Hadda Brooks Lee Konitz Warne Marsh

[Quasimado]

Intriguing entry in Jack Goodwin's Warne Marsh discography - would anybody know anything about this?

Q

50-0300 HADDA BROOKS.

NYC, c. March, 1950.

Lee Konitz, as; Warne Marsh, ts; Hadda Brooks, p, vcl (b), unknown, b & d.

1 HADDA'S BOOGIE DLGF-50286 ?

2 I HADN'T ANYONE TILL YOU DLGF-50287 ?

all R London 30116

[fasstrack]

Intriguing entry in Jack Goodwin's Warne Marsh discography - would anybody know anything about this?

Q

50-0300 HADDA BROOKS.

NYC, c. March, 1950.

Lee Konitz, as; Warne Marsh, ts; Hadda Brooks, p, vcl (b), unknown, b & d.

1 HADDA'S BOOGIE DLGF-50286 ?

2 I HADN'T ANYONE TILL YOU DLGF-50287 ?

all R London 30116

Don't know anything about the recording, but I can tell people something about Hadda: I worked with Hadda Brooks for a month, give or take, at a watering hole that will remain nameless here in NY in 1994. She was a wonderful ballad singer and boogie woogie (yes, you heard me) pianist. Brooks achieved some measure of fame in the '40s appearing in films like Out of The Blue and another with Bogart, (can't recall the name) usually in nightclub scenes as the sultry chanteuse. She was quite a beautiful woman back then and just barely escaped major stardom, best as I can figure. The last picture she was in was "The Crossing Guard" with Sean Penn, where she sang one of her signature songs, "Anywhere, Anyplace, Anytime" to him. She was a joy to work with, especially since the owner of the joint went out of his way to torment her, myself, and the bassist. We ignored him and pulled together to have a wonderful run. I still remember the way she did "The Thrill is Gone" rubato with me strumming and the bass (Morris Edwards) bowing. It gives me chills to think about it. Her other specialty numbers included That's My Desire, Don't go to Strangers, and the last night when we basically said screw the owner and played for us, she got up from the piano and spanked All Of Me. She was a champ.

Sorry I don't know anything about this date. It sounds kind of bizarre, actually---but, hey, you never know. They're all great musicians. But 'Hadn't Anyone till You' was another of her signature tunes. Probably they were all in London separately and somehow Warne and Lee wound up backing her on her gig which was recorded. Stanger things have happened.

And I hope you all didn't mind the reminiscing. It's just that I want people to know what kind of singer and person Hadda was.

Edited May 14, 2006 by fasstrack

[jazzbo]

On the contrary, thanks for the reminiscing. I fell under Ms Brooks' spell some years back and grabbed all that I could of her material and truly admire her work. I don't know anything about this recording with Konitz and Marsh and it sounds intriguing but probably is far from essential for Konitz and Marsh collectors. . . .

[fasstrack]

.....but probably is far from essential for Konitz and Marsh collectors. . . .

Undoubtedly. Probably worth a listen, though....

[Chuck Nessa]

At least one of these tracks reissued on a Rosetta lp.

[JSngry]

...it sounds intriguing but probably is far from essential for Konitz and Marsh collectors. . . .

I'm intrigued by this pairing (tripling?) and would love to hear it myself.

[jazzbo]

I hope no one thought I wouldn't love to hear it as well!

[fasstrack]

If anyone's interested in hearing Hadda herself at her best, try this: Hadda Brooks: That's My Desire (originally Flair Records, reissued on Virgin). It's a very good sampler of her early career, and a with great cast including Teddy Bunn, guitar and, I believe, Willie Smith, alto.

The CD I was given to study for the gig was Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere (DRG). Al Viola, Sinatra's guitarist is on it along with Eugene Wright and Jack Sheldon. It's good, too, and from much later in her life.

Edited May 14, 2006 by fasstrack

[jazzbo]

If anyone's interested in hearing Hadda herself at her best, try this: Hadda Brooks: That's My Desire (originally Flair Records, reissued on Virgin). It's a very good sampler of her early career, and a with great cast including Teddy Bunn, guitar and, I believe, Willie Smith, alto.

The CD I was given to study for the gig was Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere (DRG). Al Viola, Sinatra's guitarist is on it along with Eugene Wright and Jack Sheldon. It's good, too, and from much later in her life.

Both really good cds. . . but the Flair is out of print and may be hard to find. Ace reissued two great cds that cover all that material and more, in great great sound, highly recommended. I also really like the Okeh sides that are out on Columbia/Legacy. (And in print). Work from her final decade is really good, it's a shame so much of her material is out of print, though it can be found. This one has both old and newer material: This one is fantastic: If Norah Jones was a hit why not this one?

There's also a collection on the Spanish label Ocium that has great tunes; I haven't heard it.

She was such a lovely lady.

