of Dr. Lewis Porter and approved by Newark, New Jersey October, 2013 Acknowledgments So many have encouraged me to document this project that I cannot really recall their names. First and foremost, I thank God for giving me life. My father purchased my first typerwriter. Many years later I asked him why, since he was on the road most of the time, not knowing what I was doing, did he make such a gift. He simply said, “I thought that you may one day have something to say.” “What an interesting observation,” I thought. “So maybe he does think about me when he’s away.” Though he is not here in the flesh, he is here in spirit, as are so many others. I want to say, “thank you, Dad.” I also want to thank my precious mother, Kathryn Davidson Montgomery, who introduced me to life and the arts and Louis Armstrong and for being such a huge influence in my life. I want to thank Professor Lewis Porter, professor and adviser in the course Jazz History and Research, for his advisement and support. I must include Dr. and Mrs. William Cosby, for believing in me, Rex Stewart for introducing me to Benny Carter, Benny for introducing me to our agent, Harold Jovian. Thank you, Louis Jordan, Bill Green, Gerald Wilson, Kirk Lightsey, whom I love so dearly, Mary Carter, Rev. Calvin Butts, Dr. Lisa Whitten, Barbara McBee, Dianne Carboci, Dawn Jackson, LaMarr Robinson, the Hussein Brothers, Rosario Delfin, Henry Franklin, Gloria Baucham, Monsour, Paul Zauner, Lois Broughton, Margie Bryant, ii Lacey O’Neal, Michael, Hazel, Michael Jr., Justen, Kevin, Marty, Mary, Kate Hicks, Nancy Hammond, Lionel Hampton, Shirley Moffit. I thank my children, Keith Bradford, and Maude, Carmen Bradford-Bishop, and Curtis Karl Melvin Bradford and Janie, for so patiently putting up with all of my stuff (and that was a lot). I thank Redd Foxx and the opportunities you provided to me in show business, and Billy Eckstein, my grandson, Matthew Bradford, for being such a wonderful human being and the joy of my life. For the two children I never had the privilege of knowing and others whom I cherish. You know who you are. Thank you. iii Dedication My thesis is dedicated to the memory of Mona Hinton and Nellie Monk and all of the widows who were married to the music and their men. iv Abstract While women have played significant roles within the genre of jazz music, most have been celebrated as vocalists. However, the stories of women who supported their artist husbands in partnership have not, to my knowledge, been documented. My thesis, The Jazz Widows, documents the role of women who spent their lives with their husbands, jazz musicians, and their participation in the success of their husbands’ careers. This musical art form called jazz is the music created by the black man. This music is one of the most important in America, because it is indigenous, originating from another Africa, a musical genre called “the blues.” Just as Italian music was bought from Italy, and Greek music was brought from Greece, neither ever facing the challenge of being taken or changed, the blues, which evolved into jazz, stand. Whereas the staff and certain notations were used in its organization, these are the elements that, I believe, some white Americans want to use to justify their ownership. This is not enough to claim anything, let alone ownership. This music had to do with the ear of its founders, its creators. Essentially, because of the importance to the culture of black people, the women are involved in the preservation of the art form, our legacy, our contribution to this country. One would believe that this would be sufficient proof that, just as other cultures contributed to America, so have we. v The made-up story of racism must be defeated. For it is nothing. My interest in the role of the jazz widow was inspired by the late Mona Hinton, the wife of Milt Hinton, a legendary bassist who was featured with the renowned Cab Calloway and his 18-piece orchestra. The band traveled across the United States and abroad. However, their road trips in America were mostly traveled by bus, which took them to areas that were historically dangerous, due to racism. For black people, especially 18 black men and women, Jim Crow was alive and well. Another hanging would only be another heinous event (an event that was never justified), just for sport, as it had been many, many times in America. From 2005 to 2008, I was the featured vocalist with the Count Basie Orchestra, touring across the country and abroad. The men in the band were very young, in their twenties