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of mine in Block Six and they'd keep me out of trouble'. Mr. Slattery jumped back, astounded, and studied my features real hard. He seemed a little relieved when he saw my nappy head. 'I guess we can arrange that,' he said. 'Well, well, so you're
Mezzrow. I read about you in the papers long ago and I've been wondering when you'd get here. We need a good leader for our band and I think you're just the man for the job'. He slipped me a card with 'Block Six' written on it. I felt like I'd got a reprieve.
517:
Just as we were having our pictures taken for the rogues' gallery, along came Mr. Slattery the deputy and I nailed him and began to talk fast. 'Mr. Slattery,' I said, 'I'm colored, even if I don't look it, and I don't think I'd get along in the white blocks, and besides, there might be some friends
211:
According to one biographer: "As a juvenile delinquent, was in and out of reformatory schools and prisons where he was exposed to jazz and blues music. He began to play the clarinet and decided to adopt the
African American culture as his own. He became a ubiquitous figure on the
391:
was critical of
Mezzrow's musicianship, saying that in his opinion "he wasn't a very good clarinetist," while praising him for his willingness to help other musicians in need and citing "his generosity and his total devotion to the music we call jazz."
498:" refers to this. Armstrong was one of his biggest customers. A letter from 1932, written by Armstrong, demonstrates this relationship; while in England, Armstrong detailed in this letter about where and how Mezzrow should send marijuana.
298:. During the 1930s and 1940s, Mezzrow organized and took part in many recording sessions with Sidney Bechet. These recordings, by the Mezzrow-Bechet Quintet and Mezzrow-Bechet Septet, featured black musicians such as
467:, where Mezzrow declared himself a "voluntary Negro" and was listed as Negro on his draft card in World War II. He believed that "he had definitely 'crossed the line' that divided white and black identities".
387:
His total recorded output amounts to almost 150 sides, all of which were also collected and re-released on various albums. Despite this lengthy and successful career, the record producer
32:
509:, with intent to distribute. When he was sent to jail, he insisted to the guards that he was black and was transferred to the segregated prison's black section. In
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423:. They had one son, Milton Mesirow, Jr. According to the younger Mesirow, the surname "Mezzrow" was a "pen name" of his father's. In an interview with
444:, he wrote that from the moment he heard jazz he "was going to be a Negro musician, hipping the world about the blues the way only Negroes can."
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Mezzrow's first recordings were released in 1933, under the band name Mezz
Mezzrow And His Orchestra. The group was composed primarily of
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470:
Mezzrow became known as much for his cannabis advocacy as his music. In his time, he was so well known in the jazz community for selling
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and spent the last 20 years of his life in France. He was preceded in death by his wife, Johnnie Mae
Mezzrow, and was buried in the
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259:. He admired Armstrong so much that after the release of "Heebie Jeebies", he, along with Teschemacher, drove 53 miles to
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348:, following which he made his home in France and organized many bands that included French musicians including
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433:, and my mother's side tried to make me a Baptist. So when I'm asked what my religion is, I just say 'jazz.'"
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involved Bechet and
Ladnier, and helped spark the "New Orleans revival". He also played on six recordings by
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being slang for marijuana at that time; the title of the 1928 Louis
Armstrong recording "
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846:"Son of Mezz Mezzrow Finds His Father's Legacy Lives in a Jazz Club in the Village"
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in 2015, "Mezz Jr.", as he was known, told a reporter: "My father put me in a
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Crossing the Line: Racial
Passing in Twentieth-Century Literature and Culture
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jazz scene of the 1920s and ran in the circles of musicians that included
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183:. He is remembered for organizing and financing recording sessions with
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199:(which takes its title from a Bechet composition), co-written with
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Mezz
Mezzrow & His Band Featuring Collins & Singleton,
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160:(November 9, 1899 – August 5, 1972), better known as
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890:
Weed the People: The Future of Legal
Marijuana in America
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in Paris. The couple were survived by their son Mezz Jr.
