Lillian Porch and Leon Harris Jr.

00:03 My name is Lilian porch. I am 61 years of age. Today is Saturday, April 17th of 2021. I am currently located in Little Rock Arkansas where I story all began the name of my conversation partner and Leon Harris Jr. My cousin.

00:28 And my name is Leon. Thomas Harris Jr. My age is 74 years old. Today's date is Saturday. April 20th, April 17th, 2021. My location is in St. Louis Missouri. And the name of my conversation partner courses is Lilian porch, but I cuz

00:54 Good morning. Good afternoon. Cousin. Lawrence Leo, mostly started as in music and and then music incline family. So, I wanted to talk to him again and given his date of birth, and then he died and

01:37 Why he's so famous and Uncle Leo. Also, Lawrence Leo Mosley, and there was a name, given him. He was the man with the funny little horn and we'll talk about. But Uncle, Leo was born, December 29th, 1805, in Little Rock, Arkansas, and he was active throughout his career from the 1920s, to the 1970s. He died. July 21st, 1981 in New York City, New York.

02:23 And Uncle Leo was age when he got started as a musician was at the age 16 years of age. He was actually the key saxophone soloist for the Alfonso Trent band and that was the start of of his career and in an amazing career. So well ya see you. It was the pride of one of the pride of my family, how many instruments could you play?

03:02 Am I understand? Is that a question? Played the saxophone. And, and he took the music theory and in professionally studying in Cincinnati, on that subject. And there was some basic piano involved in in, in his his understanding of Music which is probably basic to every instrument. But yes, it was, it was mainly the saxophone and he just specialize in that area.

03:33 At the age of 16. He also did something else. He used to write music for my goodness. He has done so much in that area from the years of his composition. And some of the music's songs that he wrote in the author, was the song called the man with the funny little Horn of course, and his particular harm was very unique. It was, if you know, what a what a saxophone looks like, but it had an angle at a certain degree angle that the end there was a slide and there was a mouthpiece but it gave her a pretty little tweaking kind of sound that was exceptionally well,

04:33 Remember Jazz world because it was different, but the song, The Man with the

04:40 He called it. The smell my phone.

04:43 And of course, I get the smell of a phone after Snapper and some of the some of the music that he presented everywhere. He went, it was, it was like he was an icon in his generation because of that simple phone. So yeah, that instrument, he sure did, you know, most of the

05:25 The music that he, he the bands that he played with, they will work, welcome back. Because if you can imagine a new instrument at that particular time, everyone knows with a saxophone is but this totally went off angle a little bit and into some really interesting sounds, you know, so if you really did well for him during that time,

05:49 What conflict is a controversial piece? Did he write at the age of 16?

05:59 Well, he wrote a song that we all are familiar with called. Amen, with the assistance of his pianist believe. Her name was Mary Lou Williams. He developed this the song and it went to court battle and so forth in the courts. Finally awarded it to him, as well as being the sole composer of this song Play. Now, giving him full credit for Colorado in the past and there is a jazz museum in Denver, Colorado.

06:51 What I got in the, to a discussion with a gentleman there who was aware of that composition and of snub Mosley in the desk that I send to him information about snub Mosley and his his background. So he does, he is well known. He was worldwide known. What did he do? When he was stationed about that, England, France and Germany during presentations and concerts to the sum of the world. World War troops in those locations. And he receive ten citations from the United States government, which, you know, if it works. Then being acknowledged for his work with with the American and Allied troops.

07:51 So he eat that a lot of work and travel, while he was traveling to England. We have photos of him on the lawn of the parliament. They're playing the song to the Queen of England who was who was standing in the background listening to him. So he had a passion, Beyond passions for music for presentation and in for using music as as a, a magnet for people to just come together and enjoy one another. So I appreciate that about him.

08:42 What was the name of his first band?

08:46 Well, he is. First band was the

08:51 From from 1926 to 1933 at the age of 16. You became a member of the outsides of Trent band. But during this time, also, he created his own bad, 1938-d traded his own, he started his own band, which was the snub Mosley band, but 1934. It was the Jeter pillars. Orchestra from 1934 to 1935. He was a main solos for the Claude Hopkins, Orchestra.

09:31 Band from 1936 to 1937. He was involved in the Fats Waller band and Orchestra and also the Russell orchestra that time, these were our concerns that were all over the place, you know, special in New York and other locations. And then from 1955 to 1961, mainly their concerts throughout New York. In Manhattan. Your name is just through all parts of that until. So if it's just an even doing his time, see you at the same time. He was with the particular Orchestra. He was also doing other things, for young people, and, and for concerts and whatever from 1940 to 1942.

