HMR Project: History of Music & Modern Recording

Walter Page

Birth of Jazz: Walter Page

Walter Page

Born on 9 February 1900 in Gallatin, Missouri, though bandleader, Walter Page, also played baritone sax and tuba he was best known as a double bassist, abandoning the tuba upon developing a slap bass technique that he learned from Ellington bassist, Wellman Braud. Slap bass happens when you trade a bow for a hand by various methods such as by thumb or slap of the hand. Beyond slap bass there is pizzicato, a fancy term from the classical genre for finger plucking. Most early double bass players also played tuba before electric recording because it could be better heard for a distance from amidst other instruments. But the tuba was a pain in the neck to lug around and its sound was choppy (oompa oompa oompa) compared to a smoother walking of an upright bass permitting various approaches. Nor was a tuba so capable of hot rhythm, for which cause the upright bass had already been playing the tuba its lullaby since the development of jazz in the teens. The arrival of the microphone, then electric recording in 1925 spelled the tuba's final doom as a means of keeping time. Albeit the 'New Grove Dictionary of Jazz' credits Page as the "creator" of walking bass he wasn't the first. As mentioned, by his own admission he learned walking bass from Wellman Braud. See Regan Brough's comparison of early slap bass performers including William Johnson, Steve Brown who played in Jean Goldkette's orchestra, Pops Foster who worked with Luis Russell, John Lindsay, Braud who worked with Ellington and Milt Hinton who performed with Cab Calloway. See further references below at bottom concerning slap bass.

Page got to a good start at age eighteen with the Bennie Moten Orchestra in 1918. In 1925 he formed the Blue Devils in Oklahoma City which recorded its first and last titles in latter 1929, those for Vocalion in Kansas City: 'Blue Devil Blues' on which Page plays the tuba, and 'Squabblin'' on which he plays upright bass and baritone sax. Jimmy Rushing supplied voice on 'Blue Devil Blues', a singer with whom he mixed regularly to as late as 1956. Page then recorded with Benny Moten's Kansas City Orchestra, several titles on December 13, 1932. He isn't featured a lot in videos herein, but he plays upright bass in all except 'Blue Devil Blues'. They more provide a glance at some of those with whom Page performed during his career than a repertoire of solo performances.

'Blue Devil Blues' Walter Page and his Blue Devils backing James Rushing

Debut recording to issue for both Walter Page and James Rushing

10 Nov 1929 in Kansas City Matrix KC-612 Vocalion 1463

Trumpet: James Simpson / Hot Lips Page Trombone: Dan Minor

Alto sax: Buster Smith (clarinet) / Ted Manning

Tenor sax: Reuben Roddy

Piano: Charlie Washington Guitar: Reuben Lynch or Thomas Owens

Tuba: Walter Page Drums: Alvin Burroughs

Composition: Jewell "Babe" Stovall

'Squabblin’' Walter Page and his Blue Devils

Page's second recording to issue

10 Nov 1929 in Kansas City Matrix KC-613 Vocalion 1463

Trumpet: James Simpson / Hot Lips Page Trombone: Dan Minor

Alto sax: Buster Smith (clarinet) / Ted Manning

Tenor sax: Reuben Roddy

Piano: Charlie Washington Guitar: Reuben Lynch or Thomas Owens

Bass / baritone sax: Walter Page Drums: Alvin Burroughs

Composition: Count Basie

'Lafayette' Walter Page (bass) w Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra

13 Dec 1932 in Camden NJ Matrix 74853-1 Victor 24216

Trumpet: Hot Lips Page / Joe Keyes / Prince "Dee" Stewart

Trombone: Dan Minor / Eddie Durham (valve)

Clarinet / alto sax: Eddie Barefield

Sax (alto / baritone): Jack Washington Tenor sax: Ben Webster

Piano: Count Basie Guitar: Leroy "Buster" Berry / Eddie Durham

Drums: Willie McWashington Arrangement: Eddie Durham

Composition: Eddie Durham / Count Basie

Page grooved records with Count Basie for the first time in 1936. Basie's organization would be Page's main vessel up to 1948, meaning a long association with Basie's trumpeter and arranger, Buck Clayton. Recordings with Teddy Wilson followed in 1937 and 1938. That meant, of course, backing Billie Holiday as well, whose orchestra he also supported in 1940. He recorded with Sidney Bechet for the first time in 1938, again in 1949 and 1953. Page supported guitarist, Eddie Condon, numerously beginning in 1953. He backed pianist, Ralph Sutton, on occasions in 1954, including the album, 'Live at Club Hangover, San Francisco'. He got mixed with trumpeter, Ruby Braff, for the first time in December of 1953, initially with the band of Vic Dickenson, then Braff's own operation. Tom Lord traces Page to as late as 18 October 1957 with tenor saxophonist, Paul Quinichette, toward the album, 'For Basie' on Prestige PRLP7127.

