Ance Biz Needs Younger Leaders: De Franco

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Ance Biz Needs Younger Leaders: De Franco ance Biz Needs Younger Leaders: De Franco By LEONARD MATHER New York—“Do vou know what the trouble is? The band« leader* are too old!” Diseuasing the musical state of the na« don, Buddy DeFranco made this statement aa he arrived in New York to in. “Back in names,” continued Buddy, “they Ventura Junks CHICAGO. MARCH 9. 1951 were still in their 20s. “They were all young enough to have with the Ork For Combo younger set, and they were the ones who influenced the school and college kids toward better musical To Go On Tour uke Flays NAACP For ideas. What Iboul Kids? Philadelphia- -Charlie Ventura, who has bee> putting in time as s “But what about the kids who roadhouse nitery owner nearby as are 19 or 20 toda< They were well nu providing • h me base for alting Richmond Concert four or five year* olc when Good- his hand, ha* junked the big band man and Basie hit. They don’t in favor of a five-pier« combo. ► rniiauripnia— i ne nirnmono, v u., niuunsi »Muciauuny remember the hysteria of those Ventura several months ago days, the wild excitement about for the Advancement of Colored People chapter, which bought tiie inetime Overbrook Vil­ swing. la at nearby Lindenwold, NJ., and ruined Marian indemon’s concert there on Jan. 16 and “We’d like to bring back that has been operating it as the Open canned Duke Ellington to cancel hie concert there the follow« feeling,” added the poll-winning House cafe. clarinetist, who celebiated his 28th With th« five-piece combo, for birthday Feb. 17 “I don’t want to which trumpeter Conte Candoll re­ boast that we can bring the music joined the «axist, Venturu offers Source Of Bird, business back, but we’d like to a fivetet of vocalists in the re­ Although the backer* of the swing business, create turned Betty Bennett and the boycott said the move was against same kind of fervor that was there mixed hai monies of the Overtones th« segregation policy at the Dizzy Bootleg before. quartet. In spite of the rural set­ Mosque there, and not agum.l the “We want to give the kids some­ ting in the Jersey pines, the jazz Negro artists caught ii the web, thing they can nang their hats on set has found little trouble in find- Duke, wb.i was hit by the boycott Discs A Mystery —bring young music to young peo threat while in town for u date New York—Latest development pie and start a modern idioir that ing ’em from inilea around for at the Click nitery, complained in the bootleg record situation is they can grow up with, instead of some of the greatest jazz heard "Why do they have to wait until the appearance of six sides labeled trying to recreate a 1935 or 1940 in this territory. we sign a contract to start such “The Black Deuce” with the <ap- product in 1951. Benny was and Ventura will take leave the first activities?” tion ‘A Night at Carnegi« Hall always will be a great musician, of April, leaving the nitery >pera r The maestro flayed the Rich with Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie but his era is a remote thing to tinn to members of his family, and mond chapter for its “vicious” Parker.” these kids, and even Flanagan ia take in n 16-week tour with his no chicken. I don’t mean we want combination ot five instruments stand in boycotting Marian Ander­ Both Dizzy und Bird state that and five voices. son’s concert. they were not paid for the release to push the older guys out of the of any such records. Disc jockey way, but there’s room for the “Nobody wants to cross ■ picket younger element, too, among the line and get hurt; it just isn’t the Symphony Sid reports that he re­ thing to do,” said the Duke. “I ceived the records from Teddy bandleaders themselves.” Sarah Vaughan Reig, but stopped playing them don’t know why they pick out a < oidd Be Man Negro’s investment and destroy when he found out they were not clean-d with the musicians It would seem that Buddy is it, hut not the whites’. Just a mat­ To Tour Europe ter of procedure, and I don’t agree volved. just the man to represent that on anybody’s segregation. The date und details of the younger element, No great new New York—Sarah Vaughan’s tual concert and how poll-winning jazz instrumentalist ••ft« n-rumored European jaunt has "Those people iRiihmond NAA­ recordings were obtained remain has startea a big band in wars, finally been set. CP) are Id people living all their a mysterj which lawyers for Park­ which they were presented, were with the sole exception of Dizzy But instead of going into the Fees in filth and