This is one of a series of taped interviews with musicians who are asked to give a snap opinion on a set of records played to them. Although no previous information is given as to what they are going to hear, they are, during the actual playing, handed the appropriate record sleeve. Thus in no way is their judgement influenced by being unaware of what they are hearing. As far as possible the records played to them are currently available items procurable from any record shop. William ‘Wild Bill’ Davison is one of the most colourful products to have appeared on the Dixieland jazz scene. A bright and breezy player, he blows with a courage born of the conviction that jazz to be jazz must swing and should sound bright and cheerful. For many years he was in and out of Eddie Condon’s Club, and the Condon groups never sounded better than when Wild William was at the helm driving them on with his breezy cornet playing. A real character, on and off stage, he’s a wonderfully entertaining person to talk to although his definition of a jazz critic is hardly a kind one. A jazz critic, states Wild Bill, ‘is probably a guy who sometime had his girl pinched by the second tenor player in the Lawrence Welk Orchestra’. – Sinclair Traill
Green. Anthony Williams – Life Time. Blue Note 4180
Surely you are playing that at the wrong speed? No! Well, all I can say about that one is that if Joe Glaser ever books any bands for the Moon (and he is sure to get in there first), then this is the one for the hotel job. Boy, that’s far out! I wish in a way I understood it, but it is beyond me. Lovely bass player incidentally, great big, fat tone. But the whole conception was not one of prettiness – I guess I’ll stay with the old stuff.
Farewell Blues. Pete Fountain – Bourbon Street. Coral LVA 9154
It was good to hear old Abe Lincoln in there – he is certainly one of the most free and easy trombonists I ever knew, and one of the most unappreciated. Listening to him, I hear a deal of Miff Mole in his playing; like Miff used to play back in the days of the Five Pennies, he plays those same intervals. Abe doesn’t do much anymore, but he is always ready to work when required. I called him up one night and asked him if he was doing anything. He said he wasn’t but that he hadn’t played for over a month. But he came along and blew it wild, as if he had been playing every day. He’s got a fantastic lip, which never lets him down, and which is always in good shape. Me, if I don’t play every day, my lip goes to pieces.
Anyway, this day I’m talking about, he said he’d have to get his trombone out of the garage and then he would be right down. So he arrived, took his instrument out of its case, dusted it off, put the mouthpiece in and played just as good as he played on this record – and they don’t play any better than that! It’s fantastic, he’s got a freak lip. He doesn’t use a lot of pressure, but he plays so freely he can do anything. Also on this record is Pete Fountain, and never mind what people say about him, he’s a fine clarinettist. Fine tone and lovely ideas; and he can really play the blues when the mood gets him.
Spain. Bob Crosby’s Bob Cats. Ace of Hearts AH 29
That brings back memories; that band was one of the greatest. The trombone player there, Warren Smith, was in my California band. I also in my time played with Irving Fazola, Eddie Miller and. of course. the great Jess Stacy. He and I played in a band in Chicago one time, in a place underneath the street. The place was open all day and all night, they never closed. We had Nappy Lamare with us and Ray Bauduc, and they were wild sessions. All these players I have mentioned were the best on their instruments, and Bob Crosby was so keen on the music, that his enthusiasm got everybody playing well. He worked them hard though.
That tune Spain is a favourite of mine. I recorded it with Charles Dornberger’s band years and years ago. It was a big band you know, and Miff Mole had got me in there, and whilst I was with the band we recorded two sides, one of which was Spain. I didn’t have a solo, only played second trumpet, but the band for that time played some pretty hot numbers. Dornberger himself was one of those Rudy Wiedoeft saxophone players, corny as hell, but he always had some good jazz men in the band. This was before I joined Ray Miller in Chicago. Now Ray really had a great band at the Hotel Gibson. The band had a wonderful book, and anyone that could read music well, could sit down there and really blow. Miff Mole, he also played with Miller of course. Bob Crosby lives in Honolulu these days – if he ever meets Trummy Young, who is also there I believe, they’re sure to get together and form a group.
