Tommy Ladnier

Thomas James Ladnier (May 28, 1900 – June 4, 1939) was an American jazz trumpeter. Hugues Panassié – an influential French critic, jazz historian, and renowned exponent of New Orleans jazz – rated Ladnier, sometime on or before 1956, second only to Louis Armstrong.[1][2][3]

Tommy Ladnier
Birth nameThomas James Ladnier
Born(1900-05-28)May 28, 1900
Mandeville, Louisiana, U.S.
DiedJune 4, 1939(1939-06-04) (aged 39)
Harlem, Manhattan, New York
GenresJazz
InstrumentsTrumpet
Years active1921–1939
Associated actsMezz Mezzrow

Early years

Ladnier was born in Mandeville, Louisiana – located on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, with New Orleans on the opposite shore. Beginning 1914, Ladnier performed in Mandeville's Independence Band at the Dew Drop Dance Hall, led by clarinetist Isidore Frick (né Isidore Fritz; 1890–1940). Trumpeter Bunk Johnson sometimes played with this band and gave young Ladnier lessons. Other notable members of the band included Louis Fritz (trombone); Joe Fritz (bass); Klebert Cagnolatti (drums) – older brother of trumpeter Cag Cagnolatti (1911–1983); Claybear (sax); Leon Laurent (violin); Buddy Petit (1890–1931) (cornet); Lucien Fritz (drums), Edmond Hall (1901–1967) (clarinet).[4][5]

In 1917, Ladnier moved with his mother to Chicago and worked in the stock yards.

Early career

Ladnier – on February 1, 1920, in Chicago – married Daisy Mathews (née Hazel B. Mathews; 1902–1979).[6] Around 1921, he became a professional musician. Ladnier played for some time in St. Louis with Charlie Creath.[7] Beginning in 1923, he played in Chicago and made many recordings for Paramount Records with pianist Lovie Austin, accompanying blues singers Ma Rainey, Ida Cox, and Alberta Hunter. For some time Ladnier played with his inspiration, King Oliver. He emulated Oliver's freak style on the solo in "Play that Thing" with Ollie Power's Harmony Syncopators in September 1923.[8] On March 13, 1923, in Chicago, Ladnier's mother, Willie Ladnier (née Willie Williams; abt. 1879–1923) died from a gun shot at a party quarrel.

Career

Ladnier joined pianist Sam Wooding in 1925[7] for an extensive tour (Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, and Russia).[9][10]

Main article: Chocolate Kiddies 1925 European tour

This orchestra recorded in Berlin. He returned to New York and became the hot soloist for the Fletcher Henderson orchestra from 1926–1927.[11] He returned to the Sam Wooding Orchestra for another tour[7] (Germany, Austria, Turkey, Switzerland, Italy, and France), then left in January 1929 to work freelance in Paris. A short tour with dancer Harry Fleming brought him to Spain, where he met dancer Louis Douglas and joined him shortly in November 1929 in Paris, acting as orchestra leader. He again free-lanced in Paris until summer 1930 when he joined the Noble Sissle dance band, performing in Paris and London.

He returned to U.S. at the end of 1930 and stayed with Sissle until January 1932. The Sissle orchestra made some recordings in London and New York. Back in America in 1932, Ladnier and Sidney Bechet formed the New Orleans Feetwarmers. During the Depression, they tried to run a tailor shop in Harlem, but neither was interested in business. Ladnier left New York and played in the east, sometimes giving trumpet lessons. For a year, he lived in Stamford, Connecticut.

In 1938, Hugues Panassié, a French critic and record producer who met Ladnier in Paris in 1930, went to New York. He found Ladnier and recorded the Panassié Sessions with Sidney Bechet and Mezz Mezzrow.[7] Ladnier and Bechet participated in the first From Spirituals to Swing concert arranged by John Hammond in December 1938.

