Gene Sedric

A longtime member of Fats Waller's Rhythm, Gene Sedric appeared on many records with the great pianist, taking consistently colorful clarinet and tenor solos. Known as "Honey Bear" after a period in the '30s when he often wore a camel-hair overcoat, Sedric had a warm sound on his horns that fit his nickname. His father was a ragtime pianist. Sedric started his career playing with Charlie Creath in St. Louis, and other early gigs included associations with Fate Marable, Dewey Jackson, and Ed Allen (1922). After working with Julian Arthur, Sedric joined Sam Wooding's Orchestra in 1925. He toured with Wooding in Europe for the next six years, not leaving until the band broke up in 1931. After returning to New York, Sedric briefly rejoined Wooding and was with Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra and Alex Hill for a short time. Most importantly, he became a member of Fats Waller's Rhythm in 1934 and worked steadily with Waller for the next eight years, taking time off when the pianist was featured as a solo attraction to gig with Mezz Mezzrow (1937) and Don Redman (1938-1939). In 1943, Sedric led his own group; the following year he was briefly with the Phil Moore Four, and in 1945 he worked with Hazel Scott. During 1946-1951, Sedric led his own band which played in small clubs in New York. Other associations included pianist Pat Flowers (1946-1947 in a Fats Waller alumni group), Bobby Hackett (1951), Jimmy McPartland, Mezz Mezzrow, Conrad Janis (starting in 1953), Dick Wellstood (1961), and other trad and mainstream players. Although he recorded many dates as a sideman (most notably with Waller), Gene Sedric just had a few record sessions as a leader, resulting in four numbers in 1938, 16 selections in 1946 (for Harmonia, Pathe, and Keynote) and a couple songs shared with Mezz Mezzrow in 1953. Gene Sedric was active until two years before his death.