First Piano Bass Drums Trio

[randyhersom]

I was googling for the answer to the question posed by the title and came up with this link:

http://nedjudy.com/jpt/

suggesting that the first was:

December 18, 1944. Eroll Garner records with bassist John Simmons, and drummer Harold "Doc" West, establishing a new standard format for the jazz piano trio.

Wow, that seems late. I would have guessed Teddy Wilson but the onling Discographies I have fouind are pretty weak.

[AllenLowe]

well, Morton did piano-clarinet-drums.

depends on your definition of "bass."

[brownie]

Jess Stacy - Israel Crosby - Gene Krupa

November 15, 1935 record session for Decca.

[Shrdlu]

well, Morton did piano-clarinet-drums.

depends on your definition of "bass."

Bass clarinet?

[Larry Kart]

well, Morton did piano-clarinet-drums.

depends on your definition of "bass."

The "bass" in those recording was Morton's left hand, no?

[AllenLowe]

I love those Morton things -

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Jess Stacy - Israel Crosby - Gene Krupa

November 15, 1935 record session for Decca.

That's surprisingly early! Were there others between 1935 and 1944? Or was that a lone prophetic recording that didn't have much impact at the time?

MG

[John L]

Count Basie made those celebrated recordings in the 30s with Jo Jones and Walter Page. Technically, it was a quartet, however, as Freddie Green was also in the mix. But I imagine that the Basie example might still have been influential on the subsequent development of the piano trio. No?

[brownie]

Jess Stacy - Israel Crosby - Gene Krupa

November 15, 1935 record session for Decca.

That's surprisingly early! Were there others between 1935 and 1944? Or was that a lone prophetic recording that didn't have much impact at the time?

MG

As a member of the Jess Stacy appreciation society, I just remembered that trio date!

Have not made further research on the subject but Mary Lou Williams recorded two piano/bass/drums sessions (also for Decca) in March 1936. With Booker Collins on bass and Ben Thigpen (Ed's father) on drums.

[clifford_thornton]

Mary Lou Williams would have been my first guess, had I put my thinking cap on.

[Chuck Nessa]

Mary Lou recorded trios in 1936 and 1938.

[randyhersom]

I tried passing on this info to Ned Judy, the page's author, but it looks like I would have to join MySpace to do so. If anyone's already on MySpace, maybe they could drop him a note.

[Pete C]

How about the piano-bass-guitar trio? Did it start with Tatum? That seemed to be the more dominant format until bop, and it lived on well into the fifties, especially in lounge combos (as seen in many films).

Edit: Ah, I took a look at that Ned Judy page. So this format started with Clarence Profit, according to him, a name I didn't know. I also didn't know or remember that King Cole's trio predates Tatum's.

Edited June 12, 2010 by Pete C