[Dixielandjazz] Hal Smith's Obituary for Bob Helm
G. William Oakley
y@earthlink.net
Sun, 15 Sep 2002 21:53:28 -0400
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OBITUARIES
=20
Bob Helm
Born: Fairmead, California 18 July 1914
Died: San Rafael, California 1 Sept. 2002
=20
Bob Helm's clarinet playing with Lu Watters' Yerba Buena Jazz Band, Turk =
Murphy's San Francisco Jazz Band and others was one of the most =
individualistic and inspiring sounds of the Classic Jazz Revival.
=20
He became interested in jazz at an early age and was a professional =
musician while still a teenager. As a young man, he toured the =
Southwest with territory bands. On these tours, he met many of the =
musicians he would later be associated with, including Watters, Murphy =
and Paul Lingle. Later he depped with the Bob Wills Texas Playboys, one =
of the greatest 'Western Swing' outfits. This band also included =
trumpeter Benny Strickler (a member of the wartime Yerba Buena Jazz =
Band) and Danny Alguire (later the cornetist with the Firehouse 5+2). =
Helm and Strickler also played together in California with Wingy =
Manone's Orchestra.
=20
In the late '30s Helm worked with Lu Watters' Sweet's Ballroom =
Orchestra--a large orchestra which played popular tunes of the day as =
well as jazz and swing standards. The orchestra also contained a =
band-within-a-band in the Bob Crosby mold, which played dixieland. =
Eventually, Watters gave up on the orchestra and organized the Yerba =
Buena Jazz Band. Helm was a charter member of the YBJB, along with =
trumpeter Bob Scobey, trombonist Turk Murphy, pianist Wally Rose, =
banjoists Russ Bennett and Clancy Hayes, tubist Dick Lammi and drummer =
Bill Dart. Helm left the band after a disagreement concerning dynamics, =
with Turk Murphy following soon after. Both returned to play =
periodically with the wartime version of the YBJB. Helm also played =
sessions with Bunk Johnson during Bunk's visits to San Francisco. He =
was present during at least one of the recording sessions which paired =
Bunk with the Yerba Buenans. Though Ellis Horne was hired for the date, =
Helm played along with the band, just off-mic.
=20
He served in the Army during WWII, including a stay in France with the =
army of occupation. After demobilzation, he joined the regenerated =
Yerba Buena Jazz Band at the Dawn Club in San Francisco, staying with =
the band as they moved operations across the bay to Hambone Kelly's in =
El Cerrito. Helm was part of the cooperative, assisting with the =
running of the club in addition to playing in the YBJB at night. He =
played clarinet with Watters until the YBJB disbanded on 1 Jan., 1951. =20
=20
Following the breakup of the Watters Band, Helm relocated to Portland, =
Oregon where he worked with the Castle Jazz Band. An opportunity to =
work with Turk Murphy's Jazz Band came the following year, when San =
Francisco art dealer and jazz enthusiast Charles Campbell offered to =
sponsor the Turk Murphy Jazz Band in concert at the Italian Village. =
Helm and Castle colleagues Monte Ballou (banjo), Don Kinch (trumpet) and =
Bob Short (tuba) flew to San Francisco to take part in the historic =
concert. The concert led to a steady engagement, which re-established =
Turk Murphy as one of the most important standard-bearers of the San =
Francisco style. For the next 30 years, Bob Helm was in and out of the =
Turk Murphy ensemble. When the Murphy Band toured the East in 1954, =
Helm made his first recordings as a leader for the Riverside label, with =
the 'Riverside Roustabouts'. Between stints with the Murphy Band, Helm =
also worked occasionally with the Bay City Jazz Band and the El Dorado =
Jazz Band.
