Vincent, Paris Posted March 16, 2003 Report Posted March 16, 2003 (edited) I had always wandered what had happened to drummer G.T. Hogan who was very active in the early 60's, recording with Kenny Dorham, Cal Massey, Randy Weston, Curtis Fuller, Kenny Drew et al. and playing in Paris with Bud Powell. Well, a Google search learned me he is still active in Texas but seem to have been through some rough time according to this : "But the real revelation that night was Ivery's 70-year-old drummer G.T. Hogan, released not too long ago from the Texas Department of Corrections. Hogan, born in Galveston, had been sent up on three convictions of possession of narcotics with the intent to sell. Seems no one really cares that you played with Billie Holiday or hung out with Charlie Parker when you're holding smack and they're throwing you in the slam." http://www.dallasobserver.com/issues/1999-...-25/music4.html Has anyone seen him play recently over there in Texas ? Man, this guy has surely great stories to tell. Here's a picture of the old man : Edited March 16, 2003 by Vincent, Paris Quote
Ed S Posted March 16, 2003 Report Posted March 16, 2003 Vincent - welcome to the board. Glad you found us here! Quote
JSngry Posted March 16, 2003 Report Posted March 16, 2003 I've yet to be able to catch G.T, w/Marchel, schedule/gig conflicts, but I get reports from Lyles West, Marchel's bassist. G.T.'s playing fine, a tad rusty occasionally, but still a solid, hard bop drummer, and definitely a "personality". He's not Marchel's regular drummer though. That would be Andrew Griffin. The article you quote is from 1999, and I don't know how often Marchel uses G.T. these days. Not often, it seems, and not here in Dallas. The show referenced was in Austin, part of SXSW, a regional "industry showcase". A fair number of jazz "refugees" end up in Texas. Carlos Garnett is in Houston too. Trumpeter Martin Banks is in Austin. Keyboardist Bernard Wright is here in Dallas, and arranger Onzy Matthews made Dallas his home in the last years of his life. Roy Hargrove, of course, still pops up here, usually unexpected and unannounced. His family is still here. He actually showed up and sat in on a FUNK gig I was working a few years ago! Same w/Cedar Walton - he's got family here too, and sometimes just comes by to visit, not to gig. Not too much interaction between the various Texas cities jazzwise, however. Seems like we've all hunkered down in our own bunkers, trying to just stay alive on our own turf. Quote
Soul Stream Posted March 16, 2003 Report Posted March 16, 2003 The drummer who plays with my organ trio is very good friends with G.T. Hogan. His mentor. G.T. lives in San Antonio. He is battling emphasyma and other ailments from what I understand. Isn't playing much these days, but still can when his health allows. Phenomenal drummer who is a sweetheart from the reports I get. I'd love to see him play. Quote
mikeweil Posted March 16, 2003 Report Posted March 16, 2003 That's a great drummer with a very personal version of hard bop drumming. I especially enjoyed his playing on A.K. Salim's Blues Suite on Savoy. He guested on Sebastian Whittaker's 1992 Justice CD "One For Bu!!", Justice Records JR 0203-2, he must have been a mentor to Whittaker as well. Plays a nice solo on this record. Quote
Jim R Posted March 16, 2003 Report Posted March 16, 2003 FWIW, here's a selected discog: Ernie Henry- Last Chorus (Riverside) Kenny Drew- This Is New (Riverside) Kenny Dorham- 2 Horns , 2 Rhythm (Riverside) Wilbur Harden- The King And I (Savoy) Ike Quebec- The Complete Blue Note 45 Sessions Of Ike Quebec Mosaic (Blue Note) Curtis Fuller- Soul Trombone/ The Jazz Clan (Impulse) For the Harden session alone, he's in my personal hall of fame. B) Quote
Michael Fitzgerald Posted March 16, 2003 Report Posted March 16, 2003 Another thing that GT Hogan can tell stories about is the legendary Earl Bostic band - he was in it from 1953-56, when folks like Stanley & Tommy Turrentine, Blue Mitchell, Benny Golson, and Johnny Coles were passing through. Mike Quote
Vincent, Paris Posted March 17, 2003 Author Report Posted March 17, 2003 (edited) Thank you JSngry, Soul Stream, Mike and everybody. Glad to find you here. I hope someone gets to see G.T. alive. I am sure he's still a monster drummer. He seems to have make a few sessions as a sideman recently on the Leaning House label Has anyone heard those ? People of Cadence magazine should go down to Texas and have him talk before it's too late. V. Edited March 17, 2003 by Vincent, Paris Quote
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