BULLETIN NR 2, APRIL 2019, ÅRGÅNG 27

Harold ”Shorty” Baker

Duke’s Lyrical Trumpeter

I detta nummer – In this issue

Ledare och jazzatmosfär 2 The Eighth Veil 11 Harold ”Shorty” Baker 4 Kvinnornas Duke Ellington 12 Harold Baker remembered Jerome Kern, lite Gershwin och Duke 13 by Clark Terry 9 Al Sears – An original voice 14 Dukes födelsedag 29 april 1969 10 Nya böcker 19 Nya skivor 10 Kallelse 20 2-2019

”Duke is not dead”

Med de orden inledde Leonard Feather medlemsavgiften. Många har gjort det att man fordrade 500 exemplar för att sitt anförande vid Ellingtonkonferensen och i skrivande stund är det 193 som distribuera vår Bulletin som Posttidning i Köpenhamn 1992. Han hade så rätt. Jag betalat, varav 31 utlänningar. Med ut- B. Jag har svårt att förstå vad som hin- deltog visserligen inte i den konferensen länningar menas de som bor utanför drar Postnord att distribuera en mindre men har läst om den i efterhand. Den 29 Skandinavien. Skandinaviska medlem- mängd på samma villkor som för 500 ex. april kan vi fira Dukes 120-årsdag och mar boende i Danmark, Norge och Fin- Deras beslut har lett till att vi nu tvingas vid så hög ålder är han ändå i högsta land betalar samma medlemsavgift som skicka ut vår Bulletin som brev till en grad levande för oss. Hans musik kom- svenskar. Emellertid tvingas vi betala avsevärt högre kostnad. Postnord för- mer aldrig att dö. Hans namn kommer samma portoavgift för Bulletinen till alla klarar behovet av en högre taxa på ned- alltid att nämnas i samma sammanhang utanför Sverige boende medlemmar. Det gången i brevförsändelser. Då ställer jag som Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Cope- är således inte rimligt att medlemmar i mig frågan varför vår regering tillåter land, James P. Johnson, Cole Porter och Danmark, Norge och Finland betalar att det finns flera distributörer utöver Irving Berlin när det gäller de amerikan- ’svensk’ avgift eftersom portoavgiften Postnord. Både Bring, City Mail, DHL, ska kompositörerna och det ligger natur- är högre för denna kategori. Inför 2020 Schenker och vanliga tidningsbud leve- ligtvis nära till hands att även jämföra kommer vi därför att kategorisera dessa rerar numera post. Vore det inte bättre honom med de stora europeiska kompo- nationaliteter som ’utlänningar’ och krä- att låta Postnord få ha monopol på post- sitörerna. I en framtid tror jag att Dukes va medlemsavgift därefter. Allt för att få distribution resulterande i lägre avgifter verk som Harlem, The River, New World täckning för våra portokostnader. för svenska folket? Det frågar sig er nå- A-Comin’ och The Degas Suite kommer att Det har säkert inte undgått någon got irriterade ordförande. framföras av symfoniorkestrar världen att Postnord ansökt hos regeringen om över. På annan plats i denna Bulletin kan att få höja portot inom en nära framtid. läsas om hur Duke firade sin 70-årsdag. Man kan inte längre påstå att företa- Så över till mera triviala detaljer. Jag get Postnord är särskilt serviceinriktat. är mån om vår förenings ekonomi och Utöver en portohöjning hotar man dess- jag har under de senaste månaderna utom med brevutdelning endast 3 dagar påmint våra medlemmar om att betala i veckan. Det som irriterat mig mest är Leif Jönsson, ordförande i DESS

Jazzatmosfär med pianoekvilibristik

skäl kom söderkisen Runes musikupple- velser att i stor utsträckning präglas av Duke´s Place Stockholmsjazzen. Men det var ju också därifrån vi ’lantisar’ i övriga Sverige fick rapporter om vad som var inne. Några fler medlemmar än vanligt hade Vi fick en ingående presentation av glädjande nog passat på tillfället att be- hur Rune upplevde jazzhistorien med söka Ellingtonsällskapets senaste möte i de stora namnen, men också samvaron Franska Skolan. Efter ett rutinmässigt års- med kompisar och scenupplevelser, möte tog Rune Sjögren över med ett kåse- både i stort och smått, som präglat hans ri om sitt liv med jazzen från tidiga tonår jazzliv och jazzuppfattning. Konsertjazz till mogen ålder. Vi som är födda på 30- och musik på radio samt inspelningar och 40-talet hade säkert lätt att anamma med dagens teknik är inte Runes melodi, hans minnen och känsloupplevelser, dock eftersom han alltid strävat efter en spe- kanske med andra variationer och val av ciell atmosfär i lyssnandet – och varför jazzmusik och dess profiler. Men igenkän- inte? Vi hittar alla in i jazzen och dess Rune Sjögren. ningsfaktorn var säkert hög! Av naturliga innersta väsen på olika sätt! Som kom-

2 plement till Runes jazzberättelse fick no med självaste John Lewis i konserthu- vi lyssna till ett antal inspelningar som set 1994 och den konserten sitter fortfa- färgat hans jazzuppfattning: Slave to the rande i delar av min ryggrad. Blues med Gertrude ’Ma’ Rainey, The Vad bjöds vi då på denna kväll? Jo, en Things We Did Last Summer från 1949 fantastisk Ellingtonkavalkad, som om- med Fats Navarro, gitarr- och mun- fattade nästan samtliga de kompositio- spelsduon Lightnin’ Hopkins och Sonny ner, som vi normalt förknippar med ’the Terry i Got To Move Your Baby, Benny Duke’: Take The ’A’ Train, Do Nothing till Goodmans inspelning från 1939 av The You Hear From Me, Isfahan, Things Ain’t Sheik of Araby, Really the Blues med Sid- What They Used To Be, In A Sentimental ney Bechet, Count Basie i ett typiskt rif- Mood, Caravan, Don’t Get Around Much figt svängnumer, Loose Wig med Lionel Anymore, Perdido, I Got It Bad, Satin Doll, Hampton, den klassiska inspelningen Lush Life, Lotus Blossom och C Jam Blues. av Yesterday med Billie Holiday, King Davors pianospel är generellt ett mycket Oliver i sin Dippermouth Blues, Basie och kraftfullt tvåhandsspel och ibland blir Herschel Evans-inspelningen av Lady Be man påmind om de gamla stridepia- Good från 1937, Stardust med Louis Arm- nisterna, vilka en gång också präglade Davor Kajfes. strong och slutligen Black and Tan Fantasy Duke Ellingtons pianospel. med Duke Ellington från 1943 års Carne- Isfahan, t.ex. omfattades av denna stil gie Hall-framträdande. Se där en verklig med en kraftfull tolkning av hela kom- jazzhistoria under några viktiga år! positionen. Även i In A Sentimental Mood Davor avslutade sitt framträdande presenterades melodin kraftfullt, men med en hyllning till Alice Babs, som han Piano à la carte också följd av mjuka och drömmande stått nära och samarbetat med i många Kvällens levande musikinslag med passager. I Caravan såg i alla fall jag ka- år. Vi fick avslutningsvis lyssna till Come pianisten Davor Kajfes blev exakt vad melerna komma knallande i öknen. ”Nu Sunday, Heaven och All Mighty God med programbladet utlovade och kanske måste vi ta något aggressivt”, sade Da- ett emotionellt mjukt pianospel och stora ännu mer: ”ett elegant pianospel som ni vor och presenterade en version av Per- känslosvängningar. Applåderna blev inte får höra varje dag.” Själv hade jag dido så att t.o.m. Malmsjöflygelns ben många, långa och varma. glädjen att få höra honom spela duopia- stampade takten. Thomas Harne

Skylten bakom East St. Louis Toodle-Oo

Stanley Dances bok ”The World of Duke ”Bubber had a habit of singing words Ellington” (Charles Scribner’s Sons, from advertising signs that happened to NYK) inleds med en intervju med Elling- suggest music to him. As the story goes, ton där han talar om de formativa åren. there was a sign for a cleaner called Le- Bl.a. säger han följande: wando that the band could see from train ”But Bubber and Tricky were the first windows as they went from New York to to get really wide recognition for the Boston to begin their summer tours at plunger thing. They had such beautiful Salem Willows. Bubber began singing, teamwork together. As a matter of fact, ‘Oh, lee-wan-do, oh lee-wan-do,’ and everything we used to do in the old days thus the theme was born”. had a picture. We’d be riding along and Den situation som här beskrivs torde see a name on a sign. We used to spend ha ägt rum senast 1926 om det stämmer a lot of time up in New England, around att iakttagelsen gav upphov till East St. Boston, and we’d see this sign, LEWAN- Louis Toodle-Oo, som första gången spe- DO CLEANERS, and every time we saw lades in den 29 november 1926. Man it we’d start singing: Oh, Lee-wan-do! Out kan ha en misstanke att Mileys ord ’Oh of that came East St. Louis Toodle-Oo. Pro- Var det den här skylten som Bubber såg? lee-wan-do’ kan ha en mening. Något på bably it would have been better if we had den tidens Harlem-slang. I så fall säker- called it Lewando and get some adverti- tuationen i sin bok “Duke Ellington” ligen ett något dubiöst uttryck. Svårt att sing money from it”. (Michael Joseph Ltd, London) med föl- säga nu nästan hundra år senare. James Lincoln Collier beskriver si- jande ord: Bo Haufman

