Big Beat Steve

Like I said, I see and understand your point, but going by what you call "allegations", a lot of what has been written and is taken as a historical finding now would just be hearsay or worse, then (because the longer an event goes back in time the more you have to rely on secondhand sources and YET these sources are explored and not discredited just because those involved could not be interviewed first-hand anymore). Of course, as part of a master's thesis and/or a an in-depth book her sources would have to be identified and cited correctly and by scientific criteria. But in relatively short articles such as these? You don't see rows and rows of source listings in such articles and still ... As for your reference to Ira Gitler, sorry but that misses the point IMO. Oral histories are one thing, but this is just ONE facet of how history is written - a great way but far from the only and most widespread one (alas). And we are not talking about oral history here. Besides, aren't there plenty of "unidentified" sources that are just identifed as "preferring to remain anonymous" or "name withheld" in exploring historical topics yet what they contributed was taken at face value in the sense that it must have had immense credibility to the author and reader alike? Yet by your terms this would definitely have to be ruled out, regardless of whether there would have been overwhelming (personal?) reasons why the informants did not wish to be identified. So ... while I understand your arguments, since she does say she intends elaborate on this I feel that to her the facts she unearthed must be rather plausible so her "capsule" summary of her findings is not that unbelievable (or else, would she go that far out on a limb, given her involvement with her preferred subject matter and her other activities in this field? Wouldn't they have kicked her out of Rutgers if they had found her to be just gossiping?). And in the light of that Lucky Thompson experience read this morning about how easily Feather was wont to blacklist those who did not humor him (and aren't there other stories like this out there too?) I do feel that the fact that in Jutta Hipp's case personal (sexual) relations may have played a key role does not matter at all IMO in deciding what amount of evidence is needed to lend credibility to what otherwise would just be "allegations". So .. to settle this, the evidence remains that Feather was found by many dealing with him to be a person who would not just drop you by the wayside but make sure you pay the price if you did not do as he wanted you to do. Well, now I have gone on for much longer than I intended too.

If she found evidence in inteviews with musicians who were there it does not read like hearsay to me (regardless of whether the source is cited verbatim or footnoted or not - at least within such a relatively short article). She seemed to have been rather sure of the statements she had gathered, judging from her own statements (as translated below from that 2006 feature on Jutty Hipp published in Jazz Podium, BTW. according to her publicly accessible Facebook page about Jutta Hipp, that book is still "in progress" as of 2016)): However, Leonard Feather also played a key role in Hipp’s decision to end her career in jazz. I will explore this subject in depth in my forthcoming book. Despite being married and a father, Feather pursued Hipp shortly after her arrival in New York. Hipp, who at the time was engaged to the Hungarian guitarist Atilla Zoller (who would follow her to the US in early 1956) rejected Feather’s advances and also refused to record any of his compositions. I see what you mean but by that yardstick it would be impossible to write any history once those who are the subject of the history (or were contemporaries of the persons involved) are dead (or even earlier), wouldn't it? I.e. only first-hand sources count (and even then - by your criteria - you would have to be able to hear both sides). Or any historical piece written at a later date would just be a case of rattling off earlier sources and quotes (which would make pretty well everything unreadable). Hearsay in this sense lurks everywhere. Just see for yourself to what extent this would apply even within such a limited historical framework or timespan such as the history of jazz.

"Grey label" reissues in the UK from the late 80s through the 90s, found mostly at sellers present at (real 50s style) rock'n'roll concerts and festivals (outside the UK too, of course). All in all running the whole gamut from (danceable/uptempo) country blues via jump blues/ R&B to "electric" 50s blues/R&B and black r'n'r and even very early R&B-ish soul. The Stompin' LP series (Vols. 1 to 26) was superseded and augmented by a CD series under the same name relased thereafter. Most of it is still listed here, for example: http://www.nortonrecords.com/stompin/?sort=alphaasc As for copying from Clemson, not so. I just checked the United/States entry.

