[Dixielandjazz] PEEWEE WAS A GENIUS

[Robert Newman]

I wasn't a PeeWee enthusiast.   I was an admirer of Benny, Artie, Johnny Mince, Barney Bigard, Faz, Matty --.    Shortly after PeeWee died in 1969 I was in New York on an assignment with my day job.    So I made it a point to talk to somebody about PeeWee.   I found Jimmy McPartland's group was playing there so I cornered his clarinet player (I didn't know of him) and asked him what he thought about PeeWee.   He looked at me like he thought I was from outer space and mumbled, "PeeWee was a GENIUS" -- and walked away.

That same trip I caught Marshall Brown's group, which I had heard recorded with PeeWee, and whose great stock
arrangements I really liked playing lead alto on.   I asked Brown what he thought about PeeWee.   He looked at me like he thought I was some kind of a nut and said, "Pee Wee was a GENIUS!" even with more emphasis.   And walked away.

That made me think a lot about PeeWee and listen to his recordings a bunch.   What I heard and began to understand for the first time, was that he was a wonderful ensemble player.   A TEAM PLAYER.   He drove right through the group precisely where he made the ensemble sound beautiful.   And then his solos made a helluva lot more sense.   Perfect sense when you put it right in the middle of where he was -- with his perfectly matched buddies at exactly the right moment.

Now -- if you want to hear a great tribute to PeeWee -- the best I've ever heard -- listen to Gary Shivers' broadcast -- done many years ago.

I have an excellent recording of the broadcast -- given to me long ago -- don't know who Gary Shivers was or is -- but it's a real understanding tribute.   Anybody out there familiar with Gary Shivers?   I'd like to share that wonderful hour-plus broadcast with you but how is that possible?    

Bob Newman