Big Beat Steve

This reminds me of the changes that underwent our national #1 jazz scribe, "jazz pope" Joachim Ernst Berendt - only that his engagement with life later on turned out to be a very special one when he went all esoteric. As for Hentoff, maybe time to revisit the archives of his "Jazz Review" on the Jazz Studies site again?

Knew about the German translation but never saw it (it was OOP by the time I got into jazz) but bought a secondhand copy of the original UK printing in 1998 or so at a London secondhand bookseller - and reading it set the stage in an ideal way for Ira Gitler's "Swing To Bop" oral history that I bought not much later. Both desert-island reading matter.

More or less same here. In much the same way that Ira Gitler did he provided lots of interesting info on the back sleeves. RIP.

I am afraid I can only add to the confusion/uncertainties about dates/locations etc. I just checked the Aug./Sept./Oct./Nov./Dec. copies of my 1964 issues of the German jazz mag JAZZ PODIUM, and strangely enough no mention at all is made of any tour of this cavalcade of stars (billed as "USA Jazz Festival" in Sweden - and possibly elsewhere? -, BTW, according to the Swedish ORKESTER JOURNALEN mag. No mention of Newport anywhere) - EXCEPT for their appearance within the scope of the "Berliner Jazztage" festival (24 to 27 September) where the lineup including Roland Kirk indeed appeared at the festival on the 26th and at the Jazz Ball at the "Prälat" in Berlin-Schöneberg (note spellings of both ) on the 27th. Roland Kirk was just one of a long list of stars appearing on one and the same evening, including Pee Wee Russell, Sister Rosetta THarpe, Champion Jack Dupree, a round of beboppers for an "In Memoriam of Charlie Parker" set (feat. McGhee, Stitt, JJ Johnson, Clarke. etc), Dave Brubeck on the 26th and an even longer list of acts on the 27th. But I was unable to find any other information about any other appearance of this huge lineup of stars anywere in Germany in this mag in the issues before, during and after the (presumed) dates. Surprising considering the cost this tour must have involved. It seems like at this time, apart from the Berlin festival, all the "concert" publicity and coverage space in the mag was taken up by the American Folk Blues Festival. I would have expected to see at least brief monthly lists of upcoming gig dates (including this tour package) but no such thing ...

Which record are you referring to exactly?

About Eddie Fisher and Sinatra, Dean Martin, etc. the German Wikipedia entry on Eddie fisher has an interesting bit about Fisher's relationship with the Rat Pack (based on info from Richard Havers' Sinatra bio, it seems) - my translation: Aside from the off-stage mutual respect between Fisher and Sinatra, came to acquire a legendary reputation as a sort of "natural enemy" of Frank Sinatra who started mocking him in public from the 50s on for his alleged lack of singing talent and compared Fisher's singing technique to that of a snare drum. Later on others from the Rat Pack joined in those jokes that became a sort of running gag: Dean Martin, for example, when making fun of his own (often faked) alcohol consumption on stage, was quoted like this: "I need alcohol in order to believe I’m Dean Martin, a singer, a movie star. Without booze, I’m Eddie Fisher." In 1965 Sinatra answered Fisher's Eddie Fisher Today release (Dot Records) with his similarly titled album on reprise: Sinatra ‘65: The Singer Today. I didn't know Carrie Fisher was her daughter either until I read the Fisher obits. But once you know it the similarity is striking. After Carrie Fisher had died, I showed a pic of Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher (that I had come across in one of my 1955 copies of Down Beat just the day before) to my son (aged 16) who is a huge Star Wars fan (and has seen post-Star Wars pics of her). He was amazed at the visual likeness.

Quite some finds, and off the beaten track of the known and well-played. Enjoy!

The photo isn 't common for sure but isn't totally unknown in printed media. It figures in the "The Beatles - An Illustrated Record" LP-sized book by Roy Carr and Tony Tyler published in 1975. But it is cropped and the two persons on the left are cut off. It also shows up on various Beatles-related sites and blogs.

There was a book written by him and published in the mid-70s titled (very aptly) "The Man Who Gave The Beatles Away". I failed to pick up a copy when I saw it in the shops in London at the time (I had read about him in a capsule Beatles bio a while before) and somehow was not in the mood either to grab it when I saw a secondhand copy in a London shop in the 90s - but one of these days, maybe ...

See here: https://www.amazon.com/Willis-Conover-Broadcasting-Jazz-World/dp/0595407412/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483157518&sr=8-1&keywords=Willis+Conover Maybe he WAS more familiar outside the US as for obvious reasons the VOA was listened to mostly outside the US. But he was an important figure. And some may have had this record in their hands too: https://www.discogs.com/de/Willis-Conover-House-Of-Sounds/release/8936394

Amazing! Thank you.

I really wouldn't link Red Norvo with Lionel Hampton. Both have their place, both are great, both are fantastic virtuosos, but their approaches are quite different IMO. The light touch and delicacy of Norvo's chamber music-styled "miniatures" on the one hand was unmistakeably unlike Hampton's exuberant "workouts" on the vibes. Even if you focus on the small-group sessions by Hampton and not so much on his big band recordings that really were one forerunner of R&B there is a sense of Hampton always pushing ahead where Norvo lets things flow ahead easily. Both great, both fine, but different. Very different IMHO. I am saying this because I tend to pick up recordings from the "golden age" by both of them in a sort of "can't go wrong" approach (so I am biased both ways). I guess I have most of his output from his "vibraphone period" of the early 40s to c.1960 and cherish it all - Keynote, Dial, Brunswick, Discovery/Savoy, Decca, Fantasy, "X"/RCA, Contemporary, Liberty, Rave, etc., and not least of all his transcriptions from his early Trio periods that have been issued through the years. And a special mention to "The Forward Look" on the Reference label (privately recorded date from 1957 isued for the first time much later and discussed elsewhere here some time ago. As for the pre-war Norvo xylophone period, this long-OOP LP IMO is a nice introduction and has many of his key recordings from that period: https://www.discogs.com/de/Red-Norvo-And-His-All-Stars-Original-1933-1938-Recordings/master/937056 The Hep label covered that period more in-depth in a series of CDs. Some of his not so obvious recordings from that period, however, have left me a little dizzied - at times he sounded almost like he was trying to "out-raymondscott" Raymond Scott. Though I consider myself a fan, these recordings are among those I prefer to take at smaller doses. BTW, there is a previous thread on Red Norvo's opus here (sorry, can't insert links to previous threads in any other way, it seems - click on the "Red Norvo" header to access the thread):

Yes that's how I felt too when I read that letter. Be thankful for the possibilities that you have, for what you have achieved and for the opportunity to make something of it. Essentially a matter of managing one's life, in fact. As for the scars on one's psyche, of course - but isn't this just where the self-protective strategies to build up a shield to guard you against the bad things that can (and maybe will) happen to you that I've mentioned ought to come to bear? Basically a matter of "I've learned my lesson and this won't happen to me again" approach. Some may be able to handle this better and in a more constructive way than others (at least the first time round) but you just got to learn and do it if you value your existence enough. And don't tell me being financially secure (VERY secure) won't make it easier to accomplish this. Which is where IMO things come full circle.

No, on the contrary - everybody is entitled to make as much money as others will pay them in what they work for. More power to them in that. Jim sums it up pretty well. Complain about it, speak out against those who you feel need to be taken to task for what they did, but since whatever contracts they may have stuck on him probably were legally watertight what does this all lead to in the LONG run? Isn't it really just time to move on after a while, particularly if you really can rightly tell yourself "Whatever I may have lost then, I've more than made up for all that long ago and I have achieved more than enough to be proud of, so f.ck them - this is not going to do me in." Particularly if you have gotten yourself into a situation where you have to fight various other demons anyway, why add to it by scratching those scars that may have been left on you when there is NO need to get them to start bleeding again because you really have "made good" since? A bit like (probably) comparable cases where other artists, in talking about their early days, just quipped "Ah, we were young and didn't know sh.t about the business". Too much down to earth, too reasonable? No, just one possible (and very often essential) PROTECTIVE reaction to guard YOURSELF. Something many of us probably have had to resort to in situations of everyday life that were rather unpleasant and just HAD to be overcome (though it was hard work at first) in order to tackle next day's demands and realities of everyday life. An everyday life we all lead and artists lead too - so how about just managing your life (which basically is just another way of doing something about not being happy with your life)? After all I'd wager a guess managing your life and making something of it that is worthwhile to YOU on a personal level should be a bit easier to start with if you do NOT have to worry about money and material security of your existence anymore - ever. Many, many, many people out there in the world would be more than glad to be in THAT starting position in trying to do something about not being happy in their lives. This is what I was referring to as complaning on a high level. Money isn't everything - far from it, but it will open up almost unlimited possibilities in making something of your life.

Did he starve to death for it? Did he make hardly enough money to eke out a living and had to perform just to make ends meet? Sore about the raw deal he got - yes, understandably so, but he DID make big bucks after this and if it had been on strictly monetary grounds he could have retired quite a while ago and not needed to work for a living even one more single day. So once you've had your say and publicly blamed the ones you find guilty for taking advantage of the fact that you had not realized this business that you got into is a basin full of sharks, how about just moving on and looking forward? Sorry, but to me this really seems like a case of complaining on a high level. Arthur Crudup (and ANY number of his peers among blues artists) would have had reason to be whining (they all DID have to struggle). And how many "normal", decent, hard-working people out there have been taken advantage of in their lives too which left them struggling for the rest of their days and nobody gives a hoot. So ...?

Just bookmarked the site. Thanks, Brownie (et une Bonne Année à toi ) I think I understand what you mean with the Leloir books needing more editing. I like the "Portraits Jazz" book for what it is and for what is in there but from the start the book left me wondering what ELSE there must be in his archives that might give even deeper visual insights.

