Charles Lee/Leonidas Doc Cooke, II (band details January 1924 to summer 1926)

Transcription

1 Charles Lee/Leonidas Doc Cooke, II (band details January 1924 to summer 1926) After the Gennett recording session, from February until July/August 1924, the band personnel most likely was (Shelby and Green probably withdrew very early 1924, although one might certainly wonder how several opinions - regarding the period beginning 1924 (or even earlier?) until autumn arrive at a total of seventeen band members): Charles Doc Cook, dir/organ. Elwood Graham, 1. cnt. Freddie Keppard, 2. cnt. Fred Garland, trb. Jimmie Noone, clt. Clifford King, clt/bcl/alt. Joe Poston, clt/alt. Jerome Pasquall, clt/ten/bar. Kenneth Anderson, pno. John St. Cyr, bjo. Rudolph Renaud, bb. Andrew Hilaire, dms/vcl. It is difficult to say exactly when Keppard joined, left, and joined again; and it is impossible to establish any facts about Keppard from the Pasquall story, otherwise than, counted from the outset at the Dreamland, Keppard joined later (later than August 1922), which could in fact be anything from a couple of weeks to six months. Several sources (Chilton/MacCarthy et all) have it that Keppard s first tenure lasted until late summer 1924 except for the Erskine Tate mission in 1923 (since Tate seems to have enlarged his band on a loose basis, it would not really require Keppard to be a member of Tate s band just to record with him in June 1923? Or, for a while, Keppard may have been appearing with both bands this was common practice for several top soloists. On the other hand, the Cook band activities as well as the Tate band activities both took place during the early evening hours). Rolf von Arx (findings, ca. 1973): George Mitchell left Carroll Dickerson at the Mah Jongg at the late summer 1924 and joined Doc Cook at the Harmon s Dreamland Ballroom. During this stint, Mitchell also played with an after hours group at the Paradise Gardens with Noone, Arthur Campbell (this pianist recorded with Keppard September 1926), Minor Hall, and Johnny St. Cyr. Albert Nicholas has related the following taking place (seemingly at the beginning of 1925): "... I came (to Chicago) to play for King Oliver (Dixie Syncopators at the Plantation Café). We got to play from nine to three in the morning... didn't have time to go and listen to nobody else... we heard some in the first few days we arrived in Chicago... me and Barney, because we wanted to hear the thing and Cooke had a great band...at Harmon's Dreamland... Freddie Keppard!... Jimmy Noone featured on clarinet. He had a full reed section with all his saxophones, and two trumpets and two trombones - a seventeen piece band. Cooke played organ and (Luis) Russell played vibraphone (or rather marimba and xylophone?) with the band." Is Nicholas statement the reason for listing two trombones participating in the Cook record sessions? Or is it the statement of Frederic Ramsay, Jazzways 1946, page 32:... Charles Coke (sic) had always had large orchestras, and men like Noone, Venson, and Keppard... played with him... - which means that Ramsay had been told that Ed Venson (aka Eddie Vincent - veteran of the Original Creole Orchestra and friend of Keppard) did play with Charles Cooke? Since Ramsay also relates detailed circumstances of Venson s death etc., he must have received some rather well qualified information. The same information appeared in Ramsay s Chicago Documentary, Portrait of a Jazz Era, On the other hand, Olle Helander, Jazzens Väg, c. 1945, page 111, gives the impression that when Cook enlarged to an even bigger crew, he hired either Fayette Williams or William Dawson, or both, for the trombone chairs - but at the same time rather implies the year to be Luis Russell himself confirmed that on Noone's recommendation, Cook sent for him (in New Orleans) in (Chilton, 1985: until late 1924 when he (Luis Carl Russell) accepted an offer to join Doc Cooke in Chicago. Worked with Doc Cooke for several months on piano and organ ). Chilton s information is word for word corresponding with McCarthy, Big Band Jazz, 1974, page But does it seem probable that Russell would play piano, when Anderson was the regular pianist and most likely a better piano player than Russell? So from around July/August 1924 until late 1924, the band personnel might have been: Charles Doc Cook, dir/organ. Elwood Graham, 1. cnt. George Mitchell, 2. cnt. Fred Garland, trb. Jimmie Noone, clt. Clifford King, clt/bcl/alt. Joe Poston, clt/alt. Unknown, reeds. Kenneth Anderson, pno. Johnny St. Cyr, bjo. Rudolph Renaud, bb. Andrew Hilaire, dms/vcl.

