DOCSLIB.ORG

Ernest Coycault 1884-1940 by Dan Vernhettes with Bo Lindström

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Ernest Coycault 1884-1940 by Dan Vernhettes with Bo Lindström 163 Coycault_Mise en page 1 06/04/2012 14:32 Page 1 Ernest Coycault 1884-1940 by Dan Vernhettes with Bo Lindström This is the shortest of a series of 14 portraits of jazz pioneers to be published in the fall by Jazzedit in a book entitled Jazz Puzzles (Vol. 1), by Dan Vernhettes with Bo Lindström, the authors of acclaimed Tommy Ladnier’s biography ‘Traveling Blues’ -www.jazzedit.org Biographical sketch The name Coycault is still borne by 285 persons in France as well as some in Louisiana and other U.S. states. The first to migrate to Louisiana was Auguste Coycault. Born in France about 1800, he lived at 213 Royal Street in New Orleans in 1832, with no occupation indicated. He died on August 5, 1839.1 The 1870 census for the 7th Ward of New Orleans shows Armand Coycault, age 36 (c. 1834), clerk in custom house; his wife Helena, 29; their children Emilie, 12; Ernest, 9 (b. 1861); Mary, 7; René, 5; Stephen, 1, living in the house of François, 78, and Elisa Gardère, 73. They were all registered as white. In 1880, Armand Coycault worked as a clerk at 12 Union Street and lived at 55 Esplanade Avenue. During the Civil War he had served as sergeant in company F of the Orleans Guards Regiment Militia in 1861. Armand, born most probably in 1832, died on December 24, 1888. When he arrived in Louisiana, Auguste Coycault made an alliance with another wealthy French family, by the name of Gardère. These were not original white Creoles, as they all migrated to Louisiana in the early years of the 19th century but they occupied good social positions. François Gardère, born in France in 1792, a banker and treasurer of the State of Louisiana, purchased a sugar plantation in the Ernest Coycault about 1915 (?) (Courtesy Larry Gushee). Ernest Upper Belt in 1865. He is listed in the 1860 census of Jefferson Parish, Isidore Coycault filled his draft registration card on September 2, 1918 aged 68, with his son Fergus, 43. His real estate was evaluated at in Los Angeles. He was described by the registrar as having very light complexion; the draft registration card shows that the registrar first $65,000, his personal estate at $60,000. Fergus was registered in the marked him as white. 1850 census of Jefferson Parish as the proprietor of a sawmill. He served in the Confederate army during the Civil War and was elected as a senator in the Baton Rouge Senate of Louisiana in 1872. Fergus owned a real estate estimated at $30,000. Armand’s son Ernest is registered in the 1880 census in the 8th Ward of the East Baton Rouge Parish, aged 19 (born in 1861), a farmer, living with his grand-father Fergus Gardère, a sugar planter, aged 62. A Creole of Color Ernest Isidore Coycault, the musician, was a mulatto. According to his death record, he was the son of Ernest Coycault and Louise Lenaries. Some speculation is required to determine the relationship between him and the white Ernest (b. 1861). Banjoist Clarence “Little Dad” Vincent said clarinetist Pil Coycault was first cousin with clarinetist Zeb Lenares.2 Several Spanish families were established in the St. Bernard Parish in the early years of the 19th century. This parish, named in honor of Bernard de Marigny, was colonized by French and Spanish settlers who cultivated the rich alluvial lands or were fishermen. Several Lenares families still live in St. Bernard Parish. The Louisiana birth index shows that Ernest Coycault and Louise 1 Orleans Parish Death Records, Vol. 8, p. 276. 2 Several Spanish towns are named Linares, the most well-known being in Andalusia. The Lenaries/Lenares spelling varies through the documents. 3 163 Coycault_Mise en page 1 06/04/2012 14:32 Page 2 Lenaries had ten children, all born in St. Bernard Parish: Andrew (May Galveston, Phoenix, Yuma, and Bisbee (Arizona).8 The band played in 30, 1880); Albert (March 16, 1883); Ernest Isidore (June 23, 1884); every town in order to raise money for their train tickets as they had Rose (1888); Eliza (1890); Victoria (1892); Jerome (September 30, set off without any money. It took them several weeks to reach 1894); Varice Coycault (1896); Celeste (1898), and Louise (1903). All California, probably in May. are listed as black.3 Larry Gushee also unearthed a few lines from the Oakland Sunshine The 1900 census has Ernest Coycault, born in October 1856 in newspaper advertising a dance at the West Oakland Skating Rink, Louisiana, of parents born in Louisiana, a poultry farmer, married to music provided by the Creole Orchestra. They played one month at Louisa, born April 19, 1861 in Louisiana