Christiern Posted March 6, 2005 Report Posted March 6, 2005 I thought it might be interesting dedicate a thread to things we come across while rummaging through a closet, reaching into the back of a drawer, emptying a shoe box, etc. My two favorite largely unsung jazz legends were Elmer Snowden and Sam Wooding, so I was delighted to come across this note (from 1973, I believe) while going through stacks of papers: Quote
JSngry Posted March 6, 2005 Report Posted March 6, 2005 Damn, Chris, do you have any actual ROOM in your place? Seriously - great, GREAT stuff that you keep sharing here. Sincerely appreciated. Quote
Guest DizzySpells Posted March 9, 2005 Report Posted March 9, 2005 I really tried hard, but all I could find was this: Quote
AllenLowe Posted March 9, 2005 Report Posted March 9, 2005 what, no Xmas cards from Frank Driggs? Quote
Christiern Posted March 9, 2005 Author Report Posted March 9, 2005 No, Allen, it turned out to be an invoice! Quote
AllenLowe Posted March 9, 2005 Report Posted March 9, 2005 and I'll bet his Xmas photo looked awfully familiar... Quote
kh1958 Posted March 10, 2005 Report Posted March 10, 2005 Pardon my ignorance, but who are Elmer Snowden (sounds familiar) and Sam Wooding? Quote
marcello Posted March 10, 2005 Report Posted March 10, 2005 Chris, That isn't a closet you have; it's a museum! I have a feeling that your apartment looks a liitle like that cover on Monk's "Underground"! But much neater, of course. Quote
AllenLowe Posted March 10, 2005 Report Posted March 10, 2005 Wooding and Snowden are two early major jazz figures - Ellington was connected with Snowden and Dickey Wells (I think) was in one of his bands - Wooding was one of the first to go to Europe and was an important blandleader - I'm sure there's stuff on the net on both of them - Quote
Randy Twizzle Posted March 10, 2005 Report Posted March 10, 2005 Here's a Jan. 6, 1925 radio listing from New York's WHN showing Wooding's band playing at 11:30 pm. Also a helpful announcement for radio listeners. Quote
Brad Posted March 10, 2005 Report Posted March 10, 2005 That's pretty fantastic but what I want to know is why when I clean out my closets I find junk and when you clean out yours, you find pearls? Quote
AfricaBrass Posted March 10, 2005 Report Posted March 10, 2005 This is amazing stuff, Chris! Thank you so much for sharing this with us. Quote
AllenLowe Posted March 13, 2005 Report Posted March 13, 2005 Van Vechten is a fasinating figure; I 've read Nigger Heaven, which he wrote, an interesting novel. Excellent photographer, and wrote some great descriptions of Bessie Smith performing (as Chris knows well) - Quote
AllenLowe Posted March 13, 2005 Report Posted March 13, 2005 (edited) funny thing is, I don't find his statement about his friendships with African Americans to be the least bit embarrassing - he was truly a guy who was honest in his attitudes and appraisals and a great advocate for the African American arts - certainly some of his statements might seem condescending out of historical context, but he really was not the least biut patriarchal in his attitudes, at least as I've been able to understand - Edited March 13, 2005 by AllenLowe Quote
brownie Posted March 13, 2005 Report Posted March 13, 2005 Been clearing up the room where I keep most of my things jazz (discs, books, etc.) these past few days. Came upon a 1959 issue of Down Beat. The February 19 issue with Louis Prima and Keely Smith on the cover. Content included: - among the various news items, a report on the car accident involving Oscar Pettiford and Hans Koller in Austria, - an interview with Alfred Lion on the 20th anniversary of the Blue Note label. Illustrated with a photo of Lion and Francis Wolff posing against a wall decorated with the covers of 'The Amazing Bud Powell' and '6 Pieces of Silver'. Lion mentions plans for 'some stereo discs', - a special report on the Timex All-Star Jazz TV show, - a Backstage with Louis Prima and Keely Smith feature, - an article on Meade Lux Lewis, - a two-page cartoon 'The Hip World of Jules Feiffer', - an article on Kenny Dorham's '3 careers', (none of these articles are bylined), - several articles on stereo gear, - albums reviews included Chet Baker's 'Chet Baker in New York', Bob Brookmeyer's 'Kansas City Revisited', Eddie Condon's 'Dixieland Dance Party', Benny Goodman 'Benny in Brussels', Arthur Lyman's 'Leis of Jazz', Rex Stewart's 'Henderson Homecoming', Suleiman-Adams-Payne-Rehak-Cleveland's 'Roots', etc. - a blindfold test by John Coltrane. When Feather spins 'Soulville' by the Horace Silver Quintet, Coltrane comments: 'Horace... Is that Soulville? I've heard that - I think I have the record. Horace gave me that piece of music some time ago... I asked him to give some things that I might like to record and that was one of them. I've never got around to recording it yet, though. I like the piece tremendously - the composition is great. It has more in it than just "play the figure and then we all blow". It has a lot of imagination. The solos are all good... I think it's Hank Mobley and Art Farmer. I'll give 4 1/2 stars.', - caught in the act reviews of the Ruby Braff Quartet at the Embers in New York, Erroll Garner at the Black Orchid, Chicago, etc. The backcover is a full page Selmer ad illustrated with publicity shots of Stan Getz, Paul Desmond, Tony Scott. Back to you Chris! Hope I did not intrude Quote
ghost of miles Posted June 11, 2005 Report Posted June 11, 2005 This morning, as I perused the Washington Post of Nov. 5, 1946, I came across the following in Leonard Lyon's syndicated column: ← I think Django joined the Ellington tour not long after that--making his debut with them in Indianapolis. Quote
Jazzmoose Posted June 23, 2005 Report Posted June 23, 2005 Today I was looking through a bunch of program guides from my days as a dj at WHAT (Philly). In the September 1959 issue, I found this ad. ← Yeah, nobody much ever came out of Philly... Quote
Kalo Posted June 23, 2005 Report Posted June 23, 2005 BTW, this thread is AMAZING. I wish I had stuff like that lying around. Quote
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