During this period, he was involved in a large number of recordings, with Pollacks orchestra, with other groups, and leading his own sessions. [2], He died in New Orleans at the age of 58, suffering from pneumonia.[1]. He did so at a time when many jazz purists insisted that no one but a Negro could do justice to the blues. He did not follow the traditional Dixieland tailgate treatment of his instrument. It is difficult to realize that Teagarden is, after all, largely a self-taught musician. Pollack's recordings were Teagarden's first. Although playing his horn and leading his group occupy most of Teagardens waking hours, he manages to find time for his family wife Addie and his son Joe and for his puttering and tinkering. I was outraged. We had to agree with Pee Wee, wed never heard anyone play trombone like that. The cause of death was bronchial pneumonia, which had followed a liver ailment. Later, searching for style and a kind of watering spa for his ideas, he drew from the blues a source of depth that makes his brand of Dixieland distinctiveand clearly divided from any other. Sorry! Unfortunately, this band also cannot really be considered a success. Refusing to give up, he started a second band in early 1940, and this one he managed to keep going until late 1946, in spite of losing far too many good musicians to the draft. Teagarden's early career was as a sideman with the likes of Paul Whiteman and lifelong friend Louis Armstrong. Finally, a straight forward look at Jacks life as seen by The Handbook of Texas Online. Quick Facts Full Name Jack Teagarden Died January 15, 1964, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States Profession Actor, Singer, Bandleader, Trombonist Nationality American Spouse Adeline Barriere, Billie Coates, Claire Manzi, Ora Binyon Parents Charles W. Teagarden, Helen Geingar Siblings Charlie Teagarden, Norma Teagarden, Clois "Cub" Teagarden Teagarden became ill in Japan, and returned after the tour a very weak and very sick man. Mom and I sat down at a table, and when the hand was finished with their set, Dad came down and sat with us. My Jack Teagarden Research at the IJS. Albums include Pop Music: The Early Years 1890-1950, Mis'ry and the Blues, and The Golden Years. He stole this from the WPA and presented it to me as a token of fealty and I took it backstage at the Palace and gave it to Jack Teagarden. And wherever he is now, I hope the guy from Texas has a big sliphorn to make that noise that brings him peace. These days, he leads his own combo, one he has traveled successfully with to the Far East for the U.S. State Department. Lets go, he urged. NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 15 (AP) Jack Teagarden, the jazz trombonist and singer, died today in a New Orleans motel. Jack Teagarden discography and songs: Music profile for Jack Teagarden, born 20 August 1905. Crosby helped Teagarden deal with his financial complications, and from 1947-1951 he was a celebrity sideman with Louis Armstrongs All-Stars; their collaborations on Rocking Seat are traditional. His formal train- ing has been acquired on the job. He and his mother played duets (trombone and piano) as background to the silent films at a Vemon theater. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. Jack Teagarden, byname of John Weldon Teagarden, (born August 20, 1905, Vernon, Texas, U.S.died January 15, 1964, New Orleans, Louisiana), American jazz trombonist, unique because he developed a widely imitated style that appeared to have arrived fully formed. His fans ran the gamut from Louis Armstrong to Thelonious Monk. Sources " Jack Teagarden was one of those rare jazz musicians who seems to have emerged into the world whole, so completely adapted to his instrument that it sometimes appeared he and the trombone had been invented at the same time and had grown up . And Jack was blowing his big horn around a shattered segment of the old Keith vaudeville circuit. Privacy Policy | We do not sell or share your personal information | 2023 All About Jazz & Jazz Near You . Teagardens style is also often described using words such as lyrical, vocal, legato, relaxed, fluent and smooth. After leaving Armstrong in 1951, Teagarden worked with his own He One such occasion was recounted by Jimmy McPartland in Hear Me Talkin to Ya, a book telling the story of jazz in the words of the musicians who live it. He and Addie settled in California, and he formed a small band again. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Jack Teagarden: Think Well of Me. As mentioned above, by the summer of 1928, Teagarden was playing with Ben Pollacks orchestra, and he stayed with Pollack, performing and recording, for nearly five years. When Jack was in Cambodia, the jazz-loving, clarinet-playing king of that country presented the trombonist with a medal for meritorious service to the arts. His is an open face, with character, rather than age or weariness or boredom etched into it. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jack-Teagarden, All About Jazz - Biography of Jack Teagarden, Texas State Historical Association - The Handbook of Texas Online - Biography of Weldon Leo Teagarden, Jack Teagarden - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). 29, 1905, Teagarden learned trombone by the age of 10. 