10:24 They they they required that he cut dozens of titles with a a sextet group from Deca, and we're still reviewing and studying with those that group is, but the and then in 1946, he was so busy sharing his talent. He did several songs with the end with the Sonora and another recording group called penguin. And yet another recording group, which was a British group that he frequents. And so between the years of 19th of 2019, 20th and 1970s. He was very, very busy.

11:15 Name of name, two of the famous other people that he played with of him and Nat King Cole, and others that he was involved with a Louis Armstrong. Louis Armstrong of the Louis Armstrong. When I mention that, the 1936 and 1937. He was with fast fat Waller. And, with the Russell, Orchestra, the Russell Orchestra was under the direction of Louis Armstrong.

11:59 And he was part of that group. So a lot of exposure to Louis Armstrong in concert later with Louis Armstrong and Nat King, Cole, Sarah Vaughan, others, and that the word in that Circle, that moment in 1960 for a high school choir under the direction of mr. Kenneth Billups where we often did concerts with the st. Louis Symphony. Orchestra. We went on tour and some of the places during the tour for a week-long, Cleveland, Ohio, Cincinnati, Ohio, Detroit, Michigan, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but we also went to New

12:59 New York City, are we speaking at the Commodore Hotel, which was a hotel was so huge that Streets Run, underneath it. Well, Uncle Leo came out to the choir and visited us at the hotel. I was so proud to see him. He brought Steve music for everybody in the choir, but the instructors of pretty eyed baby and I it was a song that he had just ridden along with Mary Lou Williams as a Pianist. But this song just hit the Jazz World by storm waiting. How he took the mr. Billups director, as well as the other chaperones and myself out to dinner. And I was so proud of that moment and there was some people in the choir who went on in life to become Jazz musicians because of him and he canceled because there was not

13:58 Is a lot of the black musicians in the Jazz world will not well known by the common City kid that was going to the high school. During that time. They were showing. So I was so proud of him and, and it's like, you made me a kind of a celebrity who played during an era when it was segregation going on and he was allowed to get into these places. That was, that was a blessing in his part. If I may share and affectionate moment, whatever he came home here to Little Rock Arkansas. He was always interview and he always was put on television on Channel 4. They were, they would be stationed out to have him to come.

14:58 A shout and he even have anybody out there has my mom and I was sitting out there and just had a great time whenever he was coming to town. Just excited to know. He was coming. We know he's going to come and play at the Forum to stay busy. But he made time for you. And I remember the time when his father, the late there, William J Mosley who he passes the age of a hundred and three, but when at a hundred years old, the governor and the mayor came out to the house that to your house, I remember to your house and the loan with with the mayor came to play for his father at that time, and I was in the city, gave the key. The city key was given to snub Mosley at that time.

15:56 I thought that was so mean, you know, and they both were given the keys to the memories. Well.

16:22 Tell me, what a Man of Distinction and honor and if we love him, he is survived by a sibling. He has no. Yes, I am mostly Dickerson. She lives in North, Little Rock, Little Rock. Okay, and yeah, and she still she still lives and every time we see her we talked about it, but so proud of her brother, so she was at she came along and

17:22 And so, she just told him here because he was always acknowledging. His home town is a bad term, 200 years old. Of course, he was given the keepers of the other city as you mentioned, but there was, there was several other acknowledgement to him for the work. He's done as a youth, as a product of the, The Little Rock Arkansas Community, how to see how he's Advanced and moved on, and is the fibula mean, so much to so many others.

18:14 In 2018. He was inducted into the Arkansas Hall of Fame, 2018 contributions to Arkansas into the music industry.

18:35 And let's see what we have here. Again. We're hoping that instrument, which we still do have here here in Arkansas. It was on display at the temple Museum. I don't quite know where it went from there, but hopefully have a just yet, but we will let me know. Another family member has it, but we're hoping it. Put it on this play songs that that he

19:17 Author available by Googling on you on YouTube, on the Google on YouTube. And I just want to rid of this, a list of the few that he, altered course. I mentioned the man with a, with a funny little horn. He wrote a song called snubs Blues, another song, called swampland. Another song called Moe's after Mosley. He, he named it, that there was a song that he wrote, the name of it is between you and the devil be interested in here. And then there's another song. I'm just a substitute for love. These are songs that the which she holds and is acknowledged as having been the composer and then there are others as well, too.

