patricia

The Royal Portrait. What happened to the picture?? The Royal portrait poster dropped the ball.

Those of you who thought that Tiny Tim and Miss Vicki were doing something original by marrying on the Tonight Show, some years ago, they weren't. Back in 1916, BUTTERBEANS [Jodi Edwards] and SUSIE [susie Hawthorne] did just that, but not on the Tonight Show, but on stage, during their act. Now, Butterbeans and Susie worked with a comedian named [budd]"Stringbeans" LeMay, until he died in 1917. They then branched out with their own act in the St. Louis area. In 1924 they were signed by the legendary label, OKeh. The pair recorded more than sixty sides for the label in the mid to late thirties. They also toured extensively, playing theatres, cabarets and music halls and were a very successful duo. Their accompanist was Eddie Heywood Sr. The act was a hit, mainly because they didn't just sing, although Butterbeans had a fine, fine voice, but were a complete act, with tremendous charisma and hilarity, two qualities that served them well, throughout their more than thirty year career. They were a regular act at the Apollo. In 1960 Butterbeans and Susie recorded again and this time, Eddie Heywood Jr. played piano in the band.

Now, around the corner comes LOUIS "BIG EYE" NELSON, who was born in, where else, New Orleans in 1885 and played clarinet. Now, I don't think that Nelson had a particularly big eye, but he was one of the best clarinet-players in New Orleans, at the dawn of JAZZ. His musical beginnings were with Tio, as a pupil. His style has been described as warm-toned and his associations were with the very best in New Orleans jazz, including with the legendary Buddy Bolden. This experience was before 1900. While with Bolden's band, Nelson played bass. He also was with other groups, and played violin, as well as guitar. By 1904, Nelson had settled on clarinet and gave his reason for switching that it was the easiest instrument to carry if he had to run. At the time, race riots were frequent in New Orleans. Nelson worked for about ten years with the Ninth Ward band, the Golden Rule orchestra and with the Imperial Band Superior Orchestra. He specialized for a long time on the C clarinet and then moved to the more familiar B-flat. George Russell preferred Nelson's B-flat. Excellence versis excellence, IMO though. Baby Dodds said of Nelson, "He'd show a youngster all he knew - but he knew how to be stern with those of us who were learning." I was facinated to learn that Nelson taught Sidney Bechet. He toured with Freddie Keppard's Original Creole Orchestra in 1916, but mostly he played in New Orleans. He worked constantly, in cabarets, function rooms and theatres. There was a short period in which his career plateaued, though he continued to play. In 1940 there was a revival of interest in New Orleans Jazz and along with it, a renewed interest in Nelson. He recorded eight sides for Delta with Kid Rena's Jazz Band, having been asked to do so by Heywood Broun. Two years after being passed over by Bill Russell to record with Bunk Johnson, he had been re-discovered. Apparently Russell had heard our guy on a bad night at Luthjen's cabaret. Then, in 1948 he continued his residency at Luthjen's and had been featured in an article by Robert Goffin in Jazz Record. The revival and the recognition of his talent and contribution to jazz happened just in time, because LOUIS "BIG EYE" NELSON, died the following year in August of 1949 at fifty-four years old.

B) I don't know if it's the guy on the left is, or the guy on the right, or either of them. Somebody help us out please. B) The next in our series is a trumpet-player named "DIZZY" [Alphonso] REECE, born in Jamaica, in 1931. Dizzy took up the trumpet at fourteen. He then moved to Europe and worked with Don Byas in the late forties and early fifties. Based in the UK, he made many recordings under his own name, which included a 1958 session in London, with Donald Byrd and Art Taylor. He also was with Dizzy Gillespie's big band in 1968. Reece was also with the Paris Reunion Band in 1985. DIZZY REECE is described as an extrovert who despite his nickname does not sound at all like Gillespie....., or Navarro, or Miles Davis either. There are hints of all three mentioned in his style, but his tone is his and his phraseology are very interestingly, his alone.

