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"Jimmie Lunceford Has The Best Of All Bands. Duke [Ellington] Is Great, [Count] Basie Is Remarkable, But Lunceford Tops Them Both."
-- Legendary Swing Band Leader Glenn Miller
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The Purpose Of Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival:
To Honor And Bring Awareness To The Forgotten And Impressive Legacy And Achievements Of Jimmie Lunceford, The First High School Band Orchestra Leader/Conductor In The History Of The Memphis City Schools…Lunceford, A Fisk University Graduate, Was Hired As A Teacher Of English,Spanish And Physical Education At Manassas High School Back In The 1920s...He Also Served As The School's Baseball And Football Coach...He Started The First Memphis City Schools' Band/Orchestra With Money Out Of His Own Pocket And Donations From The Community...
He Later Took His Band Of High School Students And Turned Them Into A Professional And Popular Local Memphis Band Known As The Chickasaw Syncopators…
In the early 1930s Lunceford took his band to the legendary Cotton Club in Harlem, NY to take over as the house band for Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway…The group eventually became known as The Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra…The Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra would regularly broadcast live from the Cotton Club gaining a huge national audience…Jimmie Lunceford would constantly beat the great swing bands of his era in numerous “battle of the bands” contests including those led by Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman and Chick Webb…The Lunceford Orchestra Was Known For Their Amazing Ensemble Play, Singing , Choreography And Overall Showmanship...They were known as The Harlem Express because of their huge African American following and was the top draw act at the world famous Apollo Theatre for 10 years...The Lunceford Orchestra was considered by many including Glenn Miller and Miles Davis to be one of if not the best swing band ever!!!
Unfortunately, Jimmie Lunceford (after dying under mysterious circumstances on July 12, 1947 in Seaside, Oregon) has been forgotten by many in the Memphis Community for 61 years and counting…
Jimmie Lunceford, the essence of a true teacher, never forgot about Memphis or Manassas High School and would constantly come back to talk to students at Manassas High School and hold free concerts despite being one of the most popular bandleaders in the country, Black or White…
The purpose of this event is to bring awareness about Jimmie Lunceford and to instill community pride in the achievements and accomplishments of a native Memphian who never forgot Memphis…Jimmie Lunceford’s remains are interred at the famous Elmwood Cemetery along with his wonderful legacy...We @ the Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival look forward to changing that same old sad song & swinging a new brighter tune!!!
"The Revolution Won't Be Televised But It Will Be Blogged, Podcasted & Broadcasted Online!!!"~
Tha Artivist
Real Talk With Tha Artivist Episode # 1~And Rhythm Was His Business...Jimmie Lunceford: A Memphis Music Legend
"Jimmie Lunceford Has The Best Of All Bands. Duke [Ellington] Is Great, [Count] Basie Is Remarkable, But Lunceford Tops Them Both." -- Legendary Swing Band Leader Glenn Miller
"Jimmy Lunceford Was Buried Here In Memphis. The Spot He Occupies Should Have Something Of A Special Significance. ...He Took A Group Of Relatively Unsophisticated Memphis Colored Boys And Welded Them Into An Organization Which Scaled The Heights Of Musical Eminence. ... He Presented Something New In The Way Of Musical Presentations By Negro Orchestras." --Legendary Memphis Educator And Syndicated Columnist Nat D. Williams
In less than 30 minutes R2C2H2 Tha Artivist plans to answer that exact question with analysis from experts and the people who knew him the best.
“W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News Presents…Real Talk With Tha Artivist” takes great pride and honor in honoring a true gentleman whose creative genius and legacy knows no boundaries...James “Jimmie” Melvin Lunceford was considered by many to be among jazz's greatest swing band leaders...His Orchestra was nicknamed 'The Harlem Express' because of their overwhelming popularity with the African American community of the 1930s & 40s...His fame also extended beyond that proud community for he was also recognized by the larger national and international audiences as well...