522:
Mezzrow was lifelong friends with the French jazz critic
452:, London; Peter Davis 1948): "When he fell through the
767:
818:. Baton Rouge and London: LSU Press. pp. 17–19.
247:
Along with other white musicians of his era, such as
816:
I Remember Jazz: Six Decades Among the Great Jazzmen
482:
became slang for marijuana, a reference used in the
490:". He was also known as the Muggles King, the word
738:"Jazz Art & Education - SmallsLIVE Foundation"
537:jazz club called Mezzrow was named in his honor.
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501:In 1940, he was arrested in possession of sixty
240:and many others. was an advocate for the pure
730:
411:Milton Mesirow was ethnically and religiously
1394:New York Cannabis Regulation and Taxation Act
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666:"Mezz Mezzrow | Biography & History"
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380:, he made a recording of Louis Armstrong's "
957:. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company.
1499:American people convicted of drug offenses
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333:In the mid-1940s, Mezzrow started his own
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505:while trying to enter a jazz club at the
440:culture and style. In his autobiography,
16:American jazz clarinetist and saxophonist
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1400:Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act
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419:. His wife, Johnnie Mae, was a black
1534:20th-century American male musicians
1315:Category:Clarinetists by nationality
955:Louis Armstrong: Master of Modernism
916:Rogovoy, Seth (2015). "The Original
813:
807:
779:
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1529:20th-century American saxophonists
844:Kilgannon, Corey (July 11, 2015).
220:, Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet,
14:
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1519:Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery
618:Mezz Mezzrow a La Schola Cantorum
570:Mezz Mezzrow with Frankie Newton
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352:and visiting Americans, such as
257:Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five
943:
920:Was a Jew Named Mezz Mezzrow".
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709:The Guinness Who's Who of Jazz
263:in order to play the song for
1:
1509:American cannabis traffickers
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642:Mezzrow and Bechet Remastered
130:Jazz clarinetist, saxophonist
1539:American male jazz musicians
1514:Cannabis in New York (state)
1001:
580:Mezz Mezzrow's Swing Session
436:Mezzrow praised and admired
7:
1504:American cannabis activists
875:. Quoted by Rogovoy, p. 16.
611:Mezz Mezzrow in Paris, 1955
10:
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1544:20th-century American Jews
1484:American male saxophonists
1479:American jazz saxophonists
1474:American jazz clarinetists
790:"Mezz Mezzrow Discography"
507:1939 New York World's Fair
1494:Blue Note Records artists
1489:Jewish American musicians
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1201:Jupiter Band Instruments
622:Ducretet-Thomson Records
550:, Jazz Archives (France)
344:He appeared at the 1948
290:, but also included the
1171:Johann Christoph Denner
1156:Backun Musical Services
288:Willie "The Lion" Smith
203:and published in 1946.
1469:Dixieland saxophonists
1464:Dixieland clarinetists
1221:Schwenk & Seggelke
528:Père Lachaise Cemetery
520:
476:
408:
405:Père Lachaise Cemetery
47:Background information
1524:Jewish jazz musicians
1388:Rockefeller Drug Laws
1282:Clarinet-violin-piano
1077:Quarter tone clarinet
515:
456:he just kept going".
403:
1362:Cannabis in New York
1292:Clarinet-cello-piano
1287:Clarinet-viola-piano
1067:Contrabass clarinets
1062:Contra-alto clarinet
541:Selected discography
459:The family lived in
415:, and was raised in
384:" in Paris in 1953.
339:Oran "Hot Lips" Page
1382:LaGuardia Committee
1191:Leitner & Kraus
1176:Benedikt Eppelsheim
936:, pp. 307–308.
764:, pp. 238–239.
714:Guinness Publishing
613:, Jazz Time Records
1236:Yamaha Corporation
1087:Clarinette d'amour
851:The New York Times
712:(First ed.).
