[Dixielandjazz] Jazz Me News June 2002

[Don Mopsick]

JAZZ ME NEWS for June 2002

Newsletter For The Jim Cullum Jazz Band And Riverwalk, Live From The Landing Public
Radio Series

This is the text-only version. To read this newsletter on the web, go to
http://www.riverwalk.org/new.htm

LAMPS AND CORNETS
by Jim Cullum, Jr.

After about two years of fascinated blowing with my first cornet, I began to think
of a new horn. The original had served me well--a 1910 C. Bruno and Sons model that
I purchased from a San Antonio pawn shop. The negotiated price had been $7.

But now I had my eye on a new horn, as one day I walked into the C. Bruno and Sons
San Antonio office and came face to face with a brand new French Besson Brevette
cornet.

I had briefly met Fred Hoy, absolute ruler at C. Bruno. He was a cornet player
himself. He went "mm, mm, mm" and then "yum, yum" as he studied my old horn. "You
know," he said slowly, "if you like these short cornets, you should see what we
just received," and with that he whipped out the French Besson. I could only say
"wow" and repeated it several times, for to this day I've never seen a more
beautiful cornet. The story goes that Ed Sonfield, owner of Bruno, was strolling on
a Paris street one day in the late 1950s when in amazement he was stopped in his
tracks as a cornet lamp was grouped with other oddities in a window display at a
small store. The cornet was a pre-war French Besson. Ed rushed in and purchased the
lamp with the intention of scrapping the lamp portion and saving the great cornet.
As the shop owner counted out the change, Ed asked "Why would anyone make a lamp
out of such a great instrument?" "Oh that," came the reply, "I have twenty-four of
those cornets in the basement and can't sell them, so I finally started making
lamps. The lamps at least sell a little!"

Within another 30 minutes C. Bruno and Sons was seriously in the French Besson
cornet business. The entire collection was sent to cornet virtuoso Byron Autrey at
Michigan State. Byron, an expert, saw to it that all the Bessons were silver plated
and that all the valves were lapped perfectly. All were large bore (467 thousandths
of an inch), and many consider them among the greatest cornets of all time.

So I was off with my beautiful French Besson and it wasn't long until, to my
delight, I discovered that one of my idols, Bobby Hackett, was playing this same
cornet and had used it on his famed Coast Concert recording. These cornets were
beautifully engraved and silvered and each came with a case made of genuine
alligator.

I would probably have been happy to play the French Besson for the rest of my days
had not the Landing audience one night contained Sandy Sandberg, sales manager for
the newly organized Getzen Co. of Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Sandy pushed a new Getzen
cornet into my hand and bingo, I had a new lover. The Getzen's design was
influenced by a rare 1950s Conn cornet and by the French Besson, and I always
thought the designer had been both smart and lucky. Getzen made up a large bore
model just for me and I was a Getzen "artist" and advocate for 25 years. During all
that time Getzen more or less took over what there was of the American cornet
market.

In 1968 Bobby Hackett arrived in San Antonio to record with our band, and as he
unpacked, out came a shiny Getzen cornet. Hackett had been seduced just as I had.
But Hackett was fickle about cornets, and the next time I saw him he had a Benge
cornet and then an Olds that had belonged to Red Nichols.

At one point, Bobby decided to go into business with some fellows who were
developing a sound component store located in New York City. It was called "Bobby
Hackett's Sound Stage." Bobby would say, "I always wanted to be in business. Come
on over and see my office." Soon, when I was in New York I went to see Bobby, who
was set up with a private office at the rear of the sound component store. The
investors did the work, Bobby just lent his name for a small part of the ownership.
As I was shown in, Bobby rose from a large polished desk. He was in high spirits
and we visited. Conversation soon turned from his new business to our mutual
fascination, cornets. "I've gone back to the French Besson," he said. He seemed to
change about once a week.

In addition to Bobby's desk, the only furniture in the office was a large filing
cabinet. Bobby approached it and pulled on a drawer. Expecting to see a bank of
traditional file folders, I did a double take for the entire cabinet was jammed
with cornets, six drawers full!

