Second Timex All-Star Jazz Show Celebration: The Rehearsals, Part 2

Last week, we began a new series devoted to Maynard Frank Wolfe’s unpublished photos and the backstories behind the second Timex All-Star Jazz Show, which was broadcast live on CBS television on April 30, 1958.

In that initial post, we closed with photos of Louis Armstrong rehearsing with his All Stars and pointed out that Ruby Braff could be spotted playing along in one of them. Here’s a Maynard Frank Wolfe photo of Ruby by himself:

And here’s Ruby in action:

Ruby was there as part of Jack Teagarden’s band, along with bassist Chubby Jackson, clarinetist Tony Parenti, and former Armstrong All Stars Marty Napoleon on piano and Cozy Cole on bass. The first Timex show featured a memorable Armstrong-Teagarden duet on “Rockin’ Chair,” so it made sense to bring the two old friends back, this time to team up on “Jeepers Creepers.” Here’s a Wolfe photo of Armstrong and Teagarden rehearsing the routine:

Wolfe soon positioned himself from behind Armstrong and Teagarden and captured pure gold; even Braff can be seen beaming at watching them in action:

Once “Jeepers Creepers” was in shape, it was time to rehearse the finale, which would open with Armstrong in conversation with host Gary Moore. Here’s Louis going over the script, which was written by George T. Simon, the man with glasses directly behind Louis. On the left is host Moore while the man gesturing in the center of the frame is Director and Producer Bill Gobin, who had a long, distinguished career on television (check out his IMDB credits here). You can also spot bassist Chubby Jackson on the far left, as well as some of the photographers present, including Sam Shaw (with mustache) and Jerry Dantzic (with glasses; hopefully Jerry’s son Grayson can shed some more light on any of the background figures in these shots). And thanks to loyal reader Bernard Flegar for pointing out trombonist Freddie Assunto from the Dukes of Dixieland in the back, in between Gobin and Simon; even further back, wearing glasses, is the Dukes’ trumpeter Frank Assunto:

Bernard adds, “Directly in front of this pole between Gary Moore and Pops is ‘Papa Jac’ Assunto. To Papa Jac’s right is Jack Maheu and on Papa Jac’s left is Tony Parenti who is talking to Frank Assunto, visible in the previous picture.”

(In that last photo, you can see a banner in the background that reads “Theatrical Square Club of Greater New York.” From what I can tell, that organization didn’t have a theater or rehearsal space of its own, but they did host annual benefits at the Manhattan Center on 34th Street so perhaps that is the location for these photos. The 1959 rehearsals took place at the CBS Broadcast Center, 524 West 57th Street, but these photos seem to be taken at a different location.)

Director Gobin then had to get everyone’s attention; Teagarden and Chubby Jackson can be spotted from behind, with Lionel Hampton’s guitarist Billy Mackel in the background:

Teagarden looks bored as Gobin addresses the participants:

Here’s a close-up of Gobin in action, with Simon’s head visible in the foreground:

The next photo on that role of film is of Lionel Hampton with a glint in his eye, perhaps acknowledging Gobin’s call to the stage:

Wolfe spun his camera around and caught Gobin, Marty Napoleon, All Stars bassist Mort Herbert, Gary Moore and guest vocalist Jaye P. Morgan cracking up at Hamp:

More hysterics:

Eventually, Hampton appears in the frame, apparently doing a dance of some kind, quickly joined by Moore:

Hamp came and went and clearly broke it up, but then it was time to get down to business, with Gobin going over the script with Moore:

Just about everyone was in place so Louis started warming up, still wearing glasses from reading his script:

Hamp was in place, too, along with Gene Krupa, Billy Mackel, and Chubby Jackson in the background:

All Stars pianist Billy Kyle can be glimpsed in the back, observing the scene:

Holding down the piano chair was the great George Shearing (in the foreground, with glasses, is “Papa Jac” Assunto):

A close-up of Shearing:

All that was left was vocalist Jaye P. Morgan, who bonded warmly with Louis, as seen in these next three photos:

Simon brought Morgan over to meet with Krupa and Hampton:

Joining Armstrong, Morgan, Hampton, Krupa, Jackson, Shearing, and Teagarden on the finale would be baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan and Hampton’s entire orchestra (Ed Mullens, Eddie Williams, Dave Gonsalves, Arthur Hoyle (tps), Wade Marcus Jr., Lou Blackburn, Lawrence Williams (tbs), Leon Zachery, Leo Moore, Leroy Thomas, Bobby Plater, Andy McGhee, Sonny Shaw (reeds)). Wolfe finally swung around and got images of these participants, too:

Thanks to eagle-eyed Bernard Flegar for spotting Danny Barcelona way in the background, center, in between Hamp and Chubby, taking it all in; he just just joined the All Stars two months prior!

Louis began to blow, with Krupa backing him up, and Wolfe began taking some close-ups:

At some point, Hamp’s hat came off, as he launched into one of his typically extroverted performances, apparently just leading the band here as he has two drum sticks in his left hand:

That concludes all of the photos Wolfe took of Armstrong at the rehearsal but at some point, Gerry Mulligan’s quartet must have rehearsed and Wolfe took two striking photos of 22-year-old bassist Henry Grimes, who passed away last year:

With that, these initial rehearsals were finished and all that would remain would be the dress rehearsal on stage–Maynard Frank Wolfe would be there, too, and we’ll have some incredible photos from that gathering next time.