[Dixielandjazz] Teddy Wilson- Jess Stacy & Benny Goodman

[Vinny]

Hahaha, Harry you don't mince words and I can understand your need to be
thrifty but not Benny's.

 

A terrific bassist, Bill Crow, wrote a book entitled "Jazz Anecdotes" and in
it are many wonderful and funny stories.

 

In the early 60's when the BG quartette we're to record the lp "Together
Again" the group would rehearse at BG's place 

The heat was either on very low or off and it being cold, after a few tunes
Gene mentioned how cold it was.

BG said sorry or words to that effect, left the room and came back with
three sweaters.

 

  _____  

From: Harry Callaghan [mailto:meetmrcallaghan at gmail.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 2010 5:25 PM
To: Vinny
Cc: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Teddy Wilson- Jess Stacy & Benny Goodman

 

Thanx, Vinny:

However, as I recall from a few instances reported in George T.Simon's "The
BIg Bands", some in the musical profession went beyond "spendthrift" and
seemed to be of the opinion that Benny was a cheap bastard.

I know that throughout most of my own adult life, I have pretty much been
the former, but since retiring in 2006 and having to function solely upon
the mere pittance that the Social Security Adminstration provides, I am now
defiinitely the latter.

HC

On 8/11/10, Vinny <vinnyn at verizon.net> wrote: 

Benny married John Hammonds sister and by doing so married into the
Vanderbilt family. Yet even with that tie Benny was all his life a notorious
spendthrift.

-----Original Message-----
From: dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com
[mailto:dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com] On Behalf Of Harry Callaghan
Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 2010 4:57 PM
To: Vinny
Cc: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Teddy Wilson- Jess Stacy & Benny Goodman

Steve:

Thank you. I don't think I could have asked for a more thorough
explanation.

After I posted my query, I thought that by spending some time on Google, or
consulting books I have by John Chilton, Leonard Feather or George T. SImon
I could most likely come up with the answer by myself.

However, I know how much guys like you or "Our Man Down Under" delight in
being able to provide this kind of information to myself, as well as other
subscribers so I knew that was the wisest route to pursue.

Of course, I guess the other reason is that I'm just plain lazy

Did I read somewhere that John Hammond was Benny's brother-in-law?

Again, mucho gracias, mon amigo
Harry


On 8/11/10, Stephen G Barbone <barbonestreet at earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>
> 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
>
>
>
>
>
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Some men see things as they are and say why....I dream things that never
were and say why not - 
-George Bernard Shaw