[Dixielandjazz] Pee Wee Erwin

[Marek Boym]

Hello Steve,
I believe I have some of the contents of the Lonehill CD (BTW, while
Lonehill is legal in Andorra, where I believe it is located, it would
have been considered "pirate" anywhere else), if not most, on LP.  As
long as my hands are staedy enough to place the stylus on an LP, I'm
not replacing mine!
"He gave his last performance in Holland in 1981."  I believe I have
the recording, but am not going to check right now.
Cheers


On 25/09/2007, Steve Barbone <barbonestreet at earthlink.net> wrote:
> Marek Boym at marekboym at gmail.com wrote:
>
> > To the best of my memory, Erwin was a swing musician, who turned to
> > Dixie when "swing" dried out as a source of income.
> > I heard him in Nice, France, with Bernie Privin, and did they swing!
> > And yes, an excellent Dixieland player - sometimes.  Some of the "Big
> > Jeb Dooley" recordings are not so great, but I have several excellent
> > LPs by his various bands.  Also,  in the mid-1950's, he participated
> > in a recording project with other swing masters, later issued and
> > reissued on various bargain labels (such a Design, Bravo, etc), which
> > included Dixieland standards, played as swing more than Dixieland
> > (excellent recordings, whether the trumpeter/cornetist is Erwin or Rex
> > Stewart).
>
> Hello Marek:
>
> Yes, Erwin was originally a big band player, then a swing player, then a
> studio musician. His brand of Dixieland was indeed swing rhythm based, with
> emphasis on solos, but also solidly conceived in ensemble. His trumpet
> school in NJ with Goodman alumnus, Chris Griffin, was widely praised by NYC
> area musicians. Following is a short bio:
>
> Born George Erwin in Falls City Nebraska, May 30, 1913; Died in Teaneck New
> Jersey, Jun 20, 1981, Trumpeter. He grew up in a musical family and began
> playing trumpet at the age of four. He made his first radio broadcast four
> years later. After traveling with territory bands he played with Joe Haymes
> (1931-3), Isham Jones (1933-4) and others, then settled in New York.
>
> Pee Wee's wide range and skills as a sight reader and improviser caused him
> to be much in demand for radio sessions and he played on Benny Goodman's
> programs in 1934-5 and 1936. In 1935 he also worked with Ray Noble. Later he
> played with Tommy Dorsey (1937-9), who gave Erwin's powerful tone particular
> prominence on such pieces as Who?.
>
> After leaving Dorsey, Erwin pursued a career as a studio musician, and also
> ran a big band (1941-2). In 1949 he began leading an ensemble which became
> resident at Nick's in New York City, for much of the 1950s. During the 1960s
> he ran a trumpet school with Chris Griffin and continued to perform. He also
> became increasingly active in radio and TV work. On the NYC staff of CBS, he
> played regularly for the Garry Moore, Carol Burnett, Candid Camera and
> Jackie Gleason shows. From 1963 on he had a weekly radio jazz show with Ed
> Joyce. His playing retained its spirit and verve throughout the following
> decade, when he toured Europe with Warren Covington, the Kings of Jazz (his
> own band, 1974) and the New York Jazz Repertory Company. He gave his last
> performance in Holland in 1981.
>
> His Dixieland work, briefly mentioned above was an almost 10 year, off and
> on residency at Nick's in NYC. For those interested in his sound, the
> following record may still be available. The band was superb and the joy
> they got out of playing transferred to the audience. This was the band I sat
> in with at Nick's as a teenager.
>
> At the time, bassist Charlie (now Chuck) Traeger was my best gig buddy, a
> great player and a beautiful guy. He is the only member of that band still
> living (80+) and retired to Yulan NY with wife June in a cabin in the woods.
> Towrd the end of his playing career, Chuck became one of the foremost bass
> repair specialists in the USA, doing work for guys like Ron Carter and the
> entire bass section of the NY Philharmonic.
>
> Traeger's book, "The Setup And Repair of the Double Bass for Optimum Sound"
> A Manual for Players, Makers, And Repairers by Chuck Traeger, David
> Brownell, William Merchant Paperback, Henry a Strobel (December 2004) should
> be perused by every bass player in the world.
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
>
> PEE WEE ERWIN SEXTET - COMPLETE FIFTIES RECORDINGS
> Label:     LONE HILL JAZZ   Number:  10122   Item Code:     55416
> Format:     CD   DATES     (1955/1956)
>
> Personnel: Pee Wee Erwin, Andy Russo, Sal Pace, Billy Maxted, Charlie
> Traeger, Tony Spargo
>
> This rare release contains the complete 1950s recordings of trumpet giant
> Pee Wee Erwin¹s legendary sextet. The trumpeter is featured here on 15
> ebullient tracks along with such notable musicians as clarinetist Sal Pace,
> trombonist Andy Russo, pianist and arranger Billy Maxted, bassist Charlie
> Treager and drummer Tony Spargo. Several of these sidemen, most notably
> Maxted and Spargo who was also the drummer for the legendary ODJB became
> successful bandleaders in their own right. While the bulk of the material is
> made up of classic Dixieland fare, the excitement and enjoyment of the
> musicians is palpable, and the group performances and individual solos are
> all exceptional. Songs are:
>
> Washington And Lee Swing, Battle Hymn Of The Republic, Dixieland Shuffle,
> Hindustan, Pagan Love Song, I'm Confessin', Memphis Blues,
> Peter And The Wolf, Big Noise From Winnetka, A Whistler And His Dog,
> Tea For Two, After You've Gone, Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers,
> Little Rock Getaway, American Patrol,
>
>
>