patricia

Moving back, once again to the New Orleans players, at the turn of the last century, at the very beginnings of jazz, we have ALCIDE "YELLOW" NUNEZ. Nunez was born in 1884 in New Orleans and was nicknamed for his Creole complexion. Nunez was known as one of the most competent and highly trained clarinet players of the New Orleans Dixieland artists, working all around the city in cabarets, saloons and parade bands from 1902 on. He had a four year job with Jack Laine's Reliance Band from 1912-1916. In 1916 Nunez travelled to Chicago with the drummer, Johnny Stein and joined the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, under leader, Nick LaRocca. There was a big blowup with LaRocca and Nunez went to Tom Brown's group, trading places with Larry Shields. His association with Brown's organization did nothing for Nunez's career and Nunez went back to leading his own bands. He toured with Bert Kelly and played for drummer, Anton Lada at the Athena Cafe in Chicago. After his time with Lada, Nunez toured his own quartet around the Midwest. He then moved back to New Orleans in 1927, playing with the New Orleans Police Band later on. YELLOW NUNEZ died in 1934 at forty years old.

One of the most revolutionary trombone-players in the Ellington band was a plunger-mute master, JOE "TRICKY SAM" NANTON. Nanton was born in New York in 1904. Duke loved his trombone section best and Nanton was a standout player His style suited Ellington's growling jungle music perfectly. As Mercer Ellington said of Nanton, "Tricky had a special feeling for it and he could play the proper things to fit the plunger." And, according to Dicky Wells, "The man could say as much as a human voice on his horn." As well, Rex Stewart said of Nanton, "The wail of a newborn baby, the raucous hoot of an owl, the blood-curdling scream of an enraged tiger, or the eerie coo-ing of a mournful dove!" What I found really interesting about Tricky was that, aside from being an integral part of Ellington's trombone section, he had interests in other fields. He used to set up what was described as a talking table to exchange information about everything from handmade English shoes to Black American politics. He had worked in cabaret bands such as those led by Cliff Jackson, Earl Fraser and Elmer Snowden. But, having joined Ellingtons organization, Nanton refused to work, or even record with anyone else. He had found his home. Nanton suffered a stroke in 1945. However, he snapped back and returned to tour California. Sadly, he was found dead n his hotel bedroom one morning. Nanton's heavy drinking may have been a contributing factor to his early death at only forty-two years old. After the loss of Nanton, Ellington's band tried, with other fine players, like Wilber de Paris and Tyree Glenn, to re-create Nanton's sound, but the opinion of many is that for Ellington the trombone section was never the same after the loss of Nanton. TRICKY SAM NANTON died in July of 1946.

Another "Buddy" joins our happy little gang, in the person of "BUDDY" [William Marcel] COLLETTE. Collette was born in Los Angeles in 1921. Collette played in some L.A. groups before he became leader of one of the Navy bands during WWll. After the War, Collette was a member of a short-lived co-op group, along with Britt Woodman and Charles Mingus in 1946. He followed that with freelance work as well as doing sessions. I'm always reluctant to catagorize musicians this way, but Collette is on record as the first black musician to hold a permanent position in a West Coast studio band in 1951-1955. After that, he was a founder member of Chico Hamilton's quintet for two years. Soon after, Collette freelanced, played, taught and also composed. Many Monterey festival big bands were assembled by Collette, which were led by such greats as Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie and Gil Evans from 1964-1966. Buddy Collette's style has been described as discreet, swinging and of the Lester Young school. What is less known is that Collette is also a brilliant clarinettist and flautist. He is remarkable in that he has made a convincing case for the use of those two instruments in the interpretation of jazz. A sample of Buddy's work can be found called "A Nice Day" [1956-7 Contemperary OJC]. This collection was recorded while Collette was with Chico Hamilton's group and has a nice selection of his work.

Before WWll, JAKI [John] BYARD had been working professionally , playing piano since he was fifteen. After his army service, he joined Earl Bostic, playing piano. Jaki then played tenor saxophone in Herb Pomeroy's Boston group throughout the 1950's. During that time he wrote 'Aluminum Baby", which has a kinship with the great "Satin Doll". In 1959 Jaki replaced Joe Zawinul in Maynard Ferguson's band. He then began recording under his own name. Although he is heard to advantage during his period with Charles Mingus, he is best as a soloist, IMO. Leading a big band, The Apollo Stompers, occasionally during the seventies, he was mainly involved in teaching at New England Conservatory. JAKI BYRD's talent has been described as kaleidoscopic, because of his familiarity with virtually every facet of the jazz experience. Jaki died in February, 1999. There is a recording of Byrd's work, "Blues For Smoke"[1960 Candid], which was unreleased for a long time, because the label died, but is now out there and was Byrd's first album. He is unaccompanied and brilliant, re-visiting his "Aluminum Baby" and the lesser-known, "Tribute To The Ticklers" [don't you love those titles?] Very listenable.

