US-born jazzman Booker Pittman (1909-1969) is perhaps best known as the father of Brazilian singer Eliana Pittman, although he had a long career in the jazz world, working as a clarinetist and saxophonist in several top orchestras during the big band era, including am early gig playing in the band Blanche Calloway (Cab Calloway's older sister) and in the Count Basie swing orchestra. In the late 1930s Pittman moved first to France and then to South America when he joined Brazilian bandleader Romeu Silva's ensemble. Pittman eventually laid down roots in Brazil and in his later years groomed his step-daughter for success in showbiz. Here's a quick look at his work...
Booker Pittman "Booker Pittman Plays Again" (RCA Victor, 1959) (LP)
Although he'd been around for decades working in various bands, this was actually Booker Pittman's first solo album as a headliner. He'd even retired for a while after moving to Brazil, but came back leading his own combo, playing in a straight jazz mode which was unusual for Brazil, but popular with the nightclub crowd. Not sure who was backing him here, though it looks like pianist Fats Elpidio was one of his collaborators here, co-composing the album's lone original number, "Blueing With Booker And Elpidio." The rest of the album is made up of classic blues and jazz numbers, including a lot of stuff Pittman would have been playing back in the 1930s and 'Forties, with tunes from George and Ira Gershwin, W. C. Handy, Jerome Kern, Jimmy McHugh and others. Lots and lots of American jazz standards, with Booker Pittman playing saxophone as well as singing on about half the album.
Booker Pittman "The Fabulous Booker Pittman: The Number 1 Soprano Sax In The World" (Musidisc, 1960) (LP)
(Produced by Nilo Sergio)
More jazz standards -- tunes like "Ain't Misbehavin'," "Honeysuckle Rose," and "When The Saints Go Marching In"-- with Pittman backed by an anonymous band doubtless comprised of some top Brazilian nightclub musicians. The back cover liner notes include a relatively detailed biography which may or may not be accurate (but probably was dictated by Pittman himself) describing how he first traveled to France in 1933, where he worked with Louis Armstrong, then in 1937 he toured in Brazil and worked for a while in Argentina, though he apparently dropped off the radar after that. Also of interest on here are the songs "Stereo Blues," and a version of Sidney Bechet's "Petite Fleur."
Booker Pittman & Dick Farney "Jam Session Das Folhas" (RGE, 1961) (LP)
A collaboration with the kind of Brazilian crooners, Dick Farney, who was often referred to as "the Frank Sinatra of Brazil." Farney plays piano, with additional backing from Luiz Chaves (bass), Heraldo do Monte (guitar), drummer called Paulinho, and Booker Pittman on saxophone and vocals.
Booker Pittman & Eliana Pittman "Eliana E Booker Pittman" (Mocambo Records, 1962) (LP)
Much of Booker Pittman's later efforts were devoted to promoting his stepdaughter's musical career, with this disc as her solo debut. Notably, it's a mix of North American jazz standards and Brazilian compositions, including tunes from the like of Mario Albanese, Ataulfo Alves, Pedro Bloch, Ciro de Souza and Vinicius de Moraes, along with a medley track that mashes up "Mama Don't Allow" (credited to Cow Cow Davenport) and Tom Jobim's "One Note Samba." It's an uneven, but strangely charming album which alternates between American jazz standards and Brazilian bossa'n'samba... It's not uneven because of the mix of styles, but because of the divergent talent levels of veteran jazzman Booker Pittman and his daughter, Eliana. She sounds utterly lost on the opening track, uncomfortably singing in English amid a brash, riotous big-band version of "Yes, Sir, That's My Baby," in odd counterpoint to her suave, robust father, who does a fine imitation of Louis Armstrong. She recovers quickly, however, when given a chance to sing in Portuguese, and though she's still obviously a pretty green performer, she's much more at ease and has a youthful spirit similar to ie-ie teenyboppers such as Celly Campello, or even early Elis Regina. Listening to this wobbly debut, you might not have predicted Eliana's long, successful career in the decades to come, but in the end, a father's love seems to have paid off. The English-language stuff is most novelty material (and one cute moment of phonetic mistranslation comes with the track listing of "The Birds Of The Blues...") but some of the samba-cancao songs are quite nice. Worth a spin, but clearly, literally, a work of juvenilia for Ms. Pittman. Not sure who the backing musicians were, alas.
Booker Pittman & Eliana Pittman "News From Brasil: Bossa Nova" (Polydor Records, 1963) (LP)
(Produced by Ismael Correa)
An uneven set, but instructive... Eliana's voice is lovely and she is clearly more comfortable singing in Portuguese, but her dad keeps steering back towards North American-style jazz, which has a comparatively stiff feel. The album opens with a fine, fluid rendition of "Nos E O Mar," but it's followed by an awkward English-language duet on "It Don't Mean A Thing," where the Pittmans fail to connect in the Ella-Satchmo vibe they were aiming for. Halfway between the two are various tracks which split the difference, where awkwardness contends with sleekness. It's clear that Eliana had talent to spare, but about a third of the tracks on this album are negligible, just because of their clunky performances. Notable, though, for an up-to-the-moment repertoire packed with newly-minted bossa classics such as "O Barquinho," "O Passarinho" and "Vagamente." Lindolfo Gaya is listed as the arranger, while the much-vaunted Tamba Trio were the backing band on at least some of the tracks (which may explain some of the musical rigidity heard on these tracks. Worth checking out, for sure.
Booker Pittman "Booker Pittman + Sax Soprano = Sucesso" (Musidisc, 1965) (LP)
(Produced by Nilo Sergio)