I have never been as nutty as Bobby Hackett about my search for the ultimate
cornet. However, I do carry the "cornetaholic" gene, and fascinating cornets seem
to be out there waiting for me to chase them down odd pathways.

One evening Bruce McKinley, a friendly "bloke," approached, giving himself away
with his Australian accent. I affected a "g'day" and he gained inner circle access
by identifying himself as a friend of Bob Barnard, the great Australian cornetist.
Not only is Bob a great cornetist, he is, with the passing of Armstrong and
Hackett, clearly the greatest jazz cornetist in the world. At least that is my
strong opinion.

So, Bruce and I were off yakking, when he asked, "Do you know of any hock shops
around here? I want to buy an old cornet."

I did a fast mental geography search. "Well, there are hock shops but maybe you
should try the Army Navy store. It's located just a few blocks away and I pass it
every night en route to the Landing, and hanging from the rafters are all kinds of
old horns--trombones, tubas, saxophones and lots of cornets. I avoid the place like
a reformed drunk avoids a bar!"

The next night he was back questioning me, "Have you ever heard of a cornet by C.G.
Conn?"

"Of course, they were the greatest makers in the old days."

"Well over at that Army Navy store they have an odd cornet by C.G. Conn."

"What's odd about it?" I asked.

"This one has a vertical tuning slide."

I jumped a little. "Hey Bruce, that's a Conn Victor--right at the top of the list.
Beiderbecke played a Conn Victor! You'd better go back and grab it!"

"Oh," he groaned, "my wife has everything planned. She wants me to take her to
Austin and then to the Hill Country. I'll be doing my best just to get back to hear
one of your evening sets."

I protested, "It's a Conn Victor man, I've been looking for one all my life. Maybe
I'd better go and get it, and we'll work it out later!"

The next morning saw me casually looking over cornets at the Army Navy store and
feigning disinterest in the old Conn Victor. Finally I asked, "How much for this
old Conn?"

"Two hundred dollars," came the reply.

"Sold," I cried, no longer able to conceal my excitement.

Bruce showed up that night as I was wailing on the Victor. "I see you got the
cornet," he said, "how is it?"

"Oh Bruce, it's a gas. I paid $200, but it's for you. Just give me $200 and it's
yours."

"No" he said, "you like it, you should keep it."

We were like Alphonse and Gaston saying, "After you, no you."

"Look Bruce," I said, "you found it, you should take it."

Looking a little sheepish he finally confessed, "Jim, all I'm going to do is make a
lamp out of it!"

I stood back soaking in this new information. "Well in that case, I'm keeping it."

The great Conn Victor set my playing off in a new direction. Its huge bore is an
amazing 484 thousandths of an inch (the modern standard for cornets and trumpets is
460 thousandths of an inch). So, the Conn Victor was a different blow, as even the
most extreme large bore modern horn never exceeds 470 thousands of an inch, and it
took a while to get the volume of air just right.

The Conn Victor is easy to spot because of the "vertical tuning slide" Bruce spoke
about. So over time, a variety of listeners noticed it and would   step forward
with old Conn Victor cornets that had belonged to their grandfather or someone, and
had been stored in an attic for 50 years.

Generally unable to resist another Conn Victor, I gradually have amassed about
twelve of them and the number is still climbing. Still, not one plays as well as
the one Bruce found at the Army Navy store.

After Bruce and his wife had seen enough of the bushes and rivers of central Texas
they moved on to looking at bushes and rivers in Louisiana and eventually bushed
and rivered themselves all the way to New York City. Along the route Bruce had
found his lamp cornet, but his forward momentum still had him keeping a sharp
cornet eye out.

He was excited on the phone. "I'm in New York City and there's a music shop that
has a gold plated 1928 model Conn Victor."

"Thanks Bruce," I answered with a new passion in my voice, "I'll be in New York in
a couple of weeks and if it's still there I'll be on it." Following Bruce's
directions I went to W. 48th Street. In those days that neighborhood was still
throbbing with music stores, repair shops and teaching studios, and I always found
it charming to wander around there.  Usually a trumpet or trombone or two could be
heard practicing from some hidden window.  I found the address and climbed a steep
stair to discover a world of sales and service of used instruments.  The name read
A. Morini, and Mr. Morini himself was holding forth with his strong immigrant
Italian accent.

