Mr. Clarinet - Buddy DeFranco

On a recent trip to Montreal, I stopped to look around Burlington, VT for a few hours. Lucky for me, right off Church  St. -- a pedestrian shopping street downtown -- I found Burlington Records. It's a nice store with lots of well-arranged stock covering a wide variety of genres. Unfortunately, I didn't have much time, so did a quick flip through the recent arrivals, and then took a look at the jazz section. Although they have a good selection, I wasn't really finding anything until I came across a NM copy of an album by Terry Gibbs and Buddy DeFranco, called "Jazz Party - First Time Together."

You may be thinking: "Terry Who? Buddy Who?" I suspect that even some serious jazz fans might have a hard time identifying them. And I'll be honest, the only reason I'm familiar with Terry Gibbs is because I'm a big fan of Buddy DeFranco, and over the course of 20 years, from 1981 to 2001, the two of them made at least seven albums together.

"Jazz Party - First Time Together," is (duh) their first record. I didn't own a copy, so was very happy to pick it up for the very reasonable price of $8. The album is on the Palo Alto Jazz label, and captures live performances at Carmelo's in Sherman Oaks, California, on October 4-5, 1981. Gibbs is a fantastic and inventive vibes player. But I confess that I am primarily a fan of DeFranco, who was an incredible musician and probably the greatest jazz clarinetist of the modern era.

Born in 1923 in Camden, New Jersey, Boniface Ferdinand Leonard "Buddy" DeFranco grew up in south Philadelphia. He took up clarinet at age 9, and when he was 14, won a Tommy Dorsey swing contest. While still in his teens he began playing in local bands in the Philadelphia area, and in 1941 joined Gene Krupa's band. Throughout the 40s, DeFranco played with various swing bands, including Charlie Barnet, Ted Fiorito, and the Tommy Dorsey Band. Even though he began his career as a swing musician in the style of Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw, Buddy had heard Charlie Parker's historic recordings with the Jay McShan band and quickly fell under the spell of the new sound that would come to be called "bebop." DeFranco is quoted as saying that "It was Charlie Parker who completely turned me around. I decided to play the clarinet like Bird articulated on the sax."

In 1948, DeFranco relocated to New York City and was soon playing in the clubs on 52nd Street with nearly all the great jazz musicians of the era. In the early 50s, DeFranco spent a couple of years with the Count Basie Band and then branched off to lead his own touring band, employing such greats as Art Blakey, Sonny Clark, Bud Powell, Kenny Drew, and Tal Farlow.

Despite DeFranco's fantastic chops, which led to him being voted best jazz clarinetist 19 times in the annual Down Beat magazine poll, it was an uphill battle to make it as a bebop clarinetist. If it weren't already challenging enough, in the mid and late 1950s the great tidal wave of rock 'n' roll broke in the U.S., quickly replacing jazz in the clubs, on the radio, and in the record stores. As the popularity of jazz waned, DeFranco moved to Los Angeles and got work playing TV theme music and doing recording sessions, including two dates with Frank Sinatra. From 1966 to 1974, DeFranco led the Glen Miller Orchestra, touring constantly throughout the world. In the mid 70s, DeFranco actually gave up playing for a time, but soon was performing and recording again with various players in the U.S. and abroad.

In 1980, DeFranco and Terry Gibbs were booked to play dates at Ronnie Scott's jazz club in London. Each night after their individual sets, Gibbs would sit in on a number with DeFranco's band to close the evening. The response from the audience and UK jazz critics was terrific, and they soon found they had great musical chemistry. They went on to play together in a number of dates and to tour Europe in the summer of 1981. Noted San Francisco-based jazz writer Herbert Wong caught their act in the Netherlands. As luck would have it, Wong had just founded a new record label called Palo Alto Jazz, and he was looking for artists to record. After hearing Gibbs and DeFranco, he decided he had to get them on tape. In October, Gibbs and DeFranco were booked to play at the noted L.A. jazz club Carmelo's in the Los Angeles suburb of Sherman Oaks. Wong arranged to record the performances, which resulting in the album "Jazz Party - First Time Together."

DeFranco remained active almost until the time of his death in 2014 at the age of 91. His 70 plus year career spanned nearly the entire history of modern jazz in America. There is an excellent (and extensive) Down Beat interview that the magazine published in honor of DeFranco's 89th birthday, that discusses in great depth his career and musical influences. It makes for fascinating reading and is a mini history of jazz music.

Buddy DeFranco performs at the Consul General's residence in Milan,

Italy in December, 2002. At right is one of Italy's premier drummers, the

fabulous Tullio De Piscopo, and at left, on bass, is Luciano Milanese. The piano

 player (off camera at left) is Andrea Pozza. [Thanks to Mirko for the names!]

One last note. Back in 2002, when I was posted to Milan, Italy as a Foreign Service Officer for the State Department, I had a chance to bring over Buddy DeFranco as part of our cultural outreach efforts. Italy is mad for jazz and has produced some outstanding jazz musicians. I accompanied Buddy for three days of concerts, student master classes, and a private performance at the U.S. Consul General's residence. Buddy was already 78 years old at the time, but was full of energy and seemed to have a great time teaching and playing. I remember in particular the concert at the Consul General's residence. We had recruited an ace Italian rhythm section to accompany Buddy. They showed up on the night of the performance, not having rehearsed at all. They chatted a little as the guests were arriving, tossing song titles back and forth. When it came time for the show to start, Buddy turned to the band and said: "East of The Sun West of the Moon," and off they went. Buddy played with amazing vitality and virtuosity, and the band was locked in on him, It was an incredible evening.

Buddy DeFranco made dozens of albums during his career. However, he was ever a huge seller, which is why copies aren't all that common in the used record shops. But the good news is that since he isn't that well known, his albums don't command the lofty prices that original pressings of major stars do these days. If you do come across any of DeFranco's records, I'd urge you to pick them up.

Enjoy the music!