3 Harold ”Shorty” Baker A first class musical craftsman

By Thomas Erikson

On June 30, 1951, Duke Ellington and his Orchestra played at Birdland. Before one of the numbers to be performed Duke says ”and now Harold Baker, one of our great trumpet players, plays a traditio- nal thing brought forward from the late thirties, Boy Meets Horn.” That number was originally composed in 1938 for cornetist Rex Stewart and had a recur- rent place in the band´s repertoire until 1945, when Stewart left. Boy Meets Horn with its quirky harmonic twists conse- quently was strongly associated with Rex Stewart and his special way of play- ing, including half depressed valves and strange wheezing low register sounds. That this number was played relatively often during Stewart´s stay can be seen in The New DESOR discography, which mentions eight recorded performan- ces between 1938 and 1945. The next recorded performance is the one made at Birdland on June 30, 1951. The ar- rangement for the orchestra remains the same, but Harold Baker plays the solo parts in his own more soft and lyrical way quite different from Stewart´s more audacious playing. To quote Eddie Lam- bert in Duke Ellington A Listener´s Guide Baker here finds ”some unexpected pockets of lyricism.” One may speculate how prepared Baker was to perform Boy Meets Horn on this occasion. In 1951 he had been in the Ellington orchestra continuously since 1946 but there is no other recorded performance of the number from this pe- rament and makes it his own. As told by the Ellington band of 1958 in El Gato, a riod. According to The New DESOR there Clark Terry and others, Duke would so- number showing off its mighty trumpet is only one later performance by the El- metimes call up one of the musicians to section of the time, where Baker was one lington band, from 1957 featuring Cat perform in a surprising and unprepared of the four members. The other three, Cat Anderson. role. Duke of course was well aware of Anderson, Ray Nance and Clark Terry, Baker´s sudden appearance in Boy Baker´s capacity. receive quite a lot of praise and attention Meets Horn 1951 may have been a rare It has been said that Harold Baker in the comments to the cut, while only and unexpected event, but it can be has been overlooked. He has even been one mentions Baker´s elegant solo. heard as a fine example of how this very called one of the great underappreciated However, those who have heard competent and personal musician hand- trumpeters of the jazz world. This may and followed Harold Baker closely have les a solo marked by a different tempe- be illustrated by a cut on Youtube with commented on his playing with warmth

4 and appreciation. Here are some of them: Duck´s Yas Yas Yas and Good Old Bosom Baker´s first professional contact Duke Ellington (Music is my Mistress): Bread. Gunther Schuller mentions this with Duke Ellington happened in 1938. ”His way of playing a melody was absolutely session in his book The Swing Era, The According to early discographies, for in- personal, and he had no bad notes at all.” development of Jazz 1931-1945 describing stance Benny Aasland´s The Wax Works of Rex Stewart (his autobiography Boy Baker, not 18 years old at the time, as ”a Duke Ellington, Baker is even supposed Meets Horn):” …that unbelievable brace of fine soloist in the Armstrong manner.” Ba- to have recorded with Ellington´s band trumpeters Harold Baker, Adolphus Cheat- ker himself has told that he early on had a couple of times in early 1938. When ham and Taft Jordan. These are trumpet fine professional offers but steadfastly Gunther Schuller listens to Ellington´s players that most trumpet players consider said no to them in the beginning. ”I simp- Steppin´ Into Swing Society recorded on ”real” players.” January 13, 1938, he actually senses ”the E. Lambert (Duke Ellington A Listener´s added big-toned voice of Harold ”Shorty” Guide): ”Baker was a first class musical Baker” as a new part of the trumpet sec- craftsman held in the highest esteem by his tion. However The New DESOR has Ba- fellow musicians. As a lead player he was wit- ker recording with Ellington no earlier hout peer, his superb tone and finely judged than on September 28, 1942, when the phrasing made him an ideal first trumpet. On band recorded the music for the film Ca- ballads Baker´s rich golden sound allied to his bin In The Sky. lyrical phrasing and impeccable musicianship made him an instantly recognizable soloist.” Meeting Mary Lou Williams After leaving Redman and a few other Career short engagements (including one with Harold Baker, often called Shorty, Count Basie) Harold Baker joined Teddy was born on May 26, 1914, in St. Louis, Wilson´s big band. This band lasted less Missouri. Several trumpet players in ly didn´t feel ready. I wanted to feel comple- than a year, but was of the highest class the history of jazz have a background tely sure of myself before going into music.” in Baker´s opinion. In 1940 he became a in St. Louis. Some more or less well- At least it appears that Baker must member of Andy Kirk´s Clouds of Joy known ones are Charlie Creath, Irving have sounded good around 1935 accor- where he also met his future wife Mary Randolph, Leonard Davis, Joe Thomas, ding to Ray Nance. He has told about an Lou Williams. As a pianist and arranger Clark Terry and Miles Davis. This town early meeting with Shorty, who was also she was the main force behind the suc- had a tradition of brass band music roo- one of those in the Ellington band that cess and personality of Kirk´s orchestra. ted in a big group of German immigrants Nance admired most. ”First time I heard While with the Clouds of Joy Baker re- and there were also a number of skilled him was with the Crackerjacks in East St. corded for the first time in a small group black teachers, who came to have as their Louis around 1935. I had enlarged my little setting. As Mary Lou Williams and her pupils several future jazz musicians. One band for the occasion and we alternated in Kansas City Seven a group of musicians of these teachers, P.G. Langford, taught the dance hall. It was a very tight and fine from the Kirk band recorded two pieces, Harold Baker, Louis Metcalf and Joe group and when they started to play I heard a Baby Dear and Harmony Blues for the Dec- Thomas among others. beautiful sound from across the room. I went ca label. This smaller setting of course Baker himself has told about his early over and asked who the trumpet player was offers more space for Baker´s beautiful difficulties when learning the trumpet: ”I and they introduced us to each other.” tone and distinct playing. breathed all wrong and it strained the whole Both Harold Baker and Mary Lou side of my face. It used to hurt so. I blew from With Don Redman Williams began to feel unhappy with too low and I couldn´t learn to keep my sto- Anyhow, Baker must have felt ready the increasingly commercial focus of the mach tight. I used to blow with my jaw as to accept a real professional offer in 1935. Clouds and eventually they both left the hard as a wall and my teacher would walk up That year he joined Don Redman´s or- band in 1942. They planned a future to- and bang the trumpet right out of my mouth. chestra, where he was to stay for three gether and married in November of that I pressed so hard against my teeth that they years. Redman had an exceptionally year. Morning Glory, the biography of were sore all the time. To cure myself, I hang fine band in the thirties according to Ba- Mary Lou Williams by Linda Dahl, gives my trumpet on a string from the ceiling. Just ker who has described his time there as some insights into how the couple lived walk up to it and blow it without touching it going to school. ”By having someone like during this time. Their life included for- with my hands.” Don to sit down talking to you and explain- ming a group together and they started Shorty´s older brother, Winfield Ba- ing things you automatically improved your to hire local musicians from Pittsburgh ker, played trombone in a local group technique on the instrument immensely. If where they had settled. Mary Lou was where Shorty himself also played early you like what you are doing you are atten- the one who did most of the work to find on. As Eddie Johnson´s Crackerjacks tive and remember what you have learnt. musicians and build a repertoire for the this group as early as February 25, 1932, Don was a big influence on my musical thin- group. Baker is described here as ”neither recorded two numbers for Victor, The king.”. a practical man nor a man of much drive.

5 Focused only on music and his horn, he was 1943. This was not exactly Mary Lou´s fied by Ellington into Trumpet No End, a the quintessential improvising jazz musician view when she began to follow Baker number showing off the trumpet section. and, like a good number of his contempora- and the Ellington band. She was not at Mary Lou has said that Baker was unhap- ries, he liked the bottle too much.” all impressed. ”What a strange group. I py with Ellington’s modification since it Baker´s and Mary Lou´s group, which guess there were too many stars, because robbed him of solo space originally allot- included future well-known drummer so many of them weren´t speaking to each ted to him. Another of her arrangements Art Blakey, never made any recordings. other. They´d go for months and months and was a variation on Stardust written espe- The reason was the ban on recordings wouldn´t play anything much. Harold and I cially to feature Baker and played during imposed in 1942 by ASCAP (the Ameri- hung out with Lawrence Brown, Juan Tizol, Duke Ellington´s Carnegie Hall Concert can Society of Composers, Authors and Pu- Tricky Sam. For about three months, nothing in December 1943. This arrangement was blishers). However, the group seems to happened. Really draggy music.” Although given to him as a present by Mary Lou have been reasonably successful during she felt strongly for Ellington´s and Billy and is a fine example of his exquisite bal- an engagement lasting some months at Strayhorn´s music she decided to leave lad playing. A later (1957) and equally Mason´s Farm in Cleveland, where they for New York to find work and a place fine Stardust played by Baker with the had followed Coleman Hawkins´s gro- to live for her and Baker. However she Ellington band can be found on Youtube, up. Mary Lou has noted in her diary that the musicians in her and Baker´s group disliked him. The reason may have been that Baker was already big time having played with bands like Teddy Wilson´s and Andy Kirk´s while the others had only played around Pittsburgh. Anyhow, they resented him and he was made to feel the odd man out.

Joining Duke Ellington In September 1942 Harold Baker joi- ned Duke Ellington´s orchestra and left the group started by him and Mary Lou. His replacement in the group was Ma- rion Hazel, a Pittsburgh musician. The other members of the group, all Pitts- burghers, considered Hazel ”the greatest on trumpet” but Mary Lou was dissatis- fied. In her opinion the newcomer could not in any way be compared to Baker. In her diary she noted: ”No one in the band felt like giving the Ellington band a last but the arrangement used here is not the realized the value of Harold Baker. He could chance and stayed another night to listen. one written by Mary Lou. play 10 solos and fall back in a fast moving That night, somewhere in Ohio, the band ensemble without splitting notes. The new evidently hit on all cylinders. As Mary Military service trumpet man would split a D in the staff.” Lou tells it: ”And I´m telling you, when This period of Harold Baker´s in the But Ellington was satisfied. He had that band hit, I´ve never heard anything like Ellington band ended sometime early received an excellent first trumpet player that before in my life. And I think everybody 1944, when he was called up for military and in addition an excellent soloist, who else was just in hysterics or something. Duke service. He had actually ignored an ear- with his beautiful tone was able to conti- was vamping. They played Caravan. It soun- lier draft notice and, as trumpeter Irving nue a tradition earlier maintained by Ar- ded like Stravinsky and I said, well this is the Randolph tells it, was actually grabbed thur Whetsel in the Ellington band. Mary greatest band on earth. It was. When they fi- off the bandstand at Apollo where the El- Lou went on struggling with her group nished I screamed and everybody else in the lington band played. but finally dissolved it. She joined Baker place screamed. Everything they played was During his military service Baker and on his tours with the Ellington band. like that.” Mary Lou began to drift apart and they In an interview made for the Swe- Mary Lou´s experience led to her ceased to be a couple. However, their dish magazine Orkesterjournalen, during staying with Baker on the Ellington marriage was never formally dissolved Ellington´s visit to Sweden in 1958, Ba- tours. She also started to write arrang- before Baker´s death in 1966. He left mi- ker compared the current Ellington band ements for the band. One of her more litary service in 1946 and in July of that to what it used to be. In his opinion the well-known ones was of Irving Berlin´s year reclaimed his seat in the Ellington band reached its absolute peak in 1939- Blue Skies, an arrangement later modi- band using his right under the G.I. Bill

6 of Rights, which gave former servicemen the right to return to their earlier place of work. In late 1946, Harold Baker participa- ted in a recording session for the Hot Re- cord Society label by a small group led by Russell Procope, who had recently joi- ned Ellington´s band. The other partici- pants, among them tenorist John Hardee and Billy Kyle on piano, had no Elling- ton connection. The session has much of Baker´s clean beautiful playing. Com- menting on this session in a reissue, Dan Morgenstern writes that Baker´s playing in one of the numbers, Four Wheel Drive, ”lets us hear why young Miles Davis was in- fluenced by him – that vibratoless St. Louis sound and taste.”