Not wanting to doubt your impressions unduly, but which statements would you qualify as "hearsay" and therefore maybe unfounded? Of course none of us were there to have witnessed these things but what Jutta Hipp said about him sounded like some rather unpleasant reminiscences to me, and after some reading done this morning this ties in all too well with what others had to say about the Leonard Feather of that era. To be more specific, this morning I happened to read a piece about and interview with Lucky Thompson authored by Leif Anderson and Björn Fremer in the October, 1957 issue of ORKESTER JOURNALEN (for a background, both authors were regular contributors to OJ at the time and neither of them was known for mincing their words so they did not shy away from tackling sensitive topics). They told L.T.'s complaints about Leonard Feather like this: Everybody knows Leonard Feather, the leading hypocrite in the field. Do you remember Lucky Thompson's famous "Just One More Chance" recording for Victor? Feather had set up this session and composed two tunes but did not want to list them under his name but rather listed Lucky as composer. Of course Feather kept the money but Lucky wasn't overjoyed with seeing his name associated with two substandard melodies so he objected. Ever since then Feather diligently avoided mentioning Lucky's name or playing his records on his programs or Blindfold Tests. One of his recordings was in fact included in a test, but although all the other musicians's names were mentioned, Lucky's name was missing, though he was both the leader and the soloist on tenor. To Feather, Lucky is a "dead man". And so on ... Doesn't this way of behaving sound strangely familiar? (BTW, the two tunes that Lucky Thompson apparently alluded to, "From Dixieland to Bebop" and "Boppin' The Blues", are indeed credited to Feather on reissues.) Leaonard Feather did a lot of good in the field of jazz but this "make or break" attitude towards people who wouldn't play HIS game reeks of something rather unpleasant.

Thanks for this bio and discography. Schoolboy Porter is a name that comes up here and there in 50s R&B and to those interested in the music (like me) rings a loud bell but somehow is never explored in depth. I even seem to remember that somewhere his name was mentioned as being an alias or byname for Jake Porter, probably in some liner notes. And somehow it seems to me that apart from the Pontiac CD you mention a track or two by him are out there on some other RB& reissue compilation. I've searched but cannot pinpoint them right now (and they are not on the Savage Kick/Stompin' V.A. LPs) so I may be mistaken and it might actually be his guitar sideman appearances I saw but this triggers a sort of "deja vu" feeling here. P.S: Just for the record: To the best of my knolwedge, the name/spelling of that bassist on the Roosevelt Sykes session is Ransom Knowling. Not to be confused with Fela Ransome Kuti. (An African-influenced slip of the typing finger, maybe? )

I read the German version (published by Hannibal) a couple of years ago. Interesting contents but the translation makes it often sound a bit pedestrian. Pity ...

Ah, I see. Makes sense. That's the explanation I was (unknowingly) waiting for - these fine points of Americana escape us over here.

Ah, well - in the first pic he looks kind of anguished indeed. (Not the kind of anguish your are in, no? Or are you just saying somebody in that shipping department is getting slow too?) Better to remember him like this, then (no, this won't be on the box set you are waiting for )

Can somebody translate for non-baseball fans, please?

Looks like this is the Vogue session leased to Blue Note. As for Wade Legge having been with Dizzy, in fact this IS the Dizzy rhythm section of his 1953 French tour that also yielded various studio recordings as well as another live recording LP from a Salle Pleyel concert.

You mean it took them SIX days from announcing shipping to ACTUALLY announcing shipping? 16 to 22 August ... My, my ... they sure are doing their best to keep you entertained and on the alert ...

Thanks for the feedback. But like I said, I have about 80-90% of the music elsewhere (in quite decent presentation andfidelity). Which basically leaves the book as something mostly new (mostly because they not flood me with facsimiles of the Jazz Podium write-ups from the 50s like they did with the mod Records box set - I have the originals of the mags). I am very tempted but am really hesitating ... BTW, are there two versions of this box set out? I have seen two differently priced box sets (though with identical descriptions) on two online sellers' platforms (i.e. each of the two platforms listed two differently priced sets). And a price difference of some 40 euros is not negligible.

Immaterial. What counts are the contents of the actual article. Jutta Hipp WAS contacted and interviewed by jazz insiders during he self-imposed "exile", and Evered may not have been the first one. Now what I am wondering rather more about is what reference sources were used exactly for that much-hailed Longreads article published here in 2017. It seems to have been published before elsewhere (according to the fine print) but when and how long ago? That Jazz Podium article linked by Niko was published 11 years ago and - as Niko has shown - is accessible online, including in an English version. Seeing how much of the details in that Jazz Podium article of 11 years ago crop up in the Longreads text - almost verbatim, in some cases - you start wondering ... So it would indeed be interesting to see how and where Evered's writings were actually published and/or circulated. The duplications of contents in the two articles now linked just baffle me ... I wonder how much of it is taken up and maybe elaborated on in that huge Jutta Hipp box set released by the Be!Jazz label (I admit I am shying away from taking the plunge as I have most of the music, and shelling out the full amount mainly for the book ... ho hum ...).