Leading a band composed of his former high school students from the future Jazz Mecca Manassas High School (where he became the Memphis City Schools' first high school band director , amazingly starting a world class band with little start up money or any support from the school system) and his college buddies from Fisk University, The Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra eventually became the house band for the legendary Cotton Club in storied Harlem, NY...The band became wildly famous because of their exceptional stage shows and the weekly live radio broadcasts from the club that were heard throughout the entire U.S....
Please join us in learning more about a man who owned and flew his own airplanes at a time when Blacks were not allowed to attend flight schools in the U.S....Learn more about a man who never forgot his teacher roots and would spend generous sums of money to start and support music education programs throughout the country to fight juvenile delinquency and dropout rates...Learn more about the former star athlete and ambitious teacher who became a movie star and a headliner & legend in his own time before dying under mysterious circumstances at the young age of 45 almost 62 years ago...Learn more about the efforts currently being done to restore this man's rightful place in the jazz pantheon and to ensure his legacy of perseverance, creativity, education and hope lives on in our youths and greater community for generations to come...
Please View All 3 Parts Of This Episode On W.E. A.L.L. B.E. TV By Perusing The Following Links:
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
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What Are Some Other Ways I Can View ‘Real Talk With Tha Artivist’???
On TV: Please catch the latest 'Real Talk With Tha Artivist' episode on Memphis Comcast Cable Channel 17 Mondays @ 8pm Central.
Online: You can also view past and current episodes among other W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News Features at the official W.E. A.L.L. B.E. YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/weallbetv
Longtime Memphis music patron, Luncefordphile, jazz aficionado and civic leader Dr. Vasco Smith moves the crowd with his emotional plea on why it is important to remember the genius of Jimmie Lunceford and why it is necessary to celebrate our other heroes and heritage.
Video: Dr. Vasco Smith Featured With Tha Artivist In Memphis City Schools Documentary "Jimmie Lunceford: A Memphis Legend":
I did not know Dr. Vasco Smith long, but I knew his kind well...Dr. Vasco Smith was not only a true public servant in the greatest meaning of the phrase, but he was a true Jazz head, a swinging cat who couldn’t blow per se, but who could blow your mind with what he knew and had to say, especially when it came to jazz…
Dr. Vasco Smith, who was married to Memphis civil rights legend Maxine Smith, was a student of the beautiful Crystal Tulli Lunceford, Jimmie Lunceford’s wife and a former English teacher at Booker T. Washington High School in Memphis,TN…
His jazz hero of course was the one and only James Melvin Lunceford a.k.a. Jimmie the true King Of Syncopated Rhythm and the Memphis Music Legend that time and people forgot, except for a few…Dr. Vasco Smith had a special connection to the Jimmie Lunceford legacy and story…Not only was he a diehard fan of the music of the great Mr. Lunceford, but he was also taught by the revered band leader’s beautiful wife Crystal Tulli Lunceford…For a time Mrs. Lunceford taught English at legendary Booker T. Washington High School, another Memphis City Schools’ fountainhead of creative genius and daring that shaped the cultural landscape of America and the world at large with its exceptional progeny with Dr. Vasco Smith counted among them…
When I first talked to Dr. Vasco Smith on the phone over a year ago it was truly a pleasant experience…I looked up his phone number in the white pages a.k.a. the phone book (this guy is truly old school…only real pillars of the community and public servants put their number in a place where they are accessible so that they can be reached and present on the scene when things are going both good and bad…take a note young people)…He also was a true feminist because the wife whom he beautifully supported & encouraged for 50 plus years, Memphis Civil Rights Legend Maxine Smith, was listed as the contact person in the phonebook…What impressed me most of all was Dr. Smith’s humility...In spite of all of his awards and accomplishments he just wanted me to call him Vasco…He did not like to put barriers between himself or others regardless of race, creed, age or socioeconomic background…Even though he was 89 years old when he died, he had the youthful vigor and curiosity of someone half or dare I say two thirds his age…
So needless to say it was a joy to finally meet him this June for the wreath laying tribute and ceremony for Jimmie Lunceford on the observation of his 107th birthday…He was both truly happy to see overdue homage finally being paid to this great man in the “city of good abode” where he started his legendary career, but he was also sad that more weren’t in attendance to give this man his just due in a city he immensely contributed to by starting music education in the public schools through his own means and initiative…He was fighting back tears as he spoke of how I should be commended for doing this service for our community…He described me as a Gabriele-like jazz trumpeter trying to call our people back home to our rightful place where they can understand who they were and are…
What strucked me the most was the comment my mom made to him during his talk about us not acknowledging and appreciating our history and heritage…My mom made reference to his and his wife’s incredible shared legacy of social justice and told him bluntly that if a man like Jimmie Lunceford can be forgotten then we can surely forget about their contributions as well because it is not being taught…Dr. Vasco Smith had a speechless, frozen and haunted look on his face as if he chillingly and vividly saw the future of what she prophesied flashed before his eyes…
Thinking about that unforgettable look now and his passing only a few months later lets me know that we all got a lot of work to do…
Bro. Vasco may you rest in peace knowing that you did all you possibly could with what you had…Thanks for passing the torch…Tell Mr. Lunceford to keep it swinging, tight, light and right…
See Also...
