Timme Rosenkrantz, Fradley Hamilton Garner, Harlem Jazz Adventures: A European Baron’s Memoir, 1934-1969
Timme Rosenkrantz (1911–1969) had royal Danish blood, but no royal pretensions, and when he came to the US in 1934, his garrulous charm made him fit right in. What attracted him here was jazz. He became a chronicler and friend of musicians from Louis Armstrong to Art Tatum to Lennie Tristano and dozens of others. He was a rounder and a storyteller, and he could write. His memoir, artfully edited by Fradley Garner, is a chronicle of three decades when New York was the center of the jazz universe and Rosenkrantz was swinging through it. Go here to see a video about Rosenkrantz and the book.
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.
Some colorful recollections of Rosenkrantz can be found in Linda Dahl’s “Morning Glory” where he is described as “one of those fabulous characters who inhabit the fringes of jazz. Affectionately called the Jazz Baron by some, not so affectionately known as the Robber Baron by others” – the latter reflecting his reputation as a bootlegger of jazz recordings. His New York apartment was said to be the scene of a perpetual cocktail party attended by musicians and celebrities.
It’s all in the book.
It’s a terrific read, though I’m surprised that Fradley Gardner was unaware that Duke Ellington’s 1943 Carnegie Hall Concert has long since been commercially available, both as a 3 LP set and later a 2 CD set.