Actually, the article doesn't say so at all. She acknowledges that she was too late and refers to earlier reports by people who did meet her.

Thanks very much, Niko. Much appreciated! Quite a bit of this one and of the Longreads article seem to have drawn from the same primary sources for the details, e.g. the roles of Evered and Leonard Feather. (Now where did Evered INITIALLY publish his account of how he contacted Jutta Hipp, I wonder?)

Good idea. Guess I will spin them later this evening.

Actually I asked about tjhe year only because about 12-13 years ago I was able to buy (at a good price) an almost complete collection of Jazz Podiums from 1953 to 1990 (1990 was when the orignal owner of the mags who was a teenager in 1953 stopped his subscription). I kept the issues up to 1966 and sold off the later volumes (including some via ads around here), and a few weeks ago I finally was able to pass on the final 5-6 remaining volumes (from the 80s). So too late to check now ... But prior to unloading the 1967-90 years I photocopied all the articles and reviews that were of interest to me and filed them separately. No Jutta Hipp interview, though (I should remember that and would have filed it separately)....

Hi Gheorghe Actually I just wondered how much of a "scoop" of having tracked down Jutta Hipp the contents of the story linked above really were. It seems like several people tracked her down and contacted her separately so it is not easy to say who did so first after those decades of "exile". As for the interview you refer to, if it was run prior to 1991 I must have seen this but don't recall it at all. Anyway, her comments are understandable. I have no problems with Koller's 50s records (though I don't spin them often) but I do remember distinctly that almost all reviews of German jazz records published in Swedish jazz mags of that era described the German recordings (very often featuring Koller) as "mechanical" and "unswinging".

Yes, a sad story. I wonder, though, who among the jazz fraternity at large tracked her down fiorst in her latter days. I remember reading a feature on her (and her latter-day paintings) published around the year 2000 in the German jazz mag JAZZ REALITIES (privately published by researcher and discographer M. Frohne) that gave a rather clear account of her later life after she had given up public appearances as a jazz pianist. So her whereabouts were known around that time.

About those needle-nose pliers and removing individual teeth, I must admit I am a bit wary of this (which probably was what made me try the "sanding down" trick). I have every now and then had problems with CDs bought new through mail order that arrived here with several of these teeth broken off the jewel case hub, causing the CD to float around inside and the remains of the teeth somewhere inside the case. Annoying, particularly if it happens on multiple-CD cases ... On rare occasions this even occurred on sealed CDs (shoddy packaging?) but in other cases (new, but not sealed) I have a feeling this happened with sellers normally storing their CDs and inlay paperwork inside thin clear plastic CD envelopes and only puttng them back in jewel cases when mailing them out (I know one seller I ordered from has this habit - he also has a record stall at certain concerts/festivals and this is how he displays his goods). Apparently there are sellers out there who are rather heavy-handed when pushing the CD back on the prongs of the case and couldn't care less when some of them snap.

It worked for me (you have to go easy on it and clean everything well afterwards) but if Rooster_Ties manged to accomplish the desired result just by breaking two of the individual teeth on this very same set then this might be the easier route for you in this particular case.

Isn't there a saying that copying is the highest form of flattery in Asia?

I am not sure I can visualize the problem accurately because I do not have these boxes (or other Mosaics incriminated for this before) but I have enocuntered similar problems with other boxes and jewel cases before where I had to press down like mad on the teeth (i.e. the center) with my thumb and at the same time forcibly pull up the CD to release it, bending it dangerously in the process (fearing indeed it might break). My method (if several removal and replacing operations did not improve matters): After having removed the CD I took some fine-grain sanding paper, held it with the tips of three fingers and rubbed down the teeth by rotating the sanding paper around the teeth. At certain intervals I checked impoved "ease" of removal using an old CD (or CD-R) that didn't matter. When the removal force was acceptable I cleaned up everything and put the actual CD back where it belonged.

His "Story of the Blues" was an early read I soaked up from the first to the last page in my very early collecting days (borrowing the book repeatedly from the local Amerika Haus library), and browsing through it today I think I can stil feel the impression it made on me at the time (omissions 'n'all). RIP

Talking about Vienna: Don't forget Hans Koller who was said by insiders to have been a difficult person to get along with too, including offstage when in fact people dealing with him went out of their way to accommodate him and yet it seemed to be not enough ...