[Dixielandjazz] Satchmo: My Musical Autobiography

[Ken Mathieson]

Hi Folks,

This list is famed for digging out the facts about sometimes quite obscure jazz issues, so let's try this one: dippermouth.blogspot.com recently ran a review of Hotter than That, comparing the original with the remake for Satchmo: My Musical Autobiography, and in it, mention was made of Barrett Deems playing only closed hi-hat on the remake. It'ssomething that has puzzled me since the Musical Autobiography first came out. In just about all the tracks which were specially recorded for the album Deems plays closed hi-hat whenever he was using sticks.

Since closed hi-hat is just about the quietest and least propulsive effect available to a drummer, I've always wondered what was going on. Was Deems ordered to do so, and if so, by whom? Surely not Louis, but why would the engineers ask for it? In 1956/7 they surely couldn't have had a problem recording ride cymbal?  Or had Deem's cymbals been stolen/gone missing? The Autobiography recordings were made over a 13-month period, so that can't be the reason. Or was he being truculent about something and playing difficult?

Can any of Barrett's old buddies shed any light?

Cheers,

Ken Mathieson
www.classicjazzorchestra.org.uk