Chubby Jackson interview.....

[BERIGAN]

There didn't seem to be much interest when I posted this on AAJ board, so thought I would post verbatim here!

An interview with Chubby Jackson!!!!

Someone saw that I had asked on some board awhile back(the Harlem board?) about why we didn't hear anything from Chubby Jackson these days, so he was kind enough to give me a link to their site, and said I could post the article....The site is pretty interesting, haven't had a chance to check it all out....I will post the link to the article with the photos at the bottom of this thread, just thought some might find it easier to read in bold text first....

Chubby Jackson (Greig Stewart Jackson) was born in New York City in 1918. His greatest and most memorable body of work came from Woody Herman's First and Second Herds of the mid-to-late 1940's. In that band, along with drummer Dave Tough and later Don Lamond, he was the support and lifeline in the rhythm section but also the cheerleader, vocal and exuberant, leading on the excellent soloists as though it were a sporting event. According to Woody Herman, the catalyst for the first and second herd's amazing cohesiveness and espirit d'corps, was Chubby Jackson. These were Woody's sentiments:

"What an immense influence he (Chubby Jackson) had on us! And what enthusiasm! He used to get around to hear everything. He was always screaming about this musician and that musician. He'd been with Charlie Barnet, along with Ralph Burns, Neal Hefti and Frances Wayne, and he kept telling us we should hire them. So we did, and you know how much they've meant to us!"

After Herman broke up the band, Jackson went on to play with Charlie Ventura's Septet where he further explored the avenues of bebop interjecting it with the great sense of swing from which Chubby was rooted.

He also did recordings and toured as a leader and co-leader with his pal, the legendary trombonist, Bill Harris. In the 1950's he spent a lot of time doing studio work and even hosted a television program for children.

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We conducted this interview with the help of his loving daughter Jaijai

Via Cyberspace E-Mail and Fax

Chubby's daughter, Jaijai, is now producing a jazz legend series for television... Þrst one being on her father... Here are her sentiments toward her dad... "My father has been such a powerful force in my life, he has taught me how to look at life with a smile on my face and has introduced me to an art-form of music that is evergreen. I will keep our heritage alive with all that I am, thanks Dad, for your talent, the laughs, your faithful spirit and most of all the love you give to me, I am blessed to have you as my Dad" I promise to teach your six year old grand-daughter Chloe Zae all about you -

we love you,

Jaijai

The Interview

The Jazz Zine

Woody Herman's First Herd broke new ground in "Big Band Jazz," with some aggressive writing coming from Neal Hefti, Ralph Burns and Woody himself. For myself, I can vividly remember listening to radio broadcasts that were sponsored by Wildroot Cream Oil and Old Gold cigarettes (containing Apple Honey) and being stunned by the new and daring approach that would change Big Band Jazz forever. This was avant-garde for that time but not far out. This music was exciting, vibrant and fresh. The band was alive and your bass playing along with drummer Davey Tough and later Don Lamond were the spine and backbone which supported the band.Tell us what the atmosphere was like in those days. Were most of the sidemen aware that something new and fresh was being created? Did Woody give a lot of leeway to the writers and soloists to expand their ideas?

Chubby Jackson

The atmosphere plus the personal attitudes of Woody and the entire Herd had its' own title that I call "Love Is The Answer". Top drawer for counter respect for one another was tremendously aided by the spirit that exploded from that particular bandstand day and night. Woody recognized the outstanding outgoing talent and gave us all a go ahead sign in regard to some of the daredevil patterns we attempted. All of us sidemen were unbelievably grateful to Woody for his open hearted approach to all of us. How well I remember how all in fun, we compared ourselves to the Chicago Bears professional football team that created one victory after another. I truly do not think or recall that any other big band that sponsored jazz ever had the obvious fire and excitement that the First Herd had. What a band!

The Jazz Zine

You were, no doubt, the most vocal member of that band. Yelling everyone on, whooping it up behind the soloists. Was this the most fun you'd ever had in your musical career?