2 Charles L. Cooke arrangement, From late 1924 until around February 1925, the band personnel might have been (acc. to Albert Nicholas it was a seventeen piece band so there would have been two more members than shown below (an extra reed man to make a full reed section and maybe a violin player?)): Charles Doc Cook, dir/organ. Elwood Graham, 1. cnt. George Mitchell, 2. cnt. Freddie Keppard, 3. cornet. Fred Garland, 1. trb. Poss. Eddie Venson, 2. trb. Jimmie Noone, clt. Clifford King, clt/bcl/alt. Joe Poston, clt/alt. Unknown, reeds. Luis Russell, xylophone/pno/organ. Kenneth Anderson, pno. Johnny St. Cyr, bjo. Rudolph Renaud, bb. Andrew Hilaire, dms/vcl. Andrew Blakeney (interview by Peter Vacher 1974): we came back to Chicago just before King Oliver opened at the Plantation (late February 1925). Right after that, Charlie Cooke and his Dreamland Orchestra played at the Dixieland Ball. When things closed for the summer (at Dreamland), they always took off down to the Pier. This year it was Charlie Cooke s No. 2 band. The director was Laurence Harrison, the original leader of the Alabamians. Laurie Wright, King Oliver, 1987:... at the end of February 1925, King Oliver re-formed his band... and brought it into the Plantation Café... with the band at the opening were:... Luis Russell, piano and arranger....

3 Copyright 1925 From around February 1925 until autumn 1925, Cook s band personnel might have been: Charles Doc Cook, dir/organ. Elwood Graham, 1. cnt. George Mitchell, 2. cnt. Fred Garland, 1. trb. Poss. Eddie Venson, 2. trb. Jimmie Noone, clt. Clifford King, clt/bcl/alt. Joe Poston, clt/alt. Unknown, reeds. Unknown, xylophone (or none at all). Kenneth Anderson, pno. Johnny St. Cyr, bjo. Rudolph Renaud, bb. Andrew Hilaire, dms/vcl. Clifford King left Cook in the fall of 1925 (acc. to Chicago Defender, November 21, 1925, to possibly join King Oliver at the Plantation Café). Mitchell stayed with Cook until the autumn 1925 when he left to play with Lil Armstrong at the Dreamland Café. McCarthy, page 23, informs that Keppard rejoined Cooke from late 1925 until early 1926 but this statement seems a little inaccurate due to the fact that Keppard is on the Gingersnaps -sides recorded June 22, So very likely, he must at least have been with Cook until the summer Referring McCarthy/Chilton, Noone already associated with Cook from the summer of 1920 (yet Noone was with Glover Compton at the Edelweiss from August 1921 acc. to Pasquall) and stayed until autumn Possible personnel from late autumn 1925 until summer/autumn 1926: Charles Doc Cook, dir/organ. Elwood Graham, 1. cnt. Freddie Keppard, 2. cnt. Fred Garland, trb. Jimmie Noone, clt. Unknown, reeds. Joe Poston, clt/alt. Unknown, reeds. Kenneth Anderson, pno. Johnny St. Cyr, bjo. Rudolph Renaud, bb. Andrew Hilaire, dms/vcl. Laurie Wright, King Oliver, 1987: In February 1926, Okeh began to advertise a mammoth Race Record Ball which eventually took place on Saturday, 27 February 1926 at the Chicago Coliseum, Nor. Annex, and was broadcast in part from p.m. By combining adverts and reports in various papers, the following were intended to appear: Fletcher Henderson, Bennie Moten, Jelly Roll Morton, Clarence Williams, King Oliver, Doc Cooke (acc. to Ramsey 1944 incl. Fred Keppard), Louis Armstrong, Perry Bradford, Butterbeans & Susie, Davenport & Carr, Robinson & Mack, Sara Martin, Miller & Lyles, Alberta Hunter, Charles Anderson, Chippie Hill, R. M. Jones, Hociel Thomas, Hersal & George Thomas, Sippie Wallace, Blanche Calloway, and possibly others. Not all of these actually made the event and, among those who didn t attend... were Fletcher Henderson and Jelly Roll Morton. Walter C. Allen, Hendersonia, 1973, quoting Chicago DEFENDER Feb. 6 & 13, 1926 advertising an event February 27: Chicago ; Coliseum ; Okeh Race Record Artists Night. Scheduled to appear, along with Bennie Moten, Jelly Roll Morton, Clarence Williams, King Oliver, Doc Cook, Louis Armstrong, Perry Bradford, Robinson & Mack, Charles

