• THE STYLE OF by Mimi Clar i Contemporary 3560 & HIS MEN

Henry Mancini from ^the TV program starrinPETEg R GUNN Craig Stevens

1*1

Manne, it's the greatest!

Wonderful originals by Hank Mancini this swinging jazz session. Shelly's Men — from the score of the TV show PETER stars, all —are: , vibes and GUNN find an ideal interpreter in SHELLY ; , ; Herb MANNE & HIS MEN. Shelly, who also Geller, alto sax; Russ Freeman, ; and plays for the TV program sound track, Monty Budwig, bass. invited guest star Victor Feldman (also a Recorded in Contemporary's superb high PETER GUNN regular) to join his men for fidelity sound.

12" Hi-Fi Long Playing C3560, $4.98; also available on stereo records S7025, $5.95 at dealers everywhere.

CONTEMPORARY RECORDS 8481 MeJrose Place, 46,

LETTERS

WORD FROM THE WEST IN DEFENSE OF GIANTS MORE MISSING MODERNS May I express my appreciation of the Have just been listening to some of the The J. J. Johnson solo on 's first issue of The jazz Review? I think tunes on the Ella-Duke Songbook , Love for Sale is definitely his first on the need for such a magazine has long in particular the ones with . records. It is a smooth, simple affair that been felt by fans on the Pacific Coast. I You know I can't listen to him on this shows no trace of his later style. J. J. solos particularly enjoyed the very perceptive album without getting a lump in the on three of the Karl George 1945 Melo• pieces on Monk and Davis by Gunther throat, and in some cases he is completely dise titles. On How Am I to Know he plays Schuller and , though there was devastating. There never was a man who in a simple balled styled not far removed much more in the mag that was exceed• played so much tenor sax, and I'll throw from the Carter. In Peek-a-boo he takes a ingly valuable. in Hawk, Chu and Sonny. It's a damn fast solo that has overtones of his mature C. H. Garrigues shame nobody listens to those Englishmen, work while on Grand Slam his chorus is Jazz Editor, Examiner McCarthy and Dance, about neglected definitely boppish. jazzmen. In Inside Feather stated that in AND THE EAST Much of the blame rests with the jazz 's Echoes of on Long may your new publication prosper. mags. For circulation purposes they must Hit, "can be heard playing the , New York come with a new sensation (in quotes) same bop style he features today" and this almost every issue. The older jazzmen statement has been taken for granted for BUT have been the victims of this lousy busi• too long. In fact Bud plays a remarkably I love you madly, but . . . ness for too long. Webster, today, is play• advanced bop solo on Floogie Boo and Some of the articles are so pretentiously ing greater even than during his years an involved improvisation with strong bop scholarly (over-documented, over-footnoted, with Duke. I admit to the belief that overtones on Honeysuckle Rose. That's over-discussed) as to be meaningless. This jazz is not jazz without "" or "heart" about all. In Sweet Lorraine he has a is a minority of your articles. If I were or "lyricism" or whatever you wish to call simple but quite pleasant ballad-style solo. anti-intellectual, I wouldn't be reading The it. Thats why to me, it is pure pleasure, Incidentally, Cootie's recording of Round Jazz Review in the . Hodeir; a treat to be savoured over and over About Midnight on Majestic, also made in Schuller on Monk; and most of the others again, to hear Ben play. 1944 should be noted. Williams plays the were fine. The Negro Church: Its Influ• To keep up with the march of progress melody very well but its contours do not ence on Modern Jazz is a little ridiculous, (again in quotes) I listen to Sonny and suit the character of his tone. (It's regret• not to say boring. A few of the reviews Stan and Cannonball. But, hell this is not table never recorded this.) have been like this too. Just thought I' pleasure, it's an effort, like reading a tech• On the other side Powell can be heard let you know . . . article was nical volume on a subject alien to one's behind 's vocal on Some• stupendous. So is Jazz in Print. My per• own field of interest. Frankly, I don't feel body's Gotta Go but nothing much hap• sonal view: is 25% right, this problem will ever get so serious that pens. 50% hogwash, and 25% exaggeration. what these new fellows do will be called There are still a few Gillespie solos that A Letter to the Editor section would "jazz" and what I like will be called are not too well known. He is heard to be fascinating if limited to critics and something else. fine effect on 's Ten Lessons musicians, just as the New York Times Eventually appreciation of those facets with Timothy on Gotham (which he re• section is not for just "anybody." Com- of jazz which are now being neglected by corded as . Bopstein) and he plays a prenez? these young technical dynamoes, will be re• fine obbligato to Rubberlegs Williams's MORE! MORE! MORE! vived. JR could play an important role (if dreadful singing on Clyde Hart's / Want Peter Loeb it is truly interested in publishing a fair Every Bit on Continental. From the same Saranac Lake, New York magazine, and not just propagandizing for session Parker contributes a good obbligato its own "pets") by publishing serious to Williams on . A really THE BIG SOUND AND THE HARSH SOUND studies of the work of the "mainstream" memorable Gillespie solo can be heard Your magazine is quite a disappoint• men. Lay off the "historical" theme, and on 's Something For You ment! Long and boring stories about concentrate on the fact that men like Roy on Manor. This is a powerful moldy figs are as dull as the repetitious and Ben and Hawk are today's great jazz• performance and Gillespie's solo is played boring solos of the hard boppers playing men. I don't know of any other field of with great fire and a Strong tone. Other on and on and on and on. None of your endeavor where middle-aged men, giants tracks from this session feature more dis• writers seem to care a darn about sound, of accomplishment, have been fluffed off so tressing singing by Williams. polish and teamwork. I would rather the badly. (Just look at the latest list of A few brief points may be added. On Ted Heath band take the idea of one of Hollywood box-office stars, for example. the Hawkins-Monk date in 1944 on Joe the non-disciplined musicians you rave The young punks just don't have a chance Davis Monk soloed on Flying Hawk and about and make something of it than the against the great ones: Cooper, Grant, to On the Bean. The former is a loosely- harsh sound of the idea in embryo. name two.) constructed but quite conventional solo but The egotistical soloist today gives me a I. L. Jacobs the latter has hints of what the pain and I would much rather read about San Diego, California was to do in a few years. A little-known the big bands. Alas your writers don't P.S. When sang that line vocal can be found on care about them, and thus about a young man not having a chance 's We're Through, recorded lp's either don't get reviewed or are un• because the old men have all the money, for H. R. S. in 1946. It is an average ex• kindly commented upon. ' this must have seemed rather ironical to ample of her work at that time but the comment on Dave Pell, by the way, in some of the middle-aged jazzmen who can't band drags badly. Edmond Hall's 1941 Down Beat was assinine. I'll take the big get inside a recording studio these days. session is worth remembering. sound and the wonderful West Coast (How many were there by Stan It included Meade Lux Lewis on celeste groups every time. The only reason you Getz, at last count?) and . The latter took a guys won't admit West Coast is best is (The Letters to The Editor section is open fine blues solo on Profoundly Blue and that you are here, and it would lessen your to any reader. If, however, you have a long also had a chorus on Jammin' in Four. importance. reply or addition to anything appearing in The effect of his Jammin' solo is heigh• Ronald Wier, Jr. the magazine, try sending it in as an tened by Lewis's background riffs. Dodo Shelton, Conn. article.) (Continued on page 42)

4 THE JAZZ REVIEW Editors: Nat Heritor?, Martin Williami Publishers: Leonard Feldman, Israel Young Art Editor: H»io Wen Shih Advertising Manager: Richard Joseph Editorial Assistant: Margot Worynski The The Jazz Review is published monthly by the Jazz Review Inc., Village Station, P.O. Box 128, New York T4. N. Y. Entire contents Jazz copyrighted 1959. Review CONTENTS OF VOLUME 2, NUMBER 3, APRIL 1959: Ralph Berton grew up in and The Style of Duke Ellington around in the early twen• by Mimi Clar ties as kid brother to Vic Berton, drummer with Five Pen• Showtime at the Old Corral 11 nies and manager for a season of the by Le Roi Jones Wolverines, Ralph was a profes• sional drummer by the age of thir• Jazz Clubs in London and Paris 14 teen. In the early forties, he pio• by David Griffiths neered in jazz musicology programs on WNYC, New York. He conducted and New York Jazz in the 1920's 16 jam sessions and lectures at music by schools, colleges, and on his own; The Legendary 18 but he eventually "found jazz too costly a hobby" and returned to his by regular trade as a writer of educa• The Views of Stereo 20 tional and industrial films. by Tom Dowd and by James Lyons Tom Dowd is a recording engineer with . He has long REVIEWS: RECORDINGS been a follower of jazz. by Larry Gushee _ 22 David Griffiths is in the editorial BOB by Bill Crow _ 22 department of TV Times, one of the largest-circulation magazines in Bri• by Mimi Clar _ 24 tain. He has been a discriminating MILES DAVIS by Mimi Clar 24 and independent supporter of jazz by Larry Gushee for several years. 25 by Mimi Clar 35 Poet (and secret ex-trumpeter) he Roi Jones edits the poetry quarterly by 27 yugen, manages the Totem press in THE INTERNATIONAL YOUTH BAND by Larry Gushee 27 New York, and has contributed to KANSAS CITY IN THE THIRTIES by Frank Driggs the Partisan and Evergreen reviews. 28 REVIEWS: BOOKS James Lyons is editor of The Amer• ican Record Guide, the oldest journal 'S THE BOOK OF JAZZ by Ralph Berton 29 of opinion in the recording field. LEONARD FEATHER'S THE NEW YEARBOOK OF JAZZ by Bill Crow 34 Ross Russell, probably best known as THE BLUES • 36 producer-supervisor of , JAZZ IN PRINT by Nat Hentoff has long been a student of jazz and 37 his previous essays (on James P. Johnson and on the bop style) are considered classic criticism. He will be a regular contributor to this jour• nal and to Jazz. An explanation: Rapid circulation increases and the corresponding expansion of our distribution have obliged us to date this, our 5th, issue April instead of March, in order to facilitate uniform delivery of all PHOTO CREDITS: Photos of Duke Ellington subsequent issues throughout the country by the first courtesy ; photos on pages 11 and 12 by Larry Shustak; Garvin Bushell by of each month. Subscribers will of course receive the , courtesty Rec• ord Research; Drawing on Page 19 by David full 'number of issues. Brown; photo on page 24 by Al Avakian, courtesy Columbia Records; photo on page 25 by , courtesy Columbia Records; photos on page 36, courtesy Columbia Records, Joe Turner courtesy Atlantic Records. THE STYLE OE DURE ELLINGTON

by Mimi Clar THE JAZZ REVIEW 6 The problem of talking about Duke Ellington's style is neatly ' ^RecJl >jj bras*? ComWhonS, VOi'a'n^: K^k© . 13©yirT^Us CC-) summed up by :1 i== "You know," he said, " can stand in front of a thousand fiddles and a thousand brass and make a dramatic rrrs. gesture and every studio stranger can nod his head and say, 'Oh, yes, that's done like this/ But Duke merely lifts his finger, three horns make a sound, and I don't m know what it is!" TR 6. Much has already been written about how the Ellington orchestra reflects the styles of the men within the band; how at an Ellington re• hearsal the composition and orches• tration occur simultaneously; how an usually doesn't get written into the Ellington book until a certain amount of experimentation has taken place before live audi• ences; how Duke builds his arrange• ments around the strengths and weaknesses of his orchestra mem• bers; and how the force of his own personality seems to bring out the best in each single man yet moulds him to advantage into the orchestral whole. These factors contribute to the intangibles that defy the printed word or note. Also eluding the analyst's pen, and forming the key to the Ellington sound, are the tone colors of the band. Duke's men produce a collec• tive and individual intonation which cannot be easily duplicated by out• siders. Individually, the sound* of each artist is free from the restric• tion of ensemble conformity: an in• ton sound. band may be found alto solo with finite number of false notes, out-of- Collectively, the Ellington sound obligato above; alto solo range notes, muted brass growls, reed reflects not only the. written notes and muted behind; alto slurs, smears, slides, laughing, cry• being exercised, but the timbres of solo backed by two on top, ing, preaching, and talking emanates each instrument, the various over• in the middle, baritone from every instrumentalist. Thus the tones of each instrument and each on the bottom; duets between high stylistic attributes of the men in• note, plus the intonation of the muted trumpet and low baritone sax, fuse themselves into the overall aural group (which differs from individual betwen clarinet and string bass; picture: with his pe• intonation in that if off-pitch, the piano combined with baritone sax; culiar in-between notes; Johnny notes must be blued simultaneously clarinet, muted trumpet, and muted Hodges' singing alto; Harry Car• to the same degree by each person— trombone () ; sections ney's swooping baritone; Lawrence no routine task). The complexity of employed in unison: brass played in Brown's alternatingly sweet and bar• the sound arises from the overtones counterpart against reeds. The typi• relhouse trombone; Tricky Sam and intonation more than from the cal Ellington reed sound of the for• Newton's, Cootie Williams', and notes themselves. For example, the ties and fifties springs from the blend Nance's gutbucket jungle inflections; brass section can change its ovtr- of in the top voices two 's bedrock bass; Cat tones and inflections by the use of tenors in the middle, and the bari• Anderson's shrieks; Ben Webster's mutes, much as an organist pushes tone on the bottom. The well-known and ' warm tenors; in or pulls out the stops of his in• "jungle style" arising in the late not to mention Duke's own romping strument. The mutes impart to the twenties developed with the beat of piano. These men, to mention only orchestra a quality of balance in the rhythm and plaintive wail of the a few, at one time or another have volume and color between the brass reeds, as well as with the muted become an integral part of the Elling- and the reeds. growls, dirty tones, and wah-wah lines in the brass. (See musical ex• l Hentoff, Nat and Shapiro, Nat, The Among the many contrasted in• ample 1) Jazz Makers, p. 200. strumental combinations within the

April, 1959 7 As for the notes that the sections or combinations play, Duke con• ceives much of his music in terms of piano chords; he indicates certain notes to be blown regardless of whether the intervals or sequences are convenient or conventional for the instruments to execute. His men proceed to play them, unmindful that all the rules say such things are im• possible. (Duke remembers trombon• ists complaining, "Man, this thing ain't got no keys on it, you know.") Duke frequently constructs the chords so that the melody lands in the bottom or middle voices. As the melody is so subdued, the sound of the harmony is automatically pro• nounced. When the melody note falls in the upper voice, it enriches the harmony by forming the ninth, elev• enth, or thirteenth of the chord. Chelsea Bridge and Passion Flower present the latter concept to advan• tage. (See musical example 2) It takes many listenings to absorb all that takes place in an Ellington performance. After initially stating the main theme or tune Ellington elaborates upon it or develops it by introducing counter-melodies, by in• terchanging the theme between solo• ist and ensemble, by combining parts of the theme so that several versions of it are showcased simul• taneously, melodically and/or rhy• thmically. The themes are developed through both solo and ensemble; when a section or single instrument undertakes the solo chores, the re• maining sections or instruments rather than merely outlining har• monic changes or dropping out al• together, contribute vitally to the goings-on, either in subordinate mel• odic activity, in antiphonal interplay, in tonal or harmonic foundations, or in rhythmic impetus. Duke's recording of / Dont Know What Kind of Blues Vve Got is unus• ually rewarding in its multi-thematic aspects. The vari-textured layers of musical strata so effectively carry the low clarinet simply and lucidly a trombone counterpoint. Following out the message and mood of the establishes the lovely theme which is a brass and reed introduction, Jef• title and lyrics as sung by Herb perpetuated by various instruments fries enters for a vocal chorus which Jeffries: as a sort of repeated passacaglia-like rides over the omnipresent ground There's two kind of woman, there's ground throughout the record: a (still in the , which is later two kind of man, melody, neither major nor minor, joined by more reeds, then brass). There's two kind of romance since which further reflects the perplexity An instrumental interlude wherein time began: There's the real true love, and that expressed in the title. Different blues the unison reeds catch up the "real- good old jive; spring forth almost immediately as true-love" ground with the brass rif• One tries to kill you, one helps to the trombone cries a counter-melody ling the "good-old-jive" counter- keep you alive. to the clarinet. (See musical example rhythms (See musical example 4) I don't know—what kind of blues I've got. 3) A slight variation of the ground intensifies the dualism in the sung (Instrumental Interlude) is delegated to the muted brass sec• text and spans a final vocal passage There's no rest for the weary; Fm tion as the tenor takes up the coun• by Jeffries, whose voice travels in going to see Snake Mary; ter-melody in the second chorus. contrary motion to the terminating 'Cause I don't know what kind of blues I've got. Next, the clarinet, this time in a high bars of the slightly varied tenor After the moody piano introduction, register, again repeats the ground to ground.

THE JAZZ REVIEW ner of Bach chorales. Turning from the conservatory to jazz, we discover the rhythms of which Ellington is fond: , tango, rhumba, stop- time, not to mention the poly-, off-, and cross-rhythms in his works. (See musical examples 5, 6, 7, 8) Duke has a penchant for chromatic and syncopated melodies [ and Prelude to a Kiss = former; Cottontail = latter). Elling• ton's melodies have continuity and unity, simplicity and complexity, tonality and atonality. (, about as tonal and simple as one can get, sharply contrasts with the chro• matic Passion Flower, which is of a very indecisive tonality when played without the harmonies.) In a Mel• low Tone, with its diatonic melody, offers a clear example of how Duke unifies a composition by transferring a brief melodic idea from one chor- dal structure to the next. The same holds true for . (See musical examples 9, 10, 11, 12) Besides diatonic, chromatic, tonal, atonal, and sequential melodies ( or in combination), Duke's lines often spell out harmonic changes or specific chords within themselves. (Examples: Things Aint What They Used To Be, It Dont Mean a Thing, Black and Tan Fan• tasy). Some Ellington melodies re• quire a slow languid tempo while others demand faster execution; the latter maintain a heavy rhythem as solos and ensembles are planned to fit within this rhythmic niche. Instrumental color heightens the tonal variety in an Ellington or• chestration. The string bass occupies a paramount position in driving the orchestra, for it is in the bass that much of the band's rhythmic energy is harnessed. I believe at one period Duke used two basses, but upon Jimmy Blanton's , the band boasted an equivalent of four or five bass players in one. Blanton, as we all know, not only swung powerfully Harlem Air Shaft affords another Ellington compositions and orches• but transformed his instrument into illustration of how Duke volleys the• trations reflect both conservatory- a blowing melodic voice. Jimmy can matic assignments from one end of aproved techniques and typical jazz be heard to best advantage with the the band to the other. The brass re• unorthodoxies. In the conservatory orchestra on Jack the Bear and peat riff-like figures over a light sing• traditions, some Ellington melodies Chloe, where his bass lines (some• ing unison reed melody during the are very diatonic in nature, the lines times re-enforced by corresponding choruses, which are interspersed with conforming to the strict rules of piano notes) ring out even behind a bridge where the reed section state• counterpoint (i. e., careful closure the ensemble passages, as well as il• ments are exchanged with muted of leaps, making certain that ascend• luminating their assigned solo spots. brass replies. Reed section and trum• ing phrases descend and vica versa, After Blanton's unfortunate demise, pet share solo assignments through• etc.) ; harmonies in which the voices succeeding bass men have retained out, with drum breaks strategically move in contrary motion; canonic an active role by playing riffs and placed here and there. The record entrances among several voices (vo• subordinate melodies, as well as closes polyphonically, with the clar• cal in It Dont Mean a Thing) ; straight rhythm. inet improvising above repetitive consecutive bass lines, both ascend• Ellington's device of maneuvering brass theme motifs and buoyant uni• ing and descending; and melodies the brass section into a rhythmic son reed lines. very much on-the-beat, in the man• function shows up on Boo-Dah, April, 1959 9 where muted brass enters on off• beats during the last eight bars of the first chorus. Brass riffs frequently double as melodic embellishments and rhythmic punctuations. 's solo violin definitely lies off the beaten track in the jazz scene. His bluer-than-blue bowings plus a few mischievously plucked strings in Caravan lend a touch of subtle humor, in addition to new color dimensions. (Ray's violin is also present in It Dont Mean a Thing, to mention but one more example.) Duke's piano forms the undercoat for the orchestral painting. Besides an economical accompaniment which prods, supports, and lifts the bands• men at exactly the proper spots, Ellington supplies piano interjections over, under, and in-between the en• tire band, which enhance the overall hue and texture of the orchestra. Some such Ellington pianisms are: chords built on fourths (Caravan) ; tremoloed minor ninths (Stormy Weather intro) ; single notes inserted for rhythem as well as polytonal ef• fects (Caravan); pungent harmonic voicings (The Mooche) ; polytonal chords (ending of The Mooche) ; major seconds (Jack the Bear); and runs seemingly polytonal in sound relationship to the rest of the band (endings on Koko, Chloe). In solo, Duke's piano is a myriad of flutter• ing arpeggios, cantering chords, pretty runs—a florid ,rambunctious style availing itself of the entire range of the instrument. (Se musical examples 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18.) I have treated Duke Ellington within this text as a composer and as a performer. The two facets of his career can hardly be divorced, since Duke writes with the band in mind or composes on the spot with the cooperation and inspiration of the band members. The band is his instrument and means of expression. Indeed, with Ellington, it is always "we" (not he as an individual) who achieves his musical accomplish• ments. While dealing with the Elling• ton compositions themselves, we must bear in mind that whether a piece be of Ellington origin or not, it will become thoroughly inundated with the stylistic harmonies, tone colors, inflections, and emotional interpreta• tions of the Ellington orchestra.

