Pee Wee Russell

Pee Wee Russell

Source: Britannica

Born Charles Ellsworth Russell on 27 March 1906 in Maplewood, Missouri, clarinetist Pee Wee Russell began working professionally in 1922, touring river boats and tent shows. He that year joined Herbert Berger's orchestra in Juarez, Mexico, with which he traveled to Hollywood and New York City, the band meanwhile making St. Louis home. 'Pee Wee Speaks: A Discography of Pee Wee Russell' by Robert Hilbert and David Niven has him making his first recordings in 1922 in NYC. DAHR has those sessions in December w Berger's St. Louis Club Orchestra to result in titles like 'Lady of the Evening' (Okeh 4745), 'Trot Along'/'Fuzzy Wuzzy Bird' (Okeh 4753) and 'Eleanor' (Okeh 4755).

Russell stuck w Berger for a couple years before heading to Chicago in 1925 where he played with such as Bix Beiderbecke and Frank Trumbauer. In 1926 he joined Jean Goldkette's orchestra. Russell first recorded with cornetist, Red Nichols, on April 2, 1927. Those tracks ('The Doll Dance' and 'Delirium') were released under the imaginary leadership of Carl Fenton. "Carl Fenton" had originally been the pseudonym of Brunswick musical director, Gus Haenschen, in 1919. But Brunswick began attaching "Carl Fenton" to records with which Haenschen had nothing to do (including the above) when it needed the name of a bandleader. Ruby Greenberg, violinist and musical director for Gennett Records, bought the rights to use "Carl Fenton" on recordings from '27 to '30. "Carl Fenton" was used on records as late as 1937 by, it is thought, Red Nichols as a joke. Be as may, Russell would next record with Nichols in August of '27, Nichols having formed his Five Pennies by that time.

'Doll Dance'   Pee Wee Russell & Red Nichols (cornet) w the so-called Carl Fenton Orchestra

Recorded 2 April 1927 in NYC   Matrix E22223   Brunswick 3519-A

Other personnel: Miff Mole / Jimmy Dorsey / Fud Livingston

Arthur Schutt / Dick McDonough / Joe Tarto / Vic Berton

Composition: Nacio Herb Brown

'Delirium'   Pee Wee Russell & Red Nichols (cornet) w the so-called Carl Fenton Orchestra

Recorded 2 April 1927 in NYC   Matrix E22226   Brunswick 3519-B

Other personnel: same as above

Composition: Arthur Schutt

'Eccentric'   Pee Wee Russell w Red Nichols' Five Pennies

Recorded 15 August 1927 in NYC   Matrix E-24228   Brunswick 3627-B

Composition: Joseph Russell Robinson

'Ida! Sweet as Apple Cider'  Pee Wee Russell w Red Nichols' Five Pennies

Recorded 15 August 1927 in NYC

Recorded twice as E-24230 and E-24232   Both issued on Brunswick 3626-A

Composition: Eddie Leonard

'Feelin' No Pain'   Pee Wee Russell & Miff Mole (trombone) w the Little Molers

Recorded 30 August 1927 in NYC   Brunswick 3627-B

Composition: Fud Livingstone

'Five Pennies'   Pee Wee Russell w Red Nichols' Charleston Chasers

Recorded 6 Sep 1927 in NYC  Matrix 144625-3   Columbia 4797

Composition: Red Nichols

'Sugar Foot Strut'   Pee Wee Russell w Red Nichols' Charleston Chasers

Recorded 6 Sep 1927 in NYC  Matrix 44626-3   Columbia Columbia 1200-D

Composition: Billy Pierce / Henry Myers / Charles Schwab

'Slippin' Around'   Pee Wee Russell w Red & Miff's Stompers

Recorded 12 Oct 1927 in NYC   Victor 21397-B

Composition: Miff Mole

'Sugar'   Pee Wee Russell w Red Nichol's Stompers

Recorded 26 Oct 1927 in NYC   Victor 21056-B

Music: Milton Ager / Red Nichols / Frank Crum   Lyrics: Jack Yellen

'Hello Lola'   Pee Wee Russell w the Mound City Blue Blowers

Recorded 14 Nov 1929 in NYC   Victor V38100

Personnel: Tenor sax: Coleman Hawkins   Trombone: Glenn Miller   Banjo: Eddie Condon

Guitar: Jack Bland  Bass: Pops Foster   Drums: Gene Krupa   Comb & vocal: Red McKenzie