4 Anderson, Butterbeans and Susie, Davenport and Carr, Sara Martin, Alberta Hunter, Miller and Lyles, Bertha Chippie Hill, Richard M. Jones, Hociel Thomas, Blanche Calloway, Sippie Wallace, Hersal and George Thomas. Miller/Hoefer, 1946: Some of the Battles of Bands and other special events which took place during this time seem almost incredulous to the jazzfan today, not only because the phenomenon has passed away from the jazz scene, but also because the array of talent presented in one evening often included the most honored names in jazz... we can do no more than list those bands and artists, with the additional assurance, of course, that tey all regarded this gettogether as a Cutting -contest - a real battle; for the listeners were not merely the public but fellow musicians. There can be no doubt that on that night (and on similar nights on other dates) the jazzmen were inspired to put forth their mightiest efforts. Ramsey/Smith, Jazzmen, 1939 (and Frederic Ramsey in Chicago Documentary 1944), Miller/Hoefer 1946, and Dick Raichelson (Arcadia LP 1977): On Saturday night, June 12, 1926, the Consolidated Talking Machine Company of Chicago (arranged and supervised by Richard M. Jones of the Okeh Race Record Dept.) produced a Cabaret and Style Show of thirteen bands and six blues singers which performed a gigantic benefit at the Coliseum before a crowd of 10,000 enthusiastic patrons. Besides Charlie Elgar s Arcadia Ballroom Orchestra, the star-sudded cavalcade of bands included those of The Society Syncopators, Carroll Dickerson s Sunset Café Orchestra, Byron Brothers Troubador Syncopators, King Oliver and his Plantation Café Orchestra, Jimmie Bell and his Masters of Syncopation, Clarence Jones and his Owl Theatre Orchestra, Dave Peyton and his Peerless Theatre Orchestra, Nolan Welsh with Richard M. Jones, Sammy Stewart, Doc Cook s Dreamland Ballroom Orchestra with Keppard, Butterbeans and Susie, Lillie Delk Christian, Bertha Chippie Hill, Sara Martin and Lonnie Johnson, Louis Armstrong the iron lip cornet wonder (prob. the only public appearance of the Hot Five), King Oliver and the Plantation Review Band, Al Wynn s Dreamland Café Orchestra, and Erskine Tate s Vendome Syncopators, among others. According to Ramsey 1944, Sippie Wallace was also featured. Ikey Robinson, Storyville , page 99: During Robinson s first months in Chicago in 1926, he gigged with everyone, for instance Jimmy Bell and Lawrence Harrison, who might have had their own groups then - and therefore were probably not with Cooke at that time. Lawrence Harrison fronted the 10-piece Alabamians (formerly under Jelly Roll Morton) at the Plantation Café, but not until very late 1927, confirmed by Chicago Defender Dec 31, So Ikey Robinson may be a little off the correct year. When Harrison (son of actor Richard B. Harrison - De Lawd of Green Pastures ) was dismissed by Cooke in September 1927, he started own band Harrison s Synco Peppers from October 1, However, if Robinson was with Harrison in Alabamians that could not have been as early as mid Jimmy Noone and Lawrence Harrison were both dismissed by Charles Doc Cooke in September 1927 (Storyville , page 171). Frederic Ramsey (Chicago Documentary, 1944) even wrote... and Louis (Armstrong) doubled from Vendome to Bottom s Dreamland, with Cook s Orchestra. There were two Dreamlands, you know - Harmon s the dance hall, and Bill Bottoms Café, also called Dreamland.... In 1926, when his and St. Cyr s Messin Around was copyrighted, Charles L. Cooke had apparently not yet officially changed his name, if in fact he ever did. On May 28, 1926, St. Cyr recorded with Lill s Hot Shots (and acc. to some unlikely reports also with Erskine Tate s Vendome Orchestra). St. Cyr was still a member of the Cooke band even though he recorded with everybody else.

