Mezz Mezzrow

Mezz Mezzrow

Photo: William P. Gottlieb

Source: Vail Jazz

Born on 9 November 1899 in Chicago, though Mezz Mezzrow played saxophone he was better known as a clarinetist. Despite his talent as a musician, notoriety may have him better known as a Maria Juana vendor to the jazz community amidst which "Mez" became what cannabis was commonly called. Mezzrow migrated early in his career from Chicago to New York City where he spent most of his career. The state of New York passed a law in 1906 making medicinal marijuana legal. Yet as more cannabis was being introduced into the United States by Mexican immigrants upon the Mexican Revolution from 1910 to 1917, the fear of immigration led to its gradual prohibition. It was banned in California, Maine and Wyoming in 1913, followed by Utah and Vermont in 1917 [Wikipedia]. By 1931 twenty-nine states had outlawed marijuana, the state of New York in 1927 [NewYorkCannabis]. In 1937 the Marijuana Tax Act made cannabis illegal at the federal level. Penalties gradually increased until the use of marijuana became ubiquitous in the seventies. As for Mezzrow, among his clientele was Louis Armstrong, that perhaps about a decade before he was arrested in possession of 60 joints at a jazz club at the 1939 New York World's Fair, for which he was sentenced to three years on Rikers Island [Ratliff].

Lord's Disco begins its account of Mezzrow in Chicago in December 1927 with Eddie Condon and Red McKenzie, adding cymbals to 'Nobody's Sweetheart' and 'Liza' on OKeh 40971. Not likely issued that year, I hazard the next. That was followed by a session with the Chicago Rhythm Kings (CRK) on 27 March of 1928, also with Condon, 'Jazz Me Blues' among other titles unissued. The CRK next recorded on 6 April of 1928 toward 'There'll Be Some Changes Made' with 'I've Found a New Baby' on Brunswick 4001. Another session on the 28th went toward 'Baby, Won't You Please Come Home?' (Brunswick 80064) with 'Friar's Point Shuffle' unissued. Lord's Disco has Condon and Mezzrow scratching tracks with two other configurations on the same date: The Chicago Jungle Kings toward 'Friar's Point Shuffle' with 'At the Darktown Strutters Ball' on Paramount 12654, and Frank Teschemacher's Chicagoans toward 'Jazz Me Blues' on UHCA 61 with 'Singin' the Blues' unissued.

'I've Found a New Baby'   Mezzrow w the Chicago Rhythm Kings

Recorded 6 April 1928 in Chicago   Matrix C-1886-A   Brunswick 4001

Cornet: Muggsy Spanier   Clarinet: Frank Teschemacher

Tenor sax: Mezz Mezzrow   Piano: Joe Sullivan   Banjo: Eddie Condon

Bass brass: Jim Lannigan   Drums: Gene Krupa   Vocal: Red McKenzie

Composition: Jack Palmer / Spencer Williams

Mezzrow recorded with Condon's Footwarmers in New York City on 30 October 1928 toward 'I'm Sorry I Made You Cry' with 'Makin' Friends' on OKeh 41142. Come Eddie's Hot Shots on 8 February in New York City for two takes each of 'I'm Gonna Stomp Mr. Henry Lee' and 'That's a Serious Thing'. Mezzrow would partner up with Condon in latter thirties as well.

'I'm Gonna Stomp Mr. Henry Lee'   Mezzrow w Eddie's Hot Shots

Recorded 8 Feb 1929 in NYC   Matrix 48345-1   Victor V38046

Trumpet: Leonard Davis   Trombone: Jack Teagarden (vocal)

C melody sax: Mezz Mezzrow   Tenor sax: Happy Caldwell

Piano: Joe Sullivan   Banjo: Eddie Condon   Drums: George Stafford

Composition: Peck Kelly / George Rubens / Eddie Condon / Jack Teagarden

'That's a Serious Thing'   Mezzrow w Eddie's Hot Shots

Recorded 8 Feb 1929 in NYC   Matrix 48346-1   Bluebird B-10168

Trumpet: Leonard Davis   Trombone: Jack Teagarden (vocal)

