Alan Greenspan

[Brownian Motion]

Did Greenspan ever record?

[Teasing the Korean]

Good question. His name suggests a British organist.

[Guy Berger]

Somebody posted this on the Miles list:

>From Bob Woodward's book Maestro:

"After two years at Juilliard, he dropped out and joined the Henry

Jerome Band, a 1940s-style big band noted for its bebop stands in New

York CIty and on tour across the county. He played tenor saxophone,

but he also doubled on clarinet and flute - he always played 'by the

sheets', meaning that wasn't a good improviser."

I was surprised by the bebop characterization and I asked my father

about Henry Jerome.

He said Google him and here's what came up:

http://www.parabrisas.com/d_jeromeh.php

"Jerome completely reorganized in 1944, modernizing his sound. His new

lineup featured bop arrangements, courtesy of Johnny Mandel, which

were surprisingly ahead of their time. Of note in Jerome's later

line-up was future Chairman of the Federal Reserve Alan Greenspan on

bass clarinet and future Nixon-administration White House Counsel

Leonard Garment on saxophone. It was this association from Jerome's

band that made the two men friends and eventually caused Garment to

recommend Greenspan for the job of Chairman of the Council of Economic

Advisers. Nixon later named Greenspan to his current job."

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

didnt you catch the part where leslie stall and greenspan listened to his record in his home with his much younger wife? did you miss that part? for those of you who dont know he is referring to last nights 60 minutes in which it talked about greenspans early carreer as a tenor sax player, and he would do the bands taxes when everyone else was screwin off! lol

[Teasing the Korean]

Did he sing "Spirit in the Sky?"

[Spontooneous]

He DID record, but the tapes were lost after his brother Dennis took them over to Charlie Manson's house.

[medjuck]

I heard an interview with Johnny Mandel once where he talked about playing in the band with Greenspan.

[mjzee]

There are two mentions of Alan Greenspan in Ira Gitler's book "Swing to Bop." On page 201, David Allyn:

"I was on Henry's band, and some of the personnel was interesting. We had Stan Fishelson and Stan Levey. Johnny Mandel, Manny Fox. Let's see, Allen Jeffreys. A good back line. Good players. Incidentally we had a tenor player by the name of Lenny Garment, who today is Leonard Garment. Also, Al Greenspan, who is Alan Greenspan, the economist."

And on page 205, Henry Jerome:

"I took Tiny (Kahn) as a favor to Lenny Garment. Tiny, for all his lore about him that people of today write - who turned out to be a most progressive and wonderful drummer was the drummer no one would hire. Tiny used to hang around Nola Rehearsal Studios, and he was never considered a good band drummer. He found his niche when this music came in, and he developed really with this band. But he could never really get with a band - no one would use him. The sweetest guy in the world - good-natured kind of guy and he had great potential - but obviously it didn't come out until he started playing this kind of music. Anyway, he ended up being a great one. Ther was another guy, Larry Rivers - the great painter.

"We had Trummy Young - he was a sensational guy - great showman from the old Lunceford band, as you know. But what I'm telling you is that we used black guys in those days; the color line was really broken down more in the band business before anything. Al Greenspan, we used as a straight sax player, he's running the country now." (Interview done during Gerald Ford administration.) "He was with us about a year. He used to make the payrolls."

[medjuck]

Terry Gross interviewed Greenspan today. Didn't discuss his career in music but ended with an airshot of The Henry Jerome Band. She said Al Cohn was in it.

[Teasing the Korean]

He was interviewed on "All Things Considered." Robert Siegel asked about his jazz days. He said he's out of practice on wind instruments, but picks one up every so often and sounds lousy. He plays piano though, and can recognized the smell of pot from great distances.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

and can recognized the smell of pot from great distances.

Now that has to be one of the GREAT smart-arse remarks of the year!

MG

[Teasing the Korean]

and can recognized the smell of pot from great distances.

Now that has to be one of the GREAT smart-arse remarks of the year!

MG

Robert Seigel said to him that this was the only time he'd read a book by a high-ranking government official who describes being in rooms filled with marijauna smoke!

[BeBop]

Yes! I just became aware of this one:

http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B000VM0AJI%3F...1521296-2975213

Henry Jerome, Orchestra 1944-45 (The First Big Band To Ever Play Bebop) Featuring World Famous Personalities and Musicians The Honorable Alan Greenspan, Len Garment, Al Cohn, Johnny Mandel, and Tiny Kahn. Live Radio Air Checks. (It's Jazz History)

First band to ever play bebop...in 1944-45? Does this make Greenspan the inventor of bebop? (Reference to Al Gore as inventor of the internet - )

Edited February 10, 2008 by BeBop