Biddy Fleet

[Al_F]

I'm reading, "Swing to Bop, an oral history' which I'm sure lots of people have read. Guitarist Biddy Fleet has a long passage about the evolution of chords that is really interesting. He was an influence on Bird and I'd like to hear his playing. I know he played with Roy Eldridge, but can't identify specific recordings he may be on. Doe's anyone have any recommendations? Thanks.

[oldane]

I too have heard the stories about him and Bird, and about how Biddy Fleet expaded Birds knowledge of harmony. Bird told in an interview, that he sometimes could "hear" what he would like to play like, but he couldn't play it. Then - at a jam session where also Fleet was present - it occurred to him that he could play the higher intervals of the chords and join them with appropirate passing chords - and as he siad, he "came alive". It seems that Biddy Fleet was instrumental to Bird dicovering this.

As for records with Biddy Fleet, I have no idea, but Roy Eldridge from that time would be a guess. He seems to have been a sideman all his time.

Here's a link to a little about Biddy Fleet written by his son:

Biddy and Bird: The Evolution of Be-Bop

[M-ster]

oldane, thanks for that link. Good read.

[fleetflute55]

Greetings All! This is James Fleet, son of guitarist Biddy Fleet! You seem to be having a great conversation about my dad and his now historic jam sessions with Charlie Parker back in 1939. Well, please let me add some more wood to the fire, if I may. Before I begin, I want you to know that as I am writing this post I am looking at my dad's 1938 Gibson LS 150 guitar. It is the same one that he played during his sessions with Charlie Parker in 1939. The guitar is in great shape considering it's age and it's journey! And what a journey it was! Okay, here we go: In April of 1938 (the year before my dad met Bird) Biddy Fleet played on a series of historic recording sessions with Jelly Roll Morton, the legendary New Orleans pianist! My father was twenty years YOUNGER than Morton, but Morton wanted him on the date! The sessions are called The Baltimore Acetates and are a part of The Smithsonian Institute's Collection. Dad played on two songs: Melancholy Baby and Honeysuckle Rose. He solos on one of the tunes and it is here that you can hear a glimpse of the harmonic direction that he was headed. The beautiful thing is that you can hear both of these songs online. Simply google "The Baltimore Acetates" . My father was also an electrician. He made and performed on the great stages using amplifiers that he had built! Follow me now: On one occassion, back in the 1940's, there was a little fellow sitting in the front row taking notes and admiring one of Biddy's self made amps. The man's name was Les Paul! Believe me, this is true.
Now, when Bird came to Harlem from the midwest he sat in with my dad's group at the Chili house. My father, as you know, was ten years OLDER than Bird so, he was a mentor to Parker, and not the other way around. Because most sidemen usually get little recognition, and guitarist back then received less (other than Charlie Christian and Django of course) the historians, when quoting Bird's interview, mostly cite Bird as saying "there's got to be something else, I could hear it sometimes but I couldn't play it". They omit Parker's quote that "Biddy would run new chords"! You see what I mean?! Those flatted fifths, chromatic passing tones and augmented chords were the MEAT of what my dad was playing and that sparked Bird in a profound way, so much so that he said "I came alive"! I have home recordings of my father playing Cherokee and his ideas, his solos, are very similar to Bird's style. Hmmmm. Deep stuff, very deep
.
Biddy Fleet also taught Frank Wess, the legendary Basie saxophonist and flautist, back in 1937 in Washington DC! Frank is now 89 years young and still performing. He recently told me that it was my father who brought Charlie Parker around to Minton's and all of those jazz clubs back in the 1940's so that he could meet the musicians and blow! My father was also instrumental to Dr. Billy Taylor's career when the pianist was just starting out in Washington DC in the early 1940's.

I have much more, but I'll leave that for another time. Suffice it to say that the countless jazz guitarists of the swing/bop era made an immeasurable contribution to jazz music, and most of those people were friends, peers and colleagues of my dad, Biddy Fleet.

Peace,

James Fleet

[Al_F]

Thank you, James, I will look up the recordings you mention and its very cool to read all this about your father!

[FatJeff]

Amazing post, thanks for coming in and enlightening us!

[princeplanet]

Originally Posted by fleetflute55

Greetings All! This is James Fleet, son of guitarist Biddy Fleet! You seem to be having a great conversation about my dad and his now historic jam sessions with Charlie Parker back in 1939. Well, please let me add some more wood to the fire, if I may. Before I begin, I want you to know that as I am writing this post I am looking at my dad's 1938 Gibson LS 150 guitar. It is the same one that he played during his sessions with Charlie Parker in 1939. The guitar is in great shape considering it's age and it's journey! And what a journey it was! Okay, here we go: In April of 1938 (the year before my dad met Bird) Biddy Fleet played on a series of historic recording sessions with Jelly Roll Morton, the legendary New Orleans pianist! My father was twenty years YOUNGER than Morton, but Morton wanted him on the date! The sessions are called The Baltimore Acetates and are a part of The Smithsonian Institute's Collection. Dad played on two songs: Melancholy Baby and Honeysuckle Rose. He solos on one of the tunes and it is here that you can hear a glimpse of the harmonic direction that he was headed. The beautiful thing is that you can hear both of these songs online. Simply google "The Baltimore Acetates" . My father was also an electrician. He made and performed on the great stages using amplifiers that he had built! Follow me now: On one occassion, back in the 1940's, there was a little fellow sitting in the front row taking notes and admiring one of Biddy's self made amps. The man's name was Les Paul! Believe me, this is true.
Now, when Bird came to Harlem from the midwest he sat in with my dad's group at the Chili house. My father, as you know, was ten years OLDER than Bird so, he was a mentor to Parker, and not the other way around. Because most sidemen usually get little recognition, and guitarist back then received less (other than Charlie Christian and Django of course) the historians, when quoting Bird's interview, mostly cite Bird as saying "there's got to be something else, I could hear it sometimes but I couldn't play it". They omit Parker's quote that "Biddy would run new chords"! You see what I mean?! Those flatted fifths, chromatic passing tones and augmented chords were the MEAT of what my dad was playing and that sparked Bird in a profound way, so much so that he said "I came alive"! I have home recordings of my father playing Cherokee and his ideas, his solos, are very similar to Bird's style. Hmmmm. Deep stuff, very deep
.
Biddy Fleet also taught Frank Wess, the legendary Basie saxophonist and flautist, back in 1937 in Washington DC! Frank is now 89 years young and still performing. He recently told me that it was my father who brought Charlie Parker around to Minton's and all of those jazz clubs back in the 1940's so that he could meet the musicians and blow! My father was also instrumental to Dr. Billy Taylor's career when the pianist was just starting out in Washington DC in the early 1940's.

I have much more, but I'll leave that for another time. Suffice it to say that the countless jazz guitarists of the swing/bop era made an immeasurable contribution to jazz music, and most of those people were friends, peers and colleagues of my dad, Biddy Fleet.

Peace,

James Fleet

Wow! Astonishing to be hearing from the son of one of the bop originators. I've always felt that there was a guitar player's logic to a lot of the bop ideas, and not just because of Charlie Christian. To think that your dad had an influence on bebop and on Les Paul, 2 of my favorite inventions, bebop and the electric guitar! Unless this is some cruel joke, I feel exceptionally honored to be reading your post. Please regale us with more (all !) of your stories!!