and thirties, except the leader, Bill Hughes, John Williams and myself. As we traveled by bus, stopping for food and other supplies, I listened to these men as people who were conscious of the lurking dangers, tales, memories and the feelings of black men in America, feelings of those aware of what could happen. In my heart, I felt hurt that even after so many years and so many changes, they had to experience this kind of abuse. After all, we pay taxes and participate in everything that the law requires of its citizens here in America. Why in the 21st century should we be exposed to such treatment, made to feel this inhuman way? vi This is the true reason the women went on the road with their men. They were there protecting their men and the dreams of their men. The Monas who travelled with their men. Having the experience of watching a documentary of the road trips of Cab Calloway and knowledge of Mona Hinton’s story about how her husband, Milt, who was featured with the Cab Calloway Orchestra, traveling across the country and what they had to do in order to stay safe. Although Cab was very light skinned, this was only one portion of the band’s protection. He would, most likely, not be attacked. They would park the band bus some distance from a restaurant for safety. Mona was actually a roadie and a security guard. That’s what we call assistants who perform errands as the band sits and waits for whatever needs to be done. One black person is not a threat, especially a woman. In this case, Mona would go to the back of the restaurant and purchase food for everyone. As Mona and I spoke about the challenges of riding on the bus with all these men, my heart sank. These are not the words of Mona, but a woman knows the heart of other women. We know the story of an American life and of the mistreatment of black men. As I revealed that I had seen the documentary, she only had this to say, “Melba, please don’t let them forget me.” Over the course of two years, I personally interviewed eight jazz widows, recording their accounts of their lives, struggles and accomplishments. Like the music we created, so revolutionary in spirit, so is the spirit of a black woman who is in love. vii I am confident that the reader will appreciate the depth of the jazz song, this road that many of these legendary artists forged with the help and steadfast dedication of their wives. Thank you. Melba Joyce Jazz artist and author viii Table of Contents Introduction 1 Bertha Hope Me and Bertha 6 Bertha Hope 8 Biography – Elmo Hope 43 Discography – Elmo Hope 43 Biography – Bertha Hope 44 Discography – Bertha Hope 44 Biography – Walter Booker 45 Discography – Walter Booker 47 Rose Gales Rose Gales 49 Biography – Larry Gales 63 Discography – Larry Gales 63 Dona Carter Dona Carter 65 Biography – Charles McGhee 77 Discography – Charles McGhee 77 Biography – Dona Carter 79 Discography – Dona Carter 79 Linda Moody Hanging Out with James Moody 80 Linda Moody 82 Biography – James Moody 105 Discography – James Moody 105 Dorthaan Kirk The Kirks and I 107 Dorthaan Kirk 110 Biography – Rahsaan Roland Kirk 120 Discography – Rahsaan Roland Kirk 120 Cecilia Foster Knowing the Fosters: Frank and Cecilia 123 Cecilia Foster 125 Biography – Frank Foster 133 Discography – Frank Foster 133 ix Sandy Jordan Sandy Jordan 135 Biography – Clifford Jordan 143 Discography – Clifford Jordan 143 Gloria Ware Celebrating with Gloria Ware 146 Gloria Ware 148 Biography – Wilbur Ware 153 Discography – Wilbur Ware 153 Methodology 156 Conclusion 158 Curriculum Vitae 159 x 1 Introduction Though women jazz musicians have played a significant role within this genre of music, most have primarily been celebrated as jazz vocalists. Most devotees of jazz have heard of, and enjoyed, Billie Holiday or Ella Fitzgerald or Sarah Vaughan. From the days of vaudeville, with performers such as Ma Rainey and early jazz performers such as Lil Hardin Armstrong, women have been permitted to “show off” on stage, singing and playing to the delight of audiences worldwide. However, there are a group of women who have spent their lives in jazz whose stories are not well known at all. These women need to be heard, for they too have a story to tell: songs of success, songs of accomplishment, songs of hard work leading to success. Women who have provided needed support for their artist husbands, those who have gone unsung and unknown, staying in the shadows while their husbands and partners appear up front on stage, in the limelight, garnering the applause of a delighted audience.