William Thornton BLUE: the creative but forgotten clarinettist

Listen to Cab Calloway’s recordings from the early 1930s ... If your ear is dominated by a hopping, acrobatic and remarkably creative clarinet sound, you are enjoying one of the great forgotten musicians in the History of Jazz who spent more than 30 years in an asylum: William Thornton BLUE. It is my good friend the late Christian Bonnet (1945-2017) — whose ear was particularly demanding - that made me discover the talent of this clarinetist and alto saxophonist whose solos give a unique sound to the first Calloway shellacs... The Hi De Ho Blog will tell you the almost unknown story of the man who nicknamed himself “The reputed Blue”. Read the full story →

Walter Foots THOMAS: the tenor sax in the shadow (1/2)

  Voici le portrait de l’un des plus fidèles compagnons de route de Cab Calloway mais sur lequel on ne sait que trop peu. Et pourtant, Walter Thomas resta avec Cab depuis les Missourians jusqu’après le tournage de Stormy Weather. Géant aux pieds démesurés (d’où son surnom), Walter Thomas avait notamment enregistré avec Fate Marable, Jelly Roll Morton, avant de rencontrer Cab. Durant toute sa période chez Calloway, il fut l’arrangeur attitré de l’orchestre et son conseiller musical mais resta toujours dans l’ombre des grands ténors qui y passèrent comme Ben WEBSTER et Chu BERRY. Et la seconde partie de sa vie après est loin d’être sans intérêt. The Hi de Ho Blog vous en dit plus sur cet inconnu célèbre auquel il n’a jamais été consacré plus de 10 lignes d’affilée… Read the full story →

Walter Foots THOMAS: the tenor sax in the shadow (2/2)

  Deuxième partie du portrait de l’un des plus fidèles compagnons de route de Cab Calloway mais sur lequel on ne sait que trop peu. Après une enfance heureuse dans l'Oklahoma, Thomas est vite parti sur les bateaux du Missouri et joué en compagnie d'Ed Allen, Fate Marable, Ferdinand Jelly Roll Morton. C'est à New York qu'il veut réussir et l'orchestre du Cotton Club d'Andy Preer lui ouvre les bras. Vient ensuite un engagement avec les Missourians rapidement dominés par le petit nouveau : Cab Calloway. Avec lui, Walter Thomas va rester au même pupitre durant 13 ans, accumulant les fonctions de chef de la section des saxophones, arrangeur, directeur musical et chef d'orchestre par intérim lorsque le Cab en chef n'est pas sur scène. Tout cela sans jamais passer de l'ombre à la lumière. A partir de 1943, il voudra voler de ses propres ailes, mais sera lui aussi confronté à la dureté de l'époque. N'empêche, les quelques pistes gravées en 1944-45 comme les moments qu'il passera encore avec quelques-uns des plus grands donnent à la deuxième partie de son existence un goût fantastique. The Hi de Ho Blog vous la raconte... Read the full story →

Earres PRINCE, the pianist Cab never appreciated

  Earres Prince? With few fans (maybe 2 or 3 maximum in the world), who the hell knows anything about this inconspicuous man missing from all the jazz dictionaries? All the more reason for The Hi De Ho Blog to tell you a bit about the man who was the first pianist for – and apparently never appreciated by – Cab Calloway.  He had the difficult task of preceding – not succeeding – Benny PAYNE, the pianist Cab had met before leading the Missourians.   Read the full story →

“Stoppin’ The Traffic” by The Missourians: a new CD by Frog Records

  On ne louera jamais assez le formidable travail d'édition de la maison de disques indépendante et britannique Frog Records. C'est à elle que l'on doit des rééditions quasi exclusives de galettes qui, sans eux, auraient été plongées dans l'oubli à jamais. A l'heure où le CD va progressivement disparaître, saluons la sortie dans ce format bientôt obsolète d'un disque consacré aux musiciens des Missourians. Read the full story →

Lammar WRIGHT as told by Wilmer WISE, his bandstand friend

Lammar WRIGHT (1905-1973) was an incredibly talented trumpeter who played in Cab’s orchestra between 1930 and 1944. He was one of the Missourians when Cab grabbed the band. Wilmer WISE (born in 1936) is another incredibly talented trumpeter, who has been playing in many fields, from big bands, Broadway pits, philharmonic orchestras, to rock and soul studio groups. We were honored to meet and interview him in October 2011 about his bandstand friend, Lammar Wright with whom he worked between 1956 and 1967. Read the full story →

Leroy MAXEY: The drummer without solo (part 1)

Is there a curse for the Cab Calloway’s musicians from the rhythm section? Like Cab’s first pianist, Earres Prince with Benny Payne, like guitar player Morris White with Danny Barker, like Al Morgan with bass player Milt Hinton, drummer Leroy Maxey remains in the shadow of his successor Cozy Cole. And yet, Leroy ‘Cash’ Maxey had long been the drummer of the Missourians when Cab took over as leader of the band. Jazz historians have since recognized him as a classic drummer, notable for his use of the bass drum pedal and his four-to-the-floor technique. The Hi de Ho Blog will tell you what we know about the man who was a small star in his time, a great seducer (almost a bigamist) who was fired overnight by Cab because he couldn’t play an up-to-date solo... + Vintage drummers specialist Nicholas D. Ball offers deep research on Maxey’s playing and drum kit. A must-read! Read the full story →

Lockwood Lewis: the forgotten Missourians’ bandleader before Cab Calloway’s coup

Lockwood Lewis is associated with Cab Calloway’s rising fame at the moment the latter took over the baton of the Missourians after a famous (and supposedly) battle of bands at the Savoy in 1930. This event has overshadowed Lockwood Lewis’ long career that spanned from an admired teacher, to one of the Harlem’s favorites and a respected Union man and circus bandleader. Meanwhile, he was one of the Black Devils during World War One. What a life. What a forgotten artist! Not anymore, thanks to The Hi De Ho Blog. Read the full story →