All musical examples and titles referred to in the text were taken from the albums listed below: Victor 12" LPM 1364 Columbia 12" ML 4369 Victor 10" LPT 3017 Victor EPBT 1004 (45 RPM) Capitol EAP 1-638 (45 RPM)

10 THE JAZZ REVIEW I arrived at the Celebrity Club SHOWTIME AT THE OLD CORRAL about 9:00 p.m. on a Sunday night. It's up on 125th St. just off 5th Ave. Usually at nightclubs up in Harlem, people are crowded around the en• trance; not necessarily going in, but just crowded around the entrance of their particular club, the Baby Grand, Small's, Spotlite, or what• ever. But there was no one crowded around the entrance of the Celebrity Club. A long neon sign over the en• trance popping on and off, and an amateurishly painted sign in the doorway, "Celebrity Club for club meetings, banquets, parties, etc." I thought how strange that was. I had expected the club to be a sort of night spot . . . with a bar and show, with big wide windows so peo• ple could see the performers from the street. But the Celebrity club is rather like a lodge club, with several floors that can be used as advertised, "for banquets, parties, etc," When I got inside the door, there was a nice fat woman sitting at a little card table right near a stairway going downstairs and a hall leading into the back, just behind her. Another woman stood right beside the table with a little blue cape on, counting tickets. Both of them were about my mother's age, probably older. I asked about . The wo• man at the table handed me a ticket, smiling, "Nope, that's downstairs." The ticket read, "The Mature Debs present their anual Dance Party". The door behind the two mature debs was closed, but I could hear lots of noise and high middle-aged laughter. I grinned and handed the ticket back, then turned and went \ downstairs. At the bottom of the stairs was another card table. Only behind this one were two men, both in dinner jackets with white carnations in the lapels. One was leaning on his el• bows smiling up at me as I de• scended the steps; the other was standing just behind him with an open cigar box, counting dollar bills. The door behind them was open and there was music blasting out into the hall. "Buddy Tate in here?" I asked when I got to the bottom of the stairs. "Yep," the man counting the money looked up at me. "How much to get in?" "Dollar, seventy-five," the man with the money smiled. I went in my hip pocket for the money handing it towards the table. The man with the money reached BUDDY TATE AT THE CELEBRITY CLUB by Le Roi Jones over and got it, dropping it into the April, 1959 11 box. The fellow at the table picked were coming in steadily; and by the , that I had for• up a ticket from the table and time I left, around two hours later, gotten it was just anybody's stand• handed it to me. "You want a the house was just about packed. It ard. table?" is a very large and ballroomy place, The band wore red and black plaid "How much is that?" with tables placed around the inside dinner jackets, except for Buddy "Five ," the man with the of a high wooden corral-style fence Tate, who, in his 1930's conservative money smiled again. which separated the dance floor and blue suit and 'preacher's' tie looked "No, no, I'm afraid I don't have the tables from the bar. The whole much like Baptist ministers I can that kind of money." ballroom was decorated with what remember. Angel Eyes was played "Well", the guy at the table looked looked to be real branches and red slow and bluesy by the entire en• up, "If you wanna dance with the brown dried leaves. The huge pillars semble with only one short solo by prettiest women, you've got to have throughout the club made it look the guitarist which a table so you can be right on the real 1930's despite the fact that they shrilled and shreiked with such a dance floor and don't have to run were covered with painted canvas hard driving beat that it served well in from the bar." made up to look like tree trunks. to move the dancers around the floor. "Well, gee, thanks ... but I don't When I came in the Tate band After Angel Eyes the band took think I'll be doing any dancing. I was in the middle of an old Duke an intermission. All the dancers went just came to listen." tune. I was busy circling the long back to their tables to partake of The man at the table put his chin corral fence trying to find a good the general plenty that prevailed. in his hands, "Jeez, I don't know vantage point to stand and take These affairs at the Celebrity Club what's wrong with you young people. everything in but still not be in any• have been going on every weekend None of you dance anymore. It sure one's way, so I never did identify for something like eight years and, was different in my day!" The two the tune. Finally, I settled for a spot from what I was told, are always men roared. right near the door I had first come crowded; and Buddy Tate is always I dropped the ticket in my pocket. through; took my coat and draped there. All the tables were crowded "Yeh, I bet you're right", I said, it across one of the fence rails, just with bottles, usually brought to the going past the card table and into as the band finished the Ellington club by the dancers. This is normal the ballroom. tune and swung into Angel Eyes. I at most uptown club affairs; people The Celebrity Club was still only have come to identify this tune so are allowed to bring as many bottles half crowded at 9:30, but people much with and The as they please, and usually bring

12 THE JAZZ REVIEW food as well. There were boxes of ern' solo. Many boppish phrases and Pat Jenkins, trumpet, , Ritz crackers, fried chicken, all kinds lots and lots of what I usually call trombone, Ben Richardson, alto and of wierd hors d'oeurves as well as Horace Silverish effects (or was that clarinet. , clarinet several brands of liquor on many of where Silver got his conception of and Dickie Wells on trombone were the tables. The bar usually makes funk . . . thirties type 'latin' bands?). the -comers. The announcer its money by selling 'set-ups', trays But the pianist obviously had incor• said, "The Buddy Tate All-Stars, of ice-cubes, gingerale and club porated a lot of latter day 'hard' playing One O'Clock Jump." soda, although there are a few people techniques and sounded quite fresh, From the first note, the crowd who get an occasional beer. even frightening in the context of the started clapping in time, and al• The next set opened up with a Buddy Tate band. though this portion of the night was medium tempo blues, and a long When the 'latin' number was over supposed to be strictly the musicians' piano introduction—the way Red the band began a very slow draggy show, with no audience participation, Garland does on Miles Davis' Blue ballad; but given an 'immediacy' one hefty miss in a gold sequin dress Haze or with Coltrane on Traneing (the immediacy necessary for any got out on the floor and really up• In. I was surprised how close Gar• dance band) by the heavy beat of staged the band. But this was the land's concept of 'blues piano' is to the electric rhythm . It was best number, musically, of the night. pianist Sadik Hakim's. A wierd mix• the kind of music we used to call Dickie Wells played a long very fine ture of thirties big band chords, the 'slow drag' or 'grind', when we solo, doing, what cocktail rambling, and latter day were kids. Or rather, that has always has so accurately described as funk. But like Garland, Hakim made been called slow drag or grind; I'm "funny things with his horn". Then his point and also served as a per• sure were just carrying on a tradi• Tate, as if seeking to equal Wells, fect springboard for the big, almost tion.) The lights dimmed and Tate's played his freshest solo; a solo, that, electronically broad Tate tenor tenor solo, wide, strident, seemed while probably plucked from his sound. All that tinkling then wham properly solipsistic. It was a long, more exciting days with the Basie . . . just like Garland/Coltrane. long tune and almost everybody groups of the 30's, still finally had to Basically, Tate's style is that of danced. When it was finished I fin• rely on the easiest and most obvious most post-Hawkins, pre-bop reed ally got the 'feeling' of the band: 'dance' licks. But from this solo it men. One that you can hear in al• it was the kind of music I had was easy to see that Tate probably most every older Negro 'club' or grown up on, at the many public and once had the power to 'create', to 'dance' band throughout the country. club dances of my youth. A kind of 'make it new', and also it was just Simple lines, broad tone (or at least music that is probably exclusive to as easy to see how his sharp ear and as broad as the instrumentalist can Negro dances etc. In Jersey you can sense of 'departure' (from the over• manage), and an occasional heavier hear approximately the same thing simplifications of ) growling accent on the end of (with not so competent soloists as had been 'dulled' by years of playing phrases. Tate is a good technician Tate, Barksdale, Hakim) from bands 'dance' music. and possessed of an extra broad like Nat Phipps, Ernie Phipps, Billy It was a very loud and very fast and extremely warm sound; but styl• Anderson and many others. The old number, and soon people were danc• istically there is nothing that couldn't band used to do this at ing in all corners of the big hall. be heard in any other reed soloist my father's club dances. The Tate Tate switched to clarinet and started in the Hawkins-Webster tradition. band is a dance band. And Tate, making all the high 'exciting' notes. After about twelve bars Tate whatever his individual background The rest of the front row started switched to clarinet. His clairinet and talents, has become a dance band 'apple jacking' behind the soloist. style is much like his tenor—a clear soloist. Now everyone started dancing: an• easy line coupled with the broad There was another shorter inter• other woman in a gold sequin dress warm sound, with about equal facil• mission and then Buddy began pass• came up to me and asked me to ity. After the solo, the front line (two ing out . A microphone dance, but, as the man at the door clairinets, trumpet and trombone) was brought on to the dance floor said, I was strictly out of my league. took off with a nice 'Kansas City and the front line came off the stand I had to decline. The band was still feeling'; then they parked their in• and stood around it. Two more in• screaming, and Tate was trying to struments and went into a quartet strumentalist came on the floor from solo above them. And it was sud• vocal of the tune which turned out the sidelines. A fat man in a tuxedo denly so amusing to me that even to be called Walk and Walk. The with papers in his hand came on though I thought the Tate band to quartet was rocking back and forth the floor also, and began to try to be strictly for dancing, I readily and from side to side, all laughing quiet the crowd. He said, "Ladies decided that they were swinging like hell, singing the silly lyrics, & Gendemen, it's showtime . . . Come now, as hard as any big band I pointing at the audience, ogling the on now, pay attention. We've got had heard in the last few years, with pretty women and in general having some great talents here tonight." the probable exception of Dizzy's what appeared to be a great time. Presently, the crowd was quelled in• last venture: certainly as much as Then, before the dancers had even to a low happy roar and the m.c. the current Ellington and Basie or• left the floor, the band went into a began the announcements. He began ganizations. (Duke, in the jazzically "latin" number—but the only scor• introducing some of the prominent vapid wastes of Shakespeare and ing that changed was the drummer guests ... a fighter, the first Negro numb rehatchings of his old hits, and simulating a latin rhythm and the marine captain, and a few others; Count beating up on old 'Lunceford' guitarist slapping two drum sticks then he made an announcement .) together in place of clav'es. The about the following week's show. Tate was taking that last high long other instrumentalists played just the Now, he began introducing the in• note that means finis, and I had my way they would on a regular up dividual members of the Tate Band. hat and coat on, making towards tempo number. The pianist did Sadik Hakim, piano, Everett Barks- the exit. I thought, a dance band, but startle me by playing a very 'mod• dale, guitar, Fats Donaldson, drums, if you come to dance, Whew!

April, 1959 13 Jazz Clubs in LONDON

It's a theory—a fairly tenable one—that jazz thrives Until recently the position was clear but in the last few on adversity. It has had much to endure and probably months a blurring—called mainstream—has taken place. developed as much because of this as in spite of it. However, clubs have not so far proved Certainly, plenty of flaccidity is detectable in the increas• particularly popular—though they have virtually ended ingly popular and socially acceptable jazz of today. stylistic dissensions among musicians. If then, adversity is, in its grim way, an aid to good Neither traditional nor modern clubs attempt to appeal jazz, there's a good deal in Britain's favor. For there to more-or-less mature fans who wish to listen in (neces• is adversity but not really the soul-destroying (race- sarily rather expensive) comfort. The aim is mass audi• prejudiced, vice-laden) kind. Just enough, perhaps, to ences who, generally, are there for reasons other than produce good jazzmen. Anyway, there's a remarkable the music. amount of good jazz being made—seemingly against all It is, I think, undeniable that the traditional fans are the odds. better behaved and provide the musicians with a more The hardship comes in the strange working conditions edifying spectacle than modern enthusiasts. A trad British jazzmen have to suffer. audience consists in the main of private school and A survey of clubs can be narrowed down university students and their middle-class girl friends. to London clubs. True, there are a few talented musicians They tend toward earnestness, their heads stuffed as who don't make the treck to the capital and who find much with personnels and matrix numbers of Hot Sevens employment in cellars and dance halls in provincial and Red Hot Peppers as with music. Among them are towns, but there aren't enough to warrant attention: the self-conscious bohemians and the balling-it-up upper Britain is small enough for virtually all the jazz talent class glass breakers ("Hooray Harrys") but they are to congregate in London. very much in the minority and practically never get And, such is the night club "tradition" of London, obstreperous (perhaps because they have to do their there are only around half a dozen clubs (of which drinking off the premises). I'd say the girls are wilder hardly one could really be termed a night club) where than the boys, no doubt because they are not strongly good jazz is played. Almost invariably, London night gripped by a passion for jazz (except in so far as it clubs are of two kinds: the girlie, drinkie establishment connotes spicy vice) and their attention is therefore not (from cheap and nasty to lavish and discreet) and the concentrated on the music (except in a dancing sense). "high-class", snob-appeal (frequented by royalty, no A stand's-eye view of such an assemblage is quite less) expense account restaurant/cabaret. Neither kind pleasant. features jazz or would meet with much success if it did. In a modern the likelihood is that the An embryonic, type of night club caters for young musicians will be confronted by numerous slack, vacant people but such places are too new and rare to have faces and Teddy Boy suits. There is very little concen• done more than flirt with serious jazz, so far. trated interest in the music—the sexes are too busy The average London jazz club opens around 7 p.m. eyeing each other—and practically nobody in the audi• and closes around 11 p.m. It is unlicensed for the sale ence has any grasp of the complexities of the music. The of alcohol. It operates in hired premises (the back room audience, in the main, is clearly ignorant of any kind of a tavern, or a restaurant that caters only to luncheon of art. Small wonder that British modern jazzmen are trade, or a rehearsal room) on one or two nights a cynical and depressed about the clubs they play in. week. You pay an admission fee and are not expected They much prefer to play (often extremely well to pay anything further. Soft drinks are usually avail• presented before reasonably intelligent audiences many able inside but there is no hustling. (There are one or of whose members have given up clubgoing) and radio two clubs open nightly in permanent premises where, and TV dates (very few of those; TV sound usually alcohol is served—and there's even one place that opens abysmal and vision gimmicked). at midnight on Saturday nights—but they are far from Here are some suggestions that might explain the typical.) trad-mod audience difference: The typical London jazz club is run by a promotor Folk music, among the "intellectuals" is considered who advertises his club in a couple of music journals, sacrosanct, and early jazz has a folk-music aura. The puts a notice his temporary premises and charges well-educated have "classical" music pumped at them about $1 for membership of his club and about another continuously and those who admire musical complexity $1 for admission. The customers are nearly all teenagers. have every opportunity to become devotees of the clas• A few of them get seats, the rest stand around or jive, sics. Those who reject European music and embrace stiffly and self-consciously. Few clubs have a plentiful jazz are likely to do so for jazz's simple virtues. They supply of chairs and tables. The acoustics are sad. won't be impressed by the relative complexity of modern Up to this point it has been possible to generalize. jazz. Now I come to the curious fact of the difference between Less expensively educated boys, on the other hand, the audiences at modern and traditional jazz clubs. can judge the aesthetic values of jazz only in relation u THE JAZZ REVIEW and PARIS by David Griffiths

to pop music. As they are unaware of the splendors of away is likely to have a shock coming to him—par• the classics, modern jazz probably represents the ultimate ticularly if his head is stuffed with all those puzzling in musical creativity. But of course such serious enthusi• quotes about the maturity of European audiences and asm is little in evidence at modern clubs. Those youths how jazz is regarded much more seriously than in are probably there because of the atractively slick dance America etc. band backgrounds of some modern jazzmen, because of From conversations with French small-time impre• the spurious "jazz in luxury" claims of modern pro- sarios and expatriate American musicians I have learned motors, and because such clubs are somewhere fashion• that it is not too difficult to get round regulations. But able to go; Teddy Boys (whose dress is not unlike that you won't make any reasonable money that way. (Euro• of a riverboat gambler) certainly feel uncomfortable in pean living standards, including musicians' rates, are trad clubs. much lower than American.) Clubs that use Americans I've been asked a couple of times by visiting American "en attraction" pay them very little: the big money jazz stars where they can go to jam after concerts. has to come from concerts and recordings. Where indeed? Virtually no respectable club is open Parisian clubs are usually rather expensive, by Euro• . A decade ago, when there was a com• pean standards, but they frequently offer good value. plete Musicians' Union ban on American jazzmen playing The joints are generally smoky dancing cel• in Britain, visiting Americans were so rare that parties lars. The modern and mainstream clubs are usually would often be organized in their honor. For example, acoustically acceptable and pleasantly decorated. They Rex Stewart played at a free-admission party with the are small and provide a dim, smoochy night-club atmo• band and it was the first time most sphere. They open around nine or ten and close around of the few dozen of us who were there had ever heard two or three. Often no admission is charged, though a jazz star in the flesh. About three years ago, Albert several require you to join the club and the membership Nicholas came over from Paris for a weekend and a card costs about $1.50. Consommations are obligatorire, record store organized a party for him: the poor man i.e., you gotta buy a drink—for between one and three had to sit through an evening of mostly dire efforts by dollars . local traditionalists. Until recently it was the practice to hire one (or at Nowadays, though, many of the great jazz stars have most two) American star(s) to appear twice a night been presented in (and only concert: there's and play for half an hour. This made them real top-of- still an MU-AFM ban on club work) and there's little the-bill attractions. Those days are fading. American scarcity value in a jazz giant. jazzmen are no longer rare enough. Now, instead of Incidentally, although London now has quite a large lounging at the bar letting their chops loosen—a few Negro population, Negroes are seldom seen at jazz clubs. Americans in Paris have become very sloppy performers Africans don't have much genuine interest in jazz through this easy living—they are expected to work. (though I think it often serves as a Negro success-symbol Paris is a wonderful city to live in with practically to them). West Indians are more concerned with calypso no Jim Crow, so far as I know, and there's not much and the like. The days when Britain was a trifle Crow left of once-violent Crow Jim—thanks to such dis• Jim (when jazz meant an extrovert black man and tinguished white visitors as and Bob Brook- several none-too-talented guys with coloured skins made meyer. The jazz clubs in the main are good places to comfortable livings in show business) are long gone and work and listen to jazz in. The small audiences are dis• such British-based Negro musicians as there are have cerning with a minority of loud talkers and sensation- to get by on their merits. There are so far disappoint• seekers imbibing Left Bank atmosphere. With the price ingly few of high quality but two deserve mention: Joe of drinks so high, there aren't any drunks! And there Harriott, a passionate, Birdlike altoist, and , are no "hostesses". a continually improving trumpeter. Several Negro clubs exist—patronized considerably Throughout Europe, the highly organized package by American servicemen—but their appeal is not to shows, such as , have largely jazzmen. killed the market for the solitary American jazz giant I'm not going to presume to speak with confidence who wants to play a concert accompanied by local about jazz club conditions in towns I've never been to musicians. Blues/folk singers still have a chance. So (such as Stockholm), or only visited briefly, but I Americans who come over expecting to be lionised and think it is accurate to say that only one European city enriched will be disappointed. But there is enormous can offer the jazz clubgoer better entertainment than satisfaction to be had from simple tourism, with a little London. And that, naturally, is Paris. blowing on the side. AH jazzmen of stature can be Throughout Europe there are irksome conditions of assured that they will find record collectors all over employment for foreigners and any American musician Europe who are often more familiar with the musicians' who steps off a plane thinking he can get a job straight work than the musicians themselves.

