SPOTLIGHT ON WOODWINDS / Les bois de plus près
Jazz Flute:
A Proud Heritage
Lisa Lorenzino
Historically, the flute has never been considered a mainstream jazz instrument.
In fact, some critics suggest that the flute has been ignored within the genre.
Explanations for this lack of acceptance have been varied. In a tradition that
has focused on “masculine” instruments such as the trumpet and drums,
some believe that the “feminine” flute is at odds with jazz culture. Others
argue that the flute is incapable of “swinging” due to its delicate nature. Still
others blame acoustical principles: unless played in the third octave, amplified
heavily, or doubled by other instruments, the flute can have difficulty being
heard above the rhythm section.
If, however, one weaves together the threads of jazz history, a proud tradition
of jazz flute is revealed. It was the flutist, Alberto Socarrás, who laid the
groundwork for the symbiotic development of American and Latin Jazz. By
the 1950s, the flute was playing an important role in the development of “cool”
jazz. Today, with the combination of multi-instrumentalists specializing on
flute, classically-trained players adding to the technical/tonal capabilities of
the instrument, and Latin artists continuing to influence the genre, the flute
is experiencing unprecedented exposure outside of “classical” music. By
tracing factors influencing the history of jazz flute, this article aspires to
further expose the instrument as a legitimate contributor to the jazz genre.
Latin Roots
There is evidence indicating that the flute was used sporadically in ragtime
music. Historians generally agree, though, that the first archived jazz flute
solo dates from 1927 in New York, and was performed by the Cuban
clarinetist/saxophonist, Alberto Socarrás, in a recording of the tune, “Shootin’
the Pistol,” by the Clarence Williams Band.1
That the first known jazz flutist was a Cuban should be no surprise since
the flute was quite influential in that nation’s music. The popular charanga
orchestras featured the flute in a leading improvisatory role. Unlike the first
jazz solo, which was played on the systematic or Boehm flute, charanga
flutists preferred the five-keyed French Baroque wooden flute. Using this
bright instrument, charanga flutists were easily heard above the other
instruments in the orchestra. Cuban flutists were also specialists in playing in
the upper octaves of the Baroque flute, which further enabled their sound to
carry.2 Though well immersed in the charanga tradition, Socarrás, like many
of his compatriots, was attracted to the new American popular music, jazz.
In the late 1920s, Cuban record producers were supplying world markets with
a steady stream of charanga albums. Sales were lucrative and helped build
interest in the budding Afrocubanismo movement. Recording companies
therefore focused on archiving popular Cuban songs and ignored the fledgling
jazz scene.3
Forced to look outside his homeland, in 1927 Socarrás traveled to the United
States in search of a more jazz-friendly recording industry. In New York,
Socarrás found a thriving market for jazz, and his arrival into Harlem’s
predominantly black jazz scene was noteworthy. Local musicians were
astonished to find that, although he spoke Spanish, Socarrás could play jazz
92 Spring / printemps 2009 • Canadian Winds • Vents canadiens
as well as any Harlem-born musician. A founding father of Latin jazz in the
United States, Socarrás went on to become a “prominent figure…specializing
in jazz, blues, as well as all of the Cuban genres.” 4
From 1937 until 1940, Socarrás’ band was regularly featured at the Cotton
Club. His ensemble also performed at hotels in the New York area and later
traveled extensively throughout the country. Revered as one of the most
innovative, creative, and experimental musicians of his time, it was Socarrás
who introduced the flute to the world of jazz, and Latin popular music to the
United States.5
Big-Band Flutists
The first true jazz flutist is generally acknowledged to be Wayman Carver, a
saxophonist best known for his work with the Chick Webb band 1934-1940.
Carver was the featured flutist on many albums with Webb, as well as in the
big bands of Benny Carter and Dave Nelson. His solos were influential in the
stylistic development of jazz flute, and made a major contribution to some of
the most important big bands of the time.6
A second wave of jazz flutists was spearheaded by Carver’s student, the
saxophonist Frank Wess. A member of the Count Basie Band 1953-64,
Wess is credited with popularizing the flute via the band’s radio broadcasts.
Basie was unaware at first of Wess’s skill on flute, since he had been hired
as a tenor saxophonist. When another band member suggested that Wess
solo on flute, Basie was so impressed that he began to include flute features
in the ensemble’s repertoire. Wess went on to develop a successful career
that included stints in the Clark Terry Big Band as well as leading his own
ensembles.7
Although other big-band arrangers included the flute in their compositions, the
instrument always played a secondary role. Arrangers would try to overcome
the weak acoustics of the instrument by placing numerous players on unison
lines. Only after the post-World War II introduction of microphones on the
bandstand did the flute achieve a more prominent role. Nonetheless, there
were many flute-friendly big-band arrangers, among them, Duke Ellington,
Lionel Hampton, and, later on, Gil Evans and Oliver Nelson.
Cool Jazz Flutists
The Cool Jazz era of the 1950s enabled the flute to reach new heights in
popularity. Characterised by a gentler sound, cool jazz was more “flute
friendly” than the big band. The West Coast style emphasized a range of
orchestral timbres, helping to introduce instruments such as the oboe, bass
clarinet, and strings into the genre. In addition, technological advances in
microphones and amplification systems allowed the flute to be heard in a
variety of performance settings.
It was not advances in technology, however, that caused a surge of interest
in jazz flute; rather, it was the release of a highly regarded recording that
brought the instrument to the forefront. A 1956 duet album, featuring Stan
Kenton Band alumni Bud Shank on flute and Bob Cooper on oboe, topped
the jazz charts as one of the first commercially successful jazz flute albums.
As a direct result of the album’s release, Down Beat magazine created a Jazz
Flute section in its annual Readers’ Poll in 1956. Previously, the flute had
been relegated to the “Miscellaneous Instrument” category. Shank was the
first to be awarded the prize.8
Building upon Shank’s lead, other artists released jazz flute recordings.
Albums released by Sam Most, a pioneer of bebop flute playing, and James