Autographs of jazz artists

[mikeweil]

 

Sometime around 1982-3 I had Clifford Brown sign my copy of "Glass Bead Games".

You mean Clifford Jordan, of course? 

[kh1958]

I have Horace Silver's autograph on the Silveto/Emerald releases I bought from him at the Caravan of Dreams years ago. He was signing for everyone.

I occasionally find used LPs which are autographed. Most interestingly, Gunther Schuller's Music for Brass on Columbia, which appears to be autographed on the front by Gunther Schuller, John Lewis, Joseph Wilder, Miles Davis, JJ Johnson, and Dimiitri Mitropoulos. The LP is signed on the back by Don Wittig (the LP's owner?).

[medjuck]

I forgot-- I've got Buell Neidlinger's autograph on the booklet of the Mosaic Cecil Taylor/Neidlinger box set. I was talking to Buell during a film scoring session he was on and he mentioned he had some copies he could sell. So I bought one and he autographed it.

[Free For All]

I have a few autographed CDs including Ed Thigpen's Out of the Storm and Mel Lewis' Soft Lights & Hot Music. Actually Maria Schneider got the latter for me when we were at the Vanguard to hear Mel's band.

[Tom in RI]

Sometime around 1982-3 I had Clifford Brown sign my copy of "Glass Bead Games".

You mean Clifford Jordan, of course?

I am not getting enough sleep. Yeah, Clifford Jordan.

Edited December 12, 2010 by Tom in RI

[BillF]

I have a few autographed CDs including Ed Thigpen's Out of the Storm and Mel Lewis' Soft Lights & Hot Music. Actually Maria Schneider got the latter for me when we were at the Vanguard to hear Mel's band.

That's a fine Mel Lewis album and a great band which I saw at the Wigan Jazz Festival. No autograph, though!

[Aggie87]

Among others, I have autographed CDs from board members Paul McKee, Paul Abella, and Organissimo.

[jeffcrom]

I have a few jazz autographs, but one of the few artists I've asked to sign an album was bluesman Wade Walton. I took my copy of his only full-length album (long out of print) to his barbershop in Clarksdale, Mississippi. I had been warned that he didn't like to be interrupted while he worked, and sure enough, he scowled when I came in. But I think I hit the right tone with my apologetic explanation; he signed the album and seemed impressed that I had a copy. He even wanted to talk for awhile, but he still had a customer in the chair, so I made a pretty quick exit.

On another trip to Clarksdale, I heard Othar Turner's Rising Star Fife and Drum Band at the Sunflower River Blues Festival, and bought a cassette from his daughter Bernice Pratcher, who played snare drum in the band. A few minutes later I saw Mr. Turner in the audience, digging the next band. I told him how much I enjoyed his performance and asked him to sign the cassette card. He got a funny look on his face, and I instantly realized that I hadn't thought things through - an African-American born in 1907 in rural Mississippi might not be able to write, and this appeared to be the case. I was horrified that I might have embarrassed him, but he took the card and the pen and laboriously wrote a "t" and I told him that I appreciated it.

Edited December 12, 2010 by jeffcrom

[Dave James]

Just a couple. Pat Metheny on the album "The Pat Metheny Group" and Jimmy McGriff on his album "Let's Stay Together."

[paul secor]

I have a few jazz autographs, but one of the few artists I've asked to sign an album was bluesman Wade Walton. I took my copy of his only full-length album (long out of print) to his barbershop in Clarksdale, Mississippi. I had been warned that he didn't like to be interrupted while he worked, and sure enough, he scowled when I came in. But I think I hit the right town with my apologetic explanation; he signed the album and seemed impressed that I had a copy. He even wanted to talk for awhile, but he still had a customer in the chair, so I made a pretty quick exit.

