[Dixielandjazz] Bunk Johnson - Maria Elena etc. + Chuck Traeger.

[Steve barbone]

Hi Stan:

Thanks for the input. No, that must have been another date as Wellman Braud
is on bass on Last Testament. Bill Haesler found the one I sought with Bunk,
Traeger, Nicholas, Mielke, et al. But no Maria Elena.

I guess Maria Elena works with Latin rhythm too, but I still have "Waltz" in
my memory banks regarding the original sheet music.

Then again, like Don Ingle, I'm getting old. :-) VBG.

Cheers,
Steve

on 2/17/06 5:21 PM, Stan Brager at sbrager at socal.rr.com wrote:

> Steve;
> 
> The Delmark label released a Bunk Johnson called "Last Testament". The liner
> notes state that these recordings were the last recordings made by Bunk. The
> band included Ed Cuffee (tb), Garvin Bushell (cl), Don Kirkpatrick (p),
> Danny Barker (gui), Wellman Braud (b), and Alphonse Steele (dr). Among the
> tunes played was "Maria Elena". The rhythm sounds Latin - a rumba, perhaps.
> The recording was made in the Carnegie Hall Recital Room in December, 1947.
> 
> Is this the music you're looking for?
> 
> Stan
> Stan Brager
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Steve barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
> To: "DJML" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
> Sent: Friday, February 17, 2006 11:16 AM
> Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Bunk Johnson - Maria Elena etc. + Chuck Traeger.
> 
> 
>> Just got off the phone with my best musical buddy, Chuck Traeger. In the
>> 1940's and 50's Chuck was one of the premier OKOM bassists on the New York
>> Jazz scene. In addition to playing WITH EVERYBODY at Condon's, Nick's,
>> Hickory House (backing Marion McPartland) etc., he played and recorded
> with
>> Bunk Johnson circa 1947 at the Central Plaza.
>> 
>> He remembers playing Maria Elena with Bunk several times on dates, but is
>> not sure if it is on the record they made with Bob Wilber's band back
> then.
>> I believe George Buck might have re-issued it a while back.  He, like Don
>> Ingle and I, also remembers the original tune as a Waltz.
>> 
>> He cracked up when I asked him about it saying; "Who the hell is left in
> the
>> world that is interested in this stuff?" So I explained the DJML to him
> and
>> not having a computer, he sends all list mates his regards.
>> 
>> If you were around NYC jazz joints 45 to 60 years ago, you probably
> remember
>> this wonderful bassist who later became a highly respected bass repairman
>> with clients from the NY Philharmonic to the legendary jazzman, Ron
> Carter.
>> He just celebrated his 80th birthday and now lives in the woods in New
> York
>> State, near Bear Mountain with June, his wife of over 50 years.
>> 
>> Quite a change from those wild and crazy happenings with Condon and the
> OKOM
>> jazzers of that period when he and June lived in a tiny apartment in
>> Greenwich Village, right around the corner from Nick's. (he walked to
> work)
>> 
>> Cheers,
>> Steve