Morgenstern, who died Sept. 7, directed the Rutgers Institute of Jazz Research for 35 years, constructing a one-of-a-kind assortment of recordings, memorabilia and writings. Initially broadcast in 2004.
DAVE DAVIES, HOST:
That is FRESH AIR. The revered jazz historian, archivist and critic Dan Morgenstern died earlier this month. He was 94. Morgenstern spent a lifetime as an enthusiastic advocate for jazz and for 35 years directed the Rutgers Institute of Jazz Research, constructing a set of jazz recordings, memorabilia and writings that is the biggest assortment of its sort on this planet. In his New York Instances obituary, Barry Singer famous that Morgenstern was, quote, “one of many final jazz students to have identified the giants of jazz he wrote about, each as good friend and chronicler, a jazz author uniquely embraced by jazz musicians, a nonmusician who captured their sounds in unpretentious prose, amplified with sweeping and encyclopedic historic context, ” unquote.
In 2007, Morgenstern acquired the NEA Jazz Masters Award for Jazz Advocacy. Dan Morgenstern was born to Jewish mother and father in Munich in 1929. His father was the cultural correspondent for a German newspaper and had written critically of the Nazis. Because the strain mounted, his father escaped to France. Dan and his mom fled to Copenhagen, however when the Nazis reached town, they had been smuggled out of Denmark by the Danish resistance and located security in Sweden. The household reunited in New York in 1947 after the warfare. When Terry Gross interviewed Dan Morgenstern – that was in 2004 – he instructed her about his introduction to jazz in the course of the warfare. He was 8 years previous.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)
DAN MORGENSTERN: What received me – actually received me concerned was seeing Fat Waller in Copenhagen in September of 1938. And, you recognize, that was a terrific expertise. I had by no means seen anyone like that earlier than. Nicely, there wasn’t anyone like Fat Waller, you recognize? There by no means has been since. However he was so – you recognize, so important and so overpowering, in a means, you recognize, however he was bodily very massive. I had not seen many Black individuals in my life earlier than then, and he was, as he would say, mesmerizing.
TERRY GROSS: Would you select a report that you just liked whenever you had been younger, in the course of the warfare, whenever you had been fleeing from the Nazis – a report that also means quite a bit to you?
MORGENSTERN: Nicely, I suppose, you recognize, that is, after all, a youngsters’ report, but it surely’s additionally – on reflection, it is a good jazz report. That was Chick Webb’s “Dipsy Doodle,” which featured a vocal by the then nonetheless very younger – about 19-year-old – Ella Fitzgerald. After which, after the vocal, it had an incredible trombone solo by Sandy Williams, whom I subsequently received to know after I got here to this nation. And that was only a report that I liked, and I notably favored, you recognize, the nonsense lyrics. I knew some English, however not likely quite a bit, but it surely has form of foolish lyrics, you recognize, after which that trombone solo afterwards. So, you recognize, that is a report that I am nonetheless very keen on.
GROSS: Why do not we hear it?
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “THE DIPSY DOODLE”)
ELLA FITZGERALD: (Singing) The Dipsy Doodle is simple to seek out. It is virtually at all times at the back of your thoughts. You by no means realize it till it is too late. And then you definitely’re in such a horrible state. Like, the moon jumped over the cow, hey diddle – that is the best way the Dipsy Doodle works. While you suppose that you just’re loopy, you are the sufferer of the Dipsy Doodle. Nevertheless it’s not your thoughts that is hazy. It is your tongue that is at fault, not your noodle. (Scatting) Dip, dip, dip, dip, Dipsy Doodle. You suppose you are loopy, the issues that you just say, like, rhythm received I and scorching am I. That is the best way the Dipsy Doodle works.
GROSS: That is Chick Webb and Ella Fitzgerald, “The Dipsy Doodle,” a report that meant quite a bit to Dan Morgenstern when he was rising up. In 1947, after the warfare, you and your mom moved to New York, the place your father had already moved. What are a few of your earliest recollections of discovering jazz as a New Yorker and really having the ability to, say, like, go to concert events and go to report shops?