April, 1959 15 by Nat Hentoff

GdTVifl Bushell and New York Jazz in the

Garvin Bushell had joined Ethel "After , we did one- "Creath had a Joe Smith-like tone, Waters toward the end of 1922, and nighters in and around but with much blues feeling and went on tour with her. The narrative for about a month. I heard Joe drive. He had beautiful sound and resumes at this point. Smith for the first time at the Grape soul, and the blues were his forte. "After , we went to Vine in Pittsburgh. He was out of He had command of the high regis• Baltimore. At that time, Baltimore New York, but I hadn't heard him ter too; most players had a great variety of jazz and many until then. His style was similar to couldn't go above B-FLAT. Tommy excellent performers. They came to that of Johnny Dunn, but he had a Ladnier, for instance. Louis Arm• New York in droves, and a large much better sound. Joe actually strong was an exception. He went proportion of the significant figures played more like some of the white up to C and D and later to F and in early New York jazz turn out to trumpet players. I mean that he was whenever he wanted to. have come from Baltimore or nearby. more lyrical and had a finer sound. "There was great music in St. There were , Joe played for beauty rather than Louis then. New Orleans influences Edgar Dow, Bobby Lee, John Mit• drive. He was a trained trumpet had come up the river, especially chell, banjo, Perry Glasgow, clarinet, player; he had the right embouchure. blues playing. The St. Louis musi• etc. Chic Webb later came out of You see, 90% of the Negro musi• cians had a lot of originality and a Baltimore and so did trumpeter Pike cians were self-taught. The oportuni- great desire to broaden their music. Davis. ties for training were mostly for the There were many places to play, and "There was good jazz in just whites, and that's why they gener• they slept and ate music there. By about every cabaret, no matter how ally had a better sound. Several contrast, the bands just out of New low or cheap. They had more tech• Negro musicians of the time, how• Orleans were limited. nique than the New York musicians; ever, had the talent and capacity to "There was a battle of music and I don't know why. They were very have become first-rate classical mu• a lot of the people there said we fly, smart, creative improvisers. But sicians—if there had been openings outplayed the Creath band. In our they too didn't play the blues the for them. There was Joe's brother, band, Gus Aikens was a good trum• way the musicians from the South Russell Smith for example, who was pet player and his brother, Buddy did. Their jazz was based on ragtime one of the best legitimate trumpet played somewhat in the style of piano practices, and piano ragtime players in the business. Anyway, . He was a good influenced the way they played their Fletcher Henderson was very im• legitimate trombone player and what• horns—they tried to do what the pressed with Joe's sound, and he ever he thought of, he could play. pianists did. They also had the best never forgot it. "But Creath was a phenomenon. banjo players in the world. "When we got to St. Louis, I heard I've heard say: "New Orleans musicians, of the greatest blues player of his time 'When Charlie used to hit certain course, were not the first to impro• —Charlie Creath. He played at Jazz- notes, the whores would just fall out vise. Perry Bradford went from land, a huge place with the band• and throw up their legs.' He made Georgia to New Orleans in 1909. He stand up in the balcony. The band• his biggest impression on women— says there were no technicians to stands in the dance halls at that not so much his looks as his playing. speak of there then, and they didn't time were usually near the ceiling; The way he played the blues mel• know much about ragtime. He claims the musicians felt safer there. Gene lowed you; people threw their glas• ragtime came up the East Coast from Sedric, a big, fat kid was playing ses in the air. He'd hit a Florida and Georgia and that when clarinet in his band. We were the chord and sustain it and the people they did bring it to New Orleans, the invited guests and were asked to fell out. He later committed suicide; musicians there put the blues to it. play. a woman was involved in some way.

16 THE JAZZ REVIEW Ethel Waters Fletcher Henderson

His sister married . said, 'You're going with me.' So for to kill me. She left after two days "Creath didn't get to New York four days, I stayed. One morning while I was still in jail. except maybe for a visit. Even then while she was making eggs in the "That band behind Ethel, by the there was a myth about New York. kitchen, I ran fifteen blocks to the way, had Gus and Buddy Aikens; A lot of groups were afraid to come railroad station. I'd had my bag Charlie Jackson; Bill D. C. on bari• here, because everything big seemed packed in preparation, and ran with tone saxophone; Joe Elder, tenor; to come out of New York. Look how my clarinet case under one arm and Raymond Green, xylophone and long Joe Oliver stayed in Chicago my suitcase under the other. I hid in drums; and Fletcher, piano. Like any before he came to New York; and the men's toilet and told the porter, band then that got on stage, we had and Tommy Lad- 'If you see a big woman, you didn't to do a specialty of some kind. So nier wouldn't have come if they see me,' She came to the station, we had an act in which I was a cop hadn't been sent for. New Orleans looking for me, but I escaped to and Green was a preacher, by the people anyway believe in security; Chicago where we were due to play way. Some of the others were also they don't usually take chances. And :!ie Grand Theatre. armed. Jackson kept a .45 in his they're clannish, they prefer to be "The first day there, I met Gus violin case and Buddy had a .22 un• where other New Orleans people are. Aikens and we went out to a buffet der his derby. When he took off his "In Louisville, where we went flat and stayed until four in the hat, he meant business. next, the music was like the kind morning. (They called it a 'buffet Ethel was going South. Gus, we'd heard in Peoria ,the kind Fess flat' because they served all the Buddy, Jackson and I weren't going. Williams had played there. Fess was liquor and food from a buffet.) As We left the band in Chicago. We from . It wasn't based on we were leaving, some white fellows had just enough money for the four the blues, but was good, flexible, crossed the street toward us. I pulled of us to get to Pittsburgh. We went moderate tempo ragtime. It wasn't as out my gun and Gus his knife. They to a dance, were asked to sit in and corny though and they had a lot of said, 'Drop it!' I never saw so many were invited to pass the hat. We tricks. The usual instrumentation was guns in my life. They were cops. got enough money to pay our fare alto and trombone, trumpet and alto, They kept us in jail for three days. to New York with $1.50 left over. trumpet and trombone, and rhythm Fletcher didn't know where we were, That wasn't much for food. While section. Sometimes there were three and had to play my on the train to New York, we started horns in the front line. The saxo• parts. practicing. The sandwich man heard phone—not the tenor though—was "It turned out a lot of cops had us, and we were told by the steward, very popular in Indiana, Ohio, Ken• been killed in New York that year, that if we'd play in the diner, they'd tucky and Tennessee. There wasn't and when they found out we were feed us for free. Life too much clarinet. from New York, they held us until was like that. There was no telling It was in Louisville that I ran into they communicated with the New what conditions you'd have to ad• another kind of hazard vou could York Police. Buddy Aikens and just to. Once in we slept in a meet on the road. Our show closed Charlie Jackson, our violinist, fin• church; we couldn't get a room. for a week, and there was a woman ally found us and we were bailed "A lot of the traveling was on the I'd met in Louisville who tried to out. It took all the money I had— T. 0. B. A. 'Take Old Bailey's Ad• shanghai me. She owned seven buf• about $600 or $700—to pay the vice,' some of us called it. A man fet flats (whorehouses), and had bondsman, the fine, and the lawyer. named Bailey ran it with headquar• been giving me two to three hundred But all that saved me from that ters in Atlanta. We also called it dollars a day. When the show closed, Louisville woman. She had come to 'Toby' and another way of spelling she put a razor to my throat and Chicago looking for me intending (Continued on page 40) April, 1959 17 by Ross Russell

THE LEGENDARY JOE ALBANY

In this day of the independent that, after Bud Powell, Albany was of-time behind-the-beat phrasing. On record company and its indefatig• 's first choice for band New Lester Leaps In, the piano able directors of artistry and reper• pianist. When Parker remained be• swings right out with a lyric solo toire all legends come to an end. The hind in California upon completion that keeps building to a big convinc• Joe Albany legend is admittedly a of the historic Gillespie Sextet en• ing rhythmic period. One notices minor one, but it is a genuine leg• gagement at Billy Berg's (he missed for the first time a blurred fingering end of our own time, and it has the plane home actually) and settled of the runs and a sense of texture given the cognoscenti something to down to an uneasy career in Los that only the good ones have. The talk about for the better part of ten Angeles, Joe Albany was the piano accompaniment work behind Prez is years. player in the first Bird band. This out of the ordinary, too. It's full of The Albany myth has been sup• was organized by Howard McGhee exciting little pick-ups, percussive ported by two bodies of evidence. and appeared at an after-hours spot figures and luminous, right chords. First, verbal reports of the usual called the Club Finale, at First and This was one of Lester's better inde• reliability. These were of sporadic San Pedro streets, for some weeks pendent dates, and its possible the appearances and brilliant piano work, in early 1946. It was in fact the piano player had something to do both as a soloist and section man, band which was supposed to have with that. at various way out jam sessions. made the first Parked session for But these sides, as fine as they Second, the fragile but impressive Dial Records, which the writer may be, are after all only bits and evidence of two 78 rpm records. The headed, and during the period of scraps of a style. They do indicate latter were made one afternoon in Albany's tenure such pieces as Orni-' how far Albany was ahead of pian• 1946 when Albany, by some miscal• thology and were ists who have come forward to popu• culation, got himself trapped in a worked out. larity since. In 1946 Hollywood studio and made four I was always sorry Joe did not was still playing an obscure spot in sides with . The records make this date. His replacement, San Francisco and known only to appeared on a blues label called , is a wonderful local audiences. ex• Aladdin. pianist, but Joe had something isted in a comparable vacuum in In those days Joe Albany was one special. I recall walking into the Fin• Montreal. Andre Previn was just of the handful of jazz pianists who ale early one morning during an emerging from his period, could hit the big league pitching of embittered altercation between Bird and had hardly . About the only real and Albany over some musical de• gone into his. originals around were Monk and tail. The Bird was no man to brook What followed for Albany was Bud Powell. Clyde Hart had already under such circumstances. Albany, twelve years of . gone. The future seemed to depend who is nothing if not sensitive, did No record company, not even those upon a very few piano players, what for him has become a pattern. on the West Coast, where Albany curiously enough all of them white, He walked out. Apparently he had has lived in musical semi-seclusion, all well trained academically, who been walking out on one oportunity has been able to again lure him into possessed that unusual combination after another ever since. a recording studio. Nor was River• of qualities: technique, harmonic Before looking at the new Albany side so fortunate. The new lp is depth, jazz sense, and a grasp of the lp on Riverside, let's return to the made up from a rehearsal taped one new idiom. One thinks immediately Aladdin date for a moment. Two of afternoon last year in the Long of , Dodo Mararosa, Albany, the sides are not very important, Beach, California, home of sound and after that names do not come but there's a 12 bar solo on Lester's engineer Ralph Garretson. to mind easily. Bebop Boogie, a light, lacey thing Technically the recording has a There is some reason to believe laid on with a sure hand and a lots- few disadvantages, but they need dis-

18 THE JAZZ REVIEW courage no one. There are occas• Besides Albany and the anony• with a Parker reference. After some sional balance troubles and spots of mous drummer the musicians on this good sax work by Marsh, Albany over-cutting. There is, too, a general date are and Warne contrives a solo that is about the looseness in programming that de• Marsh. Whitlock will be remembered closest thing to Parker today, con• rives from the fact that this was a for his bass work on the first Mulli• temporary alto players notwithstand• rehearsal. But the over-all sound is gan piano-less band date (Pacific). ing. Phrasing structure, dynamics, good and the piano comes through He does an excellent job behind and especially the rhythmic sus• in full dimension. Albany. Marsh is a tenor sax man penses are remarkably like the Bird It's a painful duty to criticize sometimes sounds like Lester himself. production of this record. The hunk Young and sometimes like Lee Kon- Inded there is a good deal of the of cover art, however gorgeous it itz, all on the same instrument. He Bird in Joe Albany's playing. Not may seem on first viewing, is Madi• likes the upper end of it and has a the daytime, aggressive Bird, male son Avenue moderne, suggesting that thin sonority, but is capable of av• and tempestuous, that is represented it may date much faster than the erage or better solos. The main inter• on piano by Bud Powell. But the boys in the charcoal black uniforms est of course is Albany. nether side, nostalgic, nocturnal, and suspect. There's a color shot of a a little tragic—the Yardbird Suite model making like Raffles in front Let's pretend "The Right Com• side. First hand contact with Park• of the largest safe manufactured by bination" leads off with Angel Eyes. er's statement of jazz has been the Mosler Company. Mosler even Albany opens and stays on center chiefly alive in the playing of Miles gets a credit on the liner notes. Seems mike for more than four minutes. Davis and . Now it is as though Raffles is about to torch It's a grand sweep of piano playing, given a fresh and valuable reinter- his way into the vault and record a too. What's more, the pleasant tune pretation. locked-up Joe Albany. "The Right is taken in that strict ballad tempo On Body and Soul there is a bit Combination!" Get it? Okay, so we which is so often fatal for pianists, of Parkerian legerdemain, a kind of have to catch the public eye! . . . the kind where the metre falls apart Stanislavsky entrance which projects But what about the liner notes? and the player gets lost in a lot of the soloist in full heat and at the very opening bar. Albany's solo also recalls the fleet, frothy World is Waiting for the Sunrise which Mel Powell made for Com• modore but was never able to dupli• cate. On You Are the One there is a section of polyphonic voicing with Marsh and we are reminded of Miles and Parker on Bird Gets the Worm (Savoy). (Why wasn't this enticing experiment followed up, incident• ally?) Albany's references suggest how strongly he lies in the jazz tradition. Even his use of such pian- istic devices as grace notes, crushed notes, and turns are in the tradition that goes back to blues and parlor- house playing. Besides being a musician with a very strong sense of rhythm, Albany is a pianist of texture, achieved by close control of rhythmic and melo• This time Riverside has really harmonic changes and ceases to play dic elements, and reinforced by de• original merchandise. But the now jazz. liberately blurred fingering, a useful threadbare tag of "funky pianist" Albany makes this a jazz perform• example of how the "wrong way to simply will not do. Albany is not a ance. To begin with he is not prim• play" (by academic standards) is very funky pianist, nor is his style arily concerned with harmonic pos• often the right way to play jazz. particularly blues oriented. The notes sibilities. His changes are phrased The flair for fine accompaniment are more than vague and cliche- in terms of counter rhythms and work observed on the Lester Young ridden. They are inflated and they little melodic fragments. The product sides is still in evidence. Playing be• are inaccurate. Mosler Safe Corp. is a closely organized flow of sound hind the horn requires both excep• gets a liner credit but the drummer that has continuity and a sustaining tional chord sense and rhythmic who plays throughout the record beat. awareness. The want of these quali• gets none. Finally there is the bad This general method applies to ties in pianists has driven such mu• judgement in lining up the cuts; Joe Albany's playing in all tempos. sicians as (Jerry Mulligan and Max otherswise why should , He is not just a chord changer. Like Roach to experiment with the piano- probably the weakest, be picked for Charlie Parker he is primarily a less band. Like , one of the first track? Since this is the one melody maker. A minor melodist per• the great accompanists today, Albany on which the drummer can barely haps, but still a rarity among so always finds the right chord and be heard, one wonders how many of many contemporaries who assume stimulates rather than impedes. Be• the cuts the producers actually lis• progress lies along the way of har• hind an average horn player like tened to, and on what kind of equip• monic progression. Marsh however, he takes the play ment? begins (continued on page 40)

April, 1959 19 Two Views of Stereo

Tom Dowd Explains

Stereophony is a new name used honest representation of what actu• such a degree that they can detect to describe an old technique of re• ally took place; sections or individual buildings, trees, water, etc. By de• cording; dimensional recordings instruments could be made to sound veloping stereophonic listening habits were made as early as 1913. How• louder or bigger than the rest of the one should soon be able to "see" what ever, the fidelity and the leakage be• orchestra. he is listening to. tween adjacent tracks made such Stereophonic recording enables the Ideal stereophonic recording tech• recordings not good enough for com• listener to determine width, and nique and good sterephonic listening mercial uses. depth. In it, two or more micro• habits having been described, let us There is no absolute definition of phones are employed to pick up the examine several "pseudo stereo" stereophony, and about the only way sounds of the source. These micro• means of recording that will present to describe what it implies is to com• phones represent the left and right strange listening problems. pare it to monophonic, up until re• side of the source and are simultane• "Ping Pong" is the name used to cently, "normal" recording. ously recorded on two separate describe a method of Stereophonic The standard procedure in record• tracks of a tape. (See figure No. 3.) recording where the left side detects ing over the years has been to deploy A resultant stereo disc carries the little or nothing of what is emanating anywhere from one to ten or more two sounds in the same groove. One from the right side of the sound microphones over the sound source, side of the groove has only the source, or vice versa. Music recorded mix what they pick up together (to sounds detected on the left side of the in this fashion sounds as if the or• the engineers and/or the producers source and the other the sound de• chestra were placed in two isolated liking) and record the resultant com• tected on the right side of the source. rooms. Instead of the sounds merg• plex signal in one groove (on disc) (See figure No. 4.). A stereo cart• ing in between the speakers, and or track (on tape). (See figure No. ridge detects the two separate signals creating a "middle" there is a blank space. If one speaker is turned off it 1.) and sends the left sound to the left The resultant recording would amplifier, and the right sound to the should have little or no effect on the then be played on a home system that right amplifier. The two amplifiers sounds originating from the other employed a cartridge (for disc) or drive individual speakers which re• speaker. Technically this is stereo• head (for tape) to detect the signal, produce a sound "picture" of what phony since two channels are em• amplify it, and play it back through the microphone detected. If the mic• ployed. However, normal hearing en• one or more loudspeakers. (See fig• rophones were ideally placed you ables one to determine front from ure No. 2). But no matter how many should be able to "see" as well as back, as well as left from right. Thus, speakers were employed, each one hear the orchestra, just as if you this method of recording does not carried exactly the same sound. It is were seated tenth row center. If the permit the listener to truly "see" easy to see (figure No. 1, and No. 2) microphones were improperly placed, what he is listening to. that the sound was being funnelled to your listening vantage point should More often than not, stereophonic the recording machine, and "funnel• change accordingly, left or right, recordings are made in a studio si• led" again by the playback machine, front or back. multaneously with monophonic re• and because of this, it was impos• The word see as well as hear will cordings. One combination of micro• sible to detect the placement of the become more significant as one's ste• phones is employed for the monaural instruments, which were, say, on the reophonic listening improves. Your recording, and another combination left or on the right. All instruments eyes govern sixty to seventy percent is used for the stereophonic record• seemed to come from one central of what you hear, since they involve ing. Unfortunately, the orchestra source with some further forward a faster sense than ears and hearing. must then be placed in the best phys• than others. The latter effect could The ears are among the slower senses. ical position to produce the most be created artificially by varying the For example, too often a man will satisfactory monophonic results. intensity of the different instruments step into the path of an oncoming Brass sections must be kept away in recording. The louder one re• car only because his eyes are pre• from strings and woodwind sections corded an instrument, the further for• occupied and his hearing at that etc., so that the orchestra cannot be ward it would sound, or the more moment has not registered the pres• set up the way one is accustomed to "presence" it had. Thus the only di• ence of the car on their minds. seeing it in a concert hall or theatre. mension afforded the listener was Blind people "see" objects by Before stereophony, this made little depth, and this was not always an training their hearing sensitivity to (continued on page 41)

