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An Appreciation by Harold Drob

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An Appreciation by Harold Drob his music from this account, and bear Bunk Johnson them in mind when listening to Bunk’s last records. Accept or reject the music on AN APPRECIATION them according to your own standards. My intention is to explain the motives which BY harold drob led to the making of these recordings, not to sell Bunk Johnson as a musician. I leave that to Bunk himself. Harold Drob is a New York jazz fan who I saw Bunk Johnson for the first time on was responsible for Bunk Johnson’s last January 8, 1946, at Stuyvesant Casino. I recording date, which he calls the only will never forget the date - and I remember sessions to be made with a band entirely it only partly because I was discharged of Bunk’s own choosing. Sides from this from the army that day. 1947 date are receiving belated first This was the first band composed release this Fall, as an LP on the Columbia entirely of New Orleans musicians that I label. had ever heard. I immediately accepted (In this first of two articles, Drob, who the entire band, and perhaps was even came to know Bunk quite well, gives his more impressed with the others than with impressions of the man, reveals some Bunk. But I was sure that he was the best little-known facts about his ”revival” career, trumpet player that I had ever heard in and details the gradual growth of the person, because he always played what I author’s own appreciation of Bunk. In next considered to be correct lead in ensembles. month’s issue he will describe the I was not as sure of how the trombone and recording date. clarinet parts should sound, but being a The Record Changer considers this a rabid Dixie New Orleans fan I wanted to unique and undoubtedly controversial jazz hear ”tailgate” trombone and a full, flowing document. It is also a fascinating personal clarinet. The more complicated the trumpet study of the ”education” of a non-untypical part, the more confused the ensemble jazz fan. - The Editors) sounded to me. I wanted the trumpet to ________ play the melody in the most direct way in order to give the other horns the opportunity One of the most vital and important to play as elaborately as they wished. (At experiences in my life has been the some time in the past I had come to the appreciation of Bunk Johnson and his conclusion that Louis Armstrong was the music. I believe that virtually all of this most disrupting force in New Orleans recordings and much that has been written music, because he gave up playing lead about him in the past have misrepresented and played his complex solo style in the man and his abilities. As far as I am ensembles. His tremendous influence on concerned, the only accurate and other trumpet players even made New complete evidence of his abilities as a Orleans horns like Lee Collins and Punch trumpet player and a leader are to be Miller follow him away from the traditional found in his last series of recordings, made lead style.) Bunk was for me therefore, in December, 1947. To explain why I strictly on the strength of his lead. believe this to be so, I am presenting the I was at Stuyvesant every night that following story. week, which ended the engagement. I was I sincerely wish that I were able to make so overwhelmed by the music that I never this explanation through any medium other thought about any shortcomings that the than a first person narrative. Believe me, I band might have. I understood that they have tried many approaches, and have would be back in town in a month or so, resorted to this method only after all others and passing time found me eagerly failed. I hope that the reader will be able to awaiting their return. In the meantime, I glean the significant facts about Bunk and had their records to listen to, especially the 1 AM sides, which were closest to the sound could handle the New Orleans repertoire of the band as I had heard it. and did not particularly care to hear the The first indication I had that anything pop music that Bunk insisted on playing. I was wrong was shortly before they returned could in no way condone Bunk’s failure to for the second Stuyvesant engagement. I limit himself to the type of music the others ran into the late Gene Williams, sponsor of could play. I remember being especially the first engagement. He had just returned intolerant of the answer Johnson gave a from Los Angeles, where he had heard Kid fan who requested a tune, ”I could play it Ory’s sound for the first time. Gene for you but the rest of the band doesn’t remarked that now he ”understood what know it.” I thought that a leader should Bunk meant when he talked about a band” defend his men, not attack them in public, and that he realized that the band with and that he should have said, ”We don’t George Lewis and Jim Robinson was no know it.” band at all. All this was way over my head. For a while I tried to stay away from the I had records of Ory’s band and didn’t like Stuyvesant, but something made me keep them very much. They seemed much less coming back. Finally I realized that I was spirited than the AM Bunks; they sounded coming to listen to Bunk, and Bunk alone. I arranged rather than freely improvised. stopped listening to the rest of the band Gene finally admitted that I probably could and was able to get my kicks from the old not understand what he was talking about man, who was usually playing well and and only would if I could hear it for myself, often superbly. But George and Drag still since the records of Ory’s band did not had a strong influence on me. I was aware sound like the band at all. that Bunk could not work with these I did learn that Bunk was dissatisfied people, but I had no idea which musicians with his band, that almost immediately he he could work with, if any, and I thought had wanted to replace Robinson with that with a trumpet player like Kid Howard, Sandy Williams, and that Bunk couldn’t George Lewis and the others would have a stand playing with Baby Dodds. This also great band. made no sense to me; I was sure Jim was After the band closed for the second a far greater trombonist than Sandy and time their records no longer satisfied me. that Baby was the greatest drummer in the That same disunity was there, though I world. I guess it was then that I began to had never realized it before. But Bunk had build up a personal dislike for Bunk, even me hooked. So, when I found out that he though I had only had a few typical jazz- was to play a concert at Orchestra Hall in fan-type conversations with him. I attributed Chicago in September, 1946, I went out to his dissatisfaction to jealousy (Jim, George, hear him. It was a fiasco. Bunk arrived two and Baby had large followings) and a mean hours late and didn’t even try to play well. nature. But I was learning things. Bad as Bunk When the band returned to Stuyvesant was at the concert, the band (Howard, this impression of Bunk became more Preston Jackson, Don Ewell, Johnny pronounced. I became very friendly with Lindsey, and Snags Jones) gave him very Lewis and Slow Drag and everything that sympathetic support. This was the first they told me bore out my suspicions. To evidence I had of a band working with the them Bunk was a nasty old man who was lead, instead of every man going his own trying to make them unhappy and show way. them in a bad light by playing tunes that I was still very much confused and were unfamiliar to them and using keys come back to New York trying to make a they had never played in before. little sense out of the whole thing. I wanted By now I was aware that there were to hear Bunk, but could not understand fractions in the band. Like many other why he was apparently making it so hard fans, I held Bunk entirely responsible for for me to hear him properly. the disunity. I thought Lewis and Robinson 2 Then Gene Williams went to San that until they could perform it flawlessly. Francisco to promote Kid Ory’s band. A Then they put the music aside and began good friend of mine, who heard this band, to take liberties with the arrangement. But tried to describe it in a letter. The best he they did not attempt to insert their own could do was say that they played together ideas until they were sure that they knew much in the way that Jelly Roll Morton’s exactly how the tune went and what each band played on Black Bottom Stomp. He man’s part was supposed to be. Mutt was called it the greatest musical experience the real leader of this band once they that he had ever had. By now I had no started playing. Ory might decide what choice but to go out to ‘Frisco and hear for they were going to play but Mutt set the myself.
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