And now we have the trumpet-player, "YANK" [John Rea] LAWSON, who was born in Trenton Missuri in 1911. Lawson became interested in the trumpet while in his teens, playing with college bands. He worked his way round the South with Wingy Manone and then joined the Ben Pollack band, replacing Sterling Bose in 1933. As mentioned before, there was a dispute in Pollack's band over his favouring his girlfriend, singer Doris Robbins, and along with other members, Lawson was part of the exodus, leaving the band in protest in 1935. Yank then freelanced in New York, later joining Bob Crosby's band. But, he left Crosby's band because of a financial dispute with Gil Rodin, who was Crosby's business manager in 1938. Yank then went with Tommy Dorsey, who often let his new sidemen write their own cheques. He stayed with Dorsey for a year. He went back to Crosby in 1941, then moved to Benny Goodman's band. In 1950 the Lawson-Haggert Jazz Band made a series of Dixieland records, and Yank's trumpet was featured. His trademark was his harmon-to-open muted technique, hectoring phrasing, a frank vibrato, with a deep feeling for the blues which calls to mind King Oliver. Lawson was kept busy through the fifties and sixties playing jazz clubs and playing Crosby reunions. In 1968 Lawson joined the World's Greatest Jazz Band and his style sat perfectly with that of Billy Butterfield. He co-led the Lewis-Haggert band when it toured Europe, and performed as a soloist with them. Yank continued to work constantly with reunions of the World's Greatest Jazz Band, with Warren Vache as co-lead trumpeter, as well as making guest appearances with various groups. Listening to Yank Lawson's trumpet reminds me of the sound of Bob Crosby's band because he typifies, beautifully, the pure Dixieland sound for which he was known. YANK LAWSON continued to perform, until his death in February of 1955.

Our next honouree is relatively young, compared to those who have been profiled so far. He is the trumpet and fluglehorn player, MICHAEL "PATCHES" STEWART. Stewart was born in 1955 in New Orleans. Although nobody else in his family was particularly musical, Stewart was, of course surrounded by music, living in New Orleans. He became interested in the trumpet when he was eleven, playing in the Lawless Junior High School band and then the Purple Knights marching band. While still in high school, Stewart went out on the road with various bands during his summer vacations. When he was sixteen, he played trumpet on LaBelle's hit "Lady Marmalade". His success that summer was the prod he needed to set the course for his future musical career. He said, "I guess all that gave me an appetite for performing on stage....I made a youthful decision to turn down scholarships to Berklee and local universities in favour of 'real world' experiences." The musicians and groups with whom he played after that included the Brothers Johnson, Quincy Jones, Al Jarreau and then Marcus Miller. In 1997 he released his own debut album, "Blue Patches", which was an acoustic jazz collection, followed by an electric, highly produced one, "Penetration". Stewart explained his nickname this way. "Back in the hippie days I had a pair of bell-bottom pants with patches all over them...Peace signs, stuff like that. Some guy said to me, 'If you put another patch on your pants, we're gonna call you "Patches", and that name followed me from New Orleans to California." He is recognized as an exceptionally gifted trumpeter and has a full and rounded sound, as well as excellent range. Stewart's influences are all of the great trumpet players of jazz history,including Freddie Hubbard, Miles Davis, Clifford Brown and Kenny Durham. He particlarly admired Davis because of the many directions his playing style took, renewing itself and changing over the years. In 1997, on Hip Bop Essence, Stewart recorded "Blue Patches" and I think that it would be worthwhile to look for. There are influences of Miles in this collection, but no attempt to imitate him. I see it as a tribute to one of his idols. Patches is backed by a very interesting trio, Shelly Bery on piano, Adrian Rosen on bass and a very compelling drummer, Bob Leatherbarrow.

And now we have comin' around the bend one of the most obscure honourees, included because he had a nickname and not because he was at all well-known. The cornet/trumpet player, "BIG CHARLIE" THOMAS WAS a player in the early days of jazz. Like Black Benny, I was unable to discover his place of birth, date of birth or anything about his life other than that he had existed and had played a small part in the history of early jazz. So, because of the theme of this thread he deserves a place as a part of the early days of the inception of what we know as JAZZ. We would never have known about Big Charlie, had it not been for the research done by musician, audio-restorer John R.T. Davies. During the course of his material-gathering about early recordings done by Margaret Johnson, Davis was curious about the identity of the trumpet player, identified only as Big Charlie. He played on Johnson's 1926 recordings. Davis was quizzing blues singer, Eva Taylor over the trumpeter's identity. I was intrigued to learn that further evidence from Ms Taylor, plus listening to recordings of the period, Davis was able to isolate 29 tracks which featured Big Charlie. He had previously been mis-identified as Louis Armstrong, King Oliver, Jabbo Smith and other less famous players. Davis was also able to discover that Thomas may also have played reed instruments. Big Charlie Thomas' playing is described by Davis as being hugely impressive and enjoyable and we owe him thanks for bringing this almost unknown musician to light, if only briefly. Amazingly, there is a recording out there called "Big Charlie Thomas" [1925-1927 Timeless] This recording contains twenty-five of the sides known to have been recorded with Thomas. It includes tracks with Thomas Morris' Seven Hot Babies, Clarence William's Blue Five and also Rosa Henderson. Not easy to find, but try anyway. You'll thank me.

