The Ghost In Your iPod

[Joe]

By John McWhorter / CITY JOURNAL

[snippet]

Will Marion Cook is a name to reckon with in the history of black American music. “His great genius will always be a guiding star to those of us who remain,” black violinist Clarence Cameron White wrote on hearing of Cook’s death. Trumpeter Arthur Briggs called Cook “the greatest real musician ever.” Duke Ellington and Eubie Blake praised him as a mentor.

[/snippet]

Link to complete article

[medjuck]

Does this article mention that Cook took Sydney Bechet and (IIRC) Tommy Ladnier to Europe around 1919 where they received some acclaim? I read the article quickly and didn't notice any mention of Bechet. I may have missed it. .

[Christiern]

You are correct, there is no mention of the Southern Syncopated Orchestra's historic London appearance, the one that brought praise (especially for Bechet) from Ernest Ansermet.

That is an odd omission in an article that otherwise contains much interesting and obscure information. McWhorther, a columnist whose political views are, IMHO, somewhat skewed, is certainly aware of the prophetic Ansermet article.

[AllenLowe]

interesting stuff - just to mention, there is a very good recording of Emancipation Day, very early (can't remember the year) by Len Spence, a very good white minstrel singer, and it is on volume one of Devilin Tune -

recently, though I cannot remember where, I was reading a piece by Cook in which he recollects that first show up on the rooftop (may have been in Eileen Southern's collection on writings on black music) - also, for a very fine depiction of that era, I recommend James Weldon Johnson's Black Manhattan, which I believe is still in print (da capo?).

Edited December 3, 2008 by AllenLowe

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Damn interesting read, that! Thanks Joe.

MG