patricia

All I can say is "dapper", when viewing this photo of Shorty Rogers. Hard to believe that guys wore their hair like that. Thanks EKE BBB.

Now we have "SHORTY" ROGERS [Milton Rajonsky] who was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts in 1924. Rogers' first professional work was with Will Bradley and also with Red Norvo. When the U.S. entered the war, Shorty joined the army and after he was discharged in 1945, he went with Woody Herman's organization and stayed with him for about four years. In the early fifties, Rogers was with Stan Kenton for about a year. He then moved to Los Angeles and became very well known in what came to be recognized as West Coast Jazz. Shorty gave up the trumpet altogether, when he became involved with film and with television in the early fifties, but resumed playing thirty years later after a tour with Britain's National YOuth Jazz Orchestra in 1982. In the early 1990's, Rogers formed a new Lighthouse All Stars group, which included Bud Shank, Bill Perkins and Bob Cooper. Most agree that Shorty Rogers' writing was more remarkable than his trumpet-playing. Some say though that his writing was a little fussy, particularly the work he did for small groups. There are those who describe his work as watered down Miles Davis, but most agree that he was capable of eliciting lively performances from his collegues. It was interesting, to me, that he wrote the very beautiful, "Keen and Peachy" for Woody Herman and the equally fine, "Jolly Rogers" for Stan Kenton. Shorty Rogers' big band albums are very listenable and one of my favourites is "Short Stops" [1953 Bluebird]. This is a CD that contains three different sessions and includes Shorty's group, "Shorty's Giants". The most interesting tracks, to me, were the ones he wrote for "The Wild One", the Brando film. There are also tracks which feature Art Pepper, Jimmy Giuffre and Bill Perkins. SHORTY ROGERS died in November of 1994. He was seventy years old.

Next up we have Benny Carter's cousin, "CUBAN" [Theodore] BENNETT. Bennett was born in 1902 and played trumpet. Roy Eldridge said of Cuban, "You could call him the first of the moderns." Dicky Wells said of him, "He played changes like I've never heard". But, Benny Carter said it best, when describing his cousin, "You wouldn't believe that anyone could play that way in the Twenties, yet it's hard to talk about him if you've nothing to compare it with. He was so advanced. They're doing today, what he did then." Unfortunately, Cuban Bennett never recorded, nor does he seem to have worked steadily with a band. There was a period when he was playing with Bingie Madison in a New York taxi-dance hall. His drinking was copious and he was a bit of a jazz nomad, enjoying the free and easy life in the clubs. Bennett never seemed to have any burning desire to become famous, or world-travelled. According to Dicky Wells, "He just liked to hang around and blow in the joints and the joints finally gave out. Later, I understand he was on a farm his people left him." So, not much information on this trumpet player, but, in the spirit of the thread, he did have a nickname, so may rub shoulders with the group we've assembled. CUBAN BENNETT died in November of 1965.

WOW!! Great picture, EKE BBB. Thank you.

Most of us know who Ornette Coleman is, but did you know that his bandmate in his highschool band was "KING CURTIS" [Curtis Ousley]??? Curtis was born in Fort Worth Texas in 1934. He played both soprano and tenor saxophones and, after highschool, led his own group and toured with Lionel Hampton in 1953. Curtis also led a trio which included Horace Silver, after his stint with Hampton, having settled in New York. Some of you may remember the vocal group, The Coasters. Well, Curtis was involved in sessions work with that group, as well as many others of the period, quite often as the featured soloist. He replaced Red Prysock in Alan Freed's radio show band and made live appearances, regularly at Smalls' Paridise club in the late 1950's. In the 1960's Curtis appeared at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. This experience led to his becoming Aretha Franklin's musical director, as studio producer for her and for other artists as well. Although Curtis is mostly associated with r&b and pop recordings during his career, he had extensive background knowledge of the Texas Tenor tradition and from time to time, made jazz albums, one of which is "The New Scene Of King Curtis" [1960 New Jazz OJC] which is well worth listening to. The rhythm section was Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers and Oliver Jackson. The frontline featured Nat Adderley and was one of the rare, straight-ahead jazz recordings that Curtis did. That recording is quite remarkable. Tragically, KING CURTIS was stabbed to death, right outside his house, in August of 1971 and died. He was thirty-seven years old.