Finally, I started in, interrupting him as mildly as I could.  "I understand that
you have a gold plated Conn Victor cornet for sale." "Well, I did have that cornet
for sale for about a year until yesterday, but Wynton Marsalis, he came in and then
he bought it." Later I heard Wynton never plays the Conn and it's probably
gathering dust--or maybe he's made a lamp out of it!

After about ten Conn Victor years, fate took me to Portland, Maine to play two
nights with the Portland Symphony. Carl Bradford, a trumpet player, soon to become
a good friend, met me at the airport and showed me around Portland.  Later, he and
his wife provided oil skin slickers and we all went out to the craggy Maine coast
where we sat out on the rocks and feasted on steaming Maine lobster just taken from
a boiling pot.  They were such splendid hosts. Naturally, when Carl asked if I'd
give him a quick trumpet lesson I was pleased to comply and soon we were in his
basement working on our lowest and highest notes.  In the process he showed off a
beautiful 1914 Buescher cornet.

"Play it a little," he said, "and let me hear how you sound on it."

It was all innocent enough, but then I went head over heels again over another
cornet. "What a horn," I exclaimed as I handed it back, "What a horn!" Its bore
size was .489, even larger than the Conn Victor.  But, the Buescher wasn't for
sale, and several years passed before it arrived one day via United Parcel Service.
A note was enclosed from Carl: "I've finally decided to play only trumpet," it
said, "the Buescher cornet bore is too large for me.  If you don't want it, send it
back and I'll make a lamp out of it."

CULLUM BAND, EXHAUSTED BUT HAPPY, RETURNS FROM SACRAMENTO
by Don Mopsick

The Jim Cullum Jazz Band recorded seven new Riverwalk shows over two days this
Memorial Day Weekend at the Mother of all Jazz Festivals, the Sacramento Jazz
Jubilee. Along with two additional shows featuring guest bands, these exciting new
hour-long shows will be aired on Riverwalk on Public Radio throughout the rest of
2002.

To all of you who were there for the tapings--thanks for supporting Riverwalk! Here
are some of the highlights:

* A tribute to the music of Lu Watters and the original Yerba Buena Jazz Band, the
band that started the West Coast classic jazz revival of the 1940s which continues
to this day. Watch for Emperor Norton's Hunch: The Yerba Buena Stompers Play Lu
Watters, airing the week of June 27, 2002.

* A celebration of the 100th birthday of Richard Rodgers, one of the most prolific
and successful songwriters of the twentieth century. Watch for Richard Rodgers
100th Birthday Bash, airing the week of July 18, 2002.

*A tribute to the riff-based jazz of the Benny Goodman Sextet of the 1940s. The
landmark recordings Goodman made with guitarist Charlie Christian led directly to
the development of the bebop jazz style. Watch for Swingin' on a Riff: the Legacy
of the Benny Goodman Sextet, airing later this year.


STARDUST MELODY: THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF HOAGY CARMICHAEL by Richard M. Sudhalter

432 pp. Illustrated, Indexed. Published by Oxford University Press ISBN:
0-19-513120-7.

Reviewed by Floyd Levin

"Above all, great songs are indestructible artifacts, impervious to time and
changing fashion." --Richard M. Sudhalter

Writing successful popular music requires paradoxical skills. To retain their
appeal year after year, songs must have memorable melodies and engaging lyrics.
There are no set formulas--no guidelines. Songs can be eloquent or zany, immediate
or timeless, sentimental or trivial.

Most of each year's favorite music usually pales with the passage of time. The work
of Hoagy Carmichael helped elevate Tin Pan Alley from a refuge for hackneyed
writers, to a sanctuary for enduring words and music. Carmichael's "Skylark,"
"Georgia on My Mind, "Small Fry," and the incomparable "Star Dust" meet every
standard by which we will always measure great popular music.

In his introduction, author Richard M. Sudhalter invites us "to enter Hoagy
Carmichael's world--a world sprinkled, in the most truly magical sense, with
stardust."

