Rarely mentioned now, the violin (and viola) was an important part of Jazz during it's formative years! It was heard in the earliest New Orleans bands and was present in most all the new 'Dance' bands at the start of the 20th Century. In fact, violin sections continued to be a part of the Pop music scene right on up to the Swing Era. For example, one of Artie Shaw's bands is popularly referred to as his "Strings" orchestra. Another bandleader, Johnny Long, was called "the old Left handed Fiddler", and of course there were other bands employing strings. One reader (Mr. Chas. Steiger) recalls that even Gene Krupa's band - replete with string section - 'belted' out one of his great hits - "Leave Us Leap", while Tommy Dorsey used strings on a couple of his hits, - "Opus One" and "Blue Blazes". Still, curiously, the violin didn't play a great role in the Swing era bands, but in the period immediately prior to Swing, the violin was extensively used in many Jazz small groups of the time. For just one example, here is a photograph of Earl Fuller's Rector's Novelty Orch., that was playing in New York's famed 'Rector's Restaurant' in 1918. (Although the Cello was 'unusual'.)

In the U.S.A.
Philadelphian (he was born on the boat bringing his emigre parents to America)Joe Venuti, was the first jazzman to establish a reputation as a soloist on the violin. There is a legend that he and his lifelong friend Eddie Lang, tossed a coin to see who would play the violin and who would play the guitar. (Lang got the guitar.) Venuti had a fine recording career right up to his demise in 1978. His was, without a doubt, the seminal influence. It was his playing that inspired such folks as Eddie South and the Quintet of the Hot Club of France, - whose music in turn, inspired so many others.

There were others in his generation that also played the violin -"Juice" Wilson, and Darnell Howard for example - but not exclusively so like Venuti. "Juice" was basically a clarinetist, working with Noble Sissle's orchestra. Still his violin work with that band deserves more attention than he's gotten. Darnell Howard was still another clarinetist, who also enjoyed a reputation as a violinist. His playing was good enough to make Eddie South one of his admirers, and it was Howard who introduced South to the Jazz Genre.

Eddie South, (b. Nov 27, 1904 Louisiana, MO, USA. d. Apr 25, 1962, Chicago, IL, USA) began his career in the 1920s. Due to his Classical Music training, (matriculated from Chicago Music College) he would probably have chosen to be a 'classical' musician, but, unfortunately, in those days the color of his skin precluded that option. (Society's Loss!) Starting in the early 1920s, South worked in such Chicago bands as Jimmy Wade's Syncopators, the Charlie Elgar Band, and Erskine Tate. In 1928, he travelled to Europe and studied at the Paris Conservatoire de Musique where he was deeply impressed with European music. He was even more impressed with the Gypsy melodies he heard on his visit to Budapest. Later, he would often delightfully weave those gypsy melodies into his jazz improvisations. Returning to Chicago in 1931, South formed his own band that included the young bassist Milt Hinton. (b. June 23, 1910, Vicksburg, MS, USA, d. Dec. 19, 2000, New York, NY, USA.) During his 1937 trip to Paris, South recorded with Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. However, he worked in relative obscurity for most of his life (mostly in the Chicago area, but also in Los Angeles, CA and New York, NY) known only to true Jazz afficionados. Some critics feel that his 'formal' training caused his playing to be also somewhat 'formal' and lacking in a 'Swing' feeling. Still, his subtle musical interpretations earned him the sobriquet "The Black Angel of the Violin".

Few folks today recall that one of the bands that Louis Armstrong "borrowed" (in 1928) was Carroll Dickerson's band. And, even fewer folks recall that Dickerson was one very fine Fiddle player.

