William P. Gottlieb Collection

Special Presentation: Gottlieb on Assignment: Biographies

1\. Thelonious Monk ‑‑ Genius of Bop: Elusive Pianist Finally Caught in
an Interview, September 24, 1947

One of the most admired jazz figures since the 1940s, Thelonious Monk is
the composer of jazz standards such as *Round About Midnight*,
*Epistrophy*, *Misterioso*, *Straight No Chaser*, and *Criss-Cross*.
Along with Dizzy Gillepsie, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, and Kenny
Clarke, Monk developed the bop style of jazz. He was born on October 10,
1917 in North Carolina, and four years later he moved to New York City,
which would remain his home until his retirement. In the 1940s he was
employed as house pianist at Minton\'s Playhouse in Harlem. Monk led his
own combos or trios for the most part \-- with the exception of an
occasion in 1959 when, for the first time, he led a large orchestra at
New York City\'s Town Hall \-- but he had brief stints with Lucky
Millander\'s band, Coleman Hawkins Quartet, and Dizzy Gillespie\'s
orchestra. Monk\'s works can be divided into three musical periods:
compositions recorded for Blue Note in the 1940s and early 1950s, works
released by Riverside and Signal in the 1950s, and Columbia recordings
composed after 1960. The Blue Note albums and a recording with Charlie
Parker in 1950 are regarded as examples of Monk\'s best work in addition
to three masterpieces on Riverside: *Brilliant Corners*, *Thelonious
Himself*, *Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane*. Monk remained active
through the 1970s, and from 1971 to 1972, he collaborated with Dizzy
Gillespie, Kai Winding, Sonny Stitt, Al McKibbon, and Art Blakey in the
Giants of Jazz, before retiring in seclusion in Weehawken, New Jersey.
While Monk has been criticized for his unorthodox technique, he is
acclaimed for his musicality, masterful articulations, rhythmic
complexities, and remarkable improvisations that are as structurally
complex as his notated compositions. Monk\'s work is a major influence
on modern jazz; since his death in 1982, a series of tribute albums have
been released, including albums by Arthur Blythe (*Light Blue*), Anthony
Braxton (*Six Monk\'s Composition\'s*), Paul Motian (*Monk in Motian*),
and Hal Wilner (*That\'s the Way I Feel Now* with the innovative Fowler
Brothers, John Zorn, Dr. John, Eugene Chadbourne, and Peter Frampton).

2\. Dardanelle is Versatile, June 17, 1946

Dardanelle is one of the most prominent jazz singer/instrumentalists
along with Sarah Vaughn, Carmen McCrae, Dinah Washington Vivian Lord,
Nat Cole, and Louis Armstrong. A jazz pianist, vibraphonist, and singer,
Dardanelle is known for her graceful ballads, rhythmic humor, romantic
interpretations, and impeccable diction. Born as Dardanelle Breckenridge
(named after Dardanelles Straits by her father) on December 27, 1917 in
Mississippi, she was a child prodigy influenced by her father\'s jazz
and blues improvisations. She majored in public school music at
Louisiana State University and supported herself by working as a house
pianist at a local radio station. In the 1940s Dardanelle formed a trio
with Tal Farlow on guitar, Paul Edenfield on bass, and herself on vibes
and piano (at a time when women traditionally did not lead bands). The
group was quite successful as a touring group and resident band at the
Copacabana club in New York City. In the 1950s Dardanelle retired from
the New York scene to raise her family in Chicago, where she worked as
staff pianist for WGN-TV and a highly regarded children\'s television
show. She formed a new trio in the 1970s \-- with her son Skip Hadley on
drums \-- and settled in the New Jersey area. Her performing and
recording career blossomed again as she began to work with jazz giants
like Bucky Pizzarelli, George Duvivier, and Grady Tate, and by the 1980s
she gigged in prestigious venues (including the Cookery and Carnegie
Hall), festivals, and concerts, and appeared on cruise ships and
television programs \-- once as host of the *Music in Our Lives* show.
She became a popular figure in Tokyo, where she resided for a lengthy
period of time. In 1984 Dardanelle returned to Mississippi where she is
still active as a jazz performer, radio and television personality, and
recording artist. She is often joined by her second son, Brian Hadley,
on bass. The multi-talented Dardanelle is a pioneering jazz artist who
has experienced a long, active career. Over the years she has spread her
enthusiasm for music and inspired other female musicians to follow their
ambitions.

