Dancing Dave (1930) - Charlie Holmes Transcription
Charlie Holmes with Henry Red Allen, 1930
Born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1910, Charlie Holmes was a saxophonist and clarinetist who worked with a dazzling array of jazz royalty including Louis Armstrong, Cootie Williams, Henry Red Allen, King Oliver, Luis Russell and many more. He was a childhood friend of Harry Carney and Johnny Hodges, who he based his early style on. Holmes recorded between 1927 and 1951 before taking a hiatus for over 20 years, returning to recorded jazz in the mid-1970s. Holmes was a skilled and individual alto and soprano saxophonist who occasionally doubled on clarinet when necessary for section work.
Charlie Holmes, date & photographer unknown
Like many of his contemporaries Holmes’ soprano output tappers off as he focuses exclusively on the alto as the 1930s give way to the ‘40s. The sides he cut on soprano stand out and distinguish Holmes’ as one of a small group of accomplished soprano players in the ‘20s and ‘30s with a unique and personal sound on the instrument.
After beginning his recording career with Luis Russell in 1927, Holmes’ joined Henry Red Allen in 1929 and recorded Dancing Dave in 1930. This 18-bar solo demonstrates Holmes’ control over the soprano, other soloists in this era can often be heard cracking notes, playing flat in the high register, and just generally fumbling. Holmes’ playing posses none of these quirks and his relaxed phrasing, a mix of blues and arpeggiated lines, flow logically and comfortably over the rhythm section. There are some certainly similarities to Johnny Hodges’ soprano sound though Bechet’s ever present influence abounds particularly in Holmes’ use of fast vibrato. Much like Boyd Atkins, who I previously transcribed last summer, I hear the impact of Louis Armstrong’s rhythmic concept in Holmes’ playing as well.
Without further ado, here is Dancing Dave:
Like last weeks transcription I completed this away from the instrument while my face heals from a bicycle accident so there may be some quirks or mistakes. I plan to go back through these in the future when my chops are back and will update these posts when I do! Enjoy!
Sources:
https://www.jazzarcheology.com/artists/charlie_holmes.pdf
https://www.harlem-fuss.com/pdf/bands/harlem_fuss_bands_allen_henry_ny_orchestra.pdf