Jazz From Lincoln Center

At the Court of King Oliver

by Phil Schaap and Lauren Krenzel

(c) & (p) 1994, 2001 Jazz at Lincoln Center and Murray Street Productions, all rights reserved

1) Music: Snag It

2) Bradley:

A MUSICIAN CAN LEAD A SUCCESSFUL BAND, MAKE HISTORIC RECORDINGS AND SHAPE THE MUSIC FOR GENERATIONS TO COME- -- AND STILL DRIFT INTO OBSCURITY.

IN FACT, THE FATHER OF THE MODERN TRUMPET AND A MAJOR COMPOSER --- A MAN WHO HELPED CREATE THE FOUNDATION OF JAZZ IS RELATIVELY UNKNOWN.

HE WAS THE REIGNING MONARCH OF NEW ORLEANS JAZZ IN THE 1920s. HE WAS KING OLIVER.

[music up and then under]

JOIN US AS WE RESURRECT AND CELEBRATE THE EARLY MUSIC OF NEW ORLEANS AND CHICAGO. WE'RE ABOUT TO HEAR WYNTON MARSALIS, MICHAEL WHITE, NICHOLAS PAYTON, FREDDIE LONZO, AND OTHERS PERFORM THE INTRICATE, BEAUTIFUL MUSIC OF JAZZ PIONEER, JOSEPH "KING" OLIVER---ON THIS EDITION OF JAZZ FROM LINCOLN CENTER. I'M ED BRADLEY.

3) Music: [music up and crossfade into warm hall ambience]

4) Bradley:

AS A CORNET PLAYER, COMPOSER, AND BANDLEADER, KING OLIVER WAS A KEY FIGURE IN JAZZ EARLY IN THIS CENTURY. HIS PLAYING INSPIRED GREATS LIKE BUBBER MILEY AND LOUIS ARMSTRONG. HIS SCORES LEFT MUSICIANS WITH RIFFS, LINES AND IDEAS TO BORROW AND LEARN FROM FOR GENERATIONS. AS A BANDLEADER, HE FRONTED ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL JAZZ GROUPS OF ALL TIMES.

5) Music: Canal Street Blues

[use as bed under copy]

6) Bradley:

JOE OLIVER GREW UP IN NEW ORLEANS WHEN JELLY ROLL MORTON AND THE RENOWNED BUDDY BOLDEN RULED THE ROOST. FROM 1908 TO 1917, OLIVER WORKED IN VARIOUS BANDS AT PARADES AND DANCES. HE MUST HAVE BEEN A PRETTY GOOD PLAYER. DUBBED "KING" OF THE CORNET, HE ATTRACTED THE ATTENTION OF THE TEENAGED LOUIS ARMSTRONG.

OLIVER WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE TO BRING JAZZ UP THE RIVER TO CHICAGO. IN 1922, HE FORMED HIS LEGENDARY "CREOLE JAZZ BAND" THERE AND HE SUMMONED ARMSTRONG TO JOIN UP. IT BECAME ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING AND INNOVATIVE SMALL GROUPS OF THE ERA. (cont.) 6) Bradley: (cont.)

THEY SPECIALIZED IN MARCHES, BLUES AND RAGS LIKE THIS TUNE WRITTEN AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY.

THIS PIECE CONTAINS A SERIES OF DIFFERENT STRAINS, KEY CHANGES, AND BREAKS AND FEATURES A FAMOUS CLARINET SOLO PLAYED HERE BY DR. MICHAEL WHITE.

FROM THE STAGE OF LINCOLN CENTER'S ALICE TULLY HALL--- THE "HIGH SOCIETY RAG."

7) Music: High Society Rag 5:10

"HIGH SOCIETY RAG" WITH DR. MICHAEL WHITE ON CLARINET, WYNTON MARSALIS ON TRUMPET, NICHOLAS PAYTON ON TRUMPET, GREG STAFFORD ON CORNET, FRED LONZO ON TROMBONE, FARID BARRON ON PIANO, WYCLIFFE GORDON ON BASS AND TUBA, HERLIN RILEY PLAYED THE DRUMS.

KING OLIVER'S LETTERS OFTEN MENTION THAT GOOD BLUES WAS THE KEY TO JAZZ MUSIC'S SUCCESS. (cont.)

8) Bradley: (cont.)

TWO OF OLIVER'S MOST IMPORTANT BLUES COMPOSITIONS ARE "CAMP MEETING BLUES" AND "WORKING MAN BLUES."

"WORKING MAN BLUES" WAS RECORDED WITH OLIVER'S PLAINTIVE CORNET EVOKING THE FIELD CALL AND WORK SONG.

"CAMP MEETING BLUES," A POPULAR PIECE, WAS STILL DURABLE A COUPLE OF DECADES LATER WHEN DUKE ELLINGTON LIFTED OLIVER'S SECOND STRAIN FOR HIS HIT RECORD, "CREOLE LOVE SONG."

HERE'S "CAMP MEETING BLUES."

9) Music: Camp Meeting Blues 3:50

Working Man Blues 3:00

10) Bradley:

"WORKING MAN BLUES" AND "CAMP MEETING BLUES" WITH NICHOLAS PAYTON AND GEORGE STAFFORD ON CORNET, WYNTON MARSALIS ON TRUMPET, FRED LONZO ON TROMBONE, DR. MICHAEL WHITE ON CLARINET, DON VAPPIE ON BANJO, WYCLIFFE GORDON ON TUBA, AND HERLIN RILEY ON DRUMS ON STAGE AT ALICE TULLY HALL.

11) Vox: Fred Lonzo-

"It's a music that sounds very, very, very simple and I think a lot of people---musicians say, 'well, there's nothin' to it.' But then when you actually put your foot in the water you say, well, I'm drowning, you know. It's really tough. It is really hard music to play." :24

12) Bradley:

TROMBONIST FRED LONZO.

PART OF WHAT MAKES KING OLIVER'S MUSIC DIFFICULT TO PLAY LIES IN ITS BASIC STRUCTURE. THE EARLY MUSIC IS POLYPHONIC: IT HAS MULTIPLE INSTRUMENTAL LINES AND RELIES ON AN ENSEMBLE SOUND INSTEAD OF SOLOS. BUT, OLIVER'S ARRANGEMENTS GIVE THE MUSICIANS THE OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVISE.

FRED LONZO.

13) Vox: Fred Lonzo-

"Everybody has a groove in the music. There's a certain spot, there's a certain space for each instrument. Whether a clarinet may play a line and I might finish it up or I may play a harmony with that instrument---there's a space and it's hard to find that space when you've got six other people on the stage."

14) Bradley: DR. MICHAEL WHITE.

15) Vox: Dr. Michael White-

re: polyphony & improvisation (from interview material)

16) Bradley:

NO ONE EXCELLED AT THIS KIND OF ENSEMBLE PLAYING MORE THAN THE CREOLE JAZZ BAND. YET, WHEN THE MUSICAL TREND MOVED TOWARDS MORE SOLO WORK, THE BAND WAS EQUIPPED. WITH INSTRUMENTALISTS LIKE KING OLIVER AND LOUIS ARMSTRONG, THE BREAKS EXTENDED INTO MASTERFUL SOLOS.

AT LINCOLN CENTER, WYNTON MARSALIS PLAYS KING OLIVER'S WIDELY IMITATED SOLO ON "JAZZIN' BABIES BLUES." MARSALIS ALSO USES ONE OF OLIVER'S INVENTIONS ON THE STAGE. .

Alternate intro: (if Marsalis vox not used)

HERE IS WYNTON MARSALIS TO PLAY KING OLIVER'S WIDELY IMITATED SOLO ON "JAZZIN' BABIES BLUES." HE USES A SMALL, SILVER MUTE ON HIS TRUMPET THAT WAS INVENTED BY OLIVER---THE WAH-WAH MUTE.

17) Vox Wynton Marsalis (from stage)

(applause) "In this piece, I'm going to play this mute which is something that was actually designed by King Oliver-- even though he didn't get any money from the sale of it. He designed this mute and it's called a wah-wah mute." :32

19) Bradley:

"JAZZIN' BABIES BLUES" WITH WYNTON MARSALIS ON TRUMPET, NICHOLAS PAYTON ON TRUMPET, GREG STAFFORD ON CORNET, FRED LONZO ON TROMBONE, DR. MICHAEL WHITE ON CLARINET, WYCLIFFE GORDON ON TUBA, FARID BARRON AT THE PIANO, DON VAPPIE WAS THE BASSIST, HERLIN RILEY PLAYED DRUMS.

THIS IS JAZZ FROM LINCOLN CENTER. I'M ED BRADLEY.

KING OLIVER SELDOM RECORDED OUTSIDE THE ENSEMBLE, BUT WHEN HE DID IT WAS HISTORIC. HE AND JELLY ROLL MORTON, ARGUABLY THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT FIGURES IN EARLY JAZZ, RECORDED TWO DUETS IN 1924. THE SONGS WERE "TOM CAT BLUES" AND JELLY ROLL MORTON'S CLASSIC "KING PORTER STOMP."

FROM THE STAGE OF ALICE TULLY HALL, WE HAVE NICHOLAS PAYTON ON TRUMPET AND FARID BARRON ON PIANO TO RECREATE "TOM CAT BLUES."

21) Bradley:

"KING PORTER STOMP"---WITH THE TRIO OF WYNTON MARSALIS ON TRUMPET, WYCLIFFE GORDON ON TUBA AND DON VAPPIE ON BANJO.

TRUMPETER NICHOLAS PAYTON.

22) Vox: Nicholas Payton-

"The more and more I play this music the more and more I understand how serious these musicians were about what they were doing. I love this music." :09

23) Vox: Dr. Michael White- [from the stage]

"Next up we have a 1923 Creole Jazz Band classic, "Mandy Lee Blues."

24) Bradley: [alternate if Michael White stage ax not used]

DR. MICHAEL WHITE AND HIS ENSEMBLE PLAY TWO CREOLE JAZZ BAND CLASSICS, "MANDY LEE BLUES" AND "SWEET LOVIN' MAN."

HERE'S "MANDY LEE BLUES."

Sweet Lovin' Man 4:20

26) Bradley:

THAT WAS "SWEET LOVIN' MAN" WRITTEN BY LILI HARDEN, PERFORMED BY DR. MICHAEL WHITE AND ENSEMBLE AT LINCOLN CENTER'S ALICE TULLY HALL.

27) Music: Snag It

[play under credits & through midbreak]

28) Bradley:

JAZZ FROM LINCOLN CENTER IS FUNDED BY THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING AND THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT COMES FROM A MAJOR GRANT FROM THE LILA (LYE-La) WALLACE READER'S DIGEST FUND, CONNECTING ARTISTS AND COMMUNITIES THROUGH JAZZ, AND NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO MEMBER STATIONS, THROUGH THE N-P-R CULTURAL PROGRAM FUND.

YOU'RE LISTENING TO JAZZ FROM LINCOLN CENTER. I'M ED BRADLEY.

29) Music [ Midbk music fades and crossfades to hall ambience]

30) Bradley:

IN 1923, KING OLIVER'S CREOLE JAZZ BAND WENT INTO THE STUDIO AND PRODUCED A SCORE OF HISTORIC RECORDINGS. MOST OF THE SONGS WE'RE HEARING IN THIS PROGRAM WERE RECORDED AT THOSE SESSIONS. THE SIDES FEATURED JOHNNY DODDS ON CLARINET, HIS BROTHER, "BABY" DODDS ON DRUMS, LIL HARDIN ON PIANO, HONORE DUTREY ON TROMBONE, BILL JOHNSON ON BANJO AND THE FORMIDABLE CORNET TANDEM OF OLIVER AND LOUIS ARMSTRONG.

DURING REHEARSAL ONE DAY, SOMEONE BROUGHT IN A TOY SLIDE WHISTLE AND IT ENDED UP IN THE RECORDING OF "BUDDY'S HABIT." AS TO WHO PLAYED IT, EVERYONE ASSUMES FROM THE DISTINCTIVE PHRASING THAT IT'S NONE OTHER THAN LOUIS ARMSTRONG.

HERE FRED LONZO TAKES ON THE SLIDE WHISTLE IN "BUDDY'S HABIT."

31) Music: Buddy's Habit 3:25

(applause and then)

32) Vox: Dr. Michael White (from stage)

"King Oliver also recorded during the 1920s as an accompanist to blues singers. Right now, we'd like to do two selections that Oliver recorded in 1928---"Death Sting Me Blues" by Sarah Morton and "My Handy Man" that he recorded with Victoria Spivey. And here to give you her very special rendition of these classics...is New Orleans own classic blues queen, Thais Clark." :30

34) Bradley:

"MY HANDY MAN" AND "DEATH STING ME BLUES" FEATURING SINGER THAIS CLARK ON STAGE AT ALICE TULLY HALL.

