mmilovan Posted March 22, 2005 Author Report Posted March 22, 2005 (edited) Recovering from serious dental problems with portions of Trane's Olatunji Concert, tonight I also listened to live recording of BG trio from Oct 19, 1937. (strange mixture of material, ain't it?) It was "Remember Me", the tune (I like it a lot, even it's a bit banal) I'm referring here to. God, it's blessing Goodman hired Teddy for his group, because (to my ears) Wilson gathered frantic and often "old-school" sounded Goodman's clarinet, with Krupa's rhythms and patterns that borrowed much from tradition as well - with his mellow, sensitive, quiet - but not dynamically weak, and structurally complex piano playing. On this particular take Teddy recreated his own melodies, never dropping clichés or mediocrity constructions, never. Perhaps it was the reason people not listened enough to him, he was no showman like Hampton (although great vibe player contributed to the modern sound of this band with his perfect sense for emphasizing odd, "new" chords), but he was equal in up-tempo or slow ballad pulse. There are some film clips, showing this trio in progress, and focusing on Wilson occasionally - all that he played was so light in execution (but it is not very easy to emulate), so nice, and so rich in meaning. It's not strange Monk named it as his favorite. I love, love to hear Teddy Wilson! Nearly forgotten master of the instrument! Edited March 22, 2005 by mmilovan Quote
frank m Posted March 23, 2005 Report Posted March 23, 2005 Wilson was always my favorite, both solo and accompanist. There's one young guy who seems to have spent all his musicians formative years listening to him--Mark Shane. If you haven't heard him, you should. Particularly how well he plays accompanying others. Cheers. Quote
mmilovan Posted March 23, 2005 Author Report Posted March 23, 2005 Never heard of Mark, to be honest, but many thanks for his recomendation, frank m! The other well-known person who listened carefully to Wilson might be Billy Kyle, especially in early parts of his career, judging from what I can hear in his piano playing. Quote
AllenLowe Posted March 23, 2005 Report Posted March 23, 2005 (edited) best commentary and description of Wilson's work: Dick Katz in his notes to the old Smithsonian Teddy Wilson LP - absolutely essential - if anyone's interested I can photocopy them and mail 'em - also, an interesting fact - when Katz was studying with Wilson (probably early 1950s) who do you think Wilson told him to listen to? Monk, whom Wilson described as a rhythm master - so screw Oscar Peterson, who has described Monk as an important composer but an unaccomplished pianist - Edited March 23, 2005 by AllenLowe Quote
mmilovan Posted March 23, 2005 Author Report Posted March 23, 2005 Many thanks for bringing this to us Allen! Those liner notes, are they from Smithsonian bunch of LPs set, or something other individual LP? Quote
AllenLowe Posted March 24, 2005 Report Posted March 24, 2005 they're to an individual Teddy Wilson record - I'll find the record and report back tomorrow -- Quote
EKE BBB Posted March 30, 2005 Report Posted March 30, 2005 I´ve already posted this in the Storyville thread, but here´s a very nice 1970 date with Japanese clarinetist Eiji Kitamura: (this is not the cover in the CD release that I have, but couldn´t find mine) Quote
mmilovan Posted April 3, 2005 Author Report Posted April 3, 2005 (edited) Speaking of Wilson's big band it's always pleasure to see what giants and good musicians were involved in that effort: J.C. Heard on drums, Harold Baker, Doc Cheatham on trumpets, Pete Clark on alto and clarinet as well as Rudy Powell, then Ben Webster on tenor (it was right before his period with Duke), and Al Casey on guitar. All of them are, fortunately well recognized by jazz historians (there were also less known musicians). It would be fine to know when Teddy disbanded it, but, as I can only guess the band lasted from 1939 till 1940. or 1941. Arrangers were Buster Harding, Edgar Sampson and Wilson himself, and Thelma Carpenter or Jean Eldridge used