to ". a superior introduction that pivotal jazz decade." -Playboy Louis Armstrong Earl "Fatha" Hines * Bix Beiderbecke Fletcher Henderson James P. Johnson * JackTeagarden Bessie Smith Eddie Lang. Don Redman Fats Waller The Chicagoans These are the jazz greats presented, ". not just personally and his- to itself . torically, but with careful attention the music ."Ebony "Human qualities are examined with warmth and clarity, as is the socio-musical background of each musician ... an honest and sensi- tive approach . ." The New York Post The 1920s witnessed a spirit of comradeship among jazz musicians, barriers of a powerful spirit that overcame the public apathy toward honest jazz, callousness in the music business, racial prejudice, and two economic depressions. Richard Hadlock examines the individual recordings of each important jazz musician of the time, giving us sensible analyses of style, devoid of the usual myths, cliches, and oversenti mentality. Out-of-print books and collector's records are listed for those who would like to dig deeper into what is I "the Jazz Age." The Jazz I RICHARD HA, aminer and a tributortoDow 100726 COLLIER BOOKS 866 THIRD AVENUE, NEW YORK.N.Y. 10022 THE MACMILLAN JAZZ MASTERS SERIES Martin Williams, General Editor JAZZ MASTERS OF THE TWENTIES JAZZ MASTERS OF THE THIRTIES JAZZ MASTERS OF THE FORTIES JAZZ MASTERS OF THE FIFTIES JAZZ MASTERS IN TRANSITION 1957-69 JAZZ MASTERS OF NEW ORLEANS ./ I // MASTERS OFTHE TWENTIES by Richard Hadlock COLLIER BOOKS A Diuiston of Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc. NEW YORK COLLIER MACMILLAN PUBLISHERS LONDON Excerpt from Jazt: Its Evolution and Essence by Andre Hodeir, Trans- lated David the Grove Press, by Noakes, copyright 1956 by Used by from the Blues Mezz Mezzrow and Bernard Excerpt Redly by Wolfe, copy- Random Inc. right 1946 by House, Reprinted by permission of the Harold Matson Company. Tom Davin's "Conversation with Exceipt from James P, Johnson" in Jazz edited Martin Panorama, by Williams, copyright 1964, The Macmfllau House Blues" Bessie Smith and Clarence "Jail by Williams, copyright MXMXXIH Pickwick Music New N.Y. by Corporation, York, Copyright renewed MCML and to Pickwick Music assigned Corporation, 322 West 48th Street, New York, New York. Used All by permission, rights reserved. from Jazz; Hot and Excerpts Hybrid by Winthrop Sargeant (E, P. Dutton, 1946}. Used by permission of the author, Copyright 2985 by Richard Hadlock All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted \n any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Publisher. Macmiftm Vvblishing Co., Inc. 866 Third Avenue, New Yorfc, W,Y. 10022 Library of Congress Catakg Card Number: Jazz Masters of the Twenties is published in a hardcover edition by Uacmilkn fublishing Co., Inc First Collier Books Edition 1974 CONTENTS Introduction 9 LOUIS ARMSTRONG JTOm IQZj tO IQgl 13 EARL HINES 50 BIX BEIDERBECKE 76 THE CHICAGOANS 106 FATS WALLER and JAMES P. JOHNSON 145 JACK TEAGARDEN 172 FLETCHER HENDERSON and DON REDMAN 1Q4 BESSIE SMITH 219 EDDIE LANG 239 JAZZ MASTERS O JP THE INTRODUCTION A FEW WOBDS are in order on what this book is and what it is not, remarks along with some general about jazz in the twenties. deals with the music of a select Ihe book group of gifted jazz musicians who played in the twenties. It is not a treatise on the or conditions social, economic, psychological surrounding jazz at there are the time, although fleeting glimpses of some of these books outside pressures. Many already describe in detail the non- musical vagaries of the twenties, and I have elected to bypass those aspects of the period in an attempt to trace the musical changes this decade brought to jazz in America. It should be remembered, however, that the musicians dealt here were to stresses with subjected variously many and inequities brought about by Prohibition, avarice and callousness in the music business, race prejudice, two economic depressions, and honest of these able public apathy toward jazz. Few men were to as the earn livings jazzmen exclusively during twenties, although their for were leaders gifts improvisation frequently exploited by and promoters. Despite public indifference to its aims, jazz underwent exten- sive change and development between 1920 and 1930. At the be- the ginning of the decade, handful of jazz records produced was devoted largely to an agitated novelty music, dominated by vau- devillians, trick-effect artists, and musicians looking for profitable trends. Except for the Original Dixieland Jazz Band (and even this group relied partly on musical eccentricity for its success), no recorded until obscure virtually significant jazzmen 1923. (An little the 1922 Kid Dry date is of importance in larger picture.) a But by 1929, most of the period's major contributors, embracing of valid were