Brownie, I own both "The Beguiled" and "Play Misty For Me" and of his early movies, they are my far and away favourites, particularly "Play Misty......". Nice soundtrack. But, of the later ones, "Tightrope" has a great soundtrack, I think.

BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL pictures!!!!! Thank you so much, EKE BBB!!

Quite often people scoff at me for owning soundtracks. The fact that Clint Eastwood is a jazz aficianado would seem to me to be a good reason to look for the soundtracks attached to the movies he has directed, set in recent times, such as "Bird", "Play Misty For Me", "Tightrope" as well as the "Dirty Harry" films. Another film which has a soundtrack that actually rises above the film itself's medeocre-ness is "Walk On The Wild Side", which was where I first heard the title track, played by Elmer Berstein's orchestra. I like Jimmy Smith and Brook Benton's versions better, but that was where I first heard it and was enchanted by it's moodiness and passion.

Now we come to a what-might-have-been honouree, "SONNY" [saul] BERMAN, a wonderful trumpet-player, who was born in New Haven Connecticut in 1924. Sonny played, as a teenager, with many of the big bands of the day, including those led by Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman. He probably received the most recognition of his skill on the trumpet, as part of Woody Herman's second herd. He was with Herman when he, sadly, died as a result of a drug overdose. Such a waste. Sonny Berman was thought to be one of the most promising soloists of Herman's Second Herd. If you would like to hear an example of Sonny Berman's skill on the trumpet, look for "Woodchopper's Holiday" [1946 Cool and Blue] This is a recording of a private apartment jam, on which Berman plays with Serge Chaloff and Ralph Burns. There are tracks with Herman's big band, as well as his small group. As I say, what a waste of a great talent. SONNY BERMAN died in January of 1947. He was twenty-three years old.

Our next honouree will be the tenor saxophonist, "FLIP" [Joseph] PHILLIPS, who was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1915. Phillips started working in Brooklyn in 1934 and at first played both alto and clarinet. When he joined Frankie Newton from 1940-41, he played clarinet. In 1942, Phillips worked with Benny Goodman and switched to tenor, playing with Wingy Manone and Red Norvo in 1943. He then went on to play with Woody Herman from 1944-1946. Flip also toured with Jazz At The Philharmonic, every year, starting in 1946 for the next ten years. Moving to Florida and played with both Herman and Jazz At The Philharmonic which also included working with JATP bandmate, Bill Harris. By 1959 Flip had done a European tour with Goodman and followed that with a day job in Florida for fifteen years, as well as leading his own quartet. Then, the '70's arrived and they found Phillips living in New York and playing more regularly. He toured Europe again and recorded several new albums. By then, our guy was in his seventies and still going strong. When Flip Phillips came on the scene, he became a star, when most other aspiring tenor players idolized the great Lester Young. Phillips' chief influences were the work of Young's rival of the time, Coleman Hawkins and also Ben Webster. Phillips was a great showman and he was always intensely rhythmic, taking the South-Western style honking and shouting to new heights. The crowds loved him. There was a point where many thought he would outdo Illinois Jacquet as a favourite of those who followed Jazz At The Philharmonic. He lay fallow for a while, but then staged a comeback in the late seventies, displaying a more mature and less extroverted style, which was very appreciated. Unlike many of his generation of jazzers, he was able to showcase his more quiet style, which had evolved and was more convincing than most of his jazz contemperaries from the earlier years. If you are interested in hearing Flip's sound, look for "Flip Wails: The Best Of The Verve Years" [1947-57 Verve]. This has a kick-ass improvisation of the almost hackneyed "Singin' In The Rain" that blew me away.

