[Dixielandjazz] Frank Newton

[Jim Denham]

Folks!

I've just purchased a brilliant double-CD: "Frank Newton - the Story of 
A Forgotten Jazz Trumpeter" ('Jasmine' JASCD 633). I have no commercial 
or other unworthy interest in this product.

It's a very well-chosen and reasonably-priced (in the UK) overview of 
Newton's work, from "Cecil Scott's Bright Boys" in 1929 to "Buck Ram's 
All Stars" in 1944, taking in sessions with Bessie Smith, Mezz, Teddy 
Hill, Charlie Barnett, Bechet, Billie, Willie 'The Lion', etc, etc. I 
was not familiar with most of the material, apart from the Mezz sides 
and Billie's 'Strange Fruit'. The title "Forgotten Trumpeter" may be a 
little exaggerated, but this selection certainly drove home to me just 
how underrated he is/was. He also had very bad luck, largely due to 
ill-health: he left the Teddy Hill Orchestra just before they toured 
Europe and his replacement, Bill Coleman, made his reputation in France. 
He was also a founder-member of the John Kirby Sextet, only to be forced 
out by a back injury and replaced by Charlie Shavers just as the group 
was taking off. Roy Eldridge is usually cited as the link between Louis 
and Dizzy, but on the strength of this selection, I'd say that Newton 
deserves that accolade at least as much as Roy.

Sally-Ann Worsford's detailed notes give a good description of Newton's 
all-to-short life (he died aged 48 in 1954), and she is also responsible 
for the "concept" of the package and the selection of titles. Well done 
that woman!

Ms Worsford makes the point that "rare amongst jazz musicians of his 
generation, Newton took an active interest in politics and was a 
committed left winger actively involved in the Civil Rights movement. An 
impassioned, eloquent spokesman for his beliefs, he loved to debate". My 
understanding is that he was either a member or a fellow-traveller of 
the US Communist Party, and I've always wondered whether or not it is a 
co-incidence that the Marxist historian Eric Hobsbaum used the name 
"Francis Newton" when he wrote about jazz.

Anyway, it's a long-overdue memorial to a great and neglected musician, 
and would make a nice Christmas present to a discerning jazz-lover.


-- 
Jim Denham