Composition: Gordon Means / Red McKenzie

Russell released his first issues as a leader in 1938 with his Rhythmakers. With Max Kaminsky on trumpet, 'Dinah' was among those eight tracks:

'There'll Be Some Changes Made'   Pee Wee Russell & His Rhythmakers

Recorded 31 Aug 1938 in NYC   Matrix P23392-2   HRS 1001

Music: Benton Overstreet 1921   Lyrics: Billy Higgins

'Dinah'   Pee Wee Russell & His Rhythmakers

Recorded 31 Aug 1938 in NYC   Matrix P23394-1   HRS 1000

Music: Harry Akst   Lyrics: Sam M. Lewis / Joe Young

To "ball the jack" is to ball the locomotive, a railroad term meaning full speed ahead:

'Ballin' the Jack'   Pee Wee Russell w Miff Mole & His Dixieland Orchestra

Recorded 4 Feb 1944   Brunswick 80105 A

Composition: Chris Smith / Jim Burris

Liking his liquor, particularly brandy, from the latter forties into the fifties Russell fell into alcoholism, during which period he continued working with such as Eddie Condon (banjo), Max Kaminsky (trumpet) and Muggsy Spanier (cornet), and began to collaborate with Jimmy McPartland (cornet), Wild Bill Davison (cornet) and Ruby Braff (trumpet). Tom Lord traces Russell's first recording with Jimmy Giuffre to 30 August 1956, that 'Blues in E Flat' toward issue on 'Historic Jazz Concert At Music Inn' (Atlantic 1298) in 1959. On 5 Dec 1957 they recorded 'Blues' toward issue on 'The Sound of Jazz' in 1958 (Columbia CL 1098). They put away 'Blues' again 8 Dec 1957, issued in 1985 on 'The Real Sound of Jazz' (Pumpkin 116):

'Blues'   Pee Wee Russell live w Jimmy Giuffre (clarinet)

'Sound of Jazz' telecast by CBS   Recorded 8 Dec 1957

Issued on 'The Real Sound of Jazz' in 1985   Pumpkin 116

(This not 'Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me')

In 1958 Russell issued the album, 'Portrait of Pee Wee', on Counterpoint CPST-562:

'That Old Feeling'   Pee Wee Russell   Album: 'Portrait of Pee Wee'   1958

Composition: Lew Brown / Sammy Fain

'I've Got the World on a String'   Pee Wee Russell   Album: 'Portrait of Pee Wee'   1958

Music: Harold Arlen   Lyrics: Ted Koehler

'Pee Wee's Blues'   Pee Wee Russell   Album: 'Portrait of Pee Wee'   1958

Composition: Charles Russell / Nat Pierce

Also issued on the compilation 'Swingin' With Pee Wee' in 1999   Prestige PRCD-24213-2

'The Very Thought Of You'   Pee Wee Russell   Album: 'Swingin' with Pee Wee'   1960

Recorded 29 March 1960 in Englewood Cliffs, NJ    Issued on Prestige Swingville 2008

Personnel: Trumpet: Buck Clayton   Piano: Tommy Flanagan

Bass: Wendell Marshall   Drums: Osie Johnson

Composition: Ray Noble

'Sugar' w 'Lover Come Back to Me'  Pee Wee Russell w Vic Dickenson (trombone)

Newport Festival All Stars

Concert: 17-19 April 1961 in Baden-Baden

'Sugar' composed by Milton Ager / Red Nichols / Frank Crum   Lyrics: Jack Yellen

'Lover Come Back to Me':

Music Sigmund Romberg   Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II   For the 1928 Broadway show 'The New Moon'

'Twice As Nice As Paradise'  Pee Wee Russell

Live on 17 Dec 1963 for CBS Canada

Composition: Richard Whiting

'Blue Monk'  Pee Wee Russell w Henry Red Allen (trumpet) in Oct 1966

Recorded 29 Oct 1966 at MIT in Cambridge, MA

Issued on 'The College Concert' in 1972 on Impulse! AS-9137

Composition: Thelonious Monk

'Meet Me in Chicago'  Pee Wee Russell

Filmed live w Art Hodes at piano sometime 1968

Together with his own recordings, Russell had contributed to countless tunes by the Who's Who of jazz during his career. Among those not mentioned above were Jack Teagarden, Billy Banks (vocalist), Bobby Hackett, Louis Prima, Teddy Wilson, Bud Freeman and the Stuyvesant Stompers (George Wetting at drums). Russell's last gig was President Nixon's inaugural ball in 1969, three weeks before his death in Alexandria, Virginia, on 15 Feb that year.