This Ain't Dixie 8.. The Apex of Jazz

[PDEE]

Well I guess the " Vote For Me" one led to the Election.. our President is on the way to an Apex conference...... so, here's the Apex of Jazz


The clarinet has somehow become the “poor stepchild” of Jazz. Sure there are people playing it today as their main instrument, but the numbers are few, and the ‘names’ doing it are hardly those pandered around the Jazz families dinner table.

This, of course, was not true in previous times.

The archetypal image of the 30’s to 40’s would seem to be a clean cut, tuxedo clad, bespectacled clarinetist, his clarinet pointed at the “ disco” ball in the dance hall ceiling (wasn’t called a disco ball then.. but you know what I mean).. while a disheveled, gum chewing, tie loosened drummer pounded the tom-toms in the background

. Benny Goodman’s domination of the swing era, no doubt had much of the male adolescent youth of the era yearning to be a clarinet star as those of this generation wanting to be a guitar shredder. One wonders what would have been the case if Mr. Boguslawski had given him a trumpet or trombone.

Actually Clarinet bandleaders were not as dominant in the swing era as the images tend to project. Other than Artie Shaw, and a little later Herman, there were many of the major bands were led by musicians whose main instrument was other than the “licorice stick”.. but such were Goodman’s musical abilities, plus a determination to succeed and leave behind the poverty of his youth that his band became the “yardstick” of the the swing era, and the clean cut bespectacled clarinetist.. it’s poster child.

The clarinet’s heyday in Jazz was undoubtedly in the early more traditional formats.

Jazz in it’s beginnings in New Orleans, was heavily dependant on the principle of collective improvisation.The instruments that made up the traditional three piece front line had fairly strict roles to play. The trumpet player played a “ melodic” lead over the solid harmonic foundation laid down by the trombone, while the clarinetist was free to flitter around them, decorating their progress with the wild abandon of children scattering fake rose petals in front of a blushing bride and her father as they approach the handsome groom at the alter…

( dumb image I know, but I was just at such a wedding and the thought crossed my mind)

In fact until the music broke loose from it’s collective improvisation, the clarinetist probably had greater freedom for self expression, than any of the other band members. If you listen to the early King Oliver’s, other than the (in)famous three choruses on Dippermouth, it is the clarinetist that gets the most “ solo” space, and many of the frequent breaks. Another example would be Original Dixieland Jazz Band One Step by the ODJB.. the “ first’ jazz record, and much of the rest of their output… no doubt characteristic of the music of the period..

I’ve pointed out before that I think the life span of “ true” New Orleans Jazz was extremely short, coming to an end just about the time Louis Armstrong left Oliver and defined the soloists role as being the dominant feature of any Jazz piece.

The clarinetists followed and their solo abilities became just as important in the pieces while maintaining their “ petal scattering “ prowess in the ensembles.

One of the best at both duties was Sidney Bechet, however while he most certainly could do the ensemble bit with total skill and execution, Sidney’s personality was so dominant that he tended to usurp the leadership of the group. Might explain his gravitation to the fish horn.. I think trumpeters ran for cover when he picked it up. So Bechet to me, is not the typical New Orleans clarinetist.


That role seems to fall rightfully on the shoulders of Johnny Dodds. A key ingredient in the Oliver Creole band and the Armstrong hot Fives and Sevens.. the groups that set the style that jazz was to follow.

There was however, another clarinetist at the time, whose name comes up alongside Bechet and Dodds when the cause of the New Orleans clarinetist is invoked, but somehow little is then said about him. And while there are many that follow Dodds vibrant style, especially in the 50’s traditional Jazz revival days, this third clarinetist is probably the main influence, or at least the musical seed for the clarinetists of the Swing era.

Jimmie Noone


Noone was born outside of New Orleans April 23 1895, his family moved to the city 1910, where Jimmie took up the clarinet, after fooling ‘round with a guitar.. ( damn ….did they have Shredders then? )
He took lessons from some of the prevailing “masters” including Bechet, played with Keppard and had his own trio playing at all the usual type venues that were available in New Orleans. Like most of the talented musicians he left the City in 1917,, heading for places where there was more money to be made.. The closing of Storyville contributed to the exodus.

Noone joined his old boss, Keppard, in Chicago, and played with Oliver for a while after the Dodds ‘ rebellion ( see this ain’t Dixie 1 though I think it was a ?.. didn’t know if I’d continue.).. Dodds and Noone became the two top Chicago area clarinetists. Their styles, though both from a New Orleans beginning were very different. Dodds had a harsher blues’y approach, using rougher more jagged tone. Noone favored a smoother, fluid line, and was obviously a more technically accomplished clarinetist.. more in keeping with the future Goodmans.

Jimmie’s first recordings were a couple of tracks with the Ollie Powers band, and then he settled into a reasonably long series of recordings with Doc Cook and his Dreamland Orchestra beginning 1924.

These recordings are already beyond the New Orleans tradition, an eleven piece band with a saxophone section.. more reminiscent of what Fletcher Henderson or even early Ellington was doing at the time.

Unless a student of that kind of early music.. or a Noone advocate, I doubt that they would have much appeal to the Board members. You do get Freddy Keppard.. one of the”Folk Lore” hero’s of early Jazz, and the recordings might have some merit based on that. The fist Classics Noone set (1923 – 1928) is all the Powers ( 2 tracks) and the Cook recordings

Noone left the Cook orchestra in 1928 to become the house band at a club called the Nest 35th and Sunset in Chicago, the club owner refurbished the place, changed it’s name to the Apex Club, and Jimmie settled in to a long stay.. creating a bit of Jazz history.

