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Goodbye Phoebe and Hello Timme

By Dan Morgenstern
July 1, 2012
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Phoebe Jacobs, who left us on April 9, 2012 just a couple of months shy of 94, was a most remarkable lady who did so much for the music and its makers, as so well-documented in last month's Big Band in the Sky.

I first encountered Phoebe when she was handling press and taking care of the musicians at Basin Street East. Our shared love for

Louis Armstrong

trumpet and vocals
1901 - 1971

" data-original-title="" title="">Louis Armstrong made us friends, as we remained for more than 50 years. Phoebe was one of a kind, and her remarkable energy and enthusiasm never flagged.

Ken Burns

" data-original-title="" title="">Ken Burns captured the flavor of Phoebe in his 2000 TV documentary series, Jazz. Phoebe was truly a star, lighting up the screen with that great hat, luminous smile and strictly New York accent. Working with her on the labor of love of her later years, the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, was indeed an education—in the true meaning of dedication to a cause.

So it was right and proper that Phoebe's life be celebrated with a major event on May 24 at Jazz at Lincoln Center, which had honored her in 2003 with its Award for Leadership. Held free to the public at Rose Hall in the afternoon, there was close to a full house, including many students from I.S. 227 in Queens, named for Louis Armstrong—and guess who was responsible for that?

There were fine speeches, none too long, by friends and associates, including Stanley Crouch,

Mercedes Ellington

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Mercedes Ellington, Robert O'Meally, Norma Miller, Queens Borough President Helen Marshall and

George Wein

piano
1925 - 2021

" data-original-title="" title="">George Wein (my favorite eulogist—I'll never forget the one he gave for Vic Dickenson). At the end, there were touching remarks by Phoebe's son, daughter, granddaughter and grandson. But the meat of the feast, so to speak, was the music, in the good hands of

Wynton Marsalis

trumpet
b.1961

" data-original-title="" title="">Wynton Marsalis and the marvelous Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra—in my humble opinion, the best big jazz band we have today—and some distinguished guests.

Taste and Trumpet Chops

Inevitably, the musical portions, interspersed with the speeches, began with "What a Wonderful World," far from my favorite except as done by Louis, yet rendered with taste and great trumpet chops by

Lew Soloff

trumpet
1944 - 2015

" data-original-title="" title="">Lew Soloff, backed by the orchestra. Next came another master of the instrument,

Jon Faddis

trumpet
b.1953

" data-original-title="" title="">Jon Faddis, accompanied by pianist

Dan Nimmer

piano
b.1982

" data-original-title="" title="">Dan Nimmer in

Eubie Blake

piano
1887 - 1983

" data-original-title="" title="">Eubie Blake's immortal "Memories of You."

Nimmer stated the verse and Faddis the chorus, first with a mute—not a cup or Harmon, maybe a solo tone of more recent incarnation than I'm familiar with—and lovely phrasing that had some

Bobby Hackett

trumpet
1915 - 1976

" data-original-title="" title="">Bobby Hackett-like moments, then on powerful open horn, climbing high. It reminded me of a Gibson Jazz Party in the 1970s, when Jon and Eubie duetted on this very song, as the youngest and the oldest of the musicians. Jon was terrific then, but he plays on another level now.

When he was done, Jon took his place in the trumpet section next to Lew, and that brought back another memory from long ago, when these two were roommates (cozy virtuosi?) and I paid a visit, finding them surrounded by Armstrong blue Deccas. There was a spirited two-tempo rendition of "After You've Gone" by

Antoinette Montague

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Antoinette Montague, with

Walter Blanding

saxophone, tenor
b.1971

" data-original-title="" title="">Walter Blanding's tenor sax, and a fine interpretation of

Benny Goodman

clarinet
1909 - 1986

" data-original-title="" title="">Benny Goodman's closing theme, "Goodbye," with

Victor Goines

woodwinds
b.1961

" data-original-title="" title="">Victor Goines' clarinet, and muted

Marcus Printup

trumpet
b.1967

" data-original-title="" title="">Marcus Printup doing the trumpet "echo."

