I THE JAZZ ARCHIVIST - f- EWSLETTER OF THE WILLIAM RANSOM HOGAN JAZZARCHIVE Vol. /fl, Nos 1·2, 1988 ...J/ �( � Of Ear, Heart And Arm Eddie Edwards with the Original Dixieland Jazz Band in 1917 from the LaRocca collection A Tale of the Slide Trombone in Early Jazz Appreciating Jazz Discography Once while I was rehearsing with a traditional jazz Though far from a household word, "discography" is band as trombonist, a spectator pianist approached me heard on a daily basis at the Hogan Jazz Archive , and with some good advice. He said, "Stay away from the for good reason. Rarely is an exhibit mounted, an third of the chord, especially in the lower register. You article written, or a project see, you are interfering with the clarinet part. Play more undertaken without some staff root and fifth." At first I was incensed at being told how member consulting a discography to play, but since my confronter was a fine musician to check a date, a personnel whom I respected, I chose to reflect on his advice. Until listing, or a label release number. the time of this confrontation, I was fairly arrogant about Some ongoing sponsored my "tailgate" trombone playing. I knew most of the projects, like the indexing of the traditional jazz repertoire and was confident on my Tulane Jazz Listening Library, instrument. I did have an annoying habit of dipping Into are primarily discographical in the roles of other instruments when I felt that those nature, requiring specific particular parts were not being fulfilled. I was actually information on band personnel, Photo courtesy or B. Matthews instrumentation, place and date playing tailgate trombone by accident. There was a Discographer Orin reason, which I was ignoring, for the trombone to be Blackstone, ca. 1'950 of recording, and label affiliations. present in the first place. The advice I received that day Others, such as the identification from my pianist friend caused me to re-think my of musicians in obscure photographs, benefit from i approach to ensemble jazz playing. This led me to the personnel listings and chronology provided continued on page 2 continued on page 3 Published �ml�uillly by'the .. ... ED!TOfUAL BOAAD: Or;· John J. Jpyce, �d Tiii�n Memorial Library Curtis o. Jeide, Arc�ll(e Curalor, Or.\lohn J. Joyce; Editor Bruce s; Raebum;Associate f · c�rator ' GUESTOQNfAJBUTQRS Tulane Aichara a: Allen, o,a 1-li��rian . , David Sa9el Be�: M�yg��� •·Al Rose ··· ;;�1,:�e. t�i�i4�-�;:unlW�Gii�aii_ ._·: · . ' .. -�. �- .,... ·, E�·;;· begin looking into the origin of the tailgate cause no problem since the typical trombone trombone style. parts in dance orchestrations were We often hear stories about the origins of the often simple upper bass parts often doubled by term "tailgate" trombone. The usual tale is that in the bassoon or viola. Of course, the trombonist the days when bands traveled around on horse­ would love the opportunity to play the 'cello part drawn wagons, the trombonist had to sit on the since it was far more fun and interesting than the open tailgate of the wagon In order to have trombone part. This accounts for the story of enough room to fully extend his slide. This story trombonist Honore Dutrey playing 'cello parts is entertaining and probably an accurate account with King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band. Although of the origin of the term "tailgate•, but it gives us that story may seem unusual, it is actually not little Insight Into how the tailgate style originated. surprising at all given what was common in dance Once while visiting an elderly jazzman I was orchestras at the time. treated to an amusing story about such origins. On March 5, 1917, the Victor Talking Machine We were listening to a dixieland recording that my Company issued Victor Record #18255. This host had made during the 1950's. At one disc featured the notorious Original Dixieland Jazz particular point during an ensemble passage, the trombonist began to play some erratic rhythmic "pecks" in the lower register of his instrument, much in the manner of trombonists Roy Palmer and Santo Pecora. My host piped up enthusiastically, "You hear that? That's the real tailgate style! Do you know why?" I had to plead ignorance. "It's because,· he continued, "back in the days when the bands played on the wagons, the streets were full of cobblestones and were very bumpy. The trombone player had to time his playing just right so that he didn't knock his teeth out on a bump. So you see he plays, 'brrrup ... bruupp ...brupp brupp brupp." In traditional jazz, the trombone does have a certain role. The role is to be supportive. The Photo courtesy olthe Hogan Jazz Archive trombone provides both a countermelody to the The Original Dixieland Jazz Band, 1937, featuring E. lead (played by the cornet or trumpet) and a Edwards, tb; J.R. Robinson, p; T. Sbarbaro, d; H. Barth, rhythmic upper bass part. How this role came to b; L. Shields, cl; and N. L..aRocca, leader and tpt be Is really no mystery if one examines the role of the trombone throughout its use in ensemble music. Band playing two of their compositions: "Livery Since the late 1800's, composers and Stable Blues· and ·Dixie Jass Band One-Step.