Group & Last Name Index to Full History:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Tracks are listed in chronological order by year, then alphabetically.
Listings do not reflect proper order by month or day: later oft precedes earlier.
Find on Page = F3. Not on this page? See history tree below.
Featured on this page loosely in order of first recording if not record release (as possible).
Names are alphabetical, not chronological, per year:
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Caveats in the employment of this page: 1. It descends in chronological
order by the year the artist or band is first found on a commercial record
issue (ideally) by year only, alphabetical thereat. One musician above
another doesn't necessarily translate to earlier issue unless the year
changed. 2. Though release dates are the aim with links to YouTube, some are
recording dates and may not be everywhere clearly distinguished. 3. Reissues
are used to represent originals without much discussion. |
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| This page concerns
American musicians
who invaded jazz during the decade that the Beatles landed in America to
change the thrust of rock n roll to its very substance (their Merseybeat,
the Rolling Stones meanwhile addressing raw R&B). Documented here are those
who played instruments other than
saxophone or
keyboards. Vocalists
at Modern Jazz Song. Jazz and
rock were two very different realms during the sixties. Jazz was alike classical in its
elite exclusivity, something of a rarified underground to those in the know. Who couldn't love the Beatle's best-selling single, 'She
Loves You' ('63), and countless else by that group and others? But the
classical and jazz genres held the high cards, and yet do, in composition
and
instrumental command. All those hysterical screaming girls in the sixties
couldn't hear
what they were missing when, only just prior, jazz left the Milky Way like, way out,
then began to implode via free
form. This page is thus populated with numerous black holes containing
information, dependent, be as may, upon interpreter. As for jazz and rock,
they would begin to merge in the latter sixties, bringing about the jazz
fusion that exploded in the seventies and has remained a major mix ever
since. This page is extended a bit to include but a touch of early jazz
fusion in its emergence. As for other jazz on this page in this sixties, the field of jazz became highly sophisticated
by that time. It was a little like chemistry: you had to be pretty hot
in the first place only to consider it for a career. The bar had gotten set
pretty high as of musical giants in the fifties. Amidst those more
experienced luminaries on
sax, horn, strings, piano and drums, who
began to populate the field of jazz in the sixties had to be capable of the real stuff,
having required several years of intent study. Howsoever, this page is
arranged differently than the others in this history. On other pages, jazz
musicians recording prior to 1960 are arranged by the instrument they played. But
on this page we've put together a giant orchestra of some of the more
prominent jazz musicians who first appeared on vinyl in the sixties
regardless of the instrument they played. Though most on this page are
instrumentalists, we've included a couple of vocalists as well. A good
number of jazz musicians well-known in the United States, but born
elsewhere, are at
Sixties Jazz
International. It also occurs that some
musicians might have recorded earlier than one might think, thus to be found
in an earlier period according to their instrument. Sessions data this page
per
Lord's Disco.
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 Gary Burton Source: Jazz Wax |
Born in 1943 in Anderson, Indiana, vibraphonist, Gary Burton,
began to play music at six, he self-taught on marimba and vibraphone. He
first played professionally at a restaurant in Evansville while a senior
in high school. He was seventeen when he met pianist,
Hank Garland, via
saxophonist,
Boots Randolph, who lived in Evansville.
Moving to Boston to attend the Berklee School of Music in 1960, sometime
that year before or during Berklee he held a private session with Garland
for what would get issued in 1979 as 'Jazz in New York'. The same year saw
him participating in the Berklee School of Music's tribute to
Benny Golson, 'Jazz in the Classroom
Vol V', issued in 1961. July
4th of 1960 resulted in 'After the Riot at Newport' in Newport, Rhode
Island, with the Nashville All Stars including
Garland,
Randolph and
Chet Atkins among others.
Garland then invited
Burton to record in Nashville, August of 1960 to yield 'Jazz Winds from a New
Direction' and 'Subtle Swing'. Burton also contributed to
Floyd Cramer's 'Last Date' in
1960. It was the Berklee School of Music's tribute to
Quincy Jones, 'Jazz in the
Classroom Vol VI', in 1961 before drummer,
Joe Morello's, 'It's About Time'
in June with alto saxophonist,
Phil Woods, trumpeter,
Clark Terry and valve trombonist,
Bob Brookmeyer. Burton recorded his initial album as a leader, 'New Vibe Man in Town', in
two sessions on the 6th and 7th of July, 1961, with his trio consisting of
Morello and Gene Cherico (bass). His next LP, 'Who is Gary
Burton?', was recorded in September of '62 and released in '63. That septet
included
Terry,
Woods,
Brookmeyer,
Tommy Flanagan (piano), John Neves (bass) and
Morello sharing drums with Chris Swansen,
the latter with whom he had attended Berklee.
Morello had been with Burton and
bassist, Joe Benjamin, for
Garland's 'Jazz Winds' above
in 1960. They would reunite in 1970 for Dick Schory's 'Carnegie Hall'.
Burton later surfaced on
Morello's
'Percussive Jazz' in 1976. He would see
Terry again to back
Michel Legrand ('62) and
Quincy Jones ('64), then record
'Blue 'n' Boogie' at Radio City Music Hall for Newport in New York on July 6
of '72. 1977 saw them with Peter Herbolzheimer for 'Jazz Gala 77 All Star
Big Band' in Dusseldorf, Germany. Burton would see
Woods again to back
Legrand and
Jones per above before Burton's
'The Groovy Sound of Music' on December 21, 1964. Backing up a bit to Aug of
1963 finds Burton in NYC w
Jim Hall (guitar), Chuck Israels (bass)
and Larry Bunker (drums) toward 'Something's Coming'. It was a quartet of
Burton, Bunker, Mike Wofford (piano) and Bob West (bass) for dates in Nov
and Dec of '63 toward multiple volumes of 'Live at Shelly's Manne-Hole' by
Vault ('66) and Interplay. Burton backed 'Bob Brookmeyer and Friends' in May of 1964 before
Brookmeyer's participation in
Burton's 'The Groovy Sound of Music' in December. 1963 saw the recording of
several albums with pianist,
George Shearing,
with whom Burton toured the US and Japan: 'Latin Rendezvous', 'Jazz
Concert', 'Rare Form!' and 'Out of the Woods'. 'Deep Velvet' went down in
June of '64, 'That Fresh Feeling' in '65. We return to March 4, 1964, for
Burton's first session with saxophonist,
Stan Getz,
that resulting in 'Nobody Else But Me'. July 18 of 1965 saw them recording
in Tokyo w a quartet filled by
Steve Swallow (bass) and
Larry Bunker (drums) for titles eventually issued variously on CD. It was a
trio of Burton,
Swallow and Bunker back
in NYC to record 'The Time Machine' in April of '66. Burton stayed with
Getz through several albums to 'Paris
Concert' on November 13, 1966. They would reunite on July 2, 1975, for 'Stan
Getz and Friends - Avery Fisher Hall'. Burton became a professor at Berklee
in 1971. He would remain there until 2004, retiring as Executive Vice
President. Shortly after joining Berklee one the more important figures in
Burton's career arrived, that pianist,
Chick Corea. They are thought to have
held their first mutual session in the band of
Hubert Laws on January 27, 1972,
for 'Yoruba' with a couple more unissued. They would record together
numerously, backing each other when not co-leading projects, well into the
new millennium beginning with their duo 'Crystal Silence' in Oslo, Norway,
on November 6, 1972. March of 1973 saw Burton with a Grammy for his solo LP, 'Alone at Last', the
first of seven. The six to follow would be with
Corea,
their last in 2013 for 'Hot House'. Burton
hosted weekly shows for Sirius Satellite Radio between 2004 and '08. He released his autobiography,
'Learning to Listen', in 2013, published by Berklee Press. Issuing
sixty-six albums as a leader or co-leader, Burton's latest was 'Guided
Tour' in 2013. In
September of 2015 it was the Mack Avenue Super Band for 'Live from The Detroit
Jazz Festival 2015'. Burton was named a Jazz Master in 2016.
Burton gave his final concert performance in March of 2017. References:
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Sessions: JDP; Lord (leading 92 of 232).
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Compilations: 'Take Another Look: A Career Retrospective' 1961-2012 by
Mack Avenue 2018;
'Crystal Silence: The ECM Recordings 1972–79' by ECM 2009 (w
Chick Corea):
1,
2.
Grammy Awards (seven 1972-2012).
Interviews:
Les Tomkins 1969-78;
Tom Wilmeth 1976;
Cheryl Corley for NPR 2004;
Joe Zupan 2005; NAMM 2008;
Marc Myers 2010: 1,
2,
3,
4;
Jo Reed 2016;
Kim Kimery 2016
(pdf);
Alain Drouot 2017;
Nate Chinen for NPR 2017.
Instruction by Burton: Jazz Improvisation at Berklee;
Master Class at Vic Firth. Further reading:
Jazz Profiles (Burton w Bunker);
Joyce Linehan;
Steve Rothaus. Other profiles:
1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Gary Burton 1960 Album by Hank Garland With Floyd Cramer Composition: Denzil Best/Paul Walsh Album by Hank Garland: 'Jazz Winds from a New Direction' Gary Burton 1967 Filmed with Larry Coryell Gary Burton 1974 Album with Michael Gibbs Gary Burton 1981 Composition: Richard Evans Album: 'Live At Midem' Piano: Ahmad Jamal Filmed live with Chick Corea Gary Burton 1982 Album Alto sax: Jim Odgren Electric bass: Steve Swallow Drums: Mike Hyman Gary Burton 1989 Album with Pat Metheny Gary Burton 1991 Album Gary Burton 2008 Filmed live Gary Burton 2011 Filmed live with Chick Corea Gary Burton 2013 Filmed concert
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Cellist,
Ron Carter, was
born in
Ferndale, Michigan, in 1937. Lord's disco identifies him in only 1,777
sessions going toward the 2,221 recordings that Guinness decided to be a
world record in September of 2015. Approaching a few hundred more
[*] as of this
writing in spring 2019, Carter performed in small to medium-sized ensembles the
majority of his career. He wouldn't lead a big band until 2016 ('Ron
Carter's Great Big Band'). Carter received his bachelor's from the Eastman
School of Music in Rochester, New York, in 1959. Discographies have him
during that period in Los Angeles for unknown titles with the Chico Hamilton Quintet
in October of 1959. Those tracks for Warner Bros were unissued. Carter
acquired his master's in double bass performance in 1961 per the Manhattan
School of Music in New York City. In the meantime he had recorded with
Don Ellis in New York City in February 1960 for 'Roland Rock, 'Up Stream,
'Debi', et al. Such were intended for release as Enrica LP2003 before Enrica
folded, leaving them unissued. Come Ernie Wilkins in
March and April of 1960 for 'The
Big New Band of the 60's', thought to be Carter's first grooves to see
record shops. Included on that was guitarist,
Kenny Burrell, who would be
one of Carter's more constant comrades into the seventies. While backing
other operations together Carter supported five
of
Burrell's LPs from 'Guitar
Forms' on December 4, 1964, to 'God Bless the Child' in 1971. They would
reunite in 1979 for
Red Garland's 'Stepping Out', again in 1984 for
Burrell's 'Togethering' co-led by
Grover Washington Jr, and finally for
'Primal Blue' in April of 1995. We slip back April 2, 1960, for Charlie
Persip's 'Charles Persip and The Jazz Statesmen' to which
Freddie Hubbard contributed
trumpet. Carter and
Hubbard would mix numerously into the nineties in
the support of various operations such as
Herbie Hancock's or Milt Jackson's.
Along the way Carter made contributions to nine of
Hubbard's LPs from December of 1969 in London toward 'Without a Song: Live in Europe 1969' to
'Super Blue' in NYC in March and April of 1978. Mutual sessions occurred
through the eighties to as late as
Stanley Turrentine's
'More Than a Mood' gone down on February 13, 1992. We return to August of 1960 when Carter participated in a
session with
Eric Dolphy for the New Jazz label, tracks thereof released on
Dolphy's album, 'Out There'. December 21 of 1960 witnessed
Dolphy's 'Far
Cry'. Six months later Dolphy supported
Carter's debut LP, 'Where?', on June 20, 1961. Carter would issue about
fifty more albums well into the new millennium. Carter's 17th and last session in 1960 was on
December 27 for
Coleman Hawkins' 'Night Hawk' with
Eddie Lockjaw Davis. As a studio musician and otherwise
Carter is credited with 1166 sessions. (Among the few jazz musicians to
exceed a thousand sessions, older rival upright bassist,
Ray Brown, came short of that with a yet
unusually prolific 909 sessions. Carter's much older rival bassist,
Milt Hinton, squeezed in even more than
he at 1233.) As we're well-submerged already, whirling to the bottom, in dread of cracking a window at 30,000 feet like the Trieste in
1960, we skip ahead a touch to one of the more important pianists in
Carter's career, that
Hank Jones with whom he first recorded
for
Wes Montgomery's 'So Much
Guitar!' on August 4 of 1961. When not supporting other operations together
Carter and
Jones backed each other's projects. From
Jones' 'Happenings' in 1966 to
'Milestones' in April of 1978 as the Great Jazz Trio with
Tony Williams on drums Carter
supported some nine of
Jones' albums.