Thanking EKE BBB once again................and moving forward. BTW, those of you who are in the habit of reading only the last page of threads, should go back one, to see EKE BBB's pics of the "biographeed" so far. .......................................... Our next artist is the great NAPPY [Hilton Napoleon] LAMARE. His nickname was a childhood one. Apparently, he was fond of over-sleeping. Nappy was a New Orleans native, born in 1907 and played guitar, banjo and also did some singing. He played his banjo in bands led by Johnny Wiggs, Monk Hazel and Sharkey Bonano, as well as Johnny Bayerdorffer and Billy LUstig. In 1930, Nappy joined Ben Pollack's organization, which was the band which was the band that many of the jazzers cut their teeth in, before moving to other bands. Many of the former members of Ben Pollack's band joined Bob Crosby's band and stayed for eight years, becoming a part of his rhythm section. Nappy then worked with Eddie Miller's re-formed band, as well as doing studio work and spent a year with Jimmy Dorsey in 1948. During this period he also had bands of his own. A spell as a club-owner in Los Angeles, called the "47" lasted until 1951. There was also a weekly TV show in 1950, Lamare And His Straw Hat Strutters on KTLA. Nappy then toured for five years and then led the Riverboat Dandies with Ray Bauduc. With this group, he performed Dixieland which was well received and he also did some recording. In the early 1960's, Lamare was involved in a bad car-accident, but he bounced back, but slowly, working with Bauduc Joe Darensbourg. He also did Crosby reunions. In May, of 1988 NAPPY LAMARE died.

It does now!!

I take five hours off to sleep and EKE BBB has burned the midnight oil to bring us all these great photos of the honorees. I singled out this photo, because it shows clearly what Muggsy meant about Dave Tough being a scary-looking guy. Looks like he gussied for the portrait, but this captures his cadaverousness. Thank you EKE BBB. Yes, we can work in tandem to try to have the bio, then the photo from now on, which will be much less intense labour on your part. You must have been up all night.

Hey Late!!! Thanks for reminding me that I've meant to look for Lee Morgan's debut album. I couldn't remember the title, whenever I've been in a music store. You're a prince.

Hey EKE BBB!!! You know how I love this stuff!!! I'm rather like a convert to Catholicism, more Catholic than the born Catholics. As I've probably mentioned, although my dad was a huge jazz-addict, that was his music. I heard the old stuff around the house, but when I listened to MY music, it wasn't jazz. Then, along came "Take Five" and "Swingin' Shepherd Blues" and.........I was hooked, briefly. The real addiction didn't happen until about seven years ago. I have a lot of ground to make up. As I mentioned earlier, I don't take requests, but suggestions will be considered. Remember, just nicknamed jazzers. Otherwise, the task is too vast. And, my dear EKE BBB, don't try to sneak in bluesmen. They ALL have nicknames and most seem to be sight-challenged. Yes, pictures would be nice, if you want to post them, as the bios come up at random. A cyber-kiss on you. Glad you liked the Coleman Hawkins. He's one of my favourites too.

Hey wesbed!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! What a coincidence!!! Didn't you have one of these last year on this very day?? I suppose next year it will be the same thing. MANY HAPPY RETURNS!!!

Having parents who are musicians is a real advantage for those who have natural talent and "DILL"[David] KATZ was lucky to have had both. His parents were both classical musicians. Dill plays bass guitar, double bass and acoustic guitar. He was born January 12, 1946 in London. In 1962 Dill became a professional musician and he began playing with Irish showbands. He also kept busy with session work. The mid-seventies brought work with Dave MacRae's Pacific Eardrum and after that he played with Nucleus, as well as with Barbara Thompson's Paraphernalia. He left Paraphernalia to form his own trio with Nic France and Colin Dudman on piano, called 20th Century Blues in 1982. Since then he has worked with African groups, such as Julian Bahula's Jazz Afrika as well as Brian Abrahham's District Six. He then re-joined Nucleus, until it broke up in 1988. But, while he was with that group, they did a South American tour that lasted six weeks. Dill has been very active in jazz education and has the title of Electric Bass Consultant [!!] at the Guildhall School Of Music in London. The Premises, a rehersal studio, is Dill's baby in East London and it contains a recording studio. He is a producer/engineer and has had tremendous success. The artists who are admired by Dill are Jaco Pastorius and Scott LaFaro.

