Don Redman was an American big band leader popular in the 1930's, responsible for work on animations, sound tracks, and recordings of pre-swing hot jazz arrangements of popular tunes; here the French Umlaut Big Band under the direction of Pierre-Antoine Badaroux pays homage to his music in rich orchestration showing the melodic, inventive, and complexities of Redman's music.
Label: Umlaut Records Catalog ID: UMFR-CD29 Squidco Product Code: 27469
Format: CD Condition: New Released: 2019 Country: Sweden / France / Germany Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold 3 Panels w/ booklet Recorded live at Lavoir Moderne Parisien, in Paris, France, on April 19th-21st, 2018, by Augustin Muller.
24. Dance Of The Taxicabs - from Etudes-Caprices 1:02
25. Washington, D.C. - from Etudes-Caprices 1:23
26. A Young Man's Fancy - from Etudes-Caprices 1:23
27. Penthouse Alley 2:37
28. What's the Trouble 6:19
sample the album:
descriptions, reviews, &c.
"There is history, creation and celebration in the live album of the Umlaut Big Band: a lively, subjective musical biography of Don Redman, the American multi-instrumentalist and grand master of orchestration for big bands from the 20s ... to the 60s! This unique repertoire is the result of a thorough work of transcriptions and rearrangements from recordings and scores, including some unpublished material found in New York. Under the direction of Pierre-Antoine Badaroux, the fourteen musicians from the French jazz new avantgarde, pursue their work of highlighting forgotten figures of the jazz history, with a generous and communicative enthusiasm. From the Harlem Public Library basement to the wooden floor of the Lavoir Moderne Parisie theatre, it is a special invitation to enjoy together here and now the sound of an ageless music."-Umlaut
"Donald Matthew Redman (July 29, 1900 Ð November 30, 1964) was an American jazz musician, arranger, bandleader, and composer.
Redman was born in Piedmont, Mineral County, West Virginia. His father was a music teacher, his mother was a singer. Don began playing the trumpet at the age of three, joined his first band at the age of six and by the age of 12 was proficient on all wind instruments ranging from trumpet to oboe as well as piano. He studied at Storer College in Harper's Ferry and at the Boston Conservatory, then joined Billy Page's Broadway Syncopaters in New York City. (He was the uncle of saxophonist Dewey Redman, and thus great-uncle of saxophonist Joshua Redman and trumpeter Carlos Redman.)
Redman then formed his own band in 1931, which got a residency at the famous Manhattan jazz club Connie's Inn. Redman signed with Brunswick Records and also did a series of radio broadcasts. Redman and his Orchestra also provided music for the animated short I Heard, part of the Betty Boop series produced by Fleischer Studios and distributed by Paramount. Redman composed original music for the short, which was released on September 1, 1933. The Brunswick records Redman made between 1931Ð1934 were some of the most complex pre-swing hot jazz arrangements of popular tunes. Redman's band didn't rely on just a driving rhythm or great soloists, but it had an overall level of arranging sophistication that was seldom heard by other black bands of the period. The popular vocalist, Harlan Lattimore, provided about half of the vocals during this period.
In 1933, his band made a Vitaphone short film for Warner Bros. (which is available as of 2006 on the DVD of the Busby Berkeley feature film Dames). Redman recorded for Brunswick through 1934. He then did a number of sides for ARC in 1936 (issued on their Vocalion, Perfect, Melotone, etc.) and in 1937, he pioneered a series of swing re-arrangements of old classic pop tunes for the Variety label. His use of a swinging vocal group (called "The Swing Choir") was very modern and even today, quite usual, with Redman's sophisticated counterpoint melodies. He signed with Bluebird in 1938 and recorded with them until 1940, when he disbanded.
When Redman disbanded his orchestra, he concentrated on freelance work writing arrangements. Some of his arrangements became hits for Jimmy Dorsey, Count Basie, and Harry James. He traveled to Europe in 1946 leading an all-star band that included Don Byas, Tyree Glenn, and Billy Taylor. He appeared on Uptown Jubilee on the CBS Television network for the 1949 season. In the 1950s he was music director for singer Pearl Bailey.
In the early 1960s he played piano for the Georgia Minstrels Concert and soprano sax with Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle's band.
He was named a member of the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame on May 6, 2009."-Wikipedia