20:17 But I'm just so proud of him. And, you know, I would like to say that all along. What I loved about snub Mosley, being a person in the Limelight. I mean, he was really out there, but he never and never ever forgot his family.

20:35 Always acknowledge his family. He always acknowledge the city that he came from his roots and he never forgot that. And not as a young man. I should have myself on a Model myself after him, get on the way. He lived his life as a man of humility. He and you mentioned it and it's so true every hotel in place that he went to do a presentation. He can stay there.

21:08 He was not allowed to stay at the hotel because of the segregation issue, but it's still perform there as though he had, you know, with the same level of Pride and dignity. And I love that about him. I love that about you, leave through the back. He wasn't allowed to eat at the hotel if they put him down the street. And I appreciated him for that everything. Nothing else really matter. Now. I never had any children and he never married, but I will give tribute to his lifelong friend for 10 and they had a very elaborate.

22:05 A sweet like in New York and that movie is bleeding called when you come. Bye. Bye. Birdie, they open it up for the movie cameras, and everyone to come in and they had one of the best overlooking. The best thing and everything, and they thought it was ideal. They gave him permission.

22:42 I was but I'm giving her one time when I met him in New York with my high school choir. I never will forget. You looked at me and being a young man and seen him. I'm at all and he said three on never, stop climbing. He told me that he never stopped climbing, you know, don't quit. Keep going. Don't let anything hold you back. And this was coming for me a person that climbed he had to climb that mountain, you know, and it wasn't a smooth mount. It was a rough now, but yet I believe he reached the top.

23:33 We persevered. I didn't know any of my grandfather. I only knew his father William Jameson my great-grandfather and grandfather used to always tell me that I was 13 years old and I I wouldn't leave from church unless I got to go see Grandpa and Grandma. Pat at that time with his second wife, but he was in a lie ever had. His father was a hearing aid and a cane, so it's no wonder. I didn't make it to 7103 music as all throughout our family. My mother the baby girl, and she

24:28 Well, that makes me know about Uncle. Leo is Black Beauty. We all we all in this family. I Music, Man time. I have my grandchildren and music. They're playing the piano. They're playing the saxophone and the drum. So I would have had, what do you call that number? And you know, even though his musicianship is amazing, what I remember so much again. It's his character, this particular time in his life and that was segregation and, and all that sort of thing at a time. And having travel to other countries. He could have easily been boastful.

25:28 Buddy, but he never brought it up. Climbing Lupe on his head when he started going bald at the award after he warned him that. But his sound like,

26:28 Just be a part of this today because I like you little Lily. And for years, I have wanted to get the word out and we talked about it and prayed about it. And I'll finalize this, this opportunity to get the word out about a great man who contribute to an industry. That was kind of like a Salvation for, you know, especially black people, the music industry. And so he was a part of that and he was a model for so many young musicians coming up under him because, you know, his band and all the other bands. It was a lot of young people be coming up through those ranks. So I appreciate the the Legacy that he leaves behind you. No, great. People do great things. So he was

27:28 Yeah, I remember the day of his funeral. So many people came out. Will you have a two-story church, but it'll be all over the yard. The street down. The street came out to pay tribute to him a lot of great music that give a tribute to love that was there for us.

28:04 Baga, Baga icon or discuss and I've been thinking on it. It says the giving of websites where is photos can be seen. What what I've done is simply Googling, Anthem, snub Mosley, Lawrence, Leo, Mosley, and there's a lot of stuff coming up, you know, you can on YouTube. There are some YouTube videos.

28:47 After putting his name and that, that you can pull up and I wish I could show you this. This is kind of, just one of the things that I pulled out that had so many different pictures and videos of being. So, there's the Amazons will Trent band that you can pull up and, and see the other members him and all the members. And oh, wow, that's so many different though. Videos of this petty little handsome guy to, you know, is he mad King Cole and and Sarah Vaughan that can be pulled up.

29:47 And I heard archery and Eddie Bearfield just on and on lots of stuff. So I can really be pulled up. Even some of the individual records of Love Mosley. If you go on YouTube and and just sat in the music section and pull up his music, there were there all records and in the create size wreck at 78th and 33 and 45, I think. But these were the old 78, those real thick records, so that you can pull up as well. So I just wanted to mention that. So it's just a wealth of information.

30:36 If this is not enough, check him out on the internet, listen to his music, listen to the instrument that slide, in fact that he played from, it is unique in its own way, and I thought we would end and you know, I will let you

32:11 Alright. Alright been an honor. It's been an honor. Thank you.