Next we have the great baritone saxophonist, "PEPPER" ADAMS [Park Adams 111], who was born in Highland Park, Illinois in 1930. During his teenage years, Pepper played in Rochester N.Y., then with Lucky Thompson in Detroit. He was sixteen when he was with Thompson and that was also the period when he toured with Lionel Hampton. Adams served in the military from 1951-1953 and before and after his service he played with fellow Detroiters, Donald Byrd, Kenny Burrell, Tommy Flanagan and the great Elvin Jones. In the late fifties, Pepper was with Stan Kenton, Maynard Ferguson and Chet Baker. In 1957 Adams made his first foray into recording under his own name and these were done on the West Coast. The next year, in 1958, he moved to New York and based there, playing with Benny Goodman, as well as being an occasional member of Charles Mingus' groups. Then, after co-leading a quintet with Donald Byrd for four years in the late fifties, early sixties, Adams did some studio work and then became one of the founding members of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis band and was with them from 1965-1978. He toured Europe with the Jones/Lewis organization as well as recording there, under his own name. During the 1980's Adams toured solo to Europe as well as to Japan. Pepper Adams is known as one of the few baritone saxophone players to attempt to play in the post-bop style. His style has been described as having a hard, dry-sounding tone with a very sharp precisions timing and unstoppable almost steamroller-like lines. PEPPER ADAMS died in Sept of 1986. If you are interested in a very good album, featuring Pepper, please look for "Conjuration [1983 Reservoir] which is a live set recording which includes, along with Pepper's work, his frontline partner, Kenny Wheeler and is well-worth listening to.

"DOC" [Paul Wesley] EVANS was a cornet-player and leader, who was born in Spring Valley, Minnesota in 1907. Doc worked with Red Dougherty's band in the 1930's, specializing on cornet, then led his own band through the 1940's mostly in Chicago, but occasionally in New York. Evans was described as very lyrical and technically accomplished, as well as being respected by his fellow musicians. What perked up my interest in Evans, was his associations with one of my very favourite jazzers, Miff Mole. Doc played with him in the early forties. He also was with Tony Parenti and Joe Sullivan during the same period. From 1947 on, he recorded with his own band. Those recordings included a great series of records for Audiophile in the 1950's which quite often included pianist, John "Knocky" Parker. The recordings also helped to establish Evans as a major-league figure in the revival of jazz, which was taking place. Throughout the sixties, Evans continued to lead bands as well as directing the Mendota Symphony Orchestra. Doc Evans made his last recordings in 1975, at the Manassas jazz festival, with Tommy Gwaltney and Bill Allred. DOC EVANS died in January, of 1977.

In 1895, in Long Branch New Jersey, the drummer, "SONNY" [William Alexander] GREER was born. Sonny was Duke Ellington's first drummer and many say his best. Greer was four years older than Ellington and came to New York to work with Elmer Snowden, quite a while before Duke arrived. He was a colourful character, a fast-talking hipster, a free-spender, who many times found himself having to hustle in pool halls, to get his drums out of hock. Sonny worked with Ellington's five-piece Washingtonians and then at the Cotton Club, with the larger orchestra. For the club, Greer built up a collection of drums which were supplied by the Leedy Drum Company in Indiana. It is estimated that the drum set which Greer used at the Cotton Club was worth a princely, for the period, $3,000.00. Greer designed for the Leedy company and his collection included chimes, vibes, timpany and gong. Greer was a powerful, impressive drummer and was an inspiration for those who followed him, such as Gene Krupa. Greer's drum work was an integral part of what many consider Ellington's greatest work, until 1950. But, in 1950, Ellington, aware of Greer's very heavy drinking and his occasional less than excellent work, due to it, took on another drummer, Butch Ballard, when he went on a Scandinavian tour. Well, fur flew and much worse than the usual cussin' out, which was not unusual between Duke and Greer, whose relationship was tempestuous at the best of times. But this altercation was the turning point between Greer and the Ellington organization. Sonny walked away from the Ellington orchestra and for the next twenty years, freelanced, with among others, Johnny Hodges' small band. He also worked with "Red" Allen and Tyree Glenn, as well as appearing in films, one of the best known being "The Night They Raided Minsky's" In 1974, Greer was a part of the tribute arranged by the Ellington scholar, Brooks Kerr and the tour of that show was a raging success, all over the U.S. I think that Don Byas said it best, if a capsule portrait is to be made of the great Sonny Greer. Byas said, "I never heard a better drummer for the Ellington band than Sonny Greer. It's funny, for alone or with another band he was nothing exceptional. But he fitted with the Duke as has no one else!" SONNY GREER died in March of 1982. To hear the magic of Sonny Greer, as it was experienced in the Ellington years, look for "Swing 1930-1938" [Jazz Classics]. This is the re-mastering by Robert Parker of the big-band aspect of Greer with Duke's band. These years, IMO, were Greer's career peak and the collection is well worth searching out and listening to.

