Frank Teschemacher | |
|---|---|
 Teschemacher, ca. 1928 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | March 13, 1906 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Origin | Chicago,Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | March 1, 1932 (aged 25) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Instruments | |
Frank Teschemacher (March 13, 1906 – March 1, 1932)[1] was an Americanjazzclarinetist and alto-saxophonist, associated with the"Austin High" gang (along withJimmy McPartland,Bud Freeman and others).
He was born inKansas City, Missouri,[1] but spent most of his career based inChicago,Illinois, although gigs sometimes took him toNew York City, theU.S. Midwest, andFlorida.
Teschemacher was a member of the Austin High School Gang, a group of young, white musicians from theWest Side of Chicago, who all attendedAustin High School during the early 1920s. They rose to prominence as pioneers of the Chicago Style in the 1920s, which was modeled on a faster version ofNew Orleans jazz.[2]
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Strongly influenced by cornetistBix Beiderbecke, Teschemacher was mainly self-taught on his instruments; early on he also doubled onviolin andbanjo. He started playing theclarinet professionally in 1925.[1] He began recording under his own name in 1928 and made what are believed to be his final recordings two years later, although there is now reason to believe (via sine wave recording research, aka Smith/Westbrook Method) that he appeared on unidentified recordings as late as 1932.
His first recording was withRed McKenzie andEddie Condon's Chicagoans on December 9, 1927, forOkeh ("Sugar" and "China Boy").[3] A second session took place one week later ("Nobody's Sweetheart" and "Liza").[3] The sessions included members of the Austin High School Gang:Jimmy McPartland,Bud Freeman, andJim Lanigan, as well as Chicagoans Eddie Condon,Gene Krupa andJoe Sullivan. Red McKenzie was the session leader.[4][5]
In the spring of 1928, he recorded with two other Red McKenzie and Eddie Condon groups, the Chicago Rhythm Kings and the Jungle Kings. On April 28, 1928, he made his first recordings under his own name forBrunswick Records ("Jazz Me Blues" and "Singing the Blues"). The group recorded under the name Frank Teschmacher's Chicagoans. A test pressing of “Jazz Me Blues” was made which was released in 1939 on the United Hot Clubs of America (UHCA) label and later reissued byDecca Records.[6]
Teschemacher's solo work laid the groundwork for a rich sound and creative approach that is credited with influencing a youngBenny Goodman and a style of whichPee Wee Russell. He also made recordings on thesaxophone. Late in his career, he returned to playing violin withJan Garber's sweet dance orchestra during theGreat Depression.
Teschemacher was featured in episode two, "The Gift", in the 2001 documentaryJazz byKen Burns onPBS on the topic of the Austin High School Gang.
Teschemacher was killed in an automobile accident on the morning of March 1, 1932, a passenger in a car driven by his performing associate cornetist"Wild" Bill Davison. He was twelve days shy of what would have been his 26th birthday.[1]