=20
During the 1960s and '70s, Helm played with Ted Shafer's Jelly Roll Jazz =
Band, the Swingin' A's (the strolling quartet at Oakland A's baseball =
games), Dick Oxtot's Golden Age Jazz Band, Bob Mielke's Bearcats, Earl =
Scheelar's Funky New Orleans Jazz Band and the Golden State Jazz Band. =
He stayed active for two more decades, working with the South Frisco =
Jazz Band, Carl Lunsford's Rhythm Wizards and others. The 1990s found =
him recording with the Down Home Jazz Band, Jacques Gauthe's Creole Rice =
Jazz Band, Chris Tyle's New Orleans Rover Boys and his own group. He =
was playing occasional jobs with Leon Oakley's Friends of Jazz and Clint =
Baker's Cafe' Borrone All Stars up until late spring of 2002.
=20
Bob Helm was modest concerning his own talent, but lavish in praise of =
others'. He had an uncanny ability to play perfect reed parts on =
clarinet, alto clarinet and soprano, alto and tenor saxes in any size =
band, playing any kind of hot jazz. He was also endowed with an =
infallible memory and thus was invaluable to anyone researching San =
Francisco Jazz. He was a loyal friend and a classy, witty companion in =
any social situation. He will be greatly missed by a myriad of friends =
and fans.
=20
Fortunately, most of Bob Helm's recordings are still available. =
Numerous CDs containing material by the Yerba Buena Jazz Band, Turk =
Murphy, South Frisco JB, Jelly Roll JB, Down Home JB, Funky New Orleans =
JB, Creole Rice JB, Rover Boys, Carol Leigh and Helm's own band may be =
found on labels such as Good Time Jazz, GHB, Stomp Off and Merry Makers.
=20
Hal Smith
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Trebuchet MS" =
size=3D6><STRONG>OBITUARIES</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Trebuchet MS" =
size=3D6><STRONG></STRONG></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Trebuchet MS" size=3D4><STRONG>Bob =
Helm</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Trebuchet MS">Born: Fairmead, California 18 July=20
1914</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Trebuchet MS">Died: San Rafael, California 1 Sept.=20
2002</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Trebuchet MS"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Trebuchet MS">Bob Helm's clarinet playing with Lu =
Watters'=20
Yerba Buena Jazz Band, Turk Murphy's San Francisco Jazz Band and others =
was one=20
of the most individualistic and inspiring sounds of the Classic Jazz=20
Revival.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Trebuchet MS"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Trebuchet MS">He became interested in jazz at an =
early age and=20
was a professional musician while still a teenager. As a young =
man, he=20
toured the Southwest with territory bands. On these tours, he met =
many of=20
the musicians he would later be associated with, including Watters, =
Murphy and=20
Paul Lingle. Later he depped with the Bob Wills Texas Playboys, =
one of the=20
greatest 'Western Swing' outfits. This band also included =
trumpeter Benny=20
Strickler (a member of the wartime Yerba Buena Jazz Band) and Danny =
Alguire=20
(later the cornetist with the Firehouse 5+2). Helm and Strickler =
also=20
played together in California with Wingy Manone's =
Orchestra.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Trebuchet MS"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Trebuchet MS">In the late '30s Helm worked with Lu =
Watters'=20
Sweet's Ballroom Orchestra--a large orchestra which played popular tunes =
of the=20
day as well as jazz and swing standards. The orchestra also =
contained a=20
band-within-a-band in the Bob Crosby mold, which played dixieland. =
Eventually, Watters gave up on the orchestra and organized the Yerba =
Buena Jazz=20
Band. Helm was a charter member of the YBJB, along with trumpeter =
Bob=20
Scobey, trombonist Turk Murphy, pianist Wally Rose, banjoists Russ =
Bennett and=20
Clancy Hayes, tubist Dick Lammi and drummer Bill Dart. Helm left =
the band=20
after a disagreement concerning dynamics, with Turk Murphy following =
soon=20
after. Both returned to play periodically with the wartime version =
of the=20
YBJB. Helm also played sessions with Bunk Johnson during Bunk's =
visits to=20
San Francisco. He was present during at least one of the recording =