3\. Lion Tracked to his Lair ‑‑ or Willie Smith\'s Story, January 1,
1947

Willie \"the Lion\" Smith was a jazz pianist and composer known for
fusing ragtime, impressionism, and counterpoint in his particular style
of Harlem stride. Born in Goshen, New York on November 25, 1897, he was
exposed to his mother\'s keyboard playing in church and began piano
lessons at the age of six. While still in his teens, he worked
professionally as a musician and toured Europe in 1917. During World War
I Smith earned the nickname \"The Lion\" for his bravery as a member of
the 350th Field Artillery. After his discharge in 1919, he led a band at
Leroy\'s in Harlem, toured the United States and Canada, and appeared at
the Onyx Club on Fifty-second Street as well as the famous Pod\'s and
Jerry\'s club in Harlem. Although Smith was a popular figure in Harlem
and was admired by contemporaries such as Fats Waller, James P. Johnson,
and Duke Ellington, he was relatively unknown outside the New York area;
his fame did not become widespread until 1935, when Decca issued a
series of his recordings with combos. In 1939 Commodore released his
solo recordings which exhibit his mature classically-influenced ragtime
style. Duke Ellington dedicated *Portrait of a Lion* to him the same
year; Smith returned the tribute with his *Portrait of Duke* in 1957.
During the 1940s Smith freelanced in New York City clubs, including the
Pied Piper in Greenwich Village (with Max Kaminsky), and both Artie Shaw
and Tommy Dorsey presented arrangements of his compositions. From 1949
to 1950 he successfully toured Europe and North Africa, and returned for
subsequent tours in 1965 and 1966. In the meantime he continued to
entertain in the New York City area, recorded several albums, and even
made an appearance in the film *Jazz Dance* in 1954. Smith wrote his
autobiography, *Music on My Mind*: *the Memoirs of an American Pianist*,
with George Hoefer in 1964; the book is considered an important account
of the Harlem jazz scene. Smith died in New York in 1973.

4\. Buddy Rich Forgets His Drums; Leads a New, Sweeter Band, May 21,
1947

Virtuoso \"Buddy\" Bernard Rich, regarded as one of the greatest jazz
drummers, was born in New York City on September 30, 1917. The son of a
husband/wife vaudeville team, he was an accomplished entertainer from
the age of two, first as a member of his parents\' act and then as a
solo drummer and tap‑dancer on Broadway. By the age of seven he was
touring as \"Traps, the Drum Wonder\" in the United States and abroad
and at eleven‑years‑old he led his own stage band. Rich\'s jazz career
began in 1937 when he joined Joe Marsala\'s band at the Hickory House.
Subsequent band affiliations include Bunny Berigan, Harry James, Artie
Shaw, and Tommy Dorsey, who was a major factor in bringing Rich fame in
the swing circuit. After serving in the U.S. Marines from 1942 to 1944,
Rich worked with Dorsey again and formed a big band. Later he played
with Les Brown, Jazz at the Philharmonic, and Charlie Ventura\'s Big
Four while fronting his own bands intermittently. Rich was also a
capable singer and dancer; in the 1950s he embarked on a singing career
\-- sometimes claiming he was quitting drums altogether (and setting his
drum sticks on fire as proof) \-- but inevitably he returned to
drumming. In the winter of 1959, Rich had a heart attack that caused his
career to come to a momentary halt. He rejoined the James band in the
early 1960s, but by 1966 he formed his own band again and continued to
lead big bands and small ensembles until his death in 1987.