NATIONAL STORY TOLEDO’S JAZZ LEGACY: THE BLACK MUSICIANS WHO SHAPED THE OHIO CITY’S SOUNDSCAPE BY ANGELA JENNINGS ART TATUM. ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF TOLEDO STREETS / INSP.NGO ART TATUM A name synonymous with virtuosic, Art Tatum took jazz pianism by the reigns and flipped it upside down. He took inspiration not only from jazz’s primary melodic aspects, but those that weren’t and still aren’t typically focused on, such as bass lines and percussive elements. He approached musicianship from an innovative different angle and was truly a force to be reckoned with. Local jazz expert Doug Swiatecki highlighted that Tatum’s “unbeatable piano stylings were developed in Toledo,” rather than after his introduction to more mainstream jazz communities in New York and Chicago. “When he left Toledo, he overwhelmed all of the pianists in New York,” added Swiatecki. “Going forward, every jazz pianist in history, no matter how creative they are, stands in the shadow of what Tatum did.” CLAUDE BLACK Although he did not share Tatum’s level of recognition, Claude Black was a true icon among Toledo’s most influential jazz pianists. After leaving Detroit, rather than choosing to move to New York, Black chose Toledo – a testament to his love for the city. According to Swiatecki, he was well respected and liked among his peers, and had a wide range of rich experiences with jazz greats. He was Aretha Franklin’s original keyboard player, and “talked about going to New York and jamming with all these famous guys, and the likes of Billie Holiday.” Kim Buehler of Toledo School for the Arts worked with Black directly and describes him as one of her biggest JEAN HOLDEN. COURTESY OF JEANHOLDEN.COM influences as a young jazz artist. “Claude Black could instruct you with just one eyebrow,” she said. “If you did something that he really liked he would kind of sit up and look at you, and you were like, ‘I did it, he looked at me!’” CLIFFORD MURPHY Clifford Murphy is recognized nationwide for his work as a jazz bassist. Both Swiatecki and Buehler credit the blossoming of Toledo’s jazz scene to the opening of jazz club Murphy’s Place, which he co-ran with his partner Joan Russell, who took charge while he travelled with his band. Murphy “brought a level of jazz musicianship into downtown Toledo that hadn’t been there since the late 40s or 50s,” said Swiatecki. JEAN HOLDEN A truly versatile entertainer, Jean Holden is widely considered one of the most important vocalists in Toledo to this day. “In terms of jazz, she can turn it on with the best jazz vocalist you can name and stand her ground,” said Swiatecki. With her vast knowledge of many other musical genres, such as blues and country, Holden has also worked as a vocal coach, and “the list and the names of people that have come out of her vocal studio is kind of staggering,” Swiatecki added. JON HENDRICKS Having grown up just down the street from Art Tatum, Jon Hendricks was destined to make an impact not only on a CLAUDE BLACK. COURTESY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO RAMONA COLLINS. COURTESY OF RAMONACOLLINS.COM March 2024 DENVER VOICE 9 RAMONA COLLINS Widely known as “Toledo’s hardest working vocalist,” Ramona Collins paved the way for the area’s female performers and vocalists. Buehler is one of the many young women who Collins mentored throughout her career. She described Collins as “a great mentor to her about how to be a woman in the industry. To this day, I still gig with her, and she does not take a break.” “I don’t think she suffers fools, and that’s refreshing,” Swiatecki added. “I’ve watched her adapt to the most professional orchestras and the most inexperienced players. She is such a vibrant person and a great advocate for all things jazz in Toledo.” ■ Courtesy of Toledo Streets / INSP.ngo local but on an international scale. With his invention of Vocalese, a style of jazz involving writing lyrics to songs or compositions that are typically instrumental, Hendricks made groundbreaking strides in his career. For four semesters, Buehler was Hendricks’ teaching assistant at the University of Toledo, which gifted her the opportunity to tour and perform with him in Europe. She described him as possessing great kindness. “Whether it was a person on a corner, a person passing him in the airport, the garbage man, or somebody really famous, he treated everybody the same,” she said. “He treated every person as if they were a king.” “I’m certain that Jon was truly one of the titans in the American jazz pantheon,” said Swiatecki.
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