Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2022 12:30 am Post subject: Al Hirt - from another planet
..1/2 kidding, but not sure what to think about recordings like these. It's almost like he was part alien when the guy was fully lit, full force came on, unveiling his best stuff. Less of a screamer than others, his brand of mixed slur tongue articulated runs up, down the horn have never been done better.
There are stories of him knowing that trumpet players had arrived to see him, seated down front in a club, and leaving the place bewildered. 'Some' of those combustion properties are felt at the middle sections..
I heard Al live when I was in high school back in 71. He played flawlessly. Played The Carnival of Venice unaccompanied. Apart from being a great player he was great on the mic between numbers. Told a few hilarious stories. We got to meet him as well. His hands were enormous.
I was immediately once again a kid reclining on the floor in my parents living room wearing out vinyl. I was always mesmerized by Jumbo's style and especially his ending tags!
I was too young to go into his club on Bourbon Street, but would hang around the door with my friends just outside or across the street to get a good listen when he played! The doorman would take pity on us and often would hold the door open so we could hear better! I recall once hearing him throw an unintended "airball" across the room and out the door with such force that it was attention getting! There were other momentary "visual attractions" during our early teenage walks thru the Quarter, but the Al Hirt Club was always a destination.
One of my childhood friends and Al Hirt during his last years!
Thanks for the memories!
Life is Short, find the Joy in it!
Mike _________________ '71 LA Benge 5X Bb
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Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2022 8:09 am Post subject:
peanuts56 wrote:
Told a few hilarious stories. We got to meet him as well.
I've got s few Al Hirt-Don Jacoby stories, too, but I can't tell 'em here.
Yeah, we had a few of his RCA albums. He had incredible Dixieland chops, too. Well-worn albums. (We'll overlook his Haydn.) _________________ "If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird
Jumbo was amazing! Check out his appearances on Lawrence Welk with Pete Fountain (Jazz Me Blues). He is on fire! At the very end, Fountain leans over and kisses Hirt on his ear. What a crackling sound! It's a great performance.
I'll post this performance but at the moment I can only find the FB Watch version. Not sure it will travel to y'all:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=361271914885075 _________________ Getzen 800DLX cornet
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Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2022 9:02 am Post subject:
Al Hirt recorded a very unique rendition of Carnival of Venice once upon a time in an album with the Boston Pops. It starts out relatively normal, then shifts keys, then goes into a set of variations I've never heard anyone else do (and I've heard a LOT of variants of Venice), set against different styles of accompaniment, from big band swing to march to Rossini-ish opera.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPEjdd_CKho _________________ 1936 King Liberty No. 2
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Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2022 9:27 am Post subject:
peanuts56 wrote:
We got to meet him as well. His hands were enormous.
Yeah, I met him as well. A really nice guy. When I shook his hand mine disappeared completely. I'll never forget that night at his club. Pete was playing with him that night, too. What a combo.
I have always felt that Al was underrated, especially for his classical playing. I wish he had played Carnival Of Venice that night.
George _________________ GeorgeB
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Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2022 9:37 am Post subject:
Guido Basso was a heck of a trumpet player. _________________ Music is a fire in your belly, fighting to get out. You'd better put a horn in the way before someone gets hurt.
...At 1:40... Boy how he could do these slurs with such control and power!
Is there anybody in the world recording such wonderful music nowadays? _________________ Craig Mitchell
We got to meet him as well. His hands were enormous.
Yeah, I met him as well. A really nice guy. When I shook his hand mine disappeared completely. I'll never forget that night at his club. Pete was playing with him that night, too. What a combo.
I have always felt that Al was underrated, especially for his classical playing. I wish he had played Carnival Of Venice that night.
George
The place I saw Al at had a covered outdoor walkway to the dressing rooms. It was an outdoor tented, theater in the round. As Al was walking out between sets, I hightailed out to where he was heading. I called out his name and he came over. Stuck his hand out and in that New Orleans drawl said, hey, how ya doin???? His hands reminded me of an old fashioned, baseball glove. Got to meet him again after the show. Didn't realize the theater had a meet and greet.
