By George! - It's Probert in England CD Review - by George A. Borgman

Reedman George Probert gets together with a few English jazz players on this recording to produce some good jazz in the traditional style of New Orleans.

The first tune sets the mood for the whole recording, for it is an exciting rendition of Vincent Youmans' "I Want to Be Happy," which was introduced to the public in 1925 in the stage musical No, No, Nanette, and it was subsequently featured in a couple of movies and Broadway revivals. Here, trombonist Geoff Cote and pianist Pat Hawes take interesting solos, and Probert shines on the soprano sax, with fine drum work from drummer Pete Lay.

There is good interplay between Probert's reeds and Sarah Bissonnette's tenor saxophone on several of the tunes, but the blending of their instruments does not always work well, especially on "Chloe," on which there seems to be a difference of opinion between the two saxophonists in regard to certain chord changes. Also, at times, there is too much tenor saxophone backup to the other frontliners' solos.

Hawes' piano and the front line are outstanding on the extremely long (almost nine minutes) "Arkansas Blues" (1921), by Anton Lada and Spencer Williams. There are fine solos from Probert's soprano, Dave Copperwaite's trumpet and Andy Ford's banjo, with some nice counterpoint provided by Bissonnette, on "Over in the Gloryland." The trombone and the piano shine on "Just One More Chance" and good ensemble playing is featured on "My Old Kentucky Home" and J. C. Higginbotham's "Give Me Your Telephone Number," a real swinger and one of the better renditions.

In 1920, Paul Whiteman introduced "Whispering" on a Victor recording, which sold a million copies, and it was later featured in four film musicals: Ziegfeld Girl (1941), Greenwich Village (1944), Give My Regards to Broadway (1948), and The Eddy Duchin Story (1956). The All-Stars play "Whispering" quite well here, with a fine piano solo in the middle, as Ken Matthews provides a solid beat in the background on the bass.

So, the British tradition of New Orleans jazz continues, but this compact disc, even though many of the tunes are excellently performed, is not always the best example of it; however, it is worth possessing. - George A. Borgman, IAJRC Journal

Chloe: George Probert, recorded December 23, 1995 at the Pizza Express, Maidstone, England by Dave Bennett.

Randall Thompson: A Bio-Bibliography

The 1991 book Randall Thompson: A Bio-Bibliography by Caroline Cepin Benser and David Francis Urrows which was published by Greenwood Press, mentions George A. Borgman and references his work entitled Nationalism in Contemporary American Music which he wrote in 1953.

During his research, George had listened to 170 American works on record one of them being music composed by Randall Thompson, an American choral composer.

Randall Thompson was born in New York City on April 21, 1899, the son of Grace B. Randall and Dr. Daniel Varney Thompson.

Thompson attended Harvard University and received his doctorate at the University of Rochester's Eastman School of Music. He would eventually teach at the Curtis Institute of Music, the University of Virginia, and at Harvard.

He wrote many choral works as well as some symphonies and quartets. Leonard Bernstein was one of his many students.

Randall Thompson died at the age of 84 in Boston, Massachusetts on July 9, 1984.

Here is a website that lists some of Randall Thompson's compositions and music.

Memories of a Jazz Journalist - Part Five - Al Casey

George Borgman with Al Casey.

Here is a continuation of the series of entries from George A. Borgman's article Memories of a Jazz Journalist from 2004.

Guitarist Al Casey (New York City), a real charmer with a wry sense of humor, had many stories to tell about his years in Fats Waller's bands. Al has appeared many times with the Harlem Blues and Jazz Band at this festival (the Hot Steamed Jazz Festival.)

Casey c. 1947 Photo by William P. Gottlieb.

Al Casey was born Albert Aloysius Casey. He reported his birthdate to be September 15, 1915 in Louisville Kentucky, however this date doesn't jibe with census data collected on January 9, 1920 which listed him only as 2 1/2 years old.

Whatever Casey's true birthdate he appears to be the son of Joseph Casey (b. December 23, 1896) the son of Joseph and Polly Casey and Maggie B. nee Douglas (b. 1895) the daughter of Albert and Jeanette (Johnson) Douglas.