[fasstrack]

Modern Music was the label started and owned by the man in her life, Jules Bihari. She was a classical player and after he heard her somewhere playing a piece and putting it into dance tempos for the hell of it told her he had $800 to invest and if she worked up a boogie he'd record and pay for it. I think that's how that label got started and she had some 'race' hits for it once it did.

Edited May 14, 2006 by fasstrack

[jazzbo]

Modern Music was the label started and owned by the man in her life, Jules Bihari. She was a classical player and after he heard her somewhere playing a piece and putting it into dance tempos for the hell of it told her he had $800 to invest and if she worked up a boogie he'd record and pay for it. I think that's how that label got started and she had some 'race' hits for it once it did.

I believe that he had done some singles before hers. . . I'm pretty certain; the details are in the Ace cds' liner notes, but my copies are in Austin and I'm in Houston for the next few weeks.

As I remember it: He asked her "Can you play boogie woogie?" He'd already made some records of black artists I think and wanted to have some boogie woogie piano out there. She was plugging songs, playing a piano in a music store. She caught his eye. She would catch any redblooded male's eye then I think!

[jazzbo]

Hmmm. . . allmusic does say that the Brooks sides were their first release. Interesting. And allmusic is always right. . .

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Hmmm. . . allmusic does say that the Brooks sides were their first release. Interesting. And allmusic is always right. . .

I think they're right in this case, Lon. I have this one by Hadda

which appears to have been deleted and replaced bythe two Ace CDs you have. The sleeve notes say that "Swingin' the Boogie"/"Just a little bluesie" were issued on Modern 101/102 (each side having a different catalogue #); so that really does look like Modern's first release.

I love Hadda's early stuff. "That's my desire" and Una Mae Carlisle's "Without you baby" are the bedroomiest records ever made.

But Una didn't have Teddy Bunn working with her, so it's thumbs up for Hadda!

BTW, does anyone thing Teddy was an influence on guitarists like Bill Jennings?

MG

[fasstrack]

Wow. There are some real jazz fans on here. Few other places would someone ask about Teddy Bunn's influence on Bill Jennings. Though I'm a guitar player and a guitar player lucky enough to have worked with Hadda I couldn't answer that. I heard Bunn a little more than Jennings. I dug both when hearing them but am an authority on neither. A friend played a really rare record for me once, featuring Leo Parker and Bill Jennings. It ws terrific, but I only heard it the one time---and you'll never see it anywhere so don't even think about it. Also heard him with MacDuff, as he was the 1st guitarist in that group (unless I'm wrong, and I might be). My old buddy Eddie Diehl was the 2nd.

I think generally, though, if you asked musicians---or just everyday people----who and what their influences or favorites are you might be very surprised. You can hear certain things and it mostly comes out in the wash but you'll never know everyone someone digs unless they say so. If they listened and dug it's somewhat of an influence. So in that spirit I never assume anything.

[jazzbo]

The influence game is a hard one to play! I'll pass on this hand. .. I don't have enough information. Like both those players. . . Bunn was something else!

I had that "Romance in the Dark" too. Can't get enough of Hadda. . .or Una, another beautiful talented lady whose piano playing and singing I really love.

Edited May 14, 2006 by jazzbo

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

A friend played a really rare record for me once, featuring Leo Parker and Bill Jennings. It ws terrific, but I only heard it the one time---and you'll never see it anywhere so don't even think about it.

I have that album and it's really very nice indeed. It was reissued by a Danish firm, (probably pirated, if the truth be known), in 1988. I practically devoured it when I saw it in my local shop.

MG

[fasstrack]

I have that album and it's really very nice indeed. It was reissued by a Danish firm, (probably pirated, if the truth be known), in 1988. I practically devoured it when I saw it in my local shop. MG

Now I know who to go to with a sob story as a misunderstood musician when I'm, er, in need of funds...

Edited May 14, 2006 by fasstrack

[garthsj]

Intriguing entry in Jack Goodwin's Warne Marsh discography - would anybody know anything about this?

Q

50-0300 HADDA BROOKS.

NYC, c. March, 1950.

Lee Konitz, as; Warne Marsh, ts; Hadda Brooks, p, vcl (b), unknown, b & d.

1 HADDA'S BOOGIE DLGF-50286 ?

2 I HADN'T ANYONE TILL YOU DLGF-50287 ?

all R London 30116

Don't know anything about the recording, but I can tell people something about Hadda: I worked with Hadda Brooks for a month, give or take, at a watering hole that will remain nameless here in NY in 1994. She was a wonderful ballad singer and boogie woogie (yes, you heard me) pianist. Brooks achieved some measure of fame in the '40s appearing in films like Out of The Blue and another with Bogart, (can't recall the name) usually in nightclub scenes as the sultry chanteuse. She was quite a beautiful woman back then and just barely escaped major stardom, best as I can figure. The last picture she was in was "The Crossing Guard" with Sean Penn, where she sang one of her signature songs, "Anywhere, Anyplace, Anytime" to him. She was a joy to work with, especially since the owner of the joint went out of his way to torment her, myself, and the bassist. We ignored him and pulled together to have a wonderful run. I still remember the way she did "The Thrill is Gone" rubato with me strumming and the bass (Morris Edwards) bowing. It gives me chills to think about it. Her other specialty numbers included That's My Desire, Don't go to Strangers, and the last night when we basically said screw the owner and played for us, she got up from the piano and spanked All Of Me. She was a champ.

