In the book Juan Tizol, His Caravan Through American Life and Culture, author Basilio Serrano, who specializes in the plight of Puerto Rican artists whose contributions have been minimized, misunderstood, and ignored, sets out to “set the record straight and give credit where it is due.”
In 2000, Serrano documented Tizol’s works with Duke Ellington, Harry James, and other nationally known bandleaders and orchestras. Also, he composed the essays “Puerto Rican Pioneers in Jazz” and “Puerto Rican Musicians of the Harlem Renaissance.” Also, he profiled the pianist Noro Morales, the actress Miriam Colon and political activist Lolita Lebron.
During a recent conversation, I was curious to learn what drew Serrano to Juan Tizol. “I chose Tizol because he spoke no English when he arrived in the U.S. from Puerto Rico and was unfamiliar with American culture,” he explained. “Also, Tizol knew little of jazz and played the valve trombone, mainly used in marching bands. Some would say Tizol had three strikes against him, if not four, yet, despite the odds, he had an extremely successful music career.”
Juan Tizol was born in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, in 1900. He grew up in a musical family and trained under his uncle and surrogate father, Manuel Tizol Marquez (1876-1940), a significant figure in the history of Puerto Rico. Among his many accomplishments, Manuel Tizol founded The Concert Society of San Juan (1913), The Harmonic Club of San Juan (1923), and the first symphony orchestra (1926). In the popular realm, Tizol led a dance orchestra and directed the Municipal Band of San Juan, which spawned multi-instrumentalists such as Rafael Hernández, the tubist, and the bass player Rafael Escudero and his nephew, among others.
In 1920, Tizol came to the U.S. on a ship traveling to Washington, D.C. as a stowaway. Shortly after, he set up residence and established himself in the Howard Theater pit band, performing mainly for touring shows and silent movies. At the Howard Theater, Duke Ellington heard Tizol perform. In 1929, when Ellington and his band were broadcasting from the Cotton Club in Harlem, he asked Tizol to bring his valve trombone to hear how it would mesh with the orchestra. History shows it did.
Tizol joined Ellington’s band in 1929 and composed what he describes as “Spanish (exotic) melodies,” songs such as Moonlight Fiesta, Jubilesta, Caravan, and Conga Brava. Also, Tizol injected Latin influences into Ellington’s repertoire and was responsible for rehearsing and integrating new musicians into the band. In his autobiography, “Music is My Mistress” (Da Capo Press, 1973), Ellington described Tizol as “A tremendous asset to our band, a very big man, a very unselfish man and one of the finest musicians I have ever known.”
Tizol made other significant contributions to Ellington’s band. One of his signature roles was copying parts from Ellington’s scores and extracting parts for upcoming shows. Additionally, Tizol was known as an expert sight-reader and the “rock” of the trombone section. Less known is the fact that Tizol was not, by and large, an improviser. Instead, he often featured played written solos that displayed his masterful technique and agility on the horn.
Tizol’s plight as a light-skinned Puerto Rican in an African American band is less known. During his tenure with Ellington, one critic described him as a “blob of sour crème in a black bowl of caviar.” Also, he adhered to “color codes” and allowed the director of the films “Black and Tan” (1929) and “Check and Double Check” (1930s) to blacken his face to “fit in.” Despite that, Tizol consciously chose to work with black jazz orchestras, married an African American woman and lived and worked in an African-American community when racial inequities were rampant. Despite that, Tizol’s detractors maliciously accused him of “trying to pass for black.”
Serrano’s most intriguing theory appears in the chapter “The Progenitor of Latin Jazz: Trombonist Extraordinaire.” Tizol is credited as a Latin jazz pioneer; however, he and Duke Ellington have not received recognition for their significant role in developing the Latin jazz genre. Additionally, Tizol and Ellington experimented with and recorded “Latin-tinged” melodies years before Tanga, widely considered to be the first Afro-Cuban jazz tune.
