Gottlieb on Assignment

William P. Gottlieb took most of his photographs while on assignments for the Washington Post, Down Beat magazine, and Record Changer. He had a weekly jazz column in the Post, a series of articles and reviews in Down Beat, and a monthly column in Record Changer. This special presentation features four examples of his Down Beat assignments. (The displayed portraits represent one shoot only; other photographs of the artists can be found elsewhere in the collection by searching the online catalog.) Thelonious Monk | Dardanelle | Willie "The Lion" Smith | Buddy Rich

Thelonious Monk Genius of Bop: Elusive Pianist Finally Caught in an Interview, September 24, 1947 Read Article | View Photos When the elusive Thelonious Monk disappeared from the jazz scene in 1947, Gottlieb embarked on a mission to track down the jazz giant. With the help of Mary Lou Williams, widely regarded as the most significant female instrumentalist, composer, and arranger in jazz, Gottlieb located Monk and took him to Minton's Playhouse where he had once worked as house pianist. Biography: One of the most admired jazz figures since the 1940s, Thelonious Monk is the composer of such jazz standards as "Round Midnight," "Epistrophy," "Misterioso," "Straight No Chaser," and "Criss-Cross." Along with Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, and Kenny Clarke, Monk developed the bop style of jazz. He was born on October 10, 1917 in North Carolina, and four years later moved to New York City, which would remain his home until his retirement. In the 1940s he was employed as house pianist at Minton's Playhouse in Harlem. Monk typically led his own combos or trios--except for an occasion in 1959 when, for the first time, he led a large orchestra at New York City's Town Hall--but he had brief stints with Lucky Millander's band, the Coleman Hawkins Quartet, and Dizzy Gillespie's orchestra. Monk's works can be divided into three musical periods: compositions recorded for the Blue Note label in the 1940s and early 1950s, works released by Riverside and Signal in the 1950s, and Columbia recordings composed after 1960. The Blue Note albums and a recording with Charlie Parker in 1950 are regarded as examples of Monk's best work, along with three masterpieces on Riverside: Brilliant Corners, Thelonious Himself, and Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane. Monk remained active through the 1970s, and from 1971 to 1972, he collaborated with Dizzy Gillespie, Kai Winding, Sonny Stitt, Al McKibbon, and Art Blakey on the Giants of Jazz tour, before retiring in seclusion in Weehawken, New Jersey. While Monk has been criticized for his unorthodox technique, he is acclaimed for his musicality, masterful articulations, rhythmic complexities, and remarkable improvisations that are as structurally complex as his notated compositions. Monk's work is a major influence on modern jazz; since his death in 1982, a series of tribute albums has been released, including albums by Arthur Blythe (Light Blue), Anthony Braxton (Six Monk's Compositions), Paul Motian (Monk in Motian), and Hal Wilner (That's the Way I Feel Now, with the innovative Fowler Brothers, John Zorn, Dr. John, Eugene Chadbourne, and Peter Frampton). Back to top

Dardanelle Dardanelle is Versatile, June 17, 1946 Read Article | View Photos An accomplished pianist, vibraphonist, and singer, Dardanelle has led an active career as a pioneering female jazz performer, recording artist, and radio and television personality. She is one of the few jazz musicians from the "Golden Age of Jazz" with whom Gottlieb still maintains a close relationship. On this particular Down Beat assignment, Gottlieb reviewed a performance by his friend Dardanelle when she appeared at the Sheraton Hotel with Joe Sinacore and Bert Nazer. In typical Down Beat fashion, the article concludes with a response from the artist. Biography: Dardanelle is one of the most prominent jazz singer/instrumentalists, along with Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McCrae, Dinah Washington, Vivian Lord, Nat Cole, and Louis Armstrong. A jazz pianist, vibraphonist, and singer, Dardanelle is known for her graceful ballads, rhythmic humor, romantic interpretations, and impeccable diction. Born as Dardanelle Breckenridge (and named after the Dardanelles Straits by her father) on December 27, 1917, in Mississippi, she was a child prodigy influenced by her father's jazz and blues improvisations. She majored in public school music at Louisiana State University and supported herself by working as a house pianist at a local radio station. In the 1940s Dardanelle formed a trio with Tal Farlow on guitar, Paul Edenfield on bass, and herself on vibes and piano (at a time when women traditionally did not lead bands). The group was quite successful as a touring group and resident band at the Copacabana club in New York City. In the 1950s Dardanelle retired from the New York scene to raise her family in Chicago, where she worked as staff pianist for WGN-TV and a highly regarded children's television show. She formed a new trio in the 1970s--with her son Skip Hadley on drums--and settled in the New Jersey area. Her performing and recording career blossomed again as she began to work with jazz giants like Bucky Pizzarelli, George Duvivier, and Grady Tate, and by the 1980s she was gigging in prestigious venues (including the Cookery and Carnegie Hall), festivals, and concerts, and appeared on cruise ships and television programs--once as host of the Music in Our Lives show. She became a popular figure in Tokyo, where she resided for a lengthy period of time. In 1984 Dardanelle returned to Mississippi, where she is still active as a jazz performer, radio and television personality, and recording artist. She is often joined by her second son, Brian Hadley, on bass. The multi-talented Dardanelle is a pioneering jazz artist who has experienced a long, active career. Over the years she has spread her enthusiasm for music and inspired other female musicians to follow their ambitions. Back to top

