First, something delicious for the ears:
Chu Berry And His “Little Jazz” Ensemble: Roy Eldridge, trumpet; Chu Berry, tenor saxophone; Clyde Hart, piano; Danny Barker, guitar; Artie Shapiro, string bass; Sidney Catlett, drums. New York, November 10, 1938.
That is a compact way to introduce you (or remind you) to the joyous mastery of Sidney Catlett — Big Sid to many — not only in his dancing solo, but in his subtly powerful propulsion throughout.
That recording is well-documented: “46 West 52” was the address of the Commodore Music Shop at the time, and the improvisation is based on SWEET GEORGIA BROWN.
The eight photographs that I share with you below came to me without equally detailed documentation. Each one is stamped “BY-LINE FEATURES” on the back, and someone had penciled in SID CATLETT. As well, pencil notations may be “cleared 46” and “tkn 45,” but I am not sure. They emerged on eBay over a month or so from a company apparently based in Iceland, and, Reader, I bought them. The company applied numbers to them, which I have followed below, although this sequence may be arbitrary. What I can presume is that a photographer caught Sidney in a solo . . . gorgeously, both his body and his facial expressions making these photographs both intimate and dramatic.
Right now, the question I am enjoying is how to hang them on my wall or walls.
89:
90:
91:
92:
93:
94:
95:
96:
And that’s not all.
In May 1948, Sidney took what I believe was his first overseas trip (Mel Powell recalled that Sid was terrified of flying) to appear at the first Nice Jazz Festival with Louis Armstrong’s All-Stars: Louis, Jack Teagarden, Earl Hines, Arvell Shaw, and Velma Middleton — which resulted in these three pictures, recently shared with the world by Jean Labaye: they come from the archives of the Hot Club of France:
Upon arrival:
The recipient, properly, of flowers:
and onstage:
I presume “Hot-Revue” was a jazz magazine, thus . . .
and
As they say, “this just in,” thanks to my friend, the jazz scholar-guitarist (who is one-third of a new YouTube series with Loren Schoenberg and Hal Smith on the early recordings of the Benny Goodman band) Nick Rossi — from a 1942 DOWN BEAT.
“Tub thumper,” my Aunt Fanny, but it’s a lovely photograph:
Back to the ears again, for a favorite recording. James P. Johnson’s Blue Note Jazzmen: Sidney DeParis, trumpet; Vic Dickenson, trombone; Ben Webster, tenor saxophone; James P. Johnson, piano; Jimmy Shirley, guitar; John Simmons, string bass; Sidney Catlett, drums. New York, March 4, 1944:
and this, from June 22, 1945, with the Modernists of the time, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, at Town Hall in New York City, in concert, with Al Haig, piano; Curley Russell, string bass; Symphony Sid Torin, MC. The crowd doesn’t want to let Sid go:
More than once, I’ve had a non-jazz friend ask me, “What so fascinates you about this man?” I said, “In no order. He led a Dionysiac life and died young — surrounded by friends and he had just told a good story. He made his presence known and was instantly recognizable as himself, but he selflessly made everyone sound better. He is missed.”
May your happiness increase!
What a terrific post …. and I am thrilled that the pictures found such a good home.
When the skies clear, and you visit New York, you and Barbara must come over!
Oh Boy!! What a bonanza! Many many thanks from someone who was blessed to see Sid many times and get to know him a wee bit. The playing photos are great but the portrait with the hat is a treasure, best of the great man ever seen by me. A Yom Kippur blessing!
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These recordings made in the 30’s and 40’s are still so relevant today. The musicians that these inspired are the musicians of today! I enjoyed this post so much,,Thank you Nephew Michael
Happy New Year to you, too, Dan! A few doors down from me the pious are repenting; I was acknowledging the divinity of Mr. Catlett. Each in his own way!
I certainly miss him even though he died a year before I was born. I am glad the photos are in appreciative hands.
What a wonderful ebay find! I’m glad they ended up with you. The other photos are treasures, too. Thanks for sharing!
Let us not forget he played his last gig with Bob Wilber’s band at George Wein’s Storeville in Boston!!!!!Bob worshipped him -Amen!
Interestingly we both loved Chu’s playing. Bob wrote a tune to him & named his favorite tenor ‘Big Chu’ it was indeed!!! Such memories, so many years 24/7-never boring!!
The sequence of drum solo shots might be from his Steak Face solo routine which starts with mallets and switches to sticks for the climax. Whatever, it’s a fantastic series of action shots of that most musical drummer. Thank you!
Is this Ken from Concorde Club????If so Hello & thank you for all your hospitality-always a great welcome!.Pug
Hi Pug, I’ve just stumbled on your post a mere 14 months later! I’m afraid you’ve got your “Jazz Mathiesons” mixed up. I’m not Cole of the Concorde Club (although we’ve spoken many times on the phone), I’m Ken the Glasgow drummer who backed you, Bob and Lars Erstrand at the Black Bull Jazz Club in Milngavie (near Glasgow) back in 1982. I also hung out with Bob many times at the Nairn and Edinburgh Jazz Festivals when we were both working there on different schedules. We talked a lot about Big Sid on those occasions, especially if Jake Hanna was in the conversations too. Happy Days! I hope you’re well. Stay safe!