The
90th Anniversary
Celebration of
Paul
Whiteman’s Historic Aeolian
Hall
Concert of
February 12, 1924
Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks
with Pianists Ted Rosenthal and Jeb Patton
Reconstructed and Conducted by Maurice Peress
The Town Hall,
A Review by
Albert Haim
Introduction
On Feb 12,
1924, a snowy Tuesday in
Following the
lunch, Whiteman, Gerswhin and Confrey
went over to
![[linked image]](http://www.nycago.org/Organs/NYC/img/AeolianHall42St1917Ext.jpg)
At 3 pm, Paul
Whiteman's orchestra presented a concert billed as "An Experiment in
Modern American Music." Paul Whiteman was known as the King of Jazz and
the concert included several numbers that were viewed, at the time, as
jazz.
However, this was not the first time that jazz was played in Aeolian
Hall. A
little over three months earlier, in the same venue, Canadian
mezzo-soprano Eva
Gauthier performed two jazzy numbers –Gershwin’s Swanee and
Whiteman’s
experiment –an unconventional and novel combination of jazz, popular
music, and
concert music– was a
smashing success: an enthusiastic audience brought
back Whiteman’s orchestra for five curtain calls. The concert was one
of the
most important musical events of the 1920s. The highlight of the
concert was
the premiere of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in
Blue, the quintessential example of symphonic jazz.
The experiment
was daring: bringing jazz into the concert hall at a time when jazz was
viewed
as a lower form of entertainment. Some critics had rather negative
comments
about the Rhapsody in Blue, others
were very enthusiastic. As an overall summary review, it is worth
quoting the
headline of critic Abel Green’s review in the February 14, 1924 issue
of
Variety: “PAUL WHITEMAN’S BRILLIANT RECITAL SAYS JAZZ CRAZE WILL NEVER
DIE.” Indeed, prophetic.
The Aeolian
Hall Whiteman concert consisted of two distinct parts. The first half
was a
combination of jazz, dance band, and novelty numbers. The second half
included
mostly semi-classical compositions.
Move the clock
ahead precisely 90 years. On February 12, 2014, Vince Giordano, Maurice
Peress, and an augmented version of the
Nighthawks
orchestra performed a recreation of Whiteman’s Experiment in Town Hall,
in
Vince Giordano
is a musician, historian, collector, the foremost figure in the
preservation of
1920s and 1930s popular music –dance music and jazz. Maurice Peress is an orchestra conductor, educator and
author. Several
of the original orchestrations played by Whiteman in 1924 were
available and
were used in the 2014 concert; some were transcribed from Whiteman’s
recordings;
and a few numbers used vintage stock arrangements.
The Program
As the lights
in the theatre dimmed, Vince Giordano approached the microphone and
provided an
introduction to the concert.
He described
briefly the nature of the concert and mentioned the names of several
individuals present in the audience: Whiteman’s relatives, Joe
Franklin, Liza Minelli,
Rich
Conaty. Then Maurice Peress
came out and the concert began. Mr. Peress
acted as a
combination conductor and master of ceremonies, explaining the numbers
to be
played and providing historical context.
- True
Form of Jazz
One Hundred
Years Ago – Livery Stable
Blues
Nick LaRocca
With Modern
Embellishments – Mamma Loves
Papa
Cliff Friend, Abel Baer
The contrast between the primordial form of jazz by the ODJB and the
sophisticated style of Whiteman’s orchestra was faithfully brought out,
the
first number played by a quintet, the second by the full Giordano’s Nighthawks. A notable feature was the trombone
solo in a
rousing performance. It is noteworthy that the original Aeolian Hall
Program specified “Ten
Years
Ago” not “One Hundred.” Livery
Stable Blues was recorded by the ODJB on February 26, 1917.
- Comedy
Selections
Yes!
