 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Fuzzy
Date: 2023-04-14 16:14
Wyoming's "American Heritage Center" maintains a Bob Crosby Collection. My understanding is that the collection is only partial, and is on loan (not permanent).
Quite a number of years ago, I went through every document in every box of this collection. Many of the documents pertained to the late 1950s and 1960s performances on CBS television. Many of the arrangements were by clarinetist Matty Matlock or Joe Lipman. It seems that the balance of the TV arrangements were medleys covering a wide range of pop music from the late 1800s all the way through Purple People Eater. Lots of (what we'd now refer to as) hokey humor with spoken banter written into the lyrics, etc.
However, there's also some great stuff in there - a rare piece (used for reference while making a medley) was an older part with "Faz" written where Fazola was to have taken a solo.
Many quick drafts of scores and such. Many big-band pieces/parts/scores of these medleys.
The boxes also contain non-musical items - formal invitations from the White House and the like.
Years ago, I read somewhere of another (more complete) Bob Crosby Collection - perhaps in Arizona, or California (somewhere out west). However, I have been unable to find any such collection in my searches tonight.
Do any of you have information regarding more complete Bob Crosby archives/collections? I'm especially interested in anything which might pertain to the earlier era where the Bobcats were more central and included Irving Fazola.
Thanks,
Fuzzy
;^)>>>
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Author: jim sclater
Date: 2023-04-14 17:03
Fuzzy,
A bit off-topic here but your post mentioned Matty Matlock, surely one of the finest clarinetists of his era. There's an old Paul Weston LP (later converted to CD) entitled Crescent City in which Matlock is given some fine solos. I first heard this LP in the late '50's and his sound stuck with me as one of the best I ever heard. I think he did a lot of Dixieland recordings also. Perhaps not as well known as some others, but such a fine player.
Jim
jsclater@comcast.net
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Author: Fuzzy
Date: 2023-04-14 21:30
Hi Jim,
I appreciate your post and will look up the Paul Weston LP. Matty must have been quite a man - one of the main arrangers for Bob Crosby, yet still able to play as well as he did. Both arranging and playing were huge jobs in the "Crosby band." Photos and video of Matty show him to be slight in stature and a rather unassuming presence.
While not a clarinetist - I must say that one of my favorites from the "Crosby band" (besides Irving Fazola) is Eddie Miller.
There was some pretty amazing talent involved with the group - even if the larger band did play rather mainstream tunes.
I'm surprised that (seeing the band's success) more bands didn't take to the idea of hiring their own leader(s).
Fuzzy
;^)>>>
[Edit] SIDE NOTE:
It appears that the original Weston LP was recorded in 1957 and appeared as "Crescent City The Moods of New Orleans" on LP. This continued until 1980, when an LP was released with the slight change in title, "Crescent City The Music of New Orleans" - when the CD became available in 2013, it too carried "The Music of New Orleans" in its title - but I think the albums all contain the same 1957 recordings found on the earlier LPs - regardless of album title.
Post Edited (2023-04-14 22:29)
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Author: Fuzzy
Date: 2023-04-14 23:52
Hi Jim,
Thanks for the reference to Paul Weston's album. That was quite different than I had expected.
I was surprised to hear how great Matty sounded (tone-wise). I usually admire his technical abilities, but am left thinking of his sound as a little thin. He sounded great on this record! And - to my surprise, I heard Eddie Miller too!
Definitely an era (the first two pieces had me a bit confused - I thought I heard influences of Gershwin and Mancini.) I haven't listened to a lot of music from this period so my points of reference are somewhat limited in this style, but I really enjoyed the album. Thanks so much for bringing it to my attention!
Warmest Regards,
Fuzzy
;^)>>>
[Edit: corrected grammar]
Post Edited (2023-04-14 23:55)
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Author: jim sclater
Date: 2023-04-14 23:58
Hi Fuzzy,
I think you will really enjoy the music on the Weston CD. He was quite the composer/arranger. Matty Matlock plays the famous Sidney Bechet clarinet solo on "High Society". Having spent a fair amount of time in NOLA when I was growing up, the music of the album captures for me the unique character of the city. As a high school student I practiced that "High Society"solo and had it down pretty good. Fun music.
Jim
jsclater@comcast.net
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Author: Fuzzy
Date: 2023-04-15 01:17
Thanks for historical perspective. I was almost gifted a trip to New Orleans with my friend in the mid 1980s, but then plans changed and I missed my chance. As a result, I didn't get to visit New Orleans for the first time until 2007. Just in time to meet and hear Pete Fountain a handful of times before he was gone. Pete, Otis Bazoon, Evan Christopher, Tim Laughlin (my favorite), Tommy Sancton, Michael Magro, etc. were all actively playing at the time - and we spent a lot of time there during the next decade or so.
By then, the neat neighborhoods of the quarter - and closed clubs had turned into a cacophony of music blaring out over speakers (not even all live music) into the street. It was becoming increasingly difficult to find older jazz formats - other than a few clubs on Frenchman Street (which are still mostly active today). I would have loved to experience the city as those who lived there remember it back in the 50s and 60s.
Yeah, the piccolo obbligato line from the march has always been intimidating to me. I know I can't improve on it, so I usually just play something else.
Did you ever run into Raymond Burke that you remember?
I'll admit that my exposure to Paul Weston has been primarily limited to an occasional venture into Jo Stafford's music.
Fuzzy
;^)>>>
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