One of swing music’s greatest propagandists, John Henry Hammond II was responsible, at least partially, for discovering a remarkable list of musicians through the years, including Billie Holiday, Count Basie, Charlie Christian, George Benson, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, and Bruce Springsteen. Although these artists would certainly have made it on their own, Hammond’s intervention made their rise to fame swifter.
A masterful talent scout, producer, promoter, and an early fighter against racism, Hammond could be a bit dominant and overly forceful in his viewpoints, but time has found him to have been generally spot-on and well-intentioned. Although born into a wealthy family and educated at Yale, Hammond had a great love for Black music almost from the start. As early as 1933 (when he was 22), he was active in the music business, discovering Billie Holiday and getting her into the recording studio, producing Bessie Smith’s final sessions, and becoming a friend of the young Benny Goodman (who would marry Hammond’s sister).
Hammond produced freewheeling American jazz sessions for the European market, worked with Fletcher Henderson and Benny Carter, and encouraged Goodman to form his first big band. In 1935, he teamed Lady Day with pianist Teddy Wilson for a series of classic recordings, and the next year he discovered Count Basie’s orchestra while randomly scanning the radio dial (he soon flew to Kansas City and encouraged Basie to come East). “John’s Idea,” originally titled, “I May Be Wrong It’s John’s Idea,” is a tribute to John Hammond written by Count Basie. In 1938 and 1939, he organized the famous “Spirituals to Swing” all-star Carnegie Hall Concerts.
After hearing about Charlie Christian in 1939, Hammond took a plane to Oklahoma City, listened to the young guitarist for himself, and flew him to Los Angeles, where he had Christian audition for an initially reluctant Benny Goodman.
Although he could be a pain (Duke Ellington, in particular, did not care for his dominant personality), John Hammond certainly made his mark on jazz and music history.
This episode of “Soundtrack to the Struggle” was written by Hollis Monroe. Produced by Ron Adkins.
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