20 THE JAZZ REVIEW James Lyons Complains

[Note: the following editorial is re• Nor can the more responsible equip• printed with permission from The ment manufacturers be condemned American Record Guide, December, for wanting to survive in the face 1958. I feel it may also be taken as of this Johnny-come-lately and very L typical of the kind of frank and per• promotion-conscious competition. In• L ceptive comment which that publica• deed, so successfully have "new mar• tion offers on recordings of classical kets" been spawned that one actually X « music. —M. W.] encounters stereo departments, if you i 8 please, in mass-circulation media that t I have been asked by numerous do not even review records or tapes correspondents for my "private" (the ad agencies can use those fat opinion about stereo. I have no commissions). The chief trouble with private opinion about stereo; no this revolution in our cultural mores editor is entitled to have a private is that the genus record collector opinion about anything so important (music-loving, pre-stereo type) has to his subscribers. So saying, I sub• been consigned to second-class citi- mit that (a) stereo sound as its best izenship. The "new" proletariat of is decidedly superior to the best we the company-sponsored clubs and the knew before, and (b) perhaps one "new" bourgeoisie of stereo have Spc?ak<;

April, 1959 21 REVIEWS: RECORDINGS

SIDNEY BECHET: The Fabulous is less committed 'S KC SEVEN: Sidney Bechet. Blue Note 1207. than the latter to the kind of arti• Kansas City Revisited: United Artists ficial Dixieland which became com• UAL-4008. Side 1 consists of five mercially successful in the forties, from a November, 1951 date, side and which absorbed so many musi• 2 of five more from August, 1953. cians nurtured in the big bands of Brookmeyer, valve trombone; AI Cohn, While the tunes are all from the the depression years and before. The tenor sax; , tenor sax; overly-familiar standard repertoire, differences are individual as well as , piano; , guitar; and the performances hold few sur• collective. Buddy Weed can play a Addison Farmer, bass ;, drums; Big Miller, vocals. Jumping at prises, this presentation of Bechet new tune to the old changes where the Woodside, A Blues, Blue and Senti• in two different settings should have Kirpatrick can only state the orig• mental, Doggin' Around, Moten Swing, interest for those who care. I might inal tune phrase by phrase with fill- Travlin' Light. as well admit at this point that I ins of a more or less uninteresting think any attempt to record Bechet kind; and it is almost superfluous in a conventional Dixieland (or neo- to note that a rhythm section with The subject of this album is the New Orleans) environment is is superior to one with traditional jazz form called the Kan• doomed to comparative failure. The . For all his experience sas City style, best done by the early reasons are obvious enough: not on the riverboats and association recordings of the Basie band, the only do the timbre and range of the with the great figures of jazz, Pops' Kansas City Seven, and the Lester soprano saxophone place it in im• playing is amazingly insensitive. It is Young Quartet. Brookmeyer as• plicit competition with a trumpet doubly fortunate that sembled this group with the intention lead, but Bechet's unremittingly rather than Sidney de Paris is allied of recreating the feeling and flavor forceful and highly individualistic with the livelier rhythm section. Be• of that music. His own playing and style militates against any integration chet does better, I think, with a that of Osie, , and Jim Hall of his sound with the band's. It is simpler lead, and while some may has the basic qualities of the Kansas equally obvious, I think, that the find Jonah's style overly cautious City feeling without being directly problem is not Bechet's alone, but alongside De Paris' exuberance, it imitative. On the other hand Pierce one confronting all musicians with a does leave room for Bechet's more and Quinichette have based their particularly aggressive style. None• overwhelming fancies. (The same musical approach on duplication, theless, it seems a pity that so many contrast can be heard, more strik• concentrating their imaginative re• of the records Sidney has made since ingly, in comparing the sides Sidney sources on the creation of an ex• the war use the Dixieland format. made with Muggsy to those made ample of how their idols might have I find a good deal of support for with Wild Bill.) In passing, let it be played. Within this scope they often this by no means original thought noted that the recording of the Kirk- remind us of the beauty of the artists of mine in the fact that the five patrick-Foster-Johnson rhythm sec• they emulate, but they fail to sup• sides made with a rhythm section tion is rather muddy. port the group adequately on the of Buddy Weed, Walter Page, and If you should be in the market for deeper level of creativity that exists Johnny Blowers are better music Bechet reissues, the first Blue Note for the musician who has discovered than the five with , release (BLP 1201) gives more var• his own identity. Pops Foster, and Manzie Johnson. iety and better music. Brookmeyer moans, growls, and By this I mean to say that the former -—Larry Gushee half-valves his way through a good

22 THE JAZZ REVIEW portion of his solos on this date, continuity throughout the album is humor make his comments as wel• producing an eccentric slightly gro• a real contribution to the way these come as his playing. In both he ex• tesque quality that approaches aban• long blowing tunes hold together. presses his longing for the "good old don, if it is possible to apply that Osie is also a pillar, keeping the time days," but I doubt that anything in word to him. Even his most raucous wide awake and happy all the way. the old days, as good as they were, bleats seem to express a denial of Addison plays well, but doesn't sound was in any way superior to the best propriety rather than an absence of entirely comfortable. Nat gets ahead of Brookmeyer today. His yearning it. Throughout phrases where he dis• of himself in places, especially when for the comforts of a more gracious torts his normally rich, mellow tone playing up-beat figures, and the era seems self-indulgent. The prob• into what used to be called "dirty" whole rhythm section sounds uneasy lems of being alive in the world are playing, his sense of form and order in those spots. relatively the same in any age, re• never deserts him, and the tension gardless of how simple things ap• built up by such passages makes Quinichette seems attracted to the parently were back when musicians subsequent fat, lyrical phrases sound most eccentric parts of Lester's early seemed to love one another and very pure. His enthusiasm for the playing. He sometimes find a nice Kansas City was jumping. "Now's group spirit in this sort of playing reasonant tone, but more often seems the Time," as someone else from brings the ensemble passages ener• to be working at the production of K C once said. As delightful as those getically to life. a squawky, drunken sound that days sound to those of us who missed would really be puzzling to anyone them, I think it's good to remember Al Cohn solos beautifully on who hadn't heard what Prez did also how far we've come from there Moten Swing. His huge sound is as with it. He has a good ear for charm• in a lot of ways. Just the fact that deeply moving and as personal as the ing melody, but I find his preoccu• it's now more likely that a band• richest of human voices. He is a pation with style annoying. leader will hire his musicians ac• one-of-a-kind spontaneous composer. cording to their merits regardless His conception of sound, song, and of pigmentation and superstition time is very complete and consistent. The two tunes that Big Miller about the racial origin of talent He fills the ensemble passages with sings are disappointing. His A Blues makes me prefer the musical scene incredibly sumptuous color, blending is not much of a statement poetically today to any of the ones I've heard the horns together into one delicious or musically. He sounds uneasy in about. voice. On faster tempos his fingers his phrasing, and consequently don't always keep up with his ideas, doesn't allow the simple melody to However much Bobby might like possibly because Al devotes more generate any swing. The band has a the idea of living in the past, he time nowadays to writing than to party behind him, and the whole fortunately continues to function in practicing and playing. track is worthwhile if only for the the present. His music is an expres• two Al Cohn choruses. On Travlin sion of his immediate feelings, Jim Hall's best chorus is also on Light Miller confuses the lyrics, dim• though they may be of admiration Moten. He seems to be more adven• inishing their effectiveness, and again for the past, irritation with the pres• turous at this tempo than on the anticipates his phrasing in an unre- ent, or cynicism about the future. faster tunes, where he confines his laxed manner. The result is an admirable contem• improvising to rhythmic development Brookmeyer has written his own porary standard of high quality and the swinging of simple figures. album notes. His ear for the music work. His attention to sound and rhythmic of language and his unique sense of —Bill Crow

April, 1959 23 JOHN COLTRANE: . Pres• "ghosted" notes which the listener's note values vary more (hear, in tige 7142. ear must supply for him; Coltrane's Soultrane, I Want to Talk About You John Coltrane with the Red Garland work, however suggests nothing: and the soulful Theme for Ernie Trio. Prestige 7123. everything is poured out by the horn [Henry] where the dynamic range is in a continuous, unbroken, multi- broadened). John begins his take• "Ripping, soaring, hotly-pulsing, noted line. To term the comparison off on You Say You Care with cooking, wailing, smoking, moving, concretely, Parker's playing is like eighths and longer note values and grooving, cutting, riding, gliding, an electric fan being switched on and when he eventually gets around to human-voiced, searching, searing, off; Coltrane's playing is like an the sixteenths, he treats them more air-clearing" says in his electric fan turned on and left on. sparingly and occasionally relieves liner-notes and that just about de• To this reviewer, an entire Col• them with eighths. pletes the adjectives descriptive of trane lp at one sitting becomes a Red Garland, , John Coltrane. trifle wearing. I can better appreciate and lay down well-con• Coltrane's much-discussed "sheets John diluted with tracks from other structed rhythmic foundations in of sound" I would liken to yards of albums, or on sessions such as Miles both albums. Garland does well on accordion-pleated fabric hastily flung Davis' Relaxin. Possibly the reason Traneing In (Coltrane and Garland from the bolt. I would analyze his for my difficulty in swallowing John album) ; his misty block chords pro• sound sheets technically as a perpet• whole stems from the problems in• vide temporary ear relief to the ual series of sixteenth notes, basic• trinsic in his stylistic approach, blasting Coltrane. On Russian Lull• ally bridging pivotal tones that fall which he will eventually have to aby (Soultrane) Red's melodies and on downbeats (the first of four six• solve. At times the sixteenths lean harmonies turn Powellish. Garland teenths per beat) with rapid spans toward virtuoso display; at uptempo, absorbs much of Coltrane's spirit and of lesser melodic note values. John chorus after chorus of sixteenth im• also frequently solos in sixteenths. ambitiously undertakes chorus after provisations either begin to sound Chambers, incidentally, is one of chorus of these sixteenths. alike or take on aspects of running the few bass players in jazz whose Coltrane's sixteenth note choruses up and down scales to warm up. I bowings I find really effective. individulize themselves from bebop wish John would soften his tone just The listener cannot help but be sixteenth-note work (using Parker as a little around the edges (as he does impressed that John Coltrane makes an example for comparison) because in Soultrane's You Say You Care a real effort to go somewhere. In John's dynamics and accentuation and in the stated theme of Good fact, he has so much to say that at are of equal intensity throughout a Bait), since his often strident intona• present he almost says too much. It solo, whereas Parker's volume and tion reminds me of Rock and Roll will be interesting to watch his de• stresses are uneven. Parker's six• instrumentalists. But this is a ques• velopment and see how he surmounts teenths, frequently just a phrase or tion of my own personal taste. the difficulties with which he has so between eighth note lines rather I prefer Coltrane's ballads to his challenged himself. than continuing choruses, feature cookers because his phrasings and —Mimi Clar

Were a Bell) from Relaxin , though MILES DAVIS: Relaxin9 With the its meter is 4/4, has a waltz feeling . Prestige 7129. caused by Garland's and Chambers' MILES DAVIS: The Musings of stating chord changes on beats one Miles. Prestige 7007. and three plus Jones' shuffle rhy• Both albums demand a minimum thms beneatah Davis' economical of comment. Neither warrent pains• long-noted solo. My favorite Garland taking analysis nor roadmaps of in• solo came on Bell. Coltrane, who ap• strumental entrances, linear paths, pears on the Relaxin session only melodic landmarks. and who I liked best also on Bell, The lp's are aptly titled: the music in comparison to the muted Miles, is indeed relaxed and musing, also sounds like a blowing brontosaur. somewhat pensive. Miles is introspec• Miles' remarks to the recording tive throughout the majority of supervisor and musicians, his com• tracks, almost as though he and Red ment preceding Bell—"I'll play it Garland and John Coltrane and and tell you what it is later"—his Philly Joe and Paul Chambers (Re• shrill whistle interrupting Garland's laxin) and Oscar Pettiford (Mus• intro to You re My Everything ings9 replacement for Chambers) laxin and Musings Miles is more ("Play some block chords") bring were playing among themselves after restrained, "cooler," if you will. the listener a glimpse into the inner work to cast off fatigue. Green Haze on the Musings track workings of the Relaxin recording Relaxin is the better of the two becomes less groovy than its twin, session. packages by a nose or so. Neither , in the album of same title, Relaxin and Musings neither dis• lp measures up to Miles' Blue Haze mostly because the drums fall into appoint nor do they set the world album (Presige 7054), cut four years double time in the former, and be• on fire. Both call for no excess ago, which was the same type of cause Garland's choruses penetrate wordage on the part of a reviewer; record: not a lot of frantic blowing less pungently than 's they should be enjoyed and not an• at up-tempo, no experimental excur• on Blue Haze. alytically picked apart. I enjoyed sions—just easy listening to musi• It Could Happen to You (a very them. cians playing for recreation. In Re• successful track along with // / —Mimi Clar

24 THE JAZZ REVIEW WILBUR DE PARIS: Wilbur De think that de Paris' use of the banjo Paris Plays Cole Porter. Atlantic is too much of a novelty, particularly 1288. in Cole Porter tunes, and that har• DAVE SALUTES DUKE monica solos (as in Wunderbar, and After listening to this release, it's You Do Something to Me) should difficult to keep from repeating the stay in the trunk along with the old joke about somebody playing funny hats. Beethoven, etc. It is undeniable that Some of my grouchiness regarding de Paris' approach to Cole Porter, this record undoubtedly stems from whatever its other failings may be, the difficulty any jazz band has in manages to denude the songs of their rendering Cole Porter. It has always very special charm, without supply• seemed to me that there are too few ing much in the way of replacement. changes in proportion to the length That the very formula which has en• of the tunes, making any distant ex• abled this unusual and highly com• cursions from the melody perilous petent group to survive commercially indeed. Nevertheless, within the lim• is at the same time a source of itations imposed by the nature of critical dissatisfaction is, I know, an the tunes, and gimmicky format, the unhappy paradox. But this is pos• band aquits itself very well. A good sibly an inescapable result of the deal of the credit should go to Sonny fact that popular acceptance of bands White and Omer Simeon. The lat- falling within the flexible category of ter's acrid, expressive sound is a Last July 3rd was Ellington Night at New• Dixieland depends on a great many particular delight in an era of facil• port, R. I. On hand for a musical salute was extra-musical factors. To get back to ity and blandness in clarinet playing. Dave Brubeck, an artist with the courage, —Larry Gushee humor, honesty and inventive power it present business, I can't help but takes to rival the Duke as one of the giants of 20th century jazz. This recording of Dave's ducal tribute is one of the finest in our 1958 series. —The Dave Brubeck Quartet RED GARLAND: Red Garland's. Powell-ish modernisms and shavings CL 1249 Piano. Prestige 7086. of Silver are basic to Red's piano, GUARANTEED HIGH-FIDELITY AND RED GARLAND: Groovy. Prestige an awareness of the older feeling— STEREO-FIDELITY RECORDS BY 7113. Tatum, Wilson, Cole, Garner—also RED GARLAND: A Garland of Red. penetrates the Garland output. COLUMBIA D Prestige 7064. I can identify Garland by several ® "Columbia" <$> Marcas Res. A division of Columbia Broadcasting System. Inc. RED GARLAND, RAY BARRETO: of his devices. Primarily I do it by Manteca. Prestige 7139. his block chords, upon which he de• JAZZ PHOTOGRAPHS pends to more or less of a degree in each number. Red's block chords From an extensive and unique differ from the Buckner-Shearing type (where the right hand plays the private collection, featuring pix chord and the left hand doubles the upper melody note immediately be• of the famous and obscure in low) in that Garland's left hand re• mains in the same keyboard position, jazz history. An interesting addi• altering inner notes as the harmony changes, while his right hand roams tion to any record collection, around in Garneresque fashion. An• other Garland trademark is a Garner- trad, or modern. Sweet band in-another-gear left hand of two chords per measure, reiterated just pix too. The word "cocktail" continually before beats one and three below pursues the name of Red Garland right-hand eighth note lines; this sets Examples: Dink Johnson, Chas. and whacks it with an accusing clout. up a between the hands The brand, I feel, is generally unjus• that is just the opposite of Garner's Creath, BG 1938, Waller, Bunny tified in Red's case, but probably right hand lag: the left hand is off- originates from several stylistic facts. the-beat, the right hand on. with TD, several Oliver bands, Garland is essentially a very refined Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and pianist. His playing, while modern, Art Taylor perform on a pretty even C. Christian, early Basie and is unfunky enough not to tax the keel throughout the four lp's. A Gar¬ aural capacities of the uninitiated land of Red, Red Garland's Piano, Moten, Oliver Cobb (100s more). who might find Horace Silver or and Groovy sound like they were Monk hard to take, and his music is made at one extended session, the Old customers: greatly enlarged "nice" enough not to interfere with type of music played and the feeling the gastronomic and conversational projected by it being of a like nature list now available. Send stamp appetites of, say, the groups of un• throughout. Manteca, due to the ad• escorted women who dine at places dition of Ray Barreto's conga drum, for free list to like The Embers. Then, too, a point gets into a little more blowing further confusing the issue is touched groove. Only interference from the Duncan P. Schiedt on by Ira Gitler: Garland has jazz conga (to my listening, maybe not 2534 E. 68th St. , which predate Minton's. While to the pianist involved) comes in Indianapolis, Indiana Mart's Report where Ray plays Weep For Me (Groovy album) and double time when Garland continues on the reflective Blue Red (a Gar• to play in a slow context. Otherwise, land of Red track) at the appearance the conga detracts in no way from of "after hours" figures of groupings the Manteca package, largely because of six notes per beat, a la Avery backing on standards like S'Wonder- Parrish. Groovy offers a good C-Jam ful concentrates on conga blows on Blues, in which Red develops some beats two and four only, which en• choruses thematically, evolves inde• hances rather than hampers the over• pendent melodies in some, and riffs all swing. Exactly Like You is Latin- others. flavored so lightly as to sound like Paul Chambers' almost entirely earlier Nat-Cole-with-Jack-Costanzo unaccompanied pizzicato solo at the records. Arthur Taylor handles a start of Blue Red is a fine blues goodly share of the work in the fea• statement and on the Nat Coleish tured conga solos of Manteca and What Can I say Dear he plays rhy• Lady Be Good. Latter tune's "melo• thm bass strongly enough to emerge dic" drum solos revolves around the as an interesting melodic counter• interval of a third. part to the piano lines. Red deals with the routine or My main complaint about Red "non-jazz type numbers well, as for Garland is that he sometimes tends example // / Were a Bell in Red Gar• to play too many choruses of block land's Pidno. Almost Like Being in chords at one stretch. The chords Love, from the same album, contains in themselves have a nice color but a habitual melodic figure of Red's— if dwelled upon too long, lose their flatted , fourth, flatted third to effectiveness as the ear gets used to tonic degrees of the scale repeated. the sound. Like using all dissonance The pungent chords with which Gar• with no consonance for contrast, an land often ends a piece, such as on / interesting texture can be• Can t Give You Anything But Love come pedestrian as a result of over• are pleasing. exposure. Garland's roots sprout in Willow —Mimi Clar