dirt. What about er and Gillespui are investigating. tendered irooner Perry Como Gillespie, and, as Buddy comments, Palladium in Ixmdon as have most the toilets and water fountain in The tunes, which are not even recently by a pleaded RCA Vic­ “bop just missed the cue -in gen­ colored waiting looms, why don’t listed on the labels, include several tor. Singer Monica lewis gives eral the fault was an attempt to they d<> something about that? copyrights of Leeds Music Corp., Perry a r ongrelulatory peck in make too much of a commercial open in August for a four-week Why pick on entertainment invest­ whose lawyers also plan to «top honor of the occasion. Tne four gimmick out of it; there were too stay at London’s swank Colony ments ? further distribution of the discs. lop Como disco, each of which many hop-inongers in the business club. “This thing was un investment Teddy Reig, former Savoy a. sold over ■ million copies, were end.” Other bookings in England and of ?4 ihiii for one night. Tim>- «re and r. man now with Roost rec­ Prisoner of Love; When You A couple of years ago Buddy on the Continent are now being ords, was not avnilable for com­ Were Sweet Sixteen; Hubba, made an abortive attempt to start I'lgntisted G* rgv Treadwell, highest paid musicians in the ment at presstime. Hubbn. Hubba, and Because. a big band via u Capitol record Sarah’s husband-manager, will ac­ world, nobody gets loot like my date. The four side* were never company her on the trip. men. Just think of paying the rail­ released, and Buddy has attempted road fare.« for al) of tne group, Decca, Lionel Split; Firm Sets to buy back the master of the one including entertainers, dancers, aid«- that did turn out reasonably BG Assembles well, a George Russell original ‘‘They should have some system called Bird in Igor’s Yard. But he Sextet In L.A. set up for these sort of things, and IPs Of Hamp, Louis Concerts says Capitol wants more money people should be warned in .id- than he can afford f«r it. Hollywood — Benny Goodman vanee. It has ened before, •ut together his new sextet here to it’s nothing new. is very cost- New York — Lionel Hamp>^ “That was one attempt at pion­ head the show he waa booked to ton left Decca early thia monti eering that I never should have headline at El Rancho Vegas, Las regated audience» at the Rich­ made.” he recalls. “Then I did the Vegas, starting Feb. 14. mond auditorium. It’s disgraceful after 10-year association Granz To Europe; small-band date with a Shearing­ Lineup of ace sidemen contained to do such a thing to a great sing­ with that firm, No word at type quintet. That was a stupid Paul Smith, piano; Johnny White, thing; if people want that kind of er and person lik< Marian Ander writing js to what company he’ll “““ ------- liter; Billy ton. On one occasion they gave her now join. Sets Up Concerts music they’ll buy Shearing. The two best sides from that date, an forty Corb, an award. Decca, however. New York—Nurmu-i Gianz flew “The law has been thr re all th* original of Teddy Cohen’s and vne Nancy Reed wm signed to do lease a 10-inch LP of Hamp’s to Copenhagen Jan 20 to start a of mine, never came out ” time. What do they do the rest of 1947 Pasadena Civic auditorium two-week tour in which he hoped vocals with the sextet, which, It the year when Negro artists do jam Mission, spotting stars like to finalize deals for thi European Joined Baaie was understood, will appear strict­ not go there? This only happen* Charlie Shavers, Willie Smith, jaunt of his Jazs at the Philhar­ ly as a musical feature in the when they come. They don't ooy- After trying unsuccessfully to Corky Corcoran, Barney Kessel monic unit. keep the quintet together, Buddy snow and not a* a dance combo. cott Tommy Doracy and the sym­ .ind Slam Stewart Granz expected to visit Frank­ phony, and th* Negroes are al­ joined Count Basie in January One entire side is levoted to furt, Milan, Geneva, Zurich, Paris, 1950 and spent what he describee lowed to attend. Stardust, the other to Man I Love as “the freest musical period of “It’* tough when we aie planned a trip to London, in an New York -Farmer Gena Kru­ knocked down by our own people. Apparently stirred by the suc­ my life” working for Count. “I effort to conclude arrangements got everything I «ranted to play, pa vocalist Dolores Hawkm* has Our concert in New York gave cesses of the Benny Goodman Car­ with the British musicians union been added to Perry Como’s TV the national «flier of the NAACP negie hall LP und the J ATP al­ and of course Basie has never whereby hi* group inigh' break failed to have a swinging group.