sessions which paired Bunk with the Yerba Buenans. Though Ellis =
Horne was=20
hired for the date, Helm played along with the band, just =
off-mic.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Trebuchet MS"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Trebuchet MS">He served in the Army during WWII, =
including a=20
stay in France with the army of occupation. After demobilzation, =
he joined=20
the regenerated Yerba Buena Jazz Band at the Dawn Club in San Francisco, =
staying=20
with the band as they moved operations across the bay to Hambone Kelly's =
in El=20
Cerrito. Helm was part of the cooperative, assisting with the =
running of=20
the club in addition to playing in the YBJB at night. He played =
clarinet=20
with Watters until the YBJB disbanded on 1 Jan., 1951. =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Trebuchet MS"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Trebuchet MS">Following the breakup of the Watters =
Band, Helm=20
relocated to Portland, Oregon where he worked with the Castle Jazz =
Band. =20
An opportunity to work with Turk Murphy's Jazz Band came the following =
year,=20
when San Francisco art dealer and jazz enthusiast Charles Campbell =
offered to=20
sponsor the Turk Murphy Jazz Band in concert at the Italian =
Village. Helm=20
and Castle colleagues Monte Ballou (banjo), Don Kinch (trumpet) and Bob =
Short=20
(tuba) flew to San Francisco to take part in the historic concert. =
The=20
concert led to a steady engagement, which re-established Turk Murphy as =
one of=20
the most important standard-bearers of the San Francisco style. =
For the=20
next 30 years, Bob Helm was in and out of the Turk Murphy =
ensemble. When=20
the Murphy Band toured the East in 1954, Helm made his first recordings =
as a=20
leader for the Riverside label, with the 'Riverside =
Roustabouts'. =20
Between stints with the Murphy Band, Helm also worked occasionally with =
the Bay=20
City Jazz Band and the El Dorado Jazz Band.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Trebuchet MS"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Trebuchet MS">During the 1960s and '70s, Helm played =
with Ted=20
Shafer's Jelly Roll Jazz Band, the Swingin' A's (the strolling quartet =
at=20
Oakland A's baseball games), Dick Oxtot's Golden Age Jazz Band, Bob =
Mielke's=20
Bearcats, Earl Scheelar's Funky New Orleans Jazz Band and the Golden =
State Jazz=20
Band. He stayed active for two more decades, working with the =
South Frisco=20
Jazz Band, Carl Lunsford's Rhythm Wizards and others. The 1990s =
found him=20
recording with the Down Home Jazz Band, Jacques Gauthe's Creole Rice =
Jazz Band,=20
Chris Tyle's New Orleans Rover Boys and his own group. He was =
playing=20
occasional jobs with Leon Oakley's Friends of Jazz and Clint Baker's =
Cafe'=20
Borrone All Stars up until late spring of 2002.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Trebuchet MS"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Trebuchet MS">Bob Helm was modest concerning his own =
talent,=20
but lavish in praise of others'. He had an uncanny ability to play =
perfect=20
reed parts on clarinet, alto clarinet and soprano, alto and tenor saxes =
in any=20
size band, playing any kind of hot jazz. He was also endowed with =
an=20
infallible memory and thus was invaluable to anyone researching San =
Francisco=20
Jazz. He was a loyal friend and a classy, witty companion in any =
social=20
situation. He will be greatly missed by a myriad of friends and=20
fans.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Trebuchet MS"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Trebuchet MS">Fortunately, most of Bob Helm's =
recordings are=20
still available. Numerous CDs containing material by the Yerba =
Buena Jazz=20
Band, Turk Murphy, South Frisco JB, Jelly Roll JB, Down Home JB, Funky =
New=20
Orleans JB, Creole Rice JB, Rover Boys, Carol Leigh and Helm's own band =
may be=20
found on labels such as Good Time Jazz, GHB, Stomp Off and Merry=20
Makers.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Trebuchet MS"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3D"Trebuchet MS">Hal=20
Smith</FONT></EM></DIV></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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