I often entitle my little bios of Woodstock performers by including the word “Woodstock” before or after their name. An SEO strategy.
In the case of Teddy Harris, the word Woodstock, however much apropos, is far too limiting because his roots and branches are Detroit.
As he says above, “Nobody swings as hard as Detroit.”
Detroit Teddy Harris Jr
Detroit
Theodore Edward Harris Jr. was born in Detroit on August 27, 1934.
His first music teacher was his father, jazz organist Theodore Harris Sr.
A Metrotimes article recounts his early musical milestone: as a precocious 7-year-old, [Harris] had a musical epiphany…at the Paradise Theatre. As recounted in Harris family lore, the curtains opened, the youngster jumped up on his seat, pointed at Duke Ellington on stage and pronounced, “That’s what I want to be.”
Harris himself talked about his home’s musical atmosphere: “I came up in a house full of music. I had uncles that sang; they sang like birds. They had a trio called the Cosmopolitan Trio, and they sang in churches throughout the area. My father was their accompanist. Every Saturday my father would give me a haircut, and after I would listen to the guys sing and rehearse.”
In high school, he served as student band director.
Detroit Teddy Harris Jr
New England
In 1955 Harris attended the New England Conservatory for a time before being drafted in 1956. Before he left he was part of Jackie Wilson’s first hit “Reet Petite (The Finest Girl You Ever Want to Meet).”
Detroit Teddy Harris Jr
Germany
The military did not interfere with his musical journey. He performed as guest saxophonist with the 7th Army Symphony Orchestra and Soldier’s Show Company
Detroit Teddy Harris Jr
Paris
After his discharge in 1959 he studied with Nadia Boulanger in Paris before returning to Detroit.
Detroit Teddy Harris Jr
Back in Detroit
Harris had known Berry Gordy, Jr and when Harris returned to Detroit in 1961, he became part of Gordy’s growning Motown enterprise. He worked with Marvin Gaye, Martha Reeves, the Temptations and Smokey Robinson.
Detroit Teddy Harris Jr
Woodstock
Bassist friend Rod Hicks got Harris to join the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, which led to Harris’s presence at Woodstock. He described flying over the site as looking at “biggest Indian pow-wow in the world.”
After Paul Butterfield, Harris spent 16 years as musical director for the Supremes.
Post Woodstock
In the early 1980s Harris formed the New Breed Bebop Society Orchestra while heading a summer arts workshop for economically disadvantaged youngsters.
During the mid 1980s, Harris led the house band at Dummy George’s, and led a big band often accompanied with The Detroit Voices.
Awards
Some of the awards he received were: Outstanding Contributions (United Negro College Fund) 1986; Distinguished Recognition Medal (City of Detroit) 1990; State of Michigan Special Tribute 1992; Legends of Jazz International Hall of Fame; Michiganian of the Year 1993; Jazz Masters Award 1993; 1993 Key to the City of Detroit; Spirit of Detroit Award 1994, Governor’s Michigan Artist Award 1995.
Teddy Harris died of prostate cancer at John D Dingell VA Medical Center in Detroit.
The Motown Forever site said of Harris: There was always an elegance about Teddy Harris Jr., from the fluid caress of his piano and saxophone work, to the curlicue grace and bebop lyricism of his arrangements, to the hip presence with which he led his bands and mentored generation after generation of young jazz musicians.
And there are recordings that some of his students did while they were trying to learn the guitar playing intricacies that Davis could do.
I will stick with the four recording sessions that he did at Van Gelder mainly because of that studio’s fame for so many classic recordings, particularly jazz.
Rev Gary Davis Van Gelder
Gary D. Davis
Gary Davis was born on April 30, 1896 in Laurens, South Carolina. He was the oldest of eight children and the only one to survive.
In his 20s he moved to Durham, North Carolina and barely supported himself busking in its streets mainly the blues until he was ordained a minister in 1937. At that point, despite requests, he tried to get away from “secular” music, particularly when recording.
He moved to New York in the 40s where he continued busking and living in poverty. To supplement his income, he gave guitar lessons. $5 a lesson.
Van Gelder Recording Sessions
While he had been recorded several times earlier than his first Van Gelder session, the highest quality recordings came from those in Englewood Cliffs.