Returning to Ellington After his return to Ellington in 1946 Baker was to remain until late 1951. His beautifully controlled playing can be heard in a number of recordings made by the Ellington band during this period. Clark Terry, Paul Gonsalves och Harold Baker. Good examples are his delicate muted playing in two recordings for Victor in during Ellington´s tour of Europe in 1946, Pretty Woman and a version of W.C. Rejoining Ellington 1950, Hodges had shown his indepen- Handy´s Beale Street Blues. A remarkable During 1955 Johnny Hodges disban- dence by doing four recording sessions piece is Billy Strayhorn´s Hearsay, a move- ded his group and in August rejoined the under his own name in Paris and Copen- ment of Ellington-Strayhorn´s Deep South, Ellington Orchestra. After various shor- hagen. Most of the musicians on these a suite intended as a musical portrait of ter engagements Baker again rejoined sessions are fellow Ellingtonians inclu- the American South. Hearing Baker´s sad Ellington in May 1957, this time staying ding the tenorist Don Byas, who toured lonely trumpet against a somber back- until September 1959. His playing remai- with Ellington in Europe. Baker is on all ground it is possible to associate to the ned as fine as ever. Exquisite ballad play- the recordings and shines whenever he darker aspects of life in the South. Deep ing can be heard on Willow Weep For Me is heard as a soloist. A typical example is South was never recorded commercially, and Mood Indigo on the Columbia album Last Legs Blues where he tells a little story but recordings made 1946 from concerts Ellington Indigos. Also worth mentio- on the blues harmonies in his solo. In the in Carnegie Hall and The Civic Opera ning is Baker´s role in a new recording of 1958 interview for the Orkesterjournalen House in Chicago have been issued. parts of Black, Brown and Beige made by mentioned earlier Baker said that play- There is more exquisite playing by Ellington for another Columbia album. ing a solo is like telling a story. “You have Baker on the version of Sophisticated Baker there recreates his solo parts from to begin it and come to an ending and there Lady arranged by Strayhorn for the 1950 the original performances of B, B and B in must be a point or sense.” album Masterpieces by Ellington. ”A bal- 1943, including his unaccompanied solo Baker joined Hodges´s group in lad solo of outstanding quality” to quote introducing the movement Light. Baker 1954 as a replacement for Emmet Berry. Lambert´s A Listener’s Guide. was a relative newcomer to the band in If you want to listen to Baker playing 1943 and the important parts already on recordings with the group you may With Johnny Hodges then given to him in B, B and B says so- well start by Used To Be Duke, a lively Early December 1951 Harold Baker mething of his competence and skill. swinging piece with enthusiastic solos again left the Ellington band. According A recurrent number in the repertoire by most participants (although not from to Willie Cook, who had just joined the of the Ellington band 1958-59 was Mr. John Coltrane who is said to have been band, Baker considered his pay too low. Gentle And Mr. Cool where Baker shared on the session). Baker plays a biting ex- Earlier that year Johnny Hodges had also solo space with Ray Nance. Normally it citing solo changing into growling in the left the Ellington band to form his own was not explained who of them was who middle, a fine contrast to his often more group together with Lawrence Brown of the two characters referred to in the controlled ways. and Sonny Greer among others. Already title, but Baker´s normally more control-

7 led way of playing would have made him Baker´s album does not seem to have two trumpet players interchange solos a likely candidate. Having heard the El- given him the economic lift he had ho- reflecting their different temperament. lington band at the Newport Festival 1958 ped for and he stayed with Ellington un- Quincy Jones wrote about this number til September 1959. During this period he Back with Ellington ”It´s fantastic how effective simplicity is. I´m can of course be heard here and there in Baker returned once more to Elling- glad to see Harold Baker back in the band.” the recordings by the band. A typical ex- ton in December 1961, this time as a re- Baker told about the strain of touring ample is his elegant solo in the fast tem- placement for Ray Nance, who was tem- in the 1958 interview for the Orkesterjour- po of Red Shoes on the Columbia album porarily absent. His last officially released nalen saying that Duke had been war- Jazz Party. His beautiful full tone presen- recording with the Ellington band is the ned by his doctor that he should cease ting a melodious theme can be heard in version of the French song Under Paris travelling. Baker´s view was that the Almost Cried in the Columbia album with Skies made for the Columbia album Mid- endless touring drained Ellington of the Ellington-Strayhorn´s music to the film night In Paris on February 27, 1962. The strength to write much of the music he Anatomy Of A Murder. number is a charming arrangement in carried within himself. ”If Duke just had During 1959 Baker played in a recor- waltz time, probably by Billy Strayhorn, the strength to write himself, he wouldn´t ding session organized by Stanley Dance with Baker and Harry Carney soloing. need a man such as Strayhorn. That boy sits for the Felsted label and issued under Harold Baker left the Ellington band for the last time in March 1962. During the following years he performed in various combinations. In June 1964 he participa- ted in a jazz festival in Pittsburgh arrang- ed by George Wein and Mary Lou Willi- ams, with Art Blakey´s Jazz Messengers, Dave Brubeck, Ben Webster and Thelo- nious Monk among the other attractions. Throughout the years Harold Baker and Mary Lou Williams had maintained a ci- vil, if distant contact. As work grew scarce and his health deteriorated during the sixties she even helped him economically and in other ways, for instance bringing food to him when he was hospitalized.

One of the greatest Harold Baker belongs to a generation of jazz trumpet players whose earliest in New York and lives well. He seldom has Billy Strayhorn´s name as Cue For Saxo- and most decisive influence was Louis to come along on the tours”. Baker went phone. Strayhorn of course was on piano Armstrong. Another influence mentioned on to say that Duke for a long time had and the other blowers (Johnny Hodges, by Baker was Joe Smith, whose credits in- been dreaming of settling down and so- Quentin Jackson and Russell Procope) clude playing with Fletcher Henderson´s lely compose – write musicals, operettas, were fellow Ellingtonians. Contem- orchestra and accompanying Bessie show music and all sorts of pieces. porary or ex/future Ellingtonians also Smith on a number of records. Smith was surround Baker on two albums recorded a master according to Baker, who has said Freelancing under Johnny Hodges´s name in 1959 that Smith´s playing sounded almost like In the interview Baker also talked for Verve, but not issued until 1979 as a a human voice with its clean clear to- about his plans to leave the Ellington double album named The Smooth One. nes. That description could apply also to band. He wanted to form a small group The music on these recordings is fine Baker´s own playing. His full warm tone of his own and play whatever he liked. throughout, not at least when Baker ap- is one the most beautiful in jazz, his solos He hoped that his recently (September pears as a soloist. are well constructed and often melodious, 1958) recorded album The Broadway Beat Outside the Ellington sphere Ba- but also with powerful accents and occa- for the King label would succeed in the ker recorded two albums for Prestige/ sional growls. He was certainly one of the same way as the Capitol albums made Swingville in the early sixties, one with greatest and most dependable musicians around that time by Jonah Jones, a trum- tenorist Bud Freeman, the other with ever to play in Duke Ellington´s orchest- pet player of Baker´s generation. Jones´s trumpeter Doc Cheatham, his old collea- ra. He should be mentioned among the recordings had been made with a quartet gue from the Teddy Wilson band. These jazz greats on trumpet. Harold Baker pas- of just him and rhythm. Baker used the records provide much fine Baker, not sed away on November 8, 1966. The cause same format in his album. least the one with Cheatham where the of death was throat cancer.