of Spanish father, mother the Red Feather Tavern in Los Angeles. The string band must have born in Louisiana. Louisa Coycault died in St. Bernard Parish on May played in every place for every posible occasion, making sometimes first 1921.4 making as much as $15 a night, far more than they earned in Louisiana.9 The American railroad system grew rapidly after the Civil The 1920 census of the same parish has Ernest, 62 (born circa 1858), War, and by 1882 it was possible to travel from New Orleans to and Louise, 58, with their children: Victoria; Jerome, 25, fruit peddler; California via Texas and New Mexico with three different companies. Celeste; Louise; Rose De Lina, 30, and grand-daughters Ada and Lilian The Texas & Pacific Depot was located on the levee, near Terpsichore Louise, all listed as mulattoes. A few houses away lived Ernest’s son Street, its trains crossed the river on a ferry to McDonoghville. The Albert, a fur trapper. Southern Pacific Company had its depot at Esplanade Avenue, and its trains crossed the river on the ferry to Algiers. Typically for these There is only one death record in Louisiana for an Ernest Coycault, competing private companies, their railroad lines ran in paralell on the and this is for the white Ernest, born in 1861, aged 67 years the time other side of the river. of his death in 1928.5 There is an obvious connection, at least a professional one, between The Oakland Tribune article Armand Coycault (1832-1888), as Armand was a clerk at the custom In his baseball gossip column in the Oakland Tribune newspaper house and Ernest, 57 (born about 1853!) was listed in the 1910 census as a messenger at the custom house, boarding at 811 Mandeville (“Chit-Chat Of the Game”) T. P. Magilligan wrote on Saturday, June 20, Street. 1908: “Just to whoop ‘er up and add a bit more enthusiasm to the sport, President Ed Walter of the Oakland Baseball Club has engaged The conclusion of our research is that Ernest, the father of the the Creole Crushers, West Oakland’s great ragtime band, and the musician, was conceived by Armand and a mulatto slave or a free greatest catch-as-catch-can ragtime orchestra in the world, to play for woman of color around 1855, about the time of Armand’s marriage the patrons of Freeman’s Park Sunday morning. […] The Creole with Hélène Gardère – they had their first child, Marie Emilie in 1857. Crushers entertained the spectators at the West Oakland Club’s show So the two Ernest Coycaults were most probably half brothers, a Thursday night and those who heard them will vouch for it that they typical Louisianian situation. can play some rag time. The band is from New Orleans and they possess a repertoire of rag time melodies that can’t even be tied by any Ernest Isidore and Jerome Coycault were thus Creoles of color with band that ever attempted the rag time stuff on the Coast. […] Creole French, African and Spanish ancestors. As customary, in the French- Crusher. For the edification of the assembled “Bugs” and “Bugines,” speaking families, Ernest was nicknamed by his diminutive “Nini,” Mr. W. M. Johnson’s world-renowned Creole Orchestra shattered the while Jerome was known as “Pil.” air with melody and enlivened the proceedings. Mr. Johnson’s Creoles put on tap a brand of rag time music that thrilled the bunch to their toes, and the chivalry and beauts cheered the musicianeers to In California with the Creole Crushers the echo after each piece. Mr. Johnson’s got some band, too. ‘Taint Nothing is known about Ernest Coycault’s youth in St. Bernard Parish. organized none like dose raiglar regimental bands, nor does it worry He came to live in New Orleans before 1908, where he played with itself by carrying music rolls. That orchestra includes and contains one Bab Frank’s Peerless Orchestra and replaced Bunk Johnson in Billy snare drummer, greatest ever; one trombone artist, unrivalled; a Marrero’s Superior Orchestra.6 Samuel Charters wrote that Ernest cornet player, unmatched, a mandolin and guitar twanger and a bass Coycault used to play at West End with Vic and Oke Gaspard, and viol, the latter three of which dispenses sounds dat shualey can set Emile Barnes,7 and Karl Koenig gave his addresses as 811 Mandeville some feet to movin’. Street (his father’s residence), and 1442 Frenchmen Street. An Obliging Orchestra. Mr. Johnsing (sic) and his Creoles are shualy During his first trip to California in 1904, Manuel William (Bill) an obligin’ lot, for they toots a heep after dey starts ‘er up, and keep Johnson was able to evaluate the possibilities of working there. In a-tootin’ and a blowin’ and scrapin’ until the last fan ambles out of the 1908 he persuaded four musicians, all from the Louisianan country, to park.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Solo Style of Jazz Clarinetist Johnny Dodds: 1923 – 1938
    Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2003 The solo ts yle of jazz clarinetist Johnny Dodds: 1923 - 1938 Patricia A. Martin Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the Music Commons Recommended Citation Martin, Patricia A., "The os lo style of jazz clarinetist Johnny Dodds: 1923 - 1938" (2003). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 1948. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/1948 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. THE SOLO STYLE OF JAZZ CLARINETIST JOHNNY DODDS: 1923 – 1938 A Monograph Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College In partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in The School of Music By Patricia A.Martin B.M., Eastman School of Music, 1984 M.M., Michigan State University, 1990 May 2003 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This is dedicated to my father and mother for their unfailing love and support. This would not have been possible without my father, a retired dentist and jazz enthusiast, who infected me with his love of the art form and led me to discover some of the great jazz clarinetists. In addition I would like to thank Dr. William Grimes, Dr. Wallace McKenzie, Dr. Willis Delony, Associate Professor Steve Cohen and Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Jazz and the Cultural Transformation of America in the 1920S
    Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2003 Jazz and the cultural transformation of America in the 1920s Courtney Patterson Carney Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Carney, Courtney Patterson, "Jazz and the cultural transformation of America in the 1920s" (2003). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 176. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/176 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. JAZZ AND THE CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION OF AMERICA IN THE 1920S A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of History by Courtney Patterson Carney B.A., Baylor University, 1996 M.A., Louisiana State University, 1998 December 2003 For Big ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The real truth about it is no one gets it right The real truth about it is we’re all supposed to try1 Over the course of the last few years I have been in contact with a long list of people, many of whom have had some impact on this dissertation. At the University of Chicago, Deborah Gillaspie and Ray Gadke helped immensely by guiding me through the Chicago Jazz Archive.
    [Show full text]
  • CPC-2014-516.Pdf
    TABLE OF CONTENTS Project Analysis ........................................................................................................ A-1 Project Summary Conclusion Findings ...................................................................................................................... F-1 HPOZ Ordinance Findings General Plan/Charter Findings CEQA Findings Public Hearing and Communications ....................................................................... P-1 EXHIBITS: A – Boundary/Contributor Status Map B – Historic Resources Survey – As approved by the Cultural Heritage Commission on 8/21/14 C – Proposed 52nd Place Tifal Brothers Tract HPOZ Preservation Plan D – Categorical Exemption PROJECT ANALYSIS Project Summary Adoption of the proposed 52nd Place Tifal Brothers Tract HPOZ would place the properties along E. 52nd Place, bounded by Avalon Boulevard to the west and McKinley Avenue to the east, under the regulations of Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) Section 12.20.3, the HPOZ Ordinance. Adoption of the HPOZ includes the certification of a Historic Resources Survey and adoption of a Preservation Plan to accompany the ordinance. The proposed 52nd Place Tifal Brothers Tract Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (HPOZ) contains predominantly one-story, single-family residences built between 1911 and 1914, designed and constructed by the firm of Gustav, Charles, and William Tifal. The majority of buildings retain their historic design and features representative of the Craftsman architectural style implemented in the development of the tract. The structures have retained integrity in design and materials, in large part as a testament to their quality, craftsmanship, and maintenance. After a series of demolitions on 52nd Place, former City Councilmember Jan Perry introduced a Council Motion on July 15, 2008 (CF 08-1855) that instructed the Department of City Planning to develop an HPOZ for the area as a way to protect its historic resources.