His mother Maggie died on November 1, 1920 and it appears his father Joseph may have been the Joseph listed in the 1930 census who was living with his mother Polly and many of his brothers and sisters.

1920 Kentucky Census

Casey worked with the legendary pianist and bandleader Thomas "Fats" Waller and joined his band right after he graduated high school in 1933. He worked with Waller until he switched over to Teddy Wilson from 1939 to 1940 then worked with Waller again until Waller's untimely death on December 15, 1943. Casey can be heard playing guitar on many of Fats Waller's famous recording sessions.



Al Casey and Eddie Barefield in the late 40s.
Photo by William P. Gottlieb.

Soon after Waller's death Casey joined Clarence Profit in a trio but eventually found his own pianist and bass player and formed his own trio. He work in the New York clubs started adding to his fame.

He joined saxophonist King Curtis' band in 1957 and continued playing and recording with his band until 1961.

In later years Casey was a member of the New York based Harlem Blues and Jazz Band. He made many appearances with the band at festivals and clubs and recorded with them.

Al Casey died in New York September 11, 2005 of colon cancer.

Al Casey with the Harlem Blues and Jazz Band on June 20, 1985.

Here is an interesting website that has samples of Al Casey's guitar playing. Classic Jazz Guitar.com

Check out Casey's Find-A-Grave Memorial!

CHECK OUT PART SIX

George A. Borgman's Birthday!

Since January 22nd is George's Birthday, I thought it would be appropriate for him to tell a little about his birth in 1928 and give some information about his family and early life.

At the Baptist Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri - that is where I was born on January 22, 1928, a Sunday - around 11:00 a.m., I have been told.

My father was Herman Francis Borgman, a postal clerk at the main Post Office, located across from Union Station in downtown St. Louis.  He was originally from Jonesboro, Arkansas.  Martha Vivien Borgman, nee Wecker, my mother, was born in McLeansboro, Illinois.

My parents resided at a small house, that sat on the top of a terrace, at 8246 Monroe Street, Vinita Park, Missouri, an unincorporated village then.  It was located in St. Louis County, west of the City of St. Louis.  St. Louis is not in a county - just like Baltimore and Los Angeles are not in counties. 

My mother had two miscarriages - both male babies - before she had me. Maybe that is way she was always so protective of me, especially when I was a child.

John Allen Borgman, my father's father was still alive then. He lived in Jonesboro, Arkansas, with Ida, his second wife. Ida's sister, my father's mother, had passed away from tuberculosis, and John married Ida. My father's sister, Lola, had also passed away from t.b., as we called it.

My mother's parents - George W. and Minnie Wecker lived in the West End of the City of St. Louis. Their address was 1373 Temple Place._ I recall going there almost every week-end to visit my grandparents and my great-grandmother, Minnie's mother, Annette Jacobs.

I recall my father playing leapfrog with me, as a child, in the livingroom and catch with me in the backyard. We used a tennis ball, and he throw it a little too hard to me, and it hit me in the eye, and I was a bit afraid of a ball ever since then. I remember my mother and Aunt Thelma and grandmother talking about me reciting the nursery rhyme, "Three Little Kittens." I used to lisp, and I supposedly said "Three little kithens, they lost their mithens," or whatever. Maybe, I think I remember this, because I kept hearing about my lisp on this rhyme all through my childhood and even into adulthood. Even as a child I grew weary of hearing the story.

At the age of four or five I was in a "play" - or was it a pageant? - regarding Tom Thumb's wedding. This was a big thing in those days, it seems. It was held at the Vinita Park Methodist Church. My school mates Dawn Roth and Walter Eschbach might have had played parts in it. Eschbach was probably Tom Thumb. It is also possible that Margaret Rose had a part in it as well.

I remember well my Grandaddy George, George W. Wecker, my mother's father. He was something of a character, but I really loved him. He smoked Camel cigarettes. When I was very young I frequently had ear aches, and he blew cigarette smoke in my ear to help ease the pain.  I thought it did, but it probably didn't. Since it was my grandfather sitting me on his knee and blowing smoke in my ear, I believed him when he told me it was good for my ear.

