[Dixielandjazz] Re: George Avakian

[Bob Romans]

Hi Bob...I saw that too when I Googled "George Avakian"...I thought it was 
very interesting to see the politics working back then too!
A listmate sent me Avakian's email address...
Thanks for your help!
Bob Romans
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert S. Ringwald" <robert at ringwald.com>
To: "DJML" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Saturday, November 26, 2005 9:55 AM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Re: George Avakian


> Bob Romans asked how he could get a hold of George Avakian.
>
> I googled him & came up with this interesting e-mail:
>
> E-Mail From George Avakian
> Regarding the Album Liner Notes to Columbia Records Set C-57
>
> The Net is truely a wonderous and expansive place. I found this out when I 
> received
> the following e-mail message regarding the "Cover Art Page" for the above 
> album.
> I had copied the liner notes off the album, and duplicated the credits, as 
> displayed
> on the original 78 album notes. Then to my surprise, the author of the 
> original notes
> contacted me to help set the historic record straight! Here is that 
> message, as I
> received it, with select personal data edited out:
>
> Subject: Louis Armstrong Hot Five Album
> Date: Sun, 19 Jan 1997 21:01:49 -0500 (EST)
> Dear Mr. Frederick,
> This is George Avakian, I just saw the entry which says that the Armstrong 
> album
> was annotated by John Hammond and myself. Please eliminate Hammond's name, 
> regardless
> of what was on the original album. Hammond had nothing whatsoever to do 
> with any
> aspect of this album. He put his name on it out of sheer vanity and 
> jealousy, which
> he was able to do because he was an executive at that time of Columbia, 
> and I was
> a student at Yale University fifty-seven years ago, who had been hired by 
> Edward
> Wallerstein, President of the company to research, organize and produce a 
> new line
> of singles and albums called "Hot Jazz Classics" which were re-issues of 
> out-of-print
> historically important jazz recordings.
> I was in no position at that time to protest. Nor did I bother to do 
> anything other
> than delete this and other similarly other miscredited albums with 
> Hammonds name
> on them after I returned from the army during World War II and became 
> Director of
> Popular Albums for Columbia, since everyone in the business at the time 
> was aware
> of what happened and all those albums were replace by the expanded LP 
> releases.
> I am sick and tired of seeing this lie live this long, and I would deeply 
> appreciate
> your making the request I have made above.
> If there are other listings on your site of Hammond and myself having 
> co-produced
> any other recordings, or any other site that you know of, I would 
> appreciate your
> informing me, including addresses and phone numbers or url's where I can 
> contact
> them.
> I am sending this to you via my daughter's internet account, but I would 
> prefer to
> be contacted by letter at:
> [ADDRESS OMMITTED]
> Thank you very much for your cooperation in this matter, Sincerely yours,
> George Avakian
>
>
> --Bob Ringwald K6YBV
> The Fulton Street Jazz Band
> The Boondockers (Jazz and Comedy)
> 530/642-9551
>
>
>
>
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