Marshall Royal: Jazz Survivor

[JSngry]

Found this one last year at Half Price Books, finally got around to reading it, and it was such a good read that I went from start to finish (134 pp + the usual discography/filmography/etc. at the end) in a single sitting.

Royal's story is a fascinating one, and he tells it (with the assistance of one Claire P. Gordon) succinctly and matter-of-factly. As one might suspect from Royal's musical accomplishments, it is a stroy of pride, personal discipline, and an insistence on the highest level of professionalism, values which were instilled in him at an early age, and values which he put into practice from Day One.

For somebody such as myself, who only really knew the work of Royal from his Basie years onward, this book provides a rich tableau of local jazz in pre-WWII Los Angeles, as well as many glimpses of names who would later become nationally known. Of particular interest is Royal's detailing of his work with Duke Ellington, which goes back to Check and Double Check. But besides that, the list of major artists that Royal crossed paths with in the 1930 & '40s, personally and professionally, is pretty amazing, which is one reason I found the narrative so compelling. The discography might surprise you. I know it did me.

There's also a good look at his stay w/the Hampton band, as well as, of course, his lenghty stay w/Basie, including a not-so-flattering portrait of Lockjaw Davis as the man whose desire to wrest Royal's position as "straw boss" away from him finally succeeded. Brother Ernie gets an affectionate, but definitely "older brother"-ish portrait as well.

There is no sensationalism in the book, but the facts of life as it pertains to road life are dealt with discretely but unmistakably in a "read between the lines" manner. The discipline and discretion that Royal displayed as a musician are deployed with equal aplomb in the telling of his tale in this regard. All told, a book that goes down quick and easy, but stays with you long after you finish it. Royal was a master at what is becoming a lost art - lead altoist and "concertmaster" of a big band, and his story is one that deserves to be heard as both general musical history and personal documentation of a man whose career covered a LOT more ground than I had previously known. I'd think that many members of this board would find this book to be every bit as much of an unexpected treat as I did.

Published by Cassell (London), and found for $7.98 (hardcover). Check your local remainder bins, and carpe diem. Highly recommended!

[Dave James]

When I was working in jazz radio, I had access to the station's rather substantial collection of vinyl recordings. I admit to spiriting a few out of the studio from time to time to dub onto cassettes. For whatever reason, the station has a nice selection of Marshall Royal led small group sessions. I think I must've taped at least 4-5 of these....all uniformly good. Nothing fancy, just the sort of thing you'd expect from a Basie acolyte. Jim's post reminded me of how much I enjoyed his recordings as a leader and how much I'd like to see them issued on CD. But, most of all, I wish I still had the tapes. Unfortunately, all the obscure stuff from the station that I recorded got ripped off in a car break in. Guess it was some sort of pay back for borrowing things I shouldn't have borrowed.

Seems to me Royal led one iteration of the Basie band after Basie passed away. Didn't he have a brother, Ernie, who was also a musician of some repute? The book sounds very interesting. Carpe Diem indeed.

Up over and out.

[JSngry]

Don't know if Royal led an "official" Basie ghost band or not. I don't recall such, and it's not mentioned in the book (which was published posthumously), but that's not to say that it didn't happen!

And yeah, trumpeter Ernie Royal was one of THE leading studio players in NYC from the 50s on, one of those guys who popped up on damn near every NY studio big-band date, including those of Gil Evans & Oliver Nelson, as well as countless annonymous "commercial" dates. Before that, he spent many years on the road w/Hamp, Herman, Kenton, etc. A true master-musician, just like his brother.

Check out his RESUME ON AMG.

Edited March 22, 2004 by JSngry