How many of you have heard of the guitarist/vocalist, "LONNIE" [Alonzo] JOHNSON? Well, I hadn't. Johnson was born in 1899 in New Orleans, studying violin as well as guitar and by the time he was eighteen, he was playing in revues. He travelled to London for the first time in 1917 to work there. When he returned, sadly, he discovered that most of his family had died in the great flu epidemic, so he left New Orleans to try his luck in St Louis and Chicago. In 1925 he entered and won a talent contest for the OKeh record company and he became a staff musician for the label. Lonnie made records with soon-to-be major stars, such as Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Eddie Lang, Victoria Spivey and also Spencer Williams. Then, from 1932-1937 he worked around Cleveland and played for radio, while working a day job. He followed that with three years with Johnny Dodds in Chicago, as well as leading for himself. For about four years, Lonnie travelled to Chicago, Detroit and Kansas City, and by the mid-forties he was using an amplified guitar, unusual for the period and his own contemperary ballad style. He had a hit, "Tomorrow Night" in 1948. In 1952 Johnson travelled to London again and was reviewed by Jazz Journal. The opinion of that publication was that Lonnie "seemed out of practice on his guitar and insisted on featuring many of his own ballad compositions". Not exactly glowing. Johnson, disheartened, moved back to the U.S. and worked in Cincinnati and then Philidelphia as a chef. He didn't abandon music though and in 1963 he toured in a blues package with Otis Spann. From the mid-sixties to his death, Lonnie was a popular figure in Toronto, where he had settled. LONNIE JOHNSON died in 1970. There is a collection of Johnson's work that you might find interesting. It is "Playing With Strings" [1927-1940 JSP] which has selections with Armstrong, Ellington, Williams, Dodds and Ory. It's a very nice collection.

Without a doubt! I always think about where I was when I first heard that song. Rachel, I used to have a Brook Benton LP with a vocal version of "Walk On The Wild Side" on it. Sadly, I can't find a replacement and it doesn't seem to be on CD. It kicks ass. But, my favourite version, although the first one I heard was Elmer Bernstein's [it was on the soundtrack of the mediocre film of the same name], is Jimmy Smith's. WOW!!

I can't believe that John Stevens made it to the top twelve. Holy Man!!! His voice isn't horrible, but it's weak and personality-less. He has virtually no stage presence or style and the orchestra all but drowns out his voice. How, I ask how did he get this far in the competition?

"Walk on the Wild Side", or "Harlem Nocturne", by almost anyone. My heart actually beats a little more quickly. Strange.

Although Magione has legitimate jazz credits, I think that, given what he's done since the seventies, he seemed to have chosen to go the more commercial middle-of-the-road route. The dreaded Kenny G., who could probably play decent jazz if he wanted to, would make WAY less money if he did, rather than the millions that he does. I blame Magione himself, but only gently, for going the more commercial route. It's a choice, I think. We all wish that artists who are capable of playing innovative and interesting jazz, would, but a person has to make a living. Weighing the alternatives, would all of us choose to suffer for out art, if given the opportunity to turn out copies of "big eyed children", or in the present context, grind out "easy-listening", pretend jazz, for huge bucks?? Tough choice.