In 1904, in Lawrence Kansas, the great saxophonist, "STUMP" [Paul Anderson] EVANS was born. Evans was called "Stump" because of his tiny build. Evans' first exposure to music was with the highschool band in Kansas and he was, even then, recognized as a brilliant soloist and a great reader. Evans moved to Chicago soon after highschool and joined Erskine Tate's Vendome Orchestra as a featured player. Evans played alongside Louis Armstrong and Reuben Reeves, who was the show trumpeter. He also played with King Oliver, Jimmy Wade, and Carroll Dickenson's orchestra at the Sunset Cafe. The Dickenson band featured Earl Hines and Louis Armstrong. Remembering Evans, Earl Hines said of him, "Stumpy Evans played a beautiful tenor. Everyone was trying to get him." Evans recorded, with Oliver, Dickerson, Jelly Roll Morton as well as with Jimmy Blythe. He was also muscical director at the Moulin Rouge Club. Sadly, Evans, while working with Tate, contracted TB and he was forced by this illness to move back to Kansas. I think that the highest accolade came from Coleman Hawkins, who acknowledged Stump as one of his most important influences. STUMP EVANS died at only twenty-four, succumbing to tuberculosis in 1928.

Now, lets move on back to the beginnings of jazz again and talk about "POPS" [George Murphy] FOSTER, born in McCall, Louisiana which is about 68 miles from New Orleans, in 1892. As a youngster, Pops played cello in a family trio. His sister, Elizabeth played mandolin and his brother, Willy played guitar. By 1905 Murphy had switched to double bass and played with the Magnolia Band, King Ory, Jack Carey and also Armand J. Peron. In 1917 Storyville, the red-light district in New Orleans was closed down, but many of the early jazz musicians were said to have gotten work in the brothels there. This section of the city had been designated by the city elders in October of 1897, closed by the U.S. Navy in 1917. Oddly, none of the musicians of the time remember playing there, including Buddy Bolden. According to Pops, as quoted in his autobiography, written with Tom Stoddard, "The Autobiography Of Pops Foster", "Long after I left New Orleans guys would come around asking me about Storyville down there. I thought it was some kind of little town we played around there that I couldn't remember. When I found they were talking about the Red Light District I sure was surprised. We always called it "The District." Apparantly most of the music in the brothels was provided by piano players and jazz ensembles did not play in the brothels. This period in jazz history is mostly anecdotal, so it's a little murky. By 1918 Murphy was well-known among the New Orleans Dixieland musicians having played regularly on riverboats. He then joined Fate Marable's Streckfus showband. It wasn't long before he was working upriver with Charlie Creath and Ed Allen's band, the Whispering Gold. When Pops was with Allen's band, he played tuba, combatting the three-saxophone line, popular at the time. As the Roaring Twenties dawned, Foster was with Kid Ory and moved to New York. He joined King Oliver in 1928, then after a year he moved to the band led by Luis Russell's orchestra, which was based in New Orleans and stayed with it for eleven years. While with Russell, he backed Louis Armstrong, starting in 1935. After what I think was his career high point, Foster was working as a subway porter in the 1940's. But, his musical career took an upturn later in the forties, right through the fifties with the revival of jazz and Pops moved back into his own. He worked with Sidney Bechet and Art Hodes in the very influential This Is Jazz series of programs, which were set up by Rudi Blesh. A trip to Nice followed, with Mezz Mezzrow, where Foster worked for Bob Wilber. Pops then moved back to New York and played there in the late fifties and early sixties, appearing at The Hangover in San Francisco as well. While in San Francisco, he was shown some new approaches to the bass by Earl Hines. POPS FOSTER was, like Wellman Braud an example of New Orleans slap-bass playing. Foster ended his career in California, occasionally travelling from his California home to tour America and Europe until his death in October of 1969.

