Take 5 With Earl 'Fatha' Hines

Earl 'Fatha' Hines was one of the great jazz pianists. His trumpet style of playing was highly influential. Addirionally, he led one of the great big bands which in its later incarnation hosted some of the bebop pioneers such as Dizzy Gilespie and Charlie Parker. We start off this short playlist with a duet with Louis Armstrong, "Weather Bird."

While not known as a boogie-woogie pianist he did record a classic "Boogie Woogie on St. Louis Blues." This is a solo performance in France.

One of the Hines Big band's most famous number was "Second Balcony Jump." The great Budd Johnson takes the tenor sax solo.

Next up is Hines playing "Rosetta" in 1939.

Last in our short playlist is a marvelous rendition of Eubie Blake's "Memories of You" from 1965.

As a bonus we have a video of Earl Hines describing his influences and technique.

Take 5 With Jimmy Noone

New Clarinetist Jimmy Noone was a pioneer of early jazz. His Wikipedia entry summarizes his career - 'Jimmie Noone (April 23, 1895 – April 19, 1944) was an American jazz clarinetist and bandleader. After beginning his career in New Orleans he led Jimmie Noone's Apex Club Orchestra, an influential Chicago band that recorded for Vocalion and Decca Records. Maurice Ravel acknowledged basing his Boléro on a Jimmie Noone improvisation. At the time of his death, Noone had his own quartet in Los Angeles and was part of an all-star band that was an important force in reviving interest in traditional New Orleans jazz in the 1940s."

For this Take 5 we look at his somewhat brief but influential career. he led a group at the Apex Club whose personnel also included Joe Poston (alto saxophone), Earl Hines (piano), Bud Scott (banjo and guitar) and Johnny Wells (drums). Later an Alex Hill would take over the piano chair. We start with what is likely his most famous recording, 'Sweet Lorraine."

Next up is a recording of "A Monday Date," that Earl Hines also recorded with Louis Armstrong.

Tampa Red and Georgia Tom as The Hokum Boys made "It's Tight Like That," a popular number of the era. Here is Jimmy Noone's recording.

He continued to lead groups in Chicago into the 1930s. Here he is heard with a group that included Gus Kelly on trumpet and Preston Jackson on trombone performing "Sweet Georgia Brown."

By the 194s he moved to California, leading a quartet as well as playing in an All-Star group that included Kid Ory that was broadcast over the air and hosted by Orson Welles. Here they perform, 'High Society."

Benny Goodman and countless other clarinet players were inspired and influenced by Noone. Noone was supposed to continue as part of the band on Orson Welles' broadcast, but his sudden passing was noted by Welles and memorialized by the band on the broadcast by "Blues For Jimmy." I add as a bonus the 1944 recording by Kid Ory to this playlist.

Louis Armstrong and the Allstars in Zurich

TCOB Music calls itself The Montreux Jazz Label ™ and has several different series which can be distinguished by the color of the CD spine. Red is devoted to bebop, hardbop and postbop, green is devoted to the Swiss Radio Days Jazz Series and has vintage jazz concerts recorded by Swiss radio (I have heard an excellent live Art Blakey set), while blue is devoted to the music of the forties and fifties in general.One of its recent productions in the blue series presents Louis Armstrong’s All Stars.

Armstrong’s Live in Zurich, Switzerland, dates from October, 1949 and features (I believe) the original All Stars lineup of Armstrong, trumpet and vocals; Jack Teagarden, trombone and vocals; Barney Bigard, clarinet; Earl Hines, piano; Arvell Shaw, bass, Cozy Cole, drums; and Velma Middleton on vocals.

There is nothing too fancy or surprising with the repertoire. These tunes and this band helped define the ‘Dixieland’ repertoire such as That’s A Plenty, Basin Street Blues (a feature for Teagarden’s relaxed singing and trombone before Armstrong adds his magic); Royal Garden Blues; Armstrong’s classic Struttin’ With Some Barbecue; Fats Waller’s (What Did I Do To Be So) Black & Blue and Honeysuckle Rose; High Society and Do You Know What it Means (to Miss New Orleans).