One of the rare talents to emerge in the eighties is MARVIN "SMITTY" SMITH, born in 1961. His talent as a drummer popped up early and he was encouraged by his older brother to pursue this talent. By the time Smith was fifteen, he was already backing Sonny Stitt and Earl Hines at one of the local clubs in Waukegan Illinois, his home town. Studies at Berklee followed from 1979-1981, after which he turned pro with Jon Hendricks. He then began freelancing and has played with David Murray, Archie Shepp, Branford Marsalis, Roland Hanna, Art Farmer, Sonny Rollins and Bheki Mseleku. His work with Dave Holland, in his quintet and with Steve Coleman in the M-Base context have both been important in his rise to prominence . Smith's influences have been Max Roach and Jack DeJohnette, which is no surprise. Smitty Smith is a drummer with real magic, among the new players and his kind of talent is very gratifying to those who worry that there are no new talents to follow in the footsteps of the established stars of the genre. His rare abilty to be at home in all styles will assure Smith a long career in the coming decades.

One of my favourite trombone players, alongside Jack Teagarden, is the great MIFF [irving Milford] MOLE. I'd like to thank my second mentor at this point, for hipping me to this fabulous musician with a kiss, [very dry and off to the side]. Miff's work has brought me much joy and I always play one of his records when I'm feeling a little down. My favourite is "Dixieland - Chicago Style" in which Miff played with Max Kaminsky, Pee Wee Russell, Joe Sullivan, Jack Lasberg and the amazing George Wettling on drums. Side 2 is so much fun! Although my experience with Miff's style is listening to his work with Pee Wee Russell, Eddie Condon, George Brunies, Muggsy Spanier and George Wettling in a series of Dixieland recordings from the thirties, which I love, he was much more than that. Born in 1898, Miff started playing in a band led by Gus Sharp, whose piano player was Jimmy Durante. He was working with Phil Napoleon's Original Memphis Five by 1923 and recorded tons of chamber jazz classic sides with them. When Red Nichols heard Mole play with Napoleon he was greatly influenced and he and Mole got together and were a team for five years. Together they recorded "That's No Bargain", "Feeling No Pain" and "Boneyard Shuffle". They recorded under a variety of names, The Arkansas Travellers", "The Redheads" "Miff and Red's Stompers" among them. At the same time, Miff was working independantly, with large society orchestras and in 1927 he moved onto studio work. He worked at WOR and NBC. Miff was very versatile, working with both Bessie Smith AND Toscanini. He also worked with Benny Goodman, as well as leading a band at Nick's for about four years. Then, over the horizon came my other favourite trombonist, Jack Teagarden. For some reason, the public seemed to judge "T" 's style as being more refined, more elegant than Mole's and Miff's style went out of fashion. It didn't help that Miff's health started to suffer at the same time as the advent of Teagarden's popularity. Miff's dates started to wane and six hip operations followed. He ended up walking with a cane and compounding that, his performance in 1960, at Newport, with Red Allen was inexplicably cancelled. He went home, without having been heard. Such a letdown. That same winter, Miff was selling pretzels in a New York subway to support himself. The man who provided so much enjoyment with his playing for me now and for millions of others in his heyday was reduced to an anonymous used-to-be. So sad. Miff died in April of 1961, but lives on through the dozens of recordings he left us. Dicky Wells, I think, summed up just who MIFF MOLE was, when he said, "The J.J. Johnson of the 1920's, one of the first fine trombones I heard." Miff has been described as being a revolutionary trombonist, with a lightning-fast technique, a joyous sound which was totally unique and just fun to listen to. He was a musician who made a huge impression on black and white players, at the very beginning of jazz, setting the bar high. I still listen to his fabulous records and with every time, I hear something new and wonderful.

