[Dixielandjazz] Emmet Ray

[Eric Holroyd]

Now I’m thoroughly confused, having sat at the computer for quite a long 
time, attempting to research this character, Emmet Ray.

Several postings on other forums (forii) say that he never existed, whilst 
others protest that he did, and was well portrayed in the Sweet And Lowdon 
film.

The Internet Movie Database has the following biography at:

http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0016851/bio

If you are a student of jazz history, you are aware that Emmet Ray -- the 
subject of Woody Allens "Sweet and Lowdown" -- really existed. And not only 
did he exist, Emmet resembled many of the jazz musicians of the 1940s. At 
one point in his career he lived off the money earned by a couple of 
prostitutes, a practice not unheard of in jazz circles beginning with Buddy 
Bolden and Jelly Roll Morton. However, these jazz musicians prefer the term 
"manager" to the phrase pimp. Like many jazz legends, Emmet was an 
anti-hero, but his guitar playing -- makes up for his multitude of sins.

Emmet was also a traveler who not only toured America but has played 
extensively in Europe. The guitarist lived at a time when jazzmen first 
traversed the country, spreading consciousness of jazz even to American 
audiences who were beyond the modest reach of radio and recordings. This 
original American art form not only spread across the country but to Europe 
in the 20s and 30s. The way was paved by such men as Louis Armstrong and 
Duke Ellington who were welcomed enthusiastically when they appeared on the 
other side of the Atlantic Armstrong in 1932 and Ellington in 1933.

The audience for these giant talents included foreign musicians who modeled 
themselves after the American originators. Many Europeans played on a high 
level but only one became a major influence on American jazzmen -- the gypsy 
guitarist, Django Reinhardt.

In Paris, Reinhardt and violinist Stephan Grappelli founded the Quintet of 
the Hot Club of France in 1934. Bringing his romantic, bittersweet gypsy 
ethos to the American jazz with which he had fallen in love, Django created 
an original sound and style.

Though little is known about the life of Emmet Ray (few photographs and 
recordings exist today), the Woody Allen film attempted quite 
enthusiastically to capture the spirit of Emmet Ray -- and that of the crazy 
world of jazz -- on celluoid forever.

Dirk Dickens, Encyclopedia of Obscure Jazz Artists (Mirage Press)

End of IMDB biography. (And my pedant colleagues will not that I've resisted 
the urge to correct the mis-spellings of traveller and modelled etc in the 
interests of International Harmony...)

BUT the IMDB biography bears a header that: The content of this page was 
created by users. It has not been screened or verified by IMDb staff.

So who do I believe?

Can any of the eminent discographers on this list shed any light on the 
subject?

Eric Holroyd