to sung with band. And something I didn't recognize well, I'm afraid: in his liner notes to release by UK Naxos "TEDDY WILSON Vol.2, Blues in C Sharp minor, Original 1935-1937 Recordings" Peter Dempsey observed that... "in 1939, Teddy Wilson tried to launch a swing big-band, an ensemble which lasted only a year, failing not only because, like Wilson himself, it was perhaps a little too genteel but also because, unlike other contemporary big-bands, it failed to swing" What? Failed to swing? Is it some kind of expression I didn't understand clearly - because it was hell of a band!!! - for whole text by Dempsey go to: http://www.naxos.com/mainsite/default.asp?...ode=%27NKC%27)) Edited April 3, 2005 by mmilovan Quote
EKE BBB Posted April 4, 2005 Report Posted April 4, 2005 [Portrait of Joe Marsala, Zutty Singleton and Teddy Wilson, National Press Club, Washington D.C., ca. 1939] William P. Gottlieb - Photographs from the Golden Age of Jazz Quote
EKE BBB Posted April 4, 2005 Report Posted April 4, 2005 [Portrait of Teddy Wilson and Zutty Singleton, Turkish Embassy, Washington, D.C., 1940]. William P. Gottlieb - Photographs from the Golden Age of Jazz Quote
mmilovan Posted April 5, 2005 Author Report Posted April 5, 2005 (edited) It was good to be Nersushi Ertegun, son of the Turkish Ambassador. back there in those days in 1940. B-) Thanks Agustin for all these. BTW, speaking of Teddy, anyone saw some of those famous clips featuring Benny Goodman Trio/Quartet doing some uptemo numbers... It's amazing to those giants: Goodman, Krupa doing his famous showman figures on drums (his playing will fit well in than traditional styles of jazz druming), Hamp with big smile on his face... and Teddy, sitting there at that grand white piano, playing tecnicaly so involved music with such ease you'll never believe! So concetrated, no facial expression at all... just pure, pure music. Magical, that is! Edited April 5, 2005 by mmilovan Quote
frank m Posted April 5, 2005 Report Posted April 5, 2005 I heard this story from a guy who had brought his kid to a Wilson concert. At an intermission, he brought the kid over to Wilson to get his autograph, as the kid was a nascent pianist and idolized him. Wilson flipped the kid off, wandered away without signing or even being pleasant to him. Despite this story , which counters other more pleasant accounts of encounters with Wilson, I'm a great admirer, probably my favorite pianist. Anybody heard anything about his responses to fans???? I'd rather think highly of him. In an interview with Phil Schapp, (sorry about that, Schapp haters) Wilson said he didn't really think very highly of the singing of Billie Holiday, listing several ladies whom he thought better, including some white singers. Quote
mmilovan Posted April 5, 2005 Author Report Posted April 5, 2005 (edited) I heard this story from a guy who had brought his kid to a Wilson concert. At an intermission, he brought the kid over to Wilson to get his autograph, as the kid was a nascent pianist and idolized him. Wilson flipped the kid off, wandered away without signing or even being pleasant to him. Any information what happened with that kid later? Anyway, I'm just like you, great admirer, and he is mine favourite as well... Edited April 5, 2005 by mmilovan Quote
brownie Posted April 6, 2005 Report Posted April 6, 2005 In an interview with Phil Schapp, (sorry about that, Schapp haters) Wilson said he didn't really think very highly of the singing of Billie Holiday, listing several ladies whom he thought better, including some white singers. Same went for Billie Holiday. There's an interview with Nat Hentoff (from the early '50s) where she is quoted as saying she liked Ella and Sarah 'but I really go for Jo Stafford. I've been listening to her for six or seven years. She sounds like an instrument.' Quote
mmilovan Posted January 24, 2008 Author Report Posted January 24, 2008 Rather small but interesting inteview with Teddy Wilson, here: http://www.jazzprofessional.com/interviews...dy%20Wilson.htm Quote
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