Dr. Vasco Smith: The Quiet Warrior...R.I.P.
For the best information about the great Jimmie Lunceford on the information highway go to the official Jimmie Lunceford website: http://www.jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com
Also view the great documentary “And Rhythm Was His Business: Jimmie Lunceford...A Memphis Music Legend” in three parts on the W.E. A.L.L. B.E. TV YouTube Channel:
From the Greatest Generation to the latest generation…From BeBop to Hip Hop…From Ebony to Ivory…From Congressman to everyman…From the young to the young at heart…From the uninformed to the initiated…All were represented and present on June 6, 2009, for the 107th Life Affirmation Day Celebration & Wreath Laying Tribute to jazz music great Jimmie Lunceford @ The Lord’s Chapel in historic Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis,Tn…It was a glorious sunny Saturday afternoon both literally and metaphorically for a man who is considered the Willie Mays of Swing, a five tool player who could do it all in terms of music and showbiz presentation…
Jimmie was not only a master showman, but also a master teacher because he assembled quite arguably the greatest jazz swing orchestra in history with the help of his former high school music students from Manassas High School in Memphis,TN, along with former college buddies from Fisk University…As a matter of fact Jimmie Lunceford was the first high school band director in Memphis City Schools history, but he wasn’t hired to be a music teacher…
Jimmie’s epic life story reads like a feature length movie with a Denzel Washington type-personality in the lead role produced by Walt Disney…It began June 6, 1902, in the cotton fields of Fulton, Mississippi (not Fulton, Missouri as so many articles and websites featuring his bio wrongly pass off as fact)…He is raised in the mountainous and atmospheric air of Denver, Colorado, where he is personally trained by master teacher Wilberforce Whiteman, Denver Schools Music Superintendent & the father of popular band leader Paul Whiteman the self-proclaimed King of Jazz…It is also evident that Jimmie is a naturally gifted athlete…He excels in football, track, baseball, basketball and boxing…However, his passion and legacy will be his music…
Since that time in the 1920s the seeds that were planted by the singular will and the creative force known as James Melvin Lunceford has produced successive crops of legendary musicians that have serenaded and marinated the world with their artistic genius…This list of greats from Manassas High include but are not limited to Isaac Hayes, Emerson Able, Hank Crawford, Frank Strozier, Harold Mabern, Booker Little, Charles Lloyd, George Coleman, Howard Grimes, Phineas Newborn, opera great Vera Little and a host of others worthy of any music hall or walk of fame…
Manassas High School has been recognized as a Jazz Mecca by many included jazz titan Miles Davis who had several key sidemen (saxophonists Frank Strozier, George Coleman & pianist Harold Mabern) come from the fabled school… In his autobiography Miles Davis wrote, “Before I left New York I had had tryouts for the band and that’s where I got all those Memphis musicians–Coleman, Strozier, and Mabern. (They had gone to school with the great young trumpet player Booker Little…and the pianist Phineas Newborn. I wonder what they were doing down there when all them guys came through that one school?)”…Many of these jazz greats were taught by legendary Manassas High School Band Director Matthew Garrett the father of jazz diva Dee Dee Bridgewater…