Sorry I don't know anything about this date. It sounds kind of bizarre, actually---but, hey, you never know. They're all great musicians. But 'Hadn't Anyone till You' was another of her signature tunes. Probably they were all in London separately and somehow Warne and Lee wound up backing her on her gig which was recorded. Stanger things have happened.

And I hope you all didn't mind the reminiscing. It's just that I want people to know what kind of singer and person Hadda was.

The Humphrey Bogart film referred to is IN A LONELY PLACE (1950) ... co-starring Gloria Graham, and directed by Nicholas Ray. This film is now considered to be one Bogart's absolute best, and has increasingly attracted the attention of film scholars as being a classic 'film noir'. ... Hadda Brooks is prominently featured in a nightclub scene singing a "full" version of "I Hadn't Anyone Till You" while Bogart and Graham are sitting at her piano bar. Interestingly she still gets accolades from my very jaded students, many of whom have never heard anything like this before. Fascinating how real talent always wins through eventually.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I have that album and it's really very nice indeed. It was reissued by a Danish firm, (probably pirated, if the truth be known), in 1988. I practically devoured it when I saw it in my local shop. MG

Now I know who to go to with a sob story as a misunderstood musician when I'm, er, in need of funds...

I hasten to add that my copy is NOT the original, it's a (probable) pirate.

(Put the arm on a poor old pensioner, would ya? )

MG

[fasstrack]

I have that album and it's really very nice indeed. It was reissued by a Danish firm, (probably pirated, if the truth be known), in 1988. I practically devoured it when I saw it in my local shop. MG

Now I know who to go to with a sob story as a misunderstood musician when I'm, er, in need of funds...

I hasten to add that my copy is NOT the original, it's a (probable) pirate.

(Put the arm on a poor old pensioner, would ya? )

MG

Why not? You know the old 'stick to the wall' theory, dontcha?

[fasstrack]

The Humphrey Bogart film referred to is IN A LONELY PLACE (1950) ... co-starring Gloria Graham, and directed by Nicholas Ray. This film is now considered to be one Bogart's absolute best, and has increasingly attracted the attention of film scholars as being a classic 'film noir'. ... Hadda Brooks is prominently featured in a nightclub scene singing a "full" version of "I Hadn't Anyone Till You" while Bogart and Graham are sitting at her piano bar. Interestingly she still gets accolades from my very jaded students, many of whom have never heard anything like this before. Fascinating how real talent always wins through eventually.

Thanks for straightening me out about the Bogie flick.

And yes, real talent---anything real---will out and find its place in the world eventually. Patience and ignoring the nonsense is hard, but rewarding to those who have it and believe in what they do.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I have that album and it's really very nice indeed. It was reissued by a Danish firm, (probably pirated, if the truth be known), in 1988. I practically devoured it when I saw it in my local shop. MG

Now I know who to go to with a sob story as a misunderstood musician when I'm, er, in need of funds...

I hasten to add that my copy is NOT the original, it's a (probable) pirate.

(Put the arm on a poor old pensioner, would ya? )

MG

Why not? You know the old 'stick to the wall' theory, dontcha?

No.

MG

[Nate Dorward]

Ah yes, In a Lonely Place. Great film.

Re: Bunn's influence, perhaps surprisingly, one guitarist who often cited him as a major influence was Derek Bailey. There's an homage to Bunn on Drop Me Off at 96th, "Bunn Fight".

[BruceH]

I wish I had a Brooks/Konitz/Marsh.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

Hi Chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez here--- i have a Crown lp: Pete Johnson--Hadda Brooks...swings the BOOGIE (CLP 5058)----the lp doesnt say which songs are johnson and which are brooks, also i suspect some or all of the song titles for this lp were CHANGED specifically to cash in on "boogie"- (crown did this frequently i have heard) --- anyways- titles are

swingin' the boogie

teen age boogie

honky tonk boogie

variety boogie

hip shakin' boogie

boogie celeste

rock and roll boogie

stompin' the boogie

lazy boogie

chop chop boogie

boogie dance

blusin' the boogie

...BUT IS THE BROOKS 78 w/ konitz and marsh even ON modern records (and henceforth crown)? wasnt modern just in LA, not NYC? if it is indeed a MODERN 78 than i will go back and listen to my lp to see if i can spot anything.............