The band was unusual for the time, Jimmie on clarinet, Joe Poston alto ( from the Cook Orchestra), Earl Hines piano, Bud Scott banjo and guitar,Lawson Buford bass, Johnny Wells drums..
Hardly a New Orleans ( or Dixie ) group.. they were an immediate success and the upcoming Chicago Jazzmen.. Goodman, Marsala etc hung out there taking it all in.

The format was more or less to have Poston play the melody fairly straight, Noone did the petal throwing.. and more.. and then there was Hines. Had Poston not been a part of this band, I think he’d be forgotten in Jazz annals, but obviously Noone and Hines were well on their way to be recorded in the books.

Between May 16 and August 25th, 1928, the Noone / Hines group recorded 14 sides, about half of which became hits and firmly established the tunes as part of the jazz catalog.. bear in mind that during this period, Earl was also in the studio as part of the Armstrong Hot Five.. recording items like West end Blues, Fireworks etc.
The first Noone track, I Know that you Know sets the style of the Apex Club band firmly in place. The theme statement, taken at a sprightly tempo, is reminiscent of my “ Palm Court” scenes from those old Black and White movies, and possibly an instant turn off for the Kobblers. One could almost imagine that Poston’s alto was a saccharine violin.. but Noone’s clarinet flows freely around him and to me, at least, is a clear indication of the swing era clarinetists to come.

Sweet Sue is taken at a slower pace, a slow foxtrot.. one can imagine that perhaps these records were made for dancers.. , dancers that hold each other by other appendages than their finger tips, or rear end s.

I suspect the Apex Club was more for the more sophisticated crowd in Chicago during the late 20’s

The other “hits, were Four or Five times with a typical “dated” vocal by Noone and Poston, Monday Date Earl’s tune first recorded with Armstrong. The Noone version about two month later, though the discographies list an unissued version, closer to the Armstrong date. There are debates as to which version was the “best”…” greatest.. damn there’s a thread there in the making……….

Sweet Lorraine taken at a very slow tempo compared to later versions after Nat King Cole popularized it.

And of course Apex Blues, the simple riff blues that became a staple part of all the British traditional Jazz Bands in the 50’s.. Noones tenure at the Apex Club lasted about two years, until the club closed, but his success and popularity was such that he maintained the format, and used Apex as his signature tune for years to come. After Hines departure he used pianists ( Alex Hill and Zinky Cohn ) who stayed within the tradition set by Hines in that the Noone group retained it’s identity, and it was only much later, January 1936, that he “reverted “ to the traditional line up ( though a tenor sax was present) to cut four sides for Parlaphone.. the British label, which may have had some influence in requesting a more “New Orleans” aggregation.

Eight more tracks from December 1937 with Charlie Shavers and Pete Brown followed .( a great version of Four or Five Times.. including a better vocal… plus a couple with another Traditional group in June 1940 leading to his last session in December of that year with a trio, supporting a singer, in Chicago.

He moved permanently to California in 1943, but did not record anymore other than some radio broadcasts with Kid Ory. He died of a heart attack at age 50, April 19, 1944.

While often mentioned, I think Noone is somewhat neglected in the jazz literature, possibly his “sweeter” more academic approach to the clarinet is something of a turn off to those expecting a more raucous approach to older jazz forms.. but clearly his was the influence on the swing era giants. Shipton in his book on Jazz History even goes as far as citing the trumpetless front line, forcing Noone to concentrate on leading the band as a possible path that Goodman followed .

Certainly the place to start is the series of recordings with Hines ( Classics Noone 1928 – 29, has them all plus similar tracks with Alex Hill.. there are three with trumpet and trombone, but they seem out of place in this context.) Newcomers to Noone might want to sample a track or two as this certainly Ain’t Dixie.. nor is it really “ Traditional,” New Orleans based music, but it’s rewarding to those with wider taste in the music and certainly for those interested in the history of Jazz Clarinet.( the Kobblers will hate it"

An interesting sideline is that Jimmie’s son, Jimmie Noone Jr. seemed to appear out of nowhere in the late 80’s playing clarinet and soprano with the San Diego based Jeannie and Jimmy Cheatham’s Sweet Baby Blues Band.. if you haven’t heard any of their recordings you should definitely Meet them with Your Black Drawers on

[It Should be You]

Another great article! Thanks! I will definitely be looking for the Jimmie Noone's on Classics.

I just picked up Breaking Out of New Orleans on JSP, a 4 cd set with the following bands/orchestras:

Celestin's Original Tuxedo Orchestra
Fate Marable's Society Syncopaters
Jones & Collins Astoria Hot Eight
Piron's New Orleans Orchestra
Louis Dumaine's Jazzola Eight
Ory's Sunshine Orchestra
Sam Morgan's Jazz Band
Johnny Dodds' Black Bottom Stompers
Erskine Tate's Vendrome Orchestra
Cook's Dreamland Orchestra
The Chicago Footwarmers
New Orleans Bootblacks
New Orleans Wanderers
Cookie's Gingersnaps

The Cook's Dreamland Orchestra and Cookie's Gingersnaps don't include the titles you mentioned, but the following:

Scissor Grinder Joe
Lonely Little Wallflower
So This is Venice
Moanful Man
The Memphis Maybe Man
The One I Love Belongs to Somebody Else

Messin' Around
High Fever
Here Comes the Hot Tamale Man
Love Found You for Me

Here Comes the Hot Tamale Man (alt.)
Brown Sugar
High Fever (alt.)
Spanish Mama

I look forward to delving into this great music, as well as the Johnny Dodds in various settings.