Before the King of Pop was put in the Guinness books for his generous efforts or even born for that matter, the true King of Swing, Jimmie Lunceford, was a well known philanthropist who gave large sums of money to start music education programs throughout the country…A true social worker and teacher to the end, he thought music could eliminate rampant juvenile delinquency and keep dropout rates low…When he came to Memphis to perform sold out concerts at the famous Robert R. Church Auditorium, he would also visit his old stomping grounds of Manassas High School to give free concerts and master classes to the eager & star strucked students…As matter of fact future music educator & Memphis music legend Emerson Able can recall vividly and fondly playing and listening to the greatly revered Lunceford Orchestra as a member of Manassas High School’s music group known as the Rhythm Bombers...Lunceford also wanted to start a retirement community for musicians and was looking for ways to invest his and interested band members’ monies so that they can live comfortable when they got older…
Being a true Renaissance man, Jimmie Lunceford owned and flew his own planes at a time when Blacks were not allowed to attend flight schools in America…
Unfortunately Jimmie died much too young…On July 12, 1947, he dropped dead while signing autographs at a record shop in Seaside, Oregon…Some believed that he was poisoned by a racist restaurant owner who had a problem serving Blacks…
In spite of all his fame and success (he was true jazz royalty and lived on Edgecombe Ave. in Harlem, New York’s fabled Sugar Hill neighborhood), Jimmie thought enough of his adopted hometown a.k.a. ‘The City Of Good Abode’ to be buried there…Unfortunately, the city did not think too much of her adopted native son and so his extraordinary legacy was somewhat buried alongside him for 60 plus years in a city better known for the blues, racial polarity and the premature deaths of kings (MLK & Elvis)…
With that said here are some highlights or rather high notes from our Jimmie Lunceford 107th Life Affirmation Day Tribute & Wreath Laying Ceremony @ the Lord’s Chapel in historic Elmwood Cemetery :
Alongside the art of the Renaissance Man known as R2C2H2 Tha Artivist is a beautiful designed and heavenly floral wreath by that Memphis floral institution known as Henley’s Flowers http://www.henleysflowers.com/…The establishment’s founder, the late Ms. Henley, was a true pioneer in the florist industry in Memphis as well as the wife of Jimmie Lunceford’s former music student and influential swing band drummer, Jimmie ‘Crawl’ Crawford…Talk about coming full circle!!!
The phenom known as PNut, Memphis rap’s version of a young Mozart, woos his longtime and new fans alike with his amazing free style and stage presence…Not too shabby for a 6 year old!!! Check out more from this freestyling prodigy on his MySpace and YouTube pages respectively:
http://www.myspace.com/pnutrappin http://www.youtube.com/user/pnutrappin
Memphis music icon & Luncefordphile No. 1 Emerson Able makes Beale St. talk with his beautiful tenor sax and his invaluable recollections of Jimmie Lunceford and Memphis music history from the African American perspective…
Longtime Memphis music patron, Luncefordphile, jazz aficionado and civic leader Dr. Vasco Smith moves the crowd with his emotional plea on why it is important to remember the genius of Jimmie Lunceford and why it is necessary to celebrate our other heroes and heritage.
Dr. Vasco Smith, who is married to Memphis civil rights legend Maxine Smith, was a student of the beautiful Crystal Tulli Lunceford, Jimmie Lunceford’s wife and a former English teacher at Booker T. Washington High School in Memphis,TN…
Working in the true Luncefordean tradition of excellence in music and music education, prolific gospel literary & performing artist Gloria McGhee and her youth group PADA (People Against Drug Abuse) http://www.freewebs.com/padaministries/ provides food for thought & the soul with their spirited gospel infused vocal ensemble performances…Church!!!
