Finally, the band is back together!
This week, the City of Carmel will place all six of the jazz musician sculptures on the west side of the Palladium, the home of the Great American Songbook. This six-piece set is the artistic creation of J. Seward Johnson and is titled My Sixteen-Year-Old Jazz Dreams.
Three pieces of this set were previously placed at Carter Green, but had to be moved when seasonal activities took place each year. The city is now ready to install all six pieces in a permanent location.
A concrete platform has been placed on the west side of the Palladium for this installation. The sculptures will be facing 3rd Avenue SW with the Palladium as a backdrop. In the new location, the public will have a better chance to interact with the sculptures, as will visiting artists and performers who will be more apt to see them as they arrive at the Palladium.
Below is a description of each of the sculptures:
Gene Krupa
Drums: Gene Krupa (January 15, 1909, Chicago, Ill. — October 16, 1973, Yonkers, N.Y.), considered to be the “founding father of the modern drum set,” was an American jazz drummer who was perhaps the most popular percussionist of the swing era.
Jack Teagarden
Trombone: Jack Teagarden (August 20, 1905, Vernon, Texas — January 15, 1964, New Orleans, La.), was an American jazz trombonist who was unique, in part because he developed a widely imitated style that appeared to have arrived fully formed. He is considered the most innovative jazz trombone stylist of the pre-bebop era.
Louis Armstrong
Trumpet: Louis Armstrong (August 4, 1901, New Orleans, La. — July 6, 1971, New York, N.Y.), nicknamed “Satchmo,” was among the most influential figures in jazz. Armstrong’s career spanned five decades and several eras in the history of jazz. His songs include “What a Wonderful World,” “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In.”
Sidney Bechet
Soprano Sax: Sidney Bechet (May 14, 1897, New Orleans, La. — May 14, 1959, Paris, France), was a jazz musician known as a master of the soprano saxophone and clarinet. Together with Louis Armstrong, he was the first to develop the loose, fluid rhythmic style that set jazz apart from ragtime and that came to be known as “swing.”
Milt Hinton
Double Bass: Milt Hinton (June 23, 1910, Vicksburg, Miss. — December 19, 2000, Jamaica, Queens, N.Y.), known as the “Judge” because he was considered the ultimate timekeeper. Hinton became one of the favorite bassists of post-World War II jazz. With a recording career that lasted more than 60 years, Hinton is considered the most-recorded jazz musician of all time.
Hoagy Carmichael
Piano: Hoagy Carmichael (November 22, 1899, Bloomington, Ind. — December 27, 1981, Rancho Mirage, Calif.), was an American composer, singer, self-taught pianist, and actor. Carmichael composed the music for “Stardust,” “Georgia on My Mind,” “The Nearness of You,” and “Heart and Soul,” four of the most-recorded American songs of all time.