2. Cleveland's Earliest Links to Jazz
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2. Cleveland's Earliest Links to Jazz swing and bebop periods. And, after a resurgence of jazz in Cleveland in the last two decades of the 20th century, a new generation of artists, educators and writers has been making significant new contributions. In the earliest years ofjazz, Northeast Ohio produced two musicians who made extremely important contributions. Neither was considered ajazz musician, but both were historically very important to the development ofthe art form. In addition, Cleveland was an early center in the manufacturing of musical instruments. Will Marion Cook Can you imagine jazz with much ofthe world, music in Cleveland means the no saxophones? There would Cleveland Orchestra, the Rock and Roll Hall of be no Lester Young, no Charlie 11Fame, polka bands, and Muzak (which, incidently, Parker, no Coleman Hawkins, was invented in Cleveland in 1922 by Maj. Gen. George no Johnny Hodges, no John Squier). Forgotten by many is the fact that Cleveland has Coltrane. also made significant contributions to jazz. The saxophone was invented While Cleveland's contributions to jazz certainly do in 1840 by Adolphe Sax, a not rival those ofNew Orleans, Chicago, Kansas City or Belgian instrument-maker. He New York, this city has had many important links to jazz was hoping to develop a new history - links that were largely ignored for decades. instrument that would combine This book looks at the history of jazz from the the playing speed of the Will Marion Cook viewpoint of Cleveland. While that may seem to be a woodwinds with the sound of in his early years somewhat distorted view considering the contributions the brasses. While the of other cities, I believe, when you look at Cleveland's saxophone could be played quickly and easily, it never many contributions to jazz history, it is a valid and achieved the sound of the brasses and it was generally important view. dismissed by 19th century musicians as little more than a The most obvious Cleveland links are the large novelty instrument. Around the tum of the century, the number of Cleveland artists who became leaders in the saxophone began to appear in minstrel shows. growth ofjazz. They have included such outstanding But in 1905, Will Marion Cook, who had studied musicians as saxophonist Joe Lovano; pianist, arranger music at Oberlin College in Northeast Ohio, saw the and composer Tadd Dameron; trumpeters Freddie potential for the saxophone and began using it in his Webster, Emmett Berry and Benny Bailey; free jazz dance band. It was apparently the first time the pioneer Albert Ayler; guitarists Bill de Arango and Jim saxophone had been used in popular music. Hall; drummers Fats Heard and Morey Feld; trombonists Cook, who was born in 1869 in Washington, D.C., Jiggs Whigham and John Fedchock; clarinetist Ken began studying violin at the Oberlin Conservatory at the Peplowski; and even jazz whistler Ron McCroby. age of 13 in 1882 and later studied with Joseph Joachim In addition, Cleveland and Northeast Ohio have been in Germany and Antonin Dvorak in the United States. the scenes of many significant events in the careers of He became the first Negro to play with the Boston some of the most important figures in jazz. Duke Symphony Orchestra. Ellington's principal teacher studied here. Artie Shaw Seeing little future for an African-American in spent his formative years here. Bix Beiderbecke suffered classical music at the time, Cook focused his attention a tragic set-back here. Jimmie Lunceford began his on popular music. In 1898, he wrote and produced a professional career here. Art Tatum spent years playing at Broadway musical called Clorindy (or The Origin ofthe an after-hours club here. Count Basie married a girl from Cakewalk). It was an operetta that included a cast of26 Cleveland and their only child was born here. Django blacks singing and dancing. It was the first example of Reinhardt played his first American concert here. Dave performers singing and dancing simultaneously on the Brubeck pioneered college jazz concerts here. Broadway stage. After Clorindy opened, Cook later While Cleveland's contributions to jazz can be traced proudly said, ''Negroes at last were on Broadway. to the earliest years, they were strongest during the Nothing could stop us." 6 Cleveland Jazz History Critic James Weldon Johnson said Cook was the fITst use until years later." competent composer to take what was then known as Cook's advice, "Don't try to be anybody but ragtime and work it out in a musicianly way." Cook's yourself," became Ellington's musical credo. music from Clorindy is said to have influenced blues The onetime Oberlin Conservatory student, who composer W.C. Handy. contributed so much by