5 It is now relevant to take a look at the small group session for Okeh. As per existing discographies/lp/cd releases, the below details are usually listed: COOKIE S GINGERSNAPS: Freddie Keppard, cor. Fred Garland, trb. Jimmie Noone, clt/vcl. Joe Poston, alt/ten/voc. Kenneth Anderson, pno. Johnny St. Cyr, bjo. Chicago, June 22, A Messin Around (vcl JN/JP) Okeh A High Fever Okeh A Here Comes The Hot Tamale Man Okeh B Love Found You For Me (vcl JN) Okeh And what is it possible to hear in the recordings? In general the following instruments are easily recognized: One cornet, one trombone, two reeds, one piano, one banjo, and cymbals (snare drumming prob. inaudible due to inferior recording technique), altogether 7 men. Further some highly interesting conclusions, leading back to the Gennett session, can be made. 1. First and foremost one hears Keppard at full blast living up to his alleged reputation playing with fire, drive, imagination, free to express his ideas (less written arranging), really riding on top of the rhythm support excellently provided. In fact not with the highest of embouchure control, fluffing some notes, missing others, and even hitting wrong ones yet the mistakes don t really detract from the picture. In matrix 9768 Keppard provides a fine lead/solo from and continues his strong leading right to the end. In a way, his phrasing is rather staccato and abrupt, sometimes rushed - but highly personal - which strangely enough doesn t spoil the music, probably because of the tight tension displayed and some daring chances taken. Especially from into matrix 9769, Keppard executes a powerful riff-like ride-out almost bursting over at when he explodes in a full steam two-note outbreak and finishes off in excellent rhythmic phrasing style, really making the listener gasping for one more chorus. This last chorus is certainly worthy of a King. Keppard leads on bravely from the outset of 9770 with fine swinging melody. But after the second strain the 3 other horns hold back the proceedings a little. A really low point comes next with Noone s solo bad taste, extraordinarily set off by Keppards jazz phrasing of the same thing in the first chorus. At Keppard has had enough of this and blows off steam with a fiery and powerful open horn finish, almost carrying away his beat and control over the horn. In 9771, a rather pre-arranged, mostly corny, performance, there isn t much to do for Keppard to start with. At things are brightening up, in fact not the least due to a fine pulsating and propelling rhythm group support. It certainly also further the proceedings when Keppard pulls out his mute and gets down to raw business. 2. Fred Cat Garland fills in his role competently, although at times with uncertainty, some fluffed notes and a bit stiff. A good section man with some facilitating technical abilities but not the greatest improviser. Garland is to the fore in 9770, his own melody solo presentation. 3. Matrix 9768 comes on with a spectacular Noone/Poston dialogue (not completely understandable to me): Joe, you forgot to...??.... been out all over town again? Where ve you been? Now, with the boys,..??..! With the boys! With the boys! I m tired of hearing that! Where ve you been? Messin around! I wanna heeaar it! Right upon this, Poston embarks upon a strong, well-phrased, and full-toned alto lead. At starts an improvised fine tutti chorus with driving clarinet counter parts and breaks. It is really amazing how different Noone can sound/play at times very boring, at other times (preferably over an ensemble passage) digging in with bite. Inspired, Noone leads in on Noone/Poston take the bridge in the piano-solo, an arranged but not too well sounding part. Next couple of strains doesn t improve much as to the voicings of the two reeds. At 01.16, Keppard forgets to remove his mute, which he manages to pull out while playing, and when he repeats the same phrase at on open horn, it has quite an impact to hear his sheer power punch right on the beat. At Poston changes to tenor sax, which instrument he plays with less ease, beauty, and imagination than his alto. At the end, Keppard is sent off wildly by St. Cyr s rolling shuffle, Anderson s fantastic (Bixian?) piano break, and Hilaire s swinging sweeping