Jazz Hall Of Fame Series - Barney Bigard

 

Barney Bigard

Jazz Hall Of Fame Series

Barney Bigard

Liberty Records LRP 3072

1957

Barney Bigard - Clarinet

Jackie Coons - Trumpet & Mellophone

Burt Johnson - Trombone

Bruce MacDonald - Piano

Charlie Lodice - Drums

Bob Stone and Al Morgan* - Bass

Note: The cover on this issue is a one color print on a velveteen material.

From the back cover: Life has been great to me... If I were to write it All Down people wouldn't believe it...

My grandmother raised me in New Orleans, and she took great interest in me and my life. She heard me whistle as a youngster and asked her son Emil Bigard, who was a jazz violinist, to take an interest in my musical ability.

Emil was the front man for Kid Ory's band at that time, and he decided to start me on clarinet – I wanted to play trumpet – but they talked me out of it by telling me that it would take a lot more wind. He borrowed an Eb clarinet from Ory's clarinet man and told me he would get me a good teacher.

The teacher turned out to be the famous Lorenzo Tio, who came from a whole family of clarinet players. His father was the solo clarinetist with the Barnum and Bailey Circus Band. We lived on Villary Street in the French Quarter, and as I improved, a friend of the family, a bandleader named Octave Gaspar, stopped by the house and asked grandmother if I could play a job with him. She thought I was too young but he volunteered to get me home safely, so she finally gave in. That night at the job we had a rough time. I couldn't get with those cats – the first thing they put on me was Tiger Rag, and I was still trying to make the first part by the time they were already to the breaks. Everybody was holding their heads and moaning, but I didn't care, I wanted to learn and I had what they called a "hard face" in those days. My early experience was one big round of similar experiences including being payed off with car fare home before the job if they could get a better man at the last minute. My desire to play made it impossible to insult me, and I guess it was a good thing because I played so badly they used to call me the "snake charmer".

When the sax came out I got me a tenor and I discovered it was a lot easier to play than the clarinet. My reputation and my calls improved quite rapidly, and before long I got my revenge. If they wanted me they had to pay double, that meant a dollar fifty a night instead of Iseventy five cents.

One day I received a telegram from King Oliver in Chicago. Albert Nickolas, a clarinet player, and Luis Russell, a pianist, had gone on to Chicago before, and when the King asked them about a tenor man they recommended me. We were to open Christmas Eve at the Royal Gardens, but didn't get to because the place burned down that night. Nickolas and I roomed together scuffling 'til the King could gel another job. We finally opened at the Plantation and "Satchmo" was across the street at a place called The Gunset. After a long run at the Plantation we went on the road – got stranded in St. Louis and finally made it into New York... box car fashion, that is.

We worked on and off around New York, but it was rough, so when I got a telegram from Charlie Elgar in Milwaukee, I was glad to take the job for the summer. I came back to New York and joined Luis Russell at a club called the "Nest". What a crazy place – Lillian Russell, Durante and lots of famous people hung out there. Sometimes we didn't leave 'til noon. It was here that I met Duke Ellington. He used to come in to hear the band and after talking things over I decided to join his band – stayed fourteen years. The only reason I left the band was because traveling got bad during the war. I joined Freddie Slack for a while, did a lot of recording, both records and sound tracks for pictures. Had groups of my own for a while, worked with Kid Ory shortly, and then joined a group of All-Stars that Louis Armstrong was forming at Billy Berg's on Vine Street in Hollywood. That was the band with Teagarden, Hines, Catlett, Shaw and Velma Middleton.

I think the part of old New Orleans that made the biggest impression on me was the way the bands would ride around town in wagons advertising dances they were going to play later that night. When two bands advertising different dances came together and "locked wheels", you were sure to hear some "tough" blowing sessions. The way the people gathered around and the way the bands played was something I couldn't overlook. It I wouldn't have been hard for me to take up some other trade in fact, I did do some work as a cigar maker and later I worked as a photo engraver for the Times-Picayune. The talk I heard around the house about the more famous New Orleans musicians was too much of an influence however, and after I heard them in person, they fascinated me completely. Heard Buddy Pettit, Manuel Perez, Freddie Keppard... I didn't become acquainted with Louis Arm- strong until later in Chicago.

When I first joined Ellington after playing with the New Orleans bands, there was a vast difference. I had the feeling that I was playing wrong notes. The more I played Ellington's music and as my ear became accustomed to it, the more I liked it. He was so far advanced the guy was phenomenal still is. To be truthful, Duke and everybody in the band at that time floored me – Tricky Sam, Hodges, Carney, Tommy Green, Wellman Braud played tuba too – like Hurricane Audrey.

Mood Indigo came about at a rehearsal. After I got the melody, Duke made the arrangement and as soon as I recorded it with a small band of my own, I sold the tune for twenty five dollars. In those days we were selling everything. Some of the tunes I wrote were "Rockin' In Rhythm", "Saturday Night Junction", "Clouds in My Heart", "Clarinet Lament", "Sophisticated Lady" and "Javinette".

The Ellington band with Blanton was the best band I was in. Jimmy just loved to play – he made all the sessions. He was the greatest bass player I ever heard before or since. Jimmy put the bass players to work and after he was told he wouldn't be able to play anymore he just didn't want to live.

I learned a lot in the Ellington band – especially from the Duke himself. It is a sad thing to say, but working in Europe with Ellington and Armstrong has convinced me that the Europeans are more appreciative and aware of jazz as an American art form than Americans.

The eight years I spent with Satchmo were similar to Ellington in one respect-we were traveling all the time.. The only difference was that we covered the world and believe me, Louis Armstrong is not only an ambassador, he is The King, and the King can do no wrong. He is loved all over the world. To me, Louie is the most influential and important jazz musician ever. He taught me the meaning of " 'Taint what you do, it's the way you do it".

Music, as long as it's played well, whether it's Dixieland, Bop, Modern or Classical... it goes with me... I love it!

It sure was exciting to make this album. I had a chance to do some things I did years ago as well as some jazz standards and some originals. There are more examples of my work in this album than anything I have done before, and I feel everyone will agree the boys in the band did a great job backing me. I feel that these boys are among the finest I've ever worked with. Bruce MacDonald is my pianist, and he is one of the best in the business. Jackie Coons, the trumpet player, has an important future. Burt Johnson is one of the best plunger trombonists around today. The drummer, young Charlie Lodice, is definitely a comer and Bob Stone, the bass player, is one of my proteges.

As a parting remark, I would like to say that being a jazz musician and a part of an art form that is truly American is one of my biggest thrills in life. My advice to student musicians would be to study the present form of jazz and its fine standard. Try to live with the times and if you're going to play jazz, play modern. – Barney Bigard

C-Jam Blues

Mardi Gras Time

Ab Mur

Mahogany Hall Stomp*

Louisiana And Me

Step Steps Up

Step Steps Down

Rose Room*

Moon Indigo*