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Jack Teagarden


nmorin

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A few months back I got Louis Armstrong's Classics Jazz CDs for 1947 and was just FLOORED by Jack Teagarden's playing and singing. You guys said that Teagarden's performances in the Town Hall concert with the All-Stars and other appearances in Pop's CDs were not atypical. So, then: what Teagarden should a guy get? Should I just start working my way through the Classics Jazz CDs?

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I don't really know where to start, except to counsel you to avoid records Jack made with his big band. I always thought he was much better represented in a small band format. Two of his best were lp's he made in the 50's (I believe) with Bobby Hackett. Titles are "Coast Concert" and "Jazz Ultimate" which are available in the used lp market. Outside of those two,, which are admittedly my favorites, any late Teagarden with the band he had up to his death are very good. If you can find a copy of one of his favorite numbers " A hundred years from today" features vocal by Jack that is characteristic and Perfect. IMHO.

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Yes, I had a long reply prepared and then my computer crashed! Anyway, Jack is someone I've been listening to a lot over the last decade and I reallyl see his work as a whole, and there aren't many "just start here" moments.

The album(s) with Hackett ARE a good place to start and they are on cd from Collectables, and a good recommendation! I also really like "Misery and the Blues" which was finally reissued on Verve in the LP By Request series. It's darker than some of his efforts and yet I really consider it one of his best "official" albums. Also worth sampling are the releases on the Vernon Records label; live mateiral from various periods and great notes and engineering. "Meet Me Where they Play the Blues" is also a nice cd from OJC, and another good cd to pick up is the Bethlehem cd. . . .

Jack was not always consistently great, and there are some recordings that have dull moments. I've actually learned to like the big band recordings but it does take time. And I love a lot of sideman appearances in the early thirties. . . . I like his work with Goodman and with Ben Pollack and you can find a lot of these on cds, but it would depend on your tolernace level/like of hot dance and thirties pop music. . . ! If you do like this sort of music, the Classics may be a good route to explore those released under his own name.

Tea is one of my very favorite artists. I'm glad you have become interested in him! There are some similar threads on the board too you may wish to seek out.

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You really can't go wrong getting more of Teagarden's work with Pops.

Don't miss the 1940 session with Bud Freeman's Famous Chicagoans.

Teagarden made my must have list a long time ago - I just get anything by him I don't already have and I'm never disapointed, so imho...if you are focused in on T, then he is fine on the 30s big band things. It depends on your tolerance for that kind of big band and your tolerance for 20s and 30s recording techniques.

The records Frank mentions are indeed great and have the advantage of being recorded in sound that does not suffer by modern recording standards, so you can't miss by getting these. I would add the Verve "Misery and The Blues" to those.

Also I would explore the recordings Teagarden did with Eddie Condon - in particular those currently available on 3 Chronogical Classics - Eddie Condon 1938 - 1940, Eddie Condon 1944-1946, and Eddie Condon 1947-1950.

Teagarden is a life long study. For me literally. I started listening to Jack Teagarde when I was about 10 years old. I'm 58 now and still listening and still buying everything I can get that I don't already have by him.

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I was passing by and read the contributions by others. They are absolutely right in their advice. His work with Condon was terrific and I agree wholeheartedly. I was also reminded of the work he did with Pops, particularly with the group Pops had with Jack,Barney Bigard.Earl Hines and I believe Zutty. Aw hell, I'll listen to anything by him. :)

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I was passing by and read the contributions by others. They are absolutely right in their advice. His work with Condon was terrific and I agree wholeheartedly. I was also reminded of the work he did with Pops, particularly with the group Pops had with Jack,Barney Bigard.Earl Hines and I believe Zutty. Aw hell, I'll listen to anything by him. :)

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I have to dissent somewhat - the later stuff is great but the best is from the 1930s, with small group, as leader, sideman - "I Ain't Lazy I'm Just Dreamin" has a collossal solo, and I think his playing in these years reached a peak; hear his work as sideman with Benny Goodman - or "Two Tix To Georgia" with Ben Pollack, 1933; with his own group: "Planation Moods," from 1933 - don't worry about recording quality, this is important music - advanced, soulful and timeless -

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I love big-T.  "Stars fell on Alabama" is great everytime he does it.  The Mosaic collection (the Roulette one) is beautiful.  I will raise a glass in honour of Tea tonight!

After the version of "Stars Fell on Alabama" from the 1947 Town Hall concert, I had to pick my jaw off the floor. Both his playing and singing were simply perfect.

Edited by nmorin
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Not really so as far as I can tell. He DID have a different technique than many another trombonist . . . he learned to play when his arms weren't long enough to extend the slide fully and he simply figured out different tonguings etc. to make the notes. I wonder if this remark about him not playing the full range of the horn had to do with a misreading of his arm positioning.

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There was a thing out on Drive Archives w/Tea, Ruby Braff, Lucky Thompson, and Denzil Best (a.o.) that is as groovy as the personnel is unlikely. Well worth finding.

That's the same as the Bethlehem (or Urania) cd Lon mentions. Excellent.

I did not know that. GREAT side!

B00000J63Q.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

:tup

Jazz Great- is superb but Lucky Thomson certainly isn't on it.

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There seems to be some confusion with the Jack Teagarden Bethlehem and the Jack Teagarden Urania albums. Two different records.

The Urania album 'Accent on Trombone' had T playing with Ruby Braff, Sol Yaged, Lucky Thompson, Kenny Kersey, etc.

The Bethlehem album 'Jazz Great' had T playing with various musicians including Jimmy McPartland, Edmund Hall, Walter Page, Jo Jones, etc..

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There seems to be some confusion with the Jack Teagarden Bethlehem and the Jack Teagarden Urania albums. Two different records.

The Urania album 'Accent on Trombone' had T playing with Ruby Braff, Sol Yaged, Lucky Thompson, Kenny Kersey, etc.

The Bethlehem album 'Jazz Great' had T playing with various musicians including Jimmy McPartland, Edmund Hall, Walter Page, Jo Jones, etc..

Thanks for the clarification Brownie. I think the album Lon meant was the Urania, since the OJC "Meet Me Where They Play The Blues" is the same as the "Jazz Great", but has one extra track.

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Not really so as far as I can tell. He DID have a different technique than many another trombonist . . . he learned to play when his arms weren't long enough to extend the slide fully and he simply figured out different tonguings etc. to make the notes. I wonder if this remark about him not playing the full range of the horn had to do with a misreading of his arm positioning.

What he did was learn that you could get the same notes from different slide positions by playing overtones of the fundamental, mostly an embouchure/air flow/throat position thing (if I recall my brass class instruction correctly). This certainly led the way to future generations who exploited this knowledge to achieve even greater fluency on the instrument. JJ Johnson, for one instance, would not have been able to do what he did w/o this knowledge.

So, if you don't dig Bill Watrous, blame Jack Teagarden! :g:g:g

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Thanks Jim!

Thanks Brownie. No I actually meant the Bethlehem, not remembering that the OJC was the same album plus a couple of extra tracks (the extra tracks made a memorable impression on me!)

I like the Urania . . . but I like the sessions with Cary and McPartland and Baudac better on the Beth/OJC.

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Yes, "Jazzical Mood" was one Period incarnation of the Mingus . . . I think there may have been two 10"s that became the Bethlehem lp (minus one tune the Beth dropped). Discographic details just don't stay in my memory long any longer. . . . And I don't mourn their deletion much.

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