THE RED GARLAND QUINTET: and piano behind Byrd's smoothly All Mornin Long. Prestige 7130. travelling flight is arresting. Byrd possesses much of 's ORDER NOW All Morning Long, the title tune brilliancy of tone and execution. from the album, lasts for an entire Coltrane ever-strives, reaches out and side of the lp. To take as many forges ahead. He fits into the group JAKE TRUSSELL'S choruses as everyone does here is a well. Red's Morning piano sounds challenge. The disadvantages of such "pre-Rhythm and Blues" (like the "After Hours Poetry" lengthy sessions—tendency of musi• kind of blues piano on Red Cal• cians to rely on cliche or repetition, ender's Dolphin Street Boogie) with to throw forth pack-in-the-box fash• all the triplets behind the riff and Jazz and night life from ion all technical devices at hand, to in-between the horn phrases, and Mexico to . grow bored with the tune—can pre• some right-hand boogie-type impro• visations. A bit of matter-of-fact hu• 4.4.4.4.4. vail to the point of creating an al• bum best described functionally as mor occurs as Yankee Doodle Ask the jazz fan who's "Music to Set Your Hair By." emerges twice on Joyner's solo. bought a copy. All Morning Long, though a loose The expanse of the reverse side of session, is not that kind of an album. the lp divides into two parts: a 4.4* *t* *$* *t* While not ponderous, the music is lilting They Can t Take That Away Written by a jazz disc pleasant enough to go on all morn• From Me and 's Our jockey and former band ing long on one's phonograph. Red Delight. The former's theme anti- Garland, , John Col- phony (Byrd against rhythm) paves leader who knows what trane, George Joyner, and Art Tay• the way for a soul-baring Coltrane he's writing about. lor utilize the advantages of a session and a Garland solo which boils down where everyone gets plenty of room to a Lester Youngish "essence" to stretch and is reasonably free from chorus of one or two basic melody recording-studio tension of putting notes. Taylor free-wheels in the Send $7.00 to something down for posterity. Blakey tradition, while Joyner at The All Morning Song track, once prpels and anchors the soloists. JAKE TRUSSELL a spontaneous, jazz-of-the-moment, Our Delight finds a more driving Box 951 works into an effective device of a Red, very much in the Powell vein. kind of stop-time rhythm where the Kingsville, Texas Garland's tea-roomy Latin breaks of first three beats of each measure are chromatic intervals, pointless in this Price Includes Mailing chugged out by the rhythm and the context, constitute my only bone to fourth beat left silent. The momen• pick with him here. Byrd stands out tary hesitation of the bass, drums on all tracks. —Mimi Clar

26 THE JAZZ REVIEW JIMMY WITHERSPOON WITH the only sides that move at all are JAY McSHANN: Coin to Kansas the Jumpin9 Blues and Oo-Wee, while City Blues. RCA Victor LPM 1639. Piney Brown sustains a somber mood well, but suffers in comparison with 4 either of Joe Turner's versions on ALBUMS OF THE MONTH This album had all the ingredients Columbia and Atlantic or Jimmy that are necessary to produce good Rushing's, also on Columbia. This MONAURAL jazz, whether it be blues-based or could be due to Witherspoon's hav• or STEREO! otherwise. It does not make it in ing come on the scene later than 7 Exciting or• chestral tracks spite of Witherspoon who is a good Turner and Rushing, and being in• of 12. 16 and 32 bar blues in urban singer of the middle forties fected with certain vocal manner• every modern shade and period; McShann who is one of the isms that and others .em po, each showcasing one best blues men and accompanists to during the forties pushed to popu• of the top solo• ists on the date. come out of jazz since the middle larity, and which replaced the Brand new re• cording, avail• thirties; and the arrangements of straight sincerity that Rushing, for able as MON- \ U R A L M G , a longtime Kansas example, had. .2132 or TRUE STEREO SST City musician and one of jazz's finest The lp could have benefited from 13001. band arrangers. Outside of Gene a larger band that worked so well Ramey, Jay's longtime associate, for Rushing, and perhaps other mu•

none of the other musicians have sicians, although Seldon Powell and New star trum• pet Wilbur been associated to any degree with both soloed well Harden with JOHN COL• blues recordings, but most have suf• (Powell on Jumpin Blues and Jef• TRANE, , Tommy ficient jazz background to play well ferson on Until the Real Thing Flanagan, Art Taylor, etc., in in this style. Comes Along). Emett Berry, who is a unusual African and other Jazz Jack Higginbotham comes off as fine trumpeter with a good style, experimental tracks that the best soloist and accompanist after must have been uncomfortable at this really wail. MONAURAL McShann on these tracks, although session, because he played somewhat MG 12 IS I or in TRUESTEREO all the others do their job well, with below par. Ray Copeland did better, as SST 13004. the exception of Mousie Alexander, but wasn't given enough space to WRITE DEPT. JR for NEWEST DISCOGRAPHY a last-minute replacement for Gus develop a statement. Gene Ramey's Johnson, who couldn't make the date. bass work, as always, was fine, and A A. A ; Mousie is a good band drummer, but helped considerably in balancing record co. has had little or no experience with Mousie's uncertainty. Perhaps the the relaxed, lag-along style that can next time, if there is one, Wither• M V V V MARKET ST., NEWARK, N.J. float a combo like this. Most of the spoon and McShann will be able to time he is too stiff, or pushes too work with a bigger group. One other much. He is not the sole reason for question, have a & r men forgotten this the success or failure of the lp how• that Budd Johnson in addition to advertisement ever. Some of the sides are just about being a terrific arranger, is also a directed getting off the ground (Hootie very gifted tenor soloist, and makes to the Blues) when they come to a halt, the use of another tenorman, no mat• Discographer-Historian- and the majority of them suffer from ter how good, unnecessary, especi• Collector too little time, both in actual re• ally at a blues session? hearsal and in playing time. I feel —Frank Driggs Subscribe to...

RECORD RESEARCH NEWPORT 1958. The International ments. With the exception of Bill A bi-monthly journalistic endeavor, now in its 4th year, devoted to sound, Youth Band. Columbia CL 1246. Russo's Newport Suite. Op. 24, none accurate and interesting research into of the seven tracks is anything to all phases of Musical Americana (Jazz, write home about, and I think it is Vaudevillian, Personality, Folk, Popu• The 1958 Newport Festival has no coincidence that the band sounds lar . . . and the largest record auction in the world, in every issue.) given rise to so much bitter comment best on Russo's piece. Now and then that I would like to be able to take Adolph Sandole's voicings in Too the underdog's part in reporting on Marvelous for Words catch our at• Record Research this recorded sample of the proceed• tention, but the leads, especially in 131 Hart Street ings that took place in July. Alas, the brass, are trite, sometimes verg• Brooklyn 6, N. Y. it can't be done; the International ing on the corny. Two of them, Mar• Please start my subscription at once. Youth Band is no recommendation shall Brown's Don t Wait for Henry, Here is $3.00 for your introductory offer for the Festival or for the quality of and a collaborative arrangement by of 12 issues. European jazz. Much of the difficulty Brown and John La Porta, Swingin lies in the idea itself. To expect to the Blues, are humdrum treatments Name put together a swinging seventeen of the blues; two are ballads with a piece band in under a month verges minimum of arrangement, Dont Address- on the fantastic, not to speak of the Blame Me, featuring Andy Marsala, additional rehearsal problem created and Imagination, with Belgian trom• City- -State- by the diversity of languages repre• bonist Christian Kellens. One more BONUS DIVIDEND!!! sented in the group. piece, John La Porta's so-called Jazz a periodic record bulletin to all sub• One of this record's biggest fail• Concerto for Alto Sax, featuring scribers, in addition to regular sub• ings is the quality of the arrange• Marsala again, completes the set. scription.

April, 1959 Given the generally uninspired KANSAS CITY in the THIRTIES Not jazz, but Bus does have a fine writing and insufficient rehearsal Capitol T-1057 voice. Track 5. This side is by time, it is evident that the only thing Tommy Douglas' band but has no which could have saved the venture solos by him and sets a typical rhy- would have been good solos. That them and blues mood, something al• the solo spots are as good as they most any band could play; the tenor Moten Swing—Jay McShann, pf; Oliver are, in spite of an unfamiliar envir• Todd, tp; Claiborne Graves, ts; Tommy solo is by Herman Bell, and is only onment, is sufficient evidence of the Douglas, as; Effergee Ware, gtr; Walter fair. A poor choice of material com• musicians' talents and good will, al• Page, bs; Baby Lovett, dms pared to some of the other Douglas though they are not good enough to Draggin my Heart Around—Julia, organ items like Jackson County Romp redeem the unswinging frame in and vocals, with Clint Weaver, bs which afforded a better idea of Doug• When You're Smiling—Julia Lee, pf-vo, which they are heard. To be praised Benny Carter, as; Red Nichols, ct; Vic las and pianist George Salisbury's especially are the two Swedish jazz• Dickenson, tb; Dave Cavanaugh, ts; ability. Douglas fought to break his men, Bernt Rosengren, tenor (who , gtr; Red Callonder, bs; contract over this sort of recording. generally leads off the solos for rea• Baby Lovett, dms. Little wonder. Track 6- Jesse Price is It's Hard to Laugh or Smile—Bus Moten, sons readily apparent, and Kurt Jarn- vocal and piano, acc by unknown ts far better known for souting tunes, berg, trombone. Dusko Gojkovic, a Lights Out—Tommy Douglas, bs; Clarence and this was also a bad choice with trumpeter from Yugoslavia, does Davis, tp; Bill Hodge, tb; Bob Williams, only fair solos by trumpet (Snooky well on Swingin. His section mate, bs; Herman Bell, ts; George Salisbury, Young) and tenor (Gene Porter). Roger Guerin, has a fundamentally pf; Leonard Johnson, bs; Josh Reeves, Much better was his Froggy Bottom dms better sound, but is sloppy in execu• / Ain't Mad at You—Jesse Price, vo; with good vocal and driving trumpet tion, possibly because of nervous• , tp; Buddy Tate, Gene by Young. Side B-Track 1- Julia Lee ness. Albert Manglesdorff (does he Porter, ts; Allen Beal, pf; Nappy La- in another pop with good accompani• qualify as a "youth"?) does rather mare, gtr; Bill Davis, bs; Al Wichard, ment by Carter, Norvo, Dickenson dms badly for someone of his experience, My Sin—Julia Lee and Norvo, Carter, and fair Nichols. Side 2- Better song, on three separate occasions. The real Dickenson, Nichols, et al better vocal, and good accompani• booby prize goes, however, to Gil- / Was Wrong—Julia Lee with same ment from everybody. Track 3- berto Cuppini, the drummer, who Leaping Boogie—Charles Waterford, vo, Crown Waterford is a good with unknown pf, ts, bs, dms could have done much to save the Living my Life for You—Walter Brown, blues shouter, but the tune and the day. vo; acc by Ben Webster, ts; unknown accompaniment is poor. He's made —Larry Gushee pf, bs, dms many better sides than this. Track 4- Let's Love a While—Charlotte Manseld, Charlotte Mansfield has an excellent vo-pf; acc by unknown as, bs, dms voice, and is still a favorite in Days— Johnson, pf-vocals acc by Baby Lovett, dms Kansas City today. She has done bet* ter and this song isn't exactly a good indication of what she is cap• For ALL Drummers! This lp is a of a series orig• inated in 1944 by Dave Dexter, who able of. There is a nice alto break in the record, done by an unidenti• The most up-to-date got Capitol to sign up the majority fied musician. Track 5- Walter Brown material about drums of good talent then working in singing a pop tune and really out of and drum instruction Kansas City and started off with a few good recordings. Soon his hands his element. The record is saved by were tied, and others with less jazz some good choruses by Ben Webster, DRUM FILES knowledge took over and used the and comes to a very abrupt stop. Track 6- Joshua Johnson is a fine Written by SAM ULANO Kansas City men in a general rhythm and blues framework. ballad singer, as is heard here, and has the subtle accompaniment of $5.00 for twelve full issues Side 1-track 1 Moten Swing by a Baby Lovett's fine drums. Lovett is Jay McShann-led pickup band is the Send Check or Money Order to also on the Lee and McShann tracks best jazz side in the lp, containing as well, and is still one of the best SAM ULANO good solos by trumpeter Oliver Todd, drummers in jazz. Johnson is just as 115 West 48th St., New York altoist Tommy Douglas, and Mc• well known for his boogie-woogie Sample Copy Upon Request Shann, and excellent rhythm from sides, and one of them would have Walter Page, Effergee Ware and been better in this lp. Baby Lovett. Track 2 is a typical Kansas City pop sung by Julia Lee Capitol has not really done justice who accompanies herself on organ to the talents of the Kansas City to good effect. This side was goosed musicians they had under contract, up to so-called high fidelity by the and with the exception of Julia Lee use of an echo chamber. Track 3 is and McShann (his track is a second Julia Lee again, but in a jazz setting master, and not as good as the one I Records shipped anywhere with good vocal, and solos by Red originally isued, in my opinion) all X>t Moan mU5IC - Dept. J Norvo, (good), Red Nichols, (fair), the other tracks could have been bet• Benny Carter, (good), Vic Dicken• ter. Since there is plenty of good 627 N. KINGSHIGHWAY son, (good), Jack Marshall, guitar talent working in Kansas City today, ST. LOUIS 8, MO., U.S.A. (good), Dave Cavanaugh, tenor it would be nice if some enterprising ALL RECORDS REVIEWED IN JAZZ REVIEW AVAILABLE THRU US—OUR SERVICE IS FAST (fair). Track 4-Bus Moten, Bennie firm did the job well, or perhaps All records shipped are factory fresh. Send for Moten's nephew singing an old Mo• untied Dave Dexter's hands. details on bonus offer of LPs. Foreign Orders Welcome. ten standby in a sentimental vein, This set has incredible "notes" by MAMMOTH LP SALE—FREE CATALOGUES accompanied by a bad dance-hall John Cameron Swayze. $1.00 Deposit On CODs—No CODs Overseas tenor and capitol's echo chamber. —Frank Driggs

78 THE JAZZ REVIEW REVIEWS: BOOKS

The Book of Jazz: A Guide to the if this hypothetical reader follows and wholehearted suspicion of suc• Entire Field, by Leonard Feather. instructions, studies the book con• cess, and habitually look upon the Horizon Press, N.Y., 1957. scientiously, and digs the recorded success of any really good man (in illustrations, he will certainly arise his lifetime) as something that needs from his labors a lot less of a square to be explained. Thus, the fact that than he was when he sat down. Feather is, today, probably the most Needless to say, the portions that successful and influential jazz critic Almost every knowledgeable writer will appeal most to hip readers are on the American scene is nothing in on jazz suffers from a certain ambi• exactly those which the square will his favor; some at least of his pros• valence of expression, as if he were find hard going, and there are perity is attributed to an early per- not quite sure whom he was writing enough of them to justify buying the serverance in pursuit of that success, for—jazz lover or square, hostile book. There is, for example, an ex• and in adroit self-promotion, that square or friendly square. Sometimes cellent chapter on Jazz and Race left the rest of us schlemiehls blink• it seems that the more knowledgeable which, though it says nothing that ing in baffled envy, like Al Manheim he is, the more noticeable the ambi• will be new in essence to anyone who in What Makes Sammy Run? But valence. On the one hand he tends to has ever hung around with Negro this has ceased to be relevant. sound like a reporter for a house musicians, has the merit of putting organ; on the. other, like a pilgrim Whatever he was before, Leonard on the record a number of cold facts crying in the wilderness. On the one Feather has legitimately become one that certainly belong to the record, hand he may lapse into "inside" ref• of the most important figures in the and does it with refreshing candor; erences and family jokes and an ar• field. He has long been identified there is the abovementioned assault got unintelligible to the goyim; on with the most progressive aspects of on the worshippers of the New Or• the other, he tends to preach, to de• jazz that have the right be called leans shrine, and there is a closely fend, to repeat the abc's, to explain jazz; he has often been chivalrously related one on the musical merits of the obvious, and (at times) to let outspoken when a more prudent the New Orleans revival, which, the reader know he is Cultured. All man might have kept his mouth shut; whether you agree with the author's this is, of course, a perfectly under• he has shown a deal of originality, views or not, does bring a sore point standable reflection of the ambiguous taste, and musical judgment; and he into sharp focus; there is a nicely position of jazz itself in the world of expresses himself in a prose that is a done section, The Anatomy of Im• the arts, as an art form not yet model of clarity, modesty, and un- provisation, explaining how a jazz• granted its rightful status, and com• sentimentality. More than most peo• man plays jazz, with good examples pelled to get on as best it can as ple in his position, he has been con• and sensitively appreciative "pro• "entertainment." tent to let the music and the musi• gram notes"—and a number of other cians speak for themselves, adding Leonard Feather's Book of Jazz goodies. just the minimum commentary re• exhibits some of this ambivalence. quired for easier appreciation, a pol• Written primarily and frankly for the This isn't to say that I agree with icy many other jazz critics might literate square, it appropriately de• Leonard's opinions in all essentials; profitably imitate. votes more than half its pages to an on the contrary, I find myself in attempted capsule critique of, and sharp disagreement with some of the This book is an apt example; once guide to, all the important jazz musi• most important; but the questions again Leonard has come up with a cians in the world; many other pas• are questions that he was right in significant contribution to the litera• sages are also designed for the en• raising. Incidentally, I confess I was ture of jazz, one that measurably lightenment of beginners. Side by astonished to learn how inadequately transcends the half dozen or so other side with this, however, is a thor• this book has been reviewed. Most of books on the subject that have ap• ough-going and reasonably well the major newspapers simply ignored peared in this period, and that is well documented attack on "the New Or• it—the N. Y. Times was an honorable worth a review even at this late date. leans myth" which I personally read exception—and even the music and I speak as a fellow critic who, at one with unwavering interest, but which trade journals more or less over• time, was not unwilling to let fly a must be merely puzzling to the inno• looked it. This is as good a place as quip or two at his expense—but over cent bystander. any, I guess, to say a word or two the years his writings have earned for Leonard Feather. I am no ad• Despite all this, however, and des• my respect, which ceases herewith to mirer of success per se. As a member pite its perhaps over-ambitious sub• be grudging. of a culture that has been incurably title, I unhesitatingly recommend the To return to the book, two chap• corrupt and philistine for fifty cen• book to anyone who wants to learn ters, Big Towns and Brass Bands, turies, I join my betters in a deep more about jazz. I am satisfied that and New Orleans—Mainspring or

