Pee Wee Russell
Charles Ellsworth Russell, much better known by his nickname Pee Wee Russel… Read Full Bio ↴Charles Ellsworth Russell, much better known by his nickname Pee Wee Russell, (27 March 1906 - 15 February 1969) was a jazz musician. Early in his career he played clarinet and saxophones, but eventually focused solely on clarinet.
Russell was born in Maplewood, Missouri and grew up in Muskogee, Oklahoma. In Muskogee about 1919 his father took young Ellsworth to a dance given by the then famous touring band The Louisiana Five featuring New Orleans jazz clarinetist Alcide Nunez. Russell was amazed by Nunez's improvisations. While he had ambitions to play music before, the event made Pee Wee decide that his primary instrument would be the clarinet and the type of music he would play would be jazz.
His family moved to St. Louis, Missouri in 1920, then Pee Wee was enrolled in the Western Military Academy in Alton, Illinois. On the side he played clarinet with various dance and jazz bands. He began touring professionally in 1922 and travelled widely with tent shows and on river boats. Russel's recording debut was in 1924 with Herb Berger's Band in St. Louis, then moved to Chicago where he began playing with such notables as Frankie Trumbauer and Bix Beiderbecke.
From his earliest career, Russell's style was distinctive. The notes he played were somewhat unorthodox when compared to his contemporaries, and he was sometimes accused to playing out-of-tune. Though often labelled a dixieland musician by virtue of the company he kept, he tended to reject any label.
In 1926 he joined Jean Goldkette's band, and the following year left to New York City to join Red Nichols. While with Nichols' band, Russell did frequent freelance recording studio work, on clarinet, soprano, alto, and tenor sax and bass clarinet. He worked with various bandleaders (including Louis Prima) before beginning a series of residences at the famous jazz club Nick's in Greenwich Village, Manhattan in 1937.
He played with Bobby Hackett's big band and began playing with Eddie Condon, who he would continue working regularly for most of the rest of his life.
From the 1940s on, Russell's health was often poor, exacerbated by alcoholism - which led to a major medical breakdown in 1951 - and he had periods when he could not play.
He played with Art Hodes, Muggsy Spanier and occasionally bands under his own name in addition to Condon.
In his last decade, Russell often played at jazz festivals and international tours organized by George Wein, including an appearance with Thelonious Monk at the Newport Festival in 1963, a meeting which has a mixed reputation (currently available as part of the Monk 2CD set Live at Newport 1963-65). Russell formed a quartet with valve trombone player Marshall Brown, and included John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman tunes in his repertoire.
Russell's unique, and sometimes derided approach was praised as ahead of its time, and cited by some as an early example of free jazz. Coleman Hawkins, who considered Russell to be color-blind, at the time of the 1961 Jazz Reunion (Candid) record date - they had originally recorded together in 1929 - dismissed any idea that Russell was now playing modern, saying that he had always played that way.
By this time, encouraged by Mary, his wife, Russell had taken up painting abstract art as a hobby. Mary's death in the spring of 1967 had a severe effect on him.
His last gig was with Wein at the inaugural ball for President Richard Nixon on 21 January 1969. Russell died in a hospital in Alexandria, Virginia.
The greatly imaginative improvisations of Russell when at his best remain an inspiration to later jazz clarinetists.
Russell was born in Maplewood, Missouri and grew up in Muskogee, Oklahoma. In Muskogee about 1919 his father took young Ellsworth to a dance given by the then famous touring band The Louisiana Five featuring New Orleans jazz clarinetist Alcide Nunez. Russell was amazed by Nunez's improvisations. While he had ambitions to play music before, the event made Pee Wee decide that his primary instrument would be the clarinet and the type of music he would play would be jazz.
His family moved to St. Louis, Missouri in 1920, then Pee Wee was enrolled in the Western Military Academy in Alton, Illinois. On the side he played clarinet with various dance and jazz bands. He began touring professionally in 1922 and travelled widely with tent shows and on river boats. Russel's recording debut was in 1924 with Herb Berger's Band in St. Louis, then moved to Chicago where he began playing with such notables as Frankie Trumbauer and Bix Beiderbecke.
