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* Nov 27, 1894 New Orleans, La
† Mar 17, 1968 New Orleans, La
As a brass band musician he played with:
Henry Allen,
Eureka,
Henry "Kid"
Rena, Onward,
Tulane,
Tuxedo Brass Band
Born in New Orleans on 27 November 1894, son of a Methodist preacher,
whose mother played piano and sang in the choir. He was an early musical
associate of Louis Armstrong. He was given the name "Happy" because of his
cheerful disposition. His early work was in the Tulane Brass Band. He said that his
favorite drummer was Henry Zeno, who played for the "Original Tuxedo Band",
with his future boss Papa Celestin.
Goldston used to play alongside Black Benny Williams, who was a renowned bass
drum exponent. As well as playing snare, Happy also spent some time on the bass
drum.
It appears that he was largely self taught, although he did have lessons in
reading from Davy Jones. Eye witnesses stated that Happy played rolls directly
from the wrist, indicating a correct technique. He studied Louis Cottrell and
second lined with the Excelsior Band when Cottrell was playing in order to
observe his drumming style.
Sadly there is little recorded evidence of Goldston's playing. The best examples
are on a handful of sides he made around 1950 with Oscar 'Papa' Celestin's Band.
He was also recorded with the Celestin band under Ricard Alexis (with Alcorn
replacing Celestin) in 1951 from a Dixieland Jambake radio program and again
with the Celestin band under the
name Paddock Jazz Band, 1953 (again with Alcorn
replacing Celestin) There is a session on snare drum with the Eureka Brass band
in 1960 but remains unissued.
Black Happy can be seen and heard playing at two funerals (Celestin's and
Picou's) on the video recently issued on American Music AMVD-2 "Sing On - A Film
Of New Orleans Brass Bands".
Happy is the snare drummer par excellence. He did not use tom toms, or hi-hat
and never played ride cymbal.
His style was parade based, with a two beat bass drum and a whole variety of
different snare drum rhythms and rolls. Behind the trombone, for instance he
would create a shuffle. His solos were all rudiment based, with rolls, ruffs and
shifting beats generating an immense heat. The bass drum plays four beats four
beats during the solos. His ride out chorus on an up tempo number was an off
beat cymbal.
Listen to a couple of fine solos on
"Li'l Liza Jane"
and
"When The Saints"
by Celestin's Band.
Happy Goldston is a primitive root to the early days of Jazz drumming, before
drummers discovered the hi-hat or ride cymbals. His style, with a band, is a
derivation of the style he would have
played in the streets with the marching
ensembles.
I would like to acknowledge the assistance of Jazz critic, Marcel Joly and
source material from an interview by William Russell and Richard B Allen.
i1 By
John Petters - July 2000
He was with the Golden Leaf
Band (1920-21), Onward Brass band (1922), WPA Brass Band (mid 30's).16
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