Grandaddy George was a drummer - a travelling salesman. During the Depression, he hardly ever worked. He did not have a gray hair in his head. He never did until the day he died. He used to lie about his age, trying to get a job, but I beleive he was caught in the lie at least once, and he did not get the job.

 Mimi, my mother's mother, and Grandaddy George lived at  1373 Temple Place in St. Louis.  Mimi's mother, whom I called Jakie, my great grandmother, also lived there. It was a big, two-story, brick house, with a big back yard. An interesting footnote is that the famous clarinetist Pee Wee Russell's mother's family had resided at a house at 1369 Temple Place.

My parents and I used to go to the house at 1373 Temple Place almost every weekend and sometimes during the weekday evenings. My Aunt Thelma, my mother's sister, Uncle Stanley, her husband, and Bettye Jane Tollman, their daughter, also frequently visited there. They came from South St. Louis, where they usually lived. For some reason, they moved around a lot. 

Uncle Stanley worked for Standard Oil of Indiana. I believe he was a truck driver part of the time. Later, he managed a Standard Oil distribution center, or something like that.

Jakie was an interesting character. She used to ask me to help her walk up or down the three or four steps of the front porch.  Sometimes on Saturday afternoons, Jakie would disappear. Mimi would ask everybody - my mother, my father, Grandaddy George, or me - where she was, and nobody knew. Aunt Ruth, who also lived there when I was a young child, wouldn't know where Jakie might be either. It was like a game. Someone would finally say, "It's Ladies' Day at the ballpark! She must be at the ballgame."

And we learned that on Ladies' Day, Jakie would sneak out of the house, go down the porch steps with no help whatsoever and get into a cab that she had called. She would go to the ballgame, pay 25 cents (for tax) and see the Cardinals or Browns. Sometimes she would talk the cab drivers into taking her to or from the ballpark for nothing. She really was quite a character! 

Jakie and Minnie in back.

Jakie used to tell my cousin Bettye and me that she remembered the "damn Yankees" riding through her father's farm in Kentucky during the Civil War!

I began Kindergarten when I was five-and-a-half years old. I went to Washington School, which was located in the adjacent unincorporated village, Vinita Terrace. In my class were Ralph Meek, my next door neighbor, Lina Mae Sparks, Martha Belle Zehringer, Walter Eschbach, Edward Bachstiegel, Alberta Freeman, Dawn Roth, and John Wesley.

 When I was five years old, I began playing the xylophone in the grammar school orchestra. My bandmate Ruth Aust was way ahead of me in school, and she didn't like me because I was so young. Not long after I began the xylophone, I began piano lessons with Mrs. Kennedy, who lived down my street, across North and South Road.  



What Are My First Memories? by George A. Borgman

"What are my first memories? Well, I believe my first recollection is sitting in the middle of the living room floor listening to my father's big Sears & Roebuck Silvertone radio, on which was playing the ballad "Did You Ever See a Dream Walking?"

I do not recall who was singing it. I believe it was a male singer, and I like to believe it might have been Russ Columbo. But there must have been memories of events before 1933, the year that the song came out.

There is one memory for certain, and it must be around the same time I heard the aforementioned song. I recall standing in front of the old Silvertone, while an orchestra was playing on it, and I took a Tinkertoy stick and conducted the music. everyone thought I was so cute, and they all said I must have musical talent.

I believe that by this time my parents had taken me to the Forrest Park Highlands, an amusement park located just south of Forrest Park, and there was an outdoor band shell there. An eight-to-ten-piece orchestra played there. I forget the name of the director, who had a wry neck. We used to go there once every two-to-four weeks during the summer to hear the orchestra play sweet tunes and some swing tunes. That is probably where I got the idea of conducting an orchestra, even though the sound of it was only coming from a loudspeaker."

Russ Columbo

It seems rather fitting that one of George's first memories would be listening to music. "Did You Ever See a Dream Walking?" was a tune written by Harry Revel with lyrics by Mack Gordon. Art Jarrett introduced it in the 1933 film Sitting Pretty and published the same year. Bing Crosby recorded the song actually the same year with the Lenny Heyton Orchestra.

Russ Columbo was a composer, violinist, singer and actor. He was born in 1908 in Camden, New Jersey. His compositions  "Prisoner of Love" and "Too Beautiful For Words" were well known as he was for his signature tune  "You Call It Madness, But I Call It Love."

He tragically died on September 2, 1934, when a friend accidentally shot a pistol and the bullet ricocheted off a table and hit Columbo in the forehead lodging in his brain. He died six hours later after doctors made a futile attempt to save him.

Bing Crosby's 1933 recording of  Did You Ever See A Dream Walking?

Modern Jazz, Funk, Groove and Rock & Roll Are Merged in (718)'s Debut album SPUTNIK

(718), a New York City based electric trio that plays a blending of modern jazz, funk and rock, have their first CD Sputnik ready for release on March 8, 2014.

(718) is comprised of Phil Palombi who plays the electric bass, Matthew Fries on the Fender Rhodes with Eric Halvorson rounding out the trio on drums. They describe themselves as playing "original alternate groove music."  The members of this unique trio have played with various musicians and bands including the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Michael and Randy Brecker, Pinetop Perkins James Moody, Maynard Ferguson and others.

Their debut album Sputnik features nine tunes seven of which were written by band members Phil Palombi and Matthew Fries. George Harrison's classic Something and Christian Howes' Song for my Daughter fill out the rest.

They will be celebrating the release of Sputnik at the Blue Note in New York City as part of the Late Night Groove Series on March 8, 2014.

Check out the (718) website here!     

And join them at Facebook!

(718) play their tune Sputnik!

Truckin' - The Paris Washboard - Oldie But Goodie!

About a year ago I purchased the CD Truckin' by the Paris Washboard which was released in 1995. There are two things one can be certain of in Traditional Jazz recordings. If it is the Paris Washboard or if it is a Stomp Off CD it's going to be good! I basically only recently "discovered" the Paris Washboard after listening to my father George A. Borgman's half dozen albums of theirs he had. Then I decided to fill in the collection with ones that he didn't have!

What was so amazing was that all their CDs held up in the level of quality even though their sound sometimes changes from CD to CD. On this record Peter Eklund is put to good use with his added trumpet. In fact, I can't imagine not using him after listening to this CD! I've mentioned before that I'm not really a big fan of the tuba in the jazz setting but Gerard Gervois does an excellent job playing and fits in nicely. Listen to Winin' Boy Blues and you'll understand what I'm talking about.

Definitely one of the top stride players of the ivories is Louis Mazetier who is always put to good use and is sometimes given a solo piece as on F Minor Stride, which is just fantastic.

Truckin' isn't quite as hectic as California Here We Come but it is still done to perfection. How anyone couldn't like this record, I don't know.

They have another CD which came out in May of last year 2013 entitled, Swinging Castle - Paris Washboard in Concert.

Here is the Paris Washboard playing Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me. - Dixieland Jazz Festival in San Diego, November 25, 2006.

FROM THE ARCHIVES - January 13, 1957

 

On January 13, 1957 George A. Borgman, music teacher at the Pershing County High School in Lovelock, Nevada, attended the state meeting of the Nevada Music Educators Association in Tonpah, Nevada.

In a months time he will be married to a fellow Lovelock, Nevada teacher Janet C. Ferroli.

 

 

READ ABOUT PETE PELIGIAN IN THE LAST "FROM THE ARCHIVES" ENTRY!

Mainly Morton - Geoff Cole's Red Hot Seven CD Review - George A. Borgman

Bill Bissonnette is the producer of this fine recording by British musicians brought together by trombonist Geoff Cole to perform tunes that were either written by Jelly Roll Morton, played by his Hot Five or are performed here in the style of the Hot Five.

Cole is one of the better trombone players to grace the world today. Alan Elsdon has no peers on the trumpet and Tony Pyke is splendid on his solos and leads on the clarinet and alto saxophone. What a front line!

