Herschel Evans

Herschel "Tex" Evans (9 March 1909 – 9 February 1939)   was an American tenor saxophonist who was a member of the Count Basie Orchestra. He also worked with Lionel Hampton and Buck Clayton. He is also known for starting his cousin Joe McQueen's interest in the saxophone. Joe McQueen, living until 2019 at age 100, may well have been the last surviving person to have known Herschel during his lifetime.

Life and career
Evans was born in Denton, Texas, but spent some of his childhood in Kansas City, Kansas, where his cousin Eddie Durham was a trombonist and guitarist. Durham persuaded him to switch from alto to tenor saxophone, the instrument that ultimately established Evans's reputation. After perfecting his craft in the jam sessions held in the jazz district between Twelfth and Eighteenth streets in Kansas City, Evans returned to Texas in the 1920s and joined the Troy Floyd orchestra in San Antonio in 1929. He stayed with this territory band until it dispersed in 1932. Evans performed for a time with Lionel Hampton and Buck Clayton in Los Angeles, and in the mid-1930s returned to Kansas City to become a featured soloist in Count Basie's big band.

For the next three years, Evans's prominence as a tenor saxophonist was at its peak, and he participated in musical duels with fellow band member Lester Young. Count Basie's "One O'Clock Jump" featured the contrasting styles of the two musicians and brought to each the praise of both critics and the general public. Evans's greatest single success was his featured solo on Basie's hit "Blue and Sentimental." A recently discovered recording of "Blue and Sentimental" by Basie's orchestra performing at the Famous Door features Evans on tenor saxophone and a vocal by Helen Humes.

Evans also made records with jazz musicians such as Harry James, Teddy Wilson, and Lionel Hampton. Evans has been credited with influencing fellow tenorist Buddy Tate — who, in 1939, came from the Nat Towles band in Omaha to replace Evans in the Basie band when he died. He is also credited for influencing Illinois Jacquet and Arnett Cobb. Although not a prolific composer, Evans wrote "Texas Shuffle" and "Doggin' Around", among other pieces.

Death
Evans was a member of the Basie Orchestra from September 1936 until his death.

Evans became ill while playing with Basie at the Howard Theatre in Washington, D.C., sometime during the week from January 13 to January 19, 1939. He didn't feel well enough to make the Basie band's session with Decca on February 3; Chu Berry substituted. He collapsed while performing a one-nighter on February 6 with the Basie band at the Crystal Ballroom in Hartford, Connecticut; he was rushed to Wadsworth Hospital in New York City at 629 West 185th Street.

Evans died February 9, 1939, at the age of 29 of heart disease in New York City while the Basie band was playing a one-nighter in Toledo, Ohio. His body was transferred to Los Angeles and interred on February 14, St. Valentine's Day, at Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery.

Basie's recording session in New York with Decca on January 5, 1939, was Evans’ final recording.


 * Count Basie And His Orchestra, Decca 2249
 * Buck Clayton, Ed Lewis, Shad Collins, Harry Edison (trumpets); Dicky Wells, Dan Minor, Benny Morton (trombones); Earle Warren (alto sax); Herschel Evans, Lester Young (tenor saxes); Jack Washington (alto and bari sax); Count Basie (piano); Freddie Green (guitar); Walter Page (bass); Jo Jones (drums); Helen Humes (vocals)
 * Both numbers were arranged by Jimmy Mundy and Helen Humes sang on both
 * Recorded in New York, January 5, 1939
 * 64851-A "My Heart Belongs to Daddy";
 * 65852-A "Sing for Your Supper";

Orchestra memberships
Evans was a member of the following orchestras:


 * Smith Brothers Orchestra
 * Trent's Number Two — Evans performed with TNT in 1927
 * St. Louis Merrymakers — Evans performed when them around 1928
 * Edgar Battle
 * Terrence Holder
 * George Corley
 * Troy Floyd (1901–1953) and His Shadowland Orchestra, San Antonio — Evans performed with Floyd from 1929 to 1932
 * Lee Palmer
 * Mamie Smith (1883–1946)
 * Durham Brothers Orchestra
 * 1) Joseph Durham, Jr. (brother), director, double bass, and tuba
 * 2) Earl Durham (brother)
 * 3) Roosevelt Durham (brother)
 * 4) Eddie Durham (1906–1987) (brother)
 * 5)  Myrtle Durham (sister), piano
 * 6) Allen Durham (cousin), trombone
 * 7) Clyde Durham (cousin)
 * Ed Bailey Orchestra
 * Charles Echoles (né Charles Richard Echols; 1901–1957)
 * Bennie Moten — Evans performed with Moten from 1933 to 1935
 * Lionel Hampton — Evans performed for stints with Hampton in 1936
 * Buck Clayton — Evans performed for stints with Clayton in 1936
 * Count Basie — Evans performed with Basie from 1937 until his death

Selected discography and sessionography

 * Compilation
 * Count Basie, The Original American Decca Recordings (GRP, 1937-39 [1992]);


 * Original sessions
 * Troy Floyd and His Shadowland Orchestra
 * Recorded in San Antonio, Texas, June 21, 1929
 * 402696-B: "Dreamland Blues," part 1 (pt 1);
 * 402697-B: "Dreamland Blues," part 2 (pt 2);


 * Richard M. Jones: Jones' Chicago Cosmopolitans
 * Recorded in Chicago, September 13, 1935
 * 90323-A: "Joe Louis Chant"
 * 90324-A: "Baby O'Mine"


 * Count Basie And His Orchestra
 * Buck Clayton, Joe Keyes, Carl Smith (trumpets); George Hunt, Dan Minor (trombones); Caughey Roberts (alto saxes); Herschel Evans, Lester Young (tenor saxes); Jack Washington (baritone sax); Count Basie (piano); Claude Williams (guitar); Walter Page (bass); Jo Jones (drums); Jimmy Rushing (vocals)
 * Recorded in New York, January 21, 1937
 * 61542-A: "Honeysuckle Rose", Decca 1141;
 * 61543-A: "Pennies From Heaven", Decca 1121, (Swi)M-39027, Br (E)02379, 80163,
 * 61544-A: "Swingin' at the Daisy Chain," Decca 1121
 * 61545-A: "Roseland Shuffle," Decca 1141;


 * Count Basie
 * Claude Williams (guitar, violin 1); Leslie Williams (master of ceremonies)
 * Radio broadcast, live "The Chatterbox", William Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, February 8, 1937
 * "Lady Be Good
 * "St. Louis Blues"
 * "Moten Swing" (theme and closing)
 * "Shoe Shine Swing" ("Roseland Shuffle")
 * "Moten Swing" (theme and close)

Selected compositions

 * "Doggin' Around"
 * Words and music by Edgar Battle and Herschel Evans
 * Copyright September 19, 1938
 * Class E (musical composition, unpublished) 177494
 * Lewis Music Publishing Co., New York


 * "Texas Shuffle"
 * Words and music by Edgar Battle and Herschel Evans
 * 1st copy October 17, 1938
 * Class E (musical composition, unpublished) 179121
 * Lewis Music Publishing Co., New York

Edgar Battle sued Lewis Publishing Company in 1952 for failing to adequately promote songs that he published with them.