Willie "The Lion" Smith Lion Tracked to his Lair -- or Willie Smith's Story, January 1, 1947 Read Article | View Photos Willie "the Lion" Smith's flamboyant character, coupled with his legendary derby hat, cigar, and thick glasses, made him an ideal sitter for a Gottlieb portrait. Approximately ten years after Gottlieb met "The Lion" for the first time, he interviewed the jazz pianist and composer in his home. The subsequent piece is characterized by Gottlieb's clever and witty "hep cat" writing style. Biography: Willie "the Lion" Smith was a jazz pianist and composer known for fusing ragtime, impressionism, and counterpoint in his particular style of Harlem stride. Born in Goshen, New York, on November 25, 1897, he was exposed to his mother's keyboard playing in church and began piano lessons at the age of six. While still in his teens, he worked professionally as a musician and toured Europe in 1917. During World War I Smith earned the nickname "The Lion" for his bravery as a member of the 350th Field Artillery. After his discharge in 1919, he led a band at Leroy's in Harlem, toured the United States and Canada, and appeared at the Onyx Club on Fifty-second Street as well as at the famous Pod's and Jerry's club in Harlem. Although Smith was a popular figure in Harlem and was admired by contemporaries such as Fats Waller, James P. Johnson, and Duke Ellington, he was relatively unknown outside the New York area. His fame did not become widespread until 1935, when Decca issued a series of his recordings with combos. In 1939 Commodore released his solo recordings, which exhibit his mature, classically-influenced ragtime style. Duke Ellington dedicated "Portrait of a Lion" to him the same year; Smith returned the tribute with his "Portrait of Duke" in 1957. During the 1940s Smith freelanced in New York City clubs, including the Pied Piper in Greenwich Village (with Max Kaminsky), and both Artie Shaw and Tommy Dorsey presented arrangements of his compositions. From 1949 to 1950 he successfully toured Europe and North Africa, and returned for subsequent tours in 1965 and 1966. In the meantime he continued to entertain in the New York City area, recorded several albums, and even made an appearance in the film Jazz Dance in 1954. Smith wrote his autobiography, Music on My Mind: The Memoirs of an American Pianist, with George Hoefer, in 1964; the book is considered an important account of the Harlem jazz scene. Smith died in New York in 1973. Back to top

Buddy Rich Buddy Rich Forgets His Drums; Leads a New, Sweeter Band, May 21, 1947 Read Article | View Photos Gottlieb reviewed drum virtuoso Buddy Rich in concert when Rich was leading his own band and had begun to experiment with singing. Several times throughout his career, Rich quit playing drums to be either a dancer or a singer, but ultimately he always returned to drumming. His vocal style has been compared to Mel Tormé's and Frank Sinatra's. At the end of the article, Rich responds favorably to Gottlieb's assessment of the concert. Biography: Virtuoso Bernard "Buddy" Rich, regarded as one of the greatest jazz drummers, was born in New York City on September 30, 1917. The son of a husband/wife vaudeville team, he was an accomplished entertainer from the age of two, first as a member of his parents' act and then as a solo drummer and tap-dancer on Broadway. By the age of seven he was touring as "Traps, the Drum Wonder" in the United States and abroad, and at eleven years old he led his own stage band. Rich's jazz career began in 1937 when he joined Joe Marsala's group at the Hickory House. Subsequent band affiliations included Bunny Berigan, Harry James, Artie Shaw, and Tommy Dorsey, who was a major factor in bringing Rich fame on the swing circuit. After serving in the U.S. Marines from 1942 to 1944, Rich worked with Dorsey again and formed a big band. Later he played with Les Brown, Jazz at the Philharmonic, and Charlie Ventura's Big Four while fronting his own ensembles intermittently. Rich was also a capable singer and dancer. In the 1950s he embarked on a singing career--sometimes claiming he was quitting drums altogether (and setting his drum sticks on fire as proof)--but inevitably, he returned to drumming. In the winter of 1959, Rich had a heart attack that brought his career to a momentary halt. He rejoined the James band in the early 1960s, but by 1966 he had formed his own group again and continued to lead big bands and small ensembles until his death in 1987. Back to top

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