Garvin Bushell with Jelly Roll Morton?

[Lazaro Vega]

With the issue of "One Steady Roll" by Garvin Bushell on Delmark Records Blue Lake is broadcasting a retrospective on Bushell's music tonight after 10 on Jazz From Blue Lake.

Many sources list Bushell as appearing with Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers, though Jelly Roll's Centennial Collection on RCA doesn't list him anywhere, and the discography I'm using has one Carmelo Jari in the places listed as "unidentified" clarinet on the RCA set. Anyone know about Bushell recording with Jelly Roll?

We're going to do our best tonight though I don't have, by any means, everything...including the Johnny Dunn sides with Bushell, nor some of the Clarence Williams music, nor Wild Bill Davison or Wilbur DeParis. We'll feature the DeParis Atlantic recordings tomorrow, however, when the program focuses on Omer Simeon.

Though Bushell is on "The Big Reunion" with the Fletcher Henderson All Stars he doesn't solo once.

Looking forward to buying his autobiography soon.

Lazaro

[jazztrain]

Lazaro:

Morton and Bushell both appear on a March 13, 1928 session for Columbia by Johnny Dunn and His Band. I know this is not a "Morton" session but wanted to pass along the information for completeness.

The identify of the mystery clarinet player on the March 5, 1930 session by Jelly Roll Morton and his Red Hot Peppers has been the subject of debate for years. Here's some information from Laurie Wright's "Mr. Jelly Lord":

>>>

"Brian Rust talked to Wilbur de Paris about this session in the company of Omer Simeon in the dressing room at Ryan's. After considerable thought Wilbur de Paris suggested that the clarinet might be Ernie Bullock, a suggestion with which Omer Simeon agreed. Wilbur de Paris stated that different reed men were used for all the 1930 sessions in which he participated, and aural evidence lends some support to this statement. In the past, Omer Simeon, Albert Nicholas, Eddie Barefield, Barney Bigard, Garvin Bushell, George Baquet and Russel Procope have been suggested as participants. All have denied their own presence and have sometimes been able to show that they were otherwise engaged. In any case, aural evidence does not tie in with what we know of their work. When questioned about the clarinet in 1935 by Ken Hulsizer, Morton himself said it was a white man employed by Victor as a house musician, who, although he played the notes and tried hard, just didn't have it in him. This may have been a leg-pull, but if not, it seems strange that none of the musicans who have been interviewed have recalled recording with a white musician at a time when 'mixed' session were still relatively uncommon. It is equally strange that Morton should have persisted with a man who, on his own admission, was unable to play the way Morton wished, and for this reason alone, it is unlikely that the 'white man', if he was used at all, is on more than one of the three March dates."

>>>

I may have some other information on this if I can put my hand on it. If so, I'll post more.

- Jon

With the issue of "One Steady Roll" by Garvin Bushell on Delmark Records Blue Lake is broadcasting a retrospective on Bushell's music tonight after 10 on Jazz From Blue Lake.

Many sources list Bushell as appearing with Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers, though Jelly Roll's Centennial Collection on RCA doesn't list him anywhere, and the discography I'm using has one Carmelo Jari in the places listed as "unidentified" clarinet on the RCA set. Anyone know about Bushell recording with Jelly Roll?

We're going to do our best tonight though I don't have, by any means, everything...including the Johnny Dunn sides with Bushell, nor some of the Clarence Williams music, nor Wild Bill Davison or Wilbur DeParis. We'll feature the DeParis Atlantic recordings tomorrow, however, when the program focuses on Omer Simeon.

Though Bushell is on "The Big Reunion" with the Fletcher Henderson All Stars he doesn't solo once.

Looking forward to buying his autobiography soon.

Lazaro

[Niko]

apparently, cozy cole also opted for bullock as the mystery clarinet player

http://www.ellington.se/Bubber%20Miley%20d...i%20orginal.rtf

and here it says that morton is reported to have said the clarinet player's name was eddie (and that it cannot be eddie barefield who was out of town) which also suggests ernie bullock...

http://www.gramophone.net/Issue/Page/Janua...1967/102/861034

[Lazaro Vega]

Thanks Niko, and Jazz Train. Those Johnny Dunn records look worthwhile. Have you heard them?

Any chance anyone out there has ever owned or heard Garvin Bushell's own record date from 1944? Looking at a session with Louis Bacon on trumpet, and Wellman Braud on bass, amonst others, and said in this discography to be on "Album No Record No. A-1". White Sands, Don't Ever Leave Me, Hold Back the Dawn and The Stars Looked Down on the titles.....

[jazztrain]

Lazaro:

I've never heard the 1944 session.

The Johnny Dunn records are worthwhile. I have the four sides from the March 13, 1928 Johnny Dunn session on a VJM LP (VLP 27 - Doc Cook / Johnny Dunn). Bushell solos on all four tunes, on alto sax on "Sergeant Dunn's Bugle Call Blues" and on clarinet on the other three ("Ham and Eggs", "Buffalo Blues", and "You Need Some Loving"). It almost sounds like a soprano saxophone on "You Need Some Loving" but it's probably clarinet.

It all has the feel of a Jelly Morton session. Morton is credited as composer on two of the tunes ("Ham and Eggs" and "Buffalo Blues"), and many features of the arrangements clearly have his touch.

Bushell is also on a slightly later Johnny Dunn session (without Morton). The two sides were reissued on an Arcadia LP.

Thanks Niko, and Jazz Train. Those Johnny Dunn records look worthwhile. Have you heard them?

Any chance anyone out there has ever owned or heard Garvin Bushell's own record date from 1944? Looking at a session with Louis Bacon on trumpet, and Wellman Braud on bass, amonst others, and said in this discography to be on "Album No Record No. A-1". White Sands, Don't Ever Leave Me, Hold Back the Dawn and The Stars Looked Down on the titles.....

[Ted O'Reilly]

Interesting to think that Garvin Bushell recorded with Jelly Roll Morton, AND John Coltrane. He's on "Greensleeves" from Africa/Brass, alongside Eric Dolphy in the reed section.

[Lazaro Vega]

Yup, and on Gil Evans "Las Vegas Tango" from "The Individualism of Gil Evans." Opted for Bushell's oboe playing on "India" from the complete Live at the Village Vanguard with 'Trane on tonight's program. Read that Bushell was a teacher of George Braith.

Thanks again for the information on the Dunn sides.

Edited July 21, 2009 by Lazaro Vega

[Niko]

Yup, and on Gil Evans "Las Vegas Tango" from "The Individualism of Gil Evans." Opted for Bushell's oboe playing on "India" from the complete Live at the Village Vanguard with 'Trane on tonight's program. Read that Bushell was a teacher of George Braith.

Thanks again for the information on the Dunn sides.

also a teacher for sonny simmons and eric dolphy...

http://www.andyhamilton.org.uk/andy_pdfs/Sonny_Simmons.pdf

(and he's credited to play on some of dolphy's douglas sessions, of course)

Edited July 21, 2009 by Niko