Posts tagged ‘Denton’
Miss Emily’s JukeJoint 5/8/12: Pops
As many of you have already heard, Denton’s long-time blues emissary and character, Pops Carter passed away a couple weeks back at age 93. Much has been written about him over the years and it doesn’t take long to find some of it so I won’t recount his life here. You might want to check out his Facebook page and communicate with them, perhaps. I do, however, want to tell a couple personal stories and share some of Alec Williams’ pictures from the Fry Street book he and we published last year.
One of my first live music experiences in Denton was in the Fall of 1987 when my then-roommate in Bruce Hall, John Rylander, got a gig for a night playing bass with Pop’s band at the Char Hut (later the site of Jackson’s Pizza and Texas Jive- now demolished). I went to hear them and wished I could’ve been playing with them but what I remember most is how wiped out John was when he got back to our dorm room. He wasn’t a regular gigging musician at the time and was concentrating on his music composition studies, so playing several hours was a workout. Never let anyone tell you that playing blues is “easy”.
Pops at The Depot, 1983
Pops also sat in with my band on at least two occaisons- there may have been more but that was a while back. I bet most if not all musicians around here who had Pops sit in would to a man or woman tell you how his presence lit up the joint. And, if your gig was dying, as some of mine surely did, he made you feel good about what you played and could make the people like you for at least as long as he was onstage. Well, that was my experience, at least. Thanks, Pops.
Miss Emily’s JukeJoint, 12.8.11: Herschel Evans
In the late 1930′s, the Count Basie Orchestra featured two tenor saxophonists: Lester Young and Herschel Evans of Denton. Books, movies and thousands of words have, rightfully, been dedicated to the former. Only a true jazz geek knows of the latter. Herschel was born in Denton on March 9, 1909, and is found at our Ancestry.com database in the 1930 Census where he appears to be living with an aunt in Bexar County, Texas (San Antonio) while working in the Troy Floyd Orchestra. Click on image below for larger size:
Herschel in San Antone, 1930
In the census record you can see three important pieces of information that prove this is the same Mr. Evans: 21 years of age, Negro, and musician employed in an orchestra. Here is an early recording with Floyd from 1929, Dreamland Blues. His solo starts @ 1:58.
Lady Hersch
There is a storied Texas Tenor saxophonist tradition going back to Herschel and on through to Buddy Tate, Illinois Jacquet, Arnett Cobb, David “Fathead” Newman, King Curtis, Donald Wilkerson, Booker Ervin, James Clay, Marchel Ivery, on up to UNT alum Shelley Carrol who performs regularly in Dallas. The thread that runs through all of them is a full-bodied tone that always has a blues flavor.
By the mid-’30s, he was working in Kansas City and landed a seat in the Count Basie Orchestra when they expanded their size after being signed to Decca Records in 1936. In the Basie band, he finally achieved fame through the following recordings (with time his solos start): One O’ Clock Jump 00:45, Doggin’ Around 00:40, Texas Shuffle 1:56 and his most famous solo performance, Blue and Sentimental.
In the Basie reed section
Herschel on left with fellow Basie-ite, Buck Clayton
Herschel died at age 29 in 1939 of a heart attack and was replaced in the Basie band by fellow Texan, Buddy Tate. It was said that Lester mourned his section mate, paid his funeral expenses, and Evans’ passing may have helped precipitate his leaving Basie the next year. Here is footage of the Count Basie Orchestra at Randall’s Island in New York City in 1938. The music on the video is overdubbed but, at 1:41, you can see him sitting down with his sax to the right of singer Jimmy Rushing who is standing.
posted by Chuck.
Information on Tap: Home Brewing at the Emily Fowler Library
This coming Saturday November 19th the Emily Fowler library, 502 Oakland St, Denton, Tx will host a home brewing program featuring the Ass- Helaf Brew Club starting at 3pm. This event is free and open to the public. Our guests are award-winning recipients at the Bluebonnet Brew-Off and will discuss how to make a good brew. For more information call Chuck at 940-349-8746.
