Clem Moorman

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Clement Leroy "Clem" Moorman (born March 20, 1916 in Newark , New Jersey ; † July 21, 2017 in Passaic , New Jersey) was an American jazz singer , pianist , arranger and actor .

Live and act

Clem Moorman was the youngest of 13 children from a musical family in Newark; his sisters Thelma and Hazel were also pianists, his brother Mixie saxophonist. Clem began his career as a pianist at rent parties with his brother Mixie when he was in high school. In 1934 he was a member of Frank Gibbs ' orchestra , and from 1936 with Al Henderson . In 1935 he participated in a music project for the Works Progress Administration . In 1936 he performed with Russell Mann in the Reservoir Club.

In the following years Moorman worked as a pianist and arranger for the formations Barons of Rhythm and Savoy Dictators , with whom he made his first recordings in 1939, which then appeared on the newly founded Newarker label Savoy Records . For Savoy he also recorded several tracks (which Savoy founder Lubinsky released with the band name Bunny Banks Trio ), in which his wife Melba "Bonnie" Davis played ("Don't Stop It"), as well as the piano solo Number "Paratroop Boogie". Stylistically, his piano playing was influenced by Erskine Butterfield , Emory Lucas (who taught him for a while) and Ike Quebec .

In 1941, Moorman co-founded the band Picadilly Pipers with Ernie Ransome (guitar) and Henry "Pat" Patgett (bass) . a. had in Atlantic City and Philadelphia. In 1945 he made further recordings with the Lloyd Thompson Orchestra for the Savoy label, as Picadilly Pipers for DeLuxe and Columbia ("I'm Not Cryin 'Over You, I'm Peeling Onions"). In 1964 he and his wife Bonnie Davis presented the LP All I Want Is You as Bonnie & Clem . From 1975 to 1984 he performed regularly at Martha's Vineyard Club in Cilton, New Jersey, toured with Della Reese in 1984 and appeared in 1985 with Eartha Kitt in the Broadway musical Blues in the Night , for which he also served as musical director. He played in local clubs until shortly before his death, mostly at Colucci's in Haledon (New Jersey). To celebrate his 99th birthday, he performed with his stepdaughter Melba Moore in the New York Metropolitan Room. In the field of jazz he was involved in eight recording sessions between 1939 and 1980, most recently with singer Beulah Bryant ( Let's Boogie ). He also had supporting roles as an actor in the films The Hard and the Tender (1990), Heaven and Back (2001) and New York, I Love You (2008); he has also appeared on television shows by Johnny Carson and David Frost .

Web links

References and comments

  1. ↑ Obituary
  2. ↑ a b Barbara J. Kukla: Swing City: Newark Nightlife, 1925-50 , 2004, p. 210
  3. ↑ The Savoy Dictators consisted of Hal Mitchell, Alfred Chippy Outcalt (tp), Howard Scott (tb), Bobby Plater (as), Lowell "Count" Hastings (ts), Clem Moorman (p), Will Johnson (git), Al Henderson (kb) and Danny Gibson (dr). See Tom Lord: Jazz Discography (online)
  4. ↑ Emory C. Lucas was an American pianist, arranger and songwriter of early jazz. Lucas first played in Washington DC in the 1910s and 20s. (mentioned by Rex Stewart in his autobiography Boy Meets Horn (1995)). He wrote the song Candystick Brigade (with Arthur Borst) and arranged the number Pardon the Glove by Howard Quicksell .
  5. ↑ Tom Lord : The Jazz Discography (online, accessed August 1, 2017)
personal data
SURNAME Moorman, Clem
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Moorman, Clement Leroy (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz singer, pianist, arranger and actor
DATE OF BIRTH March 20, 1916
PLACE OF BIRTH Newark (New Jersey)
DATE OF DEATH July 21, 2017
Place of death Passaic , New Jersey