Now, let's talk about "TOOTS"[Jean Baptiste] THIELEMANS. I had never thought of whistles as being jazz instruments, but as well as playing harmonica and guitar, Toots made the sound of jazz whistles an international craze in the sixties, when his composition, "Bluesette" became a worldwide hit. But, long before his re-emergence, he had established his jazz credentials when he started playing harmonica at seventeen. His musical ability started at three, when he learned to play a homemade accordian. While studying maths at college, he heard Django Reinhardt and was inspired to take up the guitar. After the war, Thielmans gigged at American G.I. clubs where he became interested in the newly emerging BeBop. He was befriended by Charlie Parker and was on the same bill at the Paris jazz festival in 1949. Thielmans had visited the U.S. in the early fifties and sat in with various groups on 52nd St. He toured Europe with the Benny Goodman sextet, as well as working with Dinah Washington during that same period. After playing with George Shearing's quintet until the autumn of 1959, he freelanced and worked as a studio musician. In the 1960's he worked closely with Quincy Jones and two of the films on which he played on the soundtracks were "Midnight Cowboy" and "The Getaway" [the original, with Steve McQueen and Ali McGraw, not the travesty of a re-make.] Ever since the 1970's Thielemans has done studio work and playing at jazz clubs, both in the U.S. and in Europe. His is the harmonica which is heard on "Sesame Street" 's theme. Thielemans is mostly known for his work during the height if BeBop and his chief influence was said to be John Coltrane. Toots' has a reputation as an even-tempered, friendly man, with an unwavering passion for jazz. I found what Clifford Brown was quoted as saying about Thielemans very interesting. He said, "Toots, the way you play harmonica, they shouldn't call it a miscellaneous instrument." Nice.

Dixieland. Particularly the ones recorded in the thirties and forties. I have a few JazzTone compilations and LP's which feature Teagarden, Muggsy Spanier, Pee Wee Russell, George Wettling and all those wildmen of the period. They lift my spirits and tranport me to a less complicated time in history. I've also been listening to a lot of Jimmy Smith and kept playing "Christmas Cookin' long after the Season was over.

Born in Trinidad in 1917, "CURLEY" [Dillon] RUSSELL played bass with Don Redman's big band in 1941. He moved on to Benny Carter's in 1943. Dizzy Gillespie's band was the next to hire Curley, at BeBop's introduction to the jazz scene. Curley recorded with Dizzy, as well as with Charlie Parker in 1945, 1948 and 1950. He then moved on to work with Tadd Dameron's group from 1947-1949 then with Buddy DeFranco's quartet after that. His associations in the early to mid-fifties, as a bassist includes most of the greats of the time, He recorded with Bud Powell, Horace Silver, Thelonious Monk and Art Blakey when Clifford Brown was part of Blakey's group. Russell, although he worked steadily, was not all that remarkable as a bassist in that he seemed to be uninterested in the possibilities of his instrument as melodically mobile. He was, however, an extremely propulsive rhythm player, which served him quite well. Because of his limitations though, he was never featured as a soloist and he dropped out of the jazz scene in the late fifties. I included this bio, not only because Russell had a nickname, but also to illustrate that not all jazz artists are standouts, much like in any other profession. But, all musicians cannot be big stars. Some are simply technicians, who make it possible for others in the bands in which they play shine. CURLEY RUSSELL was one of those. He died in 1986 at sixty-nine, having been out of the jazz scene for about thirty years.

