Look out here comes a Duchess at 1018 E. 54th street the charming Miss Elsie Rakestraw was hostess to the Grand Duchess club last Sunday evening. Everything was in order when the guests for the night, the popular Harlem Dukes came on the spot. They included Walter Williams, prominent leader of the band, Raymond Tate, Oscar Bradley, the sensational drummer, David Booker, Johnnie Miller, Kirtland Bradford and Charlie Evans. Other guests were Henry Graves, Ralph Hunt, Herbie Alberga, Bill Brown and Grover Woods. Delicious fruit salad and cheese wafers were passed during the evening.
Ich hab mir das eine Zitat von 1933 nochmal angeguckt, von hier kommt es. Zwei Sachen: Zum einen ist da die mysterioese Geschichte mit dem „Collier Bradford case“, in der es scheinbar auch nochmal um Kirtland Bradford geht, rechts neben dem Artikel… und zum anderen hab ich die Besetzung der „Harlem Dukes“ nochmal gruendlicher gelesen… Bandleader Walter Williams ist natuerlich Dootsie Williams, Johnny Miller ist der Bassist, der dann acht Jahre spaeter mit Kirtland Bradford und Raymond Tate auf unserem beruehmten Foto zu sehen ist – immerhin drei Leute von dem Bild sind auch in dieser Band. Oscar Bradley ist der bekannte Drummer, hier in Central Avenue Sounds erzaehlt Fletcher Smith von der Band, die er auch 1933 in fast dieser Besetzung im Club Alabam gehoert hat…
Isoardi
What about when you first hit Central? Where would you hang out? What were the places you’d—?
Smith
Well, the place I would hang out would be mostly the [Club] Alabam. There was a guy there named Dootsie Williams. He had a little band in there. He had a seven-piece band in there. Let’s see. All those guys that did that, all but three— Johnny Miller, the bass player, is still living. Curt Bradford, alto player, is living. A boy named Fuzzy Gower is still living. Dootsie is still living. The Harlem Dukes was the name of the band. Charlie Evans, the piano player—he’s dead. The drummer, Oscar Bradley, was a very good drummer. They always had Lee Young and Oscar Bradley together on a pedestal. But see, I liked Oscar because he was much heavier on drums than Lee. Now, they both could play. They both could play. They’d cut those charts, I don’t care what it was. But Oscar was heavier. He was a heavier drummer. He had a heavier foot than Lee. That band—that’s where I hung out, at the Alabam, because that was really the only organized band at the time. Let’s see, in ’33, that was the only organized band that I know of. Lorenzo Flennoy had a band after that.
Isoardi
A big band? Or was that a trio or—?
Smith
He had a big band in the Alabam. He had twelve pieces in there. See, Dootsie Williams only had six— He had seven, because he played trumpet. Trumpet and three saxophones is four, drums and piano and bass—seven pieces.
Charlie Evans ist wohl der Pianist – womit die Band tp/tp/sax/p/b/d + jemand namens David Booker waere… wobei Tate spaeter sowohl Trompete als auch Posaune gespielt hat, hier vielleicht auch schon… wenn man das mit den Erinnerungen von Smith ueer Kreuz legt, muesste David Booker Saxophonist gewesen sein…
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