Jones contributed to Carter's '1 + 3'
with
Williams and
pianist,
Herbie Hancock, in Tokyo on
July 29, 1978. Partnering variously in the latter seventies, Lord's disco
has Carter and
Jones reuniting in 1984 for Yasuaki Shimizu's 'New Yorker Scene
Sketches', again in 1996 for Jesse Davis' 'From Within', finally in 2004 for
Harvey Mason's 'With All My Heart'. We slip back to an unknown
date in April of
1962, for another important presence in Carter's career, that trumpeter,
Wayne Shorter, with
whom on that date he supported
Benny Golson's 'Pop + Jazz = Swing'. Carter
and Shorter were continual partners during the sixties, particularly with
Miles
Davis, the meanwhile Carter backing six of
Shorter's albums from 'Speak No Evil'
on December 24, 1964, to 'Odyssey of Iska' on August 26, 1970. They reunited
at the Newport Jazz Festival on June 29, 1976 for
Herbie Hancock's 'V.S.O.P.'
with
Tony Williams at drums. July
of 1977 witnessed them in the same configuration for
Hancock's 'V.S.O.P.: The
Quintet'. That quintet recorded 'Live Under the Sky' and 'Five Stars' in
Tokyo in July of 1979. 1985 found Carter and
Shorter in multiple sessions together in
Paris, notably for 'The Other Side of 'Round Midnight featuring Dexter
Gordon'. Seven years later they joined
Hancock again for 'A Tribute
to Miles' in 1992. Lord's disco finds them recording 'Crepescule with
Nellie' in February of '97 for T.S. Monk's 'Monk on Monk'. We back up to
June 19, 1962, for vibraphonist, Milt Jackson's
'Big Bags'. Jackson's was a notable presence in Carter's career, six more of
his LPs to ensue to 'Olinga' in January 1974. They reunited as late as 1994
to back Little Jimmy Scott's' 'Dream'. It was April 16, 1963, when Carter
joined the Miles
Davis Quintet for 'Seven Steps to Heaven'. For the next seven years
Carter traveled through sessions with
Davis that would amount to a minimum of twenty albums issued timely or
later to 'Live-Evil' on June 3, 1970. It had been May 14, 1963, when
Herbie Hancock joined
Davis' outfit for 'Seven Steps to Heaven'. Continuing with
Davis, Carter
and
Hancock partnered in various other operations as well, nigh constant
companions with a few brief gaps into the latter eighties. Along the way
they supported each other's projects. From 'Empyrean Isles' in June of 1964
to 'A Tribute to Miles' in 1992 Carter participated in about thirteen of
Hancock's albums.
Hancock
contributed to Carter's 'Uptown Conversation' in October of 1969 and 'Third
Plane' on July 13 of '77, the latter a trio with drummer,
Tony Williams. '1 + 3'
followed on July 29 of '78 in Tokyo with Williams and pianist,
Hank Jones. 1993 found them recording
with
Tom Jobim, '94
with Milton Nascimento ('Angelus'). 1997 had them participating in 'Two
Timer' for T.S. Monk's 'Monk on Monk'. Their appearance on Harvey Mason's
'With All My Heart' in 2004 was on separate tracks. Another highly notable
presence along Carter's path was
Stanley Turrentine
who joined him on December 16, 1964, for
Donald Byrd's 'Bossa', 'Canteloupe
island', et al. From April 6, 1966, for
Turrentine's 'Let
It Go' to 'If I Could' in May of 1993 Carter provided rhythm on about
13 of
Turrentine's
albums. Lord's disco has them together a last time in June of 1996 for
pianist, Benny Green's, 'Kaleidoscope'. It was March 4, 1965, when
pianist,
McCoy Tyner, joined Carter on
Wayne Shorter's 'The
Soothsayer'. January 20 of '67 found them backing
Lou Donaldson's 'Sweet Slumber'. From
Tyner's 'The Real McCoy' on
April 21, 1967, to 'Guitars' in September of 2006 Carter contributed to
about 14 of
Tyner's albums. It was December
of 1965 when tenor saxophonist, Joe Henderson,
joined Carter on
Woody Shaw's '... In the
Beginning'. From
Henderson's 'Mode for Joe' on
January 27, 1966, to both volumes of 'The State of the Tenor' in November of
1985 (a trio with
Al Foster at drums) Carter
supported or co-led nine of
Henderson's LPs.
Henderson contributed to
Carter's 'All Blues' on October 24, 1973, and 'Parade' in March of '79. They
partnered on occasion to as late as titles with
Tom Jobim in
September of 1993 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Another large presence in Carter's
career was guitarist,
George Benson. From 'Giblet Gravy'
in February of 1967 to 'Tenderly' in 1989 Carter supported 8 of
Benson's
albums. Flautist,
Hubert Laws, was also a major
associate, they working numerously together for a quarter of a century both
supporting a variety of other musicians and backing each other's projects.
From August of 1966 toward 'Laws' Cause' to 'The Chicago Theme' in 1975
Carter contributed to some nine of
Laws' albums.
Laws supported Carter on eight
albums from 'Uptown Conversation' in October of 1969 to 'Friends' in
December of 1992. Lord's disco lists their last mutual session in May of
1993 for
Stanley Turrentine's
'If I Could'. Of note in the seventies was the York Jazz Quartet (Frank Wess,
Sir Roland Hanna
and
Ben Riley) in Tokyo on April 2,
1975, to deliver 'In Concert in Japan'. 'Roland Hanna Trio' ensued two days
later with
Wess out. Carter performed in
countless various trios from the Bobby Timmons
Trio in 1961 to the Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trio in the new millennium.
Carter also contributed to a number of soundtracks: 'L'Homme aux Yeux
d'Argent' in 1985, 'Round Midnight' in 1985, 'Daddy Nostalgie' in 1990,
'Kansas City' in 1995 and 'Un Frere' in 1997.
He was named a Jazz Master by the NEA in 1998,
the year Hal Leonard published his book on method, 'Building Jazz Bass
Lines' [*].
Other works on method to which Carter has contributed are 'Teaching Music
Through Performance in Jazz' Vol 1 (GIA 2008)
and 2 (GIA 2016), and
'Teaching Music through Performance in Jazz for Beginning Ensembles': * (GIA
2016). Further works on method by Carter. Carter has taught at the City College of New York for a couple decades. He
received an honorary doctorate from the Berklee College of Music in Boston
in 2005. He became a member of the faculty at Juilliard, teaching bass, in
2008, the year his autobiography, 'Finding the Right Notes', was published.
Albums released in the new millennium more recently include 'My Personal Songbook'
w the WDR Big Band in 2014, a joint issue w
Houston Person
called 'Chemistry' in 2015, 'An Evening with Ron Carter - Richard Galliano'
in 2017 and 'Remember Love' w
Person in 2018.
Another w whom arter has recently recorded was cellist, Akua
Dixon, on July 27, 2016, toward 'Akua's Dance' issued in 2017. Amidst
the galaxy of others Carter has supported on bass were Kai Winding,
Jaki Byard,
Junior Mance,
Oliver Nelson,
Sonny Rollins,
Eddie Harris,
Les McCann,
Herbie Mann,
Paul Desmond, Airto, Friedrich Gulda,
Michel Legrand,
Gato Barbieri,
Hank Crawford,
Gene Ammons,
Roberta Flack,
Chet Baker,
David Fathead Newman,
Mel Lewis,
Jim Hall, Lou Rawls,
Branford Marsalis,
Barry Harris, Horace Silver,
Diana Ross, George Kawaguchi, Frank Jackson, Steve Turre and Ethan
Iverson. As of this writing Carter is yet active touring
internationally. References: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Sessions: JDP, Lord.
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Reviews: Ron Carter,
Dominic Martinez,
Mac Randall.
Visual media: IMDb;
live performances:
1,
2;
Master Class
Loyola University 2011.
Yet unable to remember his future, most interviews w Carter have concerned
his past: NAMM 2005,
Mike McKinley 2006,
Ethan Iverson 2007,
Marc Myers 2008,
Devra Levy 2011
(pdf),
Jon Solomon 2012,
NEA 2013,
Nick Bewsey 2014,
Victor Schermer 2016,
Ana Gavrilovska 2016,
Cristina Schreil 2017,
Eric Jackson 2019,
Jim Worsley 2019,
various.
Further reading: Jazzed,
Miles White.
Biblio: 'Ron Carter: Finding the Right Notes' by Dan Quellette (Retrac Productions 2014).
Other profiles: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Ron Carter 1960 Album with Eric Dolphy (reed & wind) Bass: George Duvivier Drums: Roy Haynes Title track composed by Dolphy Ron Carter 1960 Album With Eric Dolphy (reed & wind) Piano: Mal Waldron Bass: George Duvivier Drums: Charlie Persip Title track composed by Randy Weston Ron Carter 1970 Album: 'Uptown Conversation' All compositions: Carter Ron Carter 1975 New York Jazz Quartet Composition: Thelonius Monk Ron Carter 1986 Filmed concert Piano: Roland Hanna Ron Carter 1996 Album Piano: Hank Jones Ron Carter 2006 Filmed concert Ron Carter 2008 Filmed concert Ron Carter 2009 Filmed concert Ron Carter 2009 Composition: Sonny Stitt Album: 'Ron Carter's Great Big Band'
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 Ron Carter Source: Birdland Jazz |
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Born in Long Beach, CA, in 1933 double bassist,
Buddy Catlett, was raised in Seattle.
He was a childhood friend of bandleader,
Quincy Jones, and performed with
him professionally in the earliest days of his career in the band of Bumps
Blackwell. In 1956 Catlett made wind to Denver with the band of Horace Henderson (brother to
Fletcher Henderson).
He joined guitarist,
Johnny Smith in 1958, vibraphonist,
Cal Tjader, in 1959. Catlett's debut vinyl is moot. The Mercury catalogue has either Catlett or
Buddy Jones (Burgher Jones) recording with
Quincy Jones for Mercury MG
20561 in NYC in November
of 1959. Sources vary between absenting Jones altogether, absenting
Catlett altogether, including both on unspecified tracks or simply listing
either/or. Year of issue varies as well, though release in 1959 of 'The
Great Wide World of Quincy Jones' wouldn't have been impossible and owns
general consensus. Since Catlett's' appearance on that is unverified he is on
this page rather than
earlier decades through the
fifties. His first recordings with relative certainty were for
Bill Coleman's 'From Boogie to
Funk' in January of 1960 in Paris, issued that year, followed by
Jones' 'Live at The Alhambra '60'
(issued '90) in February in
Paris. That same month saw the recording of
Jones' 'Free and Easy' in Sweden. If to
go by Lord's disco that was an extended period in Europe, the earlier part
of which Catlett performed in
Jones' musical, 'Free and Easy', to its
last performance in March of 1960. Lord's has Catlett backing nine
albums out of some seventeen sessions for
Jones and others during that
period in Europe to June 27 for
what would get released as
Jones' 'Lausanne 1960' in 1994. They were back in
the States for an October session bearing the tunes, 'G'wan Train', 'Tone
Poem', etc.. March of 1961 saw them back in Europe for
Jones' 'The Great Wide World of Quincy Jones Live', recorded in Zurich. November
of '61 witnessed 'The Quintessence'. In 1963-64
Jones arranged for
Count Basie whom Catlett had
joined in 1962 in time for
Frank Sinatra's
'An Historic Musical First' on October 2, 1962. Basie's 'On My Way & Shoutin'
Again!' ensued in November. Catlett strode with
Basie to as late as 'Live in
Concert with the Count Basie Band' for
Bill Henderson issued in early
'65. Along the way he had opportunity to back vocalist,
Ella Fitzgerald, in July of
'63 on 'Ella and Basie'. It was
Basie with
Sinatra for 'It Might As Well Be
Swing' in June of 1964. Catlett had not only opportunity to perform with the great
Louis Armstrong, but
was among his retinue for three years beginning with both volumes of 'The
Best Live Concert' put down in June of '65. Numerous sessions with
Armstrong included
another tour to Europe in July of 1967 and London in July of '68. His last
session with
Armstrong was in Las
Vegas on July 4 of 1968 for 'Hello Brother', 'The Home Fire' and 'Fantastic,
That's You'. With a career that had attained to no small success Catlett
then suddenly headed back to
Seattle, dropping away from the music business. The greater situation and
reasons why remain unknown, though alcohol has been suggested. Catlett
gradually resurfaced, performing in local nightclubs until thirty-three
years later he emerged on Lee Harper's 'Puget Sound'. He supported this and
that project on occasion into the new millennium including titles by the
Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra (SRJO) starting with 'Jumpin' at the
Woodside' on March 29 of '97. Catlett released his sole album as a leader in
2004 with a trio consisting of Greg Williamson on drums and Jay Thomas on
saxophone: 'Here Comes Buddy Catlett' [1,
2]. Lord's disco gives him up after Brian
Nova's 'The Shadow of Your Smile' in 2005. He died on November 12,
2014 [obit]. References: 1,
2.