8 Harold ”Shorty” Baker remembered by Clark Terry

As told to Steve Voce

Everybody loved Shorty. I can’t start I remember on this particular trip, to tell you just how he will be missed we had been on a particularly tough around the New York scene. You see, stretch, the places we had played had he was one of those real lovable guys. been hundreds of miles apart. One night Wherever Shorty was, there was laugh- having slept in the bus, it was discove- ter. He was always making jokes, even red that the food bought at our last stop when things weren’t at their best. He had been left behind. Everybody was even made a joke when I went to see dragged. No breakfast and no chance him in hospital. He had had that terrible of a stop. There was no time. “Never operation, and his voice was husky and mind” smiled Shorty, “now’s the time barely audible. You had to bend over to to open up that parcel my mother sent hear what he was saying. “I’m going to me. That lovely chicken and those lusci- beat this thing”, he said. “I don’t sound ous devilled eggs, plenty for all!” It was no worse than some of those old blues all a gag of course, but Shorty was able singers, now do I?” to make everyone feel just that little bit And he did beat it, you know. When better. everybody had given him up for dead, Part of the reason for that personal Shorty made it out of that hospital. All tone of his was the fact that he always he wanted to do, was to play his horn used a Hein mouthpiece. It was a very again. When just recently, he knew he unusual mouthpiece, very deep and wasn’t ever going to be able to play thin, maybe only an eighth of an inch again, then I think he kinda gave up. Photo by Bill Crow. in thickness. It was made in St. Louis But not so long ago I was playing at Em- and not everyone could play with one. bers West and in he came and asked if Miles Davis had one, which he lost, and he could sit in. Of course we were de- always welcomed him “home” when he has never been able to replace. I used to lighted and made room for him at once. returned to the band, because he was have one too. Shorty always had his. He played that night with all his old fire the perfect trumpeter to give the right St. Louis, you know, is a town cele- and that beautiful pure tone, which was expression to Duke’s music. A lyrical brated for trumpet players. Always has his alone. No one has ever achieved a player, you know, with the clearest tone been from the start. Dewey Jackson, a tone like that, and I should know for he imaginable and such impeccable taste. wonderful player, whom I heard when I was my inspiration from the beginning. He was certainly one of the most popu- was a kid. Charlie Creath, the man they We came from the same town, St. Louis, lar players ever to play with the Elling- knew as ‘The King of the Cornet’, Levi and Shorty Baker was the man I always ton band, he always kept them in good Madison and Crack Stanley, two more listened to when he was back home in humour. great players. The brothers Wendell and between going on the road with such I remember once Duke’s band was Marvin Black, Joe Thomas and of course bands as Fate Marable, Erskine Tate and on one of those long, long road gigs. Miles Davis. All really great trumpet Don Redman. He played with so many Up early every morning, get in that bus, players. Well, some of them have gone good bands, for he was an excellent sec- travel hundreds of miles, play a dance now, some of the real good ones, but tion man, and they all loved having him or a concert, but mostly dances in tho- wherever they are I know they will wel- around because as I said he was such se days, until the early hours and then come Shorty, because there was never a a happy, humorous man. He was with drop into bed, which was often enough better trumpet player to come out of St. Teddy Wilson when Teddy had that big your seat on the bus. Musicians are apt Louis, that city of trumpet players, than band, he played with Andy Kirk, and to get a bit salty under these conditions, Harold ‘Shorty’ Baker. of course married Andy’s pianist, Mary lack of sleep, lack of food and lack of Lou Williams, and I really can’t count everything else that makes life worth li- the times he was with Duke Ellington, ving. But not Shorty! He was always in This article was originally published in Jazz he was always coming and going. Duke there with a smile and a joke. Journal, January, 1967. 9 Dukes födelsedag 29 april 1969

Duke har nyligen firat sin 120-års dag, och det finns anledning att erinra oss hur han firade sin 70-årsdag 1969. Denna högtids- dag celebrerade Ellington tillsammans med sina närmaste och andra vänner i musikvärlden i Vita Huset på inbjudan av dåvarande presidenten Richard Nixon, som tilldelade Duke den högsta ameri- kanska civila utmärkelsen, Medal of Free- dom. Vid tillfället hade en orkester av All Star-karaktär samlats för att hedra Duke. I bandet ingick storheter som Earl Hines, Clark Terry, Gerry Mulligan, J.J. Johnson, Louie Bellson, Billy Taylor, Bill Berry m.fl. Nixon, prior to the presentation, played lington och hans orkester gjorde sin Eu- Händelsen finns noggrant beskriven i bo- “Happy Birthday” to Duke on the piano. After- ropaturné hösten 1969. Den 20 novem- ken ”Ellington at the White House 1969” wards, he presented Ellington with the medal. ber uppträdde Ellington med orkestern by Edward Allan Faine (IM Press). Elling- Duke, as was his custom à la francaise, på L’Alcazar i Paris och i anslutning till tons reguljära orkester kunde inte närvara kissed Nixon four times, alternating twice on konserten hade George Wein och den lo- pga engagemang på annan ort. each cheek. Nixon didn’t know how to take it, kale organisatören arrangerat för ett din- Ellington tilldelades medaljen under especially when Ellington told him that the ner party med stor uppvaktning varvid högtidliga former och Duke hade sitt four kisses were meant for each cheek! många franska dignitärer deltog, bl.a. eget speciella sätt att tacka för utmärkel- I detta sammanhang kan det vara Maurice Chevalier. Rolf Ericson berät- sen, vilket Rich Hargrove har skildrat på intressant att notera vilka övriga i den tade om det fantastiska evenemanget i följande sätt i sin bok ”Anecdotal Jazz”: musikaliska underhållningsvärlden som sin intervju i vår Bulletin 3/2018. Hela In 1969, Duke Ellington’s 70th birthday tilldelats Medal of Freedom: Marion An- festen filmades av fransk TV och sändes was celebrated at the White House where El- derson, Pearl Bailey, Irving Berlin, Doris den 3 januari 1970 med titeln ”Les 70 ans lington received the highest award granted to Day, Ella Fitzgerald och Frank Sinatra. du Duke”. Delar av konsertmaterialet har a civilian, the Medal of Freedom. Attendees Fransmännen ville också gärna hylla senare getts ut på CD ”Sarpe Top Jazz – ranged from President & Mrs. Nixon to mem- Ellington på hans 70-årsdag, men de fick Duke Ellington 4” (SJ-1024). bers of Congress and the Administration. ingen möjlighet att göra detta förrän El- Bo Haufman

Nya skivor: teatermusik och live från 1964-1966

Denna gång har vi två nya CD-utgåvor december Strayhorn en inspelning av Tonk, som att anmäla. I det första fallet rör det sig 1960 vid också finns med. Några dagar senare får om en ny CD-skiva från vår systerför- en lång vi höra ett par utdrag ur pjäsen. Denna ening i Frankrike, Maison du Duke. På inspel- sändes förmodligen i fransk radio, där relativt kort tid, d.v.s. 2-3 år, har man nu nings- musiken hade valts ut från inspelning- gett ut 11 volymer med Ellingtonmusik. session, en några dagar innan och med använ- Den senaste, MDD 011 är betitlad DUKE som re- dande av play-back. Därefter får vi höra ELLINGTON, THEATRE - TV - CINE- sulterade Turcaret Suite, som sammanställts från MA, - Paris, Milan, New York – 1960- i ett antal den ursprungliga inspelningen. 66, och innehåller en hel del intressant musika- Resten av denna skiva består av fyra material. I samband med inspelningen liska porträtt som skulle understryka ganska olika avsnitt. Det första är ett ut- av filmen Paris Blues och hans vistelse karaktären hos de ledande rollerna i drag från Jean Sablon Show, (Paris Blues i Paris, ombads Duke att skriva musik teaterpjäsen. Den första delen av ski- och Medley) från den 17 december 1960, till en teaterpjäs från 1700-talet, Madame van består av denna inspelningssession, i det nästa får vi höra skådespelaren Vit- Turcaret. Duke gjorde detta på sitt eget komplett med omtagningar och avbrott. torio Gassman recitera Hamlets monolog sätt. Ett antal titlar spelades in den 30 Vid samma tillfälle gjorde Ellington och till ackompanjemang av Duke (30 janua-

10 The Eighth Veil

Detta är en komposition av Duke Elling- otherwise can be placed alongside the great ton och Billy Strayhorn, som skrevs 1946 Ellington LPs from any era. och utgjorde ett featurenummer för Cat Man kan undra något över kompo- Anderson. Numret fanns i Ellingtons re- sitionens titel. Hade Ellington och St- pertoar fram till 1963 och det var fram- rayhorn någon mening med namnet The för allt detta sista år som numret oftast Eighth Veil? Troligen grundar sig titeln framfördes. Det spelades bl.a. vid Elling- på en 1946 mycket populär film med tons inspelning för svenska SVT den 7 namnet The Seventh Veil, med de le- februari 1963 på Circus i Stockholm. Pro- dande skådespelarna James Mason och grammet sändes den 6 april i SVT med Ann Todd. Filmen fick en Oscar för Best namnet ”Indigo”. Original Screenplay. Filmen handlar om Första gången numret spelades in en kvinna som tvingas söka psykologisk var den 28 mars 1946 då Ellington gjorde hjälp varvid hennes förflutna avslöjas en serie inspelningar för Capitol Radio genom att ”veil” efter ”veil” lyfts. D.v.s. Transcriptions. Cat Anderson spelade slöja efter slöja lyfts tills hon blir helt ku- här med sordin, vilket han inte gjorde rerad och filmen får ett lyckligt slut. Man på något av alla framtida framträdan- måste anta att både Ellington och Stray- den med numret. Det var först den 24 horn såg filmen och blev så pass gripna maj 1951, som numret spelades in kom- av den att de namngav ett nyligen kom- mersiellt för Columbia. Sedan blev num- ponerat verk The Eighth Veil. ret mer eller mindre bortglömt och det Filmen gick även på svenska biogra- var först 1962 som det kom tillbaka på Not a great deal is new in the revival of The fer med titeln Sjunde Slöjan. James Mason repertoaren. Arrangemanget var något Eighth Veil, with Cat Anderson in the solo gjorde senare lyckosam karriär i Holly- justerat men det var fortfarande ett Cat role. It is difficult to imagine why this num- wood, men denna film var Ann Todds Anderson-nummer. Detta år ingick El- ber was revived so frequently; perhaps Either enda större framgång även om hon fort- lington ett kontrakt med Reprise Records Ellington or Anderson had a particular affec- satte inom branschen. 1981 skrev hon och bolaget gav senare ut hans Afro Bos- tion for it, or maybe it was because its title sina memoarer och, troligen ovetande sa, där The Eighth Veil ingick. allowed Ellington to make a witty introduc- om Ellingtons och Strayhorns komposi- Eddie Lambert är inte särskilt positiv tion at concerts. The Eighth Veil, however, is tion, gav hon den titeln The Eighth Veil. till numret i sin bok A Listener’s Guide: the one mediocre track in a collection which Bo Haufman

ri 1966). Därefter följer American Airlines Sounds Of Yester Year (DSOY2124) och samt på Vidjazz 50 (VHS) med Perdido, Astrofreight System från 26 augusti 1964, har titeln Duke Ellington – Harlem Suite Caravan, Isfahan, The Opener, Harlem Sui- ett PR-jippo för ett fraktkoncept från ”Live” 1964 in London, 1966 in Stock- te, Take The ‘A’ Train, Banquet Scene, Skil- American Airlines. Skivan avslutas med holm. Det rör sig om material från TV- lipoop, Little African Flower, Kinda Dukish en tidigare okänd inspelning från Today utsänd- och Rockin’ In Rhythm. Det finns ytterli- Show den 30 juli 1963, bestående av Cara- ningar, gare fem titlar från detta inspelningstill- van, I Got It Bad, C-Jam Blues och Timon’s den ena fälle som ännu ej kommit ut på CD, men Theme. Av ovanstående så finns den från Lon- som finns med på videon. ursprungliga inspelningssessionen av don den Inspelningen från Stockholm har ald- Turcaret utgiven på Azure CA-03. Astro- 20 febru- rig getts ut, men har visats i svensk TV på freight finns också utgiven tidigare, men ari 1964, 60-talet. Den kommer från en konsert på inte lätt att hitta. Jean Sablon Show och den an- Cirkus, där Ellington och hans orkester Hamlets monolog kan man hitta på You- dra från hade första delen och Ella Fitzgerald och Tube. En intressant sak med inspelning- den 8 fe- hennes trio den andra. Ellingtondelen en av Turcaret är att inga Ellingtonmusi- bruari 1966 från Cirkus i Stockholm. består av Take The ’A’ Train, West Indian ker förutom Duke själv och Strayhorn Inspelningen från London består av Pancake, Rockin’ In Rhythm, La Plus Belle medverkar, men att orkestern ändå låter delar från en TV-sändning 1964 och som Africaine, The Opener, och har tidigare vi- så ellingtonsk som man ändå väntar sig. tidigare finns på två CD-utgåvor: Music sats på ett av DESS klubbmöten. Den andra nya CD:n är utgiven av Master 65106-2 och Limelight 518446-2, Anders Asplund

