Teddy Nixon

Originally from the city of brotherly love, trombonist Teddy Nixon was one of the first generation of professional American jazz musicians, active in both the '20s and '30s. Interestingly enough, he made transition from the modernistic direction of big band leader Fletcher Henderson in the former era back to the roots jazz of Sidney Bechet a decade later. But Nixon was a sideman's sideman, making necessary but nonetheless smallish contributions to the groups and recordings he was featured on. And although he does show up on quite a few sides, mostly by these aforementioned leaders, the listener would have a tough time figuring out what the man's personal artistic vision might have been. Part of this comes from the format of the music he was involved in, which often left bandmembers such as him with half-chorus length solos that go by in the blink of an eye. That Nixon was an important collaborator in the sonic vision of Fletcher Henderson is beyond dispute. At least the big band maestro seems to have liked having Nixon around as he shows up on quite a few sessions featuring variously sized Henderson aggregations, from the septet operating under the pseudonym Seven Brown Babes to the full-sized Fletcher Henderson Orchestra. In these outfits, he played alongside some of the most historic figures in jazz, such as tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins. He also backed up blues singer Rosa Henderson -- no relation to Fletcher -- on recordings for Ajax in 1929, and played with drummer Big Sid Catlett and bassist Wellman Braud, known for his work with Duke Ellington. In 1932, Nixon became a member of a pretty much all-star sextet, the New Orleans Feetwarmers. This band was the brainstorm of soprano saxophonist Sidney Bechet, who by then had already been pioneering in the jazz idiom for nearly two decades, and trumpeter Tommy Ladnier, a playing buddy of Bechet's since the old days. This was considered a supergroup of the New Orleans idiom, but like many such ensembles only a limited lifetime was in the offing. Despite doing smash business at the Savoy Ballroom and recording some classic sides for Victor, the band collapsed due to both disputes between the co-leaders about decision power and a changing musical climate that presented fewer opportunities for so-called "hot" jazz musicians. The new trends were toward extravagant, over-arranged, and lush big band charts with crooning romantic balladeers. Perhaps none of this appealed to Teddy Nixon because there doesn't seem to be much record of his professional work after 1935, when a version of the New Orleans Feetwarmers cut two more sides for Ajax. The trombonist seems to have followed the forecast of a politician from a later era who happens to share his last name: "You won't have...Nixon to kick around anymore." ~ Eugene Chadbourne