Search - Mezz Mezzrow :: 1928-36

Mezz Mezzrow was one of the great characters of early jazz, an enthusiastic convert who was responsible for leading many other young white Chicago musicians to the music in the 1920s. His autobiography, Really the Blues, is one of the enduring documents of the times, as much about a radical lifestyle as it is about the music. That comes through, too, in tune titles like "Free Love," "Dissonance," and "Sendin' the Vipers," and the recordings show the clarinetist-saxophonist's enthusiasm and eye for talent. The 1928 recordings from Chicago include skillful performances by the young cornetist Muggsy Spanier, Frank Teschemaker on clarinet, and Gene Krupa in a New Orleans-style band. Later performances offer Benny Carter arrangements for swing-oriented bands that include pianist Teddy Wilson and drummer Chick Webb. It's still arresting music today, with Mezzrow's own solos putting a blues imprint on almost everything he touches. --Stuart Broomer