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Mezz Mezzrow
He learned to play the saxophone in the Potomac Reformatory School where he was sentenced at the age of 16 for car theft. During his late teens he discovered jazz, and went on to emulate the musicians Freddie Keppard, Joe Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Jimmy Noone and many others. He took up the clarinet and so started his life in the jazz world.
Mezzrow was adept at both clarinet and tenor, and there are recordings of him in the late 1920’s with the Jungle Kings, the Chicago Rhythm Kings, and Eddie Condon’s band. He played throughout the ‘30’s as a member of various swing bands, which at times included Benny Carter and Teddy Wilson. A highlight of the period for him was his recording in 1938 for French producer Hugh Panassie, which joined him up with his idol Sidney Bechet.
Mezzrow was a great admirer of Sidney Bechet and made many recordings featuring himself with Bechet for his own King Jazz label, in the mid forties. Mezzrow’s playing was not by any means in the same league as Sidney Bechet’s, but in light of the recordings made in New York in 1945 and Chicago in ’47, Mezz must get credit for even being in the studio and on the dates with Bechet and some of the major players of the era.
By 1948 Mezzrow had relocated to France, as he was enthralled by the respect given to jazz musicians there, and the vibranrt scene in general. He continued to record quite prolifically throughout the decade of the ‘50’s, on a variety of French labels.
He remained a resident of France until his death in Paris on Aug. 2, 1972. Source: James Nadal
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Mezz Mezzrow
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by Dirk Sutro
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Mezz Mezzrow was the hippest of white hipster jazz musicians in 1920s Chicago and 1930s New York. He was a respected player as well as a scenester who hung with both black and white musicians. Mezzrow's autobiography Really the Blues was a real discovery for me. It has a vibe of authenticity I've not found in other accounts of those times--he captures what it was really like to hit the clubs and late-night jams, to hang out offstage after ...
read moreJazz Musician of the Day: Mezz Mezzrow
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Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Mezz Mezzrow's birthday today!
Mezz Mezzrow was born in Chicago in 1899 and was one of that city's most popular clarinetists during the golden jazz age of the twenties. Many of Mezzrow's records reveal his deep feeling for the blues and his playing is characterized by well-thought lines, frequent agility and an appealingly acid tone, but despite touring regularly with various bands and with Louis Armstrong, his most notable contribution to jazz history is his ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Mezz Mezzrow
![Jazz Musician of the Day: Mezz Mezzrow](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/7e18fe550aa0a2f02e33f0898ef6087d.jpg)
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Mezz Mezzrow's birthday today!
Mezz Mezzrow was born in Chicago in 1899 and was one of that city's most popular clarinetists during the golden jazz age of the twenties. Many of Mezzrow's records reveal his deep feeling for the blues and his playing is characterized by well-thought lines, frequent agility and an appealingly acid tone, but despite touring regularly with various bands and with Louis Armstrong, his most notable contribution to jazz history is his ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Mezz Mezzrow
![Jazz Musician of the Day: Mezz Mezzrow](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/7e18fe550aa0a2f02e33f0898ef6087d.jpg)
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Mezz Mezzrow's birthday today!
Mezz Mezzrow was born in Chicago in 1899 and was one of that city's most popular clarinetists during the golden jazz age of the twenties. Many of Mezzrow's records reveal his deep feeling for the blues and his playing is characterized by well-thought lines, frequent agility and an appealingly acid tone, but despite touring regularly with various bands and with Louis Armstrong, his most notable contribution to jazz history is his ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Mezz Mezzrow
![Jazz Musician of the Day: Mezz Mezzrow](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/7e18fe550aa0a2f02e33f0898ef6087d.jpg)
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Mezz Mezzrow's birthday today!
Mezz Mezzrow was born in Chicago in 1899 and was one of that city\'s most popular clarinetists during the golden jazz age of the twenties. Many of Mezzrow\'s records reveal his deep feeling for the blues and his playing is characterized by well-thought lines, frequent agility and an appealingly acid tone, but despite touring regularly with various bands and with Louis Armstrong... Read more.
Place our Musician of the Day widget ...
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Jazz Musician of the Day: Mezz Mezzrow
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Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Mezz Mezzrow's birthday today!
Mezz Mezzrow was born in Chicago in 1899 and was one of that city\'s most popular clarinetists during the golden jazz age of the twenties. Many of Mezzrow\'s records reveal his deep feeling for the blues and his playing is characterized by well-thought lines, frequent agility and an appealingly acid tone, but despite touring regularly with various bands and with Louis Armstrong... Read more.
Place our Musician of the Day widget ...
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Jazz Musician of the Day: Mezz Mezzrow
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Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Mezz Mezzrow's birthday today!
Mezz Mezzrow was born in Chicago in 1899 and was one of that city\'s most popular clarinetists during the golden jazz age of the twenties. Many of Mezzrow\'s records reveal his deep feeling for the blues and his playing is characterized by well-thought lines, frequent agility and an appealingly acid tone, but despite touring regularly with various bands and with Louis Armstrong... Read more.
Place our Musician of the Day widget ...
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Jazz Musician of the Day: Mezz Mezzrow
![Jazz Musician of the Day: Mezz Mezzrow](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/7e18fe550aa0a2f02e33f0898ef6087d.jpg)
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Mezz Mezzrow's birthday today!
Mezz Mezzrow was born in Chicago in 1899 and was one of that city\'s most popular clarinetists during the golden jazz age of the twenties. Many of Mezzrow\'s records reveal his deep feeling for the blues and his playing is characterized by well-thought lines, frequent agility and an appealingly acid tone, but despite touring regularly with various bands and with Louis Armstrong... Read more.
Place our Musician of the Day widget ...
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Jazz Musician of the Day: Mezz Mezzrow
![Jazz Musician of the Day: Mezz Mezzrow](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/7e18fe550aa0a2f02e33f0898ef6087d.jpg)
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Mezz Mezzrow's birthday today! Mezz Mezzrow was born in Chicago in 1899 and was one of that city\'s most popular clarinetists during the golden jazz age of the twenties. Many of Mezzrow\'s records reveal his deep feeling for the blues and his playing is characterized by well-thought lines, frequent agility and an appealingly acid tone, but despite touring regularly with various bands and with Louis Armstrong... Read more. Place our Musician of the Day widget ...
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Jazz Musician of the Day: Mezz Mezzrow
![Jazz Musician of the Day: Mezz Mezzrow](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/7e18fe550aa0a2f02e33f0898ef6087d.jpg)
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Mezz Mezzrow's birthday today!
Mezz Mezzrow was born in Chicago in 1899 and was one of that city\'s most popular clarinetists during the golden jazz age of the twenties. Many of Mezzrow\'s records reveal his deep feeling for the blues and his playing is characterized by well-thought lines, frequent agility and an appealingly acid tone, but despite touring regularly with various bands and with Louis Armstrong... Read more.
Place our Musician of the Day widget ...
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