April, 1959 29 THE Myth?, should have raised a real with one bad eye, would sit me on FOLKLORE CENTER furor among the traditionalists, if his lap afterward and demand to see they have any fight in them. It is a my Union card. 110 MacDougal St. N.Y.C. 12, N.Y~ bold and icon-smashing onslaught Excuse the digression. My point is offers the largest, most upon two fiercely held tenets of their that this nightly pilgrimage is some• varied collection of old religion; namely, that (a) jazz was thing I lecall vividly and that it was and new books on folk• born in New Orleans c. 1900, and being made by jazz musicians, full lore, folkmusic and jazz (b) all the early New Orleans musi• fledged jazz musicians, of whom in America. cians were the greatest. there were a fair number in Chicago A partial list includes: Though, as we shall see, not all of before the end of World War I. None of us had any sense of coming to 1. Wilson. THE COLLECTOR'S Leonard's supporting arguments are listen to some new form of music— JAZZ. Traditional and Swing $1.45 quite what they should be, his main far from it. It was just that this was 2. Lucas. BASIC JAZZ ON diesis seems unassailable: being played better and hotter than LONG PLAY. The Great we usually heard it, and with quite Soloists and The Great "Eubie" Blake, who came to New a few differences of melodic style. Bands. 1954 2.50 York soon after the turn of the cen• tury, confirms that jazz . .. was a firmly 3. Harris & Rust. RECORDED How can I set the date so accur• established entity . . . and that the ately, with my admittedly bad mem• JAZZ: A Critical Guide .85 musicians from New Orleans were 4. Charters. JAZZ: NEW practically unknown until about 1915, ory? Easy. When the ORLEANS. An index to the when Freddie Keppard visited New declared war in 1917, my brother York . . . The picture that emerges Vic, a red-hot patriot who hoped to Negro Musicians. 1885-1957 3.00 . . . can point to only one conclusion assist personally at the Kaiser's hang• 5. Lomax. MISTER JELLY ROLL. . . . Jazz was simply born in the Out of print classic 1.75 United States of America." ing, rushed to join the Navy, was 6. Shapiro & Hentoff. JAZZ accepted, and promptly assigned to MAKERS. 21 who influ• I'm something of an old-timer my• Sousa's Band at the Great Lakes enced jazz 1.95 self, having been born in 1910, and Naval Training Station, a mile and 7. Grissom. THE NEGRO naturally am not without an opinion a half from our home, where Mr. SINGS A NEW HEAVEN. of my own about this matter. It is saw to it that he 45 songs of worshipping this: Jazz is too broad a phenomenon stayed for the duration of the war. Negroes in Kentucky. 1930 2.00 to have originated in one little geo• Now, I can recall that when Vic 8. Puckett. FOLK BELIEFS OF graphic area and in such a narrow "enlisted in Sousa's Band," as he THE SOUTHERN NEGRO. span of time as the New-Orleans- bitterly put it, he left some jazz gig Jazz, Voodoo, Charms, 1900-legend suggests. It is somewhat or other to do it, I believe at Weiss's Omens et al 5.00 as though we were to believe that Cafe in the Loop. This was a jazz 9. Johnson. JOHN HENRY: the English language originated in spot. (The Dixieland Band, I think, Tracking Down a Negro London between 1066 and 1095. played there when it first hit Chi• Legend. 1929 2.00 Languages, musical or verbal, just cago.) There were many others— 10. Silverman. FOLK BLUES.... 6.95 don't happen that way. and after the first fine frenzy of pa• triotism had cooled a bit, and Vic 11. Connor. BG-OFF THE REC• I was living in Chicago from 1916 began to learn How To Get Along In ORD. A bio-discography of to about 1924, and remember per• The Navy, he used to sneak out of Goodman 5.00 fectly the coming of the New Orleans Great Lakes at night and play jazz 12. Wante. V DISC CATA• musicians—black, brown, beige, and gigs- LOGUE 3.50 ofay. I was intensively acquainted 13. Feather. THE NEW YEAR• with Joe Oliver's band. Every jazz The distinction between his work BOOK OF JAZZ. 1959. See musician in "Chi" rushed to hear it, with Sousa and his work after dark review 4.95 and stayed to revel. As Vic Berton's was very clear. I was his pupil on 14. Grossman. THE HEART OF precocious kid brother, I went every• drums at the time, and I remember JAZZ 6.50 where with him and was lucky having to distinguish between rudi- 15. Odum. NEGRO WORKA• enough to be in the thick of the mental or military (legitimate) roll DAY SONGS 3.00 Oliver binge. The gorillas who ran (the two-beat, hand-to-hand roll) and 16. Harris. THE STORY OF JAZZ .95 the Royal Gardens (or Lincoln Gar• the roll used in (the 17. Stearns. THE STORY OF dens or Sunset Cafe or wherever it press-roll, known then as "fake" JAZZ 5.75 was Oliver was playing—I find these roll). There was constant discussion, 18. Hughes. THE FIRST BOOK things tend to get a little mixed up at lessons especially, of the two styles. OF JAZZ 1.95 in my memory these days) would When I say there were many other 19. Stilwell. RECORD DATING always make Vic hide me behind the jazz spots in Chicago, I know where• CHART I. Labels prior to bandstand when The Law came in of I speak. Probably it was the im• 1930 1.00 for its nightly graft. pact of the Original Dixieland Jass All books reviewed in The Jazz Review There was almost no limit to what Band's tremendous recording and are available by mail order. was permissible in the "black and personal successes; in any event, by the beginning of 1918 it seemed as The Folklore Center tan" cabarets of that era on Chi• 110 MacDougal St. N.Y.C. 12, N.Y. cago's south side, but it was felt that if nearly every cabaret and chop- suey joint wanted a jazz band, and Please send the following items, post free, even Big Bill Thompson's cops might as circled below. Enclosed please find my draw the line at a seven-year-old kid. lots of them got one. I spent a great check • or money order Q. When the coast was clear I was al• deal of time hanging around at 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 lowed to come out, even to sit in on places where Vic played jazz—the 16 17 18 19 drums and get out on the floor and Green Mill, Cascade Gardens, Mari• Name shout the blues and tunes like Aggra- gold Gardens, White City ballroom, Address vatin' Papa. , whom I Midway Gardens, Edelweiss Cabaret, City Zone State remember as a big, fat, gentle fellow and the Trianon ballroom. These Please send me your free April list •

30 THE JAZZ REVIEW were all strictly ofay places, and in era particularly, it was never form• teners, whether they agree with Leon• those days Jim Crow in Chicago's ally taught, but rather absorbed— ard or not, are bound to be interest• "white" joints was absolute and un• osmotically, as it were—through ing, and, in the long run, significant questioned. (White musicians could many hundreds of hours of soaking for the future of "revivals." visit their colored friends' gigs, but in the atmosphere, digging the right It would be useless to deny that never vice versa.) Vic worked at musicians, a lot of painful and soli• part of my approval of Leonard's those places with musicians like tary woodshedding, gradual improve• contribution is due to what I call his Steve ("Red") Brown, a wonderful ment at jazz sessions, &c. Can any keen judgment, meaning his taste string-bass player, Elmer Schoebel, reasonable person doubt that the agreed with my own in this instance. Mel Stitzel, and, later on, Paul growth of such an army as I have In short, I always thought the ex• Mares. Mares was an idol of mine, described took time, and plenty of huming of Bunk Johnson was (1) a and he and Vic often hung around time? Is it conceivable that it could noble effort, well worth doing from together after hours, driving around have sprung full-panoplied from the the historian's point of view, and the north side in Vic's roadster (we brow of Freddie Keppard in 1915? (2) almost wholly unproductive of had a 4-cylinder Buick) looking for The second chapter calculated to anything that could be called listen- places to sit in and jump a little. give the figs an embolism is the one able jazz. The fanatics who under• As a kid performer, I also worked titled New Orleans—Mainspring or took it, at incredible financial and informally in some of the north side Myth? Four of its eight short pages spiritual cost to themselves, can be joints myself. I had a partner a year are comprised of contrasting opin• forgiven most of the mountain of or so older than myself—he was ions, set in parallel columns like the nonsense they spoke and wrote sub• about 10, and played a banjo-uke— "political battle page" of the New sequently. named Jack Goss, a kid from Pa- York Daily News. The opinions are Only fanatics can accomplish cer• ducah, Kentucky. He afterward be• those of jazz critics and jazz musi• tain "impossible" tasks, and some came a guitarist (I know he made a cians, respectively; the subject is the nonsense is inevitable when you are record date in 1940 in Art Hodes' recorded music of Bunk Johnson as dealing with fanatics. But the others, Chicago Rhythm Kings, with Rod resuscitated by Gene Williams et alii the fools who managed to convince Cless, Marty Marsala, and Earl Mur• in 1942; also of Johnny Dodds, Kid themselves, by sheer Emperor's New phy). We sang duets and did pop Ory, Kid Rena, Big Eye Nelson, Clothes mass hypnotism, that every• novelty tunes together like Oh By George Lewis' revivalist band, and thing Bunk played was shining gold, Jingo, Mr. Gallagher & Mr. Sheehan, . The records se• ought to be ashamed of themselves. Lovin' Sam and of course the war lected were all items considered great What is one to say? Among all seg• tunes like Over There, How You classics by traditionalists and New ments of this mighty nation, includ• Ganna Keep 'Em Down On The Farm Orleans specialists, and the jazz mu• ing alleged music lovers and their au• (Now That They've Seen Par-ee) ?, sicians were asked to take Leonard's thorized representatives, the critics, a and K-k-k-Katy, Parley-Voo, &c, in well-known "blindfold test," that is, real sense of musical values is the the places that preferred commercial listen to the records without any in• exception, not the rule. corn; in the jazz spots like the Cas• formation whatsoever except that As for the Armstrong Hot Fives, cade Gardens we sang "hot"—i.e., conveyed to their ear by the music my own unpremeditated reactions to blues, and what the customers itself. Leonard's stated purpose was them, in the days when there were shouted for as "nigger music." to demonstrate "the extraordinary no jazz critics (including me), may With us, as with Vic's dance work, dichotomy that has existed for some be revealing. My brother Vic and I there was a sharp distinction drawn 15 to 20 years between . . . the non- naturally bought them all as they —then as now—between "hot" and musician advocates of some of the were released. That was thirty-odd "corn" ("tin-ear" or "commercial") New Orleans jazz personalities, and years ago, and I can't vouch for the music. The jazz musicians were sure- . . . professional musicians who have responses of other musicians at the enough jazzmen—real, bad, hard- listened to jazz played by (them)..." time, but ours were unequivocal. We swing, a la wild Bill Davidson. The quotes from the critics were listened only to Louie (and, later, Even one of the big Loop depart• all taken from their published writ• Earl). When the needle got to Johnny ment stores gave in to the fad for ings, enthusiastically praising the Dodds, , Johnny St. Cyr, or real jazz. For several months my classical New Orleans records of the Lil, we simply lifted it and put it brother Vic played luncheon dances '20s, and the revivalist records of back or ahead to Louie again. In from 11:00 AM to 2 PM at the cafe• Bunk Johnson, &c. this fashion we wore out several teria on the roof of ... I think it And, finally, this remarkable ad• copies of such discs as Potato Head was The Fair (or maybe Carson, mission that, when revivals are the —I mean we wore out the Armstrong Pirie's)—a Chicago equivalent of thing, the music ain't: portions; the rest of the grooves re• Gimbel's. They were a tough bunch; "Bunk was on occasions quite mag• mained more or less in mint condi• on trumpet was an Italian cat named nificent, and even when he faltered, tion. Frankie Quartell, the first man I ever the combination of what he was trying to play and the overwhelming aura of For what it's worth, this was the saw use a water-glass for a mute, and nostalgia and romance felt by his au• spontaneous reaction of two musi• who had one of the dirtiest tones I diences was enough to make it clear cian-fans, in the Age of Innocence, have ever heard, then or subse• that this particular noble experiment and at a time when Louie was no had been a most valuable one." quently. I cite these names at ran• legend, but a young musician who —Grauer & Keepnews, dom, as representative of a sizable was killing everyone. In those days army of seasoned jazzmen to be A Pictorial History of Jazz To my mind Leonard deserves a I hung around with musicians a great found in the Chicago area, and small round of applause just for deal. Bix was around; Jimmy Dor- around nearby Indiana and Michigan thinking up this format and carrying sey, , Fud Living• at that time. out this idea, as well as for raising ston, Adrian Rollini, and Now, it takes quite a lot of time to these issues in such a forthright fash• were frequent visitors to our home. learn to play creditable jazz. In that ion. Repercussions among jazz lis• At one time, when Vic and I were

April, 1959 31 living in a -bag on West 47th some flies in his ointment. The argu• basic facts about a series is that its Street, Jack Teagarden lived across ment as such is not overscrupulously members get bigger (or smaller) as the hall from us. I recall the general .constructed. you go along; an alphabet has noth• impression of Tea's apartment—al• For example: Is Willie The Lion ing analogous to this; E is clearly most bare of furniture; an unmade any more reliable a witness than no "bigger" than A. In fact, "5" bed, a trombone, a stack of Arm• Jelly Roll was? If the object of the presupposes "1" and would be mean• strong records, naked on the floor parallel columns was to pit musicians ingless without it ("5" really means beside his bed, and a wind-up por• against critics, which is Hodeir? It's "5 x 1"); but "E" would be just as table Victrola, right next to a bottle not quite enough to say, as Leonard meaningful if there had never been of gin. That stack of naked records, does, that Hodeir is "primarily a such a letter as "A." (It so happens all red-label Okehs and all Arm• musician." What about Leonard him• that this is literally the case in most strong, was a familiar sight in most self? What about me? Leonard is world languages, which do have the of the other musicians' "homes" too, credited with some hundreds of pub• sound "ee" but don't have the sound if we may call them that. Everyone lished pieces, plays piano sometimes "ay.") talked about Louie. I don't recall on records, &c; I was a paid up and But there is even a more funda• anyone talking about Ory or Dodds working member of 802 when I was mental distinction between "12345" or Lil Hardin. You accepted the fact 13 years old—so what? We three and "ABCDE" (the alphabet, not that when you bought Louie's records would certainly be eligible to vote the notes of the scale). Between 1 you got Ory and Dodds, just as when on either side. Also, Leonard's and 2 there is a certain interval, you marry a girl you also get her readers are entitled to ask whether which is the same as the interval be• relatives—but nobody ever discussed his "musicians" column is really a tween 2 and 3. This interval is basic them. Such, at least, is my recollec• fair sampling. to the whole meaning of the series; tion. We note that there are "revival• in truth, a series is just that—a way Of course this isn't the whole story ists" among bona fide musicians too. of expressing intervals. And this is on Dodds and Ory. It's no disgrace What would Turk Murphy, Mezz exactly what a musical scale is: a to either party to say that working Mezzrow, Bob Scobey, and Hum• series, a way of expressing certain craftsmen in any field are almost phrey Lyttleton have thought of the intervals. Needless to say, no alpha• bound to be narrowminded to some records cited? I don't know, but bet has anything even remotely cor• degree—sometimes a very marked neither does Leonard; and the very responding to such a relationship; degree. An artist must take what he fact that such questions can be asked the fact that we say "ABCDE" rather wants from his environment and re• somewhat weakens his case. than "BCAED" is the sheerest his• torical accident, like the fact that we ject all else—there is no reason why But, I repeat: it is a critic's job to eat our salad before our meat, in• his tastes should be broad. If Stra• raise questions as well as try to settle stead of the other way around, as in vinsky finds himself more inspired by them, and Leonard's attack is doing an inferior artist like Tchaikovsky it; more power to him. than by a giant like Beethoven, who I must however take serious issue How different all this is from a are we to object? So long as the with Leonard over his contention musical scale can now be appreciated. results are what they are, we dare that there is no distinct "jazz scale." A scale is a series, each unit sepa• not object. In the Anatomy of Improvisation rated from its adjacent ones by a Many years later, when I began chapter, he says: definite physical interval. Thus if we call 256 vibrations per second "mid• writing and lecturing about jazz, I "A . . . misconception ... is that came in contact for the first time jazz has its own scale . . . The scales dle c," the next white note, D, must with Purists and Traditionalists and used in all tonal jazz are the normal be 288 per second, E must be 320, Collectors, a breed I had never both• diatonic scales . . . and so on up, at a definite inexor• The is, after all, merely able rate of increment. ered my pretty head with before. part of the , bearing They were shocked at my insensi- to it the same relationship as that of I submit, in view of the above, tiveness to their heroes. Always open- the vowels in the alphabet. (My em• that Leonard's glib analogy of alpha• minded, at times to the point of be• phasis—RB) All the notes in the dia• bet and vowels has no application tonic and chromatic scale are fully ing considered a little weak in the used in jazz, as in most European whatsoever and cannot be taken seri• head, I listened harder—and, lo! I music! the status of the flatted third ously. There is no more serial rela• found some good music in Ory and and seventh might be compared with tionship between them than there is Dodds. It was folksy rather than hot, that of the letters W and Y, which between the various foodstuffs in in certain areas and contexts may be but it was valid music all the same. considered vowel members of the al• your refrigerator. To sum up: a scale Now, in the perspective of 1958, I phabet." is a series; an alphabet is only a can still find considerable charm in I am but a home-made musicolo• collection. some of it but it just isn't in the same gist, but I venture to think it is To destroy Leonard's "theory" is world with Louie's music. Side by Leonard who has the misconception. easy; but I have still put forward no side with an Armstrong solo (which, First of all, an alphabet is not a evidence that there is a jazz scale or unfortunately, is where it is generally good analogy to a musical scale or mode. On that point I can do no bet• to be heard), a Dodds solo disap• mode. A scale is a series; an alphabet ter than quote (of all people) Win- pears like an oil lantern in the glare is only a heap of phonetic symbols throp Sargeant—a man who gen• of a Sperry searchlight. in no meaningful order, from which erally seems to miss what is most Substantially the same thing ap• the user takes what he wants, like a worth hearing in many kinds of plies to Jelly Roll Morton's solos. pater familias raiding the icebox. music, but to whom we are eternally These men just didn't swing, and Let me see if I can make this dis• in debt for a heroic job of analysis, anyone who enjoys them is enjoying tinction a little clearer: "12345" is in a long-out-of-print book titled them for something other than swing. a series; "ABCDE" is not. Many Jazz: Hot and Hybrid published in Thus far I'm obviously in agree• proofs occur to us: "5" is of course 1938. Since most of you will never ment with Leonard, but there are bigger than "1," and one of the see this slim volume, I have ventured

32 THE JAZZ REVIEW to abridge herewith the relevant pas• conventional extension from tonic to I suppose it is hard for a busy jazz sages and to add my own emphasis tonic, the relationship becomes critic to whip out so ambitious an clearer." in italics wherever I saw fit. undertaking as this without leaving The squared notes represent the Sargeant, who, whatever his fail• signs of haste along the way. In my flatted "blue notes." Sargeant terms ings, is a musicologist, sails into his copy there were numerous errors of each 4-note grouping a blues tetra- subject without waste of time: both omission and commission—er• chord and the two to• "More important than the discussion rors of fact, of typography, of gram• of scale as a cut-and-dried mathe• gether the blues scalar mode or sim• mar, and of emphasis amounting in a matical relationship of relative pitches, ply . few instances to virtual, though per• is the discussion of the melodic be• Every reader who plays or sings havior of individual tones. Are some haps inadvertent, falsification. the above scale will instantly recog• used more often or held longer? Are The very first musical example in nize that this—and not the European certain tones likely to be preceded or the book was printed upside down diatonic scales—is what he has heard followed by certain others? Are some (this was corrected in later editions). used incidentally and passed over as the scalar framework (the "gram• The E-flat alto sax is described as quickly as mere embellishments? mar") of a thousand jazz melodies, "so called because a piano middle C These characteristics are more vital especially the improvised and funky makes the same sound as the alto's in denning musical style than the ab• ones, and especially in playing the stract relations between pitches. E-flat" (should be the other way blues. It is as distinctive as a French "Four pentatonic melodies—one Chin• around). The bass viol is described accent. ese, one Negro, one Scottish, one Peru• as a "bass violin," and as "starting In the remaining pages of that vian Inca, may be quite similar in an octave and a sixth below middle pitch-tone-relations, but the patterns chapter Sargeant winds up: c" (should be two octaves and a in which the tones follow each other "This is not to say, of course, that sixth). may differ greatly." jazz melody is restricted to these Sargeant's next ten pages present groupings. But even in the most ex• In the chapter The Small Combos convincing proof that no less than tended, florid solos, if the harmonic there is no mention that Red Nichols five different scalar modes—a penta• circumstances permit the appearance and his Five Pennies were part of the of the blues scale, little melodic tonic, hexatonic, "gypsy," and the larger Don Voorhees Orchestra; also, two "normal" diatonics—had been whirlpools will be found continuously centering about one or the other of it is implied a few pages farther on observed in earlier Negro-American the tetrachords; the simpler form of music. But now we get to the meat that Ben's Bad Boys, in Pollack's big hot solo will often stay within a band were the first of the bands- course. Sargeant is wonderfully acute single , or move perhaps here: once from lower to upper and back within-bands, whereas the Nichols again." "Though all these scales are found group antedated them by about three here and there in jazz, the most char• To explain adequately the nature years. acteristic is still another, more defi• In a half page describing McKen- nitely Negroid one. Its use is not con• of the jazz language, we need to tinuous; the jazz soloist must make know what are its definitive elements. zie and Condon's Chicagoans, Jimmy his improvisation fit the prevailing I believe they boil down to these McPartland's name got left out, be• harmonies, and hence uses European five: lieve it or not. In telling how Artie scalar patterns made up largely of Shaw's Gramercy 5 "achieved a novel arpeggios which merely reproduce the 1) Jazz rhythm underlying chords, plus a few inci• 2) The jazz scale, or jazz scalar tone color with the unprecedented dental passing tones. mode, or blues scale inclusion of a harpsichord," the guy "But there are passages in nearly 3) Jazz melody who played that harpsichord (John• every where the ny Guarnieri) is not mentioned. Negroid melodic instinct asserts itself 4) Jazz intonation or inflection more fully, with a remarkable con• (tone and attack) Leadbelly is introduced all over formity of scalar elements." 5) Jazz instrumentation (orches• again on page 151 as though we had (It is plain that he is talking about tral color, and the relationship not already had the pleasure on page the especially "hot" or funky pas• between "rhythm section" and 110, obviously one of those over• sages. ) "melody instruments"). sights that come of writing different chapters at different times. "However related to European equiva• These are the five vital organs of lents, there is no European precedent jazz, and I don't mean to let any• On the whole, though, a good job, for the system of intonation to which body, including Feather, remove any and, I think, an important one for these hot passages respond. of them. the issues it raises, as well as its use• Sargeant now reveals the source Aside from this one ill-fated piece fulness as a guide for squares. for these observations: he took 14 of theorizing, this chapter, The Anat• There is an excellent foreword by good jazz records (by Bix, Goodman, omy of Improvisation, is one of the , and a final chapter, Duke, &c) recommended to him by most rewarding in the book. It has Horizons: Jazz in 1984 in which hip friends, and patiently analyzed fine improvisations, written down various people are asked what they their melodic movement. off records so you can study them think will happen to the dichotomy "Frequency of appearance of each while you listen—an especially im• between jazz and longhair music. This note was carefully checked, with its pressive thing for squares who can is a classic of its kind in that it illus• intonation and what notes preceded and followed it; a 'behavior table' was read music but imagine jazz is "cha• trates once again that, as Shaw re• compiled, with such facts as the num• otic" or "primitive." Ten of them marked, a critical faculty is no neces• ber of times the third moved to the have been combined on an lp (Verve sary part of a creative artist's equip• tonic as compared with how many MG V-8230) also called The Anat• ment. The statements are nearly all times it moved to the sixth, &c." omy of Improvisation and available masterpieces of incoherence—and Half a dozen pages of exhaustive in record stores for five bucks. The many of them don't even pretend to illustration follow, from which there choices are mostly happy ones, the answer Leonard's modest and clear- is finally distilled this essential con• range of style is considerable, and cut questions. clusion : once more I found Leonard's com• There are thirteen pages of index, "If we arrange the most important ments highly intelligent (i.e. agree• and a page of record references. tones of the scale according to tend• ing with my own). ency of movement instead of in the —Ralph Berton