    [Show full text]
  • CLASSIC JAZZ This Page Intentionally Left Blank CLASSIC JAZZ
    CLASSIC JAZZ This page intentionally left blank CLASSIC JAZZ A Personal View of the Music and the Musicians FLOYD LEVIN Foreword by BENNY CARTER UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS Berkeley Los Angeles London Title page illustration: The author and his wife, Lucille—Emperor and Empress of the 1985 Jazz Jubilee, Sacramento, California. Unless otherwise credited, all illustrations are by the author or are from his collection. University of California Press Berkeley and Los Angeles, California University of California Press, Ltd. London, England © 2000 by the Regents of the University of California Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Levin, Floyd. Classic jazz : a personal view of the music and the musicians / Floyd Levin. p. cm. Includes index. isbn 0-520-21360-2 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Jazz—History and criticism. 2. Jazz musi- cians—United States. I. Title. ml3508.l48 2000 781.65—dc21 00-022554 Manufactured in the United States of America 08 07 06 05 04 03 02 01 00 10987654321 The paper used in this publication meets the mini- mum requirements of ansi/niso z39.48-1992 (r 1997) (Permanence of Paper). To Lucille, my loving wife and perceptive editor, who shared these wonderful experiences with me. Her sincere praises buoyed my efforts, and her unerring criticisms deftly improved my narration. This page intentionally left blank CONTENTS FOREWORD BY BENNY CARTER xv PREFACE xvii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xxiii INTRODUCTION 1 1 KID ORY AND THE REVIVAL ERA 9 Kid Ory / 11 Kid Ory’s Legendary 1921 Nordskog/Sunshine Recordings / 14 Papa Mutt Carey
    [Show full text]
  • Devil Tune Song List- Final
    That Devilin' Tune: A Jazz History, 1900-1951 Volume 1 CD 1 1. Standard Quartette Who Broke The Lock 1895/1896 2. Voss’ 1st Regiment Band Aunt Dinah’s Supper Party Late 1890s 3. Len Spencer Clime De Golden Fence Late 1890s 4. Metropolitan Orchestra Coon Town Capers 1897-1899 5. Sousa Band Whistlin’ Rufus 1899 6. Len Spencer You’ve Been a Good Old Wagon 1900 or 1901 7. Williams and Walker My Little Zulu Babe Nov. 10 1901 8. Arthur Collins Bill Bailey ca. May, 1902 9. Len Spencer On Emancipation Day late 1902 10. Hager’s Orchestra Rooster Dance 1904 11. Vess Ossman Buffalo Rag 1905 12. Prince’s Orchestra St. Louis Tickle Aug., 1905 13. Pryor’s Band St. Louis Rag 1906 14. Orquestra Typicas La Patti Negra 1906 15. Sir Herbert Clarke Bride of the Waves Dec. 21, 1907 16. May Irwin When You Ain’t Got No Money You Needn’t Come Around May 21, 1907 17. Arthur Collins Parson Jones’ Three Reasons ca. 1909 18. Stella Mayhew/Billie Taylor That Beautiful Rag July 5, 1910 19. Sophie Tucker That Lovin’ Rag Jan. 5, 1910 20. Stella Mayhew That Devilin’ Tune Apr. 24, 1911 21. Collins and Harlan Alexander’s Ragtime Band 1911 22. Sophie Tucker Some of These Days Feb. 24, 1911 23. Grupo Bahianainho El Cavito ca. 1911 24. Grupo Bahianainho Bambino ca. 1911 25. Grupo Bahianainho Destimido ca. 1911 26. Prince’s Orchestra Red Pepper Rag May, 1911 27. Gene Greene King of the Bungaloos Feb. 17, 1911 CD 2 1.
