One of comedian
Lenny Bruce's most hilarious routines involves the resulting culture clash when a hip bebopper saxophonist tries to join
Lawrence Welk's band. This legendary Texas reed player, however, is an example of the fine jazz talent that actually has been part of the
Welk outfit, all kidding aside. Not that jazz listeners will be forced to watch the
Welk show in order to isolate
Cuesta from the bubbles and Myron Floren accordion solos.
Cuesta also recorded with the great trombonist
Jack Teagarden and the brilliant pianist, composer, and bandleader
Jelly Roll Morton. But perhaps one of the best documentations of
Cuesta's playing is indeed linked to
Welk, the 1976 album entitled Lawrence Welk Presents the Clarinet of Henry Cuesta.
Cuesta came from a large musical family, one aspect of which was the Caceres clan: clarinetist Ernie Caceres, violinist Emilio Caceres, and pianist Pinero Caceres are his cousins; saxophonist
David Caceres is his nephew. Violin was
Cuesta's first instrument, which he was taught by his father and began playing in chamber groups as a teenager. After switching to reeds he at first continued in the classical direction, playing in the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra between 1950 and 1953 before being inducted to follow Uncle Sam's baton. He came out of the Army obviously more interested in jazz, perhaps the result of concerts he had been involved with on European bases, such as a tribute to
George Gershwin.
Residency in Toronto put him in contact and often on-stage with a series of solidly swinging visiting performers, including
Benny Goodman and
Bobby Hackett. Solid career connections ensued, including work with both
Teagarden and
Welk. He also performed with singers
Bob Crosby,
Mel Tormé, and
Bobby Vinton. In 1993 he and
David Caceres took part in a tribute to Emilio and Ernie Caceres presented at the Riverwalk venue in San Antonio. ~ Eugene Chadbourne