April, 1959 33 The New Yearbook of Jazz, volume 3 indication of the accurateness of maltz, dashed off in the profession• of the series, these writers' representation of jazz. ally amateur way that also charac• by Leonard Feather, Horizon He uses a quote from a liner note of terizes Allen's approach to music. Press, New York, 1958. Nat Hentoff's (where Nat was indulg• His attitude seems to be: in case ing in the humorous use of ultra- anyone with any real taste or ability by Bill Crow literary language) as an example of is looking, this isn't really my line. the "pompous polysyllables" with I object to his being encouraged to The advertising on the front jac• which intellectual writers dissect a write a novel about jazz musicians. ket flap of this book claims that it jazzman's work. He completely ig• He would write something trivial "tells the complete story of what has nores the numerous articles that Nat and embarrassing, and would do a been happening in jazz since 1956." has written with clarity and direct• disservice to both jazz and literature. This and the name Encyclopedia of ness. There is every reason to doubt that Jazz are misleading. A more apt title The many jazz festivals that were it would be the first completely suc• for this volume might be The Year• staged during '57-'58 are listed with• cessful work of this nature, unless book of Jazz Trivia and Curiosa. out comment about what sort of rep• the sole measure of success is the The reference material provided is of resentation of jazz was given to this number of copies sold. a superficial nature. Everything is large audience, or which were the Leonard reports the condition of discussed except the music itself. more valid packages from an artistic the radio and television scene fairly Much of the information given standpoint. The impression is given accurately, again discussing every• here is an account of events in the that jazz is a gospel to be spread to thing but the music itself. He gives business, with little attention given the unenlightened, and that any sort the movie industry a deserved knock to trends in the art form. Leonard of jazz exposure is better than none for their insistence on using the vice- seems much more interested in where at all, with popular acceptance the and-dope stereotype for the jazz musicians were playing than in what ultimate goal. On the contrary, I world, and for the manufactured, they were playing. He marvels at feel that popular acceptance presents hokey plots that are used instead the widespread acceptance of jazz just as many problems to the artist of the real conflicts that existed in without discussing exactly what was as does popular rejection, and should the lives of the famous musicians being accepted. The expansion of the not be equated with artistic achieve• that they portray in film "biograph• jazz audience and consequent de• ment. ies." He might have placed some of velopment of big business methods in Feather's bibliography omits a the responsibility for this situation marketing the music are factors in beautifully written short story by with the musicians who go along the economy of the artist, but do not James Baldwin titled Sonny's Blues with it. represent the art itself. that was published in the Summer Tucked in among the written sec• With the exception of his mistaken 1957 issue of the Partisan Review. tions of this book are four groups of evaluation of the International Band, It is the only fiction I've ever read terrible photographs. The fact that Leonard's report on the events of the that portrays a believable jazz mu• they are photographs of interesting 1957-'58 period are fairly accurate sician. The one piece that Leonard musicians in interesting situations as far as they go. But in his chapter Draises is 's makes them all the more insulting. titled "Jazz U. S. A." he mentions Is Dead, calling it "the best indi• Grey, grainy prints have been re• Dizzy Gillespie's State Department vidual piece of writing directly con• touched so crudely that the resulting tour without discussing the music or nected with jazz during this period." plates show zombielike caricatures the musicians involved; comparison He adds, "If Allen ever took the of the musicians they unfortunately with Dizzy's earlier big bands is not time to write a novel about jazz mu• resemble. The most offensive ones made. The great popularity of Louis sicians, there is little reason to doubt are of Milt Jackson (he should sue), Armstrong overseas is noted without that it would be the first completely , , Percy evaluation of the quality or character successful work of this nature." I Heath, , and Chubby of this playing there. Benny Good• disagree. The Allen piece is maudlin, Jackson, but a closer look reveals man's unhappy performance at New• self-conscious, self-indulgent sch- that practically no one escaped hav• port is used as a standard of com• ing an eyeball darkened, an ear out• parison with the International Band, lined, trousers or hair blacked in, which is referred to as "Band of the FOOTNOTE 1: Though Brown had profiles altered, and all done so art• Year." There is no discussion of the contributed toward an exposure of lessly that the photographic illusion attitudes that resulted in the Good• high-school children to jazz, his posi• is destroyed. An equally charming man fiasco. No mention of the fact tion with the International Band was effect could have been achieved by that the majority of the members of an unfortunate one. He selected a drawing moustaches, beards, and the International Band were embar• group of competent musicians from hats on everyone. A note on the fly• rassed about their performances, Europe and proceeded to "teach" leaf says "Printed in Gt. Britain." about the choice of arrangements, them a musical language that they They might have added, "as cheaply and about Marshall Brown's tend• understood better than he did. He as possible." ency to treat the musicians like would have done better to have as• There are a couple of lists at the children.1 signed the responsibilities of musical end of the book: "Jazz Organiza• Feather discusses the considerable director to a more experienced per• tions, Schools ,and Record Compan• space given to jazz by writers in the son. The tastes of the musicians in• ies," "How to Reach The Stars," (a lay press with an attitude of "never volved were not considered in the list of who is signed with what book• mind what they say as long as they choice of arrangers, and conse• ing office), and "Bibliography," say something." He mentions the ex• quently the players did not relate which are usable reference material, istence of a couple of divergent criti• well to what they were playing or as are the short biographical notes cal standpoints, but gives no real to Brown. on musicians and critics. I consider

34 THE JAZZ REVIEW his publication of home addresses a rence, Al Minns) in the jazz picture to prospective buyers. There is a sec• rather high-handed invasion of without the imposition of the forms tion in the book of poll results. privacy. of other artistic traditions. Critics' polls indicate little more Charles Graham's article "Jazz "The Jazzman as Critic" (excerpts than popularity polls do, since the and the Phonograph" is a concise from Down Beat Blindfold Tests) is sum of all critical opinion is only an account of the development of re• not the accurate critical cross-section average opinion. The most percep• cording techniques and their influ• that Feather claims it is. He quotes tive critics are neatly cancelled out ence on the jazz musician and his Duke Ellington as having said, "If by the least perceptive ones. The audience. The explanations of tech• it sounds good, it is good," and function of critical opinion is not to nical developments are clear and per• from this builds a case for the valid• discover the attitude of the majority, tinent and the advice on currently ity of evaluating someone's playing not even the majority of critics. The available music reproduction equip- after only one hearing. If this is a exposition of a single point of view bent is general but sound. The state criterion for appreciation of creative based on one man's standard of of the current jazz recording boom endeavor, then why bother to make taste can be used as a sounding is perceptively noted. The article is records, found museums, publish board by the public. After reading followed by a chronology of phono• well-bound books, and preserve beau• a certain critic's comments on music graph recording which fixes the dates tiful architecture? A work of art that I have heard, I am able to of the important developments in re• means something more to the be• weigh his comments on music that I cording technique, and a list of com• holder each time he comes in contact have not heard according to the panies that have issued jazz on ster• with it. standard of taste (or lack of one) eophonic tapes. Leonard's own confusion about that has become evident in his writ• The "Jazz Overseas" chapter in• what is "good" and "bad" in music ing. It is impossible to make such an cludes comment from an English, a must have led him to the invention evaluation from the results of a Swedish, a French, and a German of such a form of criticism as the critics' poll when the critics involved writer (each feels that his own coun• Blindfold Test, where despite his are not listed. In the original publi• try is the center of European jazz) claims to the contrary, the guessing cation of these poll results in Down who report the success of the recent game does concern the blindfoldees Beat and Melody Maker, information tours of American jazzmen through to an unnecessary degree. His fre• was given as to how each critic their countries and the consequent quent use of "puzzle" records (de• voted, more useful data than the increase in interest in jazz there. A liberate or unconscious imitations of winning totals given here. few European jazzmen are listed and famous styles, a well-known musi• Subjects that are not discussed in some indication is given of their re• cian deliberately disguising his style, this volume, but might have been if cent activities. a famous tenor player playing bari• a more accurate picture of the 1957- "Jazz and " by Bill tone, etc.) indicates a desire to '58 jazz scene were to be given are: Russo notes the various uses of jazz "fool the experts." His choices of the evolution of as a forms in some recent symphonic records are often poor (or poorly major influence on musicians; the writing, and the music that jazz- recorded) examples of someone's Miles Davis group's format, and the oriented musicians such as Mingus, work, so that it is seldom made clear particular role of the rhythm section Macero, Charles, and Lewis have whether the blindfoldee dislikes a in relationship to Miles' conception written using symphonic structures. particular performance or that mu• of improvising; John Lewis' applica• He discusses parallels in jazz and sician's entire approach. tion of European traditional forms to various clasical forms and the effect For clearer insight into the opin• jazz, and his general attitude toward that each field of orientation has had ions of the musicians tested, I would music as an influence on his con• on the musicians and writers of the prefer to read their statements on temporaries; the results of a greater other. His opinion on "should jazz music that they had listened to awareness among musicians of Theo- and symphonic music combine?" closely many times and had evalu• lonious Monk's work; a report on the seems rather pointless, since that sort ated in terms of their own tastes various experiments in music that of trend is never decided by a single and experience. It is not necessary have been conducted by Charles Min• person or group. Each artist finds to trick musicians into saying what gus; the approach to improvisation his own way, and even when there is they mean. The Blindfold Test is that John Coltrane is developing; a surge in a certain direction for a a cute parlor game, and makes a various conceptions of creative per• time, someone always comes along diverting Down Beat column, but cussion (Max Roach, Philly Joe, who does his own thing. The simple represents a very inaccurate critique. , , Joe Mor- jazz form is primarily attractive to Polls are valuable to the jazz mar• rello, Shelley Manne) and their ef• the strong individualist because of ket, since they indicate market trends fects on jazz form; the effect of time the freedom it allows him. This sort limits and the lack of adequate re• of musician will not feel comfortable hearsal on record dates; record al• for very long in the large symphonic Les belles bums that are put together around orchestral structure. He needs more a sales gimmick rather than a mu• room to breathe. sical conception; the effect of the pilJL de bien "Jazz and the Other Arts" by 20% cabaret tax on the jazzman; Martin Williams reports on the po- connaitre I'anglais pour the New York City police-card situ• etry-and-jazz efforts, the dancers and comprendre cette phrase : ation; a evaluation of the work of painters who are interpreting jazz, such men as Ben Webster, Coleman and jazz as background music for Hawkins, , , film drama. He notes the natural ex• "BEST OF THE FRENCH MAGAZINES Lester Young, , Jimmy istence of poetry (blues lyrics) and Rushing, who continue to function as dance (Bunny Briggs, Baby Law• REMAINS JAZZ-HOT" (continued on page 40)

April, 1959 35 THE BLUES BLUES IN THE DARK Kind treatment make me love you; be mean and you'll drive me away. Kind treatment make me love you; be mean and you'll drive me away. You goin' long tor me baby, one of these long rainy days.

Did you ever dream lucky baby and wake up cold-in-hand? Did you ever dream lucky baby and wake up cold-in-hand? You didn't have a dollar, somebody had your woman.

(Credited to . Sung by Jimmy Rushing on Decca DL 8409, Transcribed by Mmi Clar.)

HOMELESS BLUES

Mississippi river, what a fix you left me in! Mississippi river, what a fix you left me in! At home the water lay right up to my chin.

House without a stoop, didn't even have a door. House without a stoop, didn't even have a door, Mean old two-room shanty, but it was my home, sweet home.

My ma an' pa was drowned, Mississippi, you're to blame. My ma an' pa was drowned, Mississippi, you're to blame, Mississippi river, I can't stand to hear your name.

Homeless, yes, I'm homeless, might as well be dead, Homeless, yes, I'm homeless, might as well be dead, Hungry an' disgusted, no place to lay my head.

Wish I was an eagle, but I'm a plain old black crow, I wish I was an eagle, but I'm a plain old black crow, I'm gonna flap my wings an' leave you an' never come back no mo'.

(By . Columbia 14260, Transcribed by Max Harrison.)

WORLD OF TROUBLE Did you ever dream 'lucky, and wake up cold in hand? Well, did you ever dream lucky, and wake up cold in hand? Well, you didn't have a dollar, woman done quit you for another man.

You in a world of trouble, don't know what to do; Little girl's gone, left you with the blues; You dreamin' lucky, 'till you wake up cold in hand. Woman done quit you, left for another man.

You walk the street's all night long, feet soakin' wet, Ain't seen nobody look like your baby yet; You in a world of trouble, whole world got its back on you. I got news for you big boy: you got a bad case of the lowdown blues.

Call her in the morning; call her late at night; Never no answer, she ain't treatin' you right; You in a world of trouble, your heart's about to break in two. And you cryin', 'cause you got those lowdown blues. (You in a world of trouble!) (Composed and sung by Joe Turner on Atlantic 1023. Transcribed by Mimi Clar.)

36 THE JAZZ REVIEW Jazz in Print

by Nat Hentoff

The New York Herald Tribune From a Billboard Review of Joe A marvelously put together maga• editorialized on November 21 con• Castro's Mood Jazz, Atlantic 1264: zine is The Guitar Review, 409 East cerning Jack Teagarden's jam ses• "It's a jazz that can be listened to 50th Street, New York 22, N. Y. It's sion with the King of Siam. The and enjoyed." $1.50 an issue; for further subscrip• Tribune says once more that "jazz And the other kind? tion information (yearly rates ,etc), is one of America's most persuasive Euphemism of the Month: In the write them. Numbers 19 and 20 con• envoys." O.K. already; but no jazz• December Esquire, Ralph Ginzburg tain some of the best material on man is going to change a national• describes Al "Jazzbo" Collins as flamenco singing, dancing and gui• ist's drive for independence or what "discjockeydom's most eclectic jazz tar playing I've ever seen. No. 21 has he conceives of as independence. tastemaker." In his basic list of rhy- An Introduction to the Folk Music You can't conduct foreign policy to them and blues records in the piece, of Brazil, an interview with Villa- a jazz beat, and I'm weary of the Collins recommends Bird Dog by the Lobos, etc. All issues have musical ingenuousness of editorial writers— Everly Brothers: "This record, be• examples; sometimes full pieces; and in and out of the jazz press. It's fine lieve it or not, has a real Shake• reviews of guitar records of nearly to send good jazz groups abroad, but spearean quality. All through the all kinds . . . disc, one of the Everly Brothers — it's absurd to pretend that they are New mailing address for Coda is I don't knof which one it is — is "ambassadors" in any significant P.O. Box 87, Station J, Toronto 6, making like Falstaff with his own sense. "Good will" lasts only until Ontario. Editor is John W. Norris. off-stage dialogue. Very cute." vou're hungry again. And no solo (for details, see first issue of The can substitute for freedom. Falstaff beer? Jazz Review.). October has an article Notes ("A magazine devoted to Ulysses Kay, a nephew of King on Herbert Hall, Ed's brother. Dear music and its literature, with biblio• Oliver, was one of four American Berta Wood sermonizes for this jour• graphies and reviews of books, rec• composers invited to visit Russia a nal too. November has an interesting ords, music") is published quarter• few months ago. As reported by interview with Josh White. He tells ly by the Music Library Association. Ralph Gleason in the San Francisco of the blind men he used to lead, Non-members can subscribe at $5.00 Chronicle, Kay said: "As for jazz one of whom wasn't blind at all, and a year by writing the Treasurer of interest in the Soviet Union, I would how he — the kid — was victimized. the Association, Miss Mary R. Rog• say it is definitely increasing. At our "Sounds funny," says Josh, "but I ers, Music Library Association, c/o first meeting at the Moscow House wouldn't give a penny to a blind Music Division, , of Composers, a young legit com• man today to save my life." Josh Washington 25, D.C.) It's of most poser eagerly aproached me with mentioned Willie Columbus in New value to classical musicians and cri• many questions about new jazz York: "Don't let Willie catch you in tics, although jazz books are re• trends in America. What is Elling• his area if you're a blind man or viewed, and there are occasional fea• ton doing? What's with Kenton, etc., there'll be open warfare. All the ture articles of interest that go be• etc?" The composer then began blind singers in New York have their yond various categories of classical playing some A-Train on the piano, own areas, and there'll be hell to music. In the September, 1958, issue and Kay asked where he'd learned pay if any one goes over the bound• there's a survey of a number of it. 'Oh, we hear a lot of good jazz— ary lines." Josh also answers Alan foreign magazines dealing with re• two hours a day on the Voice of Lomax's charge that he (Josh) has cordings. Addresses, subscription America!"' . . . become too sophisticated in his sing• rates, nature of content (including ing . . . Panassie's Bulletin de Hot Club de whether they cover jazz), and a criti• France usually prints one or more cal analysis are given. Each issue of Significant Descriptions of Music blues lyrics — with French trans• Notes contains reviews of new classi• Makers, I: Sidney Fields in the New lations — per issue. Other maga• cal compositions in their published York Mirror tells of Tebaldi audi• zines have in the past, so we make versions with details of price, avail• tioning for Toscanini: "As she re• no claim to having initiated the prac• ability, etc. Invaluable for teachers calls it her voice kneels in venera• tice. and amateurs, I would think. tion." (In the Mirror city room?)