I agree. Although sharpness and crispness is usually desired and evident in b+w work, it isn't always the goal of the photographer. Sometimes graininess, and even being slightly out-of-focus works to create a mood or feeling in the finished work. But, just having a particular camera and knowing how the camera you're using and the additional equipment, if any, works has as much, IMO, to do with creating a great picture as owning a top-of-the line saxophone has to do with creating musical magic. Without Wollf, or, in the case of music, we'll say Charlie Parker, the equipment means almost nothing.

Although it may very well been dimly lighted, the studio didn't necessarily have to be, to create the effect. The background virtually drops away with the adjustment of the depth of the photographer's field. Thus, even in normal light, the background can appear to be black. I would guess that if the picture was formally composed, which the picture of Mobley appears to be, a dark backdrop and strategic lighting would be likely.

Why does that remind me of Ricardo Montalban hawking the Cordoba? Ah... you're thinking of Fine Corinthean Leather Tuscadero. I have a friend who was totally hypnotized by the way that Ricardo Montebalm said "fine Corinthian leather". Go figure.

I will disagree again. I don't think it's as a matter of opinions & our subjective views of what constitutes photography as an art form... Good medium format camera with appropriate film and a good lens properly set-up for the occasion, such as a poor-lit studio, always takes a [much] better picture than a Samsung point-n-shoot. Camera is the photographer's eye, not a box-full of screws and gears. I realized it when I was 12 or 13 and joined a photo club. Of course, Dmitry. I do still photography for a living and I don't disagree with you when you say that a skilled photographer can take superior shots with good equipment, properly used. I'm only saying that it's not the defining factor. My own preference and the camera and lenses I use are almost exclusively a Canon AE1, with a 35-70mm zoom, or a 50mm macro lens. I do mostly portraits and close-up ad work. A point and shoot camera was invented, in my opinion, in order to enable anyone to take a decent picture. I like to be able to control every aspect of my work, so the fewer automatic features, the better. But, I stand by my opinion that an artist, whose medium is a camera, can take a picture, like the Mobley one with almost any camera, paying attention to the film speed, basic composition, lighting and exposure. So, you see, I'm not really disagreeing with you. What makes Wollf's work remarkable is his eye.

I think you are wrong. Reason one - a 35mm milk-dish could not have captured Wolff's subjects nearly as well as a classic 6x6 Rolleiflex. It would be technically impossible to produce the images of such quality without a good camera/lens. You're entitled to your opinion. My point was that an artist, such as Wolff, could have taken a great photograph with whatever was available to him. The resulting picture would have been a demonstration of his skill and not a demonstration of the equipment he used, whatever it was. I think that he could have taken the shot with a Brownie box, if that was what was available, using the time-exposure setting and available light, but probably didn't. Great eye for composition. I like it.

I always find it interesting when people consider the equipment used to take a great photograph relevant. It has very little to do with the resulting work. A great photographer can do equally good work with a piece of crap camera as they can with a bells-and-whistles one. All photographs are an example of how skilled the photographer is at transferring to film what they are seeing and nothing else. Like a good painter or musician, even they sometimes can't describe what it is that they do that few others do. There is a singlemindedness that gives them the ability to not only know what belongs in the picture, but more importantly, what doesn't. Ten frames of the same shot are all slightly different from each other and the one chosen, quite often, is not the photographer's favourite. But, as was said earlier, an artist of Wolff's skill's worst shot is probably better than most's best. Almost all the photographers that I know do all their work "up front", which is to say that they intend for everything in the frame to be in the finished shot. They compose as they view the subject through the lens and do no, or almost no cropping at all.