Both Eddie South and "Stuff" Smith were contemporaries of Joe Venuti, but did not have the same impact on Jazz. In fact Stuff Smith had to wait until 1936 before recording his first tunes. "Stuff" Smith, (né: Hezekiah Leroy Gordon Smith. b. Aug. 14, 1909 Portsmouth, OH, USA, d. Sept. 25, 1967, Munich, Germany) was memorable not just for his exciting playing, but also for his stage appearances where he dressed with a battered top hat, and a stuffed parrot or monkey perched on his shoulder. All through the 1930s, his playing showed how well the violin could dispense musical excitement and humor in both Jazz and Swing. Another famed violinist, Yehudi Menuhin, liked to tell a certain anecdote. Upon entering an elevator of a well known American hotel, he was told by the elevator boy that that it was not allowed to take luggage upstairs. Menuhin explained that it was not luggage, - rather a violin case, and introduced himself. The young elevator operator turned and replied, "I don't care if you're "Stuff" Smith, you can't get into my elevator with that." "Stuff" was not only a dynamic player, but also a dynamic 'drinker'. A Paris (France) hospital once tagged him as a 'walking medical museum'. In 1967, he gulped down his last shot of Bourbon (in Munich, Germany) and was buried in Copenhagen, Denmark (where another violinist - Svend Asmussen was born).

Emilio Caceres was another American who devoted his career to the Jazz Violin. A Venuti disciple, he never achieved even the same kind of fame as his brother Ernie. Nevertheless, he was a fine violinist who deserves to be better remembered today. As should another American, -Matty Malneck.

Matty Malneck, led his own Octet in Hollywood, CA during the 1940s. The group included Matty on Violin, Milton DeLugg, on accordion and Manny Klein on trumpet. But, probably, Matty is best recalled today not so much for his fine violin technique, but for the songs he composed which include "Goody Goody", "I'm Through With Love", and "I'll Never Be The Same". His octet backed many Hollywood stars on film and on records.

Ray Nance, (vocal/cornet/violin. b. Dec 10, 1913 Chicago, IL, USA, d. Jan 28, 1976 New York, NY, USA) spent 20 years with the Duke Ellington band as a trumpeter, singer, entertainer, and the only violinist Ellington ever had. His specialty was the trumpet, but he was quite an accomplished violinist. He was also an 'accomplished Drinker', whom Duke later had to let go.

Ray Perry (b: Feb. 25, 1915, d: 1950). In 1940, Lionel Hampton was in Los Angeles, CA, and formed his first small group with some sidemen that also included Perry. Much like Ray Nance, Perry mostly played another instrument, the Alto Sax, but also doubled on Violin occasionally. Perhaps his best fiddling with Lionel's small group was on "Fiddle-Dee-Dee". Later when Lionel enlarged to a full-size band, Perry stayed with him but stuck to the sax.

Not all violinists were males. Ginger Smock (1920-1995) was one very talented, and beautiful lady violinist. Sadly, Ginger is rarely recalled these days. She was equally adept with the Classics, and with Jazz, where her style was greatly influenced by "Stuff" Smith's work. At times, she was called "The Lovely Lady with the Violin", or "The Bronze Gypsy and her Violin", and in Hawaii, she was "The Sweetheart of the Strings". In Los Angeles, Smock recorded with some 'Rhythm and Blues' groups, performed with the Los Angeles Symphony, and appeared on television (also had her own TV show). During the 1960s and '70s, Ginger worked as a concertmaster for various Las Vegas hotels where she backed many of the leading stars of the day including Sammy Davis, Jr. (In 2005, 'AB Fable', a small British company released a CD with some rare recordings of Ginger Smock. Previously, her only available recordings were from a 1946 session with the 'Vivien Garry Quintet', where she played a solid body Rickenbacher electric violin.)

We should also include Regina Carter, a young African-American lady violinist who belongs to the post-Coltrane Jazz scene. Regina was a fine Swing fiddler. Scarlet Riviera, is another very talented violinist. Scarlett was the woman fiddler who accompanied Bob Dylan on his "Hurricane Carter" record.

Nathalie Riviere is another young female fiddler who should not be overlooked. She is an important part of French folk guitarist Gabriel Yacoub's trio. Her fiddle playing is highly inventive, and often used as a second voice in the songs.