By accepting that invitation, we are guided through a wealth of carefully
researched data illuminating every phase of Hoagland Howard Carmichael's life.
Early chapters cover the years from his birth on November 22, 1899 in Bloomington,
Indiana, his college life, his exposure to jazz, and his friendship with the great
jazz cornetist, Bix Beiderbecke. The 432-page chronicle, "the embodiment of a
once-upon-a-time American dream," continues until Carmichael's death on December
27, 1981.

Carmichael's first composition, "Free Wheeling," was recorded in 1924 at the
Richmond, Indiana studio of Gennett Records, a division of the Starr Piano Company.
The recording, by Bix Beiderbecke's Wolverines, was re-titled "Riverboat Shuffle."

In the same studio in 1927, Hoagy Carmichael and His Pals (including Andy Secrest,
Tommy Dorsey, and Jimmy Dorsey) recorded "One Night in Havana." A few days later,
with an augmented orchestra led by Emil Sidel, they made the initial recording of
"Star Dust." That first pair of Carmichael compositions was issued back to back on
Gennett 6311--one of those rare 78 rpm "items" collectors dream of finding one day.

"Star Dust," considered the quintessence of American music, has a core deeply
imbedded in the jazz idiom - especially in Bix Beiderbecke's stylized phrasing.

According to Sudhalter's accurate assessment, "Except Duke Ellington (and Harold
Arlen), Hoagy Carmichael is arguably the only major tunesmith whose musical roots
are discernibly in jazz."

Louis Armstrong recognized those roots and made definitive recordings of several
Carmichael songs. Armstrong's early version of "Star Dust," with Mitchell Parish's
wonderful lyrics, became a major hit in 1931. Since then, the tune has been
recorded probably more than any other--over one thousand variations were tabulated
by 1990!

When Armstrong recorded Carmichael's "Rockin' Chair" in 1929, the composer was at
his side singing in falsetto tones. This was one of the first inter-racial vocal
recordings. Based on the success of the Okeh record, the song became a permanent
part of Satchmo's repertoire. He recorded it in the original duet format with Pee
Wee Hunt, Jack Teagarden, Velma Middleton, Tyree Glenn, and others. ("Lazy Bones,"
and "Georgia on My Mind," were also introduced by Armstrong's recordings.)

As described by Sudhalter in Chapter 6, Armstrong and Carmichael reprised their
"Rockin' Chair" duet in 1970 during "Hello Louis!," a Los Angeles concert that
launched the Louis Armstrong Statue Fund. The composer volunteered to M.C. the
concert, and as producer, I conferred with him at his Hollywood penthouse apartment
on the Sunset Strip.

In despair about the Rock and Roll surge then dominating the music business, he was
writing a series of children's songs scheduled for publication that year.

I saw Bix Beiderbecke's cornet mouthpiece proudly displayed on the piano next to
Carmichael's 1951 Academy Award Oscar for "In the Cool, Cool, Cool, of the Evening"
(from the Bing Crosby film, Here Comes the Bride). When he expressed his love and
admiration for Beiderbecke, a tear rolled down his cheek.

Sudhalter explores each minute detail of the great composer's career. He provides
information about most of the 650 songs he wrote, and includes a paper trail of
over 50 pages of interesting footnoted credits that underpin his documentation.

Stardust Melody: The Life and Music of Hoagy Carmichael fully explains how he
gained musical immortality from melodies that are still "sprinkling their magic"
with "music of the years gone by."

Author Richard Sudhalter, a noted trumpet player, also co-authored Bix: Man and
Legend, nominated for the National Book Award. His acclaimed Lost Chords, White
Musicians and Their Contributions to Jazz, 1915 -1945, was published in 1999.

A companion CD, Stardust Melody, Beloved and Rare Songs of Hoagy Carmichael, has
been released by "A" Records/Challenge AL73231. It features Richard M. "Dick"
Sudhalter playing trumpet and flugelhorn with an all-star jazz band. Distributed by
Allegro

About the reviewer: Floyd Levin (left) has written award-winning articles about
jazz, which have been published throughout the world for more than 40 years.   A
reader's poll in the August 1999 issue of The Mississippi Rag honored him as
"Number 1 Jazz Journalist."  Floyd founded The Southern California Hot Jazz Society
in 1949 (the second oldest jazz club in the U.S.). Floyd Levin's highly acclaimed
book, Classic Jazz - A Personal View of the Music and the Musicians published by
the University of California Press, is now in its second printing.