Chubby Jackson

There was ever never any doubt that I had positioned myself to become the cheerleader that egged every member to openly scream congratulations to one another at the completion of their individual choruses. Even the audiences were shouting the same types of compliments which made their reactions to all of us extremely heart warming. To add, we also did the same amount of happy screaming when the band recorded. All of that down deep concept of fun most certainly proved itself beyond compare.

The Jazz Zine

Owing to the size and spectrum of Woody's First Herd, your playing came through solid and you seemed to do a lot of things differently. I got the feeling that you went out on a limb many times. The beauty of it was, you never seemed to get lost. When asked, many bass players, during those times, would cite Jimmy Blanton as their idol or main influence. Frankly, I didn't hear him coming from your playing. To my way of thinking, you seemed to create a new energetic approach to the bass. Who were your first influences on the instrument?

Chubby Jackson

I'm proud that I can openly say that I was influenced by two bassists at the time that I entered the fray with my bass that I called "Bessie." I bought it for $3.00 from my mentor Arnold Fishkind who at that time was playing with the swingin' Bunny Berigan Big Band. Without any doubt or question, Jimmy Blanton walked into my life on bass with a brand new approach on how to accompany a big band, which of course was the Duke himself. I've always felt that influence is necessary, but from then on began to find and discover one's own creative direction. I must proudly admit that Drummer Davey Tough that I played with in the First Herman Herd taught me what areas of the fingerboard to address from the ensemble sound along with the soloists. Even though I had added a top C string, he pointed out to stay down low on so many parts of an arrangement. Go from under and work up to some highs plus the exact opposite. Stay in the same range that the band is at certain times. In other words, he showed me how to explore.

The Jazz Zine

That First Herd had some outstanding and very original soloists. To date, I feel no one has ever approached the wide and wonderful execution of the trombone as Bill Harris did. And Flip Phillips could be warm and romantic on the ballads, and swing like hell on the up tempo numbers. Who did you hang out with in the band? And, could you give us any particular interesting favorite story to share with us?

Chubby Jackson

To date, my favorite gentleman on trombone was and still is without question his honor Bill Harris. What a creative musician he was. He used to play differently every time he stood up to solo. The band used to impatiently await his turn and when he sat down, the entire band would visibly let him know how they felt. Flip Phillips is definitely a then and now giant. He's still playing festivals all over wherever with a fantastic sound and audience appeal. In the trumpet section, all the gents had their own sound and sense of time. Neal Hefti, Sonny Berman, Conte Candoli, Pete Candoli and lastly Shorty Rogers. Ralph Burns to me was a pianist/arranger second to none. Billy Bauer who now is a famous guitar teacher taught us a great deal about his conception of guitar. Lastly, my two favorite drummers in the First Herd Davey Tough and Don Lamond. Every member of this orchestra were also close friends and musical associates. It was the most exciting in my entire life.

The Jazz Zine

When the band first introduced numbers like Apple Honey, Goosey Gander, Wildroot and Northwest Passage, how were they first received at dances and concerts when the audience might still be expecting to hear Woodchooper's Ball?

Chubby Jackson

When the moment arrived that numbers like apple Honey, Goosey Gander, Wildroot and Northwest Passage became no less than most famous, the audiences that showed up at the dances, concerts, hotels theaters all were all dyed-in-wool fans of whatever we played. If anybody requested "Wood Chopper's Ball, the existing First Herd played it with their own private feeling. The solos were completely different and the rhythm section possessed a beat that belonged totally to them. All of the aforementioned songs appearing in the First sentence up top were called Head arrangements. Not one note of music was written on paper and their inception. Later on, specific written material was added to the Herman library in event that there were any replacements for the original players. To add it all up, the First Herd was a fantastic contribution to the art of the American Jazz culture. Thank you Woody........

Ran out of room for the whole article, so click below!

http://members.aol.com/plabjazz/jackson.html (link to the article)

http://members.aol.com/plabjazz/index.html (Their Home page