At Jimmie Lunceford’s earthly remains resting place with wreath and horn in hand, R2C2H2 Tha Artivist sums up the importance of memorializing Jimmie Lunceford not only as a great musician and teacher, but also as a fallen civil rights leader and visionary who used music to teach the world that there was a better way for us to live, thrive and jive together…Furthermore, R2C2H2 Tha Artivist encourages those at graveside to continue to make Jimmie Lunceford’s legacy a living one by promoting the teaching of African American history as well as sustaining the arts and the arts education in a community and city which is arguably America’s cultural crossroads!!!
He ends by playing a classy, brassy and jazzy swinging taps in the rendition of Jazz Cat No. 1, Louis Daniel ‘Satchmo’ Armstrong!!!
Special Thank Yous!!! Without the assistance of these folks and entities there wouldn’t have been a Jimmie Lunceford Wreath Laying Ceremony & Life Affirmation Celebration to speak of!!! In addition to those exceptional people mentioned in the summary above, The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival would like to extend a special thanks to the following:
* Elmwood Cemetery & Staff for providing us access to their exceptional beautiful chapel and cemetery free of charge!!!
http://www.elmwoodcemetery.org
* Bro. Grover Mosley for sharing his enthusiasm and collection of Jimmie Lunceford memorabilia.
* Bro. Kelvin Butler for his invaluable camera work in helping capturing history.
* Also everybody who took the time to just show up to be a part of not only history, but community we thank you all from the sincerest and greatest of places…In the words of the great Duke Ellington, “We Love You Madly!!!”
For the best information about the great Jimmie Lunceford on the information highway go to the official Jimmie Lunceford website: http://www.jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com
Also view the great documentary “And Rhythm Was His Business: Jimmie Lunceford...A Memphis Music Legend” in three parts on the W.E. A.L.L. B.E. TV YouTube Channel:
Giving The King Of Swing His Proper Due: R2C2H2 Tha Artivist, U.S. Congressman Steve Cohen & Emerson Able With The Jimmie Lunceford 107th Life Affirmation Day Proclamation
(photo: Andrew Rome Withers)
“Music Can Change The World” ~Ludwig van Beethoven
WHEREAS, on behalf of the citizens of the Ninth Congressional District, it is my distinct pleasure to celebrate the memory of Jimmie Lunceford as we honor him on his 107th Life Affirmation Day; and,
WHEREAS, Mr. Lunceford served this city as the first high school band director in the history of the Memphis City Schools system, and he also pioneered the effort to create the first jazz studies program in U.S. public school history; and,
WHEREAS, his brilliant career took him and the Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra, made up in part of students from his high school band at Manassas High School, to the heights of swing music royalty in the 1930’s and 1940’s, rivaling such greats as Duke Ellington and Earl Hines; and,
WHEREAS, his unique vision and dynamic mission moved the souls of countless individuals and helped alter the circumstances of his community at a time when few African Americans had the opportunity to make such a difference; and,
WHEREAS, it is my hope that Jimmie Lunceford’s contribution to jazz music, its powerful cultural influence, and to the city of Memphis specifically may continue to be made known and learned from;
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that I, Steve Cohen, Member of Congress, along with the citizens of the Ninth Congressional District, seek to honor the memory of Jimmie Lunceford as his life is celebrated on this, the 6th of June, 2009.
“Early in life I had noticed that no event is ever correctly reported in a newspaper” ~George Orwell
Tha Artivist Says: The following is what I wrote to Jody Callahan, the author of the error-proned article about Jimmie Lunceford and the Beale Street Brass Note Dedication which appeared in The Memphis Commercial Appeal...In terms of the brass note dedication itself I will talk about in a later post...However, I do think it is rather important to correct mistakes which may be crucial in putting anything in proper context...I do not believe Ms. Callahan did this on purpose or out of malice, but rather ignorance concerning the topic and subject matter...Unfortunately, she is not alone...It is truly sad that Memphis has neglected the legacy of such an important and dynamic figure in our collective cultural heritage...This is bigger than Jimmie Lunceford and Memphis of course...After my message to Ms. Callahan please read her article!!!
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Dear Jody, Your story about Jimmie Lunceford getting a brass note on Beale Street in July 2009 had some factual errors in it.