· arrangers of military band music have pretty These two selections made up the first-issued much standardized the roles of various wind (though not first recorded) jazz phonograph instruments. The trombone, due to its range and record. This recording indicates that the roles technical tendencies was pretty much designated played by each instrument were well defined by a rhythmic part, providing strong punctuations 1917 and comparable to later dixieland bands. beneath the melody and an occasional counter­ Particularly well-developed was the work of melody. Most often in band music, the counter­ O.D.J.B. trombonist Eddie Edwards. His playing melodies were given to the euphonium, an reveals a solid knowledge of basic trombone instrument close in range to the trombone but technique, a good sense of phrasing, rhythmic with a warmer tone and equipped with valves so punch, and a keen ear. It Is not at all surprising that fast technical passages are easily executed. to note that, by 1917, Edwards had been playing The bassoon is also given the countermelody the trombone for ten years, as well as the violin from time to time. Its range is also close to that for sixteen years. It is also noteworthy that of the trombone. So, because of its similarity in among the ensembles in which Edwards played range to those two Instruments, the trombone has trombone were military bands. In a 1959 come to represent the roles of these instruments interview with Richard Allen, Edwards recalled a in less formal settings such as the jazz band. quartet in which he was violinist (along with the In the dance orchestras at the turn-of-the clarinetist Gus Mueller) and how he came to play century, the trombone filled a similar niche. the trombone. "Gus (Mueller) advised, 'Get a However, In place of the euphonium the dance trombone with it Eddie, from Sears-Roebuck.' orchestras used the 'cello as the countermelodist. Well I did get the trombone, but from Due to its similar range, the trombone was often Montgomery Ward: a shiny, B flat slide trombone, usedas a substitute for the 'cello when there was ·professional model for $9.90 post paid. Now to no 'cellist around. If that happened, the regular learn that thing, I bought an Imperial Method and trombone part would just be left out. This would got along fairly well with it ... However, I wished to 2 play all through the tune, never taking the May, 1945), by a group led by "Wooden" Joe instruments down to play contramelodies, Nicholas; thus, Jepsen and Bruyninckx both obbligatos. rhythmic beats, licks, breaks, pretty employ a "see reference" to Wooden Joe in their parts, growls, rough passages, tricks and so respective listings of 'The Original Creole forth." Stompers. • But the same name was used four Edward's comments suggest that he was years later by an essentially different band familiar with typical trombone parts in band and (except for clarinetist Albert Burbank) recording dance orchestra parts. A comparison of under the leadership of Herb Morand (AM 532, Edward's recordings to "B-flat Blues"/"Baby Won't You Please Come continued on page 10 Home" and Am 535 "Some of These Days"/"Eh La Bas," recorded in July 1949). Bruyninckx lists Appreciating Jazz, continued from page 1 these titles under Herb Morand while Jepsen in discographies. As reference tools they are an overlooks them entirely, not including them in his indispensable complement to biographical Morand listings. In the discography New Orleans, encyclopedias, monographs, oral history The Revival (Tom Stagg and Charlie Crump, transcripts, pictorial essays, and vertical file 1973), both these bands are given under 'The holdings. Certainly, without the painstaking Original Creole Stompers," but their recording efforts of discographers, the problems of jazz date of July 13, 1949 disagrees with Bruyninckx's scholarship would be much less manageable. listing of July 12, 1949. During that same week For example, in the 1920s many subsidiary American Music recorded another Wooden Joe labels like Oriole, Jewel, Conqueror, Harmony, Nicholas band. under the leader's name. As if to Bluebird, and Silvertone offered musical willfully confound future discographers, Nicholas selections under generic band names like "Dixie made a recording session the following week with Jazz Band" and "Southern Serenaders." For the above-mentioned Morand band, minus whatever purpose -- as a marketing ploy, or to Morand.