[Bright Moments]

What is known about Pee Wee Marquette, the famous Birdland Announcer?
B)

[rockefeller center]

There are some stories in Bill Crowe's books but I can't remember them.

[ariceffron]

PEE WEE MARQUETTE WAS FRIENDS WITH BABY FACE WILLETTE

[jazzbo]

According to Lester Young, "Half a mohterfucker."

If an artist didn't tip him to his satisfaction he'd mispronounce or otherwise mangle your name in announcements. . . .

[Christiern]

She was a nasty person, and Lon is right, she deliberately mispronounced musicians' names unless they gave her money. After Birdland closed, I used to see her in front of a tourist trap restaurant, Hawaii Kai, hawking to lure out-of-towners in.

This post has been edited by Christiern: 03 June 2004 - 05:01 PM

[Bright Moments]

any pics or bio info? how did he get his job? :mellow:

[Christiern]

He?

[Bright Moments]

see! i'm learning already he was a SHE!!!!! :excited:

[vibes]

Bright Moments, on Jun 3 2004, 05:10 PM, said:

see! i'm learning already he was a SHE!!!!! :excited:

I always thought Pee Wee was a "he" too! Hot damn, I have learned something from this place! :rolleyes:

[rockefeller center]

[rockefeller center]

The scan above is from Crowe's "Jazz Anecdotes" (page 310). I don't know what's up with Christiern but maybe he learned some trivia from this place.

[mgraham333]

So is it HE or SHE?

If it's HE, I've always thought that Gary Coleman could play him in a movie about Birdland. (Look at the Art Blakey - A Night At Birdland Covers (rvg)).

[Bright Moments]

from: http://www.allaboutj...es/ftis0802.htm


Lullaby of Birdland


By Rob Mariani


You descended another flight of stairs and the light became a kind of midnight blue. A hand lettered sign overhead read: "Welcome to The Jazz Corner of the World. Through these doors pass the most." There were shadows moving around inside, and a silvery white glow coming off the tablecloths. You were greeted ­ if that's the word for it by the strident and irascible Mr. Pee Wee Marquette, the tuxedoed midget who also worked as the MC. (I can't tell you the number of times I was summarily turned away by Mr. Marquette because I could not produce proof that I was 18 years old. And even after I had my draft card, he still insisted I show it to him every time I came.)





curiouser and curiouser!!! :ph34r:

[John L]

I recall that we had a thread a while back on a now defunct jazz BBS with the subject "whatever happened to Pee Wee Marquette?" There were some knowledgeable participants, and nobody could recall an obituary or any such information.

Is Pee Wee still alive?

[Christiern]

Marquette was generally believed--by me and others--to be a male, but I have heard many people who worked with him/her say that this was a woman posing as a man. Not having seen Marquette sans clothes (tux or ridiculous Hawaii Kai costume), I cannot say for sure, but while it may be nothing more than a rumor, it surely is within the realm of possibilities.

Hmmmmm

[rockefeller center]

Christiern, on Jun 4 2004, 01:55 AM, said:

Marquette was generally believed--by me and others--to be a male, but I have heard many people who worked with him/her say that this was a woman posing as a man. Not having seen Marquette sans clothes (tux or ridiculous Hawaii Kai costume), I cannot say for sure, but while it may be nothing more than a rumor, it surely is within the realm of possibilities.

Hmmmmm

Reading this post of yours makes me wonder about the "He?" in your second post in this thread. It's illogical.

[Christiern]

Perhaps I should have asked: he? she?

[danasgoodstuff]

Perhaps Pee Wee was a hermaphrodite, which would make Lester's "half a motherfucker" comment exceptionally perceptive, even for him!

[JSngry]

He/She was on Letterman about 7-8 years ago.

Supposedly he announced Teddy Kotick as Teddy Kotex.

[Bright Moments]

just learned he was 3 feet 9 inches and born "william clayton marquette."

^_^

[Bright Moments]

from: http://home.achilles...onk/hentoff.php


Memories of Thelonious Monk
from "Listen to the Stories"
by Nat Hentoff


When Monk's music was played, there was never any doubt as to its source. Pee Wee Marquette, the small, round, vinegary man who used to act as the town crier at Birdland, would introduce Thelonious as "the onliest Monk."


B)

[Bright Moments]

can anyone find any other pics of pee wee marquette? :)

[Bright Moments]

come on people, keep looking! :)

[Bright Moments]

i still would like to see some other pics of him.

i found another voice clip of him on Tito Rodriguez - Live at Birdland (1962) Palladium Records. he got the name right! B-)

[wesbed]

I watched Clint Eastwood's 'Bird' a couple of weeks ago. If I remember correctly, and I might no be doing so, Pee Wee (an actor portraying Pee Wee) makes an appearance when Charlie Parker plays at Birdland. Again, maybe I'm thinking of a different movie, I can't remember.

Anyhow, when I saw Pee Wee, wherever it was that I saw Pee Wee, I was reminded of this thread and Christiern's words of Pee Wee possibly being a 'she.'

[Bright Moments]

Bright Moments, on Jun 5 2004, 06:10 AM, said:

can anyone find any other pics of pee wee marquette? :)

this is like the quest for the grail!!!

:lol:

[Man with the Golden Arm]

Googling the Grail-

Dick Cary:

Quote

Stories about Pee Wee Marquette were among those Cary loved to tell and to hear. For a time during the 1940s and '50s, Marquette was the doorman/bouncer/master-of-ceremonies at the famous jazz club Birdland in New York City. Members of Dick Cary's band who remember Marquette say he was a man of diminutive stature and pompous demeanor.

Pee Wee was apparently disliked by some musicians. Several tell that Pee Wee's stage announcements of musicians' names were proportional in effusiveness to the size of the tip Pee Wee received from the musician. For example, a generous tipper might be gushingly introduced by name as "an internationally renowned master of musical excellence and genuine genius of jazz artistry" while a scant tipper might go unnamed as merely "the bass player." This piece is, in part, Dick Cary's musical description of Pee Wee Marquette's self-important strutting at the historic club.

Bill Crow "Scenes from a Jazz Life"

Quote

Marquette...smoked huge cigars

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

rockefeller center, on Jun 3 2004, 08:06 PM, said:

Christiern, on Jun 4 2004, 01:55 AM, said:

Marquette was generally believed--by me and others--to be a male, but I have heard many people who worked with him/her say that this was a woman posing as a man. Not having seen Marquette sans clothes (tux or ridiculous Hawaii Kai costume), I cannot say for sure, but while it may be nothing more than a rumor, it surely is within the realm of possibilities.

Hmmmmm

Reading this post of yours makes me wonder about the "He?" in your second post in this thread. It's illogical.

http://www.sonicrec.com/images/platter4.gif :lol:

[Ron S]

Bright Moments, on Jan 25 2005, 09:02 AM, said:

Bright Moments, on Jun 5 2004, 06:10 AM, said:

can anyone find any other pics of pee wee marquette?  :)

this is like the quest for the grail!!!

:lol:

Sorry, no Pee Wee Marquette yet. Will another Pee Wee do in the meantime?

http://www.afunk.com/other/peewee/pictures/022.jpg

This post has been edited by Ron S: 25 January 2005 - 10:34 AM

[marcello]

No photo but I found this:

home.comcast.net/~pkdwoof/audio/birdland.mp3Pee Wee audio

This post has been edited by marcello: 25 January 2005 - 04:54 PM