We Have No
Bananas Frank Silver, Eric Cohn
So This Is
A comedy interlude with a popular 1920s
song and a recreation of
Ross
Gorman’s virtuoso performance in an adaptation of Carnival of Venice. A highly entertaining episode.
- Contrast
– Legitimate Scoring versus
Jazzing
Whispering
John and Malvin Shonberger
Takes 1 and 2 of Whispering were
waxed on August 9, 1920, the first recording session of Paul Whiteman
and His
Orchestra. These were rejected. A second attempt was made on
Aug 19,
1920. Four takes were cut, all destroyed. Finally, on Aug 23, 1920,
four
additional takes were recorded, and take 8 was mastered. It was
released on Victor
18690 with Japanese Sandman on the
flipside. This was one of Whiteman’s most popular records with about 2
million
records sold by 1921. It became a feature of the orchestra and Whiteman
included a performance in of the tune in the 1924 concert. First, the
tune was
played “straight” and then in a "hot" rendition. Vince Giordano and the
Nighthawks recreated the number with verve and enthusiasm, including an
execution of the melody on slide whistle by Andy Stein. Very effective
and the
audience loved it.
- Recent
Compositions with Modern Score
Limehouse
Blues
Phillip Braham, Douglas Furber
Linger Awhile
Vincent Rose, Harry Owens
Raggedy
Ann Jerome Kern, Anne
Caldwell
Limehouse Blues is a “jazz standard.” Tom
Lord’s
discography lists 741 recordings of the tune. It was recorded twice in
1922 in
- Piano
Music by Zez
Confrey
Kitten
on the
Keys
Zez Confrey
Three Little
Oddities Zez Confrey
Romanza
Impromptu
Novelette
Nickel In the Slot
(with orchestra)
Zez Confrey
Pianist Jeb Patton did an excellent job on
the
knuckle busters and played the exquisite Three
Oddities with appropriate delicacy.
- Irving
Berlin Medley
Orange
Blossoms In
California
Irving Berlin
A Pretty Girl Is Like A
Melody Irving Berlin
Alexander’s Ragtime
Band
Irving Berlin
A good set of tunes to end the first part of
the
recital. Vintage Paul Whiteman music played faithfully by Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks.
Flavoring
With Borrowed Themes (Volga Boatman)
Russian
Love
Ferde Grofe, Peter De Rose, Jesse Winne
Ferde Grofe’s
fox-trot
adaptation of the traditional Russian song. Typical
Whiteman
number impeccably reproduced by Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks.
- Adaptation
of Standard Selections to Dance Rhythm
Pale
Moon
Frederic Knight Logan, Jesse Glick
To A Wild
Rose
Edward McDowell
Chansonette
Rudolf Friml
Again, Paul Whiteman’s fare served with incomparable accuracy and
authenticity
by Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks.
-
A Suite of
Serenades Victor Herbert
Spanish
Chinese
Cuban
Oriental
Victor Herbert’s suite of four serenades was composed especially for
the
recital. The friendship between Victor Herbert and Paul Whiteman went
back to 1915.
In early 1915, Whiteman was hired as one of eighty musicians of the
(San Francisco) Panama-Pacific
International Exposition Orchestra. The orchestra played several
symphony
concerts during the winter, spring, and summer of 1915. One of the high
points
of the concert season took place in June 1915 when the highly respected
French
composer Camille Saint- Saens was guest
director of
the Exposition orchestra. As the Exposition was coming to a close,
American
composer Victor Herbert directed the orchestra in a series of pop
concerts. Herbert
and Whiteman became friends. A little over eight years later, on
January 20,
1924, Herbert completed A Suite of
Serenades and was present during the Aeolian recital where the
composition
was premiered.
The Suite included exotic sounds from foreign lands, an appropriate
inclusion
in an Experiment in American Music,
Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks demonstrated their versatility and
impeccable
musicianship by playing these symphonic pieces with gusto and
manifesting their
delight at the challenge.
