Oscar Pettiford

Recordings

Oscar Pettiford played bass in Ellington’s Big Band from 1945 to 1948, where he worked on multiple records and concerts with Ellington. In 1949, Pettiford broke his arm and started playing a cello while his arm was still in a sling.² He then became one the only musicians who played cello as a horn with a jazz big band. In the video above, Ellington gives a wonderful introduction about Oscar Pettiford’s musical abilities: “And now, Truly one of the milestones in jazz... well, considered the greatest of the jazz bass players has turned his talents to the cello. This of course is a new thing and has been recorded. We are very happy to present Oscar Pettiford.” - Ellington³

The arrangement of the popular big band tune is fun from the start (0:25). The band starts playing the melody, with the cello joining in on the B section by soloing (0:46). Pettiford plays in on the repetition of the A section (0:55), echoing the phrases of the other horns which brings us into Pettiford’s solo (1:05). He plays 4 solos with just the rhythm section. The listener gets to hear Ellington comp for Pettiford and it is a treat. Ellington adds some great lines and interacts with Pettiford (1:38) (1:48) (3:05). Listening to Pettiford playing pizzicato with such melodic and rhythmic lines is incredible. Pettiford sets a standard and legitimizes playing pizzicato, instead of with the bow, in jazz cello. You can also hear the jazz bass technique influence come through in his use of intervals on cello that are similar to bass. Then, the horn section comes in with a loud background, while Pettiford continues soloing (3:45). They go into some stop time which then Pettiford plays some rhythmic double stops that get Ellington’s shouts (4:04). I can hear those double stops without listening back to the track. Multiple times throughout Pettiford’s solo you can hear Ellington and possibly someone else diggin’ on Pettiford’s solo, shouting in approval of what Pettiford is playing. This response to music is encouraged by many jazz musicians. The stop time is an energetic ending fit for such a unique recording.

Although there is a lot to love in this performance, there are some logistical issues with how the performance is recorded. Because Pettiford plays cello pizzicato, his volume of sound is much lower than any other instrument in the entire band. Therefore, Pettiford's cello is highly amplified. So when Pettiford plays with the band in any capacity, it is as if a mega cello is playing with a big band. Using the cello amplified allows for Pettiford to play cello pizzicato but it is not always ideal. It would not be that feasible to have cello play in the horn section without being amplified. My personal preference is for an acoustic ensemble with as little use of microphones , whether for amplification or recording purposes, as possible. This is because I value the musician’s ability to balance both within their sections, and with all the other sections. It is impossible to hear yourself playing pizzicato in such a large group, let alone an audience or the musicians next to you. However, if you played cello with the bow in the trombone section, the cello could balance with the other trombones, and take solos whenever permitted. Regarding solos, if there are any backgrounds from the band, they are composed with regard to the range of the instrument and the projection of the instrument. So if a flute or trombone solos, the band is not going to play as loud as during a trumpet solo nor in the same range. A bowed cello can fit this big band medium but not many have tried. When jazz was opening up to other instruments during the 1960s, this was usually in the medium chamber jazz, combo jazz, or soloist with a big band. Pettiford demonstrates this as a jazz cello soloist with the big band. It would be great to see a big band with a cellist in their horn section.

This tune has Pettiford playing both accompaniment on bass and solo on cello. Pettiford recorded the cello part after he recorded on bass. Pettiford plays a rhythmic, drum-like tone, pattern on cello that fits in well with the cymbal from the drums and the deep bass tones (0:03). This is a cool blues, nothing too out of the ordinary (0:24). The warmth of the introduction and melody in the horns leads well into the guitar tone of Tal Farlow (0:40). The swing of the rhythm section with the soloists really gives the magic. Sometimes I think, I can't take another blues and then I hear something like this-- where everyone is swinging hard and listening to each other. Not to mention Max Roach, incredible drummer and composer, is really keeping the song cool with his brushes. Everyone takes a solo on this tune, allowing for the listener to hear all the different timbres complimenting each other. It feels like you are hearing this live at a jazz show. Pettiford’s solo fits this blues style, with plenty of space and melodic ideas. It is short and sweet, followed by the original introduction pattern he played earlier.

This tune was written by Pettiford himself. We don’t always hear musicians play their own tunes whether in jazz or other types of music. I think it is a joy to hear the artist’s version because it gives more information than a chord chart. You can hear different nuances and important sections that the artists put in. This version is incredibly short. The melody has plenty of state, repeat, and variation in the first A section. This A section gives a great, chirpy tone to this tune. When Pettiford solos, he sticks with the happy character. He plays plenty of melody in those few measures of solo, and is cut off by the horns. Then we get to hear Pettiford play the melody with the band!! This is the first time we hear him play in exact unison with the band. It can be somewhat hard to catch the first time listening. This tune is a great example of Pettiford demonstrating the solo and melodic abilities of pizzicato cello.

Written by Oscar Pettiford and Lloyd Trotman, this recording demonstrates the cello as a solo horn instrument with a combo. The tune uses scales and intervals that were not typically used in Western music, such as the locrian or phrygian scales. The bass drums rhythm, the celeste, the bass riff in a minor mode, the piano using minor seconds, diminished and chromatic chords and movement, and the cello using slides and augmented intervals create a tune that utilizes rhythms and harmony from other styles of music, possibly stereotypically.⁷ The arrangement of each instrument makes use of these timbres and techniques to create a unique tune. I really enjoy how well the tone of the pizzicato cello fits in this. Especially when Pettiford plays the slides with more aggressive pizzicato, adding to the already established rhythms and base. It is also a treat to hear Ellington in a combo fashion with these musicians. Here we see that the cello can fit in any style of jazz, if one is creative enough.

References:

1. https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-1953-pasadena-concert-mw0000187975/credits

2. Eric Friedlander, another jazz cellist, is the first person I see mention Oscar Pettiford's broken arm from baseball. It is also mentioned here: https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/30/arts/music/30barb.html

3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGA3i94VnMQ

4. https://www.discogs.com/Oscar-Pettiford-Sextet-Oscar-Pettiford-Sextet/release/9736134

5. https://www.discogs.com/Oscar-Pettiford-Modern-Quintet-Oscar-Pettiford/release/6230917

6. https://www.discogs.com/Duke-Ellington-Presents-Oscar-Pettiford-His-Cello-And-Quartet-Take-The-A-Train-Oscalypso/release/9449863

7. Exoticism is a common theme in jazz, with a range of uses. See this article for more information. Jazz Exotica – Indian Music and Jazz. Retrieved from https://www.ivoryresearch.com/samples/jazz-exotica-indian-music-and-jazz/