11 Kvinnornas Duke Ellington

Fanns det någon i underhållningsvärl- karaktär ledde till kontakter med andra den som hade en större utstrålning än kvinnor. Hans utveckling som musiker Duke Ellington? Han befann sig alltid i och orkesterledare var säkert en bidra- tingens centrum. När han trädde in i ett gande faktor. Det tog dock tio år innan rum blev han genast dess centralgestalt. de separerade, vilket lär ha skett under Hans aura var enorm. Människor flocka- uppseendeväckande former. När Duke des runt omkring honom och ville sola tillkännagav sitt beslut att lämna Edna sig i hans glans. Om man antar att Duke drog hon kniv och åsamkade Duke ett hade ägnat sig åt politik eller varit en skärsår på vänster kind. Ärret kan ses på religiös predikant skulle han med säker- flera bilder av Duke, t.ex. på omslagsbil- het ha dragit massor av proselyter till sin den till Terry Teachouts bok. Emellertid sak. Självfallet drogs kvinnor till honom. skildes de aldrig utan förblev formellt Beatrice ”Evie” Ellis. gifta hela livet ut, även om de inte hade särskilt många kontakter med varandra. rar och sonen Mercer. Men 1938 flaxade Duke såg emellertid till att hon fick ett Duke vidare till en annan blomma. underhåll hela sitt liv. Edna avled 1966. Beatrice Ellis, stundom kallad Bea Redan under sitt äktenskap med men oftast Evie, hade även hon en kar- Edna Thompson hade Duke en intensiv riär bakom sig som dansös på Cotton relation med Fredi Washington. Hon var Club. Det var många i Ellingtons orkes- skådespelerska och dansös och var en ter som startade långa förbindelser med tid engagerad på Cotton Club, där hon de vackra dansöserna på nämnda eta- träffade Duke. Hon gifte sig senare med blissemang. Evie och Duke levde tillsam- Lawrence Brown. Mer om hennes karriär mans under resten av Dukes liv och hon kan läsas i Bulletin 4/2017. blir ibland omnämnd som Mrs. Ellington Duke och Fredi Washington levde även om det inte stämde med verklighe- Edna Thompson. aldrig tillsammans, men det gjorde han ten. Hennes stora sorg var det faktum senare med Mildred Dixon. Hon var att Duke aldrig ville gifta sig med henne Hans många relationer med kvinnor kan likaledes dansös på Cotton Club. Duke och ge henne det officiella erkännande säkert räknas i hundratal. Man säger att hade skaffat sig en större lägenhet på hon eftersträvade. Istället behandlade en sjöman har en kvinna i varje hamn. I 381 Edgecombe Avenue och där flyttade Duke henne något okänsligt. Hon fick så fall hade kanske Duke en kvinna på Mildred in någon gång kring 1929 när sällan eller aldrig stå vid Dukes sida i varje ort där han framträdde med sin Duke hade separerat från Edna. Hon lev- officiella sammanhang. När en kvinna orkester. Han hade faktiskt en relativt de där i ett lyckosamt familjeförhållande fordrades vid hans sida i mera officiella fast relation i Stockholm, som han alltid med Duke tillsammans med hans föräld- sammanhang valde han i stället sin sys- besökte vid sina turnéer i Sverige. Don ter Ruth. Duke var aldrig trogen någon George, som en tid samarbetade med av sina förbindelser och detta ledde ofta Duke och även skrivit en bok om honom, till stormande uppgörelser mellan Evie påstod följande: ”Duke would check into och Duke, men de tycks alltid ha slutat two, three or four hotels, hand out keys med att Evie förlät honom. Kanske fick to different ladies, then, later on, pick out Evie ändå ett visst erkännande efter sin the hotel room he wanted to go to.” Vilka död. Hon ligger begravd på Woodlawn var då kvinnorna som omgav Duke? Låt Cemetary intill Duke Ellington och på oss försöka studera några av dom: gravstenen står ”Eve Ellis Ellington Edna Thompson gifte han sig med 1913-1976”. 1918, alltså vid 19 års ålder. Edna här- Duke älskade att omge sig med skön- stammade från ett högre samhällsskikt het i alla dess former och när det gäller i Washington och råkade bli med barn kvinnlig skönhet är man undrande till med Duke, vilket framtvingade giftermå- varför han inte visade upp sig oftare let. Med Edna fick Duke sitt enda barn, med den vackra Evie Ellis. Men ofta hade sonen Mercer. Det påtvingade äkten- han vid sin sida en kvinna vid namn skapet var troligen inte särskilt lyckligt, Fernanda de Castro Monte. Hon var speciellt inte eftersom Dukes utåtriktade Mildred Dixon. av sydamerikanskt ursprung och upp-

12 trädde som sångerska i Las Vegas 1960, samtidigt som Duke Ellington och hans Jerome Kern, lite orkester uppträdde på The Riviera. Hon hade tidigare bott i många länder, be- härskade fem språk, var mycket belevad Gershwin och Duke och kände till etiketten i alla situationer. Ellington gav henne namnet Contessa. Vid tiden runt sekelskiftet och framåt Hon var vid deras möte cirka 40 år gam- fanns lite förenklat enbart populärmu- mal och hon gav upp sin egen karriär sik och symfonimusik. Populärmusiken för att åtfölja Duke på de flesta av hans bestod av musikalerna på Broadway och turnéer runt om i världen. Hon utgjorde jazz i främst danspalatsen men också en ingrediens i Dukes lyxliv. Mercer El- konsertant jazz. Symfonisk musik och lington, som hade möjlighet att studera opera spelades på Metropolitan och de sin fars liv på nära håll, har beskrivit Du- stora konserthusen. kes första möte med The Contessa efter Rassegregeringen var otäck och mest det att de träffats i Las Vegas: ”She was nedvärderade var de svarta. Inte heller at the railway station to see Ellington off. judarna var fullt accepterade. När det She was very smartly dressed in a mink gällde jazz kunde ingen, inte ens de vita, coat. Just as the train was about to pull förneka de färgades överlägsenhet med sitt själfulla och gripande uttryck. Jaz- ma summor på sin musik. Hit hör även zens främste var Duke Ellington, inte filmmusik, och filmatisering av hans alltid för sin teknik utan för något annat musikaler med bl. a. Fred Astaire. Han som satte hans musik i en speciell klass var närmast oberoende av pengar. Det för sig. var inte Duke, som fick kämpa med sin Jag kommer just på mig själv med att ekonomi. jag aldrig betraktat Duke som ”neger” Inkomsterna gjorde att Kern hade råd utan bara som människa. Själv var han att samla. Han byggde ett privatbibliotek alltid stolt över sitt arv och skämdes inte av världsklass och var oerhört insatt. Det det minsta för det. såldes till miljonbelopp. Han samlade Av någon anledning kom judarna även antika silversaker, också mycket att nästan totalt dominera musikalsho- imponerande. Gershwin skaffade, delvis werna på Broadway: Irving Berlin, Ge- med hjälp av rådgivare, en förmögenhet orge Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Richard i tavlor. Duke var intresserad av främst Rodgers m.fl. Listan kan göras lång. Det de svartas historia och hade ett stort bib- är märkligt att just de kunde skapa så liotek i ämnet. Det är dock inte jämför- fina låtar och bestående musikaler. Var bart med Kerns och Gershwins. Contessa. Jerome Kern den främste? Omöjligt att Som färgad hade Duke sin förmåga säga, men han var äldst, född 1885, och att skriva underbara melodier och spela out, she opened the coat. She had no- påverkade tveklöst sina efterföljare. The dem med sin egen orkester. Då gällde thing at all on under it, and she wrapped New York Times kallade honom “the key det att behålla sina unika solister och it around him to give him his good-bye composer of the American musical thea- bevara orkesterns magi. Duke blev 75, kiss. With that, she left him to cool off.” tre in the 20th century”. Kern 60 och Gershwin 39 år. Gershwin Mercer har också uttalat sig om Du- Jag har en känsla av att man skulle hann mycket under sitt korta liv. Främst kes syn på kvinnor på följande sätt: “De- vara vit för att komma in i musikal- kanske Porgy and Bess. Kern skrev Show spite the fact that he was involved with marknaden på Broadway. Det är mest en Boat (Teaterbåten) med oförglömligt mäk- so many women, I would say that, apart känsla. Duke kom inte in i någon större tiga Ol´ Man River. Bland enskilda låtar from his mother and sister, he had a basic utsträckning, och jag tror inte han var skrev han All the things you are, Can´t help contempt for women. He spent so much särskilt intresserad. Har lite svårt tänka loving that man, Smoke gets in your eyes, A time celebrating and charming them, but mig Dukes band sitta i dessa shower fine romance och 700 därtill. Och Duke då basically he hated them.” kväll efter kväll ibland med två föreställ- som fick lite fler år på sig? Jump for joy, Duke Ellington var en aktiv “woma- ningar om dagen, även om han satt länge Black, Brown and Beige, My People, Sacred nizer” även när han passerat en så pass på Cotton Club. Men det var lite annor- Conserts och låtar som Mood Indigo, Soli- hög ålder som 70, om man skall tro vad lunda. tude, Ko-Ko, I Let A Song Go Out osv osv? Lena Junoff berättar i sin biografiska Dukes föräldrar var knappast rika, Det är inte lätt att välja, men lätt att låta kokbok. Se Bulletin 4/2015. men slapp lida nöd. Kerns var däremot sig charmeras. Bo Haufman stenrika, och Jerome kom att tjäna enor- Erling Torkelsson

