Rudy Wiedoeft sax, Oscar Levant piano - Sax O Phun (1925)

Rudolph "Rudy" Cornelius Wiedoeft (Jan.3,1893 - Feb.18,1940) was a U.S. saxophonist.

Born in Detroit, Michigan, the son of German immigrants, at a young age Wiedoeft started playing with his family orchestra, first on violin, then on clarinet. He moved to New York City and switched to saxophone, then still an unusual instrument. He became known as a virtuoso saxophonist in the 1910s, made more than 300 recordings for many different record labels, and did much to popularize the saxophone as an instrument in both the U.S. and overseas. His chief instrument was the C melody saxophone, a variety which was immensely popular from the 1910s until the U.S. stock market crash of October 1929. He also played and recorded a little on the E-flat alto and B-flat soprano as well.

His style was noted for very rapid runs of well articulated notes in between long lush legato phrases in a ragtime influenced style. The rapidly articulated notes were made possible by the advanced techniques of double-tonguing and triple-tonguing, similar to those used by brass (trumpet, trombone, etc) players and flutists. He was also known for his style of vibrato, which was very wide in the later years of his playing. It is worth noting that in his earlier years, Wiedoeft's use of vibrato was quite spare and rather narrow. Wiedoeft employed several other 'sound effects,' such as slap tonguing and "laughing" (altering/bending the pitch of the note)through his horn, and alongside his very distinguishable vibrato, became a part of his musical arsenal to use at his disposal. While he incorporated some elements of early jazz into his playing, he remained stylistically a pre-jazz artist. Some of his original compositions were hits in their day, notably Valse Erica, Valse Llewellyn, Saxema, Saxophobia, and Sax-o-Phun.

He remained a very popular entertainer into the 1920s and performed regularly on radio, but his style started to sound more and more dated to the public as his career continued into the 1930s. He worked for a while in Rudy Vallee's band, then for a while in France. From the mid-1930s on, he essentially stopped playing and was involved in several mining investments that, unfortunately, did not prove successful.

Rudy and his wife Mary Wiedoeft had a difficult relationship partially due to difficulties in maintaining their rather flamboyant lifestyle and alcohol abuse. In 1937, he was nearly killed when he was stabbed by his wife. The couple reconciled though, and in the same year Rudy made his last radio appearance. He died in Flushing, New York in 1940 from cirrhosis of the liver.

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Oscar Levant (Dec.27,1906 - Aug.14,1972) was an American pianist, composer, author, comedian, and actor. He was more famous for his mordant character and witticisms, on the radio and in movies and television, than for his music.


Rudy Wiedoeft sax, Oscar Levant piano - Sax O Phun (1925)

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Rudy
• Wiedoeft
• Oscar
• Levant
• 1925
• 20s
• 30s

[Corrie121]

This is remarkable! What a marvellous achievement this "laughing" saxophone is.

Thank you for sharing.

[saxophoney]

Outstanding posting! What's doubley amazing is that the great Oscar Levant is playing piano on this track. And another thanks for the complete notes you've included. Thanks alot for the information.

[jjdivall]

I love his slap.

[ORCOHUARANGA]

A SMALL JEWEL THANKS FOR SHARING

[Mark18240]

Love the old grammaphone sound

remnds me of Laurel and hardy

[sati516]

楽器が笑ってるよー**

笑い方がおかしくてこっちまで笑えてきたwww

[RRaquello]

Rudy Vallee, whose real name was Hubert, took the name "Rudy" because of his admiration for Rudy Wiedoeft.

[acr08807]

@unclejuniorsoprano Levant was a much better player than he was a critic, then. Anyway, I agree, he was a great pianist who was never boring.

[unclejuniorsoprano]

@acr08807 According to Levant, himself, he had tendencies to play with a heavy foot. His recordings are among my favorite interpretations. He is never boring.

[acr08807]

@unclejuniorsoprano Levant didn't use too much pedal.

[unclejuniorsoprano]

There will never be anything even close to an Oscar Levant anymore than there will ever be another Gershwin. Levant's piano rivaled Rubinstein & Horowitz, yet he could do so much more than any concert pianist could do. This recording is an example. Of course, Levant used too much pedal & often blurred passages. But I treasure everything he played & have acquired a rather large collection of his recordings.

I really appreciate this clip.

[Leyuann]

haha