Listening to Prestige 330: Buddy Tate

Buddy Tate's first appearance on Prestige was with Shirley Scott and an all-star sax section: Coleman Hawkins, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Arnett Cobb. Here he's back for Swingville, and with his own group.

Tate had a regular gig at the Celebrity Club in Harlem from the early 1950s through the mid-1970s, which says something about the enduring popularity of swing in general, and the musicianship of Tate and his band in particular. Tate had had a longtime gig as first tenor sax in the Count Basie orchestra, following Herschel Evans, and most of his musical associates are from that Basie orbit, including his band from the Celebrity Club, which is essentially the band he recorded with for this Prestige Swingville date. These are professional sidemen, guys who never

stepped out to lead their own bands, or at least never recorded as leaders, but who never lacked for work on the highest levels of jazz, because they could get the job done, and more--they could add their own touch to both solo and ensemble work.

Trumpeter Pat Jenkins joined Tate in 1951, when the saxophonist had secured the Celebrity Club gig, and stayed with him for the next 21 years, or the run of the gig. Before that, he had been best known for another long term gig: the Savoy Sultans, house band at the Savoy Ballroom. The Savoy booked the hottest bands in the nation, and the Sultans' job was to fill in the times when the headline band was on break, and keep people dancing with no letup. In the Savoy management's policy, no letup meant that the house band had to be good enough that when Chick Webb or Lucky Millinder or Count Basie stopped playing, the audience didn't feel a letdown, but it also meant no letup. According to terry Monaghan's obituary for Jenkins in The Guardian:

The Savoy's policy was to minimise breaks in the music, so bands were expected to pick up immediately from their predecessors. Masters of seguing, the Sultan's rhythm section would join in the last number of any "opposite" band which had struck a groove. When the latter band stopped, the Sultans would carry on. Pat recalled some bandleaders being amused by this tactic while others were angered at such blatant upstaging.

 Eli Robinson, Tate's trombonist, has that kind of resume. McKinney's Cotton Pickers, Blanche Calloway, Willie Bryant's Apollo house band, Lucky Millinder, Roy Eldridge, Count Basie, and finally Buddy Tate. If you wanted music you could dance to, swing to, groove to, listen to, snap your fingers to, court the love of your life or score a hot date for Saturday night to, chances are Eli Robinson was in the band that was playing it.

On this session, he shows his composing chops, too, with "Me 'n You," "Blow Low," and "Miss Ruby Jones" to his credit.

Ben Richardson also passed through Blanche Calloway's ensemble, and was another of Tate's Celebrity Club regulars.

Sadik Hakim had more of a bebop background than did Tate's other regulars, having recorded with Charlie Parker, Dexter Gordon, and others. In the early 50s, before he joined Tate, he had been with James Moody. But he had worked the swing side of the street, too, with Ben Webster, Henry "Red" Allen, J. C. Higginbotham, Roy Eldridge, Stuff Smith.

An aside. I've always said if I could time travel, I would go back to being 20 years old at the time I was born, 1940, and I would head straight for 52nd Street, and uptown to Minton's. Here's just one example of why, from an interview with Sadik Hakim:

 The rhythm section at the Onyx Club became Eddie Nicholson (drums), Gene Ramey (bass) and myself.  Many times Roy Eldridge would play with us, or Stuff Smith, or Bob Dorsey, a great tenor player. Then it was Bird—always late.  Mike Weston, the Onyx Club owner, would be frowning as Bird came in late, but after a couple of Bird’s choruses, he’d be smiling.  One night Bird was very, very late. Bird came in while Ben Webster was drinking at the bar; the rest of us were trioing.  Bird picked up Ben’s tenor and said I Cherokee. He played that tenor like he owned it, and Ben was shook.  He just kept saying “Give me another double.” The thing about this was that nobody could get a sound out of Ben’s tenor but Ben himself, due to the thickness of the reed, etc.  I saw many great tenor players try-Prez, Buddy Tate, Ike Quebec, no good!

Dicky Wells was another member of Tate's Celebrity Club ensemble. He didn't make this recording session in person, but he did by proxy, with two of his compositions: "Moon Dog" and "No Kiddin'." The remaining tune, "Idling," is Hakim's.

For Tate himself, here's a description of his style by The New Yorker's jazz critic Whitney Balliett:

Tate's solos do not depend simply on improvisation, or even on design, but on burst after burst of emotion. These are shaped into long, falling blue notes, crooning phrases that end in fluttering vibratos, and  cries that arch upon the upper register. Tate's emotions, which are blue and sorrowing, have none of the self-pity and boohooing that leak from the work of some contemporaries. He seems to say, Damn, my heart aches; hear it. He has Herschel Evans' tone, fine rhythmic agility, and a neat harmonic sense.

Tate's Date was Swingville's third release.

Order Listening to Prestige Vol 2

Listening to Prestige Vol. 2, 1954-1956 is here! You can order your signed copy or copies through the link above.

Tad Richards will strike a nerve with all of us who were privileged to have
lived thru the beginnings of bebop, and with those who have since
fallen under the spell of this American phenomenon…a one-of-a-kind
reference book, that will surely take its place in the history of this
music.

                                                                                                                                   
--Dave Grusin

An important reference book of all the Prestige recordings during the time
period. Furthermore, Each song chosen is a brilliant representation of
the artist which leaves the listener free to explore further. The
stories behind the making of each track are incredibly informative and
give a glimpse deeper into the artists at work.

                                                                                                                --Murali Coryell