From his earliest career, Russell's style was distinctive. The notes he played were somewhat unorthodox when compared to his contemporaries, and he was sometimes accused to playing out-of-tune. Though often labelled a dixieland musician by virtue of the company he kept, he tended to reject any label.
In 1926 he joined Jean Goldkette's band, and the following year left to New York City to join Red Nichols. While with Nichols' band, Russell did frequent freelance recording studio work, on clarinet, soprano, alto, and tenor sax and bass clarinet. He worked with various bandleaders (including Louis Prima) before beginning a series of residences at the famous jazz club Nick's in Greenwich Village, Manhattan in 1937.
He played with Bobby Hackett's big band and began playing with Eddie Condon, who he would continue working regularly for most of the rest of his life.
From the 1940s on, Russell's health was often poor, exacerbated by alcoholism - which led to a major medical breakdown in 1951 - and he had periods when he could not play.
He played with Art Hodes, Muggsy Spanier and occasionally bands under his own name in addition to Condon.
In his last decade, Russell often played at jazz festivals and international tours organized by George Wein, including an appearance with Thelonious Monk at the Newport Festival in 1963, a meeting which has a mixed reputation (currently available as part of the Monk 2CD set Live at Newport 1963-65). Russell formed a quartet with valve trombone player Marshall Brown, and included John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman tunes in his repertoire.
Russell's unique, and sometimes derided approach was praised as ahead of its time, and cited by some as an early example of free jazz. Coleman Hawkins, who considered Russell to be color-blind, at the time of the 1961 Jazz Reunion (Candid) record date - they had originally recorded together in 1929 - dismissed any idea that Russell was now playing modern, saying that he had always played that way.
By this time, encouraged by Mary, his wife, Russell had taken up painting abstract art as a hobby. Mary's death in the spring of 1967 had a severe effect on him.
His last gig was with Wein at the inaugural ball for President Richard Nixon on 21 January 1969. Russell died in a hospital in Alexandria, Virginia.
The greatly imaginative improvisations of Russell when at his best remain an inspiration to later jazz clarinetists.
More Genres
No Artists Found
More Artists
Load All
No Albums Found
More Albums
Load All
No Tracks Found
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found
Pee Wee Russell Lyrics
Back In Your Own Backyard We leave home expecting to find a blue bird, Hoping ev'ry…
Bugle Call Rag You're bound to fall for the bugle call; You're gonna brag…
Coquette Hear me, why you keep fooling Little coquette, making fun of…
Dinah Carolina Gave me Dinah; I'm the proudest one Beneath the…
Embraceable You Embrace me, my sweet embraceable you! Embrace me, you irrepl…
Exactly Like You I used to have a perfect sweetheart Not a real one,…
I'm Confessin' I'm confessin' that I love you, Tell me, do you love…
I've Got the World On a String I've got the world on a string, sittin' on a…
If I Had You I could show the world how to smile I could be…
Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now Don't even go to a movie show If you're not by…
Love IIs Just Around The Corner Beautiful miracle, pardon my lyrical rhapsody, But can't you…
Love Is Here to Stay It's very clear, our love is here to stay Not for…
Love Is Just Around The Corner Beautiful miracle, pardon my lyrical rhapsody, But can't yo…
Oh Laby Be Good Listen to my tale of woe, It's terribly sad but…
Pee Wee Blues I used to have a perfect sweetheart Not a real one,…
Peg O' My Heart Peg o'my heart I love you, don't let us part I love…
Prelude To A Kiss If you hear A song in blue Like a flower crying For the…
Riverboat Shuffle All you cotton toters, Mississippi floaters, Gather all ab…
Rose Room I want to take you to a little room A little…
She's Funny That Way Once she dressed in silks and lace, Owned a Rolls…
Someone to Watch Over Me There's a saying old says that love is blind Still were…
Sweet Lorraine Everything is set, skies are blue, Can't believe it yet, bu…
That Old Feeling Last night I started out happy Last night my heart was…
The Sheik of Araby "I'm the Sheik of Araby, Your love belongs to me. At…
What Can I Say Dear I don't know why, I made you cry I'm sorry sweetheart…
Who's Sorry Now Who's Sorry Now? Who's Sorry Now? Who's heart is aching for …
Who's Sorry Now? Who's Sorry Now? Who's Sorry Now? Who's heart is aching fo…
World On A String I've got the world on a string, sittin' on a…