[Dixielandjazz] Mezz

[Burt Wilson]

I read the Mezzrow book ages ago--the 50's probably. Was it out then. I
thought it was a wonderful book and then I found a Mezz 78 in the Goodwill
and listend to it and it was NOTHING. As a writer myself, I have concluded
that it was Mezzrow's biographer, Wolfe I think his name is, who dandied it
up in a novel, really, using Mezz's life as background. This was Wolfe's
book, not Mezzrow's. That's the key, IMHO, to that book.

Burt Wilson
Silver Dollar Jazz Band


-----Original Message-----
From: dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com
[mailto:dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com]On Behalf Of Jim Denham
Sent: Saturday, May 31, 2003 5:00 PM
To: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Mezz



I've just been reading Mezz Mezzrow's autobiography, "Really the Blues"
(published by the 'Jazz Book Club' in 1959). It's often called
"picaresque". Most of it is a load of self-serving bunk (IMHO) -eg, his
attempts to make out that Jimmy Noone, Doc Poston, Sidney Bechet and
even Louis himself, regarded him (Mezz) as an equal in musical terms (as
opposed to valuing him as a dope supplier).

The other unpleasant side to Mezz's story is his constant wish to do
down his early collaborators, in particular Gene Krupa, Bud Freeman and
Frank Teschmaker. It may be that some of the "Chicagoans" went on to
make their names in the swing-era, playing music that Mezz didn't
approve of. But -hey- given a chance, Mezz would play "swing" too. He
was proud to be part of bands involving Benny Carter, Chick Webb and
Teddy Wilson (even playing drums with one of them), during the 1930's.

He was also the leader of a ground-breaking mixed-race 15-piece swing
band called the "Disciples of Swing", including Willie "The Lion" Smith,
Gene Sedrick and Zutty Singleton. Then band's initial success was,
apparently, destroyed by Nazis smashing up the club they played in,
daubing it with swastikas.

I've come to the conclusion that Mezz was basically a good guy, who did
a lot to promote and record good music (especially Sidney Bechet, Tommy
Ladnier and Hot Lips Page), despite his own woeful clarinet and sax
playing (for the WORST tenor solo in jazz history, listen to Mezz on
"When You and I Were Young, Maggie"). He was, at least sincere. And on
one occasion, at least, managed to play half-decent clarinet: " West End
Blues", recorded in Paris in 1953 with Buck Clayton and Kansas Fields,
is a masterpiece and Mezz shows that when it comes to the blues, he
really can play.

I know a musician who met Mezz in a bar in Paris in the fifties: this
guy says "I never met anyone who seemed so content". That seems to
contradict stories that Mezz died in "abject poverty". Does anyone know
the truth?


--
Jim Denham


_______________________________________________
Dixielandjazz mailing list
Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz