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He was a musical
giant. Ground breaking. Legendary. Honored twice by the Kennedy
Center. You've read all of that and more about Benny Carter in the past
few weeks. We all pulled out our favorite vinyl from the collection and
gave them a spin, perhaps with drink in hand as we thought about the
vast career that was his. We picked up magazines or listened to a story
on the radio. There was a lot they didn't write about, however. They
didn't write about events within the rarefied dignity within his home, a
meeting place for musical and literary intellectuals. His home was West
Coast jazz. Think about who would have stopped by and what spontaneous
perfection might have been heard.Yeah
that's what they didn't write about. Jimmie was there to visit his
friend and mentor countless times - daily basically. So sit back. You
are a fly on the wall and
perhaps the greatest jazz musician of the 20th century is in the room.
His young protégé is your narrator - the Boy With The Golden Horn,
Jimmie Maddin.
Jimmie Maddin got his start with Benny's guidance and encouragement.
They were the first mixed race band to record at RCA in Hollywood as far
as anyone
knew - and Bennie was the President of the black musician's union at the
time. Maddin had been hanging around constantly - practically since they
first met
when Maddin was a kid, cornering guys outside of the Sheboygan Theater
after shows. When he asked Carter for help it came in heaps -- and often
-- as it always
did when Carter decided to help someone. Jimmie had been singing and was
nervous to take the sax solo so he asked Carter to do it. The master
knew what to do and a young and talented Maddin played the solo on
"Boogie-Boo". Carter and Sweets Edison are heard in harmony on the
trumpet and sax parts. First time in
the studio for Maddin. Uh-huh. That's what I call "being there". (To
hear "Boogie-Boo" log onto www.virtualradio.com and search for Jimmie
Maddin)
Well its time to warm up the platter and fire up your Macintosh. Pour
another cocktail in honor of one amazing musical life. You're about to
get an insider's
experience of what life was like hanging with Benny Carter during the
heyday of LA Jazz and Hollywood's Golden Era. I bummed around Hollywood
and played Jazz with Gerry Mulligan, played at The Haig, basically
picked up gigs and sit-ins wherever I could. I started inquiring about
teachers because although I'd been
first alto in MacArthur's band, I didn't think I played very good. I was
put on to Lloyd Reese. I decided to take lessons with him because he was
the only guy who could answer my question. I asked him if he could teach
me to make money in music. He said he could and that was that. The way I
met Benny the first
time was at a lesson. Benny came over. He was president of the 767 at
the time. I liked them a lot and I got attached to them. Lloyd was a
really good friend of mine even though he was my teacher. It was really
a great honor to meet Benny because I'd been following him since I was a
little kid. I even hitchhiked to the Oriental Theater in Chicago. Anyway
we started talking and I liked him right away. His message in life was
to help people. That was the way he lived. When he went to work on
Laurel Canyon and Ventura five nights a week, I was there five nights a
week. Where else are you going to see the greatest saxophone player in
the world and share a drink with no cover. George Jenkins on drums and
Jimmy Rowles - Benny played and it was just great every night. I'd talk
to him every night between sets and got to know him. Then one day he
invited me up to his house. He had an amazing home up on Franklin way up
on the side of the mountain - you know? And the conductors, musicians,
famous singers would all call
him all day long from around the world. Around 1951 I decided to
put together a record date. He started helping me - like always. He had
a writer Named Paul Vandervoordt. He wrote 'King Size Poppa'. It became
a #1 jukebox hit for many weeks. Well anyway, one thing led to
another and we recorded at RCA Victor. He had told me how to do
everything ahead of time, and so I set it up. Benny brought all the
musicians. All pros - and I mean big time. Sweets Edison, I can't recall
the drummer just now - but that great guy Red Calendar on bass - and we
had a great
piano player. If you listen to 'Boogie Boo', that's the first tune we
recorded. What happened when I get to the date? I sang my ass off. Then
I had to overdub
the saxophone - it was tough. There were all of these important
musicians watching. I kinda got a little scared and told him. Benny said
'Aw just go blow your
ass off'. I'd never been in a studio before so I did. I wrote it
with Paul and Benny - they really helped. I had the song concepts. And
Benny didn't charge me his
real price. Just enough so I could afford it. We did 'Boogie Boo' and
'Sassafras'. I got tired they worked me so hard." "The Astor Room was an
important place for me at that time. Benny was playing there and it was
an inside spot. I met Jo Stafford, Kay Star. Ruth Olay and I hung out
together there every night. Benny was
helping her with her career. Ray Brown came in. It was a treat to sit in
a little bar with twenty or thirty people and listen to him every night.
And he was so nice to everybody. He was there for one and a half years.
I never missed a performance. At his home I met Johnny Hodges and
most of the Duke Ellington orchestra - but they kinda remembered me from
Sheboygan. There I was after every show in the alley waiting for them. I
did that with every band that came through. Chico Marx was really great.
I basically lived at that theater from 2 pm to after 10 pm because the
manager was my older brother's best friend. They called me "the kid from
Sheboygan". It was a small town and I kinda stuck out to them. So
anyway, there we were in Benny's house. Me. I met Count Basie and his
whole band. Benny, Paul and I went down to see him back stage after a
performance. Lloyd would come see me later on. We'd hang at the
house for weeks at a time. I was living with them.
We were all good friends - well we all met through Benny. I met Quincy
Jones up there. You know, Quincy wasn't in the studios at that time.
Benny got him in -
they broke the color line together." "I saw Benny at the Shrine
doing Norman Granz' Jazz at the Philharmonic. Later I worked with Irving
Granz doing those shows with Jerry Lee Lewis - but Norman had all the
big jazz names. They owned Verve records. Barney Kessel. They all came
in to see me because of my affiliation with Benny, Norman and all of
these people. I met Ella at that time. Her boyfriend used to sing with
my band and he introduced me to her. God this was fifty -five years ago.
It was very exciting. I watched Benny arrange 'April In Paris'. Nobody
would believe it normally, but this was Benny. He had the score spread
all over the house and he would go from room to room and write the
arrangements without a piano. He had perfect pitch, so he didn't need
the piano. He was a trained violinist, you know, and a great trombone
player. He played every damn thing. He was born in the Bronx and died at
95. He was a wonderful friend to me. Later on, my brother and
Benny set up a concert hall where the Kabuki Theater was at Pico and
Crenshaw, to bring down the Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service...
all of those psychedelic bands. My brother brought them down and toured
them as their booking agent. (Benny Carter and psychedelic rock. Who'd
of known?) He put up 50-50 with my brother Jack." "I don't want to
give too much away in this first
story about him - but let's just end by saying that Benny Carter was my
friend and he is going to be missed. We won't see another like him."
(To Be Continued) |
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