From what I remember hearing years ago… his primary practice was “Arbans”… what a great player Al Hirt was…
I was fortunate to see him live in Las Vegas when I was in High School …
Joe Triscari _________________ Benge Trumpet
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Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2022 9:38 pm Post subject: Al Hirt-from another planet
I loved Al Hirt and his sound. I had several albums back in the 60s of his. I envy those of you who saw him play in person. My dad let me sleep once when he was on the late show, say '66 or so. He apologized alot the next day but our news used to be over at like 11:30 and if it was a school night. But my dad liked Al Hirt because he knew him to be a good enough person to be a hero to me. Fortunately, we have recordings of Al and many of his contemporaries to listen to although they are gone. _________________ "There are two sides to a trumpeter's personality,
there is one that lives to lay waste to woodwinds and strings, leaving them lie blue and lifeless along a swath of destruction that is a
trumpeter's fury-then there is the dark side!" Irving Bush
Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2022 1:07 am Post subject: Re: Al Hirt - from another planet
cbtj51 wrote:
I was too young to go into his club on Bourbon Street, but would hang around the door with my friends just outside or across the street to get a good listen when he played! The doorman would take pity on us and often would hold the door open so we could hear better! I recall once hearing him throw an unintended "airball" across the room and out the door with such force that it was attention getting! There were other momentary "visual attractions" during our early teenage walks thru the Quarter, but the Al Hirt Club was always a destination.
Actual....envy comes to mind, you getting to hang out in the historic French Quarter burlesque atmosphere, Bourbon street at that time, and standing by the club ^# !
Only experience I had, as a kid with my Dad to see him in Three Rivers Stadium, in '69 or '70. The audience filled the seats to one side. At first it was not too thrilling to see his small Dixieland stage, after expecting to hear RCA charts of his records.
Last thing I expected was for the group to do a warmup set by themselves. When he did come out it was without any fanfare.. played a little, but fairly quiet things in background, seated off to the side..wtf ?
However, it turned out to be the polar opposite. Things started out low key, but within 20 min he came center stage, and began to carry the entire combo on his back. Soon one tune blended to the next, without much space to rest. Clarinet or trombone would play a brief solo, before Al either traded with, or was out front again. Basically..he filled a three hour stadium with a kind of lyrical, but concentrated sound, to a point where my head was 'literally' spinning. On other threads, endurance gets discussed, but this was a different type. One of the best memories in life.
tptptp wrote:
...At 1:40... Boy how he could do these slurs with such control and power!
Is there anybody in the world recording such wonderful music nowadays?
Joined: 20 Apr 2016 Posts: 1063 Location: New Glasgow, Nova Scotia
Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2022 2:34 am Post subject:
I have most of Al's albums on LPs. One of my faves is a different kind of album of him with Ann Margaret doing some great material.
Al Hirt will always be one of my all time favorite players.
George _________________ GeorgeB
1960s King Super 20 Silversonic
2016 Manchester Brass Custom
1938-39 Olds Recording
1942 Buescher 400 Bb trumpet
1952 Selmer Paris 21 B
1999 Conn Vintage One B flat trumpet
2020 Getzen 490 Bb
1962 Conn Victor 5A cornet
Joined: 24 Nov 2001 Posts: 615 Location: Hilton Head, SC
Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2022 3:27 pm Post subject:
GeorgeB wrote:
I have most of Al's albums on LPs. One of my faves is a different kind of album of him with Ann Margaret doing some great material.
Al Hirt will always be one of my all time favorite players.
George
I always enjoyed that album with Ann Margaret. I just found it on You Tube Music, I'm excited to listen to it again after all these years. _________________ Tom Barreca
Al was a style unto himself. He often played "Dixieland" but he reinvented it - I've never heard someone approach Dixie or ballad playing the way he did.
Something I learned only fairly recently - Al had a PhD - I heard him talk about it in an interview. He said he didn't talk about it much, he said he was more interested in how someone played than their credentials.
He also said he didn't start playing jazz at all until he was in his 20's even though he was born and raised in New Orleans.
A superb track from what I consider to be one of the best albums of all time. I never get tired of listening to Horn A-Plenty. Amazing band, magical arrangements by Billy May, Al at the peak of his powers.
Something I learned only fairly recently - Al had a PhD - I heard him talk about it in an interview. He said he didn't talk about it much, he said he was more interested in how someone played than their credentials.
According to this article, it was Doctor of Performing Arts, Hon.
Something I learned only fairly recently - Al had a PhD - I heard him talk about it in an interview. He said he didn't talk about it much, he said he was more interested in how someone played than their credentials.
According to this article, it was Doctor of Performing Arts, Hon.
Interesting - I just assumed he got it from the Cincinnati Conservatory where he attended. He must have gotten some kind of degree from there. Someone told me he was there for 11 years, I don't know if that's accurate. _________________ Getzen Eterna Severinsen
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Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2022 6:02 am Post subject:
See the following YouTube video which covers some of these topics. I believe his doctorate was honorary, and his college was interrupted by his service during WW2.
Ron
[url] https://youtu.be/c6v4v0kIe20[/url] _________________ Martin Committee #2 1954
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