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How Rudy Wiedoeft's Saxophobia Launched the Saxual Revolution

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How Rudy Wiedoeft's Saxophobia Launched the Saxual Revolution EUGENE GARFIELD INSTITUTE FOR SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION 3501 MARKET ST PHI LAO ELPHIA, PA 19104 How Rudy Wiedcrdt’s Saxophobiu Launched the Saxua! Revolution .,, - - . ..- ---- Numt3er ‘Iu March b, 1969 It is widely known that scientists seem to Rudy Wiedn4t have a special affinity for music. It surprises Any discussion about jazz and saxophones me that I‘ve never written about the music- in the history of American music must in- science connection. As I’ve indicated in a clude the person who had the greatest im- recent essay on art and science, this gap will pact on the instrument’s popularity (both be filled in the near future. 1 In the mean- here in the US and in Europe as well)-Rudy time, I’ve been yearning to return to one of Wiedoeft (1893-1940). Although virtually my personal passions—saxophones. I have unknown to audiences today, he is one of previously written about the saxophone in the important links in the history of mod- Current Contentsm, not to mention jazz tran- em jazz.b-g Sadly, the amount of informa- scriptions.4 and women sax artists. s tion concerning Wiedoeft is meager-if one Recently, I saw the now-celebrated film considers the stature he once had. Detailed Bird, about the tragic, yet artistically bril- research on the life and work of Wieddt liant life of the alto saxophonist Charlie has been done by a handful of enthusiasts, Parker. The film was direxted by Clint East- including Todd Granzow,g Jim Walsh, 10-Is wood, an actor best known for his icono- and Irving Levin. l’t graphic portrayals of the lone, harried law Perhaps one of the most informed people enforcer. The Cannes Film Festival honored on the topic of Wiedoeft and hk influence the film with two awards—best actor (for on American music is Ted Hegvik, School Forest Whitaker’s sensitive portrayaJ of of Music, West Chester University, Pem- Parker) and best sound track (which actual- sylvania. I first met Hegvik about 10 years ly featured Parker’s own saxophone perfor- ago, and we began to correspond in April mances). The awards were well deserved. 1981. I can’t even recall how I encountered Incidentally, I mentioned about 10 years his recorded interpretation of Wiedoeft’s agd that Parker was voted in jazz enthu- music. But, shortly after that, I invited him siast polls as the best rdto saxophonist from to perform at an ISI@ dimer in honor of 1950 to 1954, the year he die& 10-year employees. Thk proved to be a But my purpose here is not to diverge on memorable event that 1hope can be repeat- the tempting topic of the Bird. Rather, it is ed someday. Last year I was motivated to to ftdfdl an ambition to write about a most- contact Ted again because I had somehow ly forgotten, much earlier hero of the saxo- lost my only copy of his recording. phone who died 14 years before Parker. In a recent conversation, I asked Ted how While the modem mass media have made he would characterize the musical style of names like Charlie Parker internationally fa- Wiedoeft. Hegvik’s respise is interesting: mous, even those Americans and Europans who were exposed to his progenitor’s music When you look at the music on paper, it’s cannot name the man today. Indeed, the ragtime. Essentially, it is very square-cut story of this man’s life presents an incred- ragtime, but he played it with an energet- ible opportunity for a ftier even now. ic vaudevillian kind of style, not strictly 68 Table 1: selected fist of American records by Rudy Wiedoeft. Asterisks indicate Wiedoeft compositiorts available on tape recordings by Ted Hegvik, available from Crest “Music, R;bb;nsville, ‘New Jersey (609-587-1988). EDISON DIAMOND DISCS (1917-1924) Saxophone Sobs. Reverse: New York Blues *Valse En”ca, Reverse: Light a.r a Feather *Saxerna. Reverse: Return of Spn”ng Waltz *&zxarella. Reverse: *Valse Varrite *Valse Uewellyn. Reverse: My Waikiki Mermaid Vebna-Capriccio. Reverse: Where theRiver Shamron Flows saxophone Fanta.rie. Reverse: Fantasia from Simon Boccarregra VICTOR (1921-1927) *Saxophobia. Reverse: * Vaf.re Erica ‘Saxarella. Reverse: Souvenir *Val.