Bad luck caused fame to elude Claude "Fiddler" Williams, (b. Feb. 22, 1908 - a month younger than Stephane Grappelli - in Muskogee, OK, USA. Vocals, Violin, Guitar) until fairly late in his life. Very early on, he had played in the Oscar Pettiford family band, and then with Terrence Holder's territory band, remaining with them when the group metamorphosed into 'Andy Kirk's 12 Clouds of Joy'. Following this, he joined the Alphonso Trent band, and then Count Basie, when Basie took over the remnants of Benny Moten's band. Jazz critic John Hammond persuaded Basie to replace him (and guitarist Freddie Green would hold the guitar chair for the next 50 years with Basie). Williams returned to Kansas City and to obscurity. He remained musically active and finally caught the public's attention, in 1972, through his association with Jay McShann. (He had played with Roy Milton in the early 1950s.) He began to tour and to record both as a sideman and as a leader. In 1994-5 Williams played with the Statesmen of Jazz and was still quite active in his late 1980s.

In the Big Band era
A reader (Mr. Joseph Adams) has warmly recalled that; "Firstly, violin playing band leaders, besides "Lefty" Johnny Long, included: Guy Lombardo, Paul Whiteman, Jan Savitt, Al Donahue, and Jerry Gray, -although I don't recall any of them actually playing."

"Second, for a period of about one year, Charlie Barnet had a string section around 1942. His "I'll Remember April" is a fine example of the recordings he made with strings."

"Third, Artie Shaw re-introduced strings in 1946, which were utilized in his great Cole Porter album on the Musicraft label. An interesting example of the band's strings work is "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" which begins with a great Klezmer-style fiddle solo, and has the magnificent Kitty Kallen singing the song against the band's playing of their theme song "Nightmare". It should be noted that Artie Shaw's three bands from late 1939 into early 1942 - all with string sections- were favorites of the big band era."

"Fourth, many early dance bands carried a few violins in their complement, -from long before Shaw introduced them for the first time in 1936. Some of them were Ben Pollack, Paul Whiteman, Ray Noble (England and USA), Freddy Martin, Russ Morgan, George Paxton, Ambrose, Leo Reisman, Shep Fields (his first and last orchestras) Isham Jones, and the 1934 Lud Gluskin orchestra, which also boasted a Harpist. The 1927 Casa Loma had Vic Polent on violin, while later, guitarist Jacques Blanchette doubled on the fiddle. In 1929, The Casa Loma orchestra was led by fiddler Mel Jennsen. In the '30s, Glen Gray became the leader, and besides playing Tenor/Alto Sax, could also double on the violin."

"Fifth and lastly, I must mention a contemporary, the great Andy Stein. He can play both Venuti-type Jazz, and Bob Wills Texas-style, as well as playing the tenor and baritone sax. He currently (2003) plays with Vince Giordano and was with Commander Cody."

In the 'Bop' and 'Rock' era
Perhaps the best known violinist of the 'Rock' era is "Papa" John Creach. (b. May 8 , 1917 Beaver Falls, PA, d. Feb 22, 1994). In 1970, "Papa" was already in his '50s when he first came to the attention of Rock fans by becoming a member of the group 'Jefferson Airplane' and the spin-off group 'Hot Tuna' - whose members were still in their '20s. "Papa" was then already known in the Jazz/Blues genre. When the 'Airplane' crashed in 1972, Papa had already started to release some solo albums (on their Grunt Label), and continued to record solo into 1992 ("Papa Blues"), -even though he had again joined the group in 1975 when they reorganized as the 'Jefferson Starship'. He was 76 years of age when Cardiac Arrest caused his demise. Papa Creach was not the only violinist active in the Rock era, - Don Harris was another.

Multi-talented (Violin, Piano, vocalist, and Songwriter) Don "Sugarcane" Harris, (b. Jun 18, 1938 Pasadena, CA, d. Dec 1, 1999) began his career as the guitar half of the 1950s rock duo, - Don & Dewey. (Curiously, while that group had no success, their songs would become hits for the Righteous Brothers, the Premiers, and others). A classically trained violinist, "Sugarcane's" improvisatory skills earned him positions first with 'Rock' stars John Lee Hooker, Johnny Otis and Frank Zappa. and then, in 1970, Harris joined British bluesman John Mayall when Mayall formed his first all-American band. Harris was 61 when he died after a lengthy battle with pulmonary disease.