August 24, 1960
Rev Gary Davis Van Gelder
Harlem Street Singer
Matt Fink in his All Music review says, “…Gary Davis laid down 12 of his most impassioned spirituals for Harlem Street Singer. Starting off the session with a version of Blind Willie Johnson’s “If I Had My Way I’d Tear That Building Down,” here renamed “Samson and Delilah,” Davis is in fine form. His vocals are as expressive as Ray Charles’ while similar in richness to Richie Havens’ work. Harlem Street Singer features his inspired country blues fingerpicking as well. Many moods color the selections, from the gentle “I Belong to the Band” to the mournful “Death Don’t Have No Mercy,” only to be followed by the joyous shouting of “Goin’ to Sit Down on the Banks of the River.” Overall, the collection is well worth the purchase and should be considered essential listening for fans of country blues or gospel.”
Track listing
Unless noted otherwise, all compositions are by Davis:
“Goin’ to Sit Down on the Banks of the River” – 2:55
“Tryin’ to Get Home” – 3:46
“Lo I Be With You Always” – 4:17
“I Am the Light of the World” – 3:34
“I Feel Just Like Goin’ On” – 3:29
Rev Gary Davis Van Gelder
August 10, 1961
A Little More Faith
Again Bruce Elder from AllMusic: Gary Davis’ second album for Prestige Records is a confusing affair, at least as far as its title — Little More Faith is how it’s listed in lots of reference sources, but its front cover calls it A Little More Faith, while its spine (at least for the CD issue) calls it Have a Little Faith. But by whatever name it’s called, it’s a masterpiece: its dozen songs recorded on one day in August of 1961 are nothing less than priceless. Davis presents an easy virtuosity on his solo guitar, and runs his voice across a surprisingly wide range in what is mostly gospel repertory. Not that any blues fans will mind his approach: Davis was one of those figures where the sound and feel of blues becomes indistinguishable from those of gospel. He was just doing what came naturally on this record, laying down 12 songs he knew well from across decades of performing, including a raw and affecting “Motherless Child” and the upbeat, inspiring “There’s a Bright Side Somewhere.” And his easy, unselfconscious approach demonstrates that he never once thought twice about his contributions to an already classic body of music. Included among the jewels here are some of the roots of the blues revival of the next generation, including Davis’ rendition of “I’ll Be All Right Some Day,” a song that Jorma Kaukonen parlayed into a killer opening for his solo magnum opus, Quah, about 13 years later. And speaking of natural, the stereo mastering of this album works amazingly well, despite the fact that it puts Davis‘ voice on one channel and his guitar on another; mono sound might be more authentic, but this way you can fully appreciate his playing and his singing, each on its own terms.
Track listing
Unless noted otherwise, all compositions are by Davis:
“There’s a Bright Side Somewhere” (Traditional) – 3:12
“I’ll Be All Right Some Day” – 3:03
“You Better Mind” – 3:26
“A Little More Faith” – 3:40
“I’ll Fly Away” (Albert E. Brumley) – 4:32
“God’s Gonna Separate” (Traditional) – 3:35
“When I Die I’ll Live Again” – 3:28
Rev Gary Davis Van Gelder
Late 1961
Say No to the Devil
Bruce Elder in his AllMusic review states, “His second Prestige album of 1961 shows the Rev. Gary Davis not breaking stride for a second, even in the wake of the triumphant A Little More Faith. The repertory here is perhaps a little more traditional gospel in orientation, and the songs more cautionary in nature — but that doesn’t stop Davis from displaying some overpowering dexterity, and if anything his singing is even more exuberant here. And this time out, in addition to his six-string guitar, he treats us to his powerful 12-string playing on “Time Is Drawing Near” and “Lost Boy In The Wilderness,” the latter a shimmering five-minute showcase for the instrument that’s almost worth the price of admission by itself; and he also shows off his considerable harmonica dexterity — of a distinctly old-school style — on “Hold To God’s Unchanging Hand” and “No One Can Do Me Like Jesus.” The stereo mix on this album, when compared to its predecessor, is also a bit more naturalistic, without sacrificing any detail in the finely nuanced playing or singing, and the result is an album as fine as its predecessor, and an equally worthy part of any serious acoustic blues collection.
Track listing
Unless noted otherwise, all compositions are by Davis:
“Say No to the Devil” – 4:01
“Time Is Drawing Near” – 4:26
“Hold on to God’s Unchanging Hand” (Traditional) – 4:35
“Bad Company Brought Me Here” – 3:38
“I Decided to Go Down” – 4:25
“Lord, I Looked Down the Road” – 4:20
“Little Bitty Baby” (Traditional) – 4:32
“No One Can Do Me Like Jesus” – 3:40
“Lost Boy in the Wilderness” – 5:01
“Tryin’ to Get to Heaven in Due Time” – 4:24
Time Is Drawing Near:
Rev Gary Davis Van Gelder
March 2, 1964
The Guitar & Banjo of Reverend Gary Davis
From Richie Unterberger at AllMusic: Because this is an all-instrumental recording, it’s an offbeat entry into the catalog of a performer known both as an important guitarist and as a singer. Some might miss Davis‘ vocals on this 1964 recording, but on the other hand there are plenty of records with him singing around. This gives listeners a chance to hone in on his dexterous guitar skills, blending ragtime, folk, and blues, usually on guitar (though he plays banjo on a couple of songs, and harmonica on one). “Maple Leaf Rag” is a natural showcase for Davis’ talents, and “Candy Man,” which may be his most well-known song, is here presented without words, making for an interesting juxtaposition with more commonly heard versions on which he (or others) sings. As further evidence of his eclecticism, there’s a version of “United States March aka Soldier’s Drill” — not the best format for his strengths, certainly, but an illustration of his ability to adapt his style to unexpected material.