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4, Lord (leading 1 of 110 sessions).
IMDb.
Facebook tribute. Further reading:
Jessica Davis. Buddy Catlett 1959 From 'The Great Wide World of Quincy Jones' Bass: Buddy Catlett as Buddy Jones or Burgher Jones Composition: Don Redman Composition: Ray Noble 1938 Quincy Jones Tour Filmed live Alto sax: Phil Woods Drums: Joe Harris (not Joe Morris) Composition: Donald Byrd Composition: Thelonious Monk Buddy Catlett 1960 Filmed in Paris with Lucky Thompson Drums: Kenny Clarke Composition: Quincy Jones Quincy Jones LP: 'I Dig Dancers' Composition: Louis Prima/Barbara Belle Anita Leonard/Stan Rhodes Quincy Jones LP: 'I Dig Dancers' Buddy Catlett 1961 From 'The Great Wide World of Quincy Jones Live' Recorded 10 March 1961 Zurich Issue unknown until 1984 Composition: Benny Goodman Charles Christian Jimmy Mundy Composition: Duke Ellington Edgar De Lange Lyving Mills (Irving Mils) Phil Woods' LP 'Rights of Swing' All compositions Phil Woods Buddy Catlett 1963 Frank Wess Quintet Composition: Frank Wess With Count Basie Composition: Quincy Jones With Count Basie Composition: Quincy Jones Buddy Catlett 1967 Live w Louis Armstrong Drums: Danny Barcelona Music: John Kander 1966 Lyrics: Fred Ebb For the musical 'Cabaret' Composition: John Kander 1964 For the musical 'Hello Dolly' Buddy Catlett 2004 Sax/trumpet/flugelhorn: Jay Thomas Drums: Greg Williamson
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 Buddy Catlett Source: JazzMa |
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Eric Gale was born in Brooklyn in 1938
(not to be confused with later guitarist, Eric Gales). After a go with
various other instruments at age twelve he settled with guitar. Gale studied
chemistry at Niagara University. It was about 1960 that he began his career,
gigging with doo wop and R&B musicians,
Maxine Brown and
Jackie Wilson. Such may or may
not have preceded his initial recordings (qualified per Paul Griffin below)
thought to have been in September of 1960 for a performance of
Jon Hendricks' musical,
'Evolution of a Blues Song', in Los Angeles. He next surfaced on
King Curtis' 'Old Gold' in 1961,
that for Tru-Sound (Prestige imprint) in Hackensack, NJ. By 1963 he was
working as a studio musician in New York City, his first session per Lord's
disco that year on July 29 for vocalist, Doris Troy, on such as 'Tomorrow's
Another Day' bw 'Watcha Gonna Do About It' (Atlantic 2206 '64), et al.
August 22 has Gale contributing to Troy's 'But I Love Him' before
Red Holloway's 'The Burner' on
October 10.
Come August 4 of 1964 for Troy's 'Hurry' bw 'He Don't Belong to Me' issued
in January of 1965. One of Gale's more important associates was pianist,
Paul Griffin. Their first session together is listed in Lord's disco per
Seldon Powell's 'At the Hop' with neither session nor issue dates known.
Thought anywhere from 1960 onward, that might conceivably have preceded
'Evolution of a Blues Song' above. Gale next backed Griffin's 'The Swingin'
Sound of Soul' with unknown dates excepting its advertisement in 'Billboard'
magazine on January 23, 1965. Griffin's 'Hammond Swing mit Paul Griffin' was
issued in Germany in 1965 as well. Gale and Griffin would back numerous
operations together, like
Solomon Burke's or
Stanley Turrentine's,
into the eighties. Along the way Griffin backed Gale's first session as a
leader on February 1, 1971, those titles never issued: 'I've Been Too Blind
to See', 'It Must Be Cabbage', 'Somewhere' and 'I Gotta Have a Song'. Lord's
has Gale and Griffin together to as late as March of 1983 for Sadao
Watanabe's 'Fill Up the Night'. We return to
Bill Doggett's 'Honky Tonk A-La Mod!'
in 1965, Chuck Rainey adding electric bass to that. Gale and Rainey toured
much the same itinerary through numerous bands, such as
Yusef Lateef's, into the latter
seventies. Along the way Gale supported Rainey's debut album, 'The Chuck
Rainey Coalition', issued in 1972. Lord's disco has them in mutual sessions
to as late as Richard Tee's 'Strokin'' in 1978. Another of Gale's frequent
longtime associates was drummer,
Grady Tate. On an unknown date
that year they backed Clark
Terry's 'Mumbles'.
Tate and Gale supported
numerous bands together, such as Quincy Jones',
into the eighties. Along the way they recorded titles in Baltimore in 1967
in a trio with organist, Greg Hatza: 'The Wizardry of Greg Hatza' and
'Organized Jazz'. (Perhaps of note is Dave Thompson's listing of the former
per 1962 in the 3rd edition of 'Goldmine Jazz Album Price Guide'.) Gale
supported
Tate's 'Windmills of My Mind' in
June of 1968 and 'Master Grady Tate' in 1977.
Tate provided rhythm on Gale's
'In a Jazz Tradition' in November of 1987. Lord's disco puts them together
as late as
Ron Carter and Harumi Kaneko's
'I'm Walkin'' in May of 1988. We return to July 19, 1966, for
Herbie Hancock's 'Don't Even
Go There', other titles in that session for Blue Note unissued. Tenor
saxophonist,
Stanley Turrentine, was
in on that. When not working on
Turrentine's projects,
they supported other operations, such as
Freddie Hubbard's, into the
eighties. Along the way Gale participated in five of
Turrentine albums
from 'Salt Song' in 1971 to 'Nightwings' and 'West Side Highway' in 1977.
Lord's disco shows them together to as late as
Stanley Clarke's 'Silk' in
September of 1981. Well to step back to November 3, 1966, for titles that
would get issued on side B of 'Leonard Feather's Encyclopedia of Jazz' in
1967.
Ron Carter contributed bass to
that, to become one Gale's more important comrades into the eighties. When
not supporting each other's projects
Carter and Gale backed numerous bands together, such as
Turrentine's. Along the
way Gale contributed guitar to
Carter's 'Anything Goes' in the summer of
1975 and 'Very Well' in 1987.
Carter backed Gale's 'In a Jazz Tradition' in
November of 1987. Lord's disco has them together as late as May of 1988, per
above with
Tate: 'I'm Walkin'' with
vocalist, Harumi Kaneko. We slip back to sometime in 1967 for shouter,
Bernard Pretty Purdie's, 'Soul Drums', that with pianist and organist,
Richard Tee. Gale and Tee were like a left and right shoelace into the
nineties in support of numerous enterprises such as saxophonists, Tom
Scott's or
Grover Washington Jr's.
Along the way Tee directed Gale's debut session as a leader (unissued) per above with
Paul Griffin in 1971. Tee performed with Gale on the latter's 'Ginseng
Woman' in '76 [1,
2], 'Multiplication' in '77 and 'Part of You' in '79. In 1976, they backed
Joe Cocker on 'Stingray' in a
preconfiguration of their group to come, Stuff, with Cornell Dupree
(guitar), Gordon Edwards (bass) and Steve Gadd (drums/ percussion). They
formally became Stuff upon the addition of Chris Parker (drums/ percussion)
for the album, 'Stuff', in 1976. That band often performed at the now
defunct jazz club, Mikell’s (1969-91), in Manhattan. Stuff held sessions that would see eight
issues to 'Live East' in 1981. One of those saw release on DVD in 2008: 'Live
at Montreux 1976'. Three other LPs with Stuff were in support of
Carla Bley
('Dinner Music' '77, Carly Simon ('Boys in the Trees' '78 and Salena Jones
('My Love' '81). On July 21, 1993, Tee died of prostate cancer. Stuff was
resurrected with all its original members, and others, to record 'Made in
America: A Remembrance of Richard Tee' in November that year. Gale had
participated in Tee's 'Strokin'' in September of '78, 'Natural Ingredients'
in 1980 and 'Real Time' in 1992. March of 1979 had seen them recording at
the Karl Marx Theatre in Havana, Cuba, with the CBS Jazz All Stars. We step
back to August of 1967 for another of Gale's longtime frequent partners,
that conga player and percussionist, Ralph MacDonald, with whom he
participated in 'Ballad of Birmingham' on that date in the Jerry Moore
Quintet. Gale and McDonald were nigh continual partners into the nineties
backing numerous bands, such as the CBS Jazz All Stars for two volumes of 'Montreux
Summit' in July of 1977. McDonald had participated in Gale's debut session
session (unissued) as a leader in 1971 per above with Paul Griffin and
Richard Tee. McDonald would contribute to five of Gale's albums from
'Forecast' [*] in January of 1973 to 'Island Breeze' in 1982. Gale participated
in McDonald's 'Sound of a Drum' in '76, 'The Path' in '78, 'Counterpoint' in
'79 and 'Universal Rhythm' in '84. Their last mutual session is thought to
have been for Tee's 'Real Time' in 1992 per above. We're back to September 19, 1967,
for flautist,
Herbie Mann's, 'Upa, Negrinho', with flautist,
Hubert Laws. Gale and
Laws would
support both each other and other bands, such as the CBS All Stars (Montreux
'77, Havana '79), into the
nineties. Gale supported
Laws' 'Laws' Cause' in 1966, 'The
Chicago Theme' in '75 and 'Romeo & Juliet' in '76.
Laws had backed Gale on
'Forecast [*]' in 1973. They performed 'Fusion Super Jam' at the Aurex Jazz
Festival in Japan in 1981,
Larry Coryell at guitar as well.
We return to November 20, 1967, for Bobby Timmons'
'Got to Get It' with flautist and saxophonist,
Joe Farrell. Gale and
Farrell
interweaved often in the support of other bands such as guitarist,
George Benson's, into the seventies.
Along the way
Farrell contributed to Gale's 'Forecast'
[*] in 1973. It was
Farrell's 'La Catedral y El Toro' in 1977. Their last mutual session may
have been for
Maynard Ferguson's
'Conquistador' in 1978. We need back up to February 12, 1969, for
saxophonist,
Hank Crawford's, 'Mr. Blues
Plays Lady Soul'. Gale backed
Crawford on five more LPs to 'Tico Rico' in
November of 1976.
Crawford had participated in Gale's 'Multiplication' in
1977. We fall back to June of 1969 for
Quincy Jones' 'Walking in
Space', Bob James contributing keyboards to that. Gale and James traveled
through numerous sessions for the next couple decades supporting other bands
together, such as the CBS All Stars per above in Montreax, Switzerland, in
1977. Gale contributed to twelve of James' albums from 'One' in April of '74
to 'Grand Piano Canyon' issued in 1990. James participated in Gale's debut
album, 'Forecast' [*], in '73, 'Ginseng Woman' in '76
[1,
2], 'Multiplication' in '77
and 'Island Breeze' in '82. We return to March of 1970 for
Junior Mance'
'With a Lotta Help From My Friends', that with Chuck Rainey (electric bass)
and
Billy Cobham (drums). Cobham and Gale supported numerous
enterprises together into the eighties, such as the CBS All Stars in
Montreux, Switzerland, per above in 1977. It's in Montreux on June 21,
1982, that Lord's disco lists them last together, that for
Mose Allison's 'Lesson in Living'.
Another important figure had come along in June of 1971 for
Johnny Hammond Smith's 'Break Out', that with tenor saxophonist,
Grover Washington Jr. Gale
and
Washington supported numerous operations together, such as Ralph
McDonald's, into the eighties. Gale participated in twelve of
Washington's albums from 'Inner City Blues' in September of 1971 to 'Inside
Moves' in 1984.
Washington supported four of Gale's LPs from 'Ginseng Woman'
in '76 [1,
2] to 'Touch of Silk' in New Orleans in 1980. The next month after
Gales' initial session with
Washington he
contributed to titles in July of '71 that went toward saxophonist, Tom
Scott's, 'Blow It Out' in 1977. 'Reed My Lips' was Gales' ninth album
supporting Scott in 1994. Among the host of others for whom Gale had
recorded guitar were Shirley
Scott,
Marion Williams,
Gary Burton,
Les McCann,
Mongo Santamaria, Yoshiaki Masuo ('Sailing Wonder' '77), Tys
van Leer ('Nice to Have Met You '78) and Sherry Winston. He often backed
bands on television in his latter days as well. RYM [Discos 5] has Gale
issuing 12 name albums from 'Forecast' [*] gone down in January of 1973 to 'Utopia' sessioned
in 1991 toward issue in 1998. He died of lung cancer on May 25, 1994, in
Baja California, Mexico [obit]. Other than Scott's 'Reed My Lips' per above, his death had been preceded
that year by titles toward
Michael White's 'So Far Away', and 'Eric' on Marcus Miller's 'Tales'.