cymbal after beat - the King soars and certainly steals the spotlight from the other horns. Noone and Poston don t get a chance. Wham! As for 9770, there is not much encouraging input from the reeds. But at 02.32, all of a sudden - maybe inspired by Keppard s whipping attack - Poston and Noone completely change their mood and style, driving into a rousing finale. On 9771, the reeds melody statement is sweet-toned pop music and not at all jazz. From to two clarinets are heard, so Poston is also handling this instrument. Maybe an A&R representative demanded this unlikely feature, yet, after all, the band manages to turn the last chorus into nicely and well swinging music. 4. Last, but certainly not least, there is the rhythm section: Kenneth Anderson, John St. Cyr, and Andrew Hilaire - really a splendid, hard swinging combination. Anderson is playing a fine piano solo in 9769, High Fever, probably prepared, some phrases a little ragtime influenced. But most important, his ascending/descending break at is exactly the same technical construction with inserted punctuated/syncopated chords underneath as is demonstrated in 11732, The One I Love, from the Gennett session. EXACTLY and there is no doubt that it is the same piano player on both sessions. Also compare the technique from said breaks with the intro to 9768, Messin Around. And further compare Anderson s modern touches in the piano breaks from in 11729, So This Is Venice, with his modern touches on the

6 Gingersnaps-sides, for instance his masterly break in 9769, High Fever, near the end. Anderson is so good that he along with the horns - actually plays one of the voices in a couple of the harmonized parts of the Gingersnapspassages. He is a fine and, for the time, advanced musician, and can not be praised enough. And neither can St. Cyr. Rock-steady as Gibraltar, pulsating, forward driving without rushing the beat, well-chording, and extremely well-sounding. A personal sound, if that is at all possible on a banjo well, St. Cyr has it! The timbre, a crisp and bell-like ring. Not to speak of his highly excellent ideas and the perfect way, they are executed. All his solo efforts, in any setting, are most interesting, some simply the utmost art of jazz banjo playing at all times. The wellchosen way he establishes the beat, either straight, or with accentuated shifting rhythms, or with a rolling shuffle, or tremolo is always adding to the proceedings. For any horn man to rely on. And what taste!! Not only the King of jazz banjo, but the Emperor. Much of the same can be said for Hilaire s drumming although it has never been easy to hear much of it due to the poor recording equipment. Considering that Hilaire was chosen by Jelly Roll Morton for the recording of the outstanding, very modern, and elegant Red Hot Pepper Victor-sides there is, however, no doubt that Hilaire s skills were held in high esteem - and of course Doc Cook also knew what he himself wanted. And Cook was financially able to pay for the best. Listen to the style of this rhythm section and you will hear the same artistic effects on the Gennett-sides, although admitted it takes a lot of listening due to the poor reproduction of the acoustic sound in the Gennett grooves. Extended listening will further reveal that the Gennett music is better than a first spontaneous overall impression may leave excellent jazz moments/passages are to be heard on all the Gennett sides. Suggested corrected discographical details as per above findings: COOKIE S GINGERSNAPS: Freddie Keppard, cor. Fred Garland, trb. Jimmie Noone, clt/vcl. Joe Poston, clt/alt/ten/voc. Kenneth Anderson, pno. Johnny St. Cyr, bjo. Andrew Hilaire, dms/vcl. Chicago, June 22, a 9769-a 9770-a 9771-B MESSIN AROUND (vcl JN/JP) HIGH FEVER HERE COMES THE HOT TAMALE MAN (vcl AH) LOVE FOUND YOU FOR ME (vcl JN) Okeh 8390 Okeh 8369 Okeh 8369 Okeh NOTE: The TRUETONE pressings of Okeh 8390 and 8369 have milled edges (labels also state Recorded in Chicago or Recorded in Chicago, Ill. ) while other pressings have plain edges and no location information. Okeh 8390 coupled with Richard M. Jones Jazz Wizards (matrix 9773-a). Okeh coupled with Arthur Sims and His Creole Roof Orchestra (matrix 9764-a). The cm/lyr rights for 9768 ascribed to Cooke-St. Cyr.