Recommended publications
  • Seeing (For) Miles: Jazz, Race, and Objects of Performance
    W&M ScholarWorks Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects 2014 Seeing (for) Miles: Jazz, Race, and Objects of Performance Benjamin Park anderson College of William & Mary - Arts & Sciences Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd Part of the African American Studies Commons, and the American Studies Commons Recommended Citation anderson, Benjamin Park, "Seeing (for) Miles: Jazz, Race, and Objects of Performance" (2014). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1539623644. https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.21220/s2-t267-zy28 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Seeing (for) Miles: Jazz, Race, and Objects of Performance Benjamin Park Anderson Richmond, Virginia Master of Arts, College of William and Mary, 2005 Bachelor of Arts, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2001 A Dissertation presented to the Graduate Faculty of the College of William and Mary in Candidacy for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy American Studies Program College of William and Mary May 2014 APPROVAL PAGE This Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Benjamin Park Anderson Approved by T7 Associate Professor ur Knight, American Studies Program The College
    [Show full text]
  • Selected Observations from the Harlem Jazz Scene By
    SELECTED OBSERVATIONS FROM THE HARLEM JAZZ SCENE BY JONAH JONATHAN A dissertation submitted to the Graduate School-Newark Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Graduate Program in Jazz History and Research Written under the direction of Dr. Lewis Porter and approved by ______________________ ______________________ Newark, NJ May 2015 2 Table of Contents Acknowledgements Page 3 Abstract Page 4 Preface Page 5 Chapter 1. A Brief History and Overview of Jazz in Harlem Page 6 Chapter 2. The Harlem Race Riots of 1935 and 1943 and their relationship to Jazz Page 11 Chapter 3. The Harlem Scene with Radam Schwartz Page 30 Chapter 4. Alex Layne's Life as a Harlem Jazz Musician Page 34 Chapter 5. Some Music from Harlem, 1941 Page 50 Chapter 6. The Decline of Jazz in Harlem Page 54 Appendix A historic list of Harlem night clubs Page 56 Works Cited Page 89 Bibliography Page 91 Discography Page 98 3 Acknowledgements This thesis is dedicated to all of my teachers and mentors throughout my life who helped me learn and grow in the world of jazz and jazz history. I'd like to thank these special people from before my enrollment at Rutgers: Andy Jaffe, Dave Demsey, Mulgrew Miller, Ron Carter, and Phil Schaap. I am grateful to Alex Layne and Radam Schwartz for their friendship and their willingness to share their interviews in this thesis. I would like to thank my family and loved ones including Victoria Holmberg, my son Lucas Jonathan, my parents Darius Jonathan and Carrie Bail, and my sisters Geneva Jonathan and Orelia Jonathan.
    [Show full text]
  • QUASIMODE: Ike QUEBEC
    This discography is automatically generated by The JazzOmat Database System written by Thomas Wagner For private use only! ------------------------------------------ QUASIMODE: "Oneself-Likeness" Yusuke Hirado -p,el p; Kazuhiro Sunaga -b; Takashi Okutsu -d; Takahiro Matsuoka -perc; Mamoru Yonemura -ts; Mitshuharu Fukuyama -tp; Yoshio Iwamoto -ts; Tomoyoshi Nakamura -ss; Yoshiyuki Takuma -vib; recorded 2005 to 2006 in Japan 99555 DOWN IN THE VILLAGE 6.30 99556 GIANT BLACK SHADOW 5.39 99557 1000 DAY SPIRIT 7.02 99558 LUCKY LUCIANO 7.15 99559 IPE AMARELO 6.46 99560 SKELETON COAST 6.34 99561 FEELIN' GREEN 5.33 99562 ONESELF-LIKENESS 5.58 99563 GET THE FACT - OUTRO 1.48 ------------------------------------------ Ike QUEBEC: "The Complete Blue Note Forties Recordings (Mosaic 107)" Ike Quebec -ts; Roger Ramirez -p; Tiny Grimes -g; Milt Hinton -b; J.C. Heard -d; recorded July 18, 1944 in New York 34147 TINY'S EXERCISE 3.35 Blue Note 6507 37805 BLUE HARLEM 4.33 Blue Note 37 37806 INDIANA 3.55 Blue Note 38 39479 SHE'S FUNNY THAT WAY 4.22 --- 39480 INDIANA 3.53 Blue Note 6507 39481 BLUE HARLEM 4.42 Blue Note 544 40053 TINY'S EXERCISE 3.36 Blue Note 37 Jonah Jones -tp; Tyree Glenn -tb; Ike Quebec -ts; Roger Ramirez -p; Tiny Grimes -g; Oscar Pettiford -b; J.C. Heard -d; recorded September 25, 1944 in New York 37810 IF I HAD YOU 3.21 Blue Note 510 37812 MAD ABOUT YOU 4.11 Blue Note 42 39482 HARD TACK 3.00 Blue Note 510 39483 --- 3.00 prev. unissued 39484 FACIN' THE FACE 3.48 --- 39485 --- 4.08 Blue Note 42 Ike Quebec -ts; Napoleon Allen -g; Dave Rivera -p; Milt Hinton -b; J.C.