References: 1,
2.
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
IMDb.
Reviews.
Facebook tribute.
Discussion. Eric Gale 1963 Composition: Red Holloway Red Holloway LP: 'The Burner' Eric Gale 1971 Stanley Turrentine LP : 'Salt Song'Eric Gale 1973 From 'Forecast' Composition: Tom Jobim Composition: Gale Eric Gale 1976 Filmed live w Stuff 2 July 1976 [Setlist] Eric Gale 1977 From 'Ginseng Woman' Recorded 1976/77 Composition: Gale Composition: Bob James Composition: Daryl Hall/John Oates Composition: Morgan Ames End 'Ginseng Woman' With Stuff Recorded 19 Nov 1977 Kosei-Nenkin Kaikan Hall TokyoLP with Stuff Eric Gale 1978 From 'Multiplication' Composition: Lee Ritenour Composition: Anon Negro spiritual First recording: Jubilee Singers 1915Eric Gale 1982 Filmed in Montreux 23 July 1982 [Setlist] Composition: Gale Composition: Gale
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 Eric Gale Source: Hendrix Guitars |
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 Herbie Lewis Source: Blue Note |
Double bassist, Herbie Lewis,
was born in 1941 in Pasadena, CA. He knew vibraphonist,
Bobby Hutcherson, as a
youth, and would later record with
Hutcherson in the sixties and eighties.
Lewis' debut recordings were with
Harold Land in August of '59 toward 'The Fox'
[1,
2,
3,
4] released in 1960.
(Jason Ankeny at All Music and Blue Note has him contributing to Land's
'Grooveyard' in January of '58. If so then it was uncredited, as an
exhaustive search finds him nowhere else mentioned in either that session
nor its various issues such as 'In the Land of Jazz'. Bass on 'Grooveyard'
was delivered by
Leroy Vinnegar.)
Land and Lewis would get mixed together on multiple occasions in years to come. The
major figure in Lewis' career in the early sixties was pianist,
Les McCann, with whom he released
several albums in the early sixties. Large in the latter sixties was work with
Cannonball Adderley,
Freddie Hubbard and
McCoy Tyner. Lewis
began teaching at the New College of California in San Francisco in 1977. He
retired from there in 2002 before dying of cancer on 18 May 2007 [obits:
1,
2,
3]. Lewis'
solitary issue as a leader was the obscure 'Just a Lucky So and So' with no
determinable recording or issue dates. Lord's disco wraps him up per
'Centerpiece' for John Handy in April of '89 in Berkeley, CA. References:
1,
2.
Discos: 1,
2,
3, Lord (leading 0 of 79 sessions).
Discussion. Herbie Lewis 1960 Composition: Harold Land Harold Land LP: 'The Fox' Recorded August '59 Los Angeles Herbie Lewis 1962 Composition: Stanley Turrentine Turrentine LP: 'That's Where It's At' Tenor sax: Turrentine Piano: Les McCann Drums: Otis Finch Herbie Lewis 1968 Album by Freddie Hubbard Recorded Nov '67/Jan '68 From 'Stick Up!' Bobby Hutcherson LP Recorded 14 July '66 Vibes: Hutcherson Tenor sax: Joe Henderson Piano: McCoy Tyner Drums: Billy Higgins Composition: Hutcherson Composition: Hutcherson Herbie Lewis 1981 Filmed live with Sonny Stitt Piano: Tete Montoliu Drums: Billy Higgins Composition: 1941: Jimmy Davis/Roger Ramirez/James Sherman Composition: See * Herbie Lewis 1983 Filmed w Jackie McLean Bobby Hutcherson Billy Higginsn Herbie Lewis 1986 Filmed live with Jackie McLean Mal Waldron Eddie Moore Composition: Mal Waldron/Billie Holiday Herbie Lewis 1994 Tenor sax: John Tchicai Drums: Mat Marucci Composition: Wayne Shorter
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Born in 1940 in Rochester, NY, composer, flugelhorn and trumpet player,
Chuck Mangione, put together his
first band in 1957 with his older brother by a couple years, pianist, Gap Mangione [1,
2,
3]. Called the Jazz
Brothers, they released the first of three albums in 1960: 'The Jazz
Brothers'. He
issued his own 'Recuerdo' in 1962 with the backing of
Louis Hayes (drums),
Wynton Kelly (piano),
Sam Jones (bass) and Joe Romano
on horns. Things began busting loose in 1965 when he began working in the
bands of
Woody Herman,
Maynard Ferguson and
Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. He
remained with the Messengers for a couple of years, participating in 'Buttercorn
Lady' in January of '66 at the Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach, CA. In May of
'66 he supported Blakey's 'Hold on I'm Coming'. Mangione's first Grammy was won for his
composition, 'Bellavia', released in 1975. His soundtrack for the 1978 film
starring Anthony Quinn, 'The Children of Sanchez', gained him another
Grammy. Another of Mangione's soundtracks was 'The Cannonball Run' starring
Burt Reynolds in 1981. 'Tarantella' was also issued that year, containing
edits of his 1980 nine-hour concert at the American Hotel Ballroom in
Rochester to benefit Italian earthquake victims. Another benefit was held on
his birthday in 2000 for St. John's Nursing Home in Rochester, netting
$50,000. Mangione has appeared on television numerously, and did some voice acting
for the animated series, 'King of the Hill', in '98 and '03. Beyond music, Mangione was a Yankee
fan. He had played the national anthem at Yankee Stadium in New York back in
1983, the year the Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 4 to 0. Mangione has
issued more than thirty albums, having also supported such as Esther
Satterfield,
Victor Feldman,
Sarah Vaughan and Cheryl Bentyne. Among
issues in the new millennium was
'Everything for Love' in 2000. Master tapes by Mangione were among major
losses during the Universal Studios fire in Hollywood in 2008
[1,
2,
3,
4]. 'Keep in
Sight' saw release in 2019. Mangione is yet active with his base of
operations in his hometown of Rochester. References: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4, Lord
(leading 40 of 54 sessions).
Visual media.
Archives.
Interviews: Les Tomkins 1972,
Bill Kohlhaase 1994,
Dominick Miserandino 2000. Further reading: AAJ,
Jeff Campagna,
Patricia Myers.
Other profiles: *. The Jazz Brothers 1961 Composition: Chuck Mangione Album: 'Spring Fever' Chuck Mangione 1962 Composition: Chuck Mangione Album: 'Recuerdo' Chuck Mangione 1970 Composition: Chuck Mangione Filmed 'Friends and Love Concert' Conducting: Chuck Mangione Chuck Mangione 1973 Album: 'Land of Make Believe' All comps by Chuck MangioneChuck Mangione 1975 Filmed live Chuck Mangione 1977 Album: 'Feels So Good' All comps by Chuck MangioneChuck Mangione 1978 Composition: Chuck Mangione Album: 'Children of Sanchez' Live at the Hollywood Bowl Composition: Chuck MangioneAlbum: 'An Evening of Magic' Chuck Mangione 1981 Album Chuck Mangione 1986 Composition: Chuck Mangione Album: 'Save Tonight for Me'
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 Chuck Mangione Source: Wheat's Beat |
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 Pat Martino Source: Mas i Mas/Jamboree Jazz |
Born in 1944 in Philadelphia, PA, guitarist,
Pat Martino, recorded under his birth
name, Pat Azzara, until the release of his debut album, 'El Hombre', in
1967. One must be careful with Martino: once a fan you could get stuck and
remain one indefinitely. Unlike other musicians whose popularity begins to fade after a
decade or two, Martino's has only grown. He doesn't fill stadiums but
his fans think he should with good reason. He was playing professionally at age fifteen in NYC where he would
share quarters with
Les Paul for a time. He is thought to have issued 'Sometimes'/'Latino Twist' with Ricky Tino in 1960. His career began to
locomote in 1963 upon releasing three albums with
Willis Jackson that year: 'Grease and Gravy', 'More Gravy', and 'The Good
Life'. Martino recorded five albums with
Jackson in 1964, four more
thereafter to 'Nothing Butt...' in 1980. Martino recorded his first of nine LPs with
Don Patterson in November of '64: 'Holiday
Soul'. Going by Lord's disco, the last was 'Why Not' on January 26, 1978. The first of several LPs with
Eric Kloss, 'Introducing Eric
Kloss', went down on September 1 of 1965. Four more ensued to 'One, Two,
Free' on August 28, 1972. Martino supported organist,
Jack McDuff, in February of 1966
toward 'Walk On By'. Titles from that session would get included on several
later
McDuff issues.
McDuff and Martino reunited in
March of 2000 for the former's 'Brotherly Love'. On May 1 of 1967 Martino
recorded his
first name album, 'El Hombre'. Sometime in 1969 'Young Guns' went down with organist, Gene Ludwig, and Randy Gelispie on
drums, not issued until 2014. During the seventies Martino made a
favorite of himself at jazz guitar with, if not a huge fan base compared
rock guitarists, at least a very dedicated one, largely aficionados recognizing Martino for one
of the finest guitarists in the realm. Lord's Disco traces Martino to as
late as
Willis Jackson's 'Nothing Butt...'
gone down at Van Gelder's in NJ on 20 June 1980 before Martino endured a
brain aneurysm, leaving him after surgery with amnesia not only as to his
past, but as to playing guitar. So he trained himself again from his older
recordings. Having rather much to relearn, he finally released 'The Return'
in 1987. Upon ill parents requiring care, however, he didn't record again
until 1994 after their deaths. The earliest exact date shown by Lord of
that return was 1 March of '94 in Brooklyn toward 'Interchange' w Jim
Ridl (piano), Steve LaSpina (bass) and Joey Baron (drums). Along with three
other albums recorded with Ridl that year Martino contributed 'Milestones'
and 'Naima' to Royce Campbell's 'Six by Six'. Among numerous recordings
stretching into the new millennium thereafter arrived Martino's impressive
'Think Tank' in Jan 2003 w Joe Lovano (tenor sax), Gonzalo Rubalcaba
(piano), Christian McBride (bass) and Lewis Nash (drums). A tribute to
Wes Montgomery was released in 2006.
Backbeat Books published Martino's memoir, 'Here and Now!', in 2011 written
w assistance from Bill Milkowski. April 2 of 2015 found Martino contributing to three titles on 'The Real Thing'
issued by tenor
saxophonist, Eric Alexander. Wikipedia counts Martino leading twenty-six albums.
His most recent issue as of this writing was 'Formidable' 'in 2017 Adam Niewood (tenor sax), Alex Norris (trumpet), Pat Bianchi (organ) and Carmen
Intorre Jr. (drums). He has toured as late as 2018 in Italy. References: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7, Lord (leading 36 of 85 sessions).
Documentaries: 'Martino Unstrung: A Brain Mystery' directed by Ian Knox 2008:
1,
2,
3;
'Open Road' directed by Martino 2014:
1,
2.
Interviews: Brian Knight 1998.
Guitars.
Instruction: 1,
2.
Further reading, scores, et al: *. Pat Martino 1963 Composition: Willis Jackson Willis Jackson album: 'Grease n Gravy' Pat Martino 1967 Album recorded 1 May 1967 Album recorded 2 Oct 1967 Pat Martino 1968 Composition: John Coltrane Album: 'East!' Pat Martino 1972 Pat Martino 1975 Pat Martino 1976 Piano: Gil GoldsteinBass: Richard Davis Drums: Billy Hart Pat Martino 1987 Filmed live Pat Martino 2002 Filmed concert Pat Martino 2006 Composition: Wes Montgomery 'Remember: A Tribute to Wes Montgomery'Pat Martino 2013 Filmed live Pat Martino 2014 Filmed concert Pat Martino 2017
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Born in Idabel, OK, in 1936, free jazz drummer,
Sunny Murray,
was raised in Philadelphia, PA. In 1956 he went to NYC, early gigging with
Cecil
Taylor and studying with classical composer, Varès. His initial recording
session is thought to have been with Taylor on October 20, 1960 for 'The World of Cecil Taylor'.
Free Jazz Research has him with
Taylor in January of 1961 for 'Section C' on
Taylor's later album, 'Cell Walk
for Celeste', issued in 1988. Come Taylor's
'Into the Hot' on October 10 of 1961. Four more albums with Taylor would
follow to 'It Is in the Brewing Luminous' in 1980. Murray had toured with
the
Cecil
Taylor Trio including Jimmy Lyons (alto sax) to Denmark in November of
'62 for 'At The Cafe Montmartre'. That prior week in Copenhagen that trio
supported Albert Ayler on 'Four',
that issued years later by Revenant in 2004 on
Ayler's CD box set, 'Holy Ghost'. Murray participated in ten of
Ayler's projects from 'Swing Low, Sweet
Spiritual' and 'Spirits' in February of 1964 to 'Spirits Rejoice' on
September 23, 1965. In November that year in Brooklyn
Ayler participated in Murray's
debut LP, 'Sonny's Time Now' (recorded as Sonny Murray), that including Don Cherry on cornet.