13 Al Sears – An original voice By Nigel Haslewood

The following article was originally to the development of Ellington’s music published in the IAJRC Journal. Vol. and who continued to play an important 50, No. 3 and with IAJRC’s and with role in African-American popular music Nigel Haslewood’s consent we after his departure from the band. reprint the first part of it in this is- sue. Nigel lives in Leicester, UK, and Life before Duke runs Sadman Records specializing in Sears had already had a long and Vintage Jazz, Dixieland, New Orleans successful career as a musician before & Modern Jazz on vinyl & 78s. Go to he joined the Duke Ellington Orchestra www.Sadmanrecords.com for further in early 1944. However, scouring the re- information. levant discographies unearths little evi- dence of his activities. In this he shared Saxophonist Al Sears is today remem- the fate of many jazz musicians, both bered most for his stay with the Duke black and white. Autobiographies by fa- Ellington Orchestra during the 1940s. mous musicians often contain accounts However, he probably achieved more of people whom they admired but who ded with him receiving a lesson in music temporary fame after he left that band, never, or rarely, recorded. Often, this was business practice that might have scarred enjoying a long career combining play- because they were performing out of the him for life. At the end of the gig, Hunter ing, promotion, and music publishing. limelight, away from the recording stu- refused to pay the musicians and some- Despite his stature as one of the three dios situated in the major cities of New how, despite his youth, Sears was appoin- “greats” to hold down the tenor saxopho- York and Chicago. In other cases, even ted as the person who should confront ne chair in Duke’s orchestra, and doing though they were active in one of these the singer about this. Apparently, when so for a period longer than that enjoyed major metropolitan areas, for one reason she was approached, she laughingly told by Ben Webster, he has never come near or another they failed to catch the eye or the young saxophonist exactly where on to being heralded as much as the former ear of the relevant company executives. her body the money was located and told or his longtime replacement, Paul Gon- At various times in the period covered in him that if he wanted to, he could retrie- salves. In fact, Ellington seems to have this section, both of these explanations ve his wages from the appropriate place had a higher regard for the tenor playing hold true for Al Sears. under her clothes. This proved too much of later members of his band like Harold Albert Omega Sears was born in the for the young boy’s sensibilities and he Ashby or even occasional users of the in- small town of Macomb, Illinois, on Fe- withdrew without success. strument like Jimmy Hamilton. Both of bruary 21, 1910. Mistakenly, several sour- He returned to New York City in 1927 these musicians merit their own sections ces place his birthday one day later. This where, after a few other gigs, he landed in Duke’s autobiography, an accolade not appears to be because Sears himself star- a job at the Savoy Ballroom with Chick accorded to Sears. Duke’s close friend, ted to use the slightly later date, George Webb’s Orchestra. After this he joined a the music critic Stanley Dance, seems to Washington’s birthday. Reportedly, this touring company of the important Afri- follow this lead, likewise not deeming was because his fellow students thought can-American musical, Keep Shufflin’. him worthy of a chapter in his book it amusing to beat up boys celebrating a As happened frequently to musicians at “The World Of Duke Ellington”. Any birthday. As Washington’s birthday was that time, the company soon found itself interested party would also look in vain a national holiday, there was no school stranded without the necessary funds to for mention of him in Mercer Ellington’s on that day. Like many famous musici- continue its tour. However, on this occa- book about his father or, for instance, the ans, he was lucky to be born into a mu- sion, the reason behind this all too com- more modern biography by Terry Tea- sical family. His older brother, Marian, mon disaster was more lurid than usual. chout. helped him to master several reed instru- The backer behind the tour was Arnold It is hoped that this short overview ments and he started gigging locally in Rothstein, a notorious figure from the of his life and musical career will help his teens. By this time his family appears underworld of the 1920s. When the show to re-establish his position as an original to have moved to Buffalo, NY. arrived in Chicago, back in New York voice on his main instrument (he also He made his first trip to New York City rival gangsters ended the tour by performed on most of the other reed in- City at just fourteen, playing in a group ‘ending’ him. Apparently, Rothstein had struments) as someone who contributed accompanying Alberta Hunter. This en- either refused to honour a gambling debt

14 incurred during a card game or was shot the resident orchestra at Smalls Paradise he seems to have helped revive. Then in retaliation for a hit he had ordered and had it been in that position either in the band secured a longterm residency previously. As was usual in such cases the 1920s or later in the 1930s, it seems at the River Club in the Cincinatti area. involving organized crime, most of those probable it would have had much grea- It was here that he again came to the involved went to their graves without ter opportunities to be captured on wax. attention of John Hammond, who was revealing much in the way of blame or Among the other musicians who passed also very enthusiastic about the talents motivation. through the band were trumpeters Roy of the band’s singer. At the time, Ham- Eldridge and Gus Aitken, trombonist mond appears to have offered his service With Zach Whyte Dicky Wells and reed players Garvin to both as a manager. Eventually, this led Already being an accomplished Bushell and Otto Hardwick. The latter to them being lured back to New York, player Sears was able to land a job with was on one of his periodic furloughs where the singer was lined-up as Billie one of the then leading orchestras in from the Ellington Orchestra and his Holiday’s replacement in the Count Ba- the mid-West, Zack Whyte’s Choco- friendship with Sears may have been one sie Orchestra. late Beau Brummels. It was with this of the reasons he got his chance to join territory band that he got his first and that famous band. Despite the absence of With Vernon Andrade only recording opportunity during the recordings, the band was given a role in Sears joined the band led by Vernon whole of the 1920s and 1930s. The ses- several short films made by Warner Brot- Andrade, where he increasingly acted as sions took place at the Gennett Records hers, One of these, Smash Your Baggage, musical director. Joining this orchestra, studios in Richmond, Indiana, over is easily available to modern viewers on so little known today, might in retrospect three days in January and February 1929. the internet. Watching and listening to seem a strange decision, but during the Despite what appears to have been a it is a somewhat frustrating experience. 1930s Andrade led one of the most pre- major undertaking, the three dates re- Typically for its time, the orchestra plays stigious, and best paid, black bands. Its sulted in a meagre output of five known a rather subsidiary role to both the fea- main source of employment lay in its re- sides, one of which has remained unis- tured dancers and the thin plot. Disap- sidency at one of Harlem’s most famous sued. The Whyte group has been written pointment at the lack of aural evidence ballrooms, the Renaissance Casino. Later up frequently as being one of the more still in existence is underlined by reports derelict, this once magnificent building, exciting and interesting of the many of the band’s qualities, both contempora- standing at the corner of 7th Avenue and bands mainly active outside New York ry and more recent. Dicky Wells, in his 125th Street, was a reminder of the eco- and Chicago. At the time of the sessions autobiography, spoke highly of his time nomic power of black-owned business above, its personnel included trumpeter with the orchestra, singling out Big Sid during its heyday in the 1920s. Although and arranger Sy Oliver, trombone player Catlett as being the important factor in its ownership changed during the De- Floyd ‘Stumpy’ Brady, and pianist Her- the group’s success. John Hammond, pression, it still attracted the cream of man Chittison. These and other players then just beginning his long career as African-American society through its such as Vic Dickenson, who graced the a writer and promoter, also sang the doors. Ironically, this fact may well be band at a later date, all went on to greater orchestra’s praises in a column he wrote the reason for the relative lack of fame things. The orchestra itself found itself for the UK magazine, Gramophone, where enjoyed by Vernon Andrade’s band in the Gennett recording studios twice he enthused particularly about Sears, ra- today. Unlike at the Savoy or the Rose- more in 1929 and 1931. However, by this ting him a second only to Coleman Haw- land ballrooms, most of the functions at time Sears had left and therefore missed kins among tenor saxophone players of the Renaissance were private affairs put out on these opportunities. The evidence the period. on by black organizations for their own of the recordings we are left with shows members. As such, journalists or others, a competent orchestra whose standout Band leader who were overwhelmingly white, who soloist was the trumpeter Henry Savage. Around this time, Sears fell ill with reported on the music scene of the time However, Sears also performs well, so- pneumonia and returned home. He used were much less likely to have ever seen loing mainly on baritone sax, as on It’s this convalescence to pursue his educa- or heard the band. Tight Like That. tion, taking courses that would result in Our best account of it today comes His return to New York City in him obtaining a degree in business stu- from Clyde Bernhardt’s autobiography, the early 1930s, and a job with Elmer dies from the University of Illinois. His I Remember. In it, he writes of the high Snowden’s Orchestra, ought to have skill in this aspect of the music profes- musical ability of the orchestra and of its provided further chances of appearing sion was to pay dividends in his future ability in a wide variety of dance styles. on wax. However, by this time the De- career. It seems to have paved the way In keeping with the high tone of the ve- pression had set in and very few jazz for him to become an orchestra leader nues, the trombonist stresses the success records were being made. In the case of for the first time. To begin with, his or- of a special arrangement of a twenty- Snowden’s band, the lack of recorded chestra performed in the Buffalo area, minute waltz medley enjoyed by the evidence is particularly disappointing. where he met and struck up a partner- Casino’s upper-crust patrons. Of course, This group was prominent enough to be ship with Helen Humes, whose career black orchestras playing waltzes at this,

15 or other times, was nothing unusual. It Andrade, Sears was mainly featured on writes of a particularly dangerous inci- has long been recognized that what ap- alto, but as a result of his frequent visits dent in Little Rock, Arkansas. The trum- peared on records was not representative to Minton’s it is now possible to hear ex- peter, Howard Callender, who had never of what bands actually played in person. amples of his tenor playing for the first been in that part of the country, failed to Also, the Andrade Orchestra was per- time. This club is, of course, famous as see a “For Whites” sign resulting in him fectly capable of swinging mightily too. one of the birthplaces of be-bop. Sears being chased by a group of angry locals. Several people, who were well known would have been the first to admit that Johnson, being determined to show Cal- for pioneering the Lindy Hop, have testi- he was not in the vanguard when it lender that not all African-Americans be- fied to how exciting the band was when came to performing the new music, but haved in the self-effacing manner expec- it played music suitable for that kind of he happily sat in with the house band, ted by current “racial etiquette”, took out high-energy dancing. which included Thelonious Monk and a gun and ordered the white bus driver However, another peculiarity of trumpeter Joe Guy, and was captured to, “Get the hell out of here”. Apparently, Andrade’s business method probably on Jerry Newman’s wire recorder. At he was urged on by Young who shouted, contributed to a lack of recorded evi- least two performances from 1941 have “Shoot your pistol, Buddy Boy! Shoot dence, either of the whole band or its been issued on LP and CD. They show your pistol.” Sears was not so amused individual sidemen, including Sears. a competent musician whose later style and fired Johnson on the spot, leaving Bernhardt writes of the reason he was is not fully apparent. Indeed, his play- him stranded. However, as will be seen, eventually sacked from the band. Ap- ing shows the influence of Lester Young this incident was not to mar the future parently, the leader felt that he paid his more than at any time later. relationship between the two men. musicians sufficiently well for them not Later in 1941, Sears replaced Don Sears’ next job was with the Lionel to need to take outside jobs, even when Byas in Andy Kirk’s Clouds Of Joy. As Hampton Orchestra, then riding high on the orchestra was not working. Having a member of this orchestra, he took part the back of its hit record, Flying Home, been warned once, when he took a gig in two recordings sessions during 1942. with its iconic tenor sax solo by Illinois playing at an Alex Hill recording date, During this time Kirk was keen to fea- Jacquet. The latter had departed to lead the trombonist was asked to leave when ture his two new stars, Howard McGhee his own group by the time Sears joined he transgressed a second time. However, and Kenny Kersey. As a result, Sears only the band, as had Dexter Gordon. The te- the financial benefit of being a member solos on two of the eight sides from this nor chair was now occupied by Arnett of the band was not something to be sa- period. However, Hip Hip Hooray and Cobb, who was given the role originally crificed lightly. Unusually for bandlead- Worried Life Blues reveal for the first time played by Jacquet. On that basis, it was ers of the time, Andrade did not pay his the beginning of the style for which he is Cobb who took most of the solos and the players a weekly wage, which remai- best known. limelight. Of his Decca recordings with ned the same however many hours the Hampton, only Chop Chop contains a solo musicians put in. He operated a sort of Leader again by Sears. At least one broadcast version of piece-work system with payment being Again, in terms of recorded evidence, the same tune also features him. The fact made for each job the orchestra did. If an Sears’ next venture came at an inconve- that Hampton obviously favored Cobb’s extra job was slotted in, then the musici- nient time. John Hammond seems to style over that of Sears would no doubt ans received an extra remuneration. As have been behind an offer for him to take have encouraged him to look for another the band worked nearly all the time at its up the leadership and organization of a position. In the Esquire 1945 Jazz Book, regular jobs and the per-session rate was band to tour the country playing for sol- there is a snippet suggesting that when reasonably generous, this was an arrang- diers and other service personnel. By all Sears left Hampton in March 1944, at the ement that suited all concerned admira- accounts, this was a highly regarded out- same time as several other musicians, the bly. It also meant that musicians were not fit with a particularly exciting reed sec- talk was that he would form a new band forced to make the long, grueling trips of tion including Lester Young and Budd of his own. Instead, an exciting new opp- one-night stands typical even for bands Johnson as well as the leader. Among ortunity came his way, although when much more famous today. arrangements and compositions Sears the offer came, somewhat surprisingly, Another advantage of the regular gig made for the band, was Concerto For he seemed reluctant to take it. enjoyed by the group was its relatively Three Tenors, which seems to have caused early finishing time. This made it easier a stir at the time. However, the existence With Duke to go on from this job to play elsewhere. of a union ban on recording at this time Al Sears joined the Duke Ellington It would seem that Andrade was less un- ensured that the orchestra went undo- Orchestra in May 1944, making his first happy about his musicians taking part cumented on wax. Despite its musical known appearance with the band on a in “after hours” jam sessions. Maybe, of prowess, it seems that leading this band broadcast from the Hurricane Club on course, such informal setting may not may not always have been without hea- the 20th of that month. Apparently, he have been on his radar, as presumably daches. Playing for service personnel at resisted Duke’s first approaches telling they operated outside of the rules laid this time often meant venturing south him that Don Byas would be far better down by the musicians’ union. With of the Mason-Dixon line. Budd Johnson qualified. Part of this can undoubtedly be

16 put down to a streak of modesty in Sears’ solos that Webster had originated. Ho- Love Me No More. In her notes for a CD make-up, something that showed itself wever, Sears’ solo is remembered more. box set of the recordings made for Capi- throughout his career. This was based on In fact, Duke seems to have thought so tol Transcriptions, Patricia Willard, at one his own view that he was not in the first highly of it that he made it the basis of a time in charge of public relations for the rank of tenor stylists and was not a virtu- new composition, Carnegie Blues, which band, writes that, “Sears plays one of his oso on his instrument in the way Byas or became one of the more successful recor- prettiest solos, acknowledging profound Ben Webster were. However, Duke was dings made for RCA Victor in 1945. The admiration for an earlier occupant of his probably not looking for a direct replace- performance was repeated in several chair, Ben Webster.” While Hibbler remai- ment of Webster in terms of style or abili- broadcasts during that year. He was also ned with the band, this tune was also fea- ty. In an article, published in Down Beat, featured in Dance No. 1, part of the Libe- tured on several broadcasts and had been April 6, 1951, he wrote, “There is no such rian Suite. Eddie Lambert, in his book, first recorded for RCA Victor. Another thing as a ‘replacement’ in my band.” He Duke Ellington: A Listener’s Guide, calls Hibbler performance with a solo pas- went on to develop this theme further: this, ”a remarkable creation” in the way sage by Sears was I Ain’t Got Nothin’ But “A new musician means for us a new the saxophone and the orchestra com- The Blues. Again several performances sound and the creation of new music, bine in an updated version of the “jung- of this can now be heard including that which he, and he alone, can properly ex- recorded for RCA Victor. Barry Ulanov press.” Although there is no mention of singled out Sears’ solo for praise when he Sears in Ellington’s somewhat bitty au- reviewed Duke’s Carnegie Hall concert tobiography, Music Is My Mistress, there of December 19th, 1944, in the January seems little doubt that Duke was talking 1945 edition of Metronome. Ulanov se- about him, among others, when he com- ems to have been a champion of Duke’s mented, “if the new man is sufficiently new tenor player, writing in his 1946 interesting tonally, why insist upon his biography that, “Al Sears, who though copying or matching his predecessor’s capable enough before joining Duke, ne- style.” Ellington looked for a particular ver exhibited the drive and originality he aspect of the band’s repertoire. It seems has evidenced with Ellington.” likely that he heard in Sears’ playing Another part of the Ellington reper- tonal qualities that far outweighed any toire consisted of new versions of exis- shortcomings the latter may have had ting compositions. Some of these were in terms of technique. In this aspect, he new arrangements of old favorites. For might be compared with Joe Nanton, example, in a new version of Mood In- a trombone player who, although not digo, featuring the wordless singing of nearly as proficient a musician as his Kay Davis, Sears was allotted a short section-mate Lawrence Brown, was ne- solo spot. More excitingly, he became vertheless central to the sound and the central to a new conception of It Don’t success of Ellington’s music. le” tradition inaugurated by Black And Mean A Thing. Here Sears was in his ele- During the five years Sears was a Tan Fantasy and The Mooche, using “the ment, producing a beautifully executed member of the orchestra, Ellington re- growls and tonal-distortions of rhythm- solo that, starting in a measured fashion, corded prolifically and many of the bro- and-blues tenor just as successfully as he builds up to an impressive climax with adcasts made at the time, which are now had employed the snarls and growls of the band urging him on. The RCA Vic- available, have added to the vast amount plunger-muted brass.” Although both tor recording of this is especially praised of material on which Sears can be heard of these parts in longer works show off by Eddie Lambert, but a live version in either as soloist or as part of the reed Sears’ tone and approach well, different the Treasury Broadcast No. 6 from the Pa- section. The material handled by the or- versions of them reveal that the parts radise Theatre, Detroit, on May 19, 1945, chestra can be usefully divided up into had probably been written for him, or allows Sears an extra chorus. Lambert’s different categories. At one end there by Sears himself, and do not show off his attitude to his solo on this performance were the increasing number of longer undoubted prowess as an improviser. tells us why Sears’ reputation among works, beginning with Black, Brown And At the other end of the musical spec- jazz critics has never been as high as per- Beige and which also includes New World trum, there are countless versions of haps it ought to be. He comments, rather A-Coming, the Perfume Suite and Liberian popular songs, not all by Duke or Stray- “sniffly”, that the extra space given over Suite. Sears was given an important role horn, most of which came and went very to the solo degenerates into a perfor- in two of these, he took over the Blues quickly as part of the repertoire. Sears mance more typical of Lionel Hampton’s theme originally played by Webster at was featured on very few of these. Of Orchestra. Here he is echoing a theme the Carnegie Hall Concert in December those he takes solos on, mention should apparent in reviews of the Duke’s perfor- 1943. As will be discussed below, the be made of the Ellington composition mances of the time. Reviewers pointed newcomer was allotted several of the featuring an Al Hibbler vocal, You Don’t out that items like this were particularly

