[Dixielandjazz] Robert Service, Turk Murphy, Lord Buckley

[Ed Danielson]

With all the talk about Jag-time tunes, I'm surprised nobody has mentioned 
the connection between Turk Murphy and Robert Service:  The hipster Lord 
Buckley.  He shows up on the Murphy album Wild Man Blues, a fun CD offered 
by the San Francisco Traditional Jazz Society.

"Comedian Richard "Lord" Buckley was a particular favorite of Turk and Bob 
Helm. For many years after their 'jam session', both musicians continued to 
rave about Buckley's talents. San Francisco in the '50s was one of the 
epicenters of the beatnik movement and the city's 'Beat Generation' loved 
avant-garde poetry readings, with hip jazz accompaniment. On The Hip 
Shooting Of Dan McGrew, Lord Buckley sounds like the ultimate hipster, until 
one realizes that he is actually satirizing the 'Beat' movement. He is not 
reciting a hip sample of '50s poetry, but rather a turn-of-the-century 
Robert Service poem. And instead of a cool alto sax, walking bass and 
bongos, Turk Murphy's Jazz Band provides the musical backing-playing the 
1900-vintage Red Wings! The Hip Mahatma is less surreal, but just as 
humorous, with enthusiastic backing by the band. The TMJB of 1957 included 
cornetist Larry Conger, his brother Al on tuba and bas, Pete Clute on piano, 
Dick Lammi on banjo, drummer Thad Vandon, Turk and Bob Helm."

- from the liner notes by Hal Smith

And does anyone remember "The Hermit of Shark Tooth Shoal?"

Ed Danielson


"You might as well fall flat on your face as lean over too far backward."
-- James Thurber