Murray's next occasion to record as a leader was also in NYC on 23 July of
'66 toward 'Sunny Murray' issued n ESP Disc 1032. Murray's crew on that was
Jack Graham and
Byard Lancaster on
alto sax,
Jacques Coursil on
trumpet and
Alan Silva at bass. It had
been February of 1964 when Murray joined
Archie Shepp's New York
Contemporary Five for titles toward 'New York Contemporary Five' and 'Bill
Dixon 7-tette/Archie Shepp and the New York Contemporary 5'. Murray and
Shepp went back to 'The World of Cecil Taylor' in 1960 above. Come a tour to
Algiers in July of 1969 for 'Live at The Pan-African Festival'. Also gone
down that year for
Shepp were tracks toward 'Yasmina, a Black Woman', 'Black
Gipsy' and 'Pitchin Can'.
Shepp supported Murray's 'Homage to Africa' and
'Sunshine' in August of '69 in Paris. It had been Murray with his quartet of
Ronnie Beer (alto sax), Paul Jeffrey (tenor sax) and Kenneth Terroade (tenor
sax) in Berlin on 6 Nov of 1968 for 'A,B,C,D' issued on The Jazz Collection
JCD 08 in 1996, a CD shared w titles by
Art Blakey recorded the same date
and location. Terroade, et al, joined Murray in Paris for a radio broadcast
on 8 Dec 1968 going toward 'Sunny Murray' released in 1969 on Shandar SR
10008. He was joined again by
Silva, Beer and Terroade,
et al, in Paris on 11 Jan 1969 toward 'Big Chief' issued in France on Pathe
2C062-10096 and Japan on Odeon 8755 in '69. Returning to Philadelphia
to make it his home again, Murray later formed the group, the Untouchable Factor, with which
he recorded tracks in May of '76 to be found on the albums by various,
'Wildflowers' 1 and 5. That band put down 'Charred Earth' and 'Apple Cores'
in 1977. Among the numerous on whose recordings Murray can be found are Keshavan Maslak (Kenny Millions),
Khan Jamal and the Sonic Liberation Front. Among
Murray's latest studio recordings was 'I Stepped Onto a Bee', recorded in
2010 and released the next year with a trio consisting of John Edwards
(bass) and Tony Bevan (tenor sax). He is also found on 'Tiresias' per 2011
with the Louie Belogenis Trio and Michael Bisio. Murray died in Paris on 7
Dec 2017 [obits: 1,
2].
References: 1,
2.
Sessions: J-Disc; Lord (leading 33 of 101);
Scala.
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4.
IMDb.
Documentaries: 'Sunny’s Time Now' directed by Antoine Prum 2008:
1,
2.
Interviews: Spencer Weston 1979;
Dan Warburton 2000;
AAJ 2003
(alt);
Jazz Times 2013.
Further reading: Pierre Crépon;
Phil Freeman. Per below, a few in the list are recording
rather than release dates. Per 1964, the full title of the 2001 release is
'Bill Dixon 7-Tette / Archie Shepp and the New York Contemporary 5'. Per 1968 below, Murray
follows drummers, Art Blakey,
Max Roach and
Elvin Jones w the
Jazz Messengers at the
Copenhagen Jazz Festival. Sunny Murray 1962 Composition: Cecil Taylor Cecil Taylor Unit Gil Evans LP: 'Into the Hot' Composition: Albert Ayler Not issued until 2003 Albert Ayler box set CD: 'Holy Ghost' Sunny Murray 1964 Tenor sax: Archie Shepp Composition: Shepp LP: 'Bill Dixon . . . Contemporary 5' Not issued until 2001 Sunny Murray 1965 From 'Ghosts' Albert Ayler LP Recorded 14 Sep '64Copenhagen, Denmark Tenor sax: Albert Ayler All comps by Ayler From 'Sonny's Time Now' Recorded as Sonny Murray Recorded 17 Nov '65 NY All comps by Murray Sunny Murray 1966 LP on ESP Disk 1032 Recorded 23 July '66Sunny Murray 1968 Filmed live Concert filmed live Rotating on drums:Art Blakey/Max Roach/Elvin Jones/Murray Album Sunny Murray 1969 LP: 'Sunshine' All comps by Murray Sunny Murray 1970 From 'An Even Break (Never Give a Sucker)' All comps by Murray Sunny Murray 1976 With the Untouchable Factor Composition: Miles Davis/Victor FeldmanSunny Murray 1977 With the Untouchable Factor LP: 'Wildflowers 5' Sunny Murray 1979 Album Bass: Malachi Favors Percussion: Cheikh Tidiane Fall Sunny Murray 2000 Album with Arthur Doyle Fringes Festival with Arthur Doyle:
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 Sunny Murray Source: Dark Forces |
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Bobby Hutcherson was born in 1941 in
Los Angeles. He took up the vibraphone at age twelve, later moving on to the
marimba (a deep-toned xylophone). Yet a teenager, Hutcherson's first
professional gigs were with such as Curtis Amy and
Carmell Jones, as well as
Eric Dolphy and
Charles Lloyd at Pandora's
Box on Sunset Strip. His initial session is thought to been with pianist,
Les McCann and tenor saxophonist, Curtis Amy, on August
3rd, 1960, toward the release of 'Oat Meal' and 'One More Hamhock Please' in
1961. On October 10 (Lord's disco) or December 10 (Wikipedia) of '60 and
January 10 of '61 Hutcherson entered the studio with Amy and drummer, Frank Butler,
to record 'Groovin' Blue'. Come
Ron Jefferson's 'Love Lifted
Me' in latter '61. Hutcherson is thought to have contributed to the first of three albums by
Al Grey on January 31 of '62: 'Snap
Your Fingers'. He would tour with
Grey and
Billy Mitchell, recording such as
'This Is Billy Mitchell' in Chicago in October of '62, before getting
deposited in New York City in 1963, come to live in Bronx. Hutcherson's initial recordings with Blue Note
Records, his major label, were in 1963 with
Jackie McLean toward the issue of
'One Step Beyond' in 1964. Two more albums with
McLean would be released in '64. The
first of three albums with
Andrew Hill appeared in 1963,
'Judgment!'. Hutcherson recorded his debut album as a leader, 'The Kicker', in December of
'63, not released until latter 1999. In 1964 Hutcherson issued
the first of three LPs with
Dexter Gordon, 'Gettin' Around'.
Hutcherson's
first LP to see issue was 'Dialogue' in September 1965. It was an all-star
gang on 10 June 1965 that recorded 'Components' at Rudy Van Gelder's
studio in Englewood, NJ, w James Spaulding (alto sax),
Freddie Hubbard (trumpet),
Herbie Hancock
(piano/ organ),
Ron Carter (bass) and Joe
Chambers (drums). Things in NYC began
looking bleak in 1967 when Hutcherson was arrested for drugs in Central Park,
that around the rime he recorded 'Oblique' in July. Both his cabaret card and taxi driving license expired, he traveled back
to the West Coast to begin an important relationship with
Harold Land. His first sessions in Los
Angeles were for
Prince Lasha's 'Firebirds' in
September of '67 and Gerald Wilson's 'Everywhere' on December 4 to which
Land contributed tenor sax. Recordings
for
Land's 'The
Peace-Maker' began on December 11. Three more albums with
Land would be issued into 1981 ('Xocia's
Dance').
Land supported what would amount to ten of Hutcherson's
albums from 'Total Eclipse' on July 12, 1968 to 'Farewell Keystone' in July
of 1982. Land and Hutcherson had recorded the
first of four albums as the Timeless All Stars in April of 1982: 'It's
Timeless'. That group's fourth was 'Time for the Timeless All Stars' on
November 4 of 1990 which Lord's disco would indicate to be
Land and Hutcherson's final recordings together. Another important
partnership had begun with McCoy Tyner
in 1968, Hutcherson recording four tracks that May to appear on the 1969
release of Tyner's 'Time For
Tyner'. Six more albums with Tyner
would follow, their last, 'Land of Giants', in 2004. 2004 saw the first release of
six live LPs
to 2007 with the SFJAZZ Collective. Hutcherson was named an NEA Jazz Master
in 2010. Among the host of others on whose recordings he can be
found are
Donald Byrd, Grant Green,
Woody Shaw, Bruce Forman, John Hicks
and Kenny Garrett. He himself
issued about 43 albums as a leader, his last, 'Enjoy the View', in 2014. Hutcherson died of emphysema on August 15, 2016
[obits: 1,
2,
3].
References: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Sessions: JDP, Lord
(leading 66 sessions out of 224). Discos: 1,
2,
3
(pdf),
4,
5.
IMDb.
Interviews: Les Tomkins 1969,
NPR 2001,
Molly Murphy 2009,
Anthony Brown 2010
(pdf),
Dan Ouellette 2013,
Jazz Times 2014.
Further reading: Joe Chambers,
Jesse Hamlin,
Marc Myers.
Internet Archive.
Other profiles: 1,
2,
3.
Bobby Hutcherson 1961 From 'Groovin' Blue' Joint Amy-Butler album Recorded 10 Dec '60 & 10 Jan '61 Tenor sax: Curtis Amy Trumpet: Carmell Jones Piano: Frank Strazzeri Bass: Jimmy Bond Drums: Frank Butler All compositions Curtis Amy End 'Groovin' Blue' With Les McCann Ltd. Bobby Hutcherson 1965 Album Bobby Hutcherson 1967 From: 'Happenings' Recorded 8 Feb 1966 Piano: Herbie Hancock Bass: Bob Cranshaw Drums: Joe Chambers Composition: Hutcherson Composition: Hutcherson Bobby Hutcherson 1968 Album Title track composed by Hutcherson Bobby Hutcherson 1970 Composition: Hutcherson Album: 'San Francisco' Tenor sax: Harold Land Piano: Joe Sample Bass: John Williams Drums: Mickey Roker Bobby Hutcherson 1971 Composition: Hutcherson Album: 'Head On' Bobby Hutcherson 1974 Composition: Woody Shaw Album: 'Cirrus' Bobby Hutcherson 1977 Italian television broadcast Bobby Hutcherson 1980 Composition: Joe Chambers LP: 'Patterns' Recorded in 1968 Alto sax/flute: James Spaulding Piano: Stanley Cowell Bass: Reggie Workman Drums: Joe Chambers Bobby Hutcherson 2002 Jazzbaltica 2002 Piano: McCoy Tyner Composition: John Coltrane 1957 Bobby Hutcherson 2007 Filmed live Bobby Hutcherson 2014 Composition: Hutcherson Album: 'Enjoy the View' Alto sax: Dave Sanborn Trumpet/organ: Joey DeFrancesco Drums: Billy Hart
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 Bobby Hutcherson 1963 Photo: Francis Wolff Source: Rate Your Music |
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Carmell Jones was a trumpeter born in 1936 in
Kansas City, Kansas. In 1960 he headed to California, becoming a studio
musician. He is thought to have entered his first session in August of 1960 to record ten tracks with Forrest Westbrook et al at Westbrook's apartment
studio. Those weren't released, however, until 2015 on a CD titled 'Carmell
Jones Quartet with Forrest Westbrook' [1,
2,
3,
4]. Jones next sessions were on October 10, 1960,
[Lord's disco and 'JazzWax'; December 10 Wikipedia] and January 10
of '61 for 'Groovin'
Blue' with a sextet led by tenor saxophonist, Curtis Amy, and drummer, Frank Butler.
Tracks on that were 'Gone Into It', 'Annsome', 'Bobblin'', 'Beautiful
You' and 'Very Frank'. That February found Jones at Pacific Jazz Studios again
with a quintet led by Amy and organist, Paul Bryant, recording 'Meetin'
Here'. Included on that were 'Meetin' Here', 'Early in the
Morning', 'If I Were a Bell', 'One More Hamhock, Please', 'Angel Eyes' and
'Just Friends'. Come May for
Bud Shank's 'New Groove'. The next month
found Jones laying tracks for his debut album
released that year: 'The Remarkable Carmell Jones'. 'Business Meetin'' was
issued in 1962 featuring arrangements by
Gerald Wilson. 'Jay Hawk Talk' saw issue in '65, 'Carmell Jones in
Europe' in '69, 'Carmell Jones
Returns', his last LP, in 1983, that recorded in Gainesville, Florida.
Jones' first session with pianist, Horace Silver,
is thought have been in 1964, for
'Horace Silver – Live 1964', released in 1984. His fourth album with Silver
was 'The Natives Are Restless Tonight' in April of '65. Jones made his base
of operations in Germany in 1965 for the next fifteen years. His last
session in the States had been for
Herbie Mann's 'Latin Mann (Afro
to Bossa to Blues)' in June of '65. His initial titles upon moving to Europe
were for
Nathan Davis' 'The Hip Walk' on
September 1 of '65 in Villingen, Germany. He returned to the States in 1980
to his birthplace, Kansas City, Kansas, after supporting Mombasa's
'Tathagata' in January in Cologne, Germany. He is thought to have returned
to Europe on tour in 1982 with
Ray Charles. 1983 found him
backing pianist, Steve Miller's, 'The Swinging Kansas City Sound'. 1989
witnessed him in France for
Jay McShann's 'Paris All-Star
Blues'. Lord's disco has his last session for saxophonist, Jim Mair's '8Th &
Central' in Kansas City, Missouri, in September of 1991. Jones taught and performed locally until his death
on November 7, 1996. Among others with whom he'd recorded were
Sarah Vaughan,
Charles McPherson and
Torolf Molgaard. References: 1,
2,
3.
Sessions: Condouant (w liner notes and reviews),
JAZZDISCO, Lord.
Discos: 1,
2.
Compilations: 'Mosaic Select' 1961-63 by Mosaic 2003: 1,
2,
3.
Alan Stevens interview 1967.
Facebook tribute page.
Further reading: Steven Cerra.
Carmell Jones 1960 Not released until 2015 Music: Ben Oakland Lyrics: Jack Murray Carmell Jones 1961 Composition: Harold Arlen/Johnny Mercer Album: 'The Remarkable Carmell Jones' Composition: Buddy Kaye/Ted Mossman Album: 'The Remarkable Carmell Jones' Tenor sax: Curtis Amy Drums: Frank Butler Composition: Curtis Amy Album: 'Groovin' Blue' Joint issue by Amy and Butler Bud Shank Quintet Composition: Bud Shank Shank album: 'New Groove' Sax: Bud Shank Guitar: Dennis Budimir Bass: Gary Peacock Drums: Mel Lewis Bud Shank Quintet Music: Ben Oakland Lyrics: Jack Murray Carmell Jones 1962 From 'Brass Bag' Joint issue w Tricky Lofton Trombone: Tricky Lofton Composition: Earl Brent/Matt Dennis Music: Eddie Heywood Lyrics: Norman Gimbel End 'Brass Bag' Music: 1931: Wayne King/Victor Young Egbert Van Alstyned Lyrics: Haven Gillespie Album: 'Business Meetin'' Carmell Jones 1965 Composition: Carmell Jones Album: 'Jay Hawk Talk' Carmell Jones 1967 Album recorded in 1965 Carmell Jones 1979 WDR television broadcast Piano: David Kamein
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 Carmell Jones Photo: Mosaic Images Source: Jazz Wax |
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Born in Fairlawn, New Jersey, in 1940, both double and electric
bassist,
Steve Swallow,
trained on piano and trumpet before picking up the double bass at age
fourteen. Swallow would become known for his expertise with electric bass
guitar to which he switched in the early seventies. After studying composition at Yale
Swallow headed for New York City
where he quickly fell in with horn player, Jimmy
Giuffre and pianist,
Paul Bley. In March of 1961 Swallow
recorded 'Fusion' in a trio with
Giuffre and
Bley, beginning his career with upright
bass. Another trio followed in April with
Bley and trumpeter,
Don Ellis, for the latter's 'Out of
Nowhere'. Come May for pianist,
George Russell's, 'Ezz-thetics'. It
was the Jimmy
Giuffre Trio and Jimmy
Giuffre 3 with
Bley in 1961, five sessions toward 5
albums going down in
NYC and Europe from 'Thesis' to 'Flight, Bremen 1961'. Back in New York
City, January 31 of '62 saw Swallow backing
Russell's 'The Status Seekers'
before joining the
Paul Bley Trio with
Pete La Roca at drums for the
first session of 'Footloose' on August 17. On August 27 it was
Russell''s 'The Outer View'. Two
sessions with Sheila Jordan that year would result in 'Portrait of Sheila
Jordan'. In October it was the
Benny Goodman Sextet for the
tune, 'I've Found a New Baby', before sessions with the
Jimmy
Giuffre Trio with
Bley again resulting in 'Free Fall', that
also containing duets between Giuffre
and Swallow. That trio would reunite in 1989 for 'The Life of a Trio', '92
for 'Fly Away Little Bird' and '93 in Milan, Italy, for 'Conversations with
a Goose.' Swallow had begun 1963 in February with a couple sessions in the
Benny Goodman Sextet before Art Farmer's
'Interaction' in July. Four more Farmer
LPs would follow to March of 1965 for 'Sing Me Softly of the Blues'. Gary
McFarland's 'Point of Departure' went down in September of 1963 before
another trio with
Bley and
La Roca for the second session
of 'Footloose'. The next
Paul Bley Trio was with Barry Altschul on
drums at the Newport Jazz Festival on July 2 of 1965. That trio recorded
compositions by
Carla Bley on December 12 for
'Closer'. Twenty years later
Paul Bley, Altschul and Swallow reunited
on March 10 of 1985 in the
Paul Bley Group with guitarist, John
Scofield, for 'Hot'. It was the
Paul Bley Trio with
Paul Motian at drums on March 1
of 1993 for 'Zen Palace'.
Bley and Swallow had found other
occasions to work together during their careers, such as the Jazz Composer's
Orchestra in 1965 ('Communication'). For another major figure we return to
December of 1964 for vibraphonist,
Gary Burton's, 'The Groovy Sound
of Music' issued the next year. They joined
Stan Getz in '65 at the Newport Fest
followed by a tour to Japan the same month. Wikipedia shows Swallow
contributing to 19 of
Burton's albums to 'Quartet' in
June of 2007 at Yoshi's in Berkeley, CA. One of those was Swallow's first
titles with electric bass per 'Paris Encounter' in Paris on November 4,
1969, with
Stephane Grappelli (violin) and
Bill Goodwin (drums). Another was the duo, 'Hotel Hello', in 1974, Swallow's
first as a co-leader.
Burton supported Swallow's
'Swallow' in Willow, NY, in latter '91. They had also recorded with
Dick Schory in 1970 and Mike Gibbs in 1973 ('In the Public Interest').
Pianist,
Steve Kuhn, also played a major
role in Swallow's career, for whom we return to Art Farmer's
'Sing Me Softly of the Blues' in March of 1965. Together with supporting
other ensembles, such as
Bob Moses', Swallow contributed to
six of
Kuhn's albums from 'Three
Waves', a trio with
Pete La Roca in 1966, to 'At
This Time' on August 7, 1015, a trio with drummer, Joey Barron.
Kuhn participated in Swallow's
second name LP, 'Home', in September of '79, 'Swallow' in '91 and 'So There'
with poet, Robert Creeley (d 2015), issued in 2006. We slip back to April
10, 1965, and the Jazz Composer's Orchestra with
Paul Bley above for trumpeter,
Michael Mantler. Swallow and
Mantler would record with that
organization again in 1968 for titles toward 'The Jazz Composer's
Orchestra'. Mantler and
Swallow backed numerous projects together into the nineties, especially
Carla Bley's. Swallow
contributed to four of
Mantler's LPs from 'The
Hapless Child and Other Inscrutable Stories' ('76) to 'Something There'
('83). 'Movies' ('78) and 'More Movies' ('80) had gone down between. Lord's
disco has them together to as late as 'Karen Mantler and Her Cat Arnold Get
the Flu' in the summer of 1990. Among the more important drummers with whom
Swallow worked was
Bob Moses, for whom we return to
unknown dates in 1967/68, for the latter's debut session as a leader, 'Love
Animal', that not issued, however, until 2003. Swallow also supported
Moses' 'Family' in August 1979 and
'When Elephants Dream of Music' in April of '82. Also supporting other
ensembles together, such as
Gary Burton's, Moses later
backed Swallow's second name LP, 'Home', in September 1979. Come
Moses' 'Visit with the Great
Spirit' in 1983, they to reunite in the summer of 1993 for Mike Gibbs' 'By
the Way'. Lord's disco has them together another decade later in 2003 per
the Greg Burk Trio for 'Nothing, Knowing'. We back up to November of 1967
for composer and pianist,
Carla Bley, they supporting
Burton's 'A Genuine Tong
Funeral' that month. Swallow and
Carla's relationship would
become romantic in the eighties. Along the way Swallow supported no less
than 18 of
Carla's albums from 'Musique Mecanique'
in November of 1970 to 'Andando el Tiempo' in November 2015, that a trio
with saxophonist, Andy Sheppard. Sheppard had also participated in 'Trios'
in Lugano, Switzerland, in April 2012.
Carla contributed to Swallow's
'Carla' ('87), 'Swallow' ('92) and 'Into the Woodwork' ('13). Another
important drummer was
Paul Motian for whom we return
to May 30, 1978, for the Kenny Davern Quartet including
Steve Lacy on soprano sax for
'Unexpected'. Swallow's association with
Motian would extend through
multiple session dates off and on into the new millennium, they supporting
various projects together, such as Dino Betti van der Noot's 'Space
Blossoms' in Milan ('89), when not recording five albums for
Motian from 'Reincarnation of a
Love Bird' in June of 1994 to 'Monk and Powell' in November of 1998. The
next year it was saxophonist, Pietro Tonolo's, 'Portrait of Duke' in Vicenza
on May 22 in a quartet with Gil Goldstein (piano). That same quartet put
down 'Your Songs: The Music of Elton John' on October 2, 2006. We need step
back to March 10, 1979, for what is thought Swallow's first session with
guitarist, John Scofield, that for Bill Goodwin's 'Solar Energy'. Scofield
is too late to enter into these histories, not having first appeared on
vinyl until 1974, though he and Swallow would visit on multiple occasions
into the new millennium in the support of various, such as Kip Hanrahan's
'Desire Develops an Edge' ('83). Also backing each other, in 1980 they got
together in a trio with Adam Nussbaum at drums for 'Bar Talk'. It was the
same trio for 'Shinola' and 'Out Like a Light' in Munich in December 1981.
It was another trio with Bill Stewart at drums for 'En Route' at the Blue
Note in NYC in December 2003. Lord's disco indicates four more albums for
Scofield with larger ensembles to 'Country for Old Men' in Stamford, CT, in
April of 2016 with Stewart and Larry Goldings (keyboards). Scofield had
supported Swallow's 'Swallow' in Willow, NY, in latter 1991. Credited with
well above 300 sessions, among others on whose recordings Swallow can be
found are Conjure, Henri Texier, Orchestra Jazz Siciliana, Claire Ritter,
Dave Douglas and Jamie Saft ('The New Standard' '14). Swallow's latest of
around 17 albums as a leader or co-leader were 'Into the Woodwork' in France
in November 2011 and 'Singular Curves' in New Paltz, NY, on June 17, 2012.
Swallow had complemented his career as an instructor, teaching at the Berklee
College of Music for a couple years as of 1974. He is yet active as of this
writing, living
in New York with
Carla Bley whom he had
married in 1991. References: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Sessions: 1979-2011 JDP; Lord.
Discographies: 1,
2,
3.
Lead sheets.
Forum discussion.
1969 interview w Les Tomkins. Further
reading: Karen Michel on Swallow w
Paul and
Carla Bley. Steve Swallow 1961 Trio with Paul Bley & Jimmy Giuffre Composition: Jimmy Giuffre Album: 'Fusion' Album by George Russell Trio with Paul Bley & Don Ellis Album: 'Out of Nowhere' Music: Gene de Paul 1942 Lyrics: Patricia Johnston/Don Raye For the comedy film 'Ride 'Em Cowboy' Steve Swallow 1965 Composition: Steve Swallow Pete La Roca album: 'Basra' Steve Swallow 1966 Composition: Steve Swallow Gary Burton album: 'The Time Machine' Steve Swallow 1968 Live at Carnegie Hall Composition: Gary Burton Gary Burton album: 'Quartet in Concert' Steve Swallow 1997 Recorded NYC Dec 1996 Album: 'Deconstructed' All compositions by Swallow Steve Swallow 2010 Filmed live Drums: Bill Stewart Guitar: John Scofield Composition: John Scofield Steve Swallow 2012 Filmed live in Switzerland Piano: Carla Bley Sax: Andy Sheppard Steve Swallow 2015 Filmed concert The New Standard Trio Drums: Bobby Previte Keyboards: Jamie Saft
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 Steve Swallow Source: Luca de Pasquale |
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Born Charles Anthony Williams in Camden, New
Jersey, in 1942,
double bassist,
Buster Williams,
played his initial professional gig while yet in junior high school. He
formed his first band in 1959, a matter of emergency for one Monday night
when a band was needed to do a gig at Rip’s nightclub in Philadelphia.
Williams yet in high school, that got him hired by
Jimmy Heath with whom he would later
record on a couple occasions. After graduating from school Williams laid his
first tracks on a couple albums led by
Gene Ammons and
Sonny Stitt in Chicago in August of 1961: 'Dig Him!' and
'Boss Tenors'. Williams' next sessions were further from home in Europe with
Sarah Vaughan in 1963, putting down 'Sassy Swings the Tivoli' and 'I've
Got It Good' in Copenhagen, Denmark.
