Tour of Tulsa - Jazz Hall of Fame
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America's classical music - Jazz - was born and bred in the United States and drew from two main sources, ragtime and folk songs--with its grab bag of country dances, field hollers, ballads, and work songs-and from the blues-both the old country blues and the newer urban blues. In the early stage, Kansas City jazz might have been described as blues-saturated dance music, as opposed to the Dixieland ragtime music of New Orleans. Oklahoma jazz musicians were central in the creation of the Kansas City version. The depression and the reform movement shut down clubs and jobs and Kansas City jazz took to the road. At the end of the 1930's, Oklahoma was a link in the traveling jazz triangle.
Oklahoma University Professor William Savage, Jr. suggests that to trace the evolution of American jazz is to trace migration of blacks from the lower South westward, from New Orleans to Texas, through Oklahoma, to Kansas City. The two major periods of black immigration to Oklahoma were 1890-1910 and the years immediately after World War I, the boomtown era of the petroleum industry. In the 1890's, El Reno was a center for ragtime musicians. Composer and performer Scott Joplin was a frequent visitor. Black towns were established, including Langston, 1892; Clearview, 1903; and Boley, 1904. These towns developed marching and concert bands just as Indian Territory communities had. The black migration westward after World War I increased until the Great Depression, Oklahomans could hear and were among some of the best jazz musicians in the world.
After the Depression, bands traveled throughout the Southwest with major stops in Tulsa, Muskogee and Oklahoma City. By the early 1940's, Muskogee native Jay McShann was a rising Kansas City jazzman. He played with many Oklahomans and discovered blind blues singer Al Hibbler. After the death of Count Basie, McShann was the lone greatest practitioner of Kansas City jazz.
Roy Milton, another Oklahoman became nationally and internationally known for his smooth transition between drums and vocal. He was labeled the "Swing Man" but not before playing with Texas-born, Oklahoma reared Ernie Fields who took over the Southern Serenades and soon became known as "Mr. In The Mood." Another song that brought him great fame was "T-Town Blues."
Hal Singer and Barney Kessel are two who are included whenever the topic of jazz is discussed. Singer, a saxophonist and clarinetist, played with Fields, McShann, Page, Byas, Ellington, Webster and other greats. Following the recording of his hit song, "Cornbread," he organized his own band and toured before moving to France in 1965. Muskogeean Kessel is known for his blues, hard-driving and earthy style of brilliant harmonic improvisation. He played with and learned from Charlie Christian, the first to amplify his guitar. Kessel is mentioned as the principal exponent of Christian's musical style and his leading disciple. He toured with the Oscar Peterson Trio and recorded with Ben Webster, Lionel Hampton, Peterson, Julie London, Roy Eldridge, Billie Holiday and others. He was ranked at the top in national and international jazz polls of the 50's and 60's.
"My Funny Valentine" was the song that gained Yale, Oklahoman Chet Baker wide recognition. Baker was the vocalist on the Gerry Mulligan Quartet's recording. He was an instrumentalist and a vocalist. Baker toured Europe and the U.S. and appeared at Carnegie Hall. He spent his final years in Amsterdam. Oscar Pettiford was not only one of the great jazz bass players of all time, but he was the first to play jazz cello.
There are other prominent Oklahomans to hit the national and international scene - Patti Page of Claremore, Oklahoma, Kay Starr, Jimmy Rushing of Oklahoma City was nationally-known as the lead singer for the Count Basie Band, Tulsans, Washington Rucker (drummer) and bassist Cecil McBee have travelled the globe playing jazz, trumpeter Howard McGhee - Downbeat Magazine winner hails from Tulsa also. Bandleader and arranger, Frank Mantooth was a giant in jazz, while Louie Spears (trombonist) and brother Maurice Spears (bass) are not only world-class artists, but educators too and hail from Okahoma City, Okahoma. From Tulsa, Steve Wilkerson on saxophone and Andrea Baker on vocals have impressive jazz and education backgrounds. Newly inducted jazz artists from Oklahoma includes the talented and gifted, Tommy Crook on guitar, Pat Moore on piano & vocals, pianist Sonny Gray, James "Jr" Markham, blues harmonica, David Skinner on guitar & vocals and so many more. Oklahomans were deeply involved in the Swing movement, as well as the Be-bop era.
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