Ladnier's last studio recording was on February 1, 1939, in New York as a sideman with singer Rosetta Crawford (de) accompanied by James P. Johnson's Hep Cats (Decca 7584). With Johnson (1894–1955) on piano, his sidemen were Teddy Bunn (1909–1978) (guitar); Elmer James (1910–1954) (double bass); and Zutty Singleton (1898–1975) (drums).[12]

Death

At age 39, Ladnier, died unexpectedly of a heart attack June 4, 1939, while staying at Mezz Mezzrow's apartment at 1 West 126th Street[13] – a six-story, 48-unit residential building in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan.[14][15] It fell upon Mezzrow to take care of Ladnier's belongings and bury him. The memorial service was on Friday, June 9, 1939. Ladnier was buried at Frederick Douglass Memorial Park, Staten Island, an African American cemetery.[16] The first burials there were in 1935. Ladnier's grave is No. 58, range 13, Section H. Despite efforts by Mezzrow and friends, the grave remained unmarked for nearly 69 years. Then, grave marker – 30-centimetre (12 in) square, 13-millimetre (0.51 in) thick – was placed on Ladnier's grave. It was carved from Nero Granite with no grain structure and is attached to a concrete base. The marker was engraved by Bob Sprauge and was placed on site by Bob Lang.[17]