Next up, we have CHUBBY [Greig Stewart] JACKSON, a fine bass player, born in 1918, who played with the Herman band in the forties. He began his musical life, playing the clarnet at sixteen. He then switched to bass and started his professional career with Charlie Barnet's organization in 1941. In 1943 Chubby joined Woody Herman's band and stayed with it until 1946 and then again in 1948. Many remember Chubby as a cheerleader of sorts, because he would shout encouragement, onstage, while playing with the Herman band. This was before Mingus did the same thing. He then went to Charlie Ventura's band in 1947, moving on, to lead his own big band, briefly in 1948 and 1949. Studio work followed throughout the fifties and he also wrote songs and became something of a TV personality. In 1963 he worked for a time with Harold Baker, as well as leading occasional groups in New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Florida. Then, in the late seventies he was still up and around, musically and played with Lionel Hampton's all-star band. Jackson's work is still strongly associated with the Herman band and added a fresh aspect to their performances, mainly with his very vocal encouragement for the soloists. He was also known for his great scat-singing, which he continued to do, right up to his death at 84 years old, last year. Chubby's son, Duffy Jackson is a fine drummer, who played with both Lionel Hampton's band and also Count Basie's in the early eighties.

I would be remiss, if I didn't mention one of the few artists whose surname was a nickname, which is most unusual. DAVE TOUGH [David Jarvis]was one of the most interesting and controversial drummers in Jazz. Dave was born to upper middle-class parents in Oak Park Illinois in 1908. He started out as an associate of the Austin School Gang in Chicago. He was an intellectual and he read anything and everything he could get his hands on. One of the things that he studied extensively was playing the drums. He was almost uncomfortably brilliant in everything he set his hand to including drums. He was most generous with the knowledge he gleaned about timing and dynamics, when it came to the art of playing drums and music in general. Max Kaminsky said of Tough, "We all got some of that bite from Tough." There was a movement in Chicago in the pre-1920's against bad commercial music and Dave was right at the forefront of it. One night in Chicago he stalked off the stage after eight bars, while playing with B.A. Rolfe's showband. He was vibrating with anger and never returned to the stage that night. He was never shy about making his opinions known. Throughout the 1920's Tough was busy working with George Carhart's band and toured Europe as well as playing in Chicago and New York. By the mid-thirties he had suffered at least one serious illness and he moved to New York. While there he worked with the most well-known bands, such as Tommy Dorsey's, Benny Goodman's, Bunny Berigan's, Summa Cum Laude and with Artie Shaw's army band in 1941. Now comes the part that facinates me. Dave Tough was a gaunt, hollow-cheeked man who, according to Max Kaminsky, "was a sight to make the blood run cold." He often wore khaki fatigues and was like a spectre of death on the hoof up on the bandstand. But, his talent was undeniable and transended his personal eccentricities. Dave Tough was recognized as the drummer who could be compared to Sid Catlett and more talented than Gene Krupa, according to some, including me. He was a powerful, beautiful musician. Riveting, a perfect time-keeper and a spectacular soloist. He was capable of working in any surroundings. In 1944 Tough joined Woody Herman's modern big band. This was a huge, traumatic event for Dave. Tough was yanked asunder by the advent of BeBop and was unable to be flexible and evolve with the direction jazz had taken as Sid Catlett had done, by just going along. Tough was a very sensitive man and this abrupt change in jazz almost broke his mind. So intense was his anguish, that he would have fits, while with Herman, and sometimes even burst into tears. He would lash out at the other musicians, and was quoted as calling Georg Brunis and Wild Bill Davison "a clown and a gauleiter". I actually had to look up the meaning of "gauleiter". Dave Tough was just completing a residency with Muggsy Spanier in 1948, when, drunk, he fell and fractured his skull and, sadly died. So ended the life of the great DAVE TOUGH, who gave so much to jazz. He was just forty years old.

