Frank Teschemacher

[Clunky]

Looking for recs re Frank Teschemacher,(died 1932- automobile accident)

I've come across his work with Chocolate Dandies (Parlophone LP) and the Chicago Rhythm Kings ( Austin High School Gang 1928-30 MCA LP). His tone is certainly very curious - acidic not unlike the late Jackie McLean.

Any recs on where to hear more ( small groups especially)

Edited April 27, 2006 by Clunky

[Harold_Z]

The early Eddie Condon recordings have a lot of Tesch on them. IF you can find the first Eddie Condon Chrono Classics there's quite a bit on that or the Eddie Condon JSP set has a lot too. The Mckenzie and Condon Chicagoans are on both of these and include Tesch, Bud Freeman, Gene Krupa, etc. Those recordings have been anthologized a lot and should be easy to find.

There was a Time Life 3 lp box that had every recording Tesch made. They only included 2 1/2 lp sides. The third side was recordings that he MAY have played on. The box shows up on Ebay or Amazon now and then.

Pee Wee Russell eventually took Tesch's slot in the Condon gang and although Pee Wee claimed not to have been influenced by Tesch his style was quite similar to my ears.

[jazzbo]

Yeah Tesch!

If only he'd (or anyone then) had a seat belt. . . . We'd have a lot more interesting music.

[Dave James]

Didn't Teschemacher play a C-Melody sax? I may be mixing him up with someone else, but, if not, that might account for the sound.

Up over and out.

[AllenLowe]

you're thinking of Trumbauer - Tesch was a wild man on clarinet and an early influence on Benny Goodman -

Edited April 27, 2006 by AllenLowe

[medjuck]

I used to have the Time-Life Giants of Jazz Tesch. box set. He made so few recordings that to fill up a 3 record set they had to include cuts that they weren't sure he played on. (IIRC I sent the set to an Austrilian jazz fan who was desperate for it. Would never have done that with my Pee Wee box.)

[BruceH]

There was a Time Life 3 lp box that had every recording Tesch made. They only included 2 1/2 lp sides. The third side was recordings that he MAY have played on. The box shows up on Ebay or Amazon now and then.

I've got that. Around here you can find used copies of those Time/Life Giants of Jazz boxes for $5.99 and less. (!!!)

Highly recommended, BTW.

[jeffcrom]

I felt like listening to Tesch tonight, so poked around the forums to see what there was on him - this seems to be the major thread.

I've been a Teschemacher fan since early in my jazz listening "career." Years ago I picked up (and still have) the "Chicagoans" LP on MCA, and was struck with Tesch's playing. From the first notes, it was clear that he was one jazz's originals, and a real improviser. A couple of CDs on the Italian King Jazz label revealed more, but it was only with the Time-Life three-LP set that it became easy to follow the arc of his development. His recording career was only a little over two years long, but his playing matured noticeably during that period - his "late" solos are just as individual as his early playing, but they are less scattered and more to the point. It's both frustrating and mind-boggling to speculate on what he could have accomplished if he hadn't died so young.

And I'll bet that after recording "Farewell Blues" and "Wabash Blues" with Ted Lewis, he went out and got really plastered.

Edited September 16, 2009 by jeffcrom

[jeffcrom]

Listened to side six of the Time-Life set tonight - the "might be Teschemacher" side. Pretty interesting. For what it's worth, my guesses on Tesch's presence on the three session included are no, yes, and no. The interesting question raised by these recordings is, "If it ain't Teschemacher, who is it?" The clarinet playing is interesting and Tesch-influenced on all these tracks. Wade Foster? Some gifted unknown?