    [Show full text]
  • The Victor Black Label Discography
    The Victor Black Label Discography Victor 25000, 26000, 27000 Series John R. Bolig ISBN 978-1-7351787-3-8 ii The Victor Black Label Discography Victor 25000, 26000, 27000 Series John R. Bolig American Discography Project UC Santa Barbara Library © 2017 John R. Bolig. All rights reserved. ii The Victor Discography Series By John R. Bolig The advent of this online discography is a continuation of record descriptions that were compiled by me and published in book form by Allan Sutton, the publisher and owner of Mainspring Press. When undertaking our work, Allan and I were aware of the work started by Ted Fa- gan and Bill Moran, in which they intended to account for every recording made by the Victor Talking Machine Company. We decided to take on what we believed was a more practical approach, one that best met the needs of record collectors. Simply stat- ed, Fagan and Moran were describing recordings that were not necessarily published; I believed record collectors were interested in records that were actually available. We decided to account for records found in Victor catalogs, ones that were purchased and found in homes after 1901 as 78rpm discs, many of which have become highly sought- after collector’s items. The following Victor discographies by John R. Bolig have been published by Main- spring Press: Caruso Records ‐ A History and Discography GEMS – The Victor Light Opera Company Discography The Victor Black Label Discography – 16000 and 17000 Series The Victor Black Label Discography – 18000 and 19000 Series The Victor Black
    [Show full text]
  • The Recordings
    Appendix: The Recordings These are the URLs of the original locations where I found the recordings used in this book. Those without a URL came from a cassette tape, LP or CD in my personal collection, or from now-defunct YouTube or Grooveshark web pages. I had many of the other recordings in my collection already, but searched for online sources to allow the reader to hear what I heard when writing the book. Naturally, these posted “videos” will disappear over time, although most of them then re- appear six months or a year later with a new URL. If you can’t find an alternate location, send me an e-mail and let me know. In the meantime, I have provided low-level mp3 files of the tracks that are not available or that I have modified in pitch or speed in private listening vaults where they can be heard. This way, the entire book can be verified by listening to the same re- cordings and works that I heard. For locations of these private sound vaults, please e-mail me and I will send you the links. They are not to be shared or downloaded, and the selections therein are only identified by their numbers from the complete list given below. Chapter I: 0001. Maple Leaf Rag (Joplin)/Scott Joplin, piano roll (1916) listen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E5iehuiYdQ 0002. Charleston Rag (a.k.a. Echoes of Africa)(Blake)/Eubie Blake, piano (1969) listen at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7oQfRGUOnU 0003. Stars and Stripes Forever (John Philip Sousa, arr.
    [Show full text]
  • The Texas Tommy, Its History, Controversies, and Influence on American Vernacular Dance Rebecca R
    Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2006 The Texas Tommy, Its History, Controversies, and Influence on American Vernacular Dance Rebecca R. Strickland Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF VISUAL ARTS, THEATRE AND DANCE THE TEXAS TOMMY, ITS HISTORY, CONTROVERSIES, AND INFLUENCE ON AMERICAN VERNACULAR DANCE By REBECCA R. STRICKLAND A Thesis Submitted to the Department of Dance In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2006 Copyright © 2006 Rebecca R. Strickland All Rights Reserved The members of the committee approve the thesis of Rebecca Strickland defended on March 31, 2006. Tricia Young Professor Directing Thesis Sally Sommer Committee Member John Perpener Committee Member Approved: Elizabeth Patenuade, Chair, Department of Dance Sally E. McRorie, Dean, College of Visual Arts, Theatre and Dance The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost I need to thank and acknowledge my husband, Michael Strickland, for his constant encouragement, enthusiasm, and assistance. I owe much to my wonderful partner who has attached and dedicated himself to my interest in all things swing. I also want to recognize my parents, Dr. Gary and Peg Kelm, who have supported my passion for dance, leading to my pursuit of this Master’s degree concentrating on American dance history. My thesis advisor, Dr. Tricia Young, has guided me through the final stages of this process with more patience than I deserve.
    [Show full text]
  • Encyclopedia of African American Music Advisory Board
    Encyclopedia of African American Music Advisory Board James Abbington, DMA Associate Professor of Church Music and Worship Candler School of Theology, Emory University William C. Banfield, DMA Professor of Africana Studies, Music, and Society Berklee College of Music Johann Buis, DA Associate Professor of Music History Wheaton College Eileen M. Hayes, PhD Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology College of Music, University of North Texas Cheryl L. Keyes, PhD Professor of Ethnomusicology University of California, Los Angeles Portia K. Maultsby, PhD Professor of Folklore and Ethnomusicology Director of the Archives of African American Music and Culture Indiana University, Bloomington Ingrid Monson, PhD Quincy Jones Professor of African American Music Harvard University Guthrie P. Ramsey, Jr., PhD Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Term Professor of Music University of Pennsylvania Encyclopedia of African American Music Volume 1: A–G Emmett G. Price III, Executive Editor Tammy L. Kernodle and Horace J. Maxile, Jr., Associate Editors Copyright 2011 by Emmett G. Price III, Tammy L. Kernodle, and Horace J. Maxile, Jr. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Encyclopedia of African American music / Emmett G. Price III, executive editor ; Tammy L. Kernodle and Horace J. Maxile, Jr., associate editors. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-313-34199-1 (set hard copy : alk.