ONE OF KING OLIVER'S MOST SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO JAZZ INVOLVED THE EMERGENCE OF THE INSTRUMENTAL SOLOIST IN JAZZ PERFORMANCE.

AT FIRST, OLIVER SIMPLY EXTENDED THE SHORT BREAKS IN THE MUSIC INTO SOLOS, BUT THEN HE MADE THE FORM MORE CHALLENGING. OLIVER MAPPED THE SOLOS, KEEPING THE MELODY IN HIS HEAD, SWINGING ALONG WITH THE RHYTHM, AND CREATING PHRASES FROM THE HARMONY BENEATH THE TUNE. HE WOULD CREATE A SECOND, (OR THIRD, OR FOURTH) COMPLETE MELODY OF THE SONG AND FOLLOW THE SAME CHORD PATTERN AS THE SONG'S FORM. THIS IS THE MODEL THAT JAZZ SOLOS HAVE FOLLOWED NOW FOR OVER 75 YEARS. (cont.)

34) Bradley: (cont.)

HERE DR. MICHAEL WHITE, WYNTON MARSALIS AND NICHOLAS PAYTON TRADE SOLOS ON "DEEP HENDERSON."

36) Bradley:

"DEEP HENDERSON" FEATURING THE HORNS OF WYNTON MARSALIS, NICHOLAS PAYTON, AND THE CLARINET OF DR. MICHAEL WHITE.

WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE, KING OLIVER MAY BE BEST REMEMBERED AS A MUSICAL GUIDE TO THE YOUNG SATCHMO. OLIVER'S CORNET AND PLAYING STYLE HELPED SHAPE LOUIS AMSTRONG'S EARLY MUSIC---AND THROUGH HIM, ALL OF JAZZ.

1 ARMSTRONG'S FIRST NICKNAME WAS "DIPPERMOUTH" AND IT BECAME THE TITLE OF ONE OF OLIVER'S MOST FAMOUS TUNES.

AT ALICE TULLY HALL, DR. MICHAEL WHITE AND HIS ENSEMBLE PLAY KING OLIVER'S CLASSIC, "DIPPERMOUTH BLUES."

37) Music: Dippermouth Blues 6:40

"DIPPERMOUTH BLUES" ----DR. MICHAEL WHITE, WYNTON MARSALIS, NICHOLAS PAYTON, GREG STAFFORD, FRED LONZO, FARID BARRON, WYCLIFFE GORDON, DON VAPPIE AND HERLIN RILEY.

KING OLIVER WAS A GREAT MUSICIAN AND WITHOUT HIM, JAZZ MIGHT HAVE BEEN MUCH DIFFERENT. UNFORTUNATELY, AFTER 1931, HE NO LONGER RECORDED AND ONLY FRONTED BANDS WITH LITTLE-KNOWN MUSICIANS. HIS HEALTH FAILED AND IN 1937, HE LEFT MUSIC, BANKRUPT AND NEARLY FORGOTTEN.

BUT, JOSEPH "KING" OLIVER GAVE JAZZ ITS TRADEMARK FORM AND WE REMEMBER HIM NOW AS A GIANT OF THE MUSIC.

40) Bradley: [CREDITS]

JAZZ FROM LINCOLN CENTER IS PRODUCED WITH THE JAZZ DEPARTMENT AT LINCOLN CENTER BY MURRAY STREET ENTERPRISE, NEW YORK. OUR PROGRAM WAS WRITTEN BY PHIL SCHAAP AND LAUREN KRENZEL. SENIOR PRODUCER IS STEVE RATHE. (cont.)

41) Bradley: (cont'd) [CREDITS]

THE MUSIC WAS RECORDED BY JIM ANDERSON WITH EFFANEL MUSIC. DIGITAL POST PRODUCTION BY STEPHEN ERICKSON AND RICK BRADLEY.

THE DIRECTOR OF JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER IS ROB GIBSON. ARTISTIC ADVISORS ARE WYNTON MARSALIS AND STANLEY CROUCH.

I'M ED BRADLEY.

42) Music [end song here and run applause under rest]

43) Vox: Dr. Michael White-

"...the musical principles are old, but the feeling of the music and the spirit that can be generated are timeless."