Did Emmett "carve" Louis? A half dozen well known New Orleans musicians said "Yes". When Louis was asked about this he said, "The only cat I ever jammed with was Bix. And that was in Chicago at the Sunset behind closed doors. I never did try to carve an ofay. Bix and I just played for our own kicks." You decide.
Emmett Hardy's letter to his only known girlfriend, Martha Boswell. Of course we know the impact that Martha and her sisters Connie & Vet made in the world of popular music. They set the standard for jazz singing that has been copied since, but never surpassed. We can only wonder 'what if' when it comes to Emmett Hardy. Was he as good as they say? Ben Pollack claimed "Bix was a tin-horned soloist compared to Emmett! Why, Emmett was so much greater, there can't be a comparison!" Pollack wasn't the only one who expressed this view.
Exactly one year & one day after that letter was sent to Martha Boswell, Emmett Hardy was dead, just four days after his 22nd birthday. Keep in mind that Emmett did not play the cornet during the last year of his life due to illness and doctor's orders. He made one exception - at his birthday party, four days before his death. It was said that he blew the most beautiful blues that you could ever imagine. Everyone was moved to tears. Truly a classic story about a jazz legend. Of course one might ask how could someone with advanced TB, and who hasn't played his horn in a year be capable of playing anything beautiful? When I lay off for more than three days, it sounds like someone is trying to strangle a duck. But then...I'm not Emmett Hardy.
A couple rare photos of Emmett Hardy. On the far right is a recent discovery I made of the Brownlee Jazz Band with Emmett from 1920. Remember that the classic photos of Emmett were taken when he was 17 & 18 years old!
<---Really Good. Try it and see!
So..how do we find out where Emmett Hardy's true place in jazz history belongs? Do we go by the statements of musicians who knew and played with him, and later went on to fame themselves? Well then, let's try these on for size. When asked to compare Bix & Emmett, the following was the result..."Get this straight, Emmett Hardy as far back as 1919 was playing almost the identical stuff that Bix played with Goldkette & Whiteman nearly 10 yeras later...except that Emmett was more sure of himself, had more ideas, and played with a push and drive that Beiderbecke never attained." - PAUL MARES. "He was to music what Shelly was to poetry." - MARTHA BOSWELL. " The much-herealded Bix trumpet was a bringdown to us all. We found it to be similar to Hardy's style. Nice, yes, but unoriginal and as is usually the case, inferior to the original. Bix's and Hardy's ideas were about the same but there was a hell of a lot of difference in the way they came out of the bells of their horns" - MONK HAZEL (Hazel also claimed that Bix's first two Wolverine sides were a note-for-note copy of the way Emmett played the same tunes.) "Emmett's music was the best. He was a gentleman as well as the greatest musician I've ever known." - SIDNEY ARODIN.."I got to know Bix and hear him play. It was a thrill because Bix was the closest man to Emmett that I ever heard and I'm taking nothing away from Bix. Bix asked me about Emmett and told me that he learned plenty from him when he heard Emmett in Chicago. He said he thought Emmett was the greatest." - STEVE LOYACANO. "I roomed with Bix in New York and I recall how he used to practice, often commenting on Hardy and how terrific a musician he thought Hardy was. Hardy was Bix's idol and Bix gave Hardy credit for teaching him." - JIMMY DORSEY. "Emmett was the greatest musician I have ever heard. If ever I can come near your son's greatness, I'll die happy." - BIX BEIDERBECKE - In a letter to Emmett's mother shortly after his death, unconfirmed. Whatever and wherever the truth is about Emmett Hardy, this much is certain...Like Bix, he left a memory to those who knew him that they carried with them for the rest of their lives. Of course there's a story about a few homemade cylinder records that were recorded of Emmett's playing. Will they ever turn up? Who can say, stranger things have happened. But in a way, I hope not. I'd hate to see Emmett's reputation get picked apart by idiots who have never played a cornet, but do have an agenda & a word processor, and know how to use them. Finis.
Here's the "New" photo of Emmett that I found. I wonder if that writer is going to take this for his book too?
Give 'em hell, Henry! A damned fine statement indeed. Of course it would have been much funnier coming from Wingy Manone. And speaking of...here he is on Broadway from 1924.
In 1920 & 1921, the handwriting was on the wall. The so-called "Jazz Age" was almost over. Time to waltz until you wither. Ah yes! Wayne King lives.
I used to work for someone like this myself! Money is a great thing to have, true, but it can't buy you a life. Just situations.
Now I'm all for sticking up for my fellow musicians, but please! This guy was pistol champ of the Russian Army! He just got dumped. He just strangled a BABY (!) and then goes to the place where the orchestra is playing. And they bust his rubles about his domestic troubles! They should have just worn T-Shirts with targets on them. Most musicians are somewhat smart - kinda. This bunch? I'd have to say NYET! What's the Russian word for "dumbass" ?
I think he's got the "Mengelberg Joys."
So you want to lead a band? Think it over.
1923 - Say it isn't so! But this was before he met Bix.
It looks like Mr. Fink raised a stink, served a drink and landed in the clink. What a dink.
This is even worse than the poor slug that got hit in the chops with a streetcar while playing a parade!
Ah yes! Mabel Bates. What a babe! She really didn't get too far in the entertainment industry. But her son Norman cut quite a figure in films 30 years later. Mabel had a small part herself sitting in a rocking chair. And no jazz was played! Just violins playing the same note over and over and over....
So the other day I'm talking to B.A Rolfe, and I said, "You know something? I'd sell my soul to get on a good label!" And he said, "Really? I can do that for you!" It turns out it wasn't really B.A. Rolfe but B.L. Zabub! HELP!! (Editors note - If you all just start buying more Kazoo Lips CD's, I wouldn't have to do this!)