Track listing
Unless noted otherwise, all compositions are by Davis:
“Maple Leaf Rag” (Scott Joplin) – 2:58
“Slow Drag” – 2:27
“The Boy Was Kissing the Girl (and Playing the Guitar the Same Time)” – 2:42
(The header picture–Beatles in Detroit, September 6, 1964 is from the cover of Chuck Gunderson’s book, Some Fun Tonight. See below)
Almost Everyone
On February 9, 1964 every living person in the United States watched the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show. At least it seemed that way. The actual viewership estimated is 73 million people. There were 192 million people in the USA in 1964, so apparently “everyone” was only 40% of the population, but that ain’t bad.
The Beatles played live twice on the show: New York City on February 9 & and Miami on the 16th. CBS had recorded their third appearance on February 9, but held it until February 23. I didn’t realize it wasn’t live until decades later.
On February 11, in between New York and Miami, the Beatles had traveled by train (plane cancelled due to a snow storm) to Washington, DC and play live in the Washington Coliseum. The next day, back in New York City, they played twice in Carnegie Hall.
They returned to Great Britain, took a break, then had a 5-venue April UK tour.
Beatles North America 1964
First World Tour
Before the band came back to North America, they began a world tour on June 4….Copenhagen. Three more shows in Europe. One in Hong Kong. Sixteen shows in Australia and New Zealand. Then back to Europe for shows in England and Sweden. 30 shows total and the two-part tour didn’t end until August 16…Blackpool, England.
Beatles North America 1964
First North American Tour
The band came back to North America for the summer 1964 tour which began on August 19 at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Here is the complete list of that North American tour:
19 August
Daly City
United States
Cow Palace
20 August
Las Vegas
Convention Hall
21 August
Seattle
Seattle Center Coliseum
22 August
Vancouver
Canada
Empire Stadium
23 August
Los Angeles
United States
Hollywood Bowl
26 August
Morrison
Red Rocks Amphitheatre
27 August
Cincinnati
Cincinnati Gardens
28 August
NYC
Forest Hills Stadium
29 August
30 August
Atlantic City
Convention Hall
2 September
Philadelphia
Convention Hall
3 Sept
Indianapolis
Indiana State Fairgrounds
4 Sept
Milwaukee
Milwaukee Arena
5 Sept
Chicago
International Amphitheatre
6 September
Detroit
Olympia Stadium
7 Sept
Toronto
Canada
Maple Leaf Gardens
8 Sept
Montreal
Montreal Forum
11 Sept
Jacksonville
United States
Gator Bowl Stadium
12 Sept
Boston
Boston Garden
13 Sept
Baltimore
Baltimore Civic Center
14 Sept
Pittsburgh
Civic Arena
15 Sept
Cleveland
Public Auditorium
16 Sept
New Orleans
City Park Stadium
17 Sept
Kansas City
Municipal Stadium
18 Sept
Dallas
Memorial Auditorium
20 Sept
NYC
Paramount Theater
It was a grueling schedule. Each stop typically had a press conference after landing and the Beatles got to answer the same questions most reporters had asked the day before.
Beatles North America 1964
Some Fun Tonight
Beatles rock the house in Detroit, Sept. 6, 1964
Chuck Gunderson wrote Some Fun Tonight. an amazingly thorough 2-volume book about the Beatles’ North American tours. Of the 1964’s end, he wrote: Before the plane took off, American Flyers Airline presented each Beatle with a black note-book that contained a detailed route map, flight itineraries, and a list of the tour cities and dates. All told, the Beatles had flown 22,441 miles since leaving London. In North America alone, they’d covered 13,645 miles in the air. and logged forty-one hours and twenty-one minutes of flying time…”
Gunderson added: “The tour was a huge success, and [Brian] Epstein informed reporters…that it had raked in over a million dollars–$1,187,623.80 before expenses.”
Beatles North America 1964
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