[Dixielandjazz] Teddy Wilson- Jess Stacy & Benny Goodman

[Stephen G Barbone]

> Harry Callaghan <meetmrcallaghan at gmail.com> wrote
>
> OK, gang...........now this is a question I've been meaning to ask  
> for some
> time and I guess now might be right.
>
> It is not a test......I am actually anxious to know the answer.
>
> Why was it that while Jess Stacy was the regular pianist with the  
> Benny
> Goodman ORchestra, when it came to smaller combos, from trio up  
> through
> quintet,(sextet?) the man on the keys was Teddy Wilson?
>
> Thanx
> HC

Dear Harry:

According to John Hammond's biography by Dunstan Prial, Goodman and  
Wilson had been in studio sessions together recording and recorded  
together therein prior to 1935. But never appeared publicly because in  
those days, that was a no-no. Krupa was also on some of the recordings.

In early July 1935 Mildred Bailey and Red Norvo hosted a party at  
their home in Queens County, NYC. Bailey was a great cook and John  
Hammond along with many jazz musicians would attend and jam. Bailey's  
cousin, Carl Bellinger (a test pilot) played whisk broom drums on a  
suitcase while Goodman and Wilson jammed. According to Hammond,  
everybody stopped what they were doing and listened to some wonderful  
music.

Hammond was blown away and the next day, he set up a recording date  
for a trio consisting of Goodman, Wilson and a drummer to be named.  
And on July 13, 1935, the trio, now with Gene Krupa was born and  
recorded Body & Soul. Hammond then wrote in "Down Beat".

"Victor has just assembled a three piece combination which, although  
it may not break any sales records, provides an excellent example of  
what swing music can be. The pianist is Teddy Wilson, an  
extraordinarily sensitive young Negro with tremendous lift, Benny  
Goodman, the superb clarinetist, and Gene Krupa a surpassingly fine  
drummer."

I don't think Goodman integrated his big band for public appearances  
until about 1939. However, at Hammond's urging, he recorded with black  
musicians at Hammond sessions from about 1933 or 34, despite his  
initial reluctance to do so

As Goodman recalled; " It was during these months, around the end of  
1933 and during the beginning of 1934 that I first began to make  
records with colored musicians. For this, the responsibility must be  
given almost entirely to John Hammond who really put me back in touch  
with the kind of music they could play."

Before that Goodman told Hammond who suggested recording with  
"colored"musicians,  "If it ever gets out that I recorded with colored  
guys, I won't get another job in this town." His white musician peers,  
were afraid that the colored guys would take their jobs and Goodman  
was afraid he would lose his studio and radio work, etc., etc., etc.

Anyway, the trio and quartet success with Wilson and then Hampton  
proved an irresistible money maker for BG, from about 1935 on. So BG  
could make small band records with them and colored guys, while the  
big band was lily white. Then he started appearing publicly with Hamp  
and Wilson.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband