[Dixielandjazz] Bruce Branson

[Robert Newman]

Interesting, John -- Since you are a devotee of Dixieland clarinet players, I suggest you listen to Branson with Big T on the Showler CD.    Then I'd be interested in your opinion of his "Dixieland" playing.

Bob

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John and Sidnee Fortier" <jsfortier at chartermi.net>
To: "Robert Newman" <bobngaye at surewest.net>
Sent: Sunday, July 11, 2010 6:01 AM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Bruce Branson


>I am a big fan of Dixieland and traditional reed players, especially 
> clarinet.  A friend of mine who is a Teagarden fan has the CD you mention 
> and observed that the clarinet player was really fine.  He thought I would 
> be interested and would probably know of Bruce Branson since my collection 
> has numbers by over 400 clarinet players.  I had not heard of Bruce.  My 
> friend wanted to know something more about him, so I asked about him on the 
> list.  I will forward your message to him.  Thanks much for answering!  John 
> Fortier
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Robert Newman" <bobngaye at surewest.net>
> To: "John and Sidnee Fortier" <jsfortier at chartermi.net>
> Cc: "DJML" <Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
> Sent: Saturday, July 10, 2010 2:49 PM
> Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Bruce Branson
> 
> 
>>I met Bruce Branson in May 1956.   He was playing a month-long gig at the 
>>Bar of Music in Sacramento with Jack Teagarden and a local piano, bass, and 
>>drums.  We had just moved into Sacramento and I later found out that Bruce 
>>was a jazz DJ on radio station KXOA, Sacramento.  Before coming here he had 
>>played alto  and baritone saxes in the Tommy Dorsey orchestra, proudly 
>>sitting beside Buddy DeFranco in the sax section in 1944 and 1945.   He had 
>>married Mary Clark, who sang in the Clark Sisters group with Dorsey.  The 
>>Clarks  had been called "The Sentimentalists."
>>
>> In Sacramento he had organized a quartet with Frank Myers, bass, Chuck 
>> Austin, drums, and Dale Hawkins, piano -- Bruce on clarinet.   With the 
>> quartet he had played casual gigs and steadies at the Melody Club and 
>> others.   He died of a heart attack in 1957 at the age of  34.
>>
>> Joe Showler, the late  Toronto-based record producer and Jack Teagarden 
>> memorabilia collector, produced a CD of some of a live tape from the Bar 
>> of Music Teagarden 1956 gig.   Creatively called "Jack Teagarden -- Live 
>> At The Bar Of Music, Sacramento -- 1956."   It's good quality and quite 
>> interesting.
>>
>> May I ask what stimulated your interest in Bruce Branson?
>>
>> Bob Newman
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "John and Sidnee Fortier" <jsfortier at chartermi.net>
>> To: "Robert Newman" <bobngaye at surewest.net>
>> Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
>> Sent: Friday, July 09, 2010 8:32 AM
>> Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Bruce Branson
>>
>>
>>> Can anyone tell me anything about a reed player, circa 1955, named Bruce 
>>> Branso?.  I think he was a sideman for Tommy Dorsey and occasionally Jack 
>>> Teagarden. Hope this is not too OT.  John Fortier
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>> 
>