Two Ton Baker & Duke Ellington

[JSngry]

http://twotonbaker.com/2ton/bio/bio3.htm

As per Larry Kart's heads-up (thanks!), here's the main page: http://twotonbaker.com/

PLENTLY of downloadable mp3s, for those so inclined.

Edited April 5, 2005 by JSngry

[maren]

I'm not sure opening that cabinet in the brain was such a good idea -- images of Two-Ton Baker and Garfield Goose came flying out. 

Mention of Two-Ton Baker brings back memories of an Ellington "master class" in Madison during the early '70s. Duke spotted Mr Baker in the audience and invited him onstage. Baker waddled to the lip of the stage and rolled onto it. Duke had to help him to his feet. It was one of the most uncomfortable spectacles I've witnessed.

Sad story, Chuck. Being a kid at the time, I wasn't aware of the man outside of "Lunchtime Little Theater." I certainly wouldn't have connected him with Ellington, then or later, in the 70s.

They seemed to be old friends.

I think Duke introduced him as "the great Two-Ton Baker, ladies and gentlemen".

Two-Ton Baker info can be found here:

http://twotonbaker.com/

As I recall (but I was pretty young at the time) he played piano on his TV show in a kind of arch, Chico Marx bag but with some hints that he knew his boogie woogie.

http://twotonbaker.com/2ton/music/mp3s/m-960-dancers.mp3

TwoTon & Duke: http://twotonbaker.com/2ton/bio/bio3.htm

[maren]

Hoky smokes!!! Was it one of the moderators who merged these threads??? Fine by me, I'm just a little discombobulated...

[indigo]

Seems Two Ton got elevated. No mean feat!