Joe Newman Septet

[Durium]

JOE NEWMAN SEPTET

The name of the group was the responsibility of Lester Young, who was one of the major soloists in the Basie orchestra. He always labeled the more slender members of the band, the Midgets, the dwarfs and the more well-rounded members, the "meaty" ones, where called The Bombers. Well, Lester Young belonged to the Bombers and Joe Newman and Frank Wess were Midgets: that's how a name was born.

Midgets

Keep swinging

Durium

Edited July 31, 2008 by Durium

[BillF]

I remember seeing the Basie orchestra in the 50s, with Newman and Wess moving to the front for their feature, "Midgets".

[Durium]

I remember seeing the Basie orchestra in the 50s, with Newman and Wess moving to the front for their feature, "Midgets".

I guess you found the video fragment in my Keep swinging blog

Keep swinging

Durium

[BillF]

I remember seeing the Basie orchestra in the 50s, with Newman and Wess moving to the front for their feature, "Midgets".

I guess you found the video fragment in my Keep swinging blog

Keep swinging

Durium

Great to see that! I saw them at the Free Trade Hall, Manchester late in 1958, IIRC.

[Michael Weiss]

I'm playing with Frank for Jazzmobile on Wednesday. I'll see if we can play "the Midgets."

[BillF]

I'm playing with Frank for Jazzmobile on Wednesday. I'll see if we can play "the Midgets."

Thanks, Michael