    [Show full text]
  • “Ory's Creole Trombone”-- Kid Ory (June 1922) Added to the National Registry: 2005 Essay by David Sager
    “Ory's Creole Trombone”-- Kid Ory (June 1922) Added to the National Registry: 2005 Essay by David Sager Kid Ory In mid-summer 1922, and with very little ballyhoo and promotion, a pair of enterprising African- American brothers brought out this pioneering and essential jazz recording, one that would define New Orleans-style jazz and serve as a model for future performers of that genre. John and Benjamin “Reb” Spikes—songwriters, publishers, vaudeville performers, and owners of a music store and a small amusement park in Los Angeles—were well connected in black show business and well aware of the enormous musical contributions being made by folks from New Orleans. “Ory’s Creole Trombone”—and its reverse side, “Society Blues”—are commonly referred to as the first jazz record by African Americans. Actually, it is not, for that distinction must go to Wilbur Sweatman and his Jass Band for a Pathe recording made in the spring of 1917. The Ory recordings are the first recordings of black/Creole New Orleans jazz, though, due to their loose feel and hot nature, many think of these as the first recognizable jazz performances on record. They are certainly the first jazz recordings made on the west coast. In 1921, the Spikes brothers composed and published the song “Someday Sweetheart,” which would become a perennial favorite among jazz bands. When singer Alberta Hunter recorded it for the newly-formed black owned-and-operated Black Swan label, the brothers took special notice of its success. With the growing popularity of “race records”--those aimed at the black audience--the enterprising brothers went into the record business.
    [Show full text]
  • Black Music Research Fisk Unnersity
    BLACK MUSIC RESEARCH NEWSLETTER FISK UNNERSITY Volume 4 Number 2 Fall, 1980 The Ethnomusicolog ist and Black Music by Bruno Netti, its scope because there were other less emphasis to the exceptional, even The LJ,iiversity of Illinois, things not being done in large quan­ Urbana, Illinois if it is the creation of superb talent. tity by traditional (or as we sometimes What they need to do now is to stretch call them, "straight") musicologists. these capabilities to extend from the I have not encountered an academic But ethnomusicologists haven't kept small and reasonably homogeneous field or discipline whose members pace with the goals implied in their societies with which they have mostly spend as much time worrying definitions. They have not dealt com­ dealt to encompass larger, more com­ about defining themselves as ethno­ paratively with all of the musics of the plex population groups. musicology. Definitions abound and world, have not looked at the oral In all of this, they seem to me to they can be discussed historicaUy, component in Western art music, have exhibited a creed: that all musics something done by the late Alan P. have not dealt with the written tradi­ are equally the product of a culture Merriam in one of his last articles tions of the modern third world, and and reflective of its values and struc­ (Ethnomusicology 21:189-204, 1977). have given little attention to the con­ ture, notwithstanding the obvious The general public tends to think of cept of music as culture in modern fact that some are harder to learn and ethnomusicology as the study of society.
    [Show full text]
  • The Sid Leprotti Band in 1914
    The Sid LeProtti band in 1914 In a FB message from Dr Rainer Lotz last year, a film clip found at the Rick Prelinger Library1 was stated as showing unknown musicians. This silent film clip was also recently mentioned in the IAJRC Journal in an article by David Drazin.2 The film primarily shows dancing couples but we can also see glimpses of the musicians in the background. Nothing is known about when, where or by whom this film was made and mothing is known about the musicians shown. It has been suggested that the film was shot around 1914. A still from the beginning of the film The musicians are shown below in close-up stills from the film. However, a little research can reveal some facts. It has been suggested that the movie probably was shot on the West Coast around 1914. A study of Tom Stoddard’s Jazz On The Barbary Coast 3 will reveal that one of the most influential orchestras in San Francisco at this time was Sid LeProtti’s So Different Jazz Band. 1 (https://archive.org/details/0633_Gould_can_5423_4_11_34_02_10 ) 2 Dave Drazin, African Americans Who Appear as Jazz Musicians in Silent Movies, IAAJRC (International Association of Jazz Record Collectors), Vol 49. No. 3, Fall 2016. 3 Tom Stoddard, Jazz on the Barbary Coast, Heyday Books, Berkeley, 1998. (Originally published by Storyville, 1982.) Sid LeProtti's So Different Jazz Band, San Fransisco, c. 1915. (L to R Clarence Williams, Reb Spikes, Adam "Slocum" Mitchell, Sid LeProtti, Gerald Wells, unidentified drummer.) A comparison of the film stills and the photograph in the Stoddard book (p.45) will show that three of the musicians undoubtedly are the same as in the film clip: Sid LeProtti, piano; Adam “Slocum” Mitchell, clarinet, and Gerald Wells, flute.
    [Show full text]