Someone to Watch Over Me: The Life and Music of Ben Webster Frank Büchmann-Møller http://www.press.umich.edu/titleDetailDesc.do?id=86405 The University of Michigan Press, 2006 APPENDIX: BEN WEBSTER’S MUSICAL ACTIVITIES List of jobs, engagements, and recording sessions Information listed here is not complete, of course. It is derived from various sources, among others Down Beat, New Amsterdam News, Chicago Defender, Pitts- burgh Courier, Metronome, Jazz Journal, Jazz Monthly, Melody Maker, Jazz Maga- zine (Paris), Jazz Podium, Orkester Journalen, Variety, Billboard, local newspapers, programs from Jazzhus Montmartre (Copenhagen), and also from interviews. To fill the gaps I borrowed some data from Walter C. Allen, Hendersonia (Allen, 1973), Count Basie and Albert Murray, Good Morning Blues (Random House, 1985), Klaus Stratemann, Duke Ellington: Day by Day and Film by Film (JazzMedia, 1992) sup- plemented with new research by Kenneth R. Steiner, and Franz Hoffmann’s most helpful compilations of Jazz Advertised in the Negro Press, 1910-1967 (Hoffmann, 1980–89) and Jazz Reviewed, 1910–50 (Hoffmann, 1995). “Also” in the date column means that Webster, in addition to the given range of dates, also played another activity, e.g., a recording session. Ca. 1925–27 Odd jobs in Kansas City with his own small band, Rooster Ben and His Little Red Hens, and playing piano in clubs and silent movie theaters Ca. 1927–28 Brethro Nelson and His Orchestra Tours through Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas Ca. 1928–29 Dutch Campbell and His Sugar Stompers Tours through Texas Winter–spring 1929 Amarillo, TX, playing piano in a silent movie theater Summer–autumn 1929 Billy Young and His Family Band Summer Albuquerque, NM Plays alto saxophone Autumn Phoenix, AZ East Lake Park Autumn 1929–late 1930 Gene Coy and His Original Black Aces Oklahoma City, OK, Market Square Garden Shifts to tenor saxophone Late 1930–Feb. 1931 Jap Allen and His Orchestra Kansas City, MO January–February 1931 Tour through South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska to Tulsa, OK February 1931 Booker Pittman and His Orchestra Tour from Tulsa, OK to Kansas City, MO Feb.–March 1931 Edgar Battle and His Orchestra Philadelphia, PA Pearl Theatre i Someone to Watch Over Me: The Life and Music of Ben Webster Frank Büchmann-Møller http://www.press.umich.edu/titleDetailDesc.do?id=86405 The University of Michigan Press, 2006 BEN WEBSTER’S MUSICAL ACTIVITIES ii March 1931–ca. Nov. 1931 Blanche Calloway and Her Orchestra March 27 Camden, NJ recording session April 4–10 New York City Lafayette Theatre April 18–24 Washington, DC Howard Theatre April 25–May 1 Baltimore, MD Royal Theatre May 8 Camden, NJ recording session June 11 Camden, NJ recording session July–August New York City odd jobs in Harlem September–October Tour through Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, New England, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio September 19–25 Philadelphia, PA Pearl Theatre October 8–14 Kansas City, MO Paseo Hall October 15 Baltimore, MD Masonic Auditorium Ca. October 16 Richmond, VA Ca. October 18 Washington, DC Ca. October 19 Harrisburg, PA October 20 Pittsburgh, PA Pythian Temple Ca.October 22 Orange, NJ Ca. October 24 Wheeling, WV Ca. October 26 Cincinnati, OH Ca. November 1931– Bennie Moten and His Orchestra ca. December 22. 1932 November 1–6 New York City Lafayette Theatre November 7–13 Philadelphia, PA Pearl Theatre November 14–20 Washington, DC Howard Theatre December 12–18 New York, NY Lafayette Theatre Wilmington, DE Philadelphia, PA January 29– Chicago, IL Balaban & Katz ca. February 12, 1932 Public Theatre March 7 Kansas City, MO Paseo Hall 6 weeks tour to the South, including Joplin, MO Fort Smith, AR Pine Stuff, AR April 11 Memphis, TN Bryant Casino April 15 Oklahoma City, OK Forest Park Shreveport, LA Vicksburg, MS Galveston, TX Houston, TX San Antonio, TX April 25 Kansas City, MO Labor Temple Austin, TX Waco, TX Fort Worth, TX 3 weeks Beaumont, TX Cinderella Ballroom Someone to Watch Over Me: The Life and Music of Ben Webster Frank Büchmann-Møller http://www.press.umich.edu/titleDetailDesc.do?id=86405 The University of Michigan Press, 2006 iii Ben Webster’s Musical Activities May 15 Indianapolis, IN Louisville, KY Cincinnati, OH 2 weeks Coney Island, NY 4 weeks Tour of New England June 26 Pittsburgh, PA Harmarville Park June 27 Pittsburgh, PA Pythian Temple Detroit, MI Graystone Ballroom Bowling Green, KY Hopkinsville, KY September 10–16 Cincinnati, OH Graystone Ballroom October Columbus, OH Early December Philadelphia, PA Pearl Theatre December 13 Camden, NJ recording session Richmond, VA Newport News, VA Zanesville, OH Columbus, OH January 1933 Kansas City, MO Sunset Café January 1933–July 1934 Andy Kirk and His Twelve Clouds of Joy January 23–February 18 