Next up we have "BUDDY" [Armando] GRECO, who was born in 1926 in Philidelphia. Buddy is probably best known as a singer, but he started out as a classical pianist, studying at the Philidelphia Settlement House, which was a jumping off point for many young musicians of the time. But, before that, he was a child singer, whose father was a music critic at WPEN in Philidelphia. Buddy sang on radio at five years old. He led a trio in 1944-1948 and recorded a million-seller, "Ooh Look-A-There Ain't She Pretty?" Working with Benny Goodman followed that success and he travelled with Goodman to Britain in 1949. Returning to the U.S. he re-formed his band and scored another hit with "I Ran All The Way Home" also in 1949. His duo album, "At Mr Kelly's" was also a monster hit and from the mid-fifties he recorded several highly rated albums for Epic. Those included "Songs For Swinging Losers" [don't you love the title?] "Buddy And Soul" and "I Like It Swinging" as well as a hit single which was a re-working of "The Lady Is A Tramp" in 1960, which sold over a million copies in Europe. Buddy Greco's last hit in the U.S. was "Mr Lonely" in 1962, but he continued to work regularly, changing his repertoire right through the 1970's and 1980's. Greco makes regular appearances at the Talk Of The Town and also at the Royal Variety Performances. He also recorded an album with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Moving back to jazz, the 1990's found Buddy recording more often in jazz surroundings and touring still. He has his own small group which apprears at clubs, jazz festivals as well as in concert. Although many think of Buddy Greco as a stereotypical lounge singer, he has authentic jazz creds and is still a fine interpreter of modern jazz. He has enjoyed a long and successful career, so whatever it is he does is certainly appreciated by those who go to see him perform. As far as I know, Buddy's still up and around, unless he's died in the last few months.

Now, lets take a brief look at the superb jazz-organist, who also played piano, RICHARD "GROOVE" HOLMES. He was born in 1931 in Camden New Jersey. I find it amazing that this wonderful musician was self-taught on the organ. Holmes was discovered by Les McCann in Pittsburgh recording his first two albums, featuring McCann, Ben Webster and Gene Ammons which were released in 1961. Then Holmes guested with Gerald Wilson as well as recording with big bands. He worked steadily, right through the 1960's, 1970's right through the 1980's. His organ/guitar/drums trio was tremendously successful. Sometimes a piano was added in the mid-1970's. From 1977 on, Holmes further expanded his sound, adding horns, usually the saxophone, as played by Houston Person. The organ, as a jazz instrument was spurred by the swinging style that Groove Holmes displayed. He had tremendous talent and soul. In the 1990's the music of Groove Holmes and other jazz organists enjoyed another wave of popularity, but unfortunately Holmes did not live to see it. RICHARD GROOVE HOLMES, jazz organist extraordinaire, died in June of 1991.

Bird is a tough act to follow, but our next nicknamed artist is "MATTY" [Julian Clifton] MATLOCK, who played clarinet and saxophones a well as being an arranger. Matlock was born in Paducah Kentucky in 1907 and began his musical career with Ben Pollack in 1929. He replaced Benny Goodman, playing clarinet as well as doing some arranging. He credited his arranging style to the influence of contemperaries like Fud Livingston and others. He stayed with Pollack until a dispute over Pollack's then girlfriend, Doris Robbins, who seemingly was being given preferential treatment. Matlock left Pollack's band in 1934, after a confrontation with Pollack over Robbins and freelanced with the "Pollack Orphans" in New York for a brief period. He then joined Bob Crosby's band in 1935, playing clarinet. He often wrote arrangements for the orchestra as well as for the Bobcats. After Crosby's band broke up in 1942, Matlock did studio work as a sideman, musician and as a freelance arranger, when perfect Dixieland scoring was required for Bing Crosby's radio show and also for Paul Weston all through the 1950's. Matlock was involved in the TV series, Pete Kelly's Blues. This series started on radio, moving to TV and then became a feature film. All the music was arranged by Matlock and featured Dick Catheart on trumpet. There were also albums by his Rampart Street Paraders and his Paducah Patrol, which was a mid-sized band. In the 1960's Matlock was probably among the very best of the Dixieland style and a truly original arranger for what is known by many as "White Dixieland". MATTY MATLOCK died in 1978 at sixty-nine years old.