'He Ain't Got Rhythm' Walter Page (bass) w Teddy Wilson and His Orchestra

25 Jan 1937 in NYC Matrix B20568-1 Brunswick 7824

Trumpet: Buck Clayton Clarinet: Benny Goodman as Jack Johnson

Tenor sax: Lester Young

Piano: Teddy Wilson Guitar: Freddie Green

Drums: Papa Jo Jones Vocal: Billie Holday

Composition: Irving Berlin

'Foolin' Myself' Walter Page (bass) w Teddy Wilson and His Orchestra

1 June 1937 in NYC Matrix B21217-1 Brunswick 7911

Trumpet: Buck Clayton Clarinet: Buster Bailey

Tenor sax: Lester Young

Piano: Teddy Wilson Guitar: Freddie Green

Drums: Papa Jo Jones Vocal: Billie Holday

Composition: Jack Lawrence / Peter Tinturin

'I'll Never Be the Same' Walter Page (bass) w Teddy Wilson and His Orchestra

1 June 1937 in NYC Matrix B21219-2 Brunswick 7926

Trumpet: Buck Clayton Clarinet: Buster Bailey

Tenor sax: Lester Young

Piano: Teddy Wilson Guitar: Freddie Green

Drums: Papa Jo Jones Vocal: Billie Holday

Composition: Frank Signorelli / Gus Kahn / Matty Malneck

'John’s Idea' Walter Page (bass) w the Count Basie Orchestra

("John" = record producer John Hammond)

7 July 1937 in NYC Matrix 62334-A Decca 1363

Trumpet: Buck Clayton / Ed Lewis / Bobby Moore

Trombone: George Hunt / Dan Minor

Reeds: Lester Young / Herschel Evans / Earl Warren / Jack Washington

Piano: Count Basie Guitar: Freddie Green

Drums: Papa Jo Jones

Composition: Count Basie

'Swingin' the Blues' Walter Page (bass) w the Count Basie Orchestra

16 Feb 1938 in NYC Matrix 63289-A Decca 1880

Trumpet: Buck Clayton / Ed Lewis / Harry "Sweets" Edison

Trombone: Benny Morton / Dan Minor / Eddie Durham

Reeds: Earl Warren / Lester Young / Herschel Evans / Jack Washington

Piano: Count Basie Guitar: Freddie Green

Drums: Papa Jo Jones

Composition: Count Basie

'Pagin' the Devil' Walter Page (bass) w the Kansas City Six

27 Sep 1938 in NYC Matrix P23425-1 Commodore 512

Trumpet: Buck Clayton Clarinet: Lester Young

Piano: Count Basie Guitar: Eddie Durham (electric) / Freddie Green

Drums: Papa Jo Jones Arrangement: Eddie Durham

Composition: Walter Page

'Dance of the Gremlins' / 'Swingin' the Blues'

Walter Page (bass) w the Count Basie Orchestra

Unidentified film of 1941

Trumpet: Harry "Sweets" Edison / Buck Clayton Tenor sax: Don Byas

Piano: Count Basie Guitar: Eddie Durham (electric) / Freddie Green

Drums: Papa Jo Jones Arrangement: Eddie Durham

Composition both titles: Count Basie

'Russian Lullaby' Walter Page (bass) w the Vic Dickenson Septet

29 Dec 1953 in NYC Vanguard VRS8001

Trumpet: Ruby Braff Trombone: Vic Dickenson

Clarinet: Edmond Hall Piano: Sir Charles Thompson

Guitar: Steve Jordan Drums: Les Erskine

Composition: Irving Berlin

'I Got Rhythm' Walter Page (bass) w Ralph Sutton and the All Stars

From the album 'Live at Club Hangover, San Francisco' Jazz Archives JA-45

Album recorded 7 and 14 August 1954

Trumpet: Clyde Hurley Clarinet: Edmond Hall

Piano: Ralph Sutton Drums: Charlie Lodice

Composition: George & Ira Gershwin

'For Basie' Walter Page (bass) w Paul Quinichette (tenor sax)

Album recorded 18 Oct 1957 in Hackensack NJ

Page's last-known recordings

Trumpet: Shad Collins Piano: Nat Pierce

Guitar: Freddie Green Drums: Papa Jo Jones

Page died in New York City on 20 December 1957 of pneumonia.

Sources & References for Walter Page:

Donald Clarke

Last.fm

VF History (notes)

Wikipedia (Walter Page)

Wikipedia (Oklahoma City Blue Devils)

Scott Yanow (All Music)

Documentaries (relevant to Page):

The Last of the Blue Devils (John Arnoldy / Bruce Ricker / 1979)

The Oklahoma City Blue Devils (Loyal TV / ?)

Interviews:

September 1958 (Frank Driggs for The Jazz Review Vol.1 No.1)

Recordings: Catalogs: Discogs Music Brainz RYM

Recordings: Sessionographies:

DAHR (1929-54)

Tom Lord: leading 1 of 242 sessions 1929-57