[Dixielandjazz] A lesson with Jack Teagarden ( Almost)

[JimDBB at aol.com]

Dick Broadie has asked me to write of my lesson ( almost) with Jack 
Teagarden.  Apparently he heard of this via the recent BBC radio Documentary 
on Jack Teagarden by Campbell Burnap.  Campbell was over here a few years 
back and stayed with Judi K and myself while he bounced around doing research 
on Louis Armstrong.  He is a fine trombonist himself and had his trombone 
along. We had a ball one day in my basement studio playing along with Jack 
Teagarden solos...I should clarify this and say, 'trying to play along with 
Teagarden.'  At that time I told him of my almost lesson with Jack and last 
year he asked me to relate it on tape so that he could use it in his radio 
documentary.  This is no big deal but here it is.


                               " A Lesson with Jack Teagarden"   (almost)

                                              by Jim Beebe


In 1958 I was with Bob Scobey's Frisco Jazz Band and we were in residence at 
the Cafe Continental in Chicago.  I was in my late 20s and this was my second 
outing with this top drawer professional jazz group. Scobey's band was a 
powerful swinging group with Scobey's driving trumpet, Clancy Hayes on vocals 
and banjo, Dave Black on drums, Rich Matteson on helicon tuba and bass 
trumpet, Art Hodes piano, Brian Shanley clarinet, myself on trombone and Toni 
Lee Scott on vocals.  This was a very exciting time in my life.

The Cafe Continental was the Chicago 'Mob's top club and Scobey and the group 
had single handledly made it a success.   It was a place where we could sit 
for months at a time, playing 5-6 nights a week.  We knew vaguely that this 
was a ganster place but didn't really care as we did our job and we got paid. 
 Our audience in the main was a mixture of local and visiting jazz fans, 
business people in Chicago for a convention and the general night club crowd. 
 One night an unnamed source was talking with Clancy Hayes and he said, "My 
God, Clancy, do you know who is in this place?" Clancy looked around and 
said, "No, who's here?"  This source said, "Clancy, if this place was nailed 
shut right now, within ten minutes 90 percent of all crime and vice in 
Chicago would come to a screeching halt?"   That remark did give us some 
pause.  ( The Cafe Continental was later raided by Federal Agents and 
eventually Jimmy Allegretti and 3-4 others went to prison for trafficking in 
hijacked booze.)

The nightclub business was good and all kinds of jazz was in full swing in 
Chicago and around the country.  One night, out of the blue, jack Teagarden, 
came in the Cafe continental and sat down right smack in front of the band.  
I was instantly dumbstruck and paralyzed. I absolutely did not want to play 
another note. My idol and the greatest jazz trombonist on earth was sitting 
right in front of me.  I grabbed a drink at the end of the set and I felt a 
little easier about it.  I was anxious to talk with Jack and Scobey came up 
and said that he was going to ask jack if he wanted to sit in.  He thought 
that he would as Jack and Clancy Hayes were old friends.  He wanted to know 
if Jack could use my trombone and mouthpiece as he didn't have his along.

I didn't think that Jack would sit in as my trombone, that I distinctly 
remember was a Conn 6H, was a little bigger that what Jack played and my 
mouthpiece was undoubtedly different.  To my surprise, Mr. T said, that yes, 
he would like to play.  I cleaned my mouthpiece off and turned it and the 
horn over to him.  As I remember, Jack didn't even try it except to feel out 
the slide.  We made small talk until Scobey went back.  The set that followed 
was a revelation to me and I was entralled as was the segment of the audience 
that was aware of what was going on.  Jack  played beautifully, effortlessly 
and flawlessly.  Playing on a different trombone and mouthpiece didn't phase 
him in the slightest.  I realized that Jack Teagarden could play on any 
trombone.  It didn't matter to him what the horn or mouthpiece was although 
obviously, he would have preferences.  Jack didn't show off, he just played 
along with what ever Scobey called and soloed on each tune as each band 
member took his turn.  He and Clancy Hayes sang a number together and that 
was a delight.  I"ve always wished that they could have recorded together. 
And Scobey featured him on "Stars Fell on Alabama" that was just superb.

After this mind blowing set I cornered Jack and proceeded to ask him how he 
did certain things on the trombone. He was very cordial and seemed willing to 
talk about the trombone. Jack had his own magic and could do little runs and 
things that no one has ever figured out how he did them.  He could play 
trills and triplets easier and cleaner than anyone else and none of his 
technique was ever used in a unmusical show-off way.  So I asked him how he 
did those runs that made a slide trombone sound like a valve bone and even 
faster. Jack said, "Oh, I'll come over to your place tomorrow and show you 
some things to work on."  ( we had established earlier that he was staying 
near my pad which was right next to the original Jazz Ltd. Club.)

Needless to say, I didn't sleep much that night.  Morning came, then 
afternoon...Jack never showed up.  I Knew why and I understood. His last 
wife, Addie wouldn't let him out.  I estimate that she added ten years to his 
life by keeping him in.  Jack was so good natured that musicians and fans 
often took advantage of him..."Come on Jack, let's go to a session" or "Come 
on, jack, let's go get a drink." And he couldn't turn them down.

Jack was playing in Chicago at the London House and I was there on my off 
nights. He apologized for not showing up but the occasion for a 'lesson' 
never came about again.  The secrets to playing his 'runs' went to the grave 
with him as no trombonist that I know of has ever figured them out.  Jack 
Teagarden was one of the great musical geniuses to come up in Jazz music and 
the depth of his musicality puts him right up there with Louis Armstrong.  
Thankfully, they made so many memorable recordings together.  Jack Teagarden 
made many recordings and every solo of his on them is an absolute gem.        
     'Thank you, Jack, for your magnificent legacy.'


Jim Beebe
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