It was good that Benny was recognized as one of Phoebe's "specials"—she understood that complicated man. And Latin percussion master

Bobby Sanabria

congas

" data-original-title="" title="">Bobby Sanabria guested with the band in a spirited "Caravan," spotting a nice

Ted Nash

saxophone
b.1960

" data-original-title="" title="">Ted Nash alto bit. Phoebe would have loved "Dream a Little Dream of Me" in a note-perfect duet by

Brianna Thomas

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Brianna Thomas, who'd done her homework on

Ella Fitzgerald

vocals
1917 - 1996

" data-original-title="" title="">Ella Fitzgerald's part, and band member

Vincent Gardner

trombone
b.1972

" data-original-title="" title="">Vincent Gardner, who did a commendable Louis, both vocally and trombonistically.

But the musical highlight for this listener was

Jimmy Heath

saxophone, tenor
1926 - 2020

" data-original-title="" title="">Jimmy Heath's marvelous arrangement of

Billy Strayhorn

piano
1915 - 1967

" data-original-title="" title="">Billy Strayhorn's beautiful "A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing." Jimmy not only conducted—and he is not just an arm waver, but the real thing—he also played some moving tenor. The other featured soloist, as usual performing from his section chair, was Wynton, who held his own in the afternoon's trumpet sweepstakes with a statement that was wholly original, true to the composition and setting, and one of those things one instantly wanted to hear again. The band did justice to Jimmy's great chart.

A couple of Armstrong specials, "Struttin' with Some Barbecue," by a small group with guest

Bob Stewart

tuba
b.1945

" data-original-title="" title="">Bob Stewart on tuba, and "Mahogany Hall Stomp," with good short Gardner �� la

J.C. Higginbotham

b.1906

" data-original-title="" title="">J.C. Higginbotham and Wynton doing well in the lead passages, though having one of his curiously corny moments in the midst of the solo (this happens, I think, when he strives to be authentic). He was fine, however, in leading the concluding parade through the hall, headed for outside and a turnaround Columbus Circle, starting with "Just a Closer Walk with Thee" and ending with "Didn't He (rather, She) Ramble." Phoebe sure did!

Kicking Off a Visit

My man Fradley Garner is not editing me this time because he left his adopted Denmark and returned to native haunts in order to promote the Timme Rosenkrantz autobiography, Harlem Jazz Adventures, published earlier this year by Scarecrow Press. [Uh-uh, Danny—I came flyin' home just in time to add a few touches and names, a title and subheads, and zing this over to All About Jazz.---Your grateful editor]

I had the pleasure of Frad's company and that of the Jersey Jazz editorial team of

The Tony Mottola Recording Ensemble

" data-original-title="" title="">The Tony Mottola Recording Ensemble and Linda Lobdell, plus an auld acquaintance, ex-Rutgers University—Newark philosophy professor Robinson Lilienthal, at lunch at Hobby's, downtown Newark's sole surviving Jewish deli, to kick off the visit in a style befitting the Newark native Fradley is, followed by the recording, at nearby WBGO studios, of a Jazz from the Archives show plugging the book.

With the kind cooperation of two notable bandleaders,

Vince Giordano

composer / conductor
b.1952

" data-original-title="" title="">Vince Giordano and

David Ostwald

tuba

" data-original-title="" title="">David Ostwald, further plugging was done at their respective New York venues: Sofia's Restaurant at the Edison Hotel for Vince's Nighthawks, and Birdland, no longer at "the jazz corner of the world," where David's Louis Armstrong Centennial Band had celebrated its 12th year of Wednesdays just the week before.

At Sofia's, where there is more open space (there's a dance floor, as you should know), Vince arranged for a couple of chairs up front, and Fradley read a chapter (abridged) from the book, about Timme's first encounter with

Mezz Mezzrow

clarinet
1899 - 1972

" data-original-title="" title="">Mezz Mezzrow and the herbal product for which he was famous, to much laughter from the audience. I was once again impressed with just how good the Nighthawks are—at their special game, in the same class as the Lincoln Center band. I'll have more to say about them soon.

At Birdland, the reading had to be done from the bandstand, with me holding the mic, but it worked out okay. Fradley this time rendered a foreshortened chapter about Benny Goodman's first band, at Billy Rose's Music Hall, where Timme worked as a gigolo so he could hear them for a whole month. You have to read this book—Google jazzbaron.com! The band spotted a first: Australian clarinetist and alto saxophonist

Adrian Cunningham

clarinet

" data-original-title="" title="">Adrian Cunningham, who scored with

Johnny Hodges

saxophone, alto
1907 - 1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Johnny Hodges' "Jeep's Blues."

Oh—one of the new things I learned about Fradley is that he knows the words to "I Double Dare You." Just another feather in his cap!

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