And the rhythm section is just as good. Pat Hawes is a gem on the piano, especially when he is accompanying the soloists on the front line.

This is, no doubt, one of the better recordings to be released on the Jazz Crusade label and it is most certainly recommended for anyone interested in music that was associated with the great Jelly Roll Morton. - George A. Borgman, IAJRC Journal

Louis Nelson/Alton Purnell with Dave Brennan's Jazzmen CD Review - George A. Borgman

Two famous New Orleans jazz musicians are featured on this recording. The common denominator between the two sessions is the group known as Dave Brennan's Jazz Band. They support well both Nelson & Purnell, who do not play together on any of the tunes.

The Nelson renditions are a bit disappointing, not because of his playing, which is exceptional on many of his solos, but in the poor balance due to the misplacement of one or more mikes. Since Nelson is being featured, his trombone is louder than the other instruments, even when he is playing accompaniment to someone else's solo or melodic lead. Over There, that great George M. Cohan tune from World War I, is performed very well by Nelson and the group who give it a jazz flavor.

Purnell displays a great left hand on Alton's Boogie and he takes an exceptional solo on the Original Dixie Jass Band One-Step. He and the frontliners provide excellent accompaniment to his vocal on I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket. He sings splendidly on I Want A Little Girl. The audio balance on the Purnel tracks is much better than that on Nelson's.

This recording, especially the Alton Purnel renditions is mostly for fans of jazz that was performed in New Orleans in the early 1970s.  - George A. Borgman, IAJRC Journal

I'm Putting All My Eggs Into One Basket - Alton Purnell, Rotherham, England November, 24 1974

Memories of a Jazz Journalist - Part Four - Cellist Bob Ripley

Here George A. Borgman briefly remembers his 1996 interview with cellist Bob Ripley, who incidentally, lived only a few streets over from him in Massachusetts.

 

I interviewed Bob Ripley at my house. Ripley spent nine years with the Cleveland Symphony in addition to 40 years with the Boston Symphony. He played cello. During World War II he was in Glenn Miller's Army Air Corps Band, both in the United States and England. He provided me with priceless information concerning the Miller band and Miller's disappearance.

I have a two-CD set of some of the lost Glenn Miller Army Air Corps Orchestra recordings which Bob Ripley played cello on, when the band recorded in England. It was a great interview. I used bits of it for my column in The Mississippi Rag and for a longer story in Joslin's Jazz Journal.

Bob Ripley plays on this recording of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes 

recorded in England in November 1944.

CHECK OUT PART FIVE

Joseph F. Lamb Biography References George A. Borgman's Work

George A. Borgman's article "Joseph F. Lamb, Classic Ragtimer, Part 1," which was published in the August 2001 Mississippi Rag was referenced in the 2012 biography Joseph F. Lamb: A Passion for Ragtimeby Carol J. Binkowski.

Joseph F. Lamb was a noted ragtime composer who lived from 1887 to 1960. He is considered one of the three "big" ragtime composers along with Scott Joplin and James Scott. Here is Lamb's 1919 composition Bohemia as played by Florian Krüger.

The Man in the Movie - A Behind-the-Scenes Look

George A. Borgman was given two prominent roles in his son Eric's first feature film The Man in the Movie.

The Man in the Movie is a comedy about a nerdy librarian who discovers silent comedies at a Silent Comedy Film Festival and discovers that one of the silent comedians looks very familiar to him.

George played an annoyed theater goer and a silent comedy "heavy."

Here is behind-the-scenes footage that George video taped during one of his scenes at the movie theater.

George A. Borgman's Great Great Uncle, Robert J. Rhodes

George A. Borgman had several family members who took part in the Civil War on both sides. His great great grandfather Frank Borgman served in two regiments for the Union. However several more served in the Confederacy.

Robert J. Rhodes was one of those relatives. He was the brother of Texana Rhodes who was George's great grandmother.

Card with all the engagements he participated in on back.

Rhodes was born on August 11, 1844 in Fayette Co., Tennessee. He joined Capt. C. S. Shulyer's Company E, 3rd Tennessee Cavalry Regiment commanded by General Nathan Bedford Forrest on March 12, 1862 and was sworn in at the Reid Hotel in Southern Somerville, Tennessee.