In Western Swing
The violin and the viola have a long and continuing history in Bluegrass, "Old Tyme" Folk and Western Swing music. Two names stand out in the Western Swing genre. One is Spade Cooley, and the other is Bob Wills. Interestingly, while Bob Wills is best known as the "King of Western Swing", he only inherited that title after Spade Cooley, - who held the title originally, died (while in prison, serving a sentence for murdering his wife). Both men were skilled violinists who had a wonderful way with Western Swing songs. It may be apocryphal but it is said that on the day Bob Wills was born, his father, also a good fiddle player, looked down at his new son and said "I'll make a fiddler out of you yet." And so he did.

Louis Tierney may have been the hottest of the hot fiddlers who played with Bob Wills (1940-'47). He could play good jazz reminiscent of Joe Venuti. He is perhaps best heard on Bob's hit, "Roly Poly" which also featured Jimmy Wyble, the boppish guitarist who later went from Bob Wills to Red Norvo to Benny Goodman. Another fine "Country" fiddler, Jimmy Belkin (b: May 25, 1931, Dallas, TX. d: August 2000), is interesting because although he played 'Country' music for a living, his real love was Classical music.

A reader has sent this photo of Vassar Clements, on the left, playing violin with fellow "violinist" "Gatemouth" Brown. Vassar was one of the most innovative musicians in the history of Bluegrass music, but his style encompassed both Jazz and Pop and Rock. Over his 50 year career, he played and recorded with a wide variety of musicians, including Woody Herman, Paul McCartney, Linda Ronstadt, Dickey Betts, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Bonnie Raitt, the Grateful Dead, and the String Cheese Incident, to name only a few (he played on over 2000 albums). He also appeared in Robert Altman's 1975 film "Nashville". His 2005 Grammy award for best country instrumental performance was for "Earl's Breakdown," by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Clements once told an interviewer "Bands like Glenn Miller, Les Brown, Tommy Dorsey, Harry James and Artie Shaw were very popular when I was a kid. I always loved rhythm, so I guess in the back of my mind the swing and jazz subconsciously comes out when I play, because when I was learning I was always trying to emulate the big-band sounds I heard on my fiddle". This musical genius was not always able to earn his living playing music. He worked at such 'blue collar' jobs as switchman for the 'Atlantic Coast Railroad', a Georgia paper mill worker, an insurance salesman, and was briefly employed at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, as a plumber. He once owned a potato chip franchise. (b. April 25, 1928, in Kinard, S.C., USA, d. Aug. 16, 2005, at his Nashville suburb home, from lung cancer which had metastasized to his liver and brain. Age: 77)

In Europe:
Stephane Grappelli, (b. Jan. 26, 1908, Paris, France, d. Dec. 1, 1997, Paris, France) together with three fingered Gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt (aka: Rheinhart; Reinhart - who, incidentally, cut two sides as a violinist) formed the Quintet of the Hot Club of France, playing "Le Jazz Hot". While it is true that they were "European" in the broadest sense, (they were actually a French Jazz group), it is equally true that most Americans consider them to also be an integral part of U.S. (and World) Jazz. They were 'That' good. It can be truly said that they played a preponderant role in the development and popularization of Jazz, in France, in America and in the World. Grappelli's earliest influence was Joe Venuti, and in turn, Grappelli's playing influenced other violinists worldwide, including some of his own French contemporaries, among which are the now (sadly) little known Vivian Villerstein - a Manouche Gypsy, as well as Jean Luc Ponty.

On his 70th Birthday Grappelli remarked to an interviewer "I am open to any kind of music, from Oscar Peterson, Miles Davis and John Coltrane, Chick Correa, Weather Report and Stevie Wonder, - who I think makes wonderful music." He was truly open to virtually all music. Over his long life, he worked with such diverse musicians as Yehudi Menuhin and Nigel Kennedy, right through to Vassar Clements, Earl Scruggs, Paul Simon and flutist Herbie Mann (appearing on Mann's 'London Underground' album with such 'rockers' as Mick Taylor and Albert Lee).