A cover of 'Body and Soul' got taped in Paris for eventual inclusion on the
Vaughan compilation, 'I've Got It Good'. In latter 1963 Williams joined
Nancy Wilson's organization in Los Angeles for 'Hollywood - My Way'. Come
'The Nancy Wilson Show!' in '64, 'Tender Loving Care' and 'Naturally' in
1966. Four more LPs with
Wilson followed to May of 1968 for 'The Sound of
Nancy Wilson'. In the meantime Williams had laid his first tracks with
tenor saxophonist,
Harold Land, on January 18, 1967,
toward Roy Ayers' 'Virgo Vibes'.
Land was to assume a major role in
Williams' career, Williams providing rhythm on three of
Land's albums: 'The Peacemaker' ('68),
'A New Shade of Blue' ('71) and 'Damisi' ('72). The 1991 issue of 'Damisi'
would include 'Dark Mood' recorded with Williams in '72.
Land and Williams
were also constant members of the sextet, the Timeless All Stars (per
Billy Higgins below), recording five albums from 'It's Timeless' in '82 to 'Time
for The Timeless All Stars' in 1990. Another of Williams' major associates
was pianist,
Herbie Hancock, for whom we
return to May 9 of 1967, that for 'Limbo' (Wayne Shorter) found
on the Miles
Davis LP, 'Sorcerer'.
Hancock and Williams recorded numerously together
through the years,
both backing each other and other groups, such as
Eddie Henderson's in '73.
Williams provided rhythm on no less than six albums by
Hancock from 'The Prisoner'
in April of 1969 to 'V.S.O.P' in June of '76. They reunited in the latter
eighties to tour to Eastern Europe per the
Herbie Hancock Quartet with
Al Foster (drums) and Greg Osby (alto sax). A reunion in 1992 brought the
instrumentals, 'Just One of Those Things' and 'Air Dancing' along with 'Jammin''
with vocalist, Bobby McFerrin. Hancock had
also contributed to Williams'
'Something More' in March 1989. We skip back to March 3, 1969, for another
important pianist,
Cedar Walton, with whom Williams
backed
Stanley Turrentine's 'Another Story' on that date.
Walton and
Williams crossed paths numerously through the years in the support of
various enterprises, such as
Houston Person's, when not backing
Walton's
'Among Friends' in July of '82, 'Voices Deep Within' in May of 2009 and
'Song of Delilah' in 2010, the latter in
Walton's Trio with Willie Jones III
at drums.
Walton and Williams were also continuous partners in the Timeless
All Stars, per
Billy Higgins below, recording six albums with that sextet
from 1982 ('It's Timeless') to 1990 ('Time for The Timeless All Stars').
It was for
Hancock's 'Mwandishi' in December of 1970 that Williams is
thought to have first recorded with drummer,
Billy Hart. Williams and
Hart
nigh laced the same boot into the new millennium providing rhythm to
numerous operations, such as
Eddie Henderson's or
Larry Coryell's, when not
backing each other's projects.
Hart contributed to Williams' debut LP, 'Pinnacle',
in August of 1975. Three albums later it was 'Dreams Come True' in latter
1978. In the meantime it had been the
Jimmy Rowles Trio in March of 1976 for
'Granpaws' and 'Paws That Refresh'. Williams supported
Hart's debut LP, 'Enchance',
in early 1977 and 'Rah' in September of '87 ten years later. After
Coryell
in the latter eighties they joined
Shirley Horn in 1990 on 'Come Back to Me'
and 'Foolin' Myself', the latter with Buck Hill on tenor sax. Williams and
Hart reunited on multiple occasions from Sonny Fortune's 'Four in One' in
January of '94 to Sally Night's 'Night Time' in January 2015. William's
first session with tenor saxophonist,
Eddie Henderson, had also
been per
Herbie Hancock's 'Mwandishi'
in 1970.
Hancock's 'Crossings' and 'Sextant' followed in latter '71 and '72.
Henderson and Williams
supported multiple projects together from
Hart's to Meeco's later in the new millennium. Along the way came
Henderson's
debut LP, 'Realization', in February of 1973. Come 'Inside Out' in October
and 'Sunburst' in early 1975.
Henderson contributed to Williams' 'Dreams
Come True' in October of '78. Their last mutual session
was August 5 of 2014 for drummer, Willie Jones III's, 'Groundwork'. We slip
back to some time in 1972 for Buddy Terry's 'Pure Dynamite', that with
pianist, Kenny Barron. Williams
and Barron supported numerous enterprises together from Buck Hill's to Rebecca
Coupe Franks' in 1991. Along the way
Barron contributed to William's second
LP, 'Crystal Reflections'. Three more followed to as late as William's '65
Roses' in 2006, that a trio with
Lenny White at drums. It was
Barron's 'Innocence' in 1978.
Three more followed to 'Green Chimneys' in Monster, Holland, on July 9 of
1983. Among those had been Barron's Trio with
Ben Riley (drums) for 'Imo Live'
in Tokyo on July 9 of 1982. Barron
and Williams had earlier formed the quartet, Sphere [1,
2],
recording 'Four in One' in February of '82 with
Riley and
Charlie Rouse on tenor sax. That
configuration remained constant for five more albums to 'Bird Songs' gone
down in March of 1988. As
Rouse died in November that year
Gary Bartz
replaced him for 'Sphere' on October 4 of 1997 in Brooklyn. Barron and Williams' last sessions together were for Meeco's 'Perfume e Caricias' ('10) and 'Beauty of the Night' ('12). We slide back to June 22,
1972, for drummer,
Billy Higgins, that per
Dexter Gordon's 'Generation'.
Higgins
and Williams visited numerously through the years in the support of various,
such as alto saxophonist,
Frank Morgan. Along the way Williams contributed to
Higgins' 'Brdgework'
in 1986. In 1982
Higgins and Williams had formed the sextet, Timeless All
Stars, with
Curtis Fuller (trombone),
Harold Land (tenor sax),
Bobby Hutcherson (vibes) and
Cedar Walton (piano). That configuration held through
four more LPs to 'Timeless Heart' on April 8 of '83. Steve Turre replaced
Fuller for 'Time for The Timeless All Stars' on November 4 of 1990. Lord's
disco shows
Higgins and Williams' last
mutual session on July 29, 1994, for trumpeter, Claudio Roditi's, 'Free
Wheelin'. We reverse to 22 May of 1976 for William's participation the Great
Jazz Trio's first album, 'Love for Sale', that would be nominated for a
Grammy in 1979. Filling that trio were permanent members,
Hank Jones on piano and
Tony Williams at drums,
Ron Carter to assume
Williams' position. In 1977 Williams supported
Carter's 'Piccolo' w
drummer,
Ben Riley. Williams and
Riley
provided rhythm to numerous recordings through the years, such as trios with
pianist, Michel Sardaby, in October 1996. Along their path
Riley backed
Williams' 'Tokudo' in Tokyo on January 7 of 1978 in a trio with Kenny Barron.
Riley also supported Williams' 'Heartbeat' and 'Dreams Come True' in
'78. As well,
Riley was a continual member of Sphere, per Kenny Barron above,
seven
albums going down from 'Four in One' in 1982 to 'Sphere' in 1997. Williams also supported
Riley's 'Weaver
of Dreams' in Brooklyn in 1993. Lord's disco has them in a last mutual
session on June 1 of 2000 for pianist, Osamu Ichikawa's, 'In New York'.
Another major presence along Williams' path was trombonist,
Curtis Fuller,
for whom we return to Williams' 'Dreams Come True' in 1978.
Fuller and Williams found
multiple occasions to back various operations, such as
Woody Shaw's 'Woody III' in 1979
or
Art Blakey's
Jazz Messengers.
Fuller was also a continual member of the Timeless All Stars, per above with
Billy Higgins, that group good for five albums from '82 to 1990. Their last
mutual session is thought to have been for eleven compositions by Robert
Clay in 1999 per 'An All-Star Tribute to Pablo Picasso & Miles Davis'. In 1989 Williams
had issued 'Something More', he touring internationally with his group by
that name [1,
2] since
1990. Leaving behind no less than seventeen albums
through the years, among Williams' more recent was 'Live Volume 1' issued in 2008.
His latest release as of this writing was 'Audacity' [1,
2]
in 2018. Amidst the host not mentioned above, a few underrepresented en passant, on whose recordings Williams can be found are the Jazz Crusaders,
Betty Carter,
Benny Golson, John Kaizan Neptune,
Steve Kuhn and Hilton Ruiz.
References: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Sessions: JDP; Lord (leading 18 of 369).
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Documentaries: 'Bass to Infinity' directed by Adam Kahn 2019:
1,
2.
Facebook.
Myspace.
Interviews: UnderYourSkin 2010;
George Colligan 2013;
Jake Feinberg 2014;
Jon Liebman 2015;
Recollect 2017: 1,
2;
Keith Johnson
2018. Gear.
Further reading: archives:
'The Village Voice' 1974,
'The Toledo Blade' 1993,
'The Toledo Blade' 2004;
Kathy Boccella;
Ron Wyn. Buster Williams 1961 Album by Gene Ammons & Sonny Stitt Recorded 26 Aug 1961 Chicago From 'Boss Tenors' Album by Gene Ammons & Sonny Stitt Recorded 27 Aug 1961 Chicago Composition: Joseph Kosma Jacques Prévert Johnny Mercer Composition: Sonny Stitt Buster Williams 1975 Composition: Onaje Allan Gumbs Composition: Buster Williams Composition: Buster Williams Buster Williams 1976 Composition: Kenny Barron Album: 'Crystal Reflections' Buster Williams 1977 Recorded 22 May 1976 NYC With the Great Jazz Trio Piano: Hank Jones Drums: Tony Williams Composition: Cole Porter 1930 For the musical 'The New Yorkers' Buster Williams 1985 Composition: Buster Williams Sphere album 'On Tour' Recorded 21 Nov 1985 Bologna, Italy Issued 1988 Tenor sax: Charlie Rouse Piano: Kenny Barron Drums: Ben Riley Buster Williams 1987 Filmed live Drums: Al Foster Piano: Herbie Hancock Composition: Buster Williams Buster Williams 1989 Composition: Buster Williams Album: 'Something More' Drums: Al Foster Piano: Herbie Hancock Soprano sax: Wayne Shorter Buster Williams 2004 Composition: Buster Williams Album: 'Griot Libertè' Buster Williams 2012 Filmed concert Piano: Patrice Rushen Buster Williams 2018 Composition: Buster Williams Album: 'Audacity' Sax: Steve Wilson Piano: George Colligan Drums: Lenny White
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 Buster Williams Source: Criss Cross Jazz |
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Born in 1941 in Bartonsville, Maryland, trumpeter,
Lester Bowie,
grew up in Saint Louis, Missouri. He picked up trumpet at the young age of
five, his father a professional musician. While yet in St. Louis he had
opportunities to play with such as
Little Milton,
Albert King and
Solomon Burke. Of greater
significance to come was vocalist,
Fontella Bass, with whom Lord's
disco estimates recordings as early as 1960. Those were released in 1962: 'I
Don't Hurt Anymore'/'Brand New Love' and 'Honey Bee'/'Bad Boy'. Sources
differ as to when Bowie married
Bass, '65 or '69, until 1978. He
nevertheless became her musical director in 1965, they both in Chicago by
November that year to record
Bass' album, 'The New Look', issued in 1966.
That had been preceded in Chicago by the 1965 limited issue per Out of Sight Records
of Nick Gravenites' 'Whole Lotta Soul'/'Drunken Boat' with
Roscoe Mitchell
(Beanbenders). While in Chicago
Bowie would maintain ties to
St. Louis via Oliver Lake and
Muhal Richard Abrams who
there formed the Black Artists Group (BAG 1968-72). Bowie
appeared on
Mitchell's LP, 'Sound', in
latter 1966. He joined Abrams' Association for the Advancement of Creative
Musicians (AACM founded in 1965) in '67, to succeed
Abrams as its president in
1968. Bowie helped form the Art Ensemble of Chicago (AEC)
in 1967 with
Mitchell and
Malachi Favors (bass) [1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7]. The AEC was Bowie's main engine, releasing
about forty albums with
that group throughout his career. His first recordings with what would
become the AEC occurred in
May of 1967, which would appear on the later
Mitchell album of 1975: 'Old/Quartet',
and 'The Art Ensemble – 1967/68' in 1993.
The first issue of what would become the EAC was Bowie's 'Numbers 1 & 2' in 1967.
The initial recordings by the Art Ensemble in September and November of 1967 weren't released until
2012: 'Early Combinations'. The EAC's first album was 'Congliptious' in 1968
as
Roscoe Mitchell's Art
Ensemble. Upon
the Art Ensemble becoming the AEC it released seven albums in 1969 alone
including 'A Jackson in Your House' [1,
2].
