[Dixielandjazz] Wild Bill Davison

[Ron L'Herault]

Armstrong also admired B.A. Rolfe's high note work.  Rolfe was a child star
on cornet, and as an adult, ran a (silent) movie company** before returning
to music.   He recorded into the electric era, including some nice things on
electrically recorded Edison Diamond Disc.  He spent the last ten years of
his life in his (second) wife's home town, Mansfield MA, where he is buried
in Springbrook cemetery.   He and his wife are in her family plot in (alas)
unmarked graves.

 

Ron L'Herault

**  He made the Houdini movies.  One of the actresses in one of the serials
would later become his wife.

From: Bert [mailto:mister_bertje at hotmail.com] 
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2018 4:16 AM
To: Ron
Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Wild Bill Davison

 

Hello Charles,

 

Yes, it is quite well possible, since Panico once outplayed Armstrong in a
jam session. (Armstrong was the first to admit that)

That was without a doubt very early in the 1920's. 

If you really listen with an open ear, you can hear that Panico had a
flawless technique. Armstrong didn't possess that yeat at the time. Esp.
listen to the early hot fives, 1925/26 , Armstrong is allready very advanced
in his ideas, but his technique is not always up to what he wants to play
yet. 

And musicians, esp. brass players often are very much impressed with clean
technique. Lead trumpet players: "You, as as good as your last high note". 

It is an obsession, but Armstrong himself mentioned being very much
impressed by Panico, and they were lifelong friends. 

 

Panico also wrote a book, very early: The Novelty Cornetist, which young
upcoming musicians just may have studied. 

 

Sure, both Armstrong and Bix took the jazz solo much further, but that
should not necessarily mean that people could not find inspiration in other
values that Panico did posses. Also bear in mind that Armstrong (and
Hawkins) were very fond of opera records, and Bix went to concerts of
symphony ochestra's, and asked their trumpet player for lessons, since he
wanted to improve his technique. But after one lesson the symphony player
refused, with the explanation: you are so naturally talented, don't change
anything, which Bix could not understand and made him very sad at the
moment. 

 

Influences and inspiration can be way more complex than what is taught these
days. Jazz history classes are so much symplified, that they sometimes
nearly become a joke. Of course , there is a general outline, but reality
is, that it all was way more complex than the eye meets at first glance. 

 

Very kind regards,

 

Bert

  _____  

F 

> Bill (Davison) was his own man who came up listening to Louis (as 'they'
all did), Bix and Louis Panico.

Thus is the first time I've seen Louis Panico named in the same sentence
with Armstrong and Bix. Can he really have been much of an influence on Wild
Bill and his generation? 

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