Denver, CO February 20 Oklahoma City, OK Slaughter’s Hall February 21 Fort Smith, OK February 24–26 Tulsa, OK February 27–April 23 Tour through Louisiana and Florida to Kansas City, MO March 12 Oklahoma City, OK May–September Kansas City, MO Fairyland Park Also December 18 Kansas City, MO Cherry Blosson, jam session July 1934–December 1934 Fletcher Henderson and His Orchestra July 14–20 New York, NY Savoy Ballroom August 26–31 New York, NY Harlem Opera House September 1–7 Montreal, QC, Canada Palais d’Or September 11 New York, NY recording session September 12 New York, NY recording session September 15–21 Philadelphia, PA Lincoln Theatre September 22–28 New York, NY Roseland Ballroom Also September 25 New York, NY recording session October 1 Pittsburgh, PA Savoy Ballrom October 2–29 Cleveland, OH Cotton Club November 5–11 Detroit, MI Graystone Ballrom November 1934– Benny Carter and His Orchestra January 1935 November 16–22 New York, NY Apollo Theatre November 28 Detroit, MI Arcadia Ballroom December 13 New York, NY recording session December 31 Webster Hall Someone to Watch Over Me: The Life and Music of Ben Webster Frank Büchmann-Møller http://www.press.umich.edu/titleDetailDesc.do?id=86405 The University of Michigan Press, 2006 BEN WEBSTER’S MUSICAL ACTIVITIES iv February–August 1935 Willie Bryant and His Orchestra February 1–7 New York, NY Harlem Opera House Also February 25 New York, NY recording session with Bob Howard March 2 Trenton, NJ Elk’s Hall March 3–9 New York, NY Apollo Theatre March 15–21 New York, NY Apollo Theatre March 24–April 20 Buffalo, NY Vendome Hotel ca. early May New York, NY Roseland Ballroom May 8 New York, NY recording session June Tour through the Middle West June 21–27 New York, NY Apollo Theatre Also July 2 New York, NY recording session with Teddy Wilson/ Billie Holiday Also July 31 New York, NY recording session with Teddy Wilson/ Billie Holiday August 1 New York, NY recording session August 2–8 New York, NY Apollo Theatre August–early September Duke Ellington and His Orchestra August 19 New York, NY recording session August 20 Pittsburgh, PA Sky Club August 26–31 Indianapolis, IN Lyric Theatre September 1 Pittsburgh, PA Savoy Ballroom September 2 Atlantic City, NJ Convention Hall September 1935– Cab Calloway and His Orchestra ca. July 24, 1937 September Toronto, ON, Canada Chicago, IL October 18–24 Detroit, MI Fox Theatre October–November Hollywood, CA November 5–11 San Diego, CA San Diego Fair Exposition December 9–15 San Francisco, CA Persian Gardens December 29, 1935– Culver City, CA Frank Sebastian’s January 11, 1936 Cotton Club January 12 Hollywood, CA filming of The Singing Kid begins January 25 Los Angeles, CA Al Jolson Shell Chateau radio show January 27 Los Angeles, CA recording session February 2 tour towards the East Coast begins February 7 Indianapolis, IN Loew’s State Theatre February Chicago, IL April 10–16 New York, NY Apollo Theatre April 18 New York, NY New Theatre May 21 New York, NY recording session Someone to Watch Over Me: The Life and Music of Ben Webster Frank Büchmann-Møller http://www.press.umich.edu/titleDetailDesc.do?id=86405 The University of Michigan Press, 2006 v Ben Webster’s Musical Activities May Boston, MA June–July Tour to Texas Memphis, TN Atlanta, GA June 28 New Orleans, LA The Fairground July 9 Johnson City, TN July 24–30 New York, NY Loew’s State Theatre July 10 Johnson City, TN Tobacco Warehouse Also July 29 New York, NY recording session with Duke Ellington August 7–13 New York, NY Loew’s State Theatre August 14–20 New York, NY Apollo Theatre August 28–Septembe 2 Palisades Park, NJ Palisades Amusement Park September 3 New York, NY Os-We-Go Club September 15 New York, NY recording session September 24, 1936– New York, NY Cotton Club March 16, 1937 Also October 21 New York, NY recording session with Teddy Wilson/ Billie Holiday Also October 28 New York, NY recording session with Teddy Wilson/ Billie Holiday Also November 9 New York, NY recording session with Mildred Bailey Also November 19 New York, NY recording session with Teddy Wilson/ Billie Holiday Also November 25 New York, NY Rockland Palace Also December 16 New York, NY recording session with Teddy Wilson Also January 6, 1937 New York, NY radio broadcast with Stuff Smith Also January 8 New York, NY radio broadcast with Stuff Smith Also January 11 New York, NY radio broadcast with Stuff Smith Also January 12 New York, NY recording session with Billie Holiday Also January 13 New York, NY radio broadcast with Stuff Smith Also January 15 New York, NY radio broadcast with Stuff Smith Also January 18 New York, NY radio broadcast with Stuff Smith Also January 20 New York, NY radio broadcast with Stuff Smith Someone to Watch Over Me: The Life and Music of Ben Webster Frank Büchmann-Møller http://www.press.umich.edu/titleDetailDesc.do?id=86405