Upcoming Multi-media Lecture
What: Multimedia Presentation on Fats Waller’s colorful life, followed by a live piano demonstration of stride piano and a visit to the home where the song “Honeysuckle Rose” was written, now a New Jersey Black History Trail stop.
When: Saturday May 2, PM. Doors open at 1:30.
Where: Second Baptist Church, 124 Atkins Avenue, Asbury Park, NJ
Contact: CUH@attnet
Asbury Park Museum’s Multimedia Presentation Explores Jazz Pioneer Fats Waller’s Jersey Shore Connections
By Charlie Horner
The longevity of the Tony-winning musical revue, “Ain’t Misbehavin,” has sustained an interest in the colorful life and career of jazz music pioneer, Thomas “Fats” Waller. As a musician, Waller’s innovations in the Harlem stride style laid much of the basis for modern jazz piano. As a composer, Fats Waller copyrighted more than 400 songs, many of them co-written with collaborator, Andy Razaf.
Fats Waller was widely popular during the 1920s and 1930s as a star of records, stage and film. His talent as a singer and musician along with his comedic stage presence made him one of the top overall entertainers of his era.
Still, in addition to his love of music, a huge part of the Fats Waller persona, was his legendary passion for, liquor, women, and food. Anecdotal stories of Fats Waller abound. Many are true, like Fats’ usual breakfast of gin, that he called his “liquid eggs and bacon.” Then, there’s the time the Chicago mob kidnapped Fats and forced him to entertain at Al Capone’s three-day birthday celebration. Many other tales are probably exaggerations, like the time the 5’11” 285-pound Fats swapped the publishing rights to 20 songs for 20 hamburgers.
Until recently, Fats Waller’s ties to the Jersey Shore area have been unexplored. Fats Waller played Asbury Park’s grand Plaza Hotel with future legendary drummer, Sonny Greer back in 1919. Waller then spent the summer of 1921 in Asbury Park, entertaining at Scotty’s Bar & Grill on the Shark River and gigging around town with his friends Bill Basie and Corky Williams. It’s said that Fats Waller taught Bill Basie how to pay the organ.
Fats Waller’s strongest connection to Asbury Park came in December 1928, when he and lyricist Andy Waller composed the song, “Honeysuckle Rose” in the home of Razaf’s mother, at 119 Atkins Avenue. The building still stands and has just been added to the New Jersey Historical Commission’s New Jersey Black Heritage Trail.
On Saturday afternoon May 2 at 2 pm, Asbury Park Museum’s music historian, Charlie Horner will take an audience through a multimedia journey of Fats Waller’s colorful life —his insatiable appetite for music, alcohol, food and women — and his brilliant songwriting partnership with lyricist Andy Razaf. That collaboration produced timeless classics like “Ain’t Misbehavin’” and “Honeysuckle Rose.” Dr. Horner will recount the humorous anecdotes of Fats’ world, separating the fact from fiction. The program will conclude with a live stride piano demonstration by Jersey Shore music legend, Stormin’ Norman Seldin, followed by a visit across the street to the house where “Honeysuckle Rose” was originally written. The event takes place at Second Baptist Church, 124 Atkins Avenue, Asbury Park and is FREE to attend!
Past Lecture:
Springwood Avenue Harmony:
Early Black Music in Asbury Park, 1871 – 1930
Presented Friday, August 16, 2024
at the Historical Society of Ocean Groove,
by the Asbury Park Museum’s Charlie Horner
At 7 PM Friday, Aug 16, 2024, music historians and Asbury Park Museum Board Members, Charlie and Pamela Horner, will be giving their multimedia presentation, “Early Black Music in Asbury Park (1871-1930)” at the Historical Society of Ocean Grove, 50 Pitman Ave, Ocean Grove, NJ. The Horners will be doing what they do best – telling stories – and they’ve got some good ones. Like when stride piano icon, Fats Waller, was kidnapped by Al Capone; or when Claude Hopkins hit a NJ pothole and rolled his 1910 era touring car with his group and all their instruments in it; or when blues singer Reese Dupree sang a duet with a chicken; or when young Bill Basie pretended to be drunk to avoid a musical cutting contest with Donald “The Lamb” Lambert (wise move as The Lamb always carried a hatchet in his belt]. These and many more stories plus music and video clips. Tickets are $20 and space is limited so to purchase tickets visit the Historical Society of Ocean Grove website, https://historicalsocietyofoceangrove.org/ and go to “Tours and Lectures.”
Past Lecture:
Multi-media presentation:
“Singing Waiters & Cake Walks:
Asbury Park’s Grand Hotels & the Evolution of Early Black Music and Dance”
Presented by the Asbury Park Museum’s Charlie Horner
This lecture occurred Thursday, September 28, 2023
at the Asbury Park Library, 500 1st Ave, Asbury Park, NJ
SUMMARY: The late 1800s witnessed the beginnings of Black Vaudeville and ragtime music. This led to the birth of jazz, blues and the African American entertainment and recording industry. All forms of commercial Black music were derived from the music of these formative years. Early Black entertainers faced threats, violence, discrimination, and numerous racial insults. Earning only a fraction of what white entertainers made, even the biggest Black stars took summer jobs, often as hotel waiters. Still, they persevered.
For their noble efforts, early Black entertainers paid a horrible price. To work in the Jim Crow Era, many had to tailor their repertoire and acts to include racially degrading minstrel songs. For this, future generations would discredit them and minimize their contributions. In truth, these trailblazing music pioneers opened the door for all future Black entertainers.
The Asbury Park Museum’s Charlie Horner will explore the role of Asbury Park’s “whites only” grand hotels in the evolution of late 1800s and early 1900s Black music and dance. You’ll hear music clips of Asbury Park hotel employees’ wax cylinder recordings – the first banjo and Black vocal quartet recordings ever made. You’ll learn how a dance called the Cake Walk grew out of slavery times and paved the way for dances from the Charleston to swing dance. And you’ll find out why early mega-stars of Black Broadway chose Asbury Park to refine their shows.
About the Presenter: Charlie Horner, vice president of the Asbury Park Museum, is a world-renowned expert in the history of early Black music. He and Pamela Horner researched and authored the book, “Springwood Avenue Harmony: The Unique Music Legacy of Asbury Park’s West Side, Volume 1, 1871 – 1945.” They are hoping to have Volume 2, 1946 – 1980 released by the end of this year.
Past Lecture & Book Signing
This lecture and book signing occurred Thursday, November 4, 2021 at the Asbury Park Library, First and Grand, Asbury Park. It was a special multi-media presentation, book signing and book launch party for the new book, “You Don’t Know Me: The Musical Memoir of Stormin’ Norman Seldin” by Norman Seldin as told to Charlie Horner. The event was sponsored by the Asbury Park Museum and the coauthor Charlie Horner is Vice President of the AP Museum.
The book tells the life story of Norman Seldin, one of the key creators of the “Sound of Asbury Park.” This event is FREE to attend and light refreshments will be served.
The book is also available in Amazon.com.