C melody sax: Mezz Mezzrow   Tenor sax: Happy Caldwell

Piano: Joe Sullivan   Banjo: Eddie Condon   Drums: George Stafford

Composition: Joe Sullivan / Mezz Mezzrow / Eddie Condon / Jack Teagarden

Mezzrow's debut recordings as a leader are thought to have been on November 6 of 1933 in NYC, those plates: 'Free Love' with 'Dissonance' on Brunswick 7551 and 'Swingin' with Mezz' with 'Love, You're Not the One for Me' on Brunswick 6778. Per 'Sendin' the Vipers' in 1934 below translates to 'Sendin' the Smokers' as in marijuana smokers. Mezzrow's best-known collaborations are likely those with saxophonist, Sidney Bechet, with whom he first scratched tracks in 1938 in the orchestra of Tommy Ladnier, putting away such as 'Really the Blues' and 'Weary Blues' for Bluebird Records.

'Dissonance'   Mezz Mezzrow & His Orchestra

Recorded 6 Nov 1933 in NYC   Matrix 14273-A   Brunswick 7551

Trumpet: Max Kaminsky / Freddy Goodman / Ben Gusick

Trombone: Floyd O'Brien

Reeds (clarinet or sax): Mezz Mezzrow / Benny Carter / Johnny Russell

Piano: Teddy Wilson   Guitar: Clayton "Sunshine" Duerr

Upright bass: Pops Foster  Drums: Jack Maisel   Arrangement: Mezzrow

Composition: Mezzrow

'Apologies'   Mezz Mezzrow & His Orchestra

Recorded 7 May 1934 in NYC   Matrix 82393-1   Victor 25019

Trumpet: Max Kaminsky / Reunald Jones / Chelsea Quealey

Trombone: Floyd O'Brien

Reeds (clarinet or sax): Mezz Mezzrow / Benny Carter / Bud Freeman

Piano: Willie the Lion Smith

Upright bass: John Kirby  Drums: Chick Webb   Arrangement: Mezzrow

Composition: Mezzrow

'Sendin' the Vipers'   Mezz Mezzrow & His Orchestra

Recorded 7 May 1934 in NYC   Matrix 82394-1   Victor 25019

Trumpet: Max Kaminsky / Reunald Jones / Chelsea Quealey

Trombone: Floyd O'Brien

Reeds (clarinet or sax): Mezz Mezzrow / Benny Carter / Bud Freeman

Piano: Willie the Lion Smith

Upright bass: John Kirby  Drums: Chick Webb   Arrangement: Mezzrow

Composition: Mezzrow

'The Panic Is On'   Mezz Mezzrow & His Swing Gang

Recorded 12 March 1936 in NYC   Matrix 99775-1   Bluebird B-6319

Trumpet: Frankie Newton   Clarinet: Mezz Mezzrow

Tenor sax: Bud Freeman   Piano: Willie the Lion Smith

Guitar: Al Casey   Upright bass: Wellman Braud   Drums: George Stafford

Composition: Bert Clarke / George Clarke / Winston Tharp

'Blues in Disguise'   Mezz Mezzrow & His Orchestra

Recorded 14 June 1937 in NYC   Matrix 010569-1   Victor 25636

Trumpet: Sy Oliver   Trombone: J.C. Higginbotham   Clarinet: Mezz Mezzrow

Tenor sax: Happy Caldwell   Piano: Sonny White

Guitar: Bernard Addison   Upright bass: Pops Foster   Drums: Jimmy Crawford

Arrangement: Mezz Mezzrow / Edgar Sampson

Composition: Mezz Mezzrow / Edgar Sampson

'Hot Club Stomp'   Mezz Mezzrow & His Orchestra

Recorded 14 June 1937 in NYC   Matrix 010571-1   Victor 25612

Trumpet: Sy Oliver   Trombone: J.C. Higginbotham   Clarinet: Mezz Mezzrow

Tenor sax: Happy Caldwell   Piano: Sonny White

Guitar: Bernard Addison   Upright bass: Pops Foster   Drums: Jimmy Crawford

Arrangement: Mezz Mezzrow / Edgar Sampson

Composition: Mezz Mezzrow / Edgar Sampson

'When You and I Were Young, Maggie'   Mezz Mezzrow w Tommy Ladnier & His Orchestra