Tizol remained with Ellington until 1944. Afterward, he joined Harry James’s orchestra because it was based out of the West Coast, and it allowed him to spend time with his wife. He returned to the Ellington orchestra in 1951 and reunited with Harry James three years later. In 1960, he spent one year with Ellington and appeared on television with Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole before retiring.
In 1984, at 84, Tizol died of a heart attack at the Daniel Freeman Hospital in Inglewood, California. He was survived by his wife, Rose.
Juan Tizol was part of Puerto Rico’s Tizol Dynasty. The story of the Tizol family is a deep topic that has yet to receive attention or recognition. See below for related articles about other members of the Tizol family.
En el libro Juan Tizol, His Caravan Through American Life and Culture, el autor Basilio Serrano, que se especializa en la difícil situación de los artistas puertorriqueños cuyas contribuciones han sido minimizadas, malinterpretadas e ignoradas, se propone “aclarar las cosas y dar crédito donde se debe.”
En 2000, Serrano documentó las obras de Tizol con Duke Ellington, Harry James y otros directores de orquesta y orquestas de renombre nacional. Además, compuso los ensayos “Puerto Rican Pioneers in Jazz” y “Puerto Rican Musicians of the Harlem Renaissance”. Asimismo, resaltó al pianista Noro Morales, la actriz Miriam Colón y la activista política Lolita Lebron.
Durante una conversación reciente, tuve curiosidad por saber qué atrajo a Serrano a Juan Tizol. “Elegí a Tizol porque no hablaba inglés cuando llegó a los EE. UU. desde Puerto Rico y no estaba familiarizado con la cultura estadounidense”, explicó. “Además, Tizol sabía poco de jazz y tocaba el trombón de válvulas, utilizado principalmente en bandas de música. Algunos dirían que Tizol tenía tres strikes en su contra, si no cuatro, pero, a pesar de las probabilidades, tuvo una carrera musical extremadamente exitosa”.
Juan Tizol nació en Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, en 1900. Creció en una familia de músicos y se formó con su tío y padre sustituto, Manuel Tizol Márquez (1876-1940), una figura importante en la historia de Puerto Rico. Entre sus muchos logros, Manuel Tizol fundó la Sociedad de Conciertos de San Juan (1913), el Club Armónico de San Juan (1923) y la primera orquesta sinfónica (1926). En el ámbito popular, Tizol lideró una orquesta de baile y dirigió la Banda Municipal de San Juan, de la que surgieron multiinstrumentistas como Rafael Hernández, el tubista, y el contrabajista Rafael Escudero y su sobrino, entre otros.
En 1920, Tizol llegó a los EE. UU. en un barco que viajaba a Washington, D.C. como polizón. Poco después, fijó su residencia y se estableció en la pit band del Howard Theatre, actuando principalmente para espectáculos itinerantes y películas mudas. En el Teatro Howard, Duke Ellington escuchó actuar a Tizol. En 1929, cuando Ellington y su banda estaban transmitiendo desde el Cotton Club en Harlem, le pidió a Tizol que trajera su trombón de válvulas para escuchar cómo encajaría con la orquesta. La historia muestra que sí.
Tizol se unió a la banda de Ellington en 1929 y compuso lo que él describe como “melodías (exóticas) españolas”, canciones como Moonlight Fiesta, Jubilesta, Caravan y Conga Brava. Además, Tizol inyectó influencias latinas en el repertorio de Ellington y fue responsable de ensayar e integrar nuevos músicos a la banda. En su autobiografía, “La música es mi amante” (Da Capo Press, 1973), Ellington describió a Tizol como “Un tremendo activo para nuestra banda, un hombre muy grande, un hombre muy desinteresado y uno de los mejores músicos que he conocido. ”
Tizol hizo otras contribuciones significativas a la banda de Ellington. Uno de sus roles característicos fue copiar partes de las partituras de Ellington y extraer partes para los próximos programas. Además, Tizol era conocido como un experto lector a primera vista y el “rock” de la sección de trombón. Menos conocido es el hecho de que Tizol no era, en general, un improvisador. En cambio, a menudo presentaba solos escritos que mostraban su técnica magistral y su agilidad en la trompeta.