JIM CULLUM HONORED BY SAN ANTONIO CONSERVATION SOCIETY

On May 14, 2002, the San Antonio Conservation Society selected bandleader and
Riverwalk co-producer Jim Cullum as a Texas Preservation Hero for his work in
defining the city's culture. "He's an institution to San Antonio," said Jill
Souter, president of the society. "He's made a great contribution to our city's
heritage."

Cullum said, "I'm very honored.  The Conservation Society [members] are the real
heroes of San Antonio. If it weren't for the foresight of conservationists in the
past, San Antonio wouldn't be the great city that it is."

UNITED WE STAND

For June 2002, Jim Cullum's Landing in San Antonio offers FREE ADMISSION if you are
currently employed as:

      *Active-duty US Armed Forces
*Firefighter
*Law-enforcement
*EMS

Please show your ID to your server. There is a limit of 4 free admissions per
party.

Jim Cullum says: "In this small way we wish to show our love for the country, and
our support of our military and our President."

For reservations, email us, or please call The Landing during normal business
hours, Central Time, Monday through Friday, at 210-223-7266 or 210-602-0967.
Reservations are suggested only on weekend nights or for large parties.

LISTENER FEEDBACK

Fan mail is music to our ears. We love hearing from you. If you have any comments
about our radio program or a live performance by the Jim Cullum Jazz Band, email
them to the webmaster at mophandl@landing.com, and please let us know where you are
located and on which radio station you heard the show.

UPCOMING TRAVELS:  The Jim Cullum Jazz Band appears Monday through Saturday nights
beginning at 8:30 PM at the Landing in San Antonio except for dates below.

June Events

There are no out-of-town engagements for the JCJB in June, so it's a good time to
come on down to the Landing in San Antonio and catch a live performance. Email
Chris at christocullen@hotmail.com for reservations.

July Events

  a.. 17 Lincoln Center Midsummer Night Swing, New York, NY with Dick Hyman
  b.. 18 40th Anniversary Concert with Dick Hyman, Tisch Center for the Performing
Arts, 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave., New York, NY (941) 473-2787
  c.. 19-20 The JCJB is out of town tonight.
  d.. 21 Riverwalk Taping: Stanford Jazz Festival, 7:30 PM, Dinkelspiel Auditorium,
Braun Music Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA. Tickets will be available at
the door. For advance tickets, purchases and information call 650-725-ARTS,
Stanford's public events line at 650-723-2551, or Stanford's general number
650-723-6500.
  e.. 22-24 The Jim Cullum Jazz Band is on the faculty of the Stanford Summer Jazz
Camp.
  f.. 25-27 The JCJB is out of town tonight.
  g.. 28 Private Party, Woodside, CA
  h.. 29-Aug. 2 The Jim Cullum Jazz Band is on the faculty of the Stanford Summer
Jazz Camp.
UPCOMING ON RIVERWALK, LIVE FROM THE LANDING

6/6
Bogalusa Strut: The Story of Danny Barker
The Jim Cullum Jazz Band performs and actor Vernel Bagneris tells the story of
guitarist Danny Barker, a New Orleans original who went on to play with bands led
by Cab Calloway and Benny Carter.

6/13
Tin Roof Blues: The Story of the New Orleans Rhythm Kings
The Jim Cullum Jazz Band and special guest piano legend Dick Hyman celebrate the
New Orleans Rhythm Kings, early pioneers of Chicago-style hot jazz.

6/20
Pennies from Heaven: The Lyrics of Johnny Burke
Vocalist Rebecca Kilgore joins The Jim Cullum Jazz Band with songs Johnny Burke
wrote for Bing Crosby.

6/27
Emperor Norton's Hunch: The Yerba Buena Stompers Play Lu Watters
Special guest band, the Yerba Buena Stompers re-create Lu Watters original
arrangements and perform Watters' own compositions.

The Riverwalk public radio series is sponsored by See's Candies, Inc. Visit the
See's site at http://www.sees.com