As you know, I don't post other people's articles, preferring to do my own, as I did the one preceding this one, in my own words. CHARLIE "BIRD'' PARKER is the exception. The following is an item e-mailed to me which I think you will find interesting. This is an article by Len Dobbin: " "Bird" Charlie Parker died in NYC on March 12, 1955, 49 years ago today. He was 34, born Charles Christopher Parker on August 29, 1920 in Kansas City, Kansas and whetted his musical teeth across the river in Kansas City, Kansas. He first began to be noticed when he began playing with the band of Jay McShann in that city and early recordings with that band, done at a radio station in Wichita, Kansas, show a distinct Lester Young influence. Parker was one of the founding fathers of the bebop evolution and a major influence on the musicians of the day regardless of instrument - his main instrument being the alto saxophone [did a pair of commercial record dates on tenor with Miles Davis, one each on the Savoy and the Prestige labels] I've been told that in the early 40's he was heard here in Montreal sitting in at Rockhead's [a was an even younger Sonny Rollins]. There is a wonderful little book on the market by Mark Mller entitled 'Cool Blues: Charlie Parker in Canada 1953 [Nightwood Editions] which focuses on appearances that year in Montreal and Toronto. In February, the Jazz Workshop Jazz Workshop, a musician's organization, brought Parker to Montreal for a TV appearance on the CBC on February 5 and a concert at the Chez Paree on the 7th. The TV show had a rhyythm section of Paul Bley, Neil Michaud and Ted Paskert with guitarist Dick Garcia, tenorman Brew Moore and Parker plus a vocalist named Laura Berkley while at the Chez "Bird" was backed by two different rhythm sections [both with Garcia]. The first had Valdo Williams, Hal Gaylor and billy graham, the second, Steep Wade, Bob Rudd and Bobby Malloy. All the music from those events [with the exception of the vocal, a trio number by Bley and a quartet with Garcia playing his "Whale Turds"] are available on CD: "Charlie Parker, Montreal, 1953 [uptown] has Cool Blues, Bernie's Tune [a Moore feature] Don't Blame Me and Wahoo from the TV show and Ornithology, Cool Blues, Moose The Mooche, a superb Embraceable You and Now's The Time from the Chez. The Toronto chapter of the New jazz Society [one of a series of fan organiztions, the brainchild of Metronome Magazine in NYC brough Bird, Dizzy Gillespie, bud Powell [organizer Dick told me Lennie Tristano was the original choice], Charles Mngus and Max Roach into Massey Hall on May 15 1953 and the material from that famous concert - Perdido, Salt Peanuts, All The Things You Are, into 52nd Street Theme, Wee [aka "Allen's Alley], Hot House and NIght In Tunisia - can be found on "The Quintet - Jazz at Massey Hall" [Debut] in 20bit K2 Super Coding. [ed. I have this and you should get it too] The Bud Powell trio segment of the concert can also be found on CD. I attended both Montreal engagements and was at Birdland in NYC when Parker played what was to be his last engagement. Billed as a quintet with Kenny Dorham, Powell, Mingus and Art Blakey - it was a disaster with a good deal of the time only MIngus and Blakey seen on stage. I was shocked a short while later [back in Montreal] when Emanon Jazz Society member Huguette Rajotte called to inform me that "Bird" had died - I remember saying, "But I just saw him at Birdland!" There are myriad CDs on the market featuring Parker's soaring, start checking them out and catch the magic!" oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Note: Special thanks to my #2 mentor for reminding me, by sending this article, that today is the anniversary of the last day of CHARLIE "BIRD" PARKER'S life.

Today, March 12, 1955 was the sad day that the legendary CHARLIE "BIRD" or "YARDBIRD" PARKER died. Parker was born in Kansas City in 1920. He was argueably one of the most striking and influentual performers in the history of JAZZ during the late forties, being at the forefront of the postwar re-working of traditional jazz, known as "bop". Bird started his musical journey in Kansas City on baritone then alto while still in highschool. He dropped out at fourteen and concentrated on perfecting his skill, mastering his instrument as well as watching Lester Young and Count Basie, playing locally, absorbing, absorbing, absorbing. Opportunities for Parker to demonstrate his prowess came from employment by Tommy Douglas, an altoeist and bandleader in 1936 and Buster Smith in 1937. Trips out of town with George E Lee followed and he played in Chicago and New York and by the time he played with Jay McShann's band in 1938 and 1940-42 his reputation was already that of a truly exceptional talent. The list of bands with which Bird was associated includes virtually all the greats, ranging from Earl Hines' in 1942 to guesting as a soloist with Woody Herman's and Stan Kenton's bands in 1951 and 1954. 1947 was probably the year in which he was at the absolute height of his powers and he was leading a quintet, composed of Miles Davis, Duke Jordan, Tommy Potter and Max Roach. There are so many articles and books about Charlie Parker, as well as a film, "Bird" which was lovingly produced by Clint Eastwood, that I feared that the little I can say about this icon would be redundant. The film, though clearly an homage, seemed to dwell on Parker's legendary booze/heroin demons more than presenting any real insight into the genius which is so rare and was possessed by Parker, IMO. I blame Eastwood for the narrowness of the focus of the film, but only gently. The terms "genius" and "legend" are bandied about when referring to famous musicians, but in Parker's case, I think that it has endured as truth. His impact on jazz is still being felt. Please look for Charlie Parker's music and there is a lot of it and if you can, read about his contributions to jazz, packed into his sadly short life. I would say that one of the few jazz musicians who was as important to the genre as Louis Armstong was BIRD. Tragically, we lost him much too early.

