Jim Hession plays Jelly Roll Morton's "Fingerwrecker"

http://www.hessionsession.webs.com
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/jimhession

http://www.artistopia.com/hessionsession
Jim Hession performs a rendition of Jelly Roll Morton's "Fingerwrecker" that he learned at age 16 from British jazz pianist Ron Weatherburn. Recorded at Fritzel's Jazz Pub, New Orleans French Quarter during the 2007 French Quarter Festival at the request of Austrian clarinetist Wolfgang Friedrich, who heard Jim perform the tune in Disneyland's French Quarter several years ago. The club on this particular night was standing room only, filled with musicians from across the world. This is the case many times a year as lovers of America's own music, jazz, flood into New Orleans to add Bourbon St. to their jazz credentials.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Fingerwrecker
• Fingerbreaker
• Fingerbuster
• stride
• Jazz
• piano
• Jim
• Hession
• Eubie
• Blake
• Jelly
• Roll
• Morton

[youjean1988]

in the description it says you were directly taught the tune by ron weatherburn. what do you mean exactly by this? do you mean that he sat you down and taught you note for note, or did he play it for you over and over until you memorized it aurally. im very interested in knowing what exactly you meant by this.

[jazznbear]

@youjean1988 As a high school student in 1964 I attended a concert of Kenny Ball and His Jazz Men, who were on a U.S. A. Tour. At the time I was a "junior" member of the New Orleans Jazz Club of Calif. which sponsored the concert. Ron Weatherburn had given permission to the Pres. of the club, Bill Bacin, to tape his live performance of this Morton Classic, so that I could learn it. Following the concert there was a "cast" party and jam session. At the party I played some of Ron's solos for him.

[jazznbear]

@jazznbear

I had learned his piano solos from Kenny Ball LP's. We struck up a friendship and he showed me some of his improvisational ideas and encouraged me to learn the Fingerwrecker from the tape. To this date I believe that Weatherburn and I are the only pianists to play this arrangement. Many other skilled pianists have learned the note by note transcription by Morton from his Library of Congress recordings.If you compare the two, note the similarities and differences.

[roren2466]

I really enjoyed meeting you and Martha at Charlie's house the other day. I posted this video on my Facebook page to show my friends how great you are on the piano. I wish you continued success.

[jazznbear]

@roren2466

Great fun meeting you and talking music for hours.  Thanks for sharing your guitar and vocal talents.............

[pianomano1]

I saw this and thought "they meant to say Fingerbreaker" but now I'm not sure if it is deliberately named differently. It starts like Morton's (breaker) original and has a few of Weatherburn's (breaker) licks later on, but whatever the name, it's irrelevant. Jim Hession is BREATHTAKING here, and I actually prefer this to R.W and J.R.M. anyway! Oh, for the guy wanting sheet music, I have the Morton original, but with pieces, players usually "do their own thing" after a minute or two!

[jazznbear]

This particular version I learned in 1964 directly from Ron Weatherburn, who called it FingerBuster, as listed in the discography in Alan Lomax's "Mr. Jelly Roll". Shortly afterward I had the opportunity to play this for the surviving members of Morton's Red Hot Peppers. Kid Ory and Johnny St.Cyr said that Jelly had called it, "Finger Wrecker". The title "Finger Breaker" has since appeared in books and articles. You are right-once we start playing, we make it our own!

[AlecTaylor666]

Awesome!

[richkroberts]

Terrific stuff Jim. Just wonderful!  I'm speechless...really!

[coolmamac]

Great stuff-just slow it down a tad.

[ReturnOfTheStienway]

my god. that was so cool =)

[angularsofty]

Nice wave at the end. "And he's alright, folks!"

[ROCKINJAZZMETAL]

waaaaaaaaaaaaahoooooooo!!!!! awesome. LEGEND!

[lyuba90]

denny boodman td lemon's 900!



[skirt710]

You can convert this or any youtube video to an mp3 at audiogetnow..com

[keeperofthecheese]

1:10 that bits damn impressive :D

[keeperofthecheese]

Mind = Assploded