[Dixielandjazz] Re: Boyd Raeburn (was Dadaism et al)

[Bill Haesler]

Dear Charlie,
You are right of course.
I should not have put Boyd Raeburn down so quickly with my flippant,
smart-a***d, comment about a "some-time bop saxophonist".
He was a well respected commercial dance band saxophonist from 1933 until he
embraced 'jazz' in the mid to late 1940s fronting a big band playing bop and
European concert music. 
His band included at one time (certainly on record) Dizzy Gillespie, t; Roy
Eldridge, t;  Tommy Pederson, tb (remember Spike Jones' Laughing Record and
"Flight Of The Bumble Bee"?);  Don Lamond, d; Buddy DeFranco, rds; & Sonny
Berman, t.
A tenor man, Raeburn took up baritone, then bass sax from 1945 and became a
renowned exponent of the big instrument.
By 1950 he was back in the commercial field. There are some mid 50s Columbia
dance band records using 'well-known jazzmen', but I do not have details. He
left music soon after making these.
Raeburn's musical peers admired him, but the dancing public were a bit
perplexed.
I have just played Raeburn's "Night In Tunisia" (Gillespie-Paparelli) from 26
Jan 1945 with Dizzy, Trummy Young (who I assume is the featured tbn soloist, but
am not sure); Steve Jordan, g; Oscar Pettiford, sb; and Shelly Manne, d. 
Better than I remembered it. 
Maybe I am mellowing in my dotage!   
Very Kind regards,
Bill.
PS: Thank you for the compliments. The usual cheque (check) is in the mail.
8>)