Amber Goodness
History of KDNT Radio in Denton
North Texas radio and television historian Mike Shannon has been tracking changes up and down the local dial since 1984. He has spent most of the last decade reporting traffic over WBAP-AM in Fort Worth and WFAA-TV in Dallas, and currently hosts a syndicated radio program, “The Hi-Fi Club.” But his on on-air roots began right here in Denton as a news anchor at both KDNT-AM and KNTU-FM while attending school at the University of North Texas in the late 1980s. On Saturday, November 12th, he will host a talk on the history of KDNT radio in Denton, Texas. Also on hand will be Sandy Shepard, son of original station owner and founder, the late Harwell V. Shepard.
On display throughout the month of November at the Emily Fowler Library will be various photographs and KDNT station memorabilia.
This program is free and available to the public.
When: November 12th, 2:00 -3:30 pm
Where: Emily Fowler Central Library, 502 Oakland
For more information, contact Leslie Couture at 940-349-8762 or leslie.couture@cityofdenton.com.
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For other news items on the City of Denton, visit our website at www.cityofdenton.com, go to Quick Links and click on Press Releases.
Read Like a Zombie
The living dead will rise tonight at 6 p.m. at the South Branch Library to put on their faces (zombie makeup), practice their pageant walk (walk and dance like zombies), and throw brains around (zombies obviously don’t have very good manners).
If you really want to join the ranks of the reanimated, here are some last-minute reads to help you become the best zombie you can be:
Fiction:
Zombie Queen of Newbury High – Amanda Ashby
Zombies vs. Unicorns - Holly Black & Justine Larbalestier
The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks - Max Brooks
Play Dead - Ryan Brown
The Undertakers: Rise of the Corpses - Ty Drago
Zombies Don’t Cry - Rusty Fischer
The New Dead: A Zombie Anthology - Christopher Golden
The Smoky Corridor - Chris Grabenstein
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - Seth Grahame-Smith
Split Screen: Attack of the Soul-Sucking Zombies - Brent Hartinger
Dawn of the Dreadfuls - Steve Hockensmith
You are So Undead to Me - Stacy Jay
Undead Much - Stacy Jay
Zombie, Ohio: A Tale of the Undead - Scott Kenemore
Infinity – Sherrilyn Kenyon
Gil’s All Fright Diner - A. Lee Martinez
Strange Angels - Lili St. Crow
Zombies: The Recent Dead - edited by Paula Guran
Non-Fiction:
Real Zombies, the Living Dead, and Creatures of the Apocalypse - Brad Steiger
How to be a Zombie: The essential guide for anyone who craves brains - Serena Valentino
The Zombie Survival Guide - Max Brooks
Every Zombie Eats Somebody Sometime - Michael Spradlin
It’s Beginning to Look a lot like Zombies - Michael Spradlin
Fowler Files, 10/10/11: Sam Bass Pays His Tax
While Pilot Point is celebrating its connection to and history with Bonnie and Clyde this weekend, I thought y’all might get a kick out of seeing an entry for one Sam Bass in the Inventory Book Precinct 1 For 1874 (Tax List) we have here in the Special Collections Department at Emily Fowler Library. Denton County’s reputation as a destination/hideout/home for outlaws is well known and that history is likely to be mined for years to come.
Click on the image to see the entire document:
Bass Tax
Maybe paying your horse tax was a good way to keep the law off your trail for other “activities”?
We have a photocopied version of the book on the shelf and the original in our archives. The story behind the book is interesting and sadly, all-too-typical of public records in the 19th century. That is to say, it escaped the 1875 courthouse fire by pure chance whereas its brethren were incinerated.
Miss Emily’s JukeJoint, 9.22.11: Puppets Rock & an Historic Marker for the Texas International Pop Fest
As was proven this past Sunday nite @ Dan’s Silverleaf, puppets and rock (or at least a rocking style of folk music) do mix. For those who haven’t heard about the Sunday residency of Hares on the Mountain at Dan’s (are there any of you left?), consider this your wake up call.
Ryan Becker and Friend
George Neal Rocks It.
Of course, Jim Henson knew about the power of puppets…
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On Saturday October 1st, a new historic marker will be dedicated at the Hebron Station of the DCTA A Train in Lewisville commemorating the 1969 Texas International Pop Festival that featured acts such as Janis Joplin, Led Zeppelin, B.B. King and many others. Go to the link to learn more about the dedication. Led Zeppelin and Santana tribute bands will perform and the event is free.
Pop Fest Poster
Personally, I’d love to see more historic markers that deal with cultural events such as this one does. Don’t get me wrong, I love old buildings and history in general but it seems like cultural events may get lost in shuffle. How does one commemorate something ephemeral like creativity?
Miss Emily’s JukeJoint, 7.2.11: Pleasant Surroundings
Lets visit some late and/or lamented eateries in Denton and propose musical accompaniment for dining at each…
Back in the late ’50s-early ’60s, NTSU alum/pop star Pat Boone opened a restaurant @ 1009 Highway 24/Decatur Drive/University Drive/US 380 called “The Pat Boone Country Inn“. You can see the current location here. Below is an ad from a 1958 issue of “Denton Doings”, a short-lived magazine from that era we have here in Fowler Special Collections:
Pleasant
I love the cowhide seat covers. May I suggest some easy listening along the lines of Harry Belafonte or old rock and roll a la The Coasters.
The Star Restaurant @ 1201 W. Hickory was named for the Star of David and for its movie-themed decor. Library employee Leslie Couture: “I couldn’t wait to go there because they had a Yoda statue and light sabers. When you are a kid out to eat with your parents, you have to listen to boring parent talk but, at The Star, there was a lot of cool posters and things that you could walk around and look at.”
Star
Seems like Indian music and the Grateful Dead would be nice to have while you down a cold one at the Star.
I still miss Steve’s BBQ at 403 E. Hickory. Let me try and describe it to you because the memories of it are still very vivid, as I used to work across the street at The Greater Denton Arts Council and would frequently get some of Steve’s rockin’ BBQ. You opened the screen door to a smoky, dank room with a couple booths and yellowing newspaper articles on the walls. I swear it seemed like there was a layer of grease over everything. Near the front door was an old jukebox with late-60s, early-70s soul 45s that I guess didn’t work because I never heard it play and it was surrounded by discarded boxes and “junk”. What a playlist, though! Al Green, ZZ Hill, Little Milton, etc. And the BBQ? I’ve never had better. Spicy, hot and righteous.
BBQ Heaven
Maybe not the best photo but it does show the old Harpool complex, long since demolished. Obviously, one wants to hear what was on the jukebox. Miss Emily’s JukeJoint takes you there.
Honorable mention goes to TC’s Catfish on McKinney St. You had to have tried that catfish and tartar sauce. So goooood.
posted by Chuck
Miss Emily’s JukeJoint, 6.13.11; Louise Tobin’s Blues
One of the great things about this job is that we get to meet interesting people, learn things from them and then pass it on to you! About two months ago I received a request from a researcher in California looking for any local information about a nonagenarian female jazz singer from Aubrey, Texas. Naturally, being a jazz junkie, my ears perked up. Texas has been the home and genesis of many greats but this one had me intrigued. It didn’t take me long to find alot of information about Mary Louise Tobin and her website.
The Newspaper Archives database available from our Special Collections/Genealogy page has the Denton Record-Chronicle from 1909-1977 searchable by keyword. You can read her biography at her homepage linked above and there are other articles here and here. But, for those who want to dig a little deeper, she shows up frequently in the DRC in the early-to-mid ’30s:
She was on the honor roll for the North Ward School in January of 1931 (DRC, 1/30/31).
Sang “Nobody Cares If I’m Blue” at a Junior High fundraiser (DRC, 4/28/31).
Recovering from an attack of diptheria (!) (DRC 2/29/32).
Elected officer of the 1934 Denton High School “Justimere” (?) Club (DRC, 1/29/34).
Performed as part of a dance program at DHS in Feb. 1934 (DRC, 2/13/34).
etc., etc….
But, finally we see when she makes the jump from semi-pro to professional (and eventually drops “Mary” from her name)-
Mary Louise Goes To The Dallas Palace
One of the most fascinating, perhaps even startling, things to read was that she was described as a “blues singer” when she began her professional career. Pretty cool for a 16-17 year old. In fact, when she resumed her career in the late 1950′s, noted jazz critic Whitney Balliett compared her to Billie Holliday and Ella Fitzgerald. YouTube goodness here.
Mary Louise and Benny, San Francisco 1939
Ah, the joys of reading a small town newspaper where everyone knew everyone else’s business, and then published it!
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