Next up we have SLIDE [Locksley] HAMPTON. Slide, no surprise, played the trombone, but he also played the tuba as well as being a great arranger. He was born in 1932 in Jeannette PA. His career first got attention in 1955, with his hiring by Buddy Johnson, followed by a period with Lionel Hampton in 1956. He then moved on to Maynard Ferguson's band and stayed with it from 1957 to 1959. After the stint with Ferguson's band he formed his own octet and led it from 1959-1962. One of my very favourite singers, Lloyd Price used Hampton as his musical director and Slide also did free-lance work. He went with Woody Herman and toured Europe with him in 1968. Hampton liked Europe so much that he settled there and did arranging for radio studio bands as well as playing with various all-star bands. Returning to New York in 1977 he formed yet another band, World Of Trombones, which was a twelve piece group. Not only that, but he also involved himself in jazz education, which gave him great satisfaction. Slide Hampton is one of the few left-handed trombonists who achieved greatness and possesses a fine melodic sense and an amazingly fluent technique. Check out "Roots", recorded in 1985 for Criss Cross. This is a very good quintet session which included Clifford Jordan and one of my favourite pianists, Cedar Walton. The solos by Hampton are, by themselves, worth the price of admission. A fine player.

How so??

And then there was CHARLIE "BIG" GREEN, who was born right on the turn of the last century, in 1900. Another Fletcher Henderson alumnus, Green, who played trombone, had cut his musical teeth with tent and carnival shows in and around Omaha. He has been characterized as one of the finest blues players of his time. His solos with Henderson's band were remarkable and his sense of humour was marvelous. His nickname was acquired because of his enormous appetite for food, drink and life itself. He was said to have been able to make a joke out of almost anything. His bandmates loved to have him around because there was a kind of light around him, in that he could bring joy to any surroundings. There are people like that and Big Green was one of them. He recorded some memorable sides with Bessie Smith, one of which was "Trombone Cholly". Henderson was the pianist in residence at the Black Swan, accompanying blues artists who performed there in the twenties. Big Green was a rare talent, able to play anything, in any key, read by sight, any score as well as being able to turn on a dime and play a waltz just as perfectly as he could play jazz. Sparring was common among the musicians and Big Green loved the trysts, keeping a feud going between the tuba player, Ralph Escudero and himself. Louis Armstrong was impressed at Escudero's ability to double Green's parts on his tuba. Green also duelled with Jimmy Harrison. Big Green left Henderson's band in 1930 and went with many other organizations, including Don Redman, Chick Webb, Benny Carter and many others. One night, in February of 1936, BIG GREEN was working with Kaiser Marshall's band and being very drunk, passed out on his own doorstep and froze to death. Such a sad end to the life and the career of a marvelous personality, and such a huge talent.

Well, PD is an elegant Englishman and they are quite reserved. The combination of his sensibilities with the "barbarians" on this side of the pond was sometimes a little uncomfortable to read, but I always enjoyed his view from another perspective.