During the 1930s and '40s, it was the European violinists who 'led the way'. (Americans had become enamoured with the "new" Swing Orchestras of the day and were paying less attention to 'Jazz'.) Svend Asmussen (b. Feb 28, 1916 Copenhagen, Denmark - now in his 90s -- 2006) is still active. He formed his first band when he was just 17 years old... a version of Joe Venuti's 'Blue Four'. This Danish musician is rarely recalled, but his wonderful lyricism earned him deserved acclaim, and still, he has a sense of the Blues matched only by American Blacks. He was already playing the violin at age seven. Made his professional debut in 1933, and made his first records as a leader in 1935. During the 1930s, he played with the 'Mills Brothers' and "Fats" Waller , when they visited Denmark during their European tours. In 1962, he recorded with John Lewis. During his career, he not only played with Stephane Grappelli, but, on one 1963 recording session (the "Duke Ellington's Jazz Violin Session") he played viola alongside Joe Venuti and Ray Nance, who was also playing the violin instead of his more usual Trumpet. There was also a 1966 "Violin Summit" concert with Asmussen, Ponty, Grapelli, and "Stuff" Smith. (A visitor to this page, Mr. Joel Glassman has recalled that "it was recorded and issued, but is now out of print. There is a recording called "Violin Summit" in print, but it is not the 1966 concert".) Svend has also recorded with Toots Thielemans, Lionel Hampton (1978) and with Stephane Grappelli. His character was that of a clown, an entertainer, an intellectual and more. His musical interests also spread into more complex orchestral forms.

Michel Warlop, who may have been one of the most prominent violinists in France, had a duality of interests. He came from a classical background yet had a deep fascination for Jazz. He led his own big band (that backed famed actor/singer Maurice Chevalier), and often played alongside Grappelli, Reinhart, and Eddie South. Michel was just 35 years old when he died in 1947. Sadly, throughout his career, he believed that he was not sufficiently "into" Jazz, and there are some critics who feel that his playing sometimes reflected that plight.

Other French violinists of the time include Robert Bermoser, and Georges Effrosse. Effrosse was a superb technician whose music often bore traces of the Tsigane Gypsies. In 1942, he played in a band led by Gypsy guitarist Sarane Ferret. Just two years later, Effrosse died in the Dora Concentration camp, - a victim of Nazi Brutality. Bermoser was basically a drummer, but was also proficient on violin. He recorded as a violinist with the Sarane Ferret group.

You may never have heard of Claude Lawrence. Or, possibly you did not know that it was the pseudonym that French composer/arranger Andre Hodeir used when showing his skill on the violin.

In England, Hugo Ringold (b: Kingston-upon-Thames) studied music at the Royal Academy of Music. In addition to leading his own Dance band, he was a conductor for the Cairo Symphony, The Liverpool Philharmonic, and other classical orchestras. Still, listening to him playing the violin, on his own composition "Calling All Keys" (1935) for example, is evidence that he could 'Swing' with the best of them.

In South America, the legendary Argentinian Guillermo Oliva often worked with another legendary Argentinian, -guitarist Oscar Aleman. Their early 1940s group emulated the style of the Quintet of the Hot Club of France.

Well, -there are still others that we haven't mentioned. Among them are, Dick Wetmore (d. Jan. 4, 2007), Helmuth Zacharias, Harry Lookofsky, Ginger Smock, Odd Wentzel Larsen, André Hodeir, Paul Nero, Elec Bacsik, John Frigo, Emil Irwing, Willy Girard, and Leon Abbey (to name just a few more).

Upon listening to these wonderful violinists playing, one can only feel saddened because that instrument (as well as the viola) is so rarely heard in Jazz Concert these days. Hopefully, some day soon, the violin will again assume center stage in Jazz performance. In the meantime, we can still enjoy the work of men such as Stephane Grappelli, "Stuff" Smith, Eddie South and all the others through their legacy of wonderful recordings. We can also be thankful that the violin continues to play a very large role in Celtic, Folk, as well as in Country and Western songs.