not- wide variety artistically styles, making records, mar- withstanding the fact that much of their product had to be 'race" keted as dance, novelty, or music. In the twenties, most of those who listened at all regarded jazz for the few who as merely an energetic background dancers; sought more profound values in the music tended to accept Paul 10 JAZZ MASTERS OF THE TWENTIES in as the Whiteman's concert productions (Rhapsody Blue, etc.) ran only jazz worth taking seriously. Again, magazines long pieces without much idea what it was all about. One, on jazz having called The Dance, bubbled over the music with articles such as and "Blame It on around but the writ- "Beyond Jazz" Jazz" 1927, ers turned out to be concerned only with the Charleston and the of individual fox trot, not with the musical worth improvisations. "dance" the same In reviewing current records, magazine lumped Sam Miff Fred together releases by Lanin, Mole, Waring, Jelly Roll Morton, Ben Bemie, and the Dixieland Jug Blowers, without for or much regard purpose, originality, profundity. This mass misunderstanding, occurring in even large segments of the music and entertainment worlds, resulted in the develop- of a of musi- ment spirit "underground" comradeship among jazz cians. It a that a free of ideas across was spirit permitted exchange traditionally forbidding economic, racial, musical, and geographic barriers, but it also bred clannishness and the tendency to set up a closed society-within-a-society. Some musicians never recovered from this period of disengagement from the world around them. Six Beiderbecke is the classic Beiderbecke example. was actually not widely known outside musician circles in his own lifetime. Paul Whiteman's most celebrated soloist in 1928 was not Bix, but nonjazz trumpeter Henry Busse, who drew $350 a week, or $150 more than Beiderbecke. Most jazz musicians, including many who were to achieve international fame a few years later, despaired of finding recognition in the twenties. immersed in the When story of these jazzmen, then, it is useful to remember that their world occupied an almost unacknowl- corner of the edged entertainment industry throughout the so-called of Jazz Age. -Much the best jazz of the decade was doubt- less in sessions after played private regular jobs. That any worth- while at all was recorded and jazz preserved is a wonder, owing in to the part dedication and determination of the musicians and in to the part help of a few executives to recording sympathetic jazz. The choice of musicians to the decade is represent basically my own. However, it will be noted that some important names are conspicuously absent: Coleman Duke Hawkins, Ellington, King Oliver, Dodds, and Bechet are Baby Sidney examples. The reason for these omissions is that additional volumes in the series of INTRODUCTION 11 this is a which book part will cover New Orleans jazzmen and jazzmen important during the thirties, some of whom happened to be active and influential also in the twenties. I have, however, numerous references to made several of these men throughout the book. I have regarded each man's music in two ways. First, I've looked at the individual's work for its own value how the music at what it reached its if it grew, point apex, and, necessary, why declined. Second, a good deal of emphasis is placed upon each subject's historical function as a bridge from what came before him to in what grew part out of his own ideas. Indeed, the jazz masters described in this book were selected to some extent on the basis of their influence over other musicians, In the nine will chapters, then, be found more than just the bi- of nine the ographies key jazz figures of twenties. The chapter about Bessie Smith, for example, also touches on the valuable con- tributions of Ma Rainey and Ethel Waters. The story of Fletcher Henderson cannot be divorced from the early career of Don Red- man. understand the To positions of Jack Teagarden and Fats Waller in it jazz history, is desirable to know something of Miff Mole and James P. Johnson, The Chicagoans almost always have been treated as a group, it struck as and me logical to do so again. The story revolves around those whom I felt to be the most creative in their ap- to proach jazz. These eight individualists (Goodman, Stacy, Sulli- van, Teschemacher, Freeman, Krapa, Tough, and, though not a true Chicagoan, Russell) had a land of collective effect on jazz, it a but was significant effect nonetheless. (Goodman, of course, exerted a wide personal influence over several areas of jazz as but his contributions were made in the thirties. well, largest ) is not in its all The book comprehensive coverage of these play- ers. The Armstrong chapter, for example, picks up the trumpet player upon his departure from King Oliver's band and leaves him in the early thirties.