Recorded 28 Nov 1938 in NYC   Matrix 030320-1   Bluebird B10089

Trumpet: Tommy Ladnier   Clarinet / sax: Sidney Bechet as Pops King / Mezz Mezzrow

Piano: Cliff Jackson   Guitar: Teddy Bunn

Upright bass: Elmer James   Drums: Manzie Johnson

Arrangement: Bechet / Mezzrow

Composition: George W. Johnson / James Austin Butterfield   1864

'Weary Blues'   Mezz Mezzrow w Tommy Ladnier & His Orchestra

Recorded 28 Nov 1938 in NYC   Matrix 030321-1   Bluebird B10086

Trumpet: Tommy Ladnier

Clarinet / sax: Sidney Bechet as Pops King / Mezz Mezzrow

Piano: Cliff Jackson   Guitar: Teddy Bunn

Upright bass: Elmer James   Drums: Manzie Johnson

Composition: Artie Matthews

Mezzrow created his own record label, King Jazz Records, in 1945 before publishing his autobiography, 'Really the Blues', in 1946. Per 'Out of the Gallion' in 1945 below, "gallion" is from "galion" in French which is the foremost part of a sailing ship, such as a galleon, where the figurehead is mounted. Mezzrow's broadcast, 'Blues from the Sky', from airplane on his way to the Nice Jazz Festival in February of 1948 was recorded, as well as a few bars of a tune upon his arrival to the Orly Airport in Paris. After appearing at the festival in Nice, Mezzrow made France his home. He assumed the role of a musician in the French film, 'Rendez-vous de juillet', released in December of 1949. Mezzrow continued recording to as late as 25 May 1971, that the last of a few occasions begun in January with the New Ragtime Band in Biel, Switzerland.

'House Party'   Mezzrow-Bechet Septet

Recorded 30 July 1945 in NYC   1 of 2 takes issued on King Jazz 143 or Storyville SEP394

Trumpet: Hot Lips Page   Clarinet: Mezz Mezzrow

Soprano sax: Sidney Bechet   Piano: Sammy Price as Jimmy Blythe Jr.

Guitar: Danny Barker   Upright bass: Pops Foster   Drums: Sidney Catlett

Composition: Mezz Mezzrow / Sidney Bechet

'Minor Swoon'   Mezzrow-Bechet Septet

Recorded 31 July 1945 in NYC   1 of 4 takes   3 issued on either King Jazz or Storyville

Trumpet: Hot Lips Page   Clarinet: Mezz Mezzrow

Soprano sax: Sidney Bechet   Piano: Sammy Price as Jimmy Blythe Jr.

Guitar: Danny Barker   Upright bass: Pops Foster   Drums: Sidney Catlett

Composition: Mezz Mezzrow

'Gone Away Blues'   Mezzrow-Bechet Quintet

Recorded 30 Aug 1945 in NYC   Matrix KJ30-1   King Jazz 140

Clarinet: Mezzrow   Soprano sax: Bechet

Composition: Mezz Mezzrow

'Out of the Gallion'   Mezzrow-Bechet Quintet

Recorded 30 Aug 1945 in NYC   1 of 3 takes all issued on King Jazz

Clarinet: Mezzrow   Soprano sax: Bechet

Composition: Mezz Mezzrow / Sidney Bechet

'Old Fashioned Love'   Bechet-Mezzrow Feetwarmers

Recorded 15 Feb 1947 in NYC   Wax LP201

Clarinet: Mezzrow   Trombone: Vernon Brown   Soprano sax: Bechet

Piano: James P. Johnson   Guitar: Bernard Addison   Upright bass: Pops Foster

Composition: Cecil Mack / Jimmy Johnson

'Clarinet Marmalade'   Mezz Mezzrow and His Orchestra

Recorded 15 Nov 1951 in Paris

Either 51V4146 toward Vogue V5114 or 51V4146-2 toward Vogue LD037

Trumpet: Lee Collins   Trombone: Mowgli Jospin   Clarinet: Mezzrow

Clarinet / tenor sax: Guy Lafitte   Piano: Andre Persiany

Drums: Zutty Singleton

Composition: Larry Shields / Henry Ragas of the ODJB

'If I Could Be You'   Mezz Mezzrow and His Orchestra

Recorded 15 Nov 1951 in Paris   Matrix 51V4147   Vogue V5111 (France)

