Autobiographical jazz composers

[Hardbopjazz]

I was listening to Billy Strayhorn and realized, he gives titles to some of his compositions that are autobiographical. "Upper Manhattan Medical Group", and "Blood Count" are two. Can you think of any other compositions that are autobiographical by other jazz composers?

Edited June 10, 2013 by Hardbopjazz

[BillF]

Bird's recovery from breakdown is recorded in "Relaxin' at Camarillo", his first visit to Europe in "Passport" and "Visa" and his children in "Kim" and "Laird Baird".

The two most important women in Monk's life appear in "Crepuscule with Nellie" and "Pannonica" and "Green Chimneys" is the private school he sent his daughter to.

[BillF]

Re British jazz, I have a feeling there may be an autobiographical aspect to this one, though I concede it's not a composition.

[jazztrain]

James Moody. Last Train From Overbrook.

[fasstrack]

Tom Harrell: Mood Swings. Charles Mingus: Bellevue Hellview. Many more coming, I'm sure.

[Chuck Nessa]

Hal Russell "The Hal Russell Story".

[BeBop]

James Moody. Last Train From Overbrook.

Could add "The Television Song", I suppose. Then again, when Overbrook was written, it didn't have words, right? So was it autobiographical?

Gil Scot Heron's "On Coming From a Broken Home"

...if I understand the question here....and maybe I don't. It seems like there are almost innumerable self-referential/pseudo-autobiographical songs out there.

Just by way of example (this example chosen because a lot of live performers I see don't do much in the way of announcing songs), at the Janiva Magness show I went to, she said something like "these next three (four?) songs are autobiographical. "Whistling in the Dark" was, I think, one of them.

Edited June 10, 2013 by BeBop

[jazztrain]

My understanding is that Moody wrote and then recorded "Last Train From Overbrook" following his release from Overbrook Hospital where he had an extended stay for treatment for a drinking problem after a fire destroyed his band's instruments and arrangements. I think that would qualify as autobiographical.

In the same vein are two Muggsy Spannier compositions that refer to his life saving treatment at the Touro Infirmary: "Relaxin' At the Touro" and "Oh, Dr. Ochsner."

[brownie]

Duke Ellington's 'Reminiscing in Tempo', 'And His Mother Called Him Bill', among others

Lester Young's 'D.B. Blues'

John Coltrane's 'Cousin Mary'

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

All but the 2 W C Handy tunes on Buster Bailey's "All about Memphis" album had titles that related back to his youth in Memphis. They are:

Bear Wallow

Hatton Avenue & Gayoso Street

Sunday parade

Chickasaw Bluff

Hot Water Bayou

2 tracks on Budd Johnson's album '& 4 brass giants' - 'Blues for Lester' and 'The message' are subtitled 'Memories of Lester Young' pts 1 & 2.

Fred Mason's 'Down by the Cuyahoga', on Rusty Bryant's 'Friday might funk for Saturday night brothers', on which he was the drummer, appear to be autobiographical; the Cuyahoga is a creek in Columbus.

That'll do for the moment. Nice idea for a thread.

MG

[robertoart]

Arthur Blythe - Carespin With Mamie

Grant Green - Miss Anne's Tempo & Blue's In Maude's Flat

Coltrane - Naima

David Murray - David - Mingus

Edited June 11, 2013 by freelancer

[Don Brown]

Sonny Rollins - The Bridge

Kid Ory - Ory's Creole Trombone

Henry Red Allen - Ride, Red, Ride

Lester Young - Lester Leaps In

Lester Young - Pres Returns

Muggsy Spanier - Relaxin' at the Touro

Milt Jackson - Bags' Groove

[Hardbopjazz]

Many of these are just pieces with the composers name in the titles. I was going for more personal tunes like "Blood Count." This was Strayhorn's last composition. He wrote it in the hospital while dying from his cancer. Tom Harrell's "Mood Swings" is another one mentioned that fits what I going for.

[AllenLowe]

all my stuff but most particularly Jews In Hell: Radical Jewish Acculturation.

[Mark Stryker]

All of these are tied closely to autobiography and Detroit:

"Yusef Lateef's Detroit" (whole album)

Gerald Cleaver's Uncle June, "Be It As I See It."

Gerald Wilson's "Detroit Suite."

[Don Brown]

Jay McShann - Hootie's Ignorant Oil

Charlie Parker - Parker's Mood

Jay McShann - The Man From Muskogee

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I feel sure that some of Horace SIlver's compositions must have related to people he actually knew. Anyone know?

MG