Title
The Classic
Years - Volume 2
Artist
Jack Teagarden
One of the giants of jazz, Jack Teagarden
was not only the top pre-bop trombonist (playing his instrument
with the ease of a trumpeter) but one of the best jazz singers
too. He was such a fine musician that younger brother Charlie
(an excellent trumpeter) was always overshadowed. Jack started
on piano at age five (his mother Helen was a ragtime pianist),
switched to baritone horn, and finally took up trombone
when he was ten. Teagarden worked in the Southwest in a
variety of territory bands (most notably with the legendary
pianist Peck Kelley) and then caused a sensation when he
came to New York in 1928. His daring solos with Ben Pollack
caused Glenn Miller to de-emphasize his own playing with
the band, and during the late-'20s/early Depression era,
"Mr. T." recorded frequently with many groups
including units headed by Roger Wolfe Kahn, Eddie Condon,
Red Nichols, and Louis Armstrong ("Knockin' a Jug").
His versions of "Basin Street Blues" and "Beale
Street Blues" (songs that would remain in his repertoire
for the remainder of his career) were definitive. Teagarden,
who was greatly admired by Tommy Dorsey, would have been
a logical candidate for fame in the swing era but he made
a strategic error. In late 1933, when it looked as if jazz
would never catch on commercially, he signed a five-year
contract with Paul Whiteman. Although Whiteman's Orchestra
did feature Teagarden now and then (and he had a brief period
in 1936 playing with a small group from the band, the Three
T's, with his brother Charlie and Frankie Trumbauer), the
contract effectively kept Teagarden from going out on his
own and becoming a star. It certainly prevented him from
leading what would eventually became the Bob Crosby Orchestra.
In 1939, Jack Teagarden was finally "free" and
he soon put together a big band that would last until 1946.
However, it was rather late to be organizing a new orchestra
(the competition was fierce) and, although there were some
good musical moments, none of the sidemen became famous,
the arrangements lacked their own musical personality, and
by the time it broke up Teagarden was facing bankruptcy.
The trombonist, however, was still a big name (he had fared
quite well in the 1940 Bing Crosby film The Birth of the
Blues) and he had many friends. Crosby helped Teagarden
straighten out his financial problems, and from 1947-1951
he was a star sideman with Louis Armstrong's All-Stars;
their collaborations on "Rocking Chair" are classic.
After leaving Armstrong, Teagarden was a leader of a steadily
working sextet throughout the remainder of his career, playing
Dixieland with such talented musicians as brother Charlie,
trumpeters Jimmy McPartland, Don Goldie, Max Kaminsky, and
(during a 1957 European tour) pianist Earl Hines. Teagarden
toured the Far East during 1958-1959, teamed up one last
time with Eddie Condon for a television show/recording session
in 1961, and had a heartwarming (and fortunately recorded)
musical reunion with Charlie, sister/pianist Norma, and
his mother at the 1963 Monterey Jazz Festival. He died from
a heart attack four months later and has yet to be replaced.
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Tracklist
CD - 1
Rockin'
Chair (with Louis Armstrong)
Stars
Fell On Alabama
Aint
Cha Glad
Nobody
Knows The Trouble I've Seen
After
You've Gone
I'Ve
Got It
Octoroon
If
I Could Be With You One Hour Tonight
Somebody
Stole Gabriels Horn
'S
Wonderful
My
kinda Love
Meet
Me Where They Play The Blues
Swung
The Election
Jack
Hits The Road
Texas
Tea Party
Dinah
Beale
Street Blues
Somebody
Loves Me
Muddy
River Blues
Baby
Wont You Please Come Home
A
Jam Session At Victor
A
Hundred Years from Today
You
Rascal You
CD
- 2
St
James Infirmary
I
Gotta Right To Sing The Blues
Davenport
Blues
Serenade
To A Shylock
The
Sheik Of Araby
Basin
Street Blues
Lover
Say
It Simple
Chances
Are
Makin'
Friends
That's
A Serious Thing
Shine
Dr
Heckle and Mr Jibe
High
Society
Junk
Man
Muskrat
Ramble
I'm
Gonna Stop mr Henry Lee
Knockin'
A Jug
Swinging
On The Teagarden Gate
Christmas
Night In Harlem
The
Blues
She's
A Great Great Girl
St
Louis Blues
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