On another trip to Clarksdale, I heard Othar Turner's Rising Star Fife and Drum Band at the Sunflower River Blues Festival, and bought a cassette from his daughter Bernice Pratcher, who played snare drum in the band. A few minutes later I saw Mr. Turner in the audience, digging the next band. I told him how much I enjoyed his performance and asked him to sign the cassette card. He got a funny look on his face, and I instantly realized that I hadn't thought things through - an African-American born in 1907 in rural Mississippi might not be able to write, and this appeared to be the case. I was horrified that I might have embarrassed him, but he took the card and the pen and laboriously wrote a "t" and I told him that I appreciated it.

Had a similar experience with Honeyboy Edwards about 20 years ago. He printed "HONEYBOY" on a couple of albums. I think that I was probably more embarrassed than he was.

[JohnS]

One I overlookd earlier - Ray Anderson.

[sonnymax]

I've collected quite a few autographs over the years. Sonny Rollins signed a Prestige twofer back in '83, the first jazz album I ever bought. I got one from Horace Tapscott when he played the Vanguard that I'm very fond of. I also have a copy of Joe Henderson's Mode For Joe that has everyone's signature, except for Lee Morgan. There are many others - Art Blakey, Tony Williams, Jackie McLean, Von Freeman, Art Farmer, Tommy Flanagan, Alan Dawson...

I don't think it's "lame" to ask for an autograph from someone you really admire. Almost all of the musicians I've asked have been gracious and appreciative of having a fan who values their art and wants a memento. It's not like they're rock stars or movie stars who has thousands of people clamoring for a piece of them. For me, it's a special reminder of having enjoyed the experience of watching and listening to a great artist.

[marcello]

Lame for me, not for you!

[Big Beat Steve]

Lame for me, not for you!

Oh come on ... really now.

You know others might think it terribly lame to wield camera equipment around, hopping to and fro in front of the stage and flashing away like mad.

(Not me, I've done my fair share of image taking too, but there are moments when I understand each and everyone who thinks this is lame because every now and then there are events where the bunch of "self-appointed pro" photographers who get into the (seated) audience's way just is too numerous).

To each his own, then, O.K.?

Edited December 12, 2010 by Big Beat Steve

[Spontooneous]

A few months back in Kansas City, we had a few events built around a world-renowned jazzman in his 80s who is ailing, on oxygen and in a wheelchair. A collector of my acquaintance brought a collectable LP for him to autograph. At this point, the musician's signature is crude and barely legible. After he had scrawled across the front of the LP cover, the collector was livid. "He DEFACED my album!" he told friends.

Edited December 13, 2010 by Spontooneous

[mikeweil]

Among others, I have autographed CDs from .... Organissimo.   

You're not alone ...

[Hot Ptah]

I have just a few. I saw James Carter in concert in April, 1996, in a small club. His playing was very energetic and it sounded great to me. I was so impressed that I asked for his autograph. I remember thinking, this would be like asking John Coltrane for his autograph in 1955. But then I have never heard him play nearly as well since. It is as if he became a different person after that concert, one who could not play as well, forever after that.

I got Clark Terry's autograph about 10 years ago only because I took a client to a concert and this client insisted on going to get Clark's autograph together after the show. I felt embarassed about it, although Clark was very gracious.

I got Bobby Watson's autograph on his CD, at a booth where he was selling a privately produced and distributed CD after an outdoor festival performance. The autograph was part of the promotion.

I had Sam Rivers sign his Horo Records album after a concert at an outdoor festival in Topeka a few years ago. His daughter was standing there and asked Sam if they had a copy of that album. Sam shook his head and said that he did not know.

I got Dexter Gordon's autograph at an in-store personal appearance at Schoolkids Records in Ann Arbor in the fall of 1979. While he was signing, a young man ran up to him and breathlessly shouted "Dexter! Dexter! I love jazz so much, but the only gigs I can get are playing disco! I hate disco! I love jazz! What should I do, what SHOULD I do, to be able to play the jazz I love so much! What can you tell me, Dexter!"

Dexter stared at him for a good 10 seconds, let out a long, low pitched, gutteral non-verbal sound for about 10 seconds, and said, "Urrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh..........Keep on swingin'".

That was it. The young man looked stunned, and walked away slowly, backward, in a daze.

[Ken Dryden]

I routinely save signed correspondence from jazz musicians, though I have slacked off from taking CD booklets or LP jackets to be autographed during concerts or conferences. I have maybe 20 publicity photos, including personalized autographs by Dave Brubeck, Oscar Peterson, Marian McPartland and Milt Hinton. I also have a copy of the Great Day in Harlem with a letter from McPartland on its back, while I loaned her a copy of Stephane Grappelli's first piano album for her to show to him the day they taped her Piano Jazz show and he autographed it for me.

[marcello]

Lame for me, not for you!

Oh come on ... really now.

You know others might think it terribly lame to wield camera equipment around, hopping to and fro in front of the stage and flashing away like mad.

(Not me, I've done my fair share of image taking too, but there are moments when I understand each and everyone who thinks this is lame because every now and then there are events where the bunch of "self-appointed pro" photographers who get into the (seated) audience's way just is too numerous).

To each his own, then, O.K.?

That's what I said!

[tjluke68]

I had Freddie Hubbard sign a CD for me when he was at the JAZZ STANDARD some 10 years ago or so and Stanley Turrentine sign a CD when he was at Blue Note or Birdland (forget which). I've also picked up some LPs at yard sales or on ebay with autographs by Woody Herman, Maynard Ferguson, Stan Kenton, Count Basie and probably some others I can't remember right now...

[MartyJazz]

I've followed jazz since the 70s. I have seen many shows, and in the 30 plus years I've only asked for two autographs.

Sonny Rollins and Horace Silver.

Anyone here collect autographs of jazz musicians? If yes, who do you have?

I have a couple which I didn't have to ask for. Many years ago, Joe Henderson came to my apartment for dinner with a copy of his latest LP, "Black is the Color" which he signed at my girlfriend's request. Years later, a friend gave me a copy of Eric Nisenson's book on Sonny Rollins which Sonny had signed, making that an especially nice birthday gift.

The only time I specifically asked someone in the jazz world to sign something was sometime back in the '80s when I went to the Vanguard with a copy of owner Max Gordon's book, "Live at the Village Vanguard" which he not only graciously signed, but wrote some lengthy prose on the frontispiece.

[Ted O'Reilly]

In 37 years of doing 6-day-a-week jazz shows, I never asked for an autograph from any of the 300 or so artists I interviewed, from Duke to Eubie Blake to Mingus to Yank Lawson to... Nor any photos, though I have a few pics from people who took shots of the artist and I was in them. I wish I had more pictures (I love a Polaroid of me with Doc Cheatham), but autographs don't mean much.

On the other hand, when the jazz-fan father of a friend died, my pal gave me a signed bar menu from The Silver Grill in Buffalo NY ("Charge -- 10c per person after 9 o'clock"). It has five signatures of the re-formed Original Dixieland Jazz Band: Eddie Edwards, Larry Shields, J. Russel Robinson, Harry K. Barth and Tony Sbarbaro. No Nick LaRocca to fill up the band, unfortunately. From that personnel I'd say it's from around 1936 or so.

I'd scan it for sharing here, but I don't know how to add images to a posting.

[king ubu]

I've spoken to a few musicians, told them I enjoyed concerts etc, but the only autograph I got so far is from Rhoda Scott (see the Rhoda thread in the artists section for details).

She signed the back of the booklet of the double disc "Very Saxy" that I brought with me, putting a little dedication onto the organ she's playing on the photo there - very nice to have this little memory of that great night!

[gmonahan]

I've put a few together over the years: Ellington, Basie, Gillespie, Herman, Kenton. I also have Freddie Green and Buddy DeFranco. Got 'em on programs, mostly, though Woody Herman signed a 78 of "Blue Flame." He got kind of a kick out of that.

gregmo

[CJ Shearn]

The autographs I value most are 5 albums signed by Pat Metheny on different occassions and two Jack DeJohnette autographs. Pat and Jack signed my copy of Brecker's "Pilgrimage". I also have autographs from Vincent Herring, Carl Allen, Cyrus Chestnut, among others.