He married Martha Neville on April 15, 1865 and had at least two children a boy and a girl.

For the rest of his life he was interested in the history of the Civil War and only missed one regimental reunion. He worked, one year, as a census collector for a special Civil War veterans census.

In 1908, Rhodes went traveling to one of his Confederate Veteran's reunions and visited a house, now known as Pope's Tavern in Florence, Alabama where he and several of his Confederates were treated for battle injuries over 40 years before.

After arriving home he wrote a letter to the Lambeth family who showed him around their house.

Robert J. Rhodes in later life.

"Many thanks to you for your kindness to me the few minutes I spent with you in your home on my return from (the) reunion. I've often asked myself the question if after 45 years of time had rolled around with so many changes, would I be welcome to enter and look at the house where I spent many sleepless nights watching and waiting on many of my comrades. Again, I want to thank you for I believe I was welcome and I'm sorry I couldn't stay longer with you good people."

The original letter is now on display at the Pope's Tavern museum. Read an article 150 Years Later: Pope's Tavern Among Civil War Sites by Sarah Carlson.

Rhodes was an avid reader of the Confederate Veteran Magazine and even wrote for it. Here is a sample of one of his musings.

"THANKFULNESS OF COMRADES. 

BY ROBERT J. RHODES, WHITEVILLE, TENN. 

Comrades, when I begin to think of what I should be thankful for, I am

overwhelmed, and then think of the things for which I am not thankful.

The good Lord in his loving-kindness has gently led me through life. I

don't know the taste of that awful enemy to mankind, whisky; neither

that of coffee nor tobacco. Yes, I am thankful that I am at peace with

our Heavenly Father. I served thirty-two months in the cruel war under

General Forrest. In one of our charges in the battle of Iuka, Miss.,

my horse threw me. Our captain, Rufus Brooks, was wounded and

captured with others. I am thankful that the enemy thought I was dead

and left me on the field, so I was never a prisoner. To all comrades

who wore the gray and the blue I am thankful to have a heart full of

good wishes." 

Robert J. Rhodes died in winter on February 29, 1916 in Whitesville, Tennessee. His obituary was dutifully printed in his favorite publication Confederate Veteran.

"ROBERT J. RHODES, one of the most prominent men of Whiteville, Tenn., and an honored Confederate veteran, passed into eternal rest February 29, 1916.

Mr. Rhodes was born in Fayette County August 11, 1844, and was married to Miss Martha Neville  April 15, 1865. He leaves this loyal, noble wife, a devoted daughter, Mrs. Rhodes of Hot Springs, Ark., and a faithful son, Festers Rhodes, cashier of the People's Bank, Whiteville, Tenn.

At the age of seventeen Robert Rhodes enlisted with Capt. C. S. Schuyler, Company E, Forrest's old regiment, at New Castle, March 12, 1862. Soon after he was sworn into service and fought faithfully and bravely throughout the war. A faithful Confederate to the end, he missed but one Reunion in his life. He loved the gray and treasured the small bronze cross. He was ever thoughtful of the old veterans and in many ways added to their happiness. At any public meeting it was his pleasure to have his old comrades share the very best. He loved to entertain them. He was a patriot; he loved his country; he loved his state; he loved his kind.

Clad in his gray uniform and resting in a casket of gray, the "clay tenement" of the grand old Christian soldier was lowered by loving hands into the bosom of mother earth, there to await the glorious dawn of the resurrection morn."

Rhodes was laid to rest at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Fayette Co., Tennessee where his prominent gravestone can still be seen. His wife Martha passed away June 14, 1932.

Composer - Billie Brown (1894 - 1921)

Composer Billie Brown was thought to have been 18 years old when she died of Smallpox in December 4, 1921. In reality she was about 26 years old the fact that she was an accomplished composer and had a total of seven tunes published (two of them posthumously) was still a feat.

 

Published posthumously. 