A Rhapsody in
Blue George Gershwin
For
piano and jazz
band.
George Gershwin’s best known serious composition, Rhapsody
in Blue represents a milestone in the history of American
music. It was arranged for Whiteman’s orchestra by Ferde
Grofe. The premiere on February 12, 1924 at
Aeolian
Hall was received with high praise by some critics,
and harsh criticism by others. Olin Downes
wrote in
the February 13, 1924 issue of the New York Times: “This composition
shows
extraordinary talent, as it also shows a young composer with aims that
go far
beyond those of his ilk … There was tumultuous applause for Mr.
Gershwin’s
composition. There was realization of the irresistible vitality and
genuineness
of much of the music heard on this occasion.” In contrast, Lawrence
Gilman
wrote in the New York Tribune of February 13, 1924: “How trite, feeble
and
conventional the tunes are; how sentimental and vapid the harmonic
treatment,
under its disguise of fussy and futile counterpoint! ... Weep
over the lifelessness of the melody and harmony, so derivative, so
stale, so inexpressive!” From
the vantage point of 90
years after the premiere, Rhapsody in
Blue is an extraordinary composition, a masterpiece, an
amalgamation of
jazz and concert music, a entirely new and
unique type
of music, the quintessence of what the
The Rhapsody was performed by an augmented version of Vince
Giordano and
the Nighthawks with Ted Rosenthal on piano and Maurice Peress
conducting. There are several recordings
of
the
Rhapsody, but what the audience heard on February 12, 2014 is the
definitive
version. Later arrangements are played by a full symphonic orchestra
and miss
by a mile the jazz flavor of the original Grofe
arrangement. To retain its original zest and sensitivity, Rhapsody
in Blue must be played by talented jazz musicians, not classically
trained instrumentalists. And that is what Vince, Maurice and the
Nighthawks
served the audience: an expert jazz interpretation of a “fusion” work
destined
to be played in the concert hall. The audience applauded effusively and
repeatedly.
I have attended many live jazz concerts and recitals. One is
indelibly carved
in my memory: the recreation
by Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks and Josh Duffee’s
orchestra
of the 1926 Jean Goldkette/Fletcher
Henderson Battle
of the Bands. The Town Hall concert of February 12, 2014 is another
experience I
will never forget, a memorable event, a night to remember. My profound
gratitude
is extended to all the people who made the concert possible, in
particular Vince Giordano and Maurice Peress. If I closed my eyes
during the concert, I had the distinct feeling that I was back in 1924
listening to the formidable Paul Whiteman orchestra.
Appendix
Images courtesy of Vince Giordano's Facebook page.
The musicians who made the concert possible.
Maurice
Peress - Conductor
Andy Stein - Violin, Slide Whistle, Concert Master
Michael Ponella - Trumpet I
Jon-Erik Kellso - Trumpet II
Jim Fryer - Trombone I
Allen Raph - Trombone II, Euphonium
Dan Block - Alto Sax, Clarinet, Soprano Sax, Piccolo
Mark Lopman - Tenor Sax, Clarinet, Soprano
Sax, Sopranino Sax, Flute
Dan Levinson - Alto Sax, Soprano Sax, Baritone Sax
Andrew Shreeves - Oboe, English Horn, Heckel Phone, Bass Clarinet
Ken Salvo - Plectrum Banjo
Frank Vignola - Tenor Banjo
Peter Yarin - Piano, Celeste, Accordion
Vince Giordano - Tuba, Bass Sax, String Bass
Paul Wells - Percussion
John Weber - Violin
Sergei Prokofiev - Violin
Monica Martin - Violin
Katherine Lawlor - Violin
Erica Gailing - Violin
Matt Kasper - Violin
Stephan Pillare - Violin
Marge Callahan - Horn I
Barbara Reineke - Horn II
Aomori Tamoyo - String Bass
Producers: Vince Giordano and Maurice Peress