Search - Frankie Newton :: Frankie Newton 1937 1939

A true orginial, a poet of the swing trumpets

Yves F. Smierciak | Chicago, Illinois United States | 03/06/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Frankie Newton (b Emory West Virgina 1/4/06- died NYC 3/11/54) was one of the greatest trumpeters of the 1930's (along with Roy Eldridge, Bunny Berigan and Hot Lips Page), and one who is virtually unsung today. A player of rare melodic invention, both powerful, yet quixotic (try "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone")he was also a master of mutes (particulary the cup, harmon and buzz mutes), and quite telling on the blues ( "The Blues My Baby Gave To Me" was his favorite recording, and he really plays with great sensitvity, both harmonically sophiciated, yet in touch of the preaching qualities the blues has to offer, unlike many of his contemporaries), one could compare him to his contemoprary Doc Cheatham, but he is more harmonically willing to take chances. His bands are the cream of the crop of the times,like Pete Brown (Brown's alto is a great foil to Newton's style, Brown is much more aggressive with the beat, while Newton can remind one occasionaly of Lester Young or Dicky Wells in his approach to the beat),Edmund Hall, Cecil Scott or Kenneth Hollon (and that's just the reeds, not to mention drummers like Cozy Cole or Sid Cattlet or what is probably trombonist Dicky Wells on "Vamp"). Like Lester Young (both of whom Panassie reffered to as "modernists" in the 1943 edition of "The Real Jazz"), Frankie may have just been ahead of the times. I would highly recommend this CD, you will have hours of listening pleasure of this great (and under recorded)trumpet player."