Her tunes ranging from ballads to ragtime were successful at the time of their publication. Billie Brown appears to have been the adopted daughter of William and Anna (Welker) Brown. According to census data she was listed as being born in June of 1894 as Irene Anderson her father being born in Sweden. Her adoptive father William Brown was a saloon keeper.

 

Over the years her named changed to Willie Anderson and then to Billie Brown. With the help of her mother writing the lyrics to her compositions her music began being published in 1915 with her first known piece called Aloha Oe (Variations).

Further tunes were published including one by her mother Anna Brown, Shower of Kisses (1915) in which Billie did the arranging. Two version of one called The Star and the Rose published in 1918 & 1919, and Dangerous Blues in 1921.

 

In 1921 the Original Dixieland Jazz Band recorded Dangerous Blues along with several other performers including Eubie Blake and Mamie Smith.


After her death a few pieces were published posthumously including the popular Lonesome Mama Blues in 1922.

Lullaby Moon (1922) and What's on Your Mind (1924) were the only other tunes published under her name.

Follow this link for more information on Bille Brown's short life.

Neville Dickie at the Sherborn Inn, Sherborn, Massachusetts

Neville Dickie

Famed British stride piano player Neville Dickie appeared for the 12th year in a row at the Sherborn Inn last night, joining members of Stan McDonald's Blue Horizon Jazz Band for some high caliber Classic jazz!



Dickie played solo piano several times backed by drummer Dave Bragdon as well as being joined on and off by Stan McDonald on soprano sax and Jeff Hughes on cornet.

Ross Petot

Ross Petot played piano through the intermission, where he was briefly joined by Dickie on one number. Petot played several tunes with the band as well during the second set.

Nagasaki was played by Dickie upon request and proved to be quite popular as did his Boogie-Woogie tunes which he is noted for.

Dave Bragdon

Stan McDonald

Bragdon gave Dickie a run for his money on a couple of tunes especially Nagasaki where he kept up with Dickie's increasing speed. Tunes by Jelly Roll Morton, James P. Johnson, Fats Waller and Willie the Lion Smith were all on display. Dickie played Smith's tune Finger Buster with alacrity and Stan McDonald and the band played Morton's Tijuana to great effect.

Jeff Hughes

One member of the audience, Freddy, who was celebrating his 70th birthday, got up to sing Somebody Stole My Gal, which he did with gusto while using a couple of different voices!



Stan and Neville swing!

The venue appeared to be quite popular to the full house who applauded and cheered throughout the performances. Neville Dickie told some jokes and kidded with longtime audience members including George A. Borgman's widow Janet. He announced to the audience that George was once asked to write 6 pages of liner notes for his CD Any Time and that George turned in 28! He claimed the booklet was so big it was hard to slide inside the case. The actual number in the booklet is 15.

Neville Dickie and Janet Borgman
 

Dave and Neville after the performance.

 

Ross Petot and Janet Borgman

Neville introduces Ross!

 

Janet and Stan chat after the show.

 

Check out Marce Enright's Posting of this event at her New England Traditional Jazz Plus.

Memories of a Jazz Journalist - Part Three - Mark Shane

Here is a continuation of the series of entries from George A. Borgman's article Memories of a Jazz Journalist from 2004.

 

Pianist Mark Shane (New York) broke me up with his story about playing for a dance at a New Hampshire estate, where the dancers and the bandleader ran outdoors, stripped naked, and jumped into the pool while the bandsmen, even though distracted, played on.

 

Mark Shane has a couple of piano influences that he acknowledges. His primary one is Teddy Wilson although when he plays solo piano he admits that Art Tatem is also up there. Shane started his career playing in dance bands in the New York City area. he has played with a slew of well known jazz and big band artists including Benny Goodman, Doc Cheatham, Wild Bill Davison, Bob Wilbur, Kenny Davern, Peanuts Hucko, and Scott Hamilton among others. He's also performed for the soundtracks of several feature films including The Cotton Club, Working Girl and Biloxi Blues. He has collaborated on several albums with singer Terry Blaine.


Here he plays at Birdland, on March 4, 2009

CHECK OUT PART FOUR

Memories of a Jazz Journalist - Part Two - Buzzy Drootin

Here is a continuation of the new series of entries that come from an article that George wrote in 2004.

