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Jazz pianist Chittison to be honored at Fleming Founder's Day
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By MARLA TONCRAY, News Editor
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FLEMINGSBURG -- Fleming County native and jazz pianist legend Herman "Ivory" Chittison will be honored this weekend as part of Fleming County's Founder's Day and Old Fashioned Court Days celebration.
The annual event, which includes an old-fashioned court days is sponsored by the Fleming County Rotary Club and will take place Saturday and Sunday in downtown Flemingsburg.
To celebrate and honor Chittison's life and legacy, organizers are planning a dedication service at 3 p.m., Saturday on the main stage located on South Main Cross Street in front of People's Bank. The service will take place during a performance by the Robert Griffin Quintet of Frankfort, which will perform from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Chittison is thought to be one of the founders of the "stride" style of piano playing and performed with such legendary artists as Louis Armstrong, Clarence Williams and Zack Whyte's Chocolate Beau Brommels from 1928 to 1931. Born Oct. 15, 1908, Chittison toured as accompanist for comedian Stepin Fetchit in the early 1930s and did freelance recordings with Clarence Williams in 1930 and 1933. In the spring of 1934, he joined Willie Lewis in New York and traveled with him to Europe; he worked with Lewis on and off from 1934 to 1938. He toured with Armstrong in 1934 and led his own band and worked in Egypt early in 1935.
Chittison also did weekly broadcasts for seven years under the name "Ernie the Blue Note Pianist" from 1942 to 1951 in the CBS radio series "Casey - Crime Photographer."
He died March 8, 1967 in Cleveland, Ohio, of lung cancer.
Rotary Club member and event organizer Marvin Suit said his father, Wilson Suit went to hear Chittison play when he came home to perform a concert at Fleming County High School in 1957.
"My dad said he rocked the room with his music," Marvin Suit said. Chittison also performed for the Fleming County Lions Club at the old Fleming Hotel when he was in town, Marvin Suit said.
In addition to the Chittison celebration, Saturday's activities will include a 5K run, pancake breakfast, children's games and activities, a talent contest, cornhole tournament, a Fleming County trivia contest, tomahawk throwing contest and primitive costume contest.
Sunday's main entertainment will feature gospel music from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the center stage. Solid Ground, as well as several local groups and individuals will sing throughout the afternoon.
There will be vendors, arts and crafts and food both days.
Suit said 120 vendors will participate this year, more than double last year's participants. New this year will be a vendor selling bourbon jelly, a reptile exhibit, a climbing wall and bungee jump.
Suit said the Flemingsburg City Park will host primitive camp sites of early settlers and a Civil War encampment, with representation of both the Union and Confederate states.
"It's a good opportunity for families to get out and learn something new about their area's history and have fun doing it," said Chris Beckham, Rotary Club secretary.
The annual event serves as both a fund-raiser for the Rotary Club and to provide a fun, fall event for the community, spotlighting the county's heritage and history, organizers said.
For more information, contact Marvin Suit at 606-849-2338 or Chip Spann at 606-748-3343.
Research material on Herman Chittison's career was found at Encyclopedia Britannica's Web site http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/articles/pages/1588/Chittison-Herman-Ivory.html
Contact Marla Toncray at marla.toncray@lee.net or 606-564-9091, ext. 275. |
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