April, 1959 37 Benny Goodman and clarinet fea• the thread of the arguments. His Jacques Demetre on L'Harmonica tured in a full page ad for Smirnoff attempts to explain away the grotes• Dans Le Blues (Sonny Boy William• Vodka: "It leaves you breathless," que melodies of Davis and Rollins son, Jazz Gillum, Sonny Terry, Little says Benny Goodman. What did you are singularly unconvincing, and the Walter, etc.); an interview with Mai say the name of that rum was, pops? comparison of their music with that Waldron; and a piece by Charles Occasional research material of in• of Yancey, Jelly and Louis Arm• Delaunay on 's terest is printed in Jazz-Bulletin (or• strong is over-analytical and absurd. band, among other features . . . gan des hot-club basel) and Jazz- This sort of cock-eyed logic can be Short story by Leonard Feather, Statistics. New address is 0. F. Bi- used to substantiate almost any Double Jeopardy, in the Hi-Fi Music fangastrasse 6, Reinach, Baselland, theory, and no matter what similari• At Home. It's about how a man gim• Switzerland. Frank Driggs has a re• ties of form can be detected, the micks an audition with a band—via port on jazz in Kansas City today in content quota is all on the side of a tape machine . . . the most recent issue of Jazz-Sta• the old-timers." tistics. Kurt Mohr, Jazz-Hot, 14 Rue The November issue of Matrix (in• In other words, I would like the Chaptal, Paris, is trying to keep a corporating The Discophile) includes writing style more if I disagreed complete record of rhythm and blues a survey of Paramount LPs by with thy ideas less. recordings. If you want to help, write George Hulme and John Steiner and him for further information. Mr. Standish's analysis (over-an• discographical notes on Jelly Roll Al Close now writes a regular jazz alytical?) was reprinted here at Mr. Morton by Theo Zwicky, among column for The New Jersey Mirror Williams' request. other pieces. It's $1.25 for six issues from Walter Allen, 168, Cedar Hill and The Wrightstown Leader . . . A good magazine for collectors of Avenue, Belleville 9, New Jersey. It's In the December 14 Chronicle, Ralph folk records is Sing Out!, a quar• edited in Toronto and produced in Gleason writes about "Hot Harry," terly, 121 West 47th St., New York Canada ... In the November 21, whose identity would be clear to any 36, N. Y. $2.00 a year. Each issue 1958 Spectator (England) Kenneth of the older New York musicians contains music, lyrics and history of Allsop calls for more understanding who read the piece. He was the most various songs; and features. Winter, about jazz, and should certainly take unselfish jazz fan that may ever have 1959 issue has an article by Pete See- his advice. "It is salutary," he says, existed. That piece ought to get into ger welcoming Alan Lomax back to "to drop into the Metropole bar . . . somebody's anthology . . . Back num• the country; John Greenway's Songs and see such olympians as Buster bers of the specialist magazines we of the Ludlow Massacre (reprinted Bailey and Coleman Hawkins blow• mention in this column are usually from the United Mine Workers Jour• ing through their routine evening available only at each magazine's nal). The obituary on Big Bill re• stint on a platform above and behind address; but for back numbers of veals that Yannick Bruynoghe's 15- the cash registers, while the cus- general magazines, you can write minute film of Big Bill playing in a tomersfi ignorant of the Festival Hall Midtown Magazine and Book Shop, Belgian night club is available on hush that would obtain across the 1105 Sixth Avenue, New York 18, 16mm from Bruynoghe, c/o Grove Atlantic, swig their beer and talk." N. Y. . . . Jazz disc jockeys who want Press, 795 , New York, Certainly a fair amount of good jazz to obtain free program aid from the N. Y. Berkley School of Music can write is produced at the Metropole but the there, 284 Newbury Street, Boston, The monthly Scandinavian maga• musicians hardly find the surround• Mass. . . . Ken Austin reports in his zines: Estrad, Tunnelgatan 12, Stock• ings "salutary" so far as they are jazz column in the F Bay Window, holm C. Leonard Feather is the concerned . . . Another index of the a bi-weekly in the Bay Area: "Lu American correspondent. Orkester Allsop acumen is his description of Watters is living a trumpet wail away Journalen, Regeringsgatan 22, Stock• Monk as the "deliberate weirdie pi• from his old stomping grounds. He is holm. Claes Dahlgren is the Ameri• anist." . . . The New Statesman is now a chef . . . hasn't played in seven can bureau chief. The latter seems to fortunate in Francis Newton but the years." me (avowedly only by looking at the Observer with Kingsley Amis (now on leave with the much more capable Dan Morgenstern comes up with pictures and trying to guess at the deputizing) and the more news I haven't seen anywhere text) a more substantial magazine Spectator with Allsop have strange else in his New York letter in the . . . The first issue of a new representation inded . . . Review• December Jazz Journal (England) : monthly is in. Jazz Musik, Bremen- ing jazz records monthly in the Gram- "Trumpeter . . . St. Magnus ,An Rauchs Gut 34, Ger• phone Record Review (England, and worked with a many . . . And Bert Rehnberg, this not to be confused with The Gramo• tour this summer ... is hale and column's Swedish researcher, sends phone) are Jeff Aldam, James As- hearty." . . . Same issue has a book a Danish magazine, Musikrevue, man and usually . review by Tony Standish of Just Fredericksborggade 46, Kobenhaven It's $4 a year to Record Review Jazz-2, a collection of articles edited K, Denmark. An article in the Ltd., East Hill, St. Austell, Cornwall, by Sinclair Traill: "I don't go for March, 1958, issue on is England. Burnett James, who writes this wringing and twisting, over by Timme Rosenkrantz whose last on jazz for Jazz monthly, does clas• by Martin Williams. Maybe he had stay in the States was at the late sical reviews for this publication. . . . something to say, but the message is Commodore Music Shop. lost in a heavy undergrowth of ver• Jazz records are reviewed in the bal foliage—the writing lacks the monthly Gramophone (49 Ebrington According to the back page of elaborate style of writing employed Road, Kenton, Harrow, Middlesex) Variety (January 28), the Kingston continuity and form that is the theme by Charles Fox, Alun Morgan and Trio is booked for the Newport Jazz of the article. His long sentences Oliver King. Bulk of the magazine Festival July 5. With or without change direction mid-way and it be• concerns classical recordings . . . The and her dancers? Jackie comes extremely difficult to follow December Jazz-Hot has an article by Gleason, the jazz buff, as m-c- ?

38 THE JAZZ REVIEW In May the Jazz Review features

i -

Other Articles include some remin• isces of Jelly Roll Morton by Danny A PICTURE STORY OF A GOSPEL CHURCH MEETING Barker, and an article by Samuel by John Cohen B. Charters on pioneer jazz critic Abby Niles. Reviews include Ah• mad Jamal by Bill Crow, Duke AN ARTICLE ON SONNY ROLLINS' FREEDOM SUITE Ellington and Dizxy Gillespie by by Dick Hadlock , Max Roach and by Ross Russell, and several gospel groups by Mimi Clar. Martin Williams reviews the film I Want to Live. And as always, the Blues, and Jazz in Print by Nat Hentoff. ALBANY the squares. But the desire for CROW (continued from page 19) secrecy had disastrous effects on (continued from page 35) many of the talents associated with away from the front line and into Charlie Parker. In some cases the strong individual musicians even the rhythm section. desire to emulate led to a hopeless though the mass audience has fo- What Albany cannot manage are net of narcotic addiction. In others cussed its attention elsewhere; a re• the larger dramatic effects. He can't the comparison between their own port on the recordings made by the bring off the kind of major lyricism talent and Parker's genius was too "New York City studio jazz band" or mountainous polyrhythmics that shattering. They lost contact with the ... an interchangeable group of made Waller and Tatum great. He is outside world and eventually them• some thirty musicians who are called an artist of almost excessive refine• selves as artists. by most a & r men in New York to ment and taste. His style is luminous, Joe Albany had avoided this fate, do big band dates, who have re• but never incandescent. It is linear barely perhaps. But in itself a single corded together so frequently in and confined. In some ways he is lp means nothing. Standing alone various combinations that they have typical of the West Coast school. But it is hardly more than the newest a similar rapport to that established he has a vitality that is found only collector's item. To achieve a reputa• in organized units; what is being in a few like Previn and Brubeck. tion, Albany will obviously have to taught in the courses on jazz at Like the latter, Albany's perform• be heard at greater length, under Berklee, Westlake, the School of Jazz; ances are models of fluency and ease. better conditions, and in the com• developments in the structure of mu• But there is here nothing dated, stale pany of peers. sical instruments that have grown or recluse. On the contrary, and in out of the needs of jazz musicians; DISCOGRAPHY . . . a little research among the spite of the long absence, he plays and His Orchestra. A with an abiding freshness. 17-piece orchestra that included Auld, musicians themselves would reveal These columns are not the place Albany and . May 24, 1945. many more subjects that would il• to go into the personal reasons for Guild 135—Honey—Stompin' at the luminate the total picture. These are Joe Albany's self-enforced hiberna• Savoy only a few that come to mind at the Lester Young and His Band: Lester tion. His problems are his own and Young, tenor sax; Joe Albany, piano; moment. he will have to deal with them in his Irving Ashby, guitar; , bass; This $4.95 volume, if edited down own way. But the success of this lp Forest Hamilton, drums. Hollywood, prob• to its bare essentials, omitting the should make evident that he owes ably spring 1946. inexcusably bad photographs, the Aladdin 137—New Lester Leaps In— jazz if not himself a wider hearing. Your Driving Me Crazy trivia, the gossip, the padding, and We are reminded of the esoteri- Aladdin 138—She's Funny That Way the generalities, probably would cism which became a religion with —Lester's Bebop Boogie make a worthwhile 5(W pamphlet. It so many bop camp followers. There Joe Albany with Warne March. The is a cheap product, not worthy of Right Combination. "Unlocking the door were special codes of speech, dress, to a legendary modern jazz pianist." the reputation that Leonard Feather and manners, all designed to exclude Riverside 12-270 enjoys.

BUSHELL year-round reviews carried a comic, West Coast was nothing compared (continued from page 17) singer, dancer, piano, drums and to the Midwest, East and South. it out was 'Tough On Black Artists.' maybe one horn. There were maybe They were using and two saxo• "There were Negro theatres all 30 or 40 stops for the season. phones—not trumpet, clarinet and over the south and midwest. Many "With Ethel, we didn't bother trombone, so far as we heard—and were very small former nickelodeons. much with T. 0. B. A. We played were trying a 'symphonic' approach They were often dirty with dressing auditoriums or big theatres when• to popular music. It was really ricky- rooms in the cellar—except for the ever we could. An attraction like tick orchestrations, and no blues. biggest in Baltimore. Memphis, in• Mamie Smith or Ethel could do a "I then went with Adams and cidentally, was the headquarters for tour and not have hardly any T. 0. Robinson. Clarence Robinson, who a lot of Negro performers. B. A. bookings at all. was a singer and dancer, and I fin• "If a Negro musician or enter• "I never saw a white person in the ally took the act over, and the pianist tainer on the circuit was good, he T. 0. B. A. theatres. The kind of was Fats Waller. He'd been playing came to New York, auditioned, and music played there the whites and the organ at the Lincoln Theatre on was put on the Independent, the the 'higher class' Negroes hadn't yet 135th and Leonox Avenue, and I Keith, Loew or Proctor circuits. accepted. They didn't want to hear asked him to join us. He was still a "The Negro theatres remained be• the blues; the blues were 'low class.' big kid; he used to come into the cause Negroes couldn't go to white "The top pianist of that day in the theatre with an apple on a stick. The theatres in those towns. In some South, by the way, was Eddie Hey- act was called Liza (she was Katie white ones, a Negro could go through wood's father in Atlanta. He played Crippen) and Her Shuffling Sextet. the alley, up five or six flights, and in a T. O. B. A. theatre there, the When Robinson and I split up, I sit in the gallery, above the balcony. 88 Theatre. He was modern for that took over the band, including Fats But in those theatres he didn't get day, I was told. They said Eddie and Katie. to see many Negro entertainers—and played just like his father. "It happened in Washington, Rob• no Negro singers. "Well, we were back in New York inson had heard 's "There were local bands in the pits in February, 1923, and went back to band with Otto Hardwicke, Freddie of the Negro theatres. They played Leroy's for a couple of months. Then, Whetsel, and Duke Ell• jazz and had to improvise behind until October, 1923 I was part of a ington. He hired that band to join the singers. Bad notes didn't mean vaudeville act—Modern Cocktail—a him on the circuit, and that's how anything if the tempo was right. singer and a dancer backed by a five- Duke Ellington got to New York in "The tent shows played the the• piece band—that went to the west 1923." atres in the winter time. These all- coast and back. The jazz on the (This is the third of a series.)

40 THE JAZZ REVIEW Featured in the 6th issue are: DOWD Now save $2 d. t. suzuki (continued from page 20) ASPECTS OF JAPANESE CULTURE. An es• by subscribing say on the role Zen Buddhism has played difference. Now, however, with the in the culture of Japan. visual aspect of listening becoming to America's garcia lorca more and more important, this is a THE AUDIENCE. The first English trans• lation of two scenes from the great major obstacle to ideal stereophonic liveliest literary Spanish author's surrealist play. results in studios. Quite often a sec• pieyre tion will seem to be on the left or magazine right side, but the soloist from that de mandiargues CHILDISHNESS. A brilliant, erotic story by section will appear in the middle, the author of The Girl Beneath the Lion. vocalists who appear on ioth sides simultaneously sound as if they are douglas woolff THE FLYMAN, a fine short story about in the middle, but one can not detect life in the Southwest. whether they turn their head left or in addition, POEMS, STORIES AND ESSAYS of unusual interest. Edited by Barney right, Rosset and Donald Allen. Published four Actually "on location" recordings times a year; $1 per copy. of live performances are best for EVERGREEN REVIEW, Dept. C61 795 Broadway, N.Y. 3 stereophonic reproduction. The mu• Please enter my subscription beginning with the current volume No. 6 (Send no money; you sicians are accustomed to playing will be billed later.) under these conditions, and adjust • EIGHT ISSUES, $6 • FOUR ISSUES, $3.50 (You save $2) (You save 50^) their own dynamics accordingly. The (Canadian and Foreign subscriptions: Eight sound emanating from a group un• issues, $7; Four issues, $4) der these circumstances is truly rep• resentative of their musical efforts, and is easier to record stereophon- ically than monophonically. No stu• dio has the same acoustical charac• Citfa .Zone State. ters as a club, theatre, or concert hall filled, or partially filled, with people. Developing a good stereophonic listening habit will provide much pleasure. Since listening is such a personal habit (and since you have these many years looked at a single No one has time to hear every speaker to hear a recorded orches• new disc as it appears. For tra) only hours of concentrated ex• perience will help you to re-acquire the kind of reliable help you your natural power of dimensional need to make up your own aural sensitivity. mind before buying, read...

LYONS (continued from page 21) _ The American. ^ altogether. By the time these old faithfuls have saved up enough on records not bought to convert to Recerd Guide stereo, most of the "new" stereo market will have moved on to hydro- incorporating \ygW THE AMERICAN TAPE GUIDE ponic gardening or some other hobby and we can all get back to the pleas• ant if only sporadically profitable • truly encyclopedic in its coverage of the month's releases pursuit of artistic perfection. Mani• e lor two dozen years the collector's most trusted counselor festly, stereo will be welcome. So • the oldest independent journal of opinion in the field far, it has meant only a fast buck • and more than just reviews—comparisons! for a few entrepreneurs, panic for a few others, a dreadful encroachment of willfully subliminal advertisingese Special Introductory Offer To New Readers with an inevitable consternation of the multitudes, and over-all an inter• Please enter my trial subscription for eight months. I enclose $2Q. Bill me • regnum of nervous, no-buy optimism. But I repeat that the millennium is not distant in terms of engineering Name achievement and that the best stereo is worth every cent of what it costs, Address which is, however, plenty. At the moment, this is my opinion about City Zone_ State_ stereo. MAIL TO: P. 0. Box 319 • Radio City Station New York 1 9, N. Y.

April, 1959 41 LETTERS Boo (titled Sweet Lorraine!). Powell has track, I fully expected to hear one of my a solo on / Don't Know on the same lp— favorite jazz melodies. I was fooled. Not and its title on the label reads Now I that there was anything wrong with the (continued from page 4) Know. Two masters of Profoundly Blue song but it wasn't the same Milestones have been used on Blue Note ten-inch lp's. which Miles recorded with Charlie Parker Marmarosa seems to be forgotten nowa• Dizzy has a solo on Eckstine's Good Jelly in the forties (That one, with Bird on days but in the forties he recorded some Blues. There are trumpet solos on Andy tenor, is now available on Charlie Parker valuable solos. His / Surrender Dear, Do• Kirk's Fare Thee, Honey; Fare Thee Well Memorial, Vol. 2, Savoy 12009.) do's Blues, and How High and Baby, Don't Tell Me No Lie, but This experience reminded me of the very the Moon on Atomic are worth looking they sound more like Howard McGhee in fine Miles Davis—Gil Evans collaboration for and he put in some good work with his more Eldridge-esque days than Nav• which produced Miles Ahead for Colum• . They recorded together arro. —M.W. bia (CL 1041), since the title number for Down Beat and Smooth Sailing, Scuf• there had also duplicated the name of an fle That Rough and Slam's Mishap are earlier Davis composition but was dif• noteworthy for Dodo, the latter two es• HARD SOFT COVERS ferent, melodically and harmonically. The pecially. After seeing the first issue of your new Ahead, a quartet recording Queries: Fats Navarro played on about magazine, I have no alternative but to on Prestige (now on LP 7054) is, in fact, twelve of 's Decca titles during send you the enclosed draft for a year's a new molody written on the chort pat• 1943-45. Some I think are still unissued subscription to it. It is a pleasure to read tern of the old Milestones. This is a con• but has anyone heard the others, does a magazine which is as thorough and in• fusing coincidence which I have just dis• Navarro solo, and what does he sound formative as this one is. To my knowledge covered as I write this. like? In view of the presence at various there has never been one like it and it is I realize there have been duplications of times of Gillespie, Freddie Webster, War- certainly much needed. titles before but usually they are by musi• dell Gray, Clyde Hart, and Navarro the . . . Hell, there's more valuable criti• cians isolated from each other by time, Eckstine band recordings on DeLuxe and cism in it than you find in most hard geography and/or style. It seems to me National should be thoroughly explored. cover books on the subject! . . . that the Madison Avenue minds at Colum• Gillespie's solo on Opus X is well known Don Brown bia could have come up with new titles but there must be a few other things too. Toronto instead of confusing things for the jazz Max Harrison fan. In addition, on the Milestones lp, London, England JEKYLL AND HYDE they have missed the obvious pun by The Oberstein labels (Varsity, Royale, Recently, I picked up a Columbia record changing Jackie McLean's Dr. Jackie Elite, Allegro, Rondo, et al) have some• by the Miles Davis Sextet entitled Mile• (originally on Miles Davis's Prestige LP times used alternate takes for Cootie stones (CL 1193). In the listing of tunes 7034) to Dr. Jekyll. But at least, this Williams releases. For one, on Royale on the back of the record, the title Mite- time, it's the same piece. EP331, is, I believe, an alternate of Floagie stones was included. When I played that Ira Gitler

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42 THE JAZZ REVIEW to The Jazz Review. Recently returned As soon as he has had time to di• from an 8-year European tour, Mr. gest the vast amount of materia.'. Lomax once more focuses his atten• Alan Lomax, the celebrated folk mu• tion on native grounds, beginning sic authority, will contribute a regu• with a folksong concert at Carnegie lar discussion of rhythm and blues Hall, April 3rd.

Other forthcoming issues of The Jazz Review will include:

The Negro Church: Its Influence on Modern Jazz

continued by Mimi Clar

The Story of Jazz Books in America by Sheldon Meyer

Jack Teagarden by Jay D. Smith

Play the Blues by Art Hodes

George Russell by John Benson Brooks

Chet Baker by

Britain's Skiffle Intelligensia by Gabriel Gersh

Jelly Roll Morton by Don Locke

The Miles Davis Quintet by Bob Brookmeyer

Ellington's Black Brown and Beige by

Notes for Bird Discographers by Eric Wiedemann

Ella Fitzgerald by Bill Russo

Charlie Parker by Dick Katz

i ! ut P a Please enter a subscription to the Jazz Review for 1 year @ $4.50 (12 issues) 2 years (8 $8.00 (24 issues). $1.00 is enclosed for foreign postage.

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