Next up, EDDIE "CLEANHEAD" VINSON, who played alto sax and also sang as well as being a fine composer. Vinson was born in 1917 in Houston Texas, where he began playing professionally with the Chester Boone band in 1932 and then with Milt Larkin from 1936. Touring with Larkin's group followed, from 1940-1941 with Floyd Ray as leader. Vinson was featured in Cootie William's band, as soloist/singer in the early forties. He then went with his own sixteen piece band from 1945-1947, scaling the band down to a seven piece later. The seven piece included Johnny Coles, Red Garland and the great John Coltrane. Vinson's career ebbed and flowed, sometimes recording under his own name, performing busily and then fading into almost obscurity. His first European tour was in 1969 and Johnny Otis featured him in his r&b show at Montreux in 1971 as well as in 1974. He also guested with Count Basie in 1972 when Basie was performing there. When he wasn't playing with groups, Vinson also did extensive solo work and was well-respected by other musicians as a consummate professional. Vinson is somewhat unique in that he successfully straddled the jazz and r&b genres and was equally convincing in both. His style, to me, has a more forthright quality than Charlie Parker's, whom almost every sax player of the time was emulating and more similar to the earlier style of Louis Jordan. Eddie was the composer of "Tune Up" and also "Four", which were erroneously credited to Miles Davis in the fifties, although Miles did record both and they are beautifully realized. On the Blues front of he mostly performed others' compositions, with the exceptions of "Alimony Blues" and "Kidney Stew". Cannonball Adderly was a one-time protege of Vinson's and there is a collection, "Cleanhead and Cannonball" on Landmark, recorded in 1961-62 that you might want to seek out. This is an interesting collaboration of Vinson's hot jazz style with Adderly's quintet. There is also a collection, "Kidney Stew" on Black and Blue, which is recordings from 1969-72 which was recorded in France. I love Bill Doggett's style on the organ and this CD has Bill, as well as Wild Bill Davis shown to great advantage. EDDIE CLEANHEAD VISON died in July of 1988. He was seventy-one.

Patricia, Interesting bio! He was young, and from a few music shorts for Vitaphone I have seen(I have a Dawn of Sound LD box set I got cheap years ago-with Eddie Condon singing, and Pee Wee Russell as well!) the other thing I was struck by is how small he looked! I mean, like 5 foot 4, and weighing 120! Once you see him on film, I think you have to have even more respect for him, he just plain doesn't look like a jazzman! And Condon would agree that he wasn't one! He was though....The more I have heard of him thru the years, the more I like him, at least his playing....He and Miff never made a bad record IMO.... EDIT...No, Pee Wee is not singing, just part of the band! In fact, for the longest time I thought it was a very young Benny Goodman, not Pee Wee, and thought it was funny to see Benny without glasses. Then checked it out later, and decided it was Pee Wee. Watch Brownie prove me wrong! Glad you liked it. You're right, Condon didn't look the way I picture a jazzman looking. He was a bit of a square peg in a round hole, compared to the free-wheeling, hard drinkin' jazzers of the time. Very straight. I've always been facinated by the relationship of Pee Wee to the rest of the group that he was quite often working with, Miff, Condon, Spanier, Johnson and particularly George Wettling. They always seemed to be having a blast and even when they were in a studio, they felt "live", with the random comments, impromtu singing and the occasional laughter. You're right in that Pee Wee never made a bad record, at least as far as I'm concerned.

EKE BBB, Whew. Glad you're OK. Terrible events. Come back when you're up to speed again. People have been contacting me with their concerns. Thank you. Hang in there, EKE BBB.