604:Paris 1955, Vol. 1
450:We Called It Music
426:The New York Times
409:
346:Nice Jazz Festival
274:musicians such as
253:Frank Teschemacher
164:, was an American
1441:
1440:
1328:
1327:
1257:Clarinet concerto
1231:Herbert Wurlitzer
1196:Howarth of London
1101:Fingering systems
964:978-0-393-06582-4
924:, June 26. p. 16.
903:978-1-6189-3140-5
814:Rose, Al (1987).
535:Greenwich Village
488:If You're a Viper
152:
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1272:Clarinet quartet
1267:Clarinet quintet
1186:Heinrich Grenser
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548:Really the Blues
511:Really the Blues
454:Mason–Dixon line
448:said of him (in
442:Really the Blues
438:African-American
242:New Orleans jazz
197:Really the Blues
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82:November 9, 1899
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716:. p. 282.
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606:, Disques Swing
599:, Disques Swing
543:
524:Hugues Panassié
398:
358:Peanuts Holland
324:Hugues Panassié
294:trumpet player
265:Bix Beiderbecke
234:Bix Beiderbecke
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193:Louis Armstrong
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147:tenor saxophone
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121:Mainstream jazz
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91:, United States
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896:. p. 32.
886:Barcott, Bruce
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776:, p. 218.
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742:Smallslive.com
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706:, ed. (1992).
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644:, Gralin Music
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628:Makin' Friends
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587:Mezzin' Around
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574:Victor Records
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382:West End Blues
370:Lionel Hampton
312:Sidney Catlett
300:Frankie Newton
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158:Milton Mesirow
154:Musical artist
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143:alto saxophone
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103:(aged 72)
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201:Bernard Wolfe
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63:Also known as
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41:November 1946
40:
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1433:Mezz Mezzrow
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1320:Mezz Mezzrow
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1303:Clarinetists
1118:Reform Boehm
954:
944:Bibliography
929:
921:
912:
892:. New York:
889:
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872:
871:Wald, Gail.
867:
855:. Retrieved
849:
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797:. Retrieved
793:
769:
757:
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378:Buck Clayton
362:Jimmy Archey
354:Buck Clayton
350:Claude Luter
343:
335:record label
332:
316:Pleasant Joe
296:Max Kaminsky
280:Teddy Wilson
276:Benny Carter
269:
249:Eddie Condon
246:
210:
207:Music career
196:
162:Mezz Mezzrow
161:
157:
156:
101:(1972-08-05)
67:Muggles King
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25:Mezz Mezzrow
18:
1459:1972 deaths
1454:1899 births
1369:Legislation
1216:Adolphe Sax
1211:Iwan MĂĽller
1181:Stephen Fox
1151:Amati-Denak
1092:Basset horn
582:, X Records
533:In 2015, a
484:Stuff Smith
374:Count Basie
372:. With ex-
328:Fats Waller
304:Sammy Price
284:Pops Foster
222:Jimmy Noone
218:King Oliver
173:saxophonist
169:clarinetist
1448:Categories
1376:Boylan Act
1047:) clarinet
1041:Soprano (B
894:Time Books
649:References
376:trumpeter
230:Baby Dodds
78:1899-11-09
53:Birth name
1396:(2020-21)
1384:(1939-44)
1072:Saxonette
637:, Crisler
557:Blue Note
472:marijuana
330:in 1934.
320:Art Hodes
226:Al Jolson
117:Dixieland
37:Mezzrow,
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1003:Clarinet
953:(2014).
888:(2015).
857:July 29,
799:July 29,
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671:AllMusic
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181:Illinois
139:Clarinet
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89:Illinois
1245:Related
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492:muggles
486:song, "
421:Baptist
417:Chicago
389:Al Rose
318:, plus
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177:Chicago
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1426:People
1402:(2021)
1390:(1973)
1378:(1914)
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