I can't recall having seen that Leloir/Leeb book. (EDit:) Just checked Amazon and a few sample pages of that book. I guess I could live with those quips by Michel Leeb for a time. But a whole book? IMHO the way the book is layouted it gives too much priority to Leeb, and the Leloir pics loook just like a vehicle for Leeb's jokes (which BTW even on those few sample pages aren't that funny throughout). Pity ... On amazon.fr (of all places!) the book isn't even listed under Leloir's name. So a "Leloir" search won't yield anything! Brownie, as you are close to the source and more knowledgeable about this subject than anybody else around here, how would you rate that book compared to the Leloir/Koechlin "Portraits Jazz" book that I mentioned (ie. with regard to the photographic content)? Just to get an overall idea ...

Thanks Baker. I had not been aware of the existence of that book (never saw a copy during my fleamarket and antique shop excursions in France). So I now grabbed one for the affordable price of 7 euros on eBay.

That "Jazzick" doesn't sound that promising if the captions (which often are a key part of the book) mar the book to THAT extent. Anyone of you out there aware of the book "Portraits Jazz" by Jean-Pierre Leloir (with texts by Stéphane Koechlin) published by Editions Fetjaine in 2010? Very, very nice, covering all eras, and contrary to many books covering the golden age of jazz the majority of the photos is in color. Good texts (quoting numerous reminiscences by Leloir) too. Adding to the other publications mentioned by Baker, the vast majority of the photos in the "Nouvelle Encyclopédie du Blues" by Gérard Herzhaft (published by Grancher in 1984) comes from Jean-Pierre Leloir.

Merry Christmas to you all and a happy new year that may bring you lots of nice black or silver platters.

I just about managed to avoid that myself ... After having ordered the book on amazon.de and waiting for more than one week for it to become available (it had been listed as being "currently unavailable" both in the hardback and the paperback version) I finally ordered a paperback copy from amazon.com on the 23rd. And when I then cancelled my hardback order on amazon.de (not wanting to end up with two copies) I found that in the meantime the paperback version (which surprisingly is more expensive than the hardback version over here) had gone "in stock" there (the day before it had still been unavilable). Oh well .. gotta wait longer now for the copy from the US to ship and arrive ...

From the movie ROCK ROCK ROCK Can be found on this ... or this ... (depending on which pressing you can - or want to - get hold of)

Your comments make me more and more eager to get my hands on this book. For reasons maybe not considered appropriate by all of the "jazz as pure art" segment of the jazz powers in that this book seems to tie a few OTHER loose ends together that IMHO have been waiting to be tied together, e.g that jazz ("valuable" jazz to use criteria used by jazz scribes earlier) could indeed be entertainment and music for partying and all-out dancing even AFTER (well after) 1945, much like MG has pointed it out in an earlier post of his about the primary function of soul jazz (even beyond "soul jazz" in the strictest sense of the word - a couple of years ago I picked up a 47W63rd St., DG, ear in wax copy of Cannonball Adderley's "Something Else" with surprisingly O.K. cover at the "princely" sum of 1 (yes, ONE) euro at a local record store clearout sale - priced so because the record with all its scuffs, scratches and "odd and hard to clean" stuff in the grooves spelt out a life of PARTY fodder in big letters). I can't put my finger on it but I seem to have read something about Sam Woodyard before to the effect that you quote - maybe in some contemporary review of one of the Ellington orchestra tours from that period. And it wasn't even a writeup on the 1956 Newport festival (I'd venture a guess the combination of Paul Gonsalves and Sam Woodyard on "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue" would have kept even the dancers at most honkin' sax R&B parties happy (and exhausted) - even today - and no need for anyone to be sniffy about those who enjoy the recording in such a setting as "missing the point" - IMHO they'are not, they are rather distilling the gutsier immediacy out of that performance). And what you say about Alan Freed and the big bands he worked with OTOH does not come as much of a surprise or revelation to me, maybe also because I've read John Jackson's Alan Freed bio "Big Beat Heat" before. My forum nick is no coincidence, though I certainly wouldn't say this is my #1 interest area in jazz - I'd rather consider it a "special interest" area of mine that has been in the shadow everywhere - it seems to have been neglected by jazz history AND by many historians of early rock'n'roll as well. Count Basie's cooperation with Freed came to an unhappy end, BTW, though I wonder if it was more for artistic or more for monetary reasons. Anyway .. thanks again for your comments. You're making me more curious than ever.

And yet ... despite your reservations you're making me curious. And I hope our Amazon over here will be able to ship soon. Just by way of comparison, where would you situate this book's approach to the subject matter (coverage of the evolution and history of a specific style of jazz) overall compared to, say Ted Gioia's "West Coast Jazz" and Arnold Shaw's "Honkers and Shouters", for example? I just checked the excerpts accessible on amazon.com and the table of contents has me intrigued and surprised in places. Pleased about the Gene Ammons chapter and am looking forward to reading about the other sax men too . And needless to say, I'll be fine-combing the "Big Beat" chapter. As we around here for the most part are white too and yet are getting deeply into music that originated in the black community and as we do think we have a feeling for that music (don't we? ) I certainly won't hold the author's skin color against him. By the way, where are you, MG, to have your say on this? Your opinion would be most welcome.

Happy birthday from here too, and good luck for a speedy recovery!