MORGENSTERN: Nicely, I’ve this line that I’ve used quite a bit. I used it in my very subliminal look on Ken Burns’ “Jazz,” which I had the pleasure of…
(LAUGHTER)
MORGENSTERN: I used to be an adviser to that, however on display, I solely appeared for about 10 seconds. However what I stated is one thing that I’ve typically stated, which is that after I got here to New York, you recognize, what I needed was to not see the Empire State Constructing, however I needed to see 52nd Avenue. 52nd Avenue, in any case, was alive at night time, you recognize? And I used to be nonetheless solely 17. However I managed to get there, and to me, it was – you recognize, it was paradise. I imply, you may – one aspect of the road, you may hear Sidney Bechet, and throughout the road, you may hear Charlie Parker, and Billie Vacation was subsequent door. You realize, I imply, it was simply an unbelievable place.
GROSS: You have described your self as having been extra of a jazz journalist and jazz proselytizer than jazz critic. Would you select a report that you just really feel you helped have an effect on the future of, or helped change the perspective towards – a report that you just liked that you just thought wasn’t actually – wasn’t getting sufficient consideration or wasn’t actually understood?
MORGENSTERN: Nicely, one of many issues that I discovered irksome was the perspective that then existed in direction of the work of Louis Armstrong. Folks had a bent to take a look at it by way of the Sizzling 5 period – you recognize, “Heebie Jeebies” – after which bounce to the All-Stars and “Whats up, Dolly!” And every part in between was form of being ignored. And to me, and others, as effectively, that was, you recognize, a number of the peak achievements of Mr. Armstrong. So specifically, I had an opportunity to do liner notes for a set of great materials from the mid-’30s that had roughly been uncared for.
Particularly, one factor that was on there was a bit by Armstrong himself referred to as “Swing That Music,” which is only a great demonstration of his superior trumpet prowess, and likewise form of jogged my memory – and the best way he punches out 42 excessive C’s, you recognize, after the vocal jogged my memory of the best way Joe Louis punched out Max Schmeling. And I used to be in a position to convey that into higher focus and form of illuminate that facet of Armstrong’s artistry, and I am pleased about that.
GROSS: Why do not we hear that Armstrong recording of “Swing That Music”? And that is from 1936?
MORGENSTERN: Proper.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “SWING THAT MUSIC”)
LOUIS ARMSTRONG: (Singing) And my coronary heart provides a chill. I really feel such a thrill. My toes will not hold nonetheless after they swing that music. Rhythm like that places me in a trance. Oh, you possibly can’t blame me for wanting to bounce. From what I perceive, it should be simply grand to play in a band after they swing that music. I am simply pleased as could be after they swing that music for me.
GROSS: My visitor is Dan Morgenstern. Since 1976, you have directed the Institute of Jazz Research at Rutgers College. And in that sense, you have develop into actually necessary as a collector of jazz historical past. I imply, the institute is – I do not know – maybe a very powerful assortment of jazz historical past within the nation, one of the crucial necessary on this planet. What are one or two of the objects within the assortment of the Institute of Jazz Research that imply probably the most to you and which have an virtually, like, magical aura surrounding them?
MORGENSTERN: Nicely, I feel that will be the devices. We now have fairly a set of devices that belong to well-known and perhaps even not-so-famous musicians, and a few of these persons are those who I felt very near. So these issues characterize a really tangible, you recognize, facet of my very own life with this music, similar to, you recognize, Ben Webster’s tenor, Lester Younger’s tenor, the one he used when he was with Basie. And we’ve odd issues like plastic gardenia of Billie Vacation’s. When she could not get an actual one, you recognize, she used that. And Billie was any person that I simply completely liked.
After which manuscript – we’ve a beautiful manuscript by Louis Armstrong. And we’ve – oh, I do not know if I can use the expression tchotchkes, however we’ve issues like – we’ve an Ella Fitzgerald – slightly sculpture manufactured from spoons and forks which really represents her, you recognize, with a microphone in her hand. And that was sitting on her mantelpiece. She actually favored that. And people issues are particular. You realize, they’ve an aura.
GROSS: Nicely, Dan Morgenstern, thanks a lot for speaking with us.
MORGENSTERN: It has been a terrific pleasure, and thanks for having me.
DAVIES: Terry Gross spoke with Dan Morgenstern in 2004. The revered Jazz historian, creator and archivist died earlier this month on September 7. He was 94 years previous. Arising, TV critic David Bianculli evaluations HBO’s “The Penguin,” the most recent spin-off of the Batman sequence. That is FRESH AIR.
(SOUNDBITE OF THE DAVE BRUBECK QUARTET’S “UNSQUARE DANCE”)
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