Roy Eldridge

1B · Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2004 11:27 am Post subject:

Here's a guy we seldom talk about, but man could he play. I was amazed when I saw him in a jam session video. He was great. What's his story? Also, has anyone purchased his Mosaic set? I'm seriously thinking about it.
1B

jhatpro · Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2004 11:33 am Post subject:

'Little Jazz' was one of the greats, and he did it with false teeth, which makes his accomplishments all the more amazing. Had them from the age of 17. He was the original 'no pressure' player, and he could scream.
_________________
Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle

Mr.Hollywood · Heavyweight Member Joined: 14 Dec 2002 Posts: 1730

Where did you hear that Roy had false teeth since he was 17?

Just curious.

Chris

jhatpro · Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2004 4:45 pm Post subject:

I've run across references to Eldridge's false teeth several times over the years. The Website below includes an article from "The Instrumentalist" that contains this:

"Roy Eldridge attributed his amazing stamina to a minimum of pressure against his teeth; because he had false teeth at the age of 17, Eldridge had no choice but to take some pressure off his lips."

http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Strasse/1989/horn3.html
_________________
Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle

Mr.Hollywood · Heavyweight Member Joined: 14 Dec 2002 Posts: 1730

Thanks,

I've been a Roy fan since I was a kid. I knew he had dentures, but I had no idea he had them so young.

I saw him play in 1978 in a little jazz club. I got to hang with him and Eddie "Jockjaw" Davis a little. He was just amazing that night. On the first set he could hardly get a sound (he got mostly air!!). I started to worry that this just might turn out to be a lousy evening, but by the second set he was sounding real good, and on the last set (at around 2 in the morning) he was just on fire!!!!

I asked him what horn and mouthpiece he used and he said, "Heres the mouthpiece" (he kept it hanging around his neck in a little pouch, it was an All Cass) THen I asked him about the horn and he said, "I don't know what it is, they just give em' to me, and I play em', but its up on the stand if you want to look for yourself." So I went and checked it out (it was a Leblanc Sonic 700).

Years later I played some gigs with the tenor player Scott Hamilton and he told me that when he worked with Roy at Jimmy Ryans, that Roy always had trouble getting the valves back in his horn the right way after he oiled them.

Chris

swinger_006 · Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2004 6:57 am Post subject:

I've always been a fan of Roy's raw-edged tone and his swinging playing. He's one of my biggest influences as a player.

Roy was one of the original high-note men, check him out in early recordings of Gene Krupa's outfit. Roy was one of Dizzy's biggest idols, and I love hearing the two together on the JATP sessions (i.e., "Krupa and Rich") and on the "Roy and Diz" records with the Oscar Peterson/Herb Ellis/Ray Brown/Louis Bellson rhythm section (smokin!). On those records, the way they play off of each other is amazing.
_________________
-Tim Gill

"Love yourself- and make your instrument sing about it." -Kurt Vonnegut
"If you can't swing, get weird!" -Billy Byers
www.timgillmusic.com

TrumpetEnthusiast1 · Posted: Wed Aug 18, 2004 1:05 pm Post subject:

The false teeth story is true, I remember reading it in a biography of him titled something like "Little Jazz Giant."

BADBOY-DON · Posted: Thu Aug 19, 2004 7:26 am Post subject:

Roy musicality as a trumpeter was soooooooo special.
His talent for backing up a singer was in such demand and his recording with Billy Holiday on the song "Comes Love, Nuttin'can be done." His improv and firey trumpet on this, to me....shows his excellence and talent.

I have a most treasured CD of Roy's recorded in NYC in 1975 titled "Happy Time" with Oscar Peterson-Joe Pass, Ray Brown-and Eddie Lock and remastered in 1991 by Fantasy Studios, in Berkley......anyhoooooo
although Roy is noticably waaaaaaay past his peak in trumpet playing, still the album is sooooooooo great as it shows the love and passion that he had for his music and for his colleagues as he goes through many of his previous hits from the peak of his past recordings such as
"Willow Weep for me.....
"I can't get started.....
"Stormy Monday.....
"Let me off Uptown.... (where he mimics and sings both his and 'Anita's part in a falsetto'
His memory will be forever Oh so "Sweet" and TBTG for his treasured recordings for generations to come, who chose to listen.
Tho' small in stature......What a giant of a man!!!!

babyimanARCHIST · Veteran Member Joined: 06 Jul 2004 Posts: 189

He was able to use little pressure because he created compression with the tongue. In Jerome Callet's Trumpet Secrets book it says in a section, 'Listen to some of the great trumpeters who played with the forward tongue: Roy Eldridge (who lost all his teeth at age seventeen),'. Just my two cents.