Norman Vickers—Column for Escambia Sun
Press
For week of July 29, 2004.
PERFORMANCE REVIEW -
FATS WALLER AND BEYOND
Story and photos of Van Deusen by Norman Vickers
The Jazz Society of Pensacola’s Jazz Gumbo event of July 19th featured
pianist Bobby Van Deusen in a show called “ Fats Waller and Beyond.” Bobby
gave an informative and entertaining solo performance in which he
illustrated the various styles of piano playing beginning with Jelly Roll
Morton, going through the beginnings of stride piano and ending with Oscar
Peterson.
It
was interesting to watch Bobby, a natural entertainer, when he would turn to
face the audience and talk into the microphone while at the same time play
complicated figures on the piano with having to look at his hands or the
keys. One of the highlights of Bobby’s show was a vocal rendition of Fats’ “
Your Feet’s too Big.” I brought enthusiastic applause!
A bit of history about Bobby is in order. He was born in Philadelphia and
grew up in Columbus, Ohio. He said that he was from a musical family and
that his early efforts were at mimicking the family player piano. (This is
not unusual. There are many pianists who learned by placing their fingers
over the keyboard and would get the finger motions by watching the keys of
the player piano depress.) He started piano lessons at age 5 and studied at
Ohio State and Capital Universities with continuing studies at prestigious
Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY and Curtis Institute in
Philadelphia.
Bobby said that he turned “pro” in 1975 and played in various musical venues
in the Midwest and in South Florida. When he came to Pensacola in 1985, his
first gig was with Don Gumpert and the band at Rosie O’Grady’s in Seville
Quarter. In the latter part of the 80s he was in New Orleans and played with
Pete Fountain, Al Hirt and briefly with the Dukes of Dixieland.
He teamed with Tim Jackson and Holly Shelton to form “Prime Time” which was
a popular group for several years. Following that there was an interval of
performing on the Delta Queen Lines Mississippi River Steamboats. He spent
some time in Hawaii in 1995. In 1998 there was a long period of working for
the Hilton Hotel Chain in Sandestin, Washington, DC and other venues on the
east and the west coasts.
Bobby
and his first wife had a child, Barron, now age 14. Barron lives with his
mother in Louisiana and is reported to becoming an excellent clarinetist.
Barron was present at the Jazz Gumbo. See accompanying photo.
Bobby married Special Education teacher Colleen Mullane in 1995. They have a
son Jackson Patrick, age six. Bobby’s current engagement is at the Café
Provence on Highway 98 in Santa Rosa Beach. (Phone 850- 622-9723) I was
privileged to dine there recently for an elegant meal in ideal surroundings.
His music gave the evening just the right touch.
Because some readers will not be completely familiar with Fats Waller and
Art Tatum, I have included a brief biography here.
THOMAS “FATS”
WALLER
B.5/21/04- d. 12/14/43
Played piano at age 5. Played piano and violin in high school orchestra in
NYC. His father, a church deacon tried to get him interested in
church music. At age 15, he was hired as organist for Harlem’s Lincoln
Theater. He became protégé’ of stride piano expert James P. Johnson and
also studied with George Gershwin’s brother-in-law Leopold Godowsky. Made
many piano rolls and recordings with Ted Lewis, Jack Teagarden, and
Fletcher Henderson. Composed memorable songs such as Ain’t Misbehavin’,
Black and Blue, and Honeysuckle Rose with lyricist Andy Razaf. A
prodigious drinker and gourmand, he was jailed on several occasions for
non-payment of child support. When friends came to bail him out, they’d
frequently have to wait—someone usually found a piano and rolled it into
the cell and food and booze would mysteriously appear—until the party
ended. Waller died at age 39 of pneumonia on a trail near Kansas City, MO
while returning from Hollywood where the movie “Stormy Weather” was
filmed.
ART TATUM
b. 10/13/09 – d 11/5/56
Tatum was born into a musical family. He studied violin and guitar before
concentrating on piano at musical institutes in Columbus and Toledo, Ohio.
He was blind in one eye and had limited sight in the other, he was largely
self-educated by listening to radio and recordings and studying Braille.
His primary jazz influence was Fats Waller. Had his own radio show in Ohio
before moving to NYC as accompanist for Adele Hall. He recorded first in
’33 revealing a technique far surpassing his contemporaries. He performed
on 52nd St. He appeared at Ciro’s Club in London. He had many fans among
classical pianists. He and Horowitz would attend each other’s concerts. He
formed a trio with guitarist Tiny Grimes and bassist Slam Stewart. He
appeared in a jam session scene in the film, The Fabulous Dorseys in ’47.
Pianist Marian McPartland admired Tatum. Her recollection, “ The last time
I heard him was at the Club Tijuana, in Baltimore. It was sort of a dump,
and I remember thinking, ‘What’s this great musician doing here, playing
for people who aren’t listening and barely know who he is?’ Tatum died of
uremic poisoning in California at age 47 leaving an estate of only $6,000.
Ref: The Encyclopedia of Jazz by Leonard Feather
The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz
by Gitler and Feather
American Musicians II, 72
Portraits in Jazz by Whitney Balliett
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