Vic Berton

[Harold_Z]

I was listening to the RCA 80th Anniversary series on my ipod yesterday. Davenport Blues by Red and Miff's Stomper's came up. There's no upright, Tuba or Adrian Rollini on the record. Instead, throughout much of the recording, the bass function is handled by Vic Berton on Tympany. Pretty freakin' good!

The track is also on Red Nichols 1925-1927 Chronogical Classics. I first encountered the track on the RCA Encyclopedia of Recorded Jazz. That set was terrific and The 80th Anniversary cd series is like an expanded updated version of it.

[AllenLowe]

Berton wrote a very interesting autobiography, in which he claims to have had an affair with Bix -

[Harold_Z]

Berton wrote a very interesting autobiography, in which he claims to have had an affair with Bix -

Was that Vic or his Brother Ralph?

I know I read a book by Ralph Berton some years ago that was about Bix.

[jazzbo]

It was Ralph, not Vic.

Vic was amazing. I bet I have hundreds of sides he was on and he never failed to add real dimension to the piece. Even led his own session or two. He was integral to the development of drum hardware as well. What a guy!

[Stereojack]

I know I read a book by Ralph Berton some years ago that was about Bix.

I read the Ralph Berton book years ago. Although it was titled "Remembering Bix" ( I think), it was more about Ralph than Bix.

[Tom Storer]

I discovered Vic Berton on a bunch of mostly Red Nichols sides on the "Anthology of Jazz Drumming" on the now defunct Masters of Jazz label. Definitely an undersung hero of early jazz drums!

[flat5]

Vic may have invented the hi hat and other drum stuff.

I think I read this in Ralph's book many years ago.

[Randy Twizzle]

Vic was arrested with Louis Armstrong in the early 30s while both were smoking a joint in the parking lot of a club.

http://www.ukcia.org/potculture/30/louis.html

[EKE BBB]

Vic may have invented the hi hat and other drum stuff...

Ralph Berton claims Vic was the first to use brushes on "Remembering Bix":

"His next business triumph occurred around 1921, when I was ten. At informal jazz sessions in musicians' homes, which often take place "after hours" - i.e., between 2 A.M. and 6 A.M. - the drummer would use, instead of snare drum and drumsticks, which would have awakened the neighborhood, an upended suitcase and a pair of whisk brooms, probably an idea borrowed from the old spasm bands. Vic dug the sound, and again devised a professional improvement: in our garage he hammered together, onto a pair of flat wooden stick, two fan-shaped bundles of short thin steel wires, clamped together at the vertexes. He had just invented wire brushes... For Vic had once more taken his little idea to his manufacturer friend, who again thought it was just dandy; in fact he took care to improve on Vic's crude design by attaching the sheaf of wires to a metal tube, before taking out a patent and going into production..."

[Harold_Z]

To see the "suitcase set" in action check this out. Not Vic Berton ( I think it's Josh Billings, altho the guy who posted the video thinks not).

Mound City Blue Blowers

[AllenLowe]

Ralph, Vic - who can tell the difference in the dark?

[Stereojack]

To see the "suitcase set" in action check this out. Not Vic Berton ( I think it's Josh Billings, altho the guy who posted the video thinks not).

Mound City Blue Blowers

Great video! That looks like a young Eddie Condon second from right.

[Harold_Z]

To see the "suitcase set" in action check this out. Not Vic Berton ( I think it's Josh Billings, altho the guy who posted the video thinks not).

Mound City Blue Blowers

Great video! That looks like a young Eddie Condon second from right.

It's Eddie, Red McKenzie, Jack Bland and (I believe) Josh Billings.