17 well received by a certain section of the audience, the implication being that the people concerned were not as discerning in their taste as the writer. However, Francis Williams, an Ellington trumpe- ter for some of the same period as Sears, remembers the genuine excitement ge- nerated as soon as the tenor man started playing. “Al could get out in front of the band with his horn and start pattin’ that big foot of his and break up the whole house before he played four notes.” Like Skippy Williams before him, Se- ars was expected to play solos originally given to and developed by Ben Webster. Hence, for instance, there are a number of performances of Cotton Tail and Blue Serge. An example of both can be found Al Sears och Johnny Hodges. on Treasury Broadcast No.10 from the Franklin Gardens, Evansville, Indiana, on June 16, 1945. Although neither is up of versions of other bands’ material. on July 16, 1946. Although less suited to perhaps up to the standard of the origi- Ellington seemed keen on Basie material Sears’ particular talents, it shows off the nal RCA Victor recordings, Sears gives at this time, broadcasting and/or recor- fact that his technique was rather more a good account of himself, particularly ding several versions of 9:20 Special and impressive than some people have sug- on the slower, moody tune. Again, this One O’Clock Jump. Sears was called upon gested. His own comment about the highlights a neglected side of his talents. for both these, playing the role of Haw- performance might be known today as a A third element to the band’s musi- kins in the former and Herschel Evans in humble brag: “I stumbled from the first cal palette was made up of new jazz in- the latter. According to later comments, note all the way through, but didn’t fall!” strumentals, which normally featured a he was particularly enamoured of the While The Suburbanite was in the band’s number of the band’s star soloists. There Basie musicians’ playing. A long version book Ellington wrote another feature, were many of these written and perfor- of Basie’s theme tune broadcast from Part 1 – Hiawatha of his Beautiful Indians med during Sears’ tenure with the or- the El Patio Ballroom, Denver, on July tribute. The orchestra played it as part of chestra, most of which came and went 9, 1947, allows Sears, Lawrence Brown, the Concert at the Chicago Civic Opera very quickly as part of the repertoire. Johnny Hodges, Francis Williams and House on November 10, 1946, the famous Two of particular interest to fans of his Duke himself, all to stretch out. occasion when Django Reinhardt sat in playing were, Let The Zoomers Drool and The final category of material fea- with the band. At almost a minute longer, A Gatherin’ In A Clearing. The former is tured by the Ellington Orchestra was this is a more complete performance than an up-tempo jump tune leaning towards made up of the mini-concertos that Duke the version recorded by Musicraft fifteen the embryonic R&B style being pione- wrote for specific musicians, a tradition days later. The theme itself is based on ered by bands like Buddy Johnson’s and that dated back to the mid-1930s. In the those used in It Don’t Mean A Thing, al- it also features Harry Carney and Cat space of five years, Ellington wrote three ready a feature for Sears. Ellington recy- Anderson. Apparently, a “Zoomer” is such pieces for Sears, although only one cled older material for the third feature the African-American equivalent of the was recorded commercially. This was he developed. My Friend based partly on Yiddish word, “schnorrer,” or the more not through any lack of enthusiasm on Saturday Night Function, is a gospel-like commonly used, “scrounger.” A Gathe- Duke’s part but rather an unwillingness theme played in a fittingly somber way. rin’ In A Clearing is a slow blues with An- by RCA Victor to record such material. Unfortunately, this was never recorded in derson showing off his prowess with the Eli Oberstein’s return to the company as a studio. However, there are at least two plunger mute and also contains a soulful A&R man led to several arguments. versions that have found their way onto tenor solo. Like Carnegie Blues, this was The second recording ban of 1948-49, recent CDs. (There is little to choose bet- apparently based on a riff of Sears’ ma- exacerbated by the declining popularity ween them in terms of quality, although king. He commented to Patricia Willard of big bands in that same period, also con- the November 1948 Carnegie Hall Con- that “anybody can tell it was my riff, be- tributed to this state of affairs. The first cert is around a minute shorter than the cause there wasn’t no preachers in the El- feature for the tenor player was The Sub- one from a gig at Cornell University that lington band till I joined. Wasn’t no roo- urbanite which, although never recorded took place a month later.) ty-tooters till I got there.” An addition to commercially, made up part of a session the repertoire of instrumentals was made for Capitol Transcriptions in Hollywood To be continued in the next issue.

18 Nya böcker: DC Jazz och Help!

Böcker med någon form av anknyt- Ellington och hans tidiga uppväxt i Wash- kalist som var anställd hos Ellington ning till Duke Ellington publiceras ington. Kapitlet i fråga är författat av John några månader 1950. Läsaren får också numera tämligen ofta. Här kan vi Edward Hasse, författare till den högt an- veta lite om bröderna Ahmet och Meh- rapportera om tre sådana böcker. sedda biografin om Ellington: ”Beyond met Ertegun, söner till den turkiske Category – The Life and Genius of Duke ambassadören i Washington, och deras Ellington”. Man har således vissa för- djupa intresse för jazzen, vilket senare väntningar på att få ta del av något nytt ledde till att de startade skivbolaget At- om Duke Ellington, innan han lämnade lantic Records. Boken behandlar även Washington för att påbörja karriären i Ellingtons relation med den politiska New York. Men tyvärr blir man något be- ledningen i Washington, vilket bl a ledde sviken. Det 28 sidor långa kapitlet inne- till hans turnéer runt om i världen som håller inget nytt. Allt är redan rapporterat en good-will-representant för USA, och i tidigare biografier om Ellington. slutligen till hans mottagande av Medal Man kunde vänta sig av en så pass of Freedom ur president Nixons hand. kunnig forskare som Hasse att man Den som är intresserad av jazzens situa- skulle få veta något om Ellingtons ti- tion i dagens Washington finner en hel diga bekantskap med Otto Hardwick, del läsvärt i boken. Arthur Whetsel, Juan Tizol och Sonny Greer. Hur träffade han Elmer Snowden? Help! The Beatles, Duke Snowdens namn nämns över huvud ta- Ellington, and the Magic of get inte i boken. En annan tidig banjoist i Ellingtons band var Sterling Conaway, Collaboration men om honom sägs inte heller någon- Denna bok, författad av Thomas ting. En annan känd orkesterledare som Brothers, och utgiven av W.W. Norton hade sitt ursprung i Washington, näm- & Company, har undertecknad inte haft DC Jazz ligen Claude Hopkins, finns inte heller tillfälle att läsa men dock kunnat notera något att läsa. Man blir således med rätta en hel del kommentarer om den på nätet. Detta är titeln på en utgåva från något besviken. Uppfattningarna om boken är synner- förlaget Georgetown University Press, På annan plats i boken får man emel- ligen blandade. En recensent menar att Washington DC. Boken har undertiteln lertid veta litet om June Norton, en vo- författaren är helt okunnig om Elling- ”Stories of Jazz Music in Washington, tons kapacitet som kompositör, medan DC” och består av tio artiklar författade andra menar att boken ger en bra bild av olika jazzskribenter, som samman- av Ellingtons storhet på flera områden. ställts av Maurice Jackson och Blair A. Boken recenserades i Down Beats mars- Ruble. Bokens artiklar behandlar jazz- nummer av Willard Jenkins och han ger scenen i Washington, sedd ur olika vink- boken ett högt betyg. Den som vill skaffa lar. Men mycket sägs också om de olika sig en uppfattning om boken kan enklast jazzarkiven som finns i Washington hos införskaffa den på Amazon. Smithsonian och dess Archives Center och hos Library of Congress. Båda insti- tutionerna härbärgerar mängder av El- Rabbit’s Blues: The Life and lingtonrelaterat material. Music of Johnny Hodges Självklart behandlas även den tidiga Vi har tidigare aviserat våra läsare jazzutvecklingen i Washington, som om denna bok och nu bekräftas det att under årens lopp fostrat många kända boken, författad av Con Chapman, kom- jazznamn, varav den störste naturligtvis mer att finna tillgänglig på marknaden är Duke Ellington. Övriga som kortfat- fr.o.m. den 2 september. Vi ser med stort tat behandlas är Will Marion Cook och intresse fram emot denna utgåva och James Reese Europe. En anledning till att den kommer självfallet att recenseras i undertecknad införskaffade boken var att en kommande Bulletin. ett kapitel skulle vara ägnat åt just Duke Bo Haufman

19 KALLELSE! Duke Ellington Duke Ellington Society of Sweden hälsar sina medlemmar väl- komna till medlemsmöte den 6 maj 2019. Society of Sweden, DESS

ISSN 1400-8831 Org.nr. 802017-3681

DESS c/o Leif Jönsson Anbudsvägen 15, 187 50 TÄBY 08-510 503 14, 0706-22 88 16 [email protected]

Styrelse Leif Jönsson, Bo Haufman, Anders Asplund, Peter Lee, Göran Wallén, Lars Björkman, Claes Brodda

PLATS: 19.00-20.15 – I kväll gästas DESS av Redaktionsgrupp JazzMaTazz (bild ovan) under led- Bo Haufman, Thomas Harne, ning av DESS-medlemmen Anders Franska Skolans aula, Lars Björkman, Claes Brodda, ’Tatte’ Lindgren. I bandet ingår Döbelnsgatan 3, Stockholm. Andreas Andersson (layout) Gustav Rosén på altsax, Thomas Portkod för kvällen: 0605 Petersson gitarr, Mårten Korkman Entrén öppen från kl. 17.00. Hemsida bas, Andre Borgström trummor och Entréavgift: 100:- i kontanter eller www.ellington.se vokalissan Ulrika Goliats. Några Swish. Ellingtonlåtar lär vi få höra men Facebook också en del annat. Allt under de- Duke Ellington Society of Sweden visen ”Lite Swing får man räkna PROGRAM: med”. E-postadress [email protected] 17.30-18.30 – Med anledning av att Tidsangivelserna är ungefärliga. Duke Ellington nyligen firade sin Bankgiro 120:e födelsedag kommer DESS- 211-3207 medlemmen Håkan Skytt att kå- sera på ämnet ”120 år med Duke KOMMANDE PayPal account [email protected] Ellington – en sammanfattning”. MEDLEMSMÖTEN:

International bank account 18.30-19.00 – PAUS med möjlighet Notera följande tillfällen: 16 sep- IBAN: SE95 6000 0000 0002 8408 3992 till mingel och inköp av öl/vin 30:- tember, då Peter Asplund med BIC: HANDSESS och baguetter 40:-. Obs! Endast kon- komp gästar oss, och årets sista tanter eller Swish. möte den 25 november. DESS medlemsavgift Per kalenderår inom Norden: 300 kr Membership outside of Scandinavia: annual fee USD 40

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