I’m Gonna Stomp Mr. Henry Lee. Jack Teagarden – Big T’s Jazz. Brunswick LAT 8229
The band got a wonderful sound there; they were all playing so together. You know, it is hard to believe that Jack has gone – just before he died we were working in Boston, for the same boss but in different clubs. He was at the Tip Top and I was at the Birdcage, just around the corner from him. So we appeared on a television show together and whilst we were being interviewed Jack brought something up that I had never thought of before. He pointed out that although between us we had made thousands of records, we had not, either of us, ever had a hit record. Some had sold well, of course, but never a hit – a smasheroo.
There is a great clarinet player on this record Hank D’Amico. A great friend of mine and one of the really great players. People don’t seem to realise somehow just how good Hank is – he has ideas, tone, everything. The pianist is another good musician, Dick Wellstood, and so too is the trumpet player, Johnny Windhurst. This tune they played is a real old one. It was written I see by Jack’s friend Peck Kelly, but I have never been able to learn who Mr. Henry Lee was exactly. I am glad Jack left some good music like this behind him. The night he died my wife called me long distance and told me the news – I was stunned, couldn’t play all night. I had seen him a few days before and he looked the picture of health.
King Of The Zulus. Louis Armstrong – Autobiography. Decca DL 8606
Someone told me not to long ago, or I read it someplace, that Louis is slipping – well all I can say after listening to that, is that is a poor example of ‘slipping’. There is a guy I can listen to all the time. He amazes me, he can still play trumpet like that – it was back to the old time, and yet it was fresh – it was a creation! To be able to play like that, to still create, is really something.
You know, when Louis was taken ill in Italy, I took his place in the All Stars. So I did four concerts with Louis, and that was the first time I had ever been with the Armstrong band. The doctors told Louis that he mustn’t play, but he couldn’t keep away and on the third concert, he came up and joined us and I have never enjoyed anything so much in my life before. It was a good band, you know. Trummy Young, Peanuts Hucko and Velma Middleton were with them then. We had a ball, I’m telling you. I never figured I had the ability to carry that through, but it went alright.
I think I first met Louis in 1925 in Chicago. I used to go down to the Grand Terrace and that place Joe Glaser owned, the Sunset Cafe. I used to have a seat there every night of my life. Zutty was with Louis then, and I have never heard a small band play a big floor show as that band of Louis’s could. There were twenty-four girls in the chorus and this little band used to shoot it out and never get lost.
I have known Louis nearly all my life, but I shall never forget the first time I heard him. He played Cornet Chop Suey and I have never heard anything like it in my life. And he still plays that way today. The only thing I think that has improved with age is his singing. In the old days sometimes you couldn’t understand him so good, but now he’s perfect – so perfect that he has to come up with a hit record, Hello Dolly. It sold millions.
Green Tiger. Le Vrai Buck Clayton. 77 LEU 12/11
There is another one of my favourite trumpet players, Buck Clavton. Beautiful player. And Humphrey, I see. You remember Humphrey was on that tour we did over here with the Condon band. He teams well with Buck here, they sound well suited, and the arrangements are excellent. Some thought went into that. Whenever Buck is around in New York, I always grab a chance to hear him. There are not too many I take the trouble to catch these days, but Buck will always be one. Like in the old days, we used to always grab the chance to hear Bix, when he was around. And I played with him. I remember one time when he was with Goldkette and I was playing with the Seattle Harmony Kings. We went along to the Oriole Terrace, this was in Detroit, a place that danced a thousand people. Bix had a mellophone and I my cornet and we climbed on the stand to sit in with the resident band. But before we got started Bix coughed and out came that pivot tooth you have heard so much about. So Bix took over on piano, I played my horn, and the crowd danced, whilst a dozen waiters armed with torches searched the floor for that pivot tooth. Never did find it.