1936. Sorry! At this point, he was also the grand old man of the instrument, well-respected both by traditionalists and (unlike many other traditionalist players) also by the more modern generation of trombonists. Jack began on piano at age group five (his mom Helen was a ragtime pianist), turned to baritone horn, and lastly used trombone when he was ten. I wanted to know how all those people could come to see this wonderful talent and then not want to sit in the same room with them.. That alone is well worth a chest full of medals. Eddie said, Why dont you record my song? And thats what Teagarden did. Benny Goodman and His Orchestra - Vocal Refrain by Jack Teagarden. Cut off from the developing edge of jazz, it had no real influence and produced few recordings of note. Lots of clips of Jack, including home movies, as well as interviews with musicians who worked with him, . Armstrong apparently considered Teagarden a friend, not a rival, and they continued to work together from time to time. From that moment he was the acknowledged master of his idiom. He led his own band (193947), played with Louis Armstrong (194751), and re-formed his band (195157). He is usually considered the most innovative jazz trombone stylist of the pre-bebop era Pee Wee Russell once called him "the best trombone player in the world". I gotta keep moving., So we grabbed a taxi and rode over to a shoddy little cabaret. Each position causes the instrument to be a slightly different length, and the instrument can play a (different) harmonic series at each length. The band featured Teagarden on trombone, brother Charlie on trumpet and Frank Trumbauer on sax as The Three Ts.. In 1933, after a brief stint in Mal Halletts band, he signed on with Paul Whitemans orchestra for five years. Jack Teagarden Wiki: Salary, Married, Wedding, Spouse, Family Weldon Leo "Jack" Teagarden (August 20, 1905 - January 15, 1964), known as "Big T" and "The Swingin' Gate", was an American jazz trombonist, bandleader, composer, and vocalist, regarded as the "Father of Jazz Trombone". Well, I was hurt. Jack started on piano at age five (his mother Helen was a . Weldon Leo "Jack" Teagarden (August 20, 1905 - January 15, 1964) was an American jazz trombonist and singer. All four Teagarden children became prominent musicians. His technical approach in particular was quite unorthodox. During the next 12 years Mr. Teagarden played with bands headed by Ben Pollack, Mal Hallet and Paul Whiteman. Soundtrack: Reminiscence. She became a fighter for integration in Broward in the 60s, and active in civic affairs. But the cymbalom chap did manage to pick the books he wanted to bind, and the first tome he put back into reading condition was a treatise on the sliphorn. NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 15 (AP) Jack Teagarden, the jazz trombonist and singer, died today in a New Orleans motel. Like many jazzmen of the last era, his ups and downs were of the extreme kind, and success, both financial and popular, was all too often the unwilling bedfellow of failure. Jack took one look and busted out the back door. About 1923 he briefly attempted to enter the oilfield business in Wichita Falls but soon gave up the venture and returned to music. In 1939 Teagarden formed his own band; it was musically innovative but not financially successful and was disbanded in 1947. Instead, he played higher in the instruments range, using mostly the first and second positions, and rarely moving beyond fourth position. Size 10.0 Source 78 User_cleaned Bai Konte Johnson User_metadataentered Innodata User 02 User_transferred Jordan Gold His voice, with an engaging Southern drawl, ranged somewhere between the rasp of Louis Armstrong and the smooth sound of Bing Crosby, with whom he was professionally associated from time to time. June 1934. Teagarden? She nodded. Required fields are marked *. The All Stars did well, but Teagarden left in 1951, in order to once again put together his own band. We were flabbergasted.. Using alternate positions and an embouchure that was apparently extremely flexible (meaning he could change the pitch of a note using only small changes in his lips, mouth, and face muscles), Teagarden could play in the way that appealed to him. His variations of Basin Road Blues and Beale Road Blues (tunes that would stay in his repertoire for the rest of his profession) had been definitive. Louis Armstrong and Jack Teagarden, between 1938 and 1948 Teagarden played professionally from age 14. He was born Weldon Leo Teagarden in 1905 in the small town of Vernon, Texas. We said we would like to hear the guy, and Pee Wee said, right, lets just pop over and get him. As a jazz artist he won the 1944 Esquire magazine Gold Award, was highly rated in the Metronome polls of 1937-42 and 1945, and was selected for the Playboy magazine All Star Band, 1957-60. The Teagarden brothers (Jack and trumpeter Charlie) are generally considered the only interesting jazzmen to have been part of it, and yet Jack also felt a little out of the limelight. Corrections? At various times in teagardens career, his siblings played in the same band. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Jack Teagarden. 2023 Jack Teagarden - All Rights Reserved. He said back in May of 1939 he was driving home from NBC after plugging a song he wrote, You Know, Just As Well As I Know.. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. I just pick up my horn and play what I feel., His singing was marked by an infectious Panhandle accenthe was born in Texasandby an individual manner of slurring his words. He was also a great jazz singer, charming and warm, with influences from the African American blues singers he listened to while growing up in Texas. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 1905 in Vernon 1920s - 1960s 1964 in New Orleans Al Grey Amiable/Good-Natured August 20 Big Band Bing Crosby Bunny Berigan Carefree Cliff "Ukelele Ike" Confident Day Driving Dixieland Earl Hines Dixieland Al - At the Olympia Theatre Early Jazz Elegant Exuberant Family Gatherings Fun Housework Indulgent Jack Teagarden Jack Teagarden - 100 Years from Today Jack Teagarden - Jazz Great Jack Teagarden - Mis'ry and the Blues Jack Teagarden - The Club Hangover Broa Jack Teagarden - The Indispensable 1928- Jack Teagarden-Earl Hines All-Stars January 15 Jazz Johnny Mercer LA Mainstream Jazz Nostalgic Playful Refined Reminiscing Road Trip Show/Musical Sidney Bechet Sophisticated Stylish Sunday Afternoon Swing TX Uplifting Vacation Visceral Warm Weldon Leo Teagarden Whimsical. After departing Armstrong, Teagarden was a head of a progressively working sextet through the entire remainder of his profession, playing Dixieland with such talented music artists as sibling Charlie, trumpeters Jimmy McPartland, Don Goldie, Potential Kaminsky, and (throughout a 1957 Western european tour) pianist Earl Hines. Mole also specialized in technically spectacular playing, with staccato phrasing, big leaps, and surprising note choices. With his sextet, he covered a circuit extending from Hong Kong to Okinawa with concerts in Bombay, Colombo (Ceylon), Tokyo, and Karachi (Pakistan). Sorry! They are 3.5mil truncated eliptical, 2.3mil truncated conical, 2.8mil truncated conical, 3.3mil truncated conical. Jack Teagarden was among the first white musicians to absorb and project the Negro blues tradition. Teagarden also had a remarkable voice. Jack Teagarden made the trombone sexy, and his pliant, lazy tone made the instrument swing like a trumpet. Jack Teagarden (born August 20, 1905, Vernon, Texas, USA - died January 15, 1964, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA) was an American jazz trombonist, bandleader, composer and vocalist. He also started using Ponds Cold Cream and Pam Cooking lubricant on his trombone. They walked offstage and into the kitchen. Charlie Teagarden (July 19, 1913 - December 10, 1984), known as 'Smokey Joe', was an American jazz trumpeter. The authors favorite Teagarden chorus (and everyone who professes a liking for jazz must have at least one favorite Teagarden chorus) is the one Jack plays on Jack Hits the Road, recorded for Columbia some twenty years ago, In it, Teagarden neatly demonstrates the things to come on his instrument. In the early 20s, Teagarden joined the legendary Peck Kelly Band, Pecks Bad Boys, in Texas. In the 1930s he was married to and divorced from, successively, Clare Manzi of New York City and Edna Billie Coats. Although has received no medals in this country yet; he has achieved a place of distinction in jazz shared by very few other musicians. On the spot, Teagarden invents a beautiful, original melody, with some brief references to the familiar tune, but one that is very superior to it in almost every way. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). His movies included Birth of the Blues (1941). Well, I took her back to Jacks hotel and I have never, come to think of it, seen the lady since. [3] Teagarden's early career was as a sideman with the likes of Paul Whiteman and lifelong friend Louis Armstrong. Jack was given piano lessons when he reached the age of five. Although gifted with an amazing technical virtuosity, the curiously mixed scale of feeling Teagarden draws from his horn has its origin in this childhood heritage. In 1947, he left the bigband business entirely, playing in ensuing years with Louis Armstrong and with groups he himself headed. Beginning on trombone at age seven, Teagarden was entirely self-taught. We follow it with an insightful article written September, 1960 for Connchord Magazine. Teagarden proved helpful within the Southwest in a number of territory rings (especially using the renowned pianist Peck Kelley) and caused a feeling when he found NY in 1928. First time I ever heard Jack Teagarden blow that big sliphorn was like maybe Wednesday they found Jack in a New Orleans hotel room, cold and dead. One moment, you will be redirected shortly. } New Orleans-style trombonists tended to play in the lower range of the instrument, where it is simply impossible to change notes as quickly as a trumpet or clarinet does; entire arms cant move as fast as a single finger. His former wife had taken all the spirit out of him when she sued for divorce and got custody of the restaurant which supported him and his cymbalom. Its theme was his old favorite, I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues.. They are 3.5mil truncated eliptical, 2.3mil truncated conical, 2.8mil truncated conical, 3.3mil truncated conical. It comes through in his playing and his singing and the way he lives. Jacks fluency on the trombone has continued to amaze everyone. Teagarden is considered by many critics to be the finest of all jazz trombonists.(Kernfeld, 1988) Teagarden single-handedly created a whole new way of playing the trombone " a parallel to Earl Hines and the piano comes to mind " and did so as early as the mid-twenties and evidently largely out of his own youthful creative resources.". Therefore he has to take something shorter than the original, and make it complete in itself yet not so final that what follows his solo will sound like padding. While still in Brother of pianist Norma Teagarden (1911-1996); trumpeter, New and Upcoming Science Fiction and Fantasy, (1942 - January 15, 1964) (his death, 1 child), View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. 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