Eyewitness to the Last of the Jazz Giants

Let’s face it, the jazz scene, as most of us knew it, was never the same after the advent of television. In Boston where I lived, was the Hi Hat, where Bilie Holiday, Charlie Parker, Lester Young, and Roy Eldridge frequently appeared and Symphony Sid did nightly broadcasts over WCOP. Nearby was The Savoy which featured more traditional jazz as did Storyville in the basement of the Buckminster Hotel in Kenmore Square. The clubs provided work for many future stars such as George Benson at Estelle’s on Tremont St. I can remember going to Paul’s Mall on Boylston Street and seeing Bette Midler with a young accompanist named Barry Manilow. One of the last great jazz clubs in the area was Lennie’s on the Turnpike in Peabody. Somehow, Lennie Sogoloff and his top assistant, Joe Batista, found enough room in the small club to present the big bands of Stan Kenton, Buddy Rich, Count Basie, and Woody Herman and many famous solo artists. When Buddy Rich’s 15-member band once played Lennie’s, it was a night I never forgot. In his late 60s, and having survived quadruple-bypass heart surgery, Rich could boot the band the same as ever. He used Ludwig drums and William F. Ludwig II was in the audience. Rich asked Ludwig to stand up and take a bow. Famous for his verbally-abusive behavior and twisted sense of humor Rich saluted Ludwig with “Heil Hitler.” Clubs in New York City were equ