    [Show full text]
  • Hermann NAEHRING: Wlodzimierz NAHORNY: NAIMA: Mari
    This discography is automatically generated by The JazzOmat Database System written by Thomas Wagner For private use only! ------------------------------------------ Hermann NAEHRING: "Großstadtkinder" Hermann Naehring -perc,marimba,vib; Dietrich Petzold -v; Jens Naumilkat -c; Wolfgang Musick -b; Jannis Sotos -g,bouzouki; Stefan Dohanetz -d; Henry Osterloh -tymp; recorded 1985 in Berlin 24817 SCHLAGZEILEN 6.37 Amiga 856138 Hermann Naehring -perc,marimba,vib; Dietrich Petzold -v; Jens Naumilkat -c; Wolfgang Musick -b; Jannis Sotos -g,bouzouki; Stefan Dohanetz -d; recorded 1985 in Berlin 24818 SOUJA 7.02 --- Hermann Naehring -perc,marimba,vib; Dietrich Petzold -v; Jens Naumilkat -c; Wolfgang Musick -b; Jannis Sotos -g,bouzouki; Volker Schlott -fl; recorded 1985 in Berlin A) Orangenflip B) Pink-Punk Frosch ist krank C) Crash 24819 GROSSSTADTKINDER ((Orangenflip / Pink-Punk, Frosch ist krank / Crash)) 11.34 --- Hermann Naehring -perc,marimba,vib; Dietrich Petzold -v; Jens Naumilkat -c; Wolfgang Musick -b; Jannis Sotos -g,bouzouki; recorded 1985 in Berlin 24820 PHRYGIA 7.35 --- 24821 RIMBANA 4.05 --- 24822 CLIFFORD 2.53 --- ------------------------------------------ Wlodzimierz NAHORNY: "Heart" Wlodzimierz Nahorny -as,p; Jacek Ostaszewski -b; Sergiusz Perkowski -d; recorded November 1967 in Warsaw 34847 BALLAD OF TWO HEARTS 2.45 Muza XL-0452 34848 A MONTH OF GOODWILL 7.03 --- 34849 MUNIAK'S HEART 5.48 --- 34850 LEAKS 4.30 --- 34851 AT THE CASHIER 4.55 --- 34852 IT DEPENDS FOR WHOM 4.57 --- 34853 A PEDANT'S LETTER 5.00 --- 34854 ON A HIGH PEAK
    [Show full text]
  • Midway Gardens Outdoor Music Chicago Was Midway Gardens, the Splendidby Charlesarchitectural A
    Membership Meeting: Membership Meeting: July 2014 Tuesday, July 8th, 2014 Tuesday, August 12th, 2014 Vol. 74 No. 6 @ 1:00 pm @ 1:00 pm CHICAGMIDWAY0’S MUSICAL GARDENSWHITE ELEPHANT SEE PAGES 16-17 Local 10-208 of AFM CHICAGO FEDERATION OF MUSICIANS OFFICERS – DELEGATES 2014-2016 Gary Matts President Terryl Jares Vice-President Leo Murphy Secretary-Treasurer BOARD OF DIRECTORS Terryl Jares Gary Matts President Robert Bauchens Bob Lizik Rich Daniels Janice MacDonald Frank Donaldson Charles Schuchat B.J. Levy CONTRACT DEPARTMENT Terryl Jares – Vice-President UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION Summer in the City and Out Nancy Van Aacken ASSISTANTS TO THE PRESIDENT - JURISDICTIONS As we move more and more into the digital age, which is usually two weeks or more before the hard Terryl Jares - Vice-President it is increasingly important for the CFM to utilize this copies reach your mailbox. We hope to expand our As I write this, Memorial Day has just passed; and it is finally beginning Supervisor - Entire jurisdiction technology to communicate with our members. The email blasts to include member performances, to feel like the brutal winter has released its grip on Chicago. By the time including theaters (Cell Phone: 312-310-4100) Intermezzo has been posted on our website since moving audition opportunities and any other news that might you read this we’ll be well into the good old summertime when the days are Dean Rolando to the magazine format in 2007. Many of you have be of interest. lazy, hazy and crazy; the livin’ is easy. Recordings, Transcriptions, Documentaries, Etc. requested receiving your Intermezzo solely “on line”.