Love it!! One thing about nicknames is that they are almost never something one bestows on oneself. They are usually given because of a charming [or not] eccentricity or characteristic, over which the recipient has no control. That, to me, is what makes them unique. They are never requested successfully, but are usually expressions of affection. They become an integral part of the personality. ............................ Quite often, for example in "STUFF" [Hezekiah Leroy Gordon] SMITH's case, aren't we glad that his real name was supplanted? It wouldn't have had nearly the appeal. Stuff Smith, born in Portsmouth Ohio in 1909, played jazz violin, as well as doing some credible singing. Jo Jones said of Stuff, that he " was the cat who took the apron-strings off the fiddle" which I think is a terrific way of describing the unique style which Smith demonstrated on an instrument which I don't think of, immediatly, as a jazz instrument. His style, I think, is reminiscent of that of Venuti's, so I wasn't surprised when I discovered that those old records were one of Smith's chief influences. He explained his approach to the fiddle as being similar to the way a drummer hits a cymbol. Smith's start came with Alphonso Trent's orchestra and he played both sweet and hot features, including comedy "point" numbers. He married, settled in Buffalo and got together with Jonah Jones, one of my favorites and began a life-long friendship. They were booked by Dick Stabile into the Onyx Club on 52nd St. in 1936. The well-known hits, "I'se A Muggin'" and "If You're A Viper" were gigantic hits of that period. Stuff was not a mellow lad and was said to be rather difficult to deal with, looking after his own interests, which was not a bad approach, career-wise, but was misunderstood by many who worked with him. He left the Onyx, to Joe Helbock's disappointment, to make a Hollywood film in 1938, called "Swing Street" and dragged his heels coming back. Unfortunately, this break caused a bump in his career and jazz had moved on. There was a plateau, although he continued to work with a trio in New York and also in Chicago. Stuff opened a restaurant in Chicago, but his tempermental personality was still there and Billy Taylor said of him, "Stuff's trio at the Onyx in 1944 was one of the most rhythmic trios I ever heard. Their only records were made for Asch but they didn't show what the trio could do. They'd worked up some things for the session but then Stuff goofed and played some other things instead, as he was likely to do!" By the 1950's Stuff was soloing, mostly and was California based. His health was, sadly, not good and he had pneumonia, often and ulcers. His drinking was becoming a problem and his liver was shot. This was most likely due to his not eating properly when he was drinking. But, in the 1960's, Stuff arguably did his finest work, working like a demon, doing tours of Europe as well as playing concert halls and festivals. He swung hard, right up to the end, which came in September of 1967. A gigantic talent, silenced at fifty-eight. But, lucky for us, his recordings with his own band, as well as with Dizzy and with Paul Olsen and Svend Asmussen are still out there, for us to enjoy and marvel at. He was, and still is a giant. ...................................... ****Thanks Brownie.

Busted, EKE BBB!!! This is yet another avenue of approach to present bios in a random way. This way, well-known, as well as not so well-known artists get a chance to be known and honoured. Thanks guys. Yes, this is a more comfortable form. I'll try to profile a variety of artists and not concentrate on my favourites. Bias may, from time to time be evident, but I make no apologies. We like what we like. Re-grouping. ................................... Bean/Hawk were two nicknames of the fabulous tenor sax player, COLEMAN HAWKINS. The "Hawk" part is an abbreviation of his surname, but I don't know where the "Bean" part came from. Does anyone?? In any case, Hawkins was described by the great Lester Young this way. "He's the person who played the saxophone who woke you up and let you know there was a tenor saxophone". High praise, coming from Young, who was a rival during the first thirty years of jazz history. Coleman Hawkins was, for about forty-five years, considered to have maintained his seniority as THE BEST, because of his creation of an omnipotent vocabulary for his instrument. Before Hawkins was twelve, he was playing to school audiences and later was playing regularly in Chicago on weekends in his early teens. He heard the greats of the period, such as Stomp Evans, Buster Bailey, who had amazing speed, and Happy Caldwell. He also headlined for Sophie Tucker, and one of his favourites, Ted Lewis. Mamie Smith's Jazz Hounds used Hawkins in their touring group in 1921. He was around twenty at the time. By 1924 he was playing with Fletcher Henderson's group and stayed with Henderson for ten years. He was a star!!! Coleman became a close friend of Jimmy Harrison. He dressed beautifully, drove fast cars and was described as a kind of Atilla of the jazz saxophone, ruthlessly cutting anyone who was brave enough to challenge him. In 1934, he felt he had nowhere to go with Henderson's band and sent a telegram addressed to "Jack Hylton, London, England" and on March 29 he landed in England to begin a five year period of touring Europe with Hylton's band. He played the fabled Palladium during that time and also toured Holland, France, Switzerland, Sweden and Denmark. As many jazz artists discovered [much like Miles Davis and Charlie Parker] Hawkins did not experience the what he descibed as downgrading of him, because of his race, in Europe, but became homesick, moving back to Chicago in 1939. Hawkins described his return to Chicago this way. "Fletcher was playing. He knew I was out in the audience and sent a waiter with a note saying 'Don't you think it's about time the leave of absence is over?' and signed his name at the bottom." That was good enough for Hawkins. The side which is probably the one most associated with his name, "Body And Soul" was recorded for RCA Victor in 1939. His career was clickin' along and he went on to be involved with BeBop and, unlike some of the earlier artists, such as the great Dave Tough and Roy Eldridge who were somewhat pummelled by the evolution of the genre, Hawkins was challenged by it. By 1943 he was leading sextet with Don Byas, Thelonious Monk and trumpeter Benny Harris. He was also very interested in the emerging careers of Fats Navarro, Oscar Pettiford, Max Roach and the great Dizzy Gillespie. Norman Granz also used Hawkins in his series of concerts, Jazz At The Philharmonic in 1946, where he played with Lester Young. His career never really seemed to suffer any decline, as innovation became the cornerstone of jazz and his style stood up to the younger players on the scene, such as Stan Getz and Zoot Sims. As the 1960's came over the horizon, Hawkins was still at the top of his form, ever flexible and playing with much younger men. Those included Thad Jones and Sonny Rollins. It was amazing to me that even the advent of rock and roll didn't slow him down. He said of r&r, "Rock doesn't sound too bad, but I don't think the right people are playing it yet." He continued to forge ahead, until May of 1969, when worn down by a reputed diet of lentil soup and brandy, he threw off this mortal coil and died, leaving a legacy matched by few. Berigan, please tell us more about ISH KABIBBLE. Just saying it, makes me smile.

