HMR Project: History of Music & Modern Recording

The Swing Jazz of Teddy Wilson

Birth of Swing Jazz: Teddy Wilson

Teddy Wilson

Photo: William P. Gottlieb

Born on 24 November 1912 in Austin, Texas, pianist Teddy Wilson began to study piano at age six. adding violin, clarinet and oboe at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. Moving to Detroit with his brother, Gus (trombone), in 1929, he joined the band of Speed Webb. He then worked with Milton Senior with whom he toured to Chicago, next to perform with Louis Armstrong from 1931 into 1933. During that period he became an understudy to Earl Hines at the Grand Terrace Cafe, also heading to New York City to play with to make his debut recordings with Benny Carter and his Orchestra on June 23, 1932: 'Tell All Your Daydreams to Me'. Titles from his next session with Carter were unissued by Victor, but Wilson would record with Carter soon again.

'Tell All Your Day Dreams to Me' Teddy Wilson (piano) w Benny Carter

Wilson's 1st recording to iasue

23 June 1932 in NYC Matrix 1765-1 Crown 3321 / Variety 6004 / Columbia 35679

Trumpet: Louis Bacon / Frankie Newton Trombone: Dicky Wells

Clarinet / alto sax: Jimmy Dorsey Flute / alto sax: Wayman Carver

Tenor sax: Chu Berry Bass: Richard Fullbright Drums: Sidney Catlett

Vocal: Unknown

Composition: Carter

Wilson began 1933 with a session on January 23 with Armstrong's orchestra in Chicago, 'High Society' among several titles issued by Victor. Two more sessions with Armstrong followed that month. Wilson next joined Carter in the Chocolate Dandies for a session on October 10 yielding two takes of 'I Never Knew' among others. His next session with Carter on the 18th wrought two takes of 'Devil's Holiday' among others.

'I've Got The World On A String' Teddy Wilson (piano) w Louis Armstrong

26 Jan 1933 in Chicago Matrix 74891-1 Victor 24245 / Bluebird B-6910

Trumpet: Louis Armstrong (vocal) / Ellis Whitlock / Zilner Randolph

Trombone: Keg Johnson

Clarinet / alto sax: Scoville Brown / George Oldham

Clarinet / tenor sax: Budd Johnson Banjo / guitar: Big Mike McKendrick

Bass: Bill Oldham Drums: Yank Porter

Music: Harold Arlen Lyrics: Ted Koehler 1932

On May 14, 1934, Wilson joined Benny Goodman's outfit to record 'Moonglow' and 'Breakfast Ball' among others. That would be one of the more auspicious dates in jazz, leading to decades of friendly rivalry between their bands, each often performing in the other's and recording together extensively into the eighties. Wilson also recorded his first piano solos in 1934, those on May 22: 'Somebody Loves Me', 'Sweet and Simple', 'Liza' and 'Rosetta'.

'Moonglow' Teddy Wilson (piano) w Benny Goodman

14 May 1934 in NYC Matrix w152738-1 Columbia 2927-D

Trumpet: Charlie Teagarden / George Thow

Trombone: Jack Teagarden

Clarinet: Benny Goodman Tenor sax: Hank Ross

Guitar: Benny Martel

Bass: Harry Goodman Drums: Ray McKinley

Music: Eddie De Lange Lyrics: Irving Mills / Will Hudson

'Rosetta' Piano solo by Teddy Wilson

22 May 1934 in NYC Matrix w152738-1 CBS 66370 (France)

Music: Earl Hines Lyrics: Henri Woode

Another important date was July 2, 1935, when Wilson not only first recorded as a bandleader but had hired Billie Holiday for vocals. Wilson is probably best known as Holiday's bandleader. That debut session for Billie yielded 'I Wished on the Moon', 'What a little Moonlight Can Do', 'Miss Brown to You' and 'A Sunbonnet Blue'. The members of Wilson's band were Roy Eldridge (trumpet), Benny Goodman (clarinet), Ben Webster (tenor sax), John Trueheart (guitar), John Kirby (bass) and Cozy Cole on drums. Another session was held on the 31st that month with something different personnel, though Kirby would hang until 1938, Cole and Eldridge until 1939. Eldridge would join Wilson again in 1944 and later in the fifties. Wilson backing Holiday was main rival to Duke Ellington who worked with Ella Fitzgerald. However, Wilson backed Fitzgerald on 'My Melancholy Baby' in 1936 to chart at #6 [Music VF]. Wilson placed 17 titles in the Top Ten (my convention for this page, as there was no such thing at that time) of the popularity charts (: Billboard) between 1935 and 1937, most backing Holiday, though a few instrumentals scored as well. Between Holiday and Fitzgerald, Holiday was more the blues singer, Fitzgerald more the swing vocalist:

   Twenty-Four Hours a Day   1935   #6   Billie Holiday
   I Can't Give You Anything But Love   1936   #5   Billie Holiday
   My Melancholy Baby   1936   #6   Ella Fitzgerald
   The Way You Look Tonight   1936   #3   Billie Holiday
   These Foolish Things   1936   #5   Billie Holiday
   Who Loves You?   1936   #4   Billie Holiday
   Ain't Misbehavin'   1936   #6   instrumental (Lord has this title recorded only in 1937 wRed Norvo at xylophone)
   Carelessly   1937   #1   Billie Holiday
   I'm Coming, Virginia   1937 #10   instrumental
   Mean to Me   1937   #7   Billie Holiday
   Pennies from Heaven   1937   #3   Billie Holiday
   Remember Me?   1937   #2   instrumental
   The Mood That I'm In   1937   #8   Billie Holiday
   There's a Lull in My Life   1937   #2   Billie Holiday
   This Year's Kisses   1937   #8   Billie Holiday
   Where the Lazy River Goes By   1937   #7   Midge Williams
   You Can't Stop Me from Dreaming   1937   #1   instrumental