Trumpet: Lee Collins   Trombone: Mowgli Jospin   Clarinet: Mezzrow

Clarinet / tenor sax: Guy Lafitte   Piano: Andre Persiany

Drums: Zutty Singleton

Composition: Johnson / Kraemer

'Revolutionary Blues'   Mezz Mezzrow and His Orchestra

Recorded 15 Nov 1951 in Paris   Matrix 51V4151   Jazz Sel 822

Trumpet: Lee Collins   Trombone: Mowgli Jospin   Clarinet: Mezzrow

Clarinet / tenor sax: Guy Lafitte   Piano: Andre Persiany

Drums: Zutty Singleton

Composition: Mezzrow

'Blues avec un pont' ('Blues with a Bridge')  Mezz Mezzrow

Recorded 20 May 1955 at the Schola Cantorum in Paris   Ducretet-Thomson 300V101

See also 'Mezz Mezzrow In Paris: 1955' per EMI France 252 712-2 / 1990 (lent = slow)

Trumpet: Peanuts Holland / Guy Longnon   Clarinet: Mezzrow

Piano: Milton Sealey   Drums: Kansas Fields

Composition: Mezzrow

 See also the Schola Cantorum at Wikipedia

'Royal Garden Blues'   Mezz Mezzrow w the Cotton City Jazz Band

Recorded 25 July 1964 at the Nordzee Festival in Ostenda, Belgium

Trumpet: Rudi Balliu   Trombone: Jean-Pierre Henckaert   Clarinet: Mezzrow

Clarinet / bass sax: Bill Greenow   Piano: Richard Simmons

Guitar / banjo: Walter de Troch   Upright bass: Paul Gevaert   Drums: Maurice van Eyck

Composition: Clarence Williams / Spencer Williams

'Tommy's Blues'   Mezz Mezzrow w the New Ragtime Band

Recorded 7 March 1971 in Biel, Switzerland

See 'Meeting' on Evasion EB 100.204

Trumpet: Robert Antenen   Trombone: Pierre Descoeudres   Clarinet: Mezzrow

Piano: Ervin "Vino" Montavon   Upright bass: Ted Milner   Drums: Peggy Moosmann

Composition: Mezzrow / Bechet

Mezzrow passed away on 5 August 1972 in Paris.

Audio of Mezzrow: Internet Archive

Autobiography: Really the Blues / 1946 (reviews): Beth Johnston   Kurt List

Mezzrow in Film / Television: IMDb

Recordings: Catalogs: 45 Worlds   Discogs   RYM   SHS  

Recordings: Compilations:

Chronological Classics (1928-1954)

King Jazz Story:

Vol. 1: Out of the Gallion

Vol. 2: Really the Blues

Vol. 3: Gone Away Blues

Vol. 4: Revolutionary Blues

The Many Faces of Jazz:

Vol. 10: Milton Mezz Mezzrow (issued 1968)

Vol. 12: Milton Mezz Mezzrow (issued 1969)

Mezz Mezzrow (1933-1937 / Collector's Classics CC48)

Milton "Mezz" Mezzrow (Giants of Jazz CD 53286 / 1998)

Sidney Bechet and Mezz Mezzrow (1944-1947)

Recordings: Sessions:

Jazz Discography Project (1933-1955)

Tom Lord: leading 33 of 82 sessions 1927-1971

Red Hot Jazz (Scott Alexander):

Mezzrow–Ladnier Quintet (1938)

Mezz Mezzrow and his Orchestra (1933-1934 / 1937-1938)

Mezz Mezzrow and his Swing Band (1936)

Mezz Mezzrow Trio (1944 / Art Hodes at piano / Danny Alvin at drums)

Repertoire:

When You and I Were Young, Maggie (George W. Johnson / James Austin Butterfield / 1864)

Further Reading: Marijuana: Legal History:

Bruce Alan Block

History

Scientific American (U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration aka DEA)

University of Georgia School of Law

Visual Capitalist

Further Reading: Mezz Mezzrow:

Ron Grossman (Mezzrow with Sidney Bechet / 2018)

Very Important Potheads (Mezzrow and marijuana)

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