$e Varritc. Reverse: h Cirrqramtm”ae *Dam 1‘On”ent. Reverse: *Sererrade lkrdine *Man’lyn. Reverse: *Saxerrar La fhlondrina. Reverse: Rubenala AEOLSAN-VOCALION ( 1919-1920) * Valsc En”ca. Reverse: Migilavacca-Mazurka & Concert Rudy Wiedoefi (1893-1940) * Valse En’ca. Reverse: *Sa.renwr like ragtime. And pmple will—according RUDY WIEDOEFT’S SAXOPHONE SEXTET to what they know of Wiedoeft-refer to (1923) hlm differently as a ragtime saxophonist, Parr-Araetican. Reverse: Coaatry Dance as a vaudevifliarr saxophonist, as a con- cert classicat saxophonist.... It’sjust that EMERSON (1919-1921) his style is hard to define, amt he falls be- Pretty Little Rainbow—FVaftz. Reverse: Mavis— Waltz tween the cracks. Wiedoeft is definitely *Valse En”ca. Reverse: *Sa.zophobia a transitional artist. It is a sad fact that he *Uewellyn Waltz. Reverse: Flu& Ru@es was famous in this country until the crash Bearuifrd Ohio. Reverse: ?ill We Meet Again of 1929 and then was quickly forgotten *Sa.zerna, Reverse Da Anohr Break when everything went into swing music. l?re Moonlight Waltz. Reverse: My DeserI Love— But in Europe he remained popular right Fox Trot through the 1930sup to when World War ff broke out. IS GENNETT (1922) Vafse Yvonne. Reverse: Pyrm”d.r Polka During the height of his popularity in the OXEH (1924) 1920s, Wiedoeft was featured on hundreds Valse Ywrure. Reverse: Page Padrewski-Fox Trot of recordings. Table 1 lists some of the more PATHE (1919-1921) important ones. 1I Today, none are com- Drigo’s Serenade. Reverse: *Waltz L.lewellyn mercially available (such as through record *Valse En”ca. Reverw: Silver Threads Among the catalogues) except perhaps via the collec- Gdd Velrrm. Reverse: Mam’age BeIfs tor’s market or places that sell antique disks. About the or@ way you can listen to Wiedoeft-style playing is to obtain Hegvik’s recordiztgsll. lb or to catch one of Hegvik’s simple explanation is that Wiedoeft played inspired &-formartces of Wiedoeft’s music. the C-melody tenor saxophone. In his recit- As you would notice if you were to listen rds, of course, Hegvik uses such an instru- to Hegvik’s faithful interpretation of ment. Wiedoeft’s style of playing music, the sound To those unfamiliar with the history of this would be very different—mellower and instrument, it is noteworthy that, original- warmer than the modem saxophone. The ly, there were two families of saxophones. 69 There were the C and F instruments for or- which are held every three years. The aural chestras, and the B-flat and E-flat saxes for experience of strolling in a building with bands. According to Hegvik, the C and F dozens Of SiMUhIE4NlS p4?IfOtTtlStlC-13Sby rdto and tenor saxophones did not catch on hundreds of saxophonists is truly one I will with the American public, and so their pro- not soon forget. Kenneth Fischer, vice-pres- duction petered out after the 1920s. 15 But ident, Intemationrd Saxophone Committee, I think it is a tribute to Wiedoeft’s ability and School of Music, University of Georgia, to captivate the American public of the Roar- Athens, informs us that the next World Sax- ing Twenties that saxophones endured (when ophone Congress will be held in either An- Wiedoeft did not) and became an integral cona or Pesaro, Italy, in 1992.18 part of the mainstream of popular music. As What follows is a modified transcript of though an echo of Wiedoeft’s heyday, there Hegvik’s presentation about this important, appears to be another American saxophone colorful-yet little-known-precursor of craze in the making now—musical-instrtt- modem jazz. 19I hope that I’ve made clear ment manufacturers report they just can’t that by presentation I mean a concert recital make enough saxes to keep up with the de- that is interspersed with a historical-bio- mand.17 graphical account of the composer of At a Washington, DC, concert performed Saxophobia. during the 1985 Eighth World Saxophone I hope that this brief essay is but a prelude Congress held at the University of Mary- to an effort to encourage the creation of a land, College Park, Hegvik gave a well- dramatic documentary of this fascinating received presentation abut Wiedoeft and of story. Consider that-in an earlier genera- his music. According to Hegvik, recently tion—Wiedoeft was as popular as Frank there has been a renewed popularity of Sinatra is today. Wiedoefi’s music in Japan (where the largest ***** sales of his music occur) and in Third World My thanks to Ted Hegvik and Peter countries as well. 15 I have attended sever- Pesavento for their help in the preparation al of the World Saxophone Congresses, of this essay. ,r,m El REFERENCES 1, Gtileld E. ArI and science. Pan 2. Science for art’s sake, Current Contents (9):3-8, 27 February 1989, 2. ------------ Everything you wanted to know about sax but were afraid to ask. Essays o~ an br~ormaticm scierrrist. Philadelphia: 1S1 Press, 1981. Vol. 4. p. 193-9. 3. --------- Jazz tranacriprions will blow your mind! fbid., 1977. Vol. 2. p, 393-5. 4. --------- More on jasz transcriptions. Jbid. p, 461-6. 5. ----------- Sax diacrimirration. fbid., 1981. Vol. 4. p. 650-5. 6. World of music. Etude 58:291; 342, 1940. 7. Wiedoeft, Rudy. (Lyre Farrrol Group, eds. ) llre ASC# biographical dictionary of composers, auhors and publishers. New York: American !lwiety of Comfmera, Authors srrd Publishers, 1966.
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