Author: Fuzzy
Date: 2017-03-11 09:20
Wow Robert!!! Thanks!
I hadn't heard of Harold Cooper before - so I'll be looking him up. (Chances are that I've heard him with either the Dukes, or with one of Al Hirt's bands - but I didn't know his name...I'll have to check my liner notes and see if he's in my collection...listening to him via YouTube as I type right now though.)
Jack Maheu recorded with Tim Laughlin (or vice versa?) - and so I was exposed to his playing via my interest in Tim's album "Swing That Music." They played the Fish Vendor tune (which I never liked that much - but love their version!) In Tim's earlier recordings, I hear Jack's influence...though I hear a little less on the newer albums. I wish I had been able to hear Jack while he was still playing - what a treat that would have been!
I'm fortunate to live in the town which hosts quite a bit of the Bob Crosby Orchestra's original material/arrangements, etc. I've always been a big fan of Fazola, and Eddie Miller, but Matlock has taken me a bit of warming up to. I'm a huge fan of his talents though...not only his playing, but his composition/arranging skills! Seeing his on-the-fly arrangements for their later TV appearances, etc. is pretty cool. The guy had to be genius! (At least he appears that way to someone like me.)
Pee Wee Russell is another one who I had a hard time warming up to, but then I ran across this quote from Vol. 9, October 1958's The Second Line (page 5) - by Jake Trussell: (referring to Raymond Burke) "He had a style all his own. At times screaming, wailing, reminders of Pee Wee Russell -- but without the grotesque threatening-to-goof-the-next-note-but-never-doing-it quality of Pee Wee." Honestly, after reading that take on Pee Wee's playing, I was able to finally define why I had a hard time listening to Pee Wee - and it fixed it for me. I can listen to Pee Wee now - because Trussell was right...Pee Wee doesn't actually mess up - it just sounds like he's going to. 
Since I've already dragged you into The Second Line from Vol 9, October 1958; I feel compelled to share these Al Rose snippets with you pertaining to Raymond Burke:
"If there's a cloud with a silver lining, he plays the lining rather than the cloud."
and
"One summer night, I was talking with the late George Girard during an intermission in front of The Famous Door. 'Al,' he said, 'I'm going to be needing a clarinet player. Got any ideas?"
"How about Raymond?" I suggested.
"Man, that would be plain heaven!" George laughed, "But, if I had him I'd still need a clarinet player!"
I do remember Pee Wee Spitelera being in Al Hirt's band, but I'll have to look him up again.
I have quite a few recordings of Louis Cottrell. If memory serves me correctly, Otis Bazoon loved listening to Louis during Otis' formative years.
I'm familiar with Harry Shields, but when I attempted to look him up, I found a GHB album (BCD-127) which included Raymond Burke, Harry Shields, and Pinky Vidacovich. Pinky is a new name to me - do you have information about Pinky?
Art Ryder is a name that I don't recall, so I'll be researching that one. Centobie is a name I'm familiar with - but I always thought it was "Benji Centobie!" I'll have to correct that! I do have many of the Johnny Wiggs albums, so I am familiar with Bujie's playing - even if I've had his name wrong all these years!
"Orange" has recorded some lately. I have a couple of his newer recordings (such as with pianist Steve Pistorius - Steve always seems to choose great clarinetists.
I'd address the others you mentioned, but I see I've gone on quite long, so I'll end here! Thanks for all the great mentions. I know what I'll be doing this weekend!
Fuzzy
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The Clarinet BBoard
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