Next up we have the great "JELLY ROLL MORTON"[Ferdenand Lemott], who was born in New Orleans in 1890. As I researched Jelly Roll, I found that much of the information about his career was made up of grandiose claims and dubious facts, by the man himself. He called himself "The Originator of Jazz Stomps and Blues" and was a tireless self-promoter. Not bad traits, but they tend to muddy the biographical waters. This much is sure. His flamboyance was a great part of his early success and certainly made him not only one of the most colourful characters of early jazz, but one of the handful recognized by even non-jazzers. Jelly Roll was playing, hustling and playing pool in the Storyville brothels in 1906 and learned his survival tactics there. He involved himself in the thriving vaudville circuit and worked in a double act as "Morton and Morton" with a partner called "Rose". He was also in music publishing with the Spikes brothers, ran a tailor's shop, promoted boxing, ran dance halls and gambling houses, did a little pimping and also was involved in black-face minstrel shows. At the same time, with his wife, Anita, who was the sister of bassist, Bill Johnson, he ran a club hotel. During his most creative period, in 1923, he was in Chicago and recorded some very successful piano solos for Gennett. These included "King Porter Stomp", "Kansas City Stomp" and "The Pearls", which brought him a measure of attention. When Jelly Roll was not recording, he was touring, both with his own groups and with others' groups, such as Fate Marble and W.C. Handy. He usually denied that anyone else led groups he played with, but they did. Jelly Roll's greatest sessions are considered to be the ones he did with the Red Hot Peppers. According to Baby Dodds, "There was a fine spirit in that group at rehearsal. Jelly used to work on each and every number until it satisfied him! You did what Jelly Roll wanted you to do, no more no less." When Jelly Roll recorded, he would hire what he considered to be reliable musicians for the sessions, mostly Creoles from New Orleans. He paid generously, for the times, $5 for rehearsals and $15 for recording. The material that came out of those sessions was gold, such as "Dead Man Blues" and "Sidewalk Blues". Those two sides are said to have established the Peppers as the number one hot band for Victor. Then Morton went to New York in 1928. It was, for the most part a disappointing experience for him and he began to lose ground. The new big band era was more popular than the small group jazz he preferred. Sadly, though he tried, heroically, he was unable to re-create the success in New York that he had enjoyed for so many years in New Orleans. His contract with Victor had expired and was not renewed. He was finding it more and more difficult to find work and even worked in theatre pits, just to make ends meet. He also was hanging around the Rhythm Club as well as over at Lafayette Theatre, despondant and on a decline. By 1936 he was, as George Hoefer said, "suing the world for recognition". Jelly Roll Morton was playing in a tiny, second-floor club to a small group of dedicated admirers. Among those admirers was Roy Carew. Interestingly, in 1938 there was a recorded series of memoirs, hosted by Alan Lomax of the Library of Congress folklore archives. At one point, Jelly Roll, infuriated by a Robert Ripley radio programme, which described W.C. Handy as "the originator of jazz and the blues", Jelly Roll wrote a scathing letter to Down Beat magazine, which said, in part, "I myself happened to be the creator of jazz in the year of 1902" Well, that reminded the public that he was still alive, although his health was in a definate downslide. By 1939 Jelly Roll was living in New York again and although he called it "that cruel city", nevertheless he made made more recordings there. Sadly, the flamboyant Jelly Roll, troubled by asthma, as well as a serious heart condition, drove to California, in search of a more favourable climate, as well as a hope for the success he had once had. He died, insensate, in hospital in 1941. JELLY ROLL MORTON is acknowledged as the one who took small band jazz to the limits of it's artistic potential. According to Art Hodes, "Jelly Roll was to the small band what Ellington was to the large". Even today, his music has been carried on by such varied artists as Dick Hyman, Pee Wee Erwin, Kenny Ball, Max Harris and even choreographer, Twyla Tharp. Lots of Jelly out there, but my favourite is "Jelly Roll Morton 1924-40 Classics]. This is a six volume chronology of his work and it includes the work he did with Red Allen and Albert Nicholas. Look for it.