Drummer Buzzy Drootin (Braintree, MA), one of the most amusing characters I've ever met, didn't want me to mention in my story that he had told me that several of his jazz all-star colleagues were addicted to alcohol or drugs. When I told Buzzy that they were all dead, he said, "I know, but I don't want people to know I've been talking about them."

Benjamin "Buzzy" Drootin, whose family was Jewish, was born in Kiev, Ukraine on April 22, 1920. The family emigrated to the United States and settled in Boston, Massachusetts when he was five.

His family was musical, his father played the clarinet and both of his brothers also played instruments. Buzzy began playing the drums professionally as a teenager and for the next fifty years would play with some of the leading jazz musicians in America.

 



Jess Stacy

In the beginning though, he earned cash working in bars. He began touring  with the Jess Stacy All-Stars when he was about twenty. After the war he worked as the house drummer at Eddie Condon's in New York from 1947 until 1951.



Wingy Manone

Over the years in the 1950's and 1960's he worked in clubs in Chicago and Boston and played with musicians such as Jimmy McPartland, Doc Cheatham, and Wingy Manone. He also recorded with Tommy Dorsey, Bobby Hackett and the Dukes of Dixieland. Other musicians he played with were Chuck Hedges and Wild Bill Davison.

In 1973, after touring Europe and the States, he and his brother Al formed the Drootin Brothers Jazz Band. He played at the Los Angeles Classic Jazz Festival in the 1980's.

George A. Borgman interviewed Buzzy and wrote a story on him that was published in The Mississippi Rag.

He died, from cancer, on May 21, 2000, at the age of eighty at the Actors Fund Retirement and Nursing Home in Englewood, New Jersey. He had a daughter, Natasha and two sons, Peter and Tony.

Here Buzzy Drooton plays with the Wild Bill Davison All Stars in 1984 in Malmo, Sweden.

CHECK OUT PART THREE

A Look at Scott Yanow's New Book!

A new book by Scott Yanow has been released that focuses exclusively on jazz guitarists. It's entitled The Great Jazz Guitarists, The Ultimate Guide. If you are a jazz fan, as I am, you should find this book an excellent resource. Yanow has written ten previous books and an incredible amount of other jazz related writings. He knows his stuff. Calling the book The Great Jazz Guitarists, your favorite local jazz guitarist might not be included, but, a very large amount of guitarists actually are. Even ones from abroad like Lino Patruno of Italy.

The book contains several guitarists that George A. Borgman knew, interviewed or wrote about including Al Casey, Marty Grosz, Gray Sargent, and Bucky Pizzarelli.

My personal favorite jazz is early to Swing, when it gets to bee-bop I kind of lose interest, however, this book has all the best from every era. Some of the ones from my favorite era are Eddie Condon, Lonnie Johnson, Eddie Lang and Dick McDonough. I'm a little surprised I couldn't find Johnny St. Cyr, however, who doesn't seem to have made the list.

The book starts off with an interesting and well written "Introduction" then comes the main section which lists "342 Great Jazz Guitarists" in alphabetical order. The entries are concise but contain a great deal of information. As Yanow did in his book Classic Jazz: The Musicians and Recordings That Shaped Jazz, 1895-1933, he has some CD and record recommendations to search for at the end of each entry.

The next section lists "44 Other Historic Guitarists" then after this is "175 Other Jazz Guitarists on the Scene Today." Amazingly there's another section called, "They Also Played Jazz Guitar" which includes a variety of musicians who have at some time actually played jazz guitar, such as rocker Peter Frampton, cornet player Bobby Hacket and trumpeter Oscar Klein!

But wait! There's more! "Jazz Guitarists on Film" gives a good sized list of DVDs, a few VHS tapes and even the 10 best performances on film and "Best Ghosting by a Jazz Guitarist." The book ends with a listing of other people's books on jazz guitarists.

The book contains a lot of jazz guitarists, both living and dead, many of whom I have never heard of and a few that I plan to seek out. All around a pretty excellent book.