"LITTLE JIMMY" SCOTT, isn't really a nickname but "Little" wasn't on his birth certificate, so I think it qualifies for my purposes. Scott was born in Cleveland in 1925. Due to his suffering from a rare disorder, Kallman's Syndome, which is a hormone difficiency disease, halting normal voice and height changes, Jimmy stayed very short and retained his high-pitched voice. He did his first professional work with vocal groups and tent shows as a teenager. In 1948 Jimmy joined Lionel Hampton's band and his ballad, "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" was a huge, huge hit in 1950. That same year he went on his own as a single act and sat in with Charlie Parker on his album, "One Night In Birdland" as well as touring with the Paul Gayten band. For most of the 1950's he recorded like a madman, but when the 1960's came around, he had two albums blocked by contractual disputes. Jimmy then, weary with all the problems he was having, retired. But, in the mid-eighties he came back with a vengence and has achieved huge success, becoming a near cult figure, still enormously popular, drawing large audiences. Work came his way, along with the admiration of him by Quincy Jones, Liza Minnelli and Lou Reed. The film soundtracks on which he is heard are many, including "Albino Alligator", "A Rage In Harlem" and one of my favourite films, "Glengary Glen Ross". Jimmy has been an influence on Nancy Wilson, as well as apparently, on Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Take 6. Now, if you want to listen to a compilation of Jimmy's early work, look for "Little Jimmy Scott Everybody's Somebody's Fool" , fifteen tracks, every one, a gem. His comeback collection was "All The Way" and he followed that with two more, "Mood Indigo" and "Holding Back The Years". Although I haven't heard "All The Way", I do have the other three and it's amazing to me that his voice is, if anything, better than it was decades ago. It's slightly different now, more sophistocated, but still the falsetto which he made famous. Last I heard, Jimmy was performing in Japan to full houses and the man is in his very late seventies. Amazing. It seems to me that I read that it might be possible for Scott to receive hormone replacement therapy, to drop his voice to a normal level, though he would not be able to get any taller than he is now. Understandably, he is passing on the opportunity.

Our next nicknamed jazzer's profile is that of the vibes/piano-player MILT "BAGS" JACKSON, born in Detroit in 1923. When Jackson was at Michigan State University in the early forties and played with Lucky Thompson and moved to New York to join Gillespie's sextet, travelling with them on a West Coast visit in 1945 and 1946. This led to his being a founder member of Gillespie's big band from 1946-1947. This experience was followed by freelancing, during which Jackson worked with Howard McGee and Thelonious Monk recording with both and work with Tadd Dameron. He also was with Woody Herman for several months in 1949 and 1950, then with his own quartet and then the new Gillespie sextet. When Jackson had his own quartet he recorded for Gillespie's Dee Gee Records. He then played live, backing Charlie Parker and also Ben Webster. For about twenty years Jackson worked with the Modern Jazz Quartet, as well as recording under his own name. He collaborated with Frank Wess, Lucky Thompson, Coleman Hawkins, John Coltrane and Wes Montgomery. He also was a guest performer on records released by Kenny Clarke, Miles Davis and Quincy Jones. His own quintets consisted of such performers as James Moody, Jimmy Heath, Cedar Walton, Monty Alexander and, from his Gillespie days, Ray Brown. His departure from his long association with the Modern Jazz Quartet was prompted by a belief that the members were being financially exploited. Later, after performing as a guest artist and with his own groups for several years, he rejoined the Modern Jazz Quartet. Presumably the problems had been resolved by 1982, when he rejoined. Jackson's style was based on the older versions of the xylophone and he treated the instrument as one might a trumpet or saxophone, by allowing the vibrato mechanism to emphasize the occasional longer note. This is different than Lionel Hampton and others, who treat it more like a percussion instrument. My favourite collection is "Opus De Jazz", which is available on the Savoy label. I think that the presence of Hank Jones on piano and Frank Weiss on flute has a lot to do with it. This is probably a good time to recommend a book about the origins of BeBop, since Jackson and Coleman Hawkins, earlier mentioned were right in the thick of it. The book I like is Ira Gitler's "The Masters Of BeBop",[Da Capo Press 1966] which I think is excellent. I find that it put the era into context for me and is very interesting. Another one might be "Groovin' High", which is Dizzy Gillespie's biography, by Alyn Shipton [Oxford University Press 1999] which I also enjoyed. MILT BAGS JACKSON died in October of 1999.

Thank you EKE BBB. Sister Tharpe looks beautiful!! I really like the one of Red too. The picture of him as a young man reminds us that these artists WERE very young. That is a particularly handsome one. So formal!

