[Dixielandjazz] Pancho Villa

[Marek Boym]

Thanks, Bill.
My ears tell me there's only one clarinet player on the Almac; As I've
mentioned before, I ave not heard enough of Faz to be able to tell
Cheers

On 30/10/2007, Bill Haesler <bhaesler at bigpond.net.au> wrote:
> [The following long discographal discussion may bore some listmates, so
> hit 'delete' now.]
>
> Dear Marek and Chris,
> The Pancho Villa/Irving Fazola discussion has been conjectural for many
> years.
> And, to my knowledge, unresolved. However, the answer has to be out
> there.
> It was therefore interesting to hear Chris say that "I was told by
> cornetist Danny Alguire that clarinetist Pancho Villa was a
> real person who played in the LA area in the 1930s and 40s."
> Here then is my contribution, for what it is worth.
> The short-lived Seger Ellis Choirs of Brass Orchestra was unique in
> that it used 7-8 brass with only one clarinet, two pianos, string bass
> and drums.
> The Seger Ellis Alamac LP QSR 2408 (which I have had for many years)
> states in the album personnel listing:
> "Irving Fazola OR [my emphasis] Pancho Villa". There is certainly only
> one clarinetist heard throughout.
> On the Segar Ellis Decca sides (11 March 1937) there is only one
> clarinet and it IS Fazola ('cause my ears tell me so!).
> Brian Rust, in the 1969 edition of his great 'Jazz Records' discography
> probably set off the Fazola equals 'Pancho' Villa mystery by stating in
> his personnel listing for this Decca session: Irving Fazola (as "Pancho
> Villa" !). This has carried through to the current 2002 edition.
> Albert McCarthy perpetuates the 'myth' in his excellent 1974 book 'Big
> Band Jazz'. When discussing the clarinet solo on "Shivery Stomp" from
> the Decca session he says, ".....a pleasant clarinet solo by Irving
> Fazola - masquerading for some unknown reason under the pseudonym of
> Pancho Villa - who had just left the Ben Pollack orchestra....."
> There is a pic of the band, but it doesn't include the clarinet player.
> Rats!
> It was suggested somewhere, years ago, that this was because Fazola was
> under contract elsewhere, but there is no discographal evidence for
> this, as will be seen below.
> Respected author/researcher/bandleader John Chilton, in various
> detailed biog references for Irving Fazola makes no mention of him
> working or playing with the Los Angeles-based Seger Ellis Choirs of
> Brass Orch. In fact, he doesn't mention Ellis at all in relation to
> Irving Fazola.
> Retracing Fazola's movements for this period we find that he joined the
> Ben Pollack orch in May-June 1936 on its way to Chicago, then went with
> it to New York where his first records were made (with Pollack) in Sept
> 1936. At this time he also recorded with The Rhythm Wreckers, Billie
> Holiday and Sharkey Bonano
> The Pollack band (with Faz) then went 'home' to California, probably in
> late 1936, for 12 months of residencies on the West Coast, starting in
> early 1937 at the Cotton Club in Culver City.
> The Pollack band recorded in LA (some references give New York) on 18
> Dec 1936 with Fazola.
> Fazola's next records were made with Seger Ellis on 11 March 1937.
> Which suggests that when Faz made the Seger Ellis Decca sides he was
> probably still with Ben Pollack in LA.
> But Faz became homesick, handed in his notice to Pollack, returned to
> New Orleans and joined Augie Schellang's Roosevelt Rhythm Kings. Dates
> unknown to me. Maybe Pollack expert Mr Joe Showler knows.
> By May 1937 Fazola was back in New York with the Gus Arnheim orch and
> recorded his next sides with it in June and July 1937. I've never heard
> these.
> Glenn Miller had worked happily with Fazola in the 1936 Pollack band
> and when he formed his first big band Miller invited Faz to join.
> One of the attractions for Faz was that he would join the band in New
> Orleans toward the end of its long and popular run (17 June  - 26 Aug
> 1937) at the Roosevelt Hotel. He was with the Miller band until it
> disbanded on 2 January 1938. He then returned to New Orleans, worked
> briefly there with Pollack, then (having knocked back offers in 1936
> and 1937) finally  joined the Bob Crosby Orchestra in early (1st?)
> March 1938.
> I've listened intently again to the Alamac LP and, although the
> clarinetist has a Fazola/Matlock style, I certainly can't accept that
> it is Fazola. It's just not good enough, even on a bad Faz day (if any).
> Could this be the elusive 'Pancho' Villa?
> My feeling is that Irving Fazola never worked with the Seger Ellis
> Choirs of Brass, although he recorded with it for Decca.
> The Alamac LP, from an unknown source (radio transcription recorded at
> the Decca studio?) was, based on the similar sound quality, was
> probsbly made in March-April 1937 using a different clarinetist
> identified somewhere as someone called Villa, with the obvious nickname
> 'Pancho'.
> Given the Decca personnel: Seger Ellis (vcl/arr/dir) Nate Kazebier, Don
> Anderson, Benny Strickler, Hank McCarthy (t) King Jackson, Al Thompson,
> Bob Logan, John Stanley (tb) Irving Fazola (cl) Stan Wrightsman, Al
> Mack (p) Jim Lynch (b) George Siegler (d) and "Spud" Murphy (arr)
> perhaps we should be searching the 1930s list of West Coast studio
> musicians.
> Or, based on Chris's Danny Alquire/Benny Strickler/Bob Wills
> information, maybe we should take a look at the Country/Western Swing
> discographies. What say DJMLer/CW expert Phil O'Rourke?
> Kind regards,
> Bill.
>
>