[Dixielandjazz] Pee Wee Russell

[Stephen G Barbone]

>
> "Charles Kercher" wrote:
>
> Hey Steve,  I appreciate all the great comments about Pee Wee.  chuck

Thanks Chuck.

I am going to stick my neck out on the chopping block and say the IMO,  
Pee Wee Russell is one of the most misunderstood jazz GIANTS of the  
20th century.

Those who don't like him may not fully understand what he was doing  
with the axe. Perhaps they are too keyed into legitimate tone and  
legitimate playing format, as they are applied to jazz by Benny  
Goodman and others.

Not demeaning Goodman, for what he did was extraordinary. Nor am I  
demeaning tone. I am merely stating that there are other ways of  
expressing oneself musically.

What Russell did was also extraordinary IMO. Others support that view.  
For example,  Sudhalter devotes an entire chapter to Russell and  
Teagarden. Both very individualistic players whom no one seems to be  
able to copy, as opposed to Goodman who many folks seem to be able to  
copy.

And Sudhalter correctly points out that early Russell is clear toned,  
on the beat, and exactly what everybody else was doing on the axe,  
especially in big band format. But also that he changed the way he  
played because he wanted to differentiate himself.

Gerry Mulligan who played with him, said Pee Wee was more harmonically  
advanced than he (Mulligan) was.

Louis Prima idolized him, having played with him in the days when  
Prima was one of the hottest N.O. Trumpet players around.

Davern adored his playing. And while he doesn't copy Russell, you can  
clearly hear how he was influenced by him.

Russell kept re-inventing himself until the day he died. And to me,  
what he "said" (using the clarinet as a communication device) speaks  
volumes about Jazz and what Jazz is. He didn't keep repeating the same  
old stuff like so many so-called jazz musicians seem wont to do, but  
rather said something original each time he played.

To be sure, there were times when Pee Wee screwed up, especially when  
he was drinking too much. Same can be said for Charlie Parker. But I  
hear through that. He was a gentle soul and and far as I'm concerned,  
if jazz is an art form, he was one of its consummate artists. The  
ideas, the tri-tones, the flatted fifths, the quarter tones, the  
melodic lines, etc. So much music, all from this wonderful man with  
the Michelangelo face. RIP Pee Wee, there are a lot of us who love you  
and what you did.

To those who don't like him, that's fine, but I like to remember what  
Chuck Traeger said to me more than a half century ago when I  
disrespected a player of free jazz by opining that he was awful:. "Hey  
Steve", said Chuck, "He's doing what he hears. You may not like it,  
but then, maybe YOUR ears aren't ready for it yet." I heard that. <grin>

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband