[Dixielandjazz] Cornet Education for Bill Biffle

Don Ingle dingle at baldwin-net.com
Sun Nov 16 07:43:54 PST 2003


You have triggered a memory.
I've got a story about Murray MacEachren. In the period between Spike Jones
and starting up his onb band, my dad was gigging freelance and underscoring
at Monagram under Eddie Kaye baton. He also did a number of  on-call
recording dates, and Murray was on many of them. One day Murray picked Red
up since they were playing the same session, and he opened his trunk for dad
to stick in his tenor case, and dad was surprized to see a thick pile of
blankets on which Murray had his saxes laying, uncased, all set up except
for the mouthpieces and reeds, and next to them his trombone likewise
uncased and ready to join. "Saves a lot of time -- I have as many as five
calls a day and some with little time in between," Murray said, his smile
wide enough to ride a horse through.. Dad said Murray would  run into the
studio, scan what he had to play, run back out and get the approriate horns
for the gig, play it, then run on to the next seassion.
Talk about an in demand, on-call player. Somewhere in my piles of old LP's I
have "Music for Sleepwalkers," in which Murray play the whole sax section
and the whole trombone section, doing Les Paul more than one better. What a
talent!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard Broadie" <rbroadie at dc.rr.com>
To: "Don Ingle" <dingle at baldwin-net.com>
Cc: "DJML" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Saturday, November 15, 2003 11:29 AM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Cornet Education for Bill Biffle


> Hi Don,
>
> Glad to see you mentioned Dick Cathcart. and Bobby Higgins.  Got to play
> lots of times with both of them.  Two of the best, I think.  Only played
> with Manny Klein one night.  He sat in with our band at the old Canyon
Hotel
> (Murray MacEachren was our leader) along with Cat Anderson circa 1975.  An
> interesting night.  Hope you're enjoying the snow as much as I'm enjoying
> the sunshine here in Palm Springs.  Fishing as well as duck hunting is
lousy
> here!  Skiing is worser. :-) Dick
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Don Ingle" <dingle at baldwin-net.com>
> To: "Bill Biffle" <bbiffle at swcp.com>; "Jim Beebe" <jbeebe at centurytel.net>;
> <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
> Sent: Saturday, November 15, 2003 4:26 AM
> Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Cornet Education for Bill Biffle
>
>
> > The input has  been very good to date, but Ihave been very surprized
that
> > the name of Bunny Berrigan has not yet appeared. Bunny was a fiery,
tasty,
> > and inspiring player, dead all too young for the reason of alcohol -- 
> > something that took all too many inthe  early years of jazz thanks to
the
> > misguided Volstead Act banning booze.
> > As time on your list will grow longer with examples of other great
> > trumpet/cornet examples. All the more fuin ahead as you discover the
misic
> > behind the names.
> > I will make one point. Knowing the melody is key to good ensembles
> playing.
> > It should be there when you play lead. Perhaps the best e cample of a
> > good -- even great -- ensemble lead was Red Nichols. You may argue
whether
> > he was among the great jazz soloists, but few wll aruge that his
ensembles
> > swung hard, and his lead was the main thread in a jazz tapestry of
> ensemble
> > performance.
> >    Good advice from Tommy Saunders. He was mentored by Wild Bill, a
> driving
> > lead ensemble player in his own right.
> >    Finally, as long as names are being presented for your education,
here
> > are a few lesser known, but worthy of knowing you will encounter along
the
> > way:
> >    Manny Klein, Charlie Teagarden, Chuck Mackay, Bobby Higgins, Marty
> > Marsala, Dick Cathcart.
> > More will be discovered as you dig thorugh the great recorded legacy we
> are
> > blessed to have. Edcuation of this sort never ends, and that's a beauty
of
> > it.
> >    Keep plugging, and as my teacher/mentor Ernest Loring (Red) Nichols
> > always added every time we were together...."and don't forget the long
> > tones."
> >    Don Ingle
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: "Bill Biffle" <bbiffle at swcp.com>
> > To: "Jim Beebe" <jbeebe at centurytel.net>;
<dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
> > Sent: Friday, November 14, 2003 11:11 PM
> > Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Cornet Education for Bill Biffle
> >
> >
> > > I found Tom on "Call Of The Wild" and ordered it straight away!
> > >
> > > B
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > > From: "Jim Beebe" <jbeebe at centurytel.net>
> > > To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
> > > Sent: Friday, November 14, 2003 8:25 PM
> > > Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Cornet Education for Bill Biffle
> > >
> > >
> > > >
> > > > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > > > From: "Tom Saunders" <tcornet at webtv.net>
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > Bill,
> > > > > This is the first time I've sent a message via the DJML, as all of
> the
> > > > > regulars seem to have everything covered.
> > > > >
> > > > > Many many years ago I was playing a concert in Chicago with Wild
> Bill
> > > > > and Bobby Hackett and we had time to hang out andtalk about our
> trade.
> > > > > They both reminded me that the cornet/trumpet players job is t
play
> > the
> > > > > melody. Also, they both stressed that the lead player has to leave
> > > > > something for the other horns to play. In other words, stretch out
a
> > > > > little, but leave holes . Don't forget that Bobby was a guitar
> player
> > (w
> > > > > Glenn Miller), so
> > > > > was very familiar with chords.
> > > > >
> > > > > I'm glad that you have ordered some jazz CDs of Bobby. He was one
of
> > my
> > > > > all time favorite players. Please don't forget Warren Vache. I've
> > > > > watched him surpass
> > > > > many other players for years. For my money he's the best there is
> and
> > > > > when he plays I listen.
> > > > >
> > > > > You'll find that you like different players for different reasons.
> If
> > > > > you are like me, you'll listen to them all andkeep coming back to
> your
> > > > > favorites. I chose Wil Bill
> > > > > Davison for his "fire". Pease have fun!
> > > > >
> > > > > Tom Saunders (the old one)
> > > >
> > > > Bill, you might want to listen to Tom Saunders as well.  Tom is and
> has
> > > been
> > > > one of the best hot cornetists in the  traditional jazz arena for
some
> > > > years.  He has the same fire that Will Bill and other greats have
and
> is
> > > on
> > > > many fine recordings. He is active on various Jazz Fests and you
will
> > > > probably meet up with him.
> > > >
> > > > Jim Beebe
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
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> > > > Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
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> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
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> >
> >
> >
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> >
>
>
>
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