Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Carl Alrich Stanley Barriteau was born on February 7, 1914 in Trinidad, but was raised in Maracaibo, Venezuela. He played tenor horn in Trinidad from 1926 to 1932, before playing the clarinet in a local police band from 1933 to 1936. At the same time, he also played in Port of Spain with the Jazz Hounds and the Williams Brothers Blue Rhythm Orchestra.
Moving to London, England where he played in Ken Johnson’s West Indian Swing Band. Melody Maker named him “best clarinetist” for seven consecutive years. In the 1940s Carl led his own group on recordings for Decca Records.
He did several USO tours for American troops from 1958 to 1966. He emigrated to Australia in 1970. Clarinetist Carl Barriteau passed away on August 24, 1998, in Sydney, Australia.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Jim Lanigan was born on January 30, 1902 in Chicago, Illinois. Learning piano and violin as a child, he played piano and drums in the Austin High School Blue Friars before specializing on bass and tuba.
A member of the Austin High Gang, he played with Husk O’Hare in1925), the Mound City Blue Blowers and Art Kassel from 1926 to 1927, the Chicago Rhythm Kings, the Jungle Kings, and the 1927 McKenzie and Condon’s Chicagoans recordings.
From 1927 to 1931 he was with Ted Fio Rito and worked in orchestras for radio, including NBC Chicago. Performing sideman duties in the 1930s and 1940s with Jimmy McPartland, Bud Jacobson’s Jungle Kings, Bud Freeman, and Danny Alvin, he began to concentrate more on music outside of jazz at that time. He played with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1937 to 1948, and did extensive work as a studio musician.
Bassist and tubist Jim Lanigan, who never recorded as a leader, played reunion gigs for the Austin High Gang, passed away on April 9, 1983.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Arthur Crawford Wethington was born on January 26, 1904 in Chicago, Illinois and graduated from the Chicago College of Music. Working under pianist Lottie Hightower in the mid-1920s, he then took a position in Carroll Dickerson’s band in 1928. 1929 saw this ensemble playing with Louis Armstrong in New York City.
Between 1930 and 1936 Crawford played with the Mills Blue Rhythm Band, recording several times with the group. He recorded with Edgar Hayes in 1937 and also worked with Cab Calloway, Red Allen, and Adelaide Hall.
After 1937 Wethington quit performing full-time but was active as a music teacher, and in the 1960s he took work in New York City as a supervisor for a transit line power plant.
Saxophonist and educator Crawford Wethington, who was never recorded as a leader, passed away on September 11, 1994 in White Plains, New York.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Ray Abrams was born January 23, 1920 in New York City, His younger brother was jazz drummer Lee Abrams. He first worked with Dizzy Gillespie in 1945, toured Europe with Don Redman in 1946 and was with Andy Kirk in 1947. He went back and forth between Kirk and Gillespie for decades.
Outside of his work with Gillespie he was best known for the Ray Abrams Big Band. Other bands with which he played into the early 1950s include those of Hot Lips Page, Roy Eldridge, and Slim Gaillard.
Tenor saxophonist Ray Abrams, known for his jazz and jump blues playing, passed away in July 1992.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Teddy McRae was born in Waycross, Georgia on January 22, 1908 but was raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Playing with local ensembles, including one composed of family members, when he was young. He played with June Clark in 1926 before his move to New York City to form his own band.
Through the Thirties he played with Charlie Johnson, Elmer Snowden, Stuff Smith, Lil Armstrong, and Chick Webb, the last as both a soloist and arranger. After Webb’s death he was musical director for the orchestra during its tenure under the leadership of Ella Fitzgerald from 1939 to 1941. He recorded in the decade with Benny Morton, Teddy Wilson, and Red Allen.
In the 1940s McRae worked in the orchestras of Cab Calloway, Jimmie Lunceford, Lionel Hampton, and Louis Armstrong; he also served as Armstrong’s musical director during his period with that band. He wrote tunes for Artie Shaw and formed his own band in 1945.
He and Eddie Wilcox formed their own short~lived R&B label, Raecox, in the 1950s. Teddy recorded with Champion Jack Dupree in 1955-56, and recorded a few sides for Groove Records in 1955 and Moonshine Records in 1958.
Tenor saxophonist and arranger Teddy McRae, who was also known as Teddy (Mr. Bear) McRae, or simply as Mr. Bear, passed away on March 4, 1999.
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