    [Show full text]
  • Gerry Mulligan Discography
    GERRY MULLIGAN DISCOGRAPHY GERRY MULLIGAN RECORDINGS, CONCERTS AND WHEREABOUTS by Gérard Dugelay, France and Kenneth Hallqvist, Sweden January 2011 Gerry Mulligan DISCOGRAPHY - Recordings, Concerts and Whereabouts by Gérard Dugelay & Kenneth Hallqvist - page No. 1 PREFACE BY GERARD DUGELAY I fell in love when I was younger I was a young jazz fan, when I discovered the music of Gerry Mulligan through a birthday gift from my father. This album was “Gerry Mulligan & Astor Piazzolla”. But it was through “Song for Strayhorn” (Carnegie Hall concert CTI album) I fell in love with the music of Gerry Mulligan. My impressions were: “How great this man is to be able to compose so nicely!, to improvise so marvellously! and to give us such feelings!” Step by step my interest for the music increased I bought regularly his albums and I became crazy from the Concert Jazz Band LPs. Then I appreciated the pianoless Quartets with Bob Brookmeyer (The Pleyel Concerts, which are easily available in France) and with Chet Baker. Just married with Danielle, I spent some days of our honey moon at Antwerp (Belgium) and I had the chance to see the Gerry Mulligan Orchestra in concert. After the concert my wife said: “During some songs I had lost you, you were with the music of Gerry Mulligan!!!” During these 30 years of travel in the music of Jeru, I bought many bootleg albums. One was very important, because it gave me a new direction in my passion: the discographical part. This was the album “Gerry Mulligan – Vol. 2, Live in Stockholm, May 1957”.
    [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]
  • Savoy and Regent Label Discography
    Discography of the Savoy/Regent and Associated Labels Savoy was formed in Newark New Jersey in 1942 by Herman Lubinsky and Fred Mendelsohn. Lubinsky acquired Mendelsohn’s interest in June 1949. Mendelsohn continued as producer for years afterward. Savoy recorded jazz, R&B, blues, gospel and classical. The head of sales was Hy Siegel. Production was by Ralph Bass, Ozzie Cadena, Leroy Kirkland, Lee Magid, Fred Mendelsohn, Teddy Reig and Gus Statiras. The subsidiary Regent was extablished in 1948. Regent recorded the same types of music that Savoy did but later in its operation it became Savoy’s budget label. The Gospel label was formed in Newark NJ in 1958 and recorded and released gospel music. The Sharp label was formed in Newark NJ in 1959 and released R&B and gospel music. The Dee Gee label was started in Detroit Michigan in 1951 by Dizzy Gillespie and Divid Usher. Dee Gee recorded jazz, R&B, and popular music. The label was acquired by Savoy records in the late 1950’s and moved to Newark NJ. The Signal label was formed in 1956 by Jules Colomby, Harold Goldberg and Don Schlitten in New York City. The label recorded jazz and was acquired by Savoy in the late 1950’s. There were no releases on Signal after being bought by Savoy. The Savoy and associated label discography was compiled using our record collections, Schwann Catalogs from 1949 to 1982, a Phono-Log from 1963. Some album numbers and all unissued album information is from “The Savoy Label Discography” by Michel Ruppli.