La difícil situación de Tizol como puertorriqueño de piel clara en una banda afroamericana es menos conocida. Durante su mandato en Ellington, un crítico lo describió como una “mancha de crema agria en un tazón negro de caviar”. Además, se adhirió a los “códigos de color” y permitió que el director de las películas “Black and Tan” (1929) y “Check and Double Check” (década de 1930) se ennegreciera la cara para “encajar”. A pesar de eso, Tizol eligió conscientemente trabajar con orquestas negras de jazz, se casó con una mujer afroamericana y vivió y trabajó en una comunidad afroamericana cuando las desigualdades raciales eran rampantes. A pesar de eso, los detractores de Tizol lo acusaron maliciosamente de “intentar pasar por negro”.
La teoría más intrigante de Serrano aparece en el capítulo “El progenitor del jazz latino: trombonista extraordinario”. A Tizol se le acredita como un pionero del jazz latino; sin embargo, él y Duke Ellington no han recibido reconocimiento por su importante papel en el desarrollo del género del jazz latino. Además, Tizol y Ellington experimentaron y grabaron melodías “con tintes latinos” años antes que Tanga, ampliamente considerada como la primera melodía de jazz afrocubano.
Tizol permaneció con Ellington hasta 1944. Luego, se unió a la orquesta de Harry James porque tenía su sede en la costa oeste y le permitía pasar tiempo con su esposa. Regresó a la orquesta de Ellington en 1951 y se reunió con Harry James tres años después. En 1960, pasó un año con Ellington y apareció en televisión con Frank Sinatra y Nat King Cole antes de retirarse.
En 1984, a los 84 años, Tizol murió de un infarto en el Hospital Daniel Freeman en Inglewood, California. Le sobrevivió su esposa, Rose.
Juan Tizol fue parte de la Dinastía Tizol de Puerto Rico. La historia de la familia Tizol es un tema profundo que aún no ha recibido atención ni reconocimiento. Consulte a continuación los artículos relacionados sobre otros miembros de la familia Tizol.
ABOUT BASILIO SERRANO
BASILIO SERRANO was born in San Sebastián, Puerto Rico. As a child, he moved to Brooklyn, New York, where he attended school and subsequently relocated to the Lower East Side of Manhattan with his family (where he spent most of his youth). He attended City College (CCNY – City University of New York), where he completed his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees and received a Ph.D. from New York University. Dr. Serrano is a Professor Emeritus and former chair of the Childhood Education Department of the State University of New York – College at Old Westbury.
In addition to educating teachers, Professor Serrano served as a curriculum writer specializing in Latin American Studies (LAS). His extensive work in the LAS field has led him to research many facets of the Latin American experience in the United States, particularly the Puerto Rican Diaspora and the Boricuas’ wide range of experiences in the States.
Dr. Serrano has conducted in-depth investigations into Puerto Ricans and popular music and jazz development in recent years. The result of this research has been documented in his seminal book on Juan Tizol and an assortment of other related articles and writings. Moreover, he has written articles on the history of the Puerto Rican community in the United States and biographical essays on musicians in the jazz world. His publications appear in academic journals and magazines in the United States and Puerto Rico.
RECOMMENDED READING
Puerto Rican Pioneers in Jazz 1900 – 1939; Bomba Beats to Latin Jazz (iUniverse, 2015)
Puerto Rican Women From the Jazz Age: Stories of Success (AuthorHouse, 2019)
RELATED ARTICLES
Boricua Pioneer: Manuel Tizol (Click To Read)
SOURCE MATERIALS
Ellington, Duke – Music is My Mistress (De Capo Press, 1973)
Serrano, Basilio – Juan Tizol, His Caravan Through American Life and Culture (Xilibris, 2012)
Wilson, John S. – New York Times – Juan Tizol Dead: Jazz Trombonist (1984)
DUKE ELLINGTON PHOTO
REX STEWART
