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Clarence Profit: Early Bebopper and Great Pianist


AllenLowe

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I also love him very much ! Actually, I like the two solos on Columbia 35378 (specially "I Didn't Know...") even better than his extraordinary trio recordings. Great records that hardly anyone bought at the time - it took me several years to find all four 78's from 1939/40 - and Profit is unduly forgotten today !

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sounds intriguing, but where can I actually listen to his playing?

(and what about Clyde Hart?)

As much as I like Profit - I would not label him "early bebopper". Clyde Hart sure was ! Profit's playing (based on the few records he made) reminds a bit of the solos Jimmy Jones made for Wax - albeit almost a decade later !

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I have the Storyville Wax label CD - some of Jones' sides are on it, but not all (I guess that was a fair decision as the remaining sessions are more interesting... but still, with the actual CD being so cheap and the package so nice, they could have done a 2CD set instead...)

Hart has alyways been fascinating to me ever since I got the Savoy 5LP complete Bird box 12 or 13 years ago (I think it was my first Bird, and what an impressive start it was!), and Hart is very good on the great "Red Cross" session (led by Tiny Grimes), which opens that box! (Also drummer Doc West I think was in that band of Lester Young's with no piano, which is sort of proto-bop, too - I think all that exists of that are two tunes from a live recording, alas.)

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Here's the Clarence Profit discography, according to Walter Bruyninckx:

----------------------------------------

Clarence Profit Trio : Clarence Profit (p) Billy Moore (g) Ben Brown (b)

New York, February 15, 1939

24122-1 Don't leve me Epic LN24028, SN6042, Meritt 15, Tax (Swd)m-8030, Col (E)33SX1506

24123-1 There'll be some changes made Br 8341, Meritt 15, Tax (Swd)m-8030

24124-1 I got rhythm Tax (Swd)m-8030, Meritt 15

24124-2 I got rhythm (*) Epic LN24028, SN6042, Meritt 15, Col (E)33SX1506

24125-2 Down home Meritt 4, 15

24126-1 Tropical nights (*) 15

24126-2 Tropical nights (unissued)

24127-1 Tea for two (*) Tax (Swd)m-8030, Meritt 15

24127-2 Tea for two Br 8341, Meritt 15

Note : Entire session except (*) on Memoir (E)MOIR504 (CD) entitled "Clarence Profit", rest of this CD

see following sessions and rest of this CD by the Washboard Serenaders and Georgia Washboard

Stompers. One take of "Tea for two" not known which used on Memoir (E)MOIR507 entitled "Harlem

Joys", rest of this CD by other artists. Meritt 4 as "Piano album" & 15 as "The complete

Clarence Profit 1939-1940". Tax (Swd)m-8030 as "Swing Street, Volume 2", rest of this LP by

other artists.

-----------------------------------------------

Clarence Profit (p) solos

New York, November 29, 1939

26308-A Body and soul Col 35378, Meritt 15

23609-A The blues -

Note : Both titles also on Memoir (E)MOIR504 (CD).

-----------------------------------------------

Clarence Profit (p) solos

New York, January 5, 1940

26308-B Body and soul Col 35378, Meritt 15

26308-C Body and soul -

26396-A I didn't know what time it was - , - , Col KG32355

26396-B I didn't know what time it was -

Note : Entire session anlso on Memoir (E)MOIR504 (CD). Columbia KG32355 entitled "A jazz piano

anthology", rest by other artists.

-----------------------------------------------

Clarence Profit (p) Jimmy Shirley (g) Ben Brown (b)

New York, September 11, 1940

68079-A Dark eyes De 8527, Meritt 15

68080-A Times Square blues 8503, - , Affinity (E)AFS 1022, MCA 1329, (F)510090, Franklin Mint 78

68081-A Hot and bothered De 8503, GRD639 (CD), Meritt 15, MCA 1329, (F)510090, Affinity (E)AFS1022

68082-A Azure De 8527, Meritt 15

Note : Entire session on Memoir (E)MOIR504 (CD). MCA 1329 entitled "Kings & Queens of ivory 1935-1940",

rest by other artists. De GRD639 (CD) as "A piano anthology (from Jelly Roll Morton to Billy

Evans)", rest by other artists. Affinity (E)AFS1022 as "Big band bounce & boogy-Piano portraits

Vol. 1", rest by other artists.

------------------------------------------------

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is there no LOVE for Clarence?

My Dad loved Nat Cole, Tatum, etc. and always told me about Clarence and how ahead of his time he was. I think I may have something on a comp but that's it. How much is available?

Besides the Merritt-LP (produced by Jerry Valburn) and the CD on Memoir (which I had never seen) Profit recorded with Teddy Bunn and several Washboard Bands in the early 30's; see discographies - and these tracks are on various CDs.

In addition, Profit composed "Lullaby in Rhythm" with his buddy Edgar Sampson in 1938.

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The Clarence Profit Memoir CD is listed on Amazon.fr.

Been a fan of Profit ever since Merritt released the vinyl album by him. That one continues to be spinned.

15 euros apiece.

...and now gone... after reading in this thread I would have ordered it for that prize, but hey, my bank account thanks him who was faster!

Anyway, it being listed by caiman I guess it's more likely that if you order it, you'll just get a re-fund in a month...

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  • 15 years later...

Here is the CD on the Internet Archive, with 30 second excerpts. The booklet is scanned so you can read the liner notes and session information.

https://archive.org/details/cd_profit-all-the-solo-and-trio-sides-complet_clarence-profit

There a few 78s that you can listen to on the Internet Archive:

https://archive.org/details/78_dark-eyes_clarence-profit-trio_gbia0363416a

https://archive.org/details/78_body-and-soul_clarence-profit-sour-heyman-eyton-green_gbia0017552a

There are also a few videos on YouTube, for example:

 

 

Edited by hopkins
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