'What a Little Moonlight Can Do' Teddy Wilson Orchestra backing Billie Holiday

2 July 1935 in NYC Matrix B17767-1 Brunswick 7498 / Columbia CL637

Trumpet: Roy Eldridge Clarinet: Benny Goodman Tenor sax: Ben Webster

Piano: Wilson Guitar: John Trueheart

Bass: John Kirby Drums: Cozy Cole

Composition: Harry Woods

'Life Begins When You're in Love' Teddy Wilson Orchestra backing Billie Holiday

30 Jan 1936 in NYC Matrix B18612-1 Brunswick 7612 / Columbia P.14388

Trumpet: Chris Griffin Clarinet: Rudy Powell Tenor sax: Teddy McRae

Piano: Wilson Guitar: John Trueheart

Bass: Grachan Moncur Drums: Cozy Cole

Composition: Lew Brown / Victor Schertzinger

'I Can't Give You Anything But Love' Teddy Wilson Orchestra backing Billie Holiday

19 Nov 1936 in NYC Matrix B20293-1 Brunswick 7781 / Columbia C3L21

Trumpet: Jonah Jones Clarinet: Benny Goodman as John Jackson

Tenor sax: Ben Webster

Piano: Wilson Guitar: Allan Reuss

Bass: John Kirby Drums: Cozy Cole

Music: Jimmy McHugh Lyrics: Dorothy Fields 1928

'There's a Lull in My Life' Teddy Wilson Orchestra backing Helen Ward

23 April 1937 in NYC 1 of 2 takes issued on either Brunswick 7943 or Meritt 3

Trumpet: Harry James Clarinet: Buster Bailey

Composition: Mack Gordon / Harry Revel

'The Hour of Parting' ('L'heure Bleu') Teddy Wilson Orchestra backing Boots Castle

30 July 1937 in Los Angeles 1 of 2 takes issued on either Brunswick 7943 or Meritt 3

Trumpet: Harry James Clarinet: Benny Goodman Tenor sax: Vido Musso

Piano: Wilson Guitar: Allan Reuss

Bass: Harry Goodman Drums: Gene Krupa

Music: Mischa Spoliansky Lyrics: Marcellus Schiffer / Gus Kahn

'Where or When' Benny Goodman (clarinet) Trio

23 Oct 1937 at the Madhattan Room in NYC Sunbeam 120

Piano: Wilson Drums: Gene Krupa

Music: Rodgers Lyrics: Hart For the 1937 musical 'Babes in Arms'

'Tiger Rag' Piano solo by Teddy Wilson

11 Aug 1938 in NYC 1 of 3 takes

Composition: Nick LaRocca of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band

'You're So Desirable' Teddy Wilson Orchestra backing Billie Holiday

28 Nov 1938 in NYC 1 of 2 takes

Composition: Ray Noble

Wilson and Holiday pumped out a host of titles until their last session on February 10, 1942, six takes of 'It's a Sin to Tell a Lie' among other titles. The next month Helen Ward was recording with Wilson's band.

'It's a Sin to Tell a Lie' Teddy Wilson Orchestra backing Billie Holiday

10 Feb 1942 in NYC 1 of 6 takes

Guitar: Gene Fields

Composition: Billy Mayhew 1936

Another big name vocalist whom Wilson backed was Mildred Bailey, beginning with Eldridge's Esquire All Stars at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City on January 18, 1944, titles finding issue from those sessions being 'Rockin' Chair', 'Squeeze Me' and 'Honeysuckle Rose' among others. Wilson's last session with Bailey arrived on January 17, 1949, a radio broadcast from WPIX Radio in NYC. 'Anthropology' among the tracks that were performed, personnel included Miles Davis (trumpet), Kai Winding (trombone), Buddy DeFranco (clarinet), Lucky Thompson (tenor sax), Charlie Ventura (tenor and baritone sax), Al Haig (piano), Oscar Pettiford (bass) and Shelly Manne on drums.

'It's a Sin to Tell a Lie' Teddy Wilson backing Mildred Bailey

4 Nov 1943 in NYC Matrix VP309 V-Disc 105 / Aircheck 27

Composition: Hoagy Carmichael 1929

'Sunday, Monday or Always' Teddy Wilson backing Mildred Bailey

4 Nov 1943 in NYC Matrix VP310 V-Disc 105

Music: Jimmy Van Heusen Lyrics: Johnny Burke 1943

Wilson also employed vocalists Lena Horne in 1941, and both Lee Wiley and Helen Merrill in 1970. From 1945 to 1952 Wilson taught summer music classes at Julliard. The latter seventies saw him writing his autobiography, 'Teddy Wilson Talks Jazz', which wouldn't get published until 1996. He actively performed into the final years of his life, thought to have last recorded for PBS television on October 27, 1985, at the Marriott Marquis Hotel.