Don Redman
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Donald Matthew Redman (July 29, 1900, Piedmont, West Virginia - November 30, 1964, New York) was an American jazz musician, arranger, and composer.
Redman was born in Piedmont, West Virginia. His father was a music teacher, his mother was a singer. Don began playing the trumpet at the age of 3, joined his first band at 6 and by age 12 he was proficient on all wind instruments ranging from trumpet to oboe as well as piano. He studied at Storer's 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.) [1]
In 1922 Don Redman joined the Fletcher Henderson orchestra, mostly playing clarinet and saxophones. He soon began assisting in writing arrangements, and Redman did much to formulate the sound that was to become big band Swing. (It is significant to note that with a few exceptions, Henderson really did not start arranging until the mid-1930s. Redman did the bulk of arrangements (through 1927) and after he left Benny Carter took over arranging for the Henderson band.)
His importance in the formulation of arranged hot jazz can not be overstated; a chief trademark of Redman's arrangements was that he harmonized melody lines and pseudo-solos within separate sections; for example, clarinet, sax, or brass trios. He played these sections off each other, having one section punctuate the figures of another, or moving the melody around different orchestral sections and soloists. His use of this technique was sophisticated, highly innovative, and formed the basis of much big band jazz writing in the following decades.
In 1927 Jean Goldkette convinced Redman to join the Detroit, Michigan-based band McKinney's Cotton Pickers as their Musical Director and Leader. He was responsible for their great success and arranged about half of their music (splitting the arranging duties with John Nesbitt through 1931). Redman was occasionally featured as their vocalist, displaying his charming, humorous vocal style.
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[edit] Don Redman and his Orchestra
Redman then formed his own band (featuring, for a time, Fletcher Henderson's younger brother Horace on piano), which got a residency at the famous Manhattan jazz club Connie's Inn. Redman's band got a recording contract with Brunswick Records and a series of radio broadcasts. Redman's band was even featured doing the soundtrack of a Betty Boop cartoon ("I Heard")[2] featuring Redman compositions. Notable musicians in Redman's band included Sidney De Paris, trumpet, Edward Inge, clarinet, and singer Harlan Lattimore, who was known as "The Colored Bing Crosby". On the side Redman also did arrangements for other band leaders and musicians, including Paul Whiteman, Isham Jones, and Bing Crosby.
In 1933, he made a Vitaphone short film for Warner Bros. which is available as of 2006 on the Busby Berkeley DVD, Dames.
Redman recorded for Brunswick through 1934. He 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, a bit usual, with Redman's sophisticated counter-point melodies.
In 1940 Redman disbanded his orchestra, and concentrated on freelance work writing arrangements; some of his arrangements became hits for Jimmy Dorsey, Count Basie, and Harry James.
Don Redman had a musical television show on the CBS 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 & Noble Sissle's band.
Don Redman died in New York City on November 30, 1964.
[edit] Discography (CD)
- with Fletcher Henderson:
- Sweet and Hot (2007) (Le Chant du Monde)
- Wrappin' It Up (2005) (Membran)
- with McKinney's Cotton Pickers:
- 1929-1930 (Classics)
- 1929-1930 (Classics)
- 1930-1930/1939-1940 (Classics)
- as leader:
- Doin' What I Please (1994) (ASV/Living Era)
- [appearing on:] 1930s Big Band anthology (1990) (Columbia Records)