introducing the saxophone to Cook also composed such songs as ','I'm Coming popular music, breaking racial barriers, and teaching Virginia," which was later recorded by BixBeiderbecke, young Duke Ellington, died in New York, July 19, 1944 and "Mammy," later an AI Jolsoo hit. He also helped at the age of75. form the group that eventually became the musicians' union. Noble Sissie In 1919 Cook was leading a band called the Southern Noble SissIe, who went to Syncopated Orchestra which toured Europe and gave a high school in Cleveland, was command performance before King George V of Great another early contributor who, Britain. For the tour, Cook hired a young musician like Cook, was best known as a named Sidney Bechet to play improvised saxophone popular bandleader. solos with the band. Soloing with Cook's band, Bechet . SissIe moved to Cleveland became the fITst master ofthe jazz saxophone. with his family in 1906 when . It is a stretch to say that Cook's early orchestra his father became the min ister played jazz. But there is little doubt that his music was of Cory Methodist Church, a major step toward jazz - with such elements as then located at East 35th and improvisation and vibrated and muted notes. Scovill. The 17-year-old SissIe In the 1920s, Cook met a young pianist from Noble Sissie enrolled in Central High Washington named Duke Ellington. Ellington later School where he played on the wrote in his autobiography, Music Is My Mistress, that baseball and football teams, sang in the school glee club, Cook helped him get started in New York, coached him, and was one of Cleveland's fITSt civil rights activists. and was a strong early influence. Ellington said, "I got In the book Reminiscing With Sissie and Blake, SissIe most of my instruction riding around Central Park and recalled going with a group ofwhite friends to a movie he'd give me lectures in music. "Cook gave me theatre on Erie Street (later renamed East 9th). "When lectures," said Ellington, "on fundamentals of writing we tried to go in," he said, "they stopped me and told me and arranging" that he had learned at Oberlin. Ellington to sit in the balcony because I was colored." His white recalled, "I'd sing a melody in its simplest form and he'd friends were angry and persuaded SissIe to file a suit stop me and say, 'Reverse your figures. '" According to against the theatre. In 1908, young Noble SissIe was Ellington, Cook "was a brief but strong influence. Some awarded $50 in civil rights damages by a Cleveland of the things he used to tell me I never got a chance to court. Before he graduated from Central High School, Sissie was performing professionally. He sang with a male quartet on the Chautauqua circuit around the Midwest. After high school, he went to DePauw University for one semester and transferred to Butler University in Indianapolis. The manager of that city' s Severin Hotel asked SissIe to form an orchestra to play for hotel guests. He became the leader of perhaps the fITst black orchestra to be featured in a hotel catering to white customers. It was the beginning of a pattern that would continue throughout SissIe's life. During World War I, he entered the Army and became the drum major of an Army band that caused a sensation in France by playing a form ofragtime music. The 369th Infantry Band, led by Lt. James Reese Europe, began calling itself a "jazz band." Reese's Army band not only Louisiana State Museum helped popularize the new music among U.S. soldiers, it Will Marion Cook (in white pants) with Fletcher Henderson (at the wheel), composer Harold Arlen was also probably the first exportation ofjazz, America's (second from left), Louis Deppe (waving), Bobby new art form. SissIe said at the time, "The jazz germ hit Stark (behind Henderson), and Rex Stewart. France and it spread everywhere" they went. Cleveland's 'Earliest Links to Jazz 7 In 1914, Europe led a Shortly after he joined the syncopated orchestra which band, Bechet got a more recorded such songs as "Too attractive offer. Will Marion Much Mustard" and "Castle Cook was planning to go to Walk." Some historians, Europe and wanted Bechet to including saxophonist Jackie go with him as a member of McLean, in the October, 1990 Cook's orchestra. DownBeat magazine, have Sissie, giving up his band argued that those records by for a while, formed a James Reese Europe, three vaudeville act with pianist years before the first and composer Eubie Blake. recordings by the Original In 1921, following the lead of Dixieland Jazz Band, were Will Marion Cook, they wrote the first examples ofrecorded an all-black Broadway jazz. National Archives review, Shuffle Along. The Shortly after the war, SissIe Lt. James Reese Europe and his Army band show launched the career of became the leader ofEurope's dancer Josephine Baker.