References
  1. Guide to Jazz (re: "Ladnier, Tommy"), by Hugues Panassié and Madeleine Gautier (Panassi's wife, since 1949), translated by Desmond Flower (1907–1997), Houghton Mifflin Company (1956), pps. 162–163; OCLC 461481104, ISBN 978-0-8371-6766-4
  2. Biographical Dictionary of Afro-American and African Musicians (re: "Ladnier, Thomas"), by Eileen Jackson Southern (1920–2002), Greenwood Press (1982), p. 236; LCCN 81-2586; OCLC 902119012; ISBN 0-313-21339-9 (borrowable online via Internet Archive)
    Her sources:
    1. Hendersonia: The Music of Fletcher Henderson and His Musicians: a Bio-Discography, by Walter C. Allen (1974); OCLC 475144125, 476590380
    2. Who's Who of Jazz: Storyville to Swingstreet, by John Chilton (1970); reprint: Time-Life Records Special Edition (1978); OCLC 78228641
    3. The New Edition of the Encyclopedia of Jazz (re: "Ladnier, Thomas"), by Leonard Feather, Horizon Press (1960); OCLC 977415297
      1. Re-print by Bonanza Books (1960), pps. 304–305; OCLC 699625902
    4. The Complete Encyclopedia of Popular Music and Jazz, 1900–1950 (Vol. 3 of 4), by Roger D. Kinkle (1916–2000), Arlington House Publishers (1974); OCLC 768910192, ISBN 978-0-8700-0229-8
    5. Jazz Records, 1897–1942 (4th rev. and enlarged ed.), by Brian Rust, Arlington House Publishers (1978); OCLC 1039436498, ISBN 978-0-8700-0404-9
      1. "Tommy Ladnier and His Orchestra," p. 917
  3. New Grove Dictionary of Jazz Barry Dean Kernfeld (ed.), Entry: "Ladnier, Tommy," by Bob Zieff, St. Martin's Press (1996), pps. 670–671; (this is a 1996 one-volume re-print of the 1994 two-volume edition published by Macmillan Press Limited; OCLC 867575922 (1995 re-print), ISBN 0-3336-3231-1, ISBN 0-3121-1357-9
    Zieff's sources:
    1. "Discography of Tommy Ladnier," by Eric F. Keartland, Jazz Forum: Quarterly Review of Jazz and Literature, No. 3, January 1947, p. 24; OCLC 477727289
    2. "Evolution of Jazz" (column), by J. Lee Anderson (né Justus Lee Anderson; 1922–1995), DownBeat; ISSN 0012-5768
      1. Vol. 19, No. 1, January 11, 1952, p. 16
      2. Vol. 19, No. 2, January 25, 1952, p. 11
    3. "Tommy Ladnier: A Biography and Assessment," by Albert J. McCarthy (1920–1987), Jazz Monthly, Vol. 2, No. 7, September 1956, pps. 2–3; OCLC 259926681
    4. "Tommy Ladnier Par Le Disque," by Hugues Panassié, Bulletin du Hot Club de France; ISSN 0755-7272
      1. Issue 139, July–August 1964, p. 3
      2. Issue 140, September 1964, p. 7
    5. "Tommy Ladnier," by Christopher Hillman, Jazz Journal, Vol. 18, No. 8, 1965, p. 6; OCLC 1069305202, ISSN 0021-5651, ISSN 0308-1990
    6. "Tommy Ladnier: The Sensational Cornetist," by Christopher Hillman, Footnote: Dedicated to New Orleans Music; OCLC 760092525, 777070319, 865510320, ISSN 0958-6695
      1. Vol. 13, No. 1, October–November 1981, p. 4
      2. Vol. 13, No. 2, December 1981 – January 1982, p. 4
    7. "Tommy Ladnier: Some Mid-Western Jobs," by Christopher Hillman, Footnote: Dedicated to New Orleans Music, Vol. 13, No. 6, August–September 1982, p. 16
  4. "The Dew Drop Dance Hall," January 10, 2019, Tammany Family (Articles & Photos about St. Tammany Parish (blog of Ron Barthet) (retrieved May 15, 2020)
  5. Oral interview – "Andy Anderson," interviewee (audio), Digest, April 30, 1960 (additional information and corrections by Andy Anderson, June 21, 1973) (re-type); also present: William Russell, Richard B. Allen, Ralph Collins; Hogan Jazz Archive at Tulane; courtesy of Music Rising at Tulane, Tulane University (full attribution is not clear)
  6. "Illinois, Cook County Marriages, 1871–1920," FamilySearch (online database), Thomas J. Ladnier and Hazel B. Matthews; married February 1, 1920 (database updated March 10, 2018)
    1. FHL Reference ID: 857476
    2. FHL Genealogical Society Film number 1030721
    3. Digital Folder Number: 4272549
    4. Image Number: 23
    5. IGI Project (Batch) No. M01033-5
    (free access, but registration required)
  7. All Music Guide to Jazz, (re: "Tommy Ladnier," article entry by Scott Yanow)
    1. Michael Erlewine, executive editor
    2. Vladimir Bogdanov, database design
    3. Chris Woodstra, editor-in-chief
    4. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, senior editor
    5. Scott Yanow, senior jazz editor
    (3rd ed.; paperback), Miller Freeman Books (1998), p. 673; OCLC 71402439, 760120946, ISBN 978-0-8793-0530-7
    (online edition) "Tommy Ladnier". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
    Note: Ladnier's place of birth and place of death in the print version differs from other sources.
  8. Brothers, Thomas (2014). Louis Armstrong: Master of Modernism. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company. p. 101. ISBN 978-0-393-06582-4.
  9. "Tommy Ladnier in Rusland" (in Dutch), by Bo Lindström (born 1939) and Daniel Vernhettes (born 1942), Doctor Jazz Magazine (nl) (Amsterdam), June 2009, p. 16; ISSN 0166-2309
  10. Traveling Blues: The Life and Music of Tommy Ladnier, by Bo Lindström (born 1939) and Daniel Vernhettes (born 1942), Paris: Jazz'Edit (2009); OCLC 471874599, 1010079957
  11. Brothers, Thomas (2014). Louis Armstrong: Master of Modernism. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company. pp. 278–79. ISBN 978-0-393-06582-4.
  12. Jazz Records, 1897–1942 (4th rev. and enlarged ed.), (re: "Rosetta Crawford"), by Brian Rust, Arlington House Publishers (1978), p. 357; OCLC 1039436498, ISBN 978-0-8700-0404-9
  13. "New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795–1949," FamilySearch (online database), Thomas Ladnier; DOD: June 4, 1939, Manhattan, New York City (database updated February 10, 2018); original source: New York City Municipal Archives; FHL Microfilm No. 2109536 (free access, but registration required)
  14. "Tom Ladnier, Cornetist, Is Laid to Rest," Chicago Defender, about June 17, 1939 (clipping viewed in Lindström's article, " ... Gravesite")
  15. City of New York, Borough of Manhattan, Certificate of Occupancy No. 23360, February 4, 1938
  16. Biographical Dictionary of Jazz, Charles Eugene Claghorn (1911–2005), Prentice-Hall (1982), p. 176; OCLC 239745206
  17. "The Tommy Ladnier Gravesite," by Bo Lindström, Jazz Research (no date) (retrieved May 15, 2020)
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