Jam session at Jimmy Ryan's: only for your eyes!

Here's a small treasure for all those who love this kind of jazz and would kill to have been present: a flier for a series of 52nd Street jam session at Jimmy Ryan's, starting on September 27, 1942. Click on it and you'll discover a who's who of jazz in the early 1940s:

William Morris Agency of big little (jazz) attractions

A few examples of William Morris Agency's portfolio ca. 1943-1944: Art Tatum ("'Tatum is a genius!' Paul Whiteman dixit"), Meade Lux Lewis ("recognized king of the boogie woogie"), Sidney Bechet and his New Orleans Footwarmers, Ellis Larkins, Adrian Rollini Trio ("the Nº1 Trio of the Nation")...

Ads published on Billboard (28aug43 & 9sep44).

Leonard Feather on Louis Armstrong

This profile of Louis Armstrong was written by Leonard Feather and published in the New York Times on October 26, 1941.

[Click on image to see full size version]

US has sonic secret weapon - jazz (NYTimes, November 6, 1955)

"America's secret weapon is a blue note in a minor key"

or better

"European approach to jazz as seen by Americans".

Jazz on the River - 1947

With Sidney Bechet (would he double on soprano sax, that he was mostly playing those days?) and Albert Nicholas on clarinet, Danny Barker on guitar, James P. Johnson on piano, Pops Foster on bass and Baby Dodds on drums, this must have been a trip to jazz heaven!

Line-up is very similar to those of the "This Is Jazz" broadcasts from May 31, 1947 (remove Sidney Bechet, add Wild Bill Davison on cornet, George Brunies on trombone and Blue Lu Barker on vocals, and put Joe Sullivan instead of James P. Johnson) and June 7, 1947 (remove Sidney Bechet, add Wild Bill Davison on cornet and put Freddie Moore instead of Baby Dodds), so the remaining -and not listed in the New York Times article- musicians might be Wild Bill Davison on cornet and Jimmy Archey ("This Is Jazz" broadcasts from June 14 and June 21) or George Brunies on trombone.

Any help from moldy figs and other dried fruits is much appreciated!

Johnny Windhurst

Trumpeter Johnny Windhurst is one of those excellent second-line jazz musicians who never was in the spotlight and just deserved a few lines in the most complete jazz encyclopaedias –no mention of him in 90% of the jazz history books densely populating my shelves-. A self-taught musician, his golden tone was mainly influenced by Bix Beiderbecke white followers such as Bobby Hackett.

From left to right: Johnny Windhurst, Milt Gabler, Jack Crystal, Eddie Condon and Henry "Red" Allen

Born in Bronx, New York, in November 5, 1926, at age 15 he was sitting in at Nick’s and by 1945 he replaced Bunk Johnson in Sidney Bechet’s band playing at the Savoy Café in Boston. He played at the Jazz at Town Hall concert in September 1946 and at the World’s Greatest Jazz Concert #2 on April 26, 1947, worked in Chicago for a time and then moved to California, where he played with clarinettist Edmond Hall. Other employers around this time included Louis Armstrong and Nappy Lamare. He also led his own band in Ohio and Boston, and was a latter day associate of Eddie Condon, playing and recording with the guitarist in the early '50s and back again in 1967. He recorded with singers Lee Wiley (1952) and Barbara Lea (1955-1957) and with trombonist Jack Teagarden (1955).

His only leader recording session, for the Transition label, took place on April 22, 1956, backed by Jimmy Andrews on piano, Buell Neidlinger on bass and Walt Gifford on drums. Bud Blacklock replaced Andrews on “When You’re Smiling”, where Hamilton Carson joined on tenor sax. The disc was called Jazz At Columbus Avenue (Transition TRLP-2).

Here’s Johnny Windhurst in 1958, leading an ensemble during one of those Art Ford Jazz Parties and waving though “Pennies From Heaven”. Roland Hanna is on piano, Mary Osborne on guitar, Mark Goldberg on bass and Morey Feld on drums.

Henry Red Allen - Obituary

As published in The New York Times, April 19, 1967.