He was born June 6,1902, in Fulton, Mississippi not Missouri...He first recorded for the Victor label on June 6, 1930 (on his 28th birthday) in Memphis,TN not Cleveland, Ohio...And his orchestra made their Cotton Club debut in 1934 not 1933...
View the ‘Real Talk With Tha Artivist’ Memphis Comcast Cable TV Special, “And Rhythm Was His Business…Jimmie Lunceford: Memphis Music Legend” in three parts online…
James Thompson, president of the Manassas High School Alumni Association, accepts the Walk of Fame brass note for Jimmie Lunceford on Beale Street on Sunday.
By Jody Callahan The Memphis Commercial Appeal Monday, July 20, 2009
Jazz aficionado Jack Schaffer laments that big-band leader Jimmie Lunceford is often overlooked on a scorecard of the style's greats.
But soon, anyone who wanders down Beale Street can see Lunceford's name engraved on a brass note as part of the street's Walk of Fame.
Late Sunday afternoon, a group of jazz fans and others gathered to dedicate the 20-pound brass note commemorating Lunceford.
It's expected to be installed in August in the concrete just outside the entrance to Handy Park.
"Jimmie Lunceford is an unsung hero," said Schaffer, a member of the Mid-South Jazz Foundation.
Lunceford was born in 1902 in Fulton, Mo., and earned a degree from Fisk University in 1925. He taught there for a year, then came to Memphis in 1926 to coach football at Manassas High School. But he soon started tutoring students in music. In 1927, the students formed a band that would be called the Chickasaw Syncopators.
Lunceford moved to Cleveland, Ohio, in 1930 and made his first recordings for the Victor label. In 1933, Lunceford and his orchestra played the famed Cotton Club in Harlem.
The orchestra went on to play around the world, earning accolades and comparisons with the likes of Duke Ellington and Count Basie.
Lunceford often returned to Memphis, holding classes for local musicians.
He died in 1947 and is buried in Memphis' Elmwood Cemetery.
Lunceford is part of what Schaffer calls an almost unknown jazz legacy in Memphis, more traditionally noted for its blues and rock.
"Jazz started in New Orleans," he said. "It migrated up the Mississippi and settled real hard here."
The Mid-South Jazz Foundation held a concert at the Memphis Drum Shop in June to raise money for the brass note, which will cost around $1,700 when fully installed, foundation volunteer Ken Hall said.
In August, two more brass notes are expected to be dedicated. The first, on Aug. 1, will be for Will Shade and the Memphis Jug Band, Hall said. The second on Aug. 13 will be for legendary deejay Dewey Phillips. Scripps Lighthouse
The ItawambaCounty pioneers from the 1800s produced many illustrious citizens from all walks of life during the county’s 170-year history and the entertainment field is definitely represented with such a list. One successful entertainer in the music field from ItawambaCounty was Jimmie Lunceford.
Jimmie (James Melvin) Lunceford was born northeast of Fulton in ItawambaCountyJune 6, 1902 on his family’s farm. Shortly before 1910 (James appears as 5 years old in the 1908 Itawamba County school census) the family left ItawambaCounty and moved west, first to Oklahoma and then to Colorado where he attended school. After attending school in Denver he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from FiskUniversity. During 1927 while teaching high school in Memphis, Tennessee, he organized a student band called the Chickasaw Syncopators, whose name was later changed to the Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra after it began touring. The first recording made by the orchestra was during 1930. After a period of touring, the band accepted a booking at the famous Cotton Club during 1933 in New York City. Shortly thereafter Lunceford’s reputation began to grow. By the 1930s, his orchestra was considered the equal to Duke Ellington and Count Basie. His orchestra began recording for the Decca label and later signed with Columbia’s subsidiary Vocalion during 1938. He and his orchestra toured Europe extensively during 1937 and later he returned to the Decca label. During 1947 while playing in Seaside, Oregon, Lunceford collapsed and died while signing autographs. Lunceford was buried in Memphis, Tennessee.MORE
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