And now we have the cornet-player/leader RED [Ernest Loring] NICHOLS, who was born in 1905 in Ogden, Utah. Red started playing music with his father's brass band, playing difficult set pieces at twelve. His father was annoyed and distressed when Red idolized the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, Bix Beiderbecke and the Wolverines and Phil Napoleon. Red first met them in Atlantic City, along with his eventual partner and biggest influence, Miff Mole. By 1926 Red was already a well-known sessions and studio man around New York and was very busy. He had formed his band, The Five Pennies. The name didn't always describe the number of players in the band. As Red said, "That was only a number we tied in with my name. We'd generally have eight or nine, depending on who was around for the session and what I was trying to do." The band often made records at a dizzying rate of ten to a dozen a week. They were not just under the Five Pennies name, but also as The California Redheads, The Charleston Chasers, The Arkansas Travellers and Red and Miff's Stompers. They had a tremendous influence on musicians of all jazz stripes, from Roy Eldridge to Gil Evans. Evans' first ever transcription was of Nichols' "Ida, Sweet As Apple Cider", which was led by the bass saxophone of Adrian Rollini. Nichols was the top bandleader in the country by 1930 and was directing Broadway shows like Girl Crazy and Strike Up The Band and was touring constantly. There was one tour on which Nichols took a tribe of Chicago players, who were heavy drinkers, who read badly and scoffed at Nichols' quest for commercial success. Eddie Condon was a member of that group and spoke for them, questioning some of Nichols' decisions. Condon and Nichols might have been from two different planets, when it came to their personalities. Condon was free-wheeling and fun-loving. Nichols was a strict disciplinarian. There exists a Vitaphone short which shows his vocal group bowing to their leader, before beginning to sing. So, during a performance Nichols sacked Condon when he refused to replay a request. This was the exchange, according to Condon: "Oh no, Red' I said, 'not "Ida" again.' 'You're sacked!" he said. I was!" Condon later wrote a book which contained a very unflattering view of Nichols and that was probably the genesis of the animosity. By the 1930's Nichols was heard on the radio constantly and was leading a very chi-chi big band, going by the name of Loring Nichols. He was conducting a band for Bob Hope and for Ruth Etting. However, in 1942 he was working at a munitions factory, having semi-retired from music during the war. But, he re-surfaced in 1944 as the star soloist with Glen Gray's Casalomans. His version of "Don't Take Your Love From Me", with Eugenie Baird and Gray's orchestra is one of the most beautiful I've ever heard. Of course that song, no matter who does it is one of my favourites. Apparently Gray had promised Nichols a "band within a band", but never delivered, so Nichols moved to Los Angeles, partly because of the better climate. He led small groups again and was very busy right through the fifties. He recorded as well as appearing on radio and TV, with Bing Crosby as well as other stars of the day. In 1959 the film, "The Five Pennies", starring Danny Kaye as Red was released by Paramount and kick-started Red's career. Nichols dubbed the music for Kaye. I saw it and it also starred Louis Armstrong. He then released a string of records for Capitol, with Joe Rushton, Manny Klein, Jack Coon and arranger/clarinet-player, Heinie Beau. But in June of 1965 Nichols was playing Las Vegas and was found dead in his hotel room. His reputation had begun it's continued rise and this was a shock to the jazz community at the time, since he was only sixty years old and had been in apparantly good health.

As far as I'm concerned, the last time I saw superb hockey was the Canada/Russia series. It was clean, skillful exciting hockey. Not one fight, but plenty of hockey. I grew up with hockey. My three brothers all played it. My father was a rabid fan. But, what's happened in the last thirty years is sad. There are fans who watch hockey because they expect there to be fights. The game is aggressive to begin with and brawls are an element that has no place in an already rough game. The players are expected to be body-checking and skating to elude the opposite team's players, in order to score goals. The unnecessary bully tactics seem to have begun around the mid-seventies and that, to me is when hockey stopped being an interesting game and started being a street brawl on skates. I no longer watch hockey, but did see the incident being described here, on the regular news and was not surprised.

Thanks Brownie. I know that nicknames that stick don't come out of thin air. It's just finding out what the origins are, since by the time anyone bothers to ask, the name is just their name. Come to think of it, Pee Wee is a cooler name than Ellsworth is.

EXACTLY. So, Rooster Ties, get your hips out there and get a turntable, why doncha??

And now we have SISTER ROSETTA THARPE [Rosetta Nubin] who was born in Cotton Plant, Arkansas in 1915. Tharpe was a huge star in 1938 and 1939 in the Cotton Club revues. In the revue, she was backed by the great Cab Calloway and also toured with him. Those tours were followed by others with Lucky Millinder and she recorded several blues and gospel sides with Millinder in the early 1940's. Then Tharpe worked in nightclubs in the early to mid-forties, as well as making a decision to direct her recordings at the exploding gospel market of the day. These records were composed of duets with Marie Knight as well as with Tharpe's mother, Katie Bell Nubin. Katie Bell recorded with Dizzy Gillespie's quintet. Sister Tharpe alternated between gospel and jazz formats and toured Europe from the late 1950's onward. She was one of the few well-known gospel singers to successfully cross over, between gospel and jazz. I've often thought that the fabulous Odetta would have made a success of doing likewise. A fabulous, rich voice which, IMO, would have lent itself well to the jazz idium. Odetta did, however, cross over to Blues and released some great albums. One thing that Sister Tharpe did do though was play guitar during her performances in churches. Also, few women had attained any prominence as instrumentalists, at least in the same context. Memphis Minnie was another. SISTER ROSETTA THARPE was the first gospel singer/evangelist to combine city blues playing of the 1930's with gospel. Her performing style was charismatic. After a long and successful career Sister Tharpe died in October of 1973 at fifty-eight years old.