Looking for the earliest Slim Gaillard clip I could find, I came across a sequence from Olsen and Johnson’s manic 1941 hit movie Hellzapoppin’. Gaillard plays piano and guitar, with his constant companion of the period, the great Slam Stewart, on bass. Among the several dozen uncredited musicians and dancers is the Duke Ellington cornetist Rex Stewart, done up in a cook’s outfit. If anyone can identify the clarinetist, trombonist and drummer, please send a comment. You’ll see some of the most aggressive jitterbugging ever filmed, but keep your ears open to the jam session that inspires the dancers. The funny little man in the opening scene is Hugh Herbert.
They don’t make them like this anymore. How could they?
The nonagenarian pianist presented de Barros with every biographer’s hope, unrestricted access to his subject’s personal papers and nearly unrestricted access to her private thoughts. He made the most of it, turning exhaustive research and hundreds of hours of interviews into a true story with the sweep of a novel. From the early discovery of McPartland’s musical gift through her wartime service, her ecstatic and stormy marriage to Jimmy McPartland, her growth as a pianist, her deep affair with Joe Morello, and the radio show that made her a national figure, she has had a fascinating life. It makes a splendid read.
Mulligan’s Concert Jazz Band had three fewer musicians than most big jazz outfits. Its size permitted precision, flexibility and subtlety, yet the band had the power of sprung steel. In this concert from a half century ago, the CJB is as fresh as yesterday. Arrangements by Mulligan, Bob Brookmeyer, Al Cohn and Johnny Mandel set standards to which big band writers still aspire. Bassist Buddy Clark and drummer Mel Lewis inspired Mulligan, Brookmeyer, Conte Candoli, Gene Quill and Zoot Sims to some of the best soloing of their careers. This beautifully produced issue of the complete concert is a basic repertoire item.
Wasn’t the trombonist Alton ‘Slim’ Moore? And the drummer Zutty Singleton? The dancers were The Harlem Congaroo troupe.
Steve Voce
according to a couple of Internet sources (reliability not guaranteed):
Slim Gaillard – piano, guitar
Slam Stewart – bass
Rex Stewart – cornet
Elmer Fane – clarinet
Jap Jones – trombone
Cee Pee Johnson – drums
From one source:
“An interesting sidenote: Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers’ routine in Hellzapoppin’ was originally danced and choreographed to different music, namely ‘Jumping at the Woodside’. Universal Studios had a composer who was on staff write new music for the routine.”
Harlem Congaroo Dancers (aka Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers):
William Downes (overalls) and Frances “Mickey” Jones (maid).
Norma Miller and Billy Ricker (chef’s hat).
Al Minns (white coat, black pants) and Willa Mae Ricker.
Ann Johnson (maid)
Frankie Manning (overalls).
Frankie Manning (who is 94) is still alive:
http://www.frankiemanning.com/bio.php
What a great clip. From what I’ve been able to find, the trombone player is Jasper “Jap” Jones, who was one of the original Blue Devils. Around 1945-46, he played in Johnny Otis’ band. It would be worth trying to find out more about him — he sounds terrific.
Your Rifftides item on Slim got me playing my LPs of his (as well as enjoying again the clips of him that I have on a DVD called The Small Black Groups).
Regarding the other musicians, the liner notes on Hep LP6 (by a German) mention that in “Hellzapoppin’,” he appeared with Rex Stewart, Buster Bailey, Vic Dickenson and Sonny Greer. I will have to have another viewing of the clip linked from Rifftides, but the drummer looked somewhat like Scatman Crothers, although the liking for the tympani was certainly a Greer factor.