[Dixielandjazz] Pee Wee Russell

[Robert Ringwald]

The subject of Pee Wee Russell has been discussed many times over the years 
on DJML.

I'll repeat what I have said before.  For the most part, I disagree with the 
people who think Pee Wee was a musical genius.  I think he had a very poor 
command of his horn.  I thing he had a poor conception of the chord 
structure of the songs he was playing.  I also suspect he was a little bit, 
or maybe a lot in his cups when making most recordings.

Of course lots of people disagree with me.  I used to argue the point with 
Dick Cary who of course heard and played with Pee Wee.  He would always win 
the argument by saying, "Pee Wee never sounded the same on recordings as he 
did in person."

I had an LP from the early 30s where Pee Wee did play a pretty hot tenor sax 
solo.  He also played clarinet on the same recording.  When I had my radio 
show in LA, I once played that recording and had a contest as to who the 
tenor sax was.  I named all the other personnel in the band, including Pee 
Wee on clarinet.  That of course threw everyone off.  It took a few weeks 
before someone finally named him.

--Bob Ringwald K6YBV
Note new e-mail address rsr at ringwald.com
530/642-9551
916/806-9551 Cell
www.ringwald.com
Fulton Street Jazz Band

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--Thomas Jefferson, 3rd. President, Term of Office: January 20, 1801 to 
January 20, 1809.