Plenty of high points here as Armstrong is particularly poignant on Black and Blue, with some brilliant piano from Earl Hines behind the horns and Armstrong’s vocal. Velma’s Blues is a mid-tempo blues that features Ms. Middleton trading a variety of traditional blues stanzas, while Fatha Hines is featured with his unique piano style on Honeysuckle Rose, and more rollicking playing on Fine and Dandy, whose melody is so familiar but which I can’t identify. Body and Soul opens with some very nice playing from Bigard for the first two and a half minutes before the All Stars kick up the tempo a notch, which is typical for many renditions of this standard that are not modeled on Coleman Hawkins’ classic rendition.

Back ‘O’ Town Blues is a vocal feature for Louis with Teagarden adding some verbal comments as well as his bluesy trombone solo before Louis takes off in flight which he follows with a spirited High Society, with marvelous clarinet by Bigard, although the tempo may be a bit too fast. Teagarden and Armstrong handle the vocals on Do You Know What It Means, before the All Stars close on The Huckle-Buck, with Ms. Middleton taking the mike.

A very enjoyable collection of performances and valuable for documenting a live performance of the Armstrong’s early Allstars.

This review appeared in slightly different form in the April 2008 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 303). I believe I received my review copy from that publication. This is still available.

Bob Seeley's Strong Boogie Woogie

Bob Seeley at 2011 WWOZ Piano Night

Attending the annual WWOZ Piano Night, Monday May 2, after the first weekend of the New Orleans Jazz & heritage Festival, I had the pleasure of seeing a number of really terrific pianists, some who may be familiar, but others less known.Many of the pianists were from New Orleans and their music echoed such Crescent City stand bearers as Professor Longhair and James Booker. One exception was Boogie Woogie pianist, Bob Seeley from outside of Detroit.

A Detroit neighbor, Seeley was fortunate enough to become friends with one of the true legends of the idiom, Meade Lux Lewis, who along with Albert Ammons and Peter Johnson, are the primary influences on his music. Seeley’s performance at Piano Night was marvelous with a standout performance being of W.C. Handy’s “St. Louis Blues” in which he adapted Earl Hines’ “Boogie Woogie on St. Louis Blues” as well as a section in which Seeley employed stride piano elements in interpreting this classic. Also strong was a rendition of “Just a Little Walk,” which added boogie woogie elements to his interpretation of this gospel staple. It was a remarkable live performance in which he displayed a strong left hand bass as well as a driving and precise right hand. His articulation of his piano playing was on point.

After his set I engaged him on his performance and told him I especially enjoyed his treatment of “St. Louis Blues.” He had several CDs for sale and recommended his CD “Detroit Style Boogie & Blues PIano” (Bob Seeley Music, Inc.) It was a purchase I certainly did not regret as it contains a number strong interpretations from the likes of his friend, Meade Lux Lewis, “Chicago Flyer,” “Honky Tonk Train” and “Boogie Tidal,” as well as renditions of Pete Johnson’s “K.C. on My Mind,” Hersal Thomas’ “The Fives,” Freddie Shayne’s “Mr. Freddie’s Blues,” and Jimmy Yancey’s “Barbershop Blues.” There are also superb renditions of “St. Louis Blues” and “Just a Closer Walk,” that exhibit his powerful, focused and deft attack that would make Lewis proud of his disciple. He also does not slavishly copy his sources as heard on the classic “Honky Tonk Train,” as well as “Barbershop Blues,” where his playing owes more to Lewis’ rock solid approach than Yancey’s lyrical playing. Arguably, his boogie flavored interpretation of “Watermelon Man,” does not quite succeed but a minor blemish on what is generally a terrific recording.

Bob Seeley’s CDs (except for a collaboration with Mark Barun (Mr. B) may be diificult to locate him. You might email him for information on this and other CDs at bobseeleypiano@aol.com.