So am I... Patricia, now that you have taken one request, here is mine: Zutty Singleton. Hi Brownie!! Distracted, you say?? I smile. A drummer at the turn of the last century, ZUTTY SINGLETON, was born in Bunkie Louisiana in 1898. For those of you who love drum solos, Zutty is considered to be the originator of them, as well as a developer of innovative effects, such as the use of clicking temple bells and of the tiny choke cymbols. Those, like me, who love brushes can thank Zutty and his use of the tip and ride cymbol was copied by drummers who came later, such as Cliff Leeman and Stan Greig. Singleton was one of the personalities of the great jazz era and was held in great regard by Louis Armstrong. Zutty was the drummer on Armstrong's "My Monday Date" and also "West End Blues". Temple blocks and choke cymbols can be heard of both those records. Zutty was dropped by Armstrong, who was leading a band at Connie's Inn, but it wasn't because of a lack of talent, but rather, like Sid Catlett, that Zutty was too much of a leader. Like Catlett, Zutty Singleton was able to adapt his style from Dixieland to BeBop, so his career simply took another creative turn when the new jazz fashion evolved. His work is evident on Slim Gaillard's "Slim's Jam" and he also worked behind Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. Singleton did not think of drums as simply punctuation, but as musical instruments in their own right. One small stumble, some say, in his career was his move from New York to Chicago in the mid-thirties. He moved to Chicago to work with Carroll Dickerson, who was on the downside of his career. But he did work with Roy Eldridge, one of the up-and-comers, before moving back to New York in 1937. Zutty stayed in New York to lead various bands, then moved out to Los Angeles in 1943, taking his quartet to Billy Berg's. Singleton made the first of three films, "Stormy Weather", that year with Bill Robinson, Fats Waller and Lena Horne. The two other films were "New Orleans", in 1946 with Armstrong and Billie Holiday and "Turned Up Toes" in 1949. Eddie Condon and Nappy Lamare's bands used Zutty in the fifties and he also played in Europe with Bill Coleman and Mezz Mezzrow, as well as others. He came back to New York and worked clubs until the late 1960's. ZUTTY SINGLETON died in July of 1975.