    [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]
  • JELLY ROLL MORTON's
    1 The TENORSAX of WARDELL GRAY Solographers: Jan Evensmo & James Accardi Last update: June 8, 2014 2 Born: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Feb. 13, 1921 Died: Las Vegas, Nevada, May 25, 1955 Introduction: Wardell Gray was the natural candidate to transfer Lester Young’s tenorsax playing to the bebop era. His elegant artistry lasted only a few years, but he was one of the greatest! History: First musical studies on clarinet in Detroit where he attended Cass Tech. First engagements with Jimmy Raschel and Benny Carew. Joined Earl Hines in 1943 and stayed over two years with the band before settling on the West Coast. Came into prominence through his performances and recordings with the concert promoter Gene Norman and his playing in jam sessions with Dexter Gordon.; his famous recording with Gordon, “The Chase” (1947), resulted from these sessions as did an opportunity to record with Charlie Parker (1947). As a member of Benny Goodman’s small group WG was an important figure in Goodman’s first experiments with bop (1948). He moved to New York with Goodman and in 1948 worked at the Royal Roost, first with Count Basie, then with the resident band led by Tadd Dameron; he made recordings with both leaders. After playing with Goodman’s bigband (1948-49) and recording in Basie’s small group (1950-51), WG returned to freelance work on the West Coast and Las Vegas. He took part in many recorded jam sessions and also recorded with Louie Bellson in 1952-53). The circumstances around his untimely death (1955) is unclear (ref.
    [Show full text]
  • Ko Ko”-- Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, and Others (1945) Added to the National Registry: 2002 Essay by Ed Komara (Guest Post)*
    “Ko Ko”-- Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, and others (1945) Added to the National Registry: 2002 Essay by Ed Komara (guest post)* Charlie Parker Original label “Ko Ko” was Charlie Parker’s signature jazz piece, conceived during his apprenticeship with Kansas City bands and hatched in the after-hours clubs of New York City. But when “Ko Ko” was first released by Savoy Records in early 1946, it seemed more like a call for musical revolution than a result of evolution. “Ko Ko” was developed from a musical challenge that, from 1938 through 1945, confounded many jazzmen. The piece uses the chord structure of “Cherokee,” an elaborate, massive composition that was written by dance-band composer Ray Noble. “Cherokee” was the finale to a concept suite on Native American tribes, the other four movements being “Comanche War Dance,” “Iroquois,” “Sioux Sue,” and “Seminole.” If a standard blues is notated in 12-measures, and a pop song like George Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm” is in 32 measures, Noble’s “Cherokee” is in 64 measures. In 1939, Charlie Barnet popularized “Cherokee” through a hit version for RCA Victor. Meanwhile, jazz musicians noticed the piece, and they tried clumsily to improvise solos to its chord progression. Count Basie, for one, with his Kansas City band, recorded “Cherokee” in February 1939. At the time, Basie had some of the best soloists in jazz like Lester Young, Ed Lewis, and Dicky Wells. But on this record, these four musicians improvised only during the A sections, leaving the very difficult “bridge” sections (measures 33-48 of the piece) to be played by the whole band.
    [Show full text]
  • Biography -- Printable Version
    Biography -- Printable Version Peter Wolf's Historical Biography Written & Researched by Bryan Wiser, and Sheila Warren with Mimi Fox. Born in New York City, Peter grew up in the Bronx during the mid-1950's in a small, three-room apartment where he lived with his parents, older sister, two cats, dog and parakeet. For some time, Peter lived with his grandmother, an actress in New York City's Yiddish Theater. She and Peter had a strong bond, and she affectionately named him "Little Wolf" for his energetic and rambunctious ways. His father was a musician, vaudevillian and singer of light opera. Like Peter did years later, his father left home at age fourteen to join the Schubert Theater Touring Company with which he traveled the country performing light operas such as The Student Prince and Merry Widow. He had his own radio show called The Boy Baritone, which featured new songs from Tin Pan Alley, and was a member of the Robert Shaw Chorale. As a result of such artistic pursuits, Peter's father underwent long periods of unemployment that created a struggle to make financial ends meet. Peter's mother was an elegant and attractive woman who taught inner-city children in the South Bronx for 27 years. A political activist, union organizer and staunch civil rights advocate, she supported racial equality by attending many of the southern "freedom rides" and marches. Peter's older sister was also a teacher as well as a photographer who now works as an advocate for persons with disabilities. She continues her mother's tradition, often marching on Washington to support the rights of the disabled.
    [Show full text]