That organization issued its last album in 1997 per 'Urban Magic', yet with
original members,
Mitchell and
Favors. Its most longstanding
members were multi-instrumentalist,
Joseph Jarman, and drummer, Don Moye.
Bowie and
Jarman went back to 'Numbers 1 & 2' in 1967. An original member of
the AEC,
Jarman remained through 'Salutes the Chicago Blues Tradition' put
down in Geneva, Switzerland on July 7, 1993. Moye's first session with the
AEC was in 1970 in France affecting 'Chi Congo', he keeping with the
group through its last album in '97, 'Urban Magic'.
Muhal Richard Abrams was part
of the configuration for 'Fanfare for the Warriors' in September 6, 1973,
and 'Kabalaba' at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland on July 4, 1974. As indicated, Bowie did a strong
amount of collaborating with other musicians.
Fontella Bass, per above,
toured to France for sessions with the AEC in 1970. She joined Bowie for
sessions in Germany in '81 and '82. They recorded together as late as the
nineties per a rendition of 'What the World Needs Now' on
Bass' 'No Ways Tired' issued in
1996. Bowie emerged on the
first two of four LPs with
Archie Shepp in '69, 'Yasmina, a Black
Woman' and 'Blasé', followed in 1970 by 'Pitchin' Can' and 'Coral Rock'. In
1978 Bowie appeared on
Jack DeJohnette's 'New
Directions', followed by 'New Directions in Europe' in '79 and 'Zebra' in
'89. He joined pianist,
Sun Ra, for sessions in Europe in 1983,
titles to end up on 'Hiroshima' ('85) and 'Milan, Zurich, West Berlin,
Paris' ('08). In 1985 he released the first of eight LPs during his
lifetime with his group, Brass Fantasy: 'I Only Have Eyes for You'. Ninth
and last was 'When the Spirit Returns', recorded in latter '97, issued in
2003. In 1986 Bowie recorded the first of a few albums with the Leaders: 'Mudfoot'.
'Out Here Like This' ensued in '87 and 'Unforeseen Blessings' in '89. Bowie
was also a member of the New York Organ Ensemble, releasing 'The Organizer'
in '91 and 'Funky T. Cool T.' in '92 with organist, Amina Claudine Myers.
Lord's disco has Bowie recording to as late as early 1999, being featured on
Mac Gollehon's 'Smokin' Live'. He
died of liver cancer on November 8 of 1999 at his home in Brooklyn [obits:
1,
2,
3].
References: Wikipedia,
All Music.
Discos: Bowie: 1,
2,
3,
4,
Lord (leading 29 of 149 sessions); Art Ensemble of Chicago:
1,
2,
3,
4,
Lord (54 sessions) Brass Fantasy:
1,
2,
3,
4;
New York Organ Ensemble: 1,
2.
Reviews (Art Ensemble of Chicago).
IMDb.
Interviews: WKCR 2011.
Further reading: Tom Djll,
Robert Palmer.
Facebook tribute. Other profiles:
1,
2,
3.
Lester Bowie 1966 Album by Roscoe Mitchell All comps by Mitchell Lester Bowie 1974 Album Lester Bowie 1976 Composition: Bowie Album: 'Rope-A-Dope' Lester Bowie 1981 From 'The Great Pretender' Composition: Buck Ram Composition: Bowie Lester Bowie 1982 Composition: Phillip Wilson Album: 'All the Magic' Lester Bowie 1983 Filmed live With Fontanella Bass & Martha Bass Lester Bowie 1985 Music: Harry Warren Lyrics: Al Dubin For the film 'Dames' 1934 Album: 'I Only Have Eyes for You' With Brass Fantasy Lester Bowie 1986 Filmed live with Brass Fantasy Composition: Gerry Goffin/Michael Masser Lester Bowie 1991 With EAC Live at North Sea Jazz Festival Filmed live Lester Bowie 1993 Filmed live with the Brazz Brothers Lester Bowie 1995 Milosc album: 'Not Two' Music: Tymon Tymański Music: Tomasz Gwinciński/Tymon Tymański Lester Bowie 1999 Filmed live Music: George Gershwin 1935 Lyrics: DuBose Heyward/Ira Gershwin For the opera 'Porgy and Bess'
|
 Lester Bowie Source: DownBeat |
|
 Bill Dixon Source: The Guardian |
Though born in Nantucket,
Massachusetts, in 1925, trumpeter,
Bill Dixon,
was raised in Harlem. He also performed on flugelhorn and piano. From '46 to
'51 Dixon studied at the Hartnett Conservatory of Music in Manahattan. He
also studied painting at three different colleges. During the early fifties
Dixon was employed at the United Nations, he forming the UN Jazz Society. In
October 1962 Dixon joined
Archie Shepp in the recording
of the album, 'Archie Shepp-Bill Dixon Quartet' [*]. Thought to be Dixon's
initial recordings, that was also
Shepp's debut album. In 1964
Dixon organized a series of concerts called the
'October Revolution in Jazz' which wrought his founding of the Jazz
Composers Guild which agenda was the encouragement of avant-garde jazz. That
guild was replaced in 1966 with the Jazz Composers Orchestra Association
Inc. (JCOA) in 1966. Dixon appeared on Cecil
Taylor's album, 'Conquistador!' in 1966. Dixon recorded 'Intents and
Purposes' [1,
2,
3,
4]
on dates in Oct 1966 and early 1967, compositions by himself. He began teaching at Bennington
College in Vermont in 1968, remaining there until 1995. During the seventies
he recorded a number of noncommercial solo pieces later issued by Cadence
Jazz Records. In 1981 he appeared in the documentary, 'Imagine the Sound',
with
Paul Bley,
Shepp and
Taylor. Dixon recorded 'Duets 1992' [1,
2,
3,
4,
5]
w Taylor on 2 and 3 July 1992 in Villeurbanne, France,
that issued by Triple Point in 2019. Another album with Taylor,
'Taylor | Dixon | Oxley', was issued in 2002. September of 2007 saw the
recording of 'Bill Dixon with Exploding Star Orchestra' [1,
2,
3,
4,
5]. A residency in 2008 at Firehouse 12,
a bar and record label in New Haven, Connecticut, resulted in 'Tapestries for Small Orchestra' [1,
2,
3],
all compositions by Dixon. A couple years later Dixon died in his sleep at his
home in North Bennington, Vermont, on 16 June of 2010 [obits: 1,
2,
3,
4].
Having issued some twenty albums as a leader, Dixon's last, 'Envoi', was
released posthumously in 2011.
References: 1,
2,
3,
4].
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5, Lord (leading 39 of 47 sessions).
Compilations: 'Collection' 1970-76 by Cadence Jazz 1985/99.
Reviews: 1,
2.
Interviews: Frank Rubolino 2002,
Graham Lock 2003.
Further reading: Richard Brody,
Marc Medwin.
Bibliography: 'Dixonia: A Bio-Discography of Bill Dixon' by Ben Young (Greenwood Press 1998). Bill Dixon 1962 Archie Shepp – Bill Dixon Quartet Bill Dixon 1966 From Cecil Taylor's 'Conquistador!' All compositions Taylor Bill Dixon 1967 From 'Intents and Purposes' All compositions Dixon Bill Dixon 1990 Recorded 28/29 June 1988 Milano, Italy Tuba: John Buckingham Bass: Mario Pavone Drums: Lawrence Cook All compositions Dixon Bill Dixon 1994 Recorded 2-4 Aug 1993 Milano, Italy Bass: Barry Guy/William Parker Percussion: Tony Oxley All compositions Dixon Bill Dixon 2008 Constellations for Innerlight Projections Composition: Rob Mazurek Album: 'Bill Dixon with Exploding Star Orchestra' Recorded 1/3 Sep 2007
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Born in 1935 in Tulsa, OK,
Cecil McBee had
played clarinet until exchanging that for double bass at age seventeen. He
attended Ohio Central State University before doing time in the Army,
conducting a band at Fort Knox. After the service McBee quickly hooked up
big time with
Dinah Washington in 1959. He thought Detroit the place to go
in '62, there to join trombonist, George Bohanon, for the latter's 'Boss:Bossa
Nova' released that year. McBee left Detroit with
Paul Winter for NYC where they recorded
'Jazz Meets the Folk Song' on December 5, 1963. Come February 19 of 1964 for
'Cathexis' in the
Denny Zeitlin (piano) Trio
with Freddie Waits (drums). McBee's was a prolific career of around 320
sessions, so we fast forward about five years through such as
Charles Lloyd,
Yusef Lateef and
Sam Rivers to a couple of his
most important associates to come, those drummer,
Billy Hart, and
saxophonist/flautist,
Pharoah Sanders. It was
January 14, 1969, when they laid out
Sanders' 'Izipho Zam (My
Gifts)'.
Hart and McBee would back many a
band together into the eighties. Along the way
Hart participated in McBee's
debut LP, 'Mutima', on May 8 of 1974. He also backed McBee's fifth album,
'Flying Out', in 1982. Lord's disco shows their last of nigh continuous
mutual sessions over sixteen years in April, 1985, for Didier Lockwood's
'Out of the Blue'. They reunited for Ed Sarath's 'Voice of the Wind' in 1990
and George Cables' 'Night and Day' on May 5, 1991. They would yet find
multiple occasions to partner well into the new millennium, such as
'Seraphic Light' for Saxophone Summit in 2007. Come 2010
Hart and McBee formed the
Cookers [1,
2,
3,
4,
5]
with
Billy Harper (tenor sax), David
Weiss (trumpet), Craig Handy (alto/flute), George Cables (piano) and
Eddie Henderson (trumpet).
That bunch issued 'Warriors' that year. Five albums later in 2016
it was 'The Call of the Wild and Peaceful Heart' with the same configuration
excepting that Donald Harrison had replaced Handy on alto. As for
Sanders, McBee spent a
highly productive three years with him, both supporting other operations and
recording six more albums to those in 1972: 'Village of the Pharoahs' and
'Love Is In Us All'. Their reunion in 1987 for
McCoy Tyner's 'Blues for
Coltrane' affected a Grammy in 1988. They reunited again in 2001 for Tisziji
Munoz' 'Divine Radiance'. The seventies had also seen McBee contributing to
albums by such as
Charles Tolliver,
Lester Bowie,
Woody Shaw and Joanne Brackeen.
Another of the more important figures in his career was Chico
Freeman, they spreading the latter's 'Morning Prayer' in Chicago on
September 8, 1976. Thirteen Freeman albums followed to 'Still Sensitive' in
1995. Freeman had participated in McBee's first volume of 'Music from the
Source' on August 2 of '77. The second volume, titled 'Compassion', ensued
the next day. Freeman also contributed to McBee's 'Alternate Spaces' issued
in 1979. McBee was also an original member of Freeman's Leaders, that group
recording five albums from 'Mudfoot' in June of '86 to 'Spirits Alike' in
2006. McBee
had recorded his sixth album as a leader on January 7, 1986, that a dual
excursion co-led with pianist,
Muhal Richard Abrams. Inducted into the
Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame in 1991, the nineties found McBee contributing to
several albums by both drummer,
Elvin Jones, and pianist,
Yosuke Yamashita.
Along the way he recorded his
seventh and latest album as sole leader,
'Unspoken', on October 20, 1996. Sometime prior to May 2002 McBee completed three instructional volumes of
'Anthology of String Bass Improvisation' [*], publishing status unknown.
In 2006 McBee lost his lawsuit against the Japanese fashion
chain with the same name, Cecil McBee. Projects of a more musical nature in
the new millennium included such as 'Tribal Ghost' with
Billy Hart in February of
2007, issued in 2013. In the meantime, he was an Artist in Residence at
Harvard in 2010-11. Come Ed Motta's 'Perpetual Gateways' released in 2016.
Also released in 2016 was the fifth album by McBee and
Hart's ensemble, the
Cookers, 'The Call of the Wild and Peaceful Heart'.
More recent activities include touring with the
Cookers to destinations such as Mexico and Brazil. References: 1,
2.
Sessions: Fitzgerald,
JDP, Lord (leading 6 of 326).
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Interviews: Office for the Arts at Harvard 2010:
1,
2.
Facebook.
Other profiles: 1,
2,
3. Cecil McBee 1964 From 'Jazz Meets the Folk Song' Paul Winter LP Recorded 5 Dec 1963 NYC Composition: Paul Winter End 'Jazz Meets the Folk Song' Filmed in Molde, Norway Drums: Jack DeJohnette Piano: Keith Jarrett Tenor sax: Charles Lloyd Composition: Charles Lloyd Cecil McBee 1974 Album All compositions McBee Recorded 8 May 1974 NYCecil McBee 1978 Album: 'Music from the Source' Recorded 2 August 1977 NYC All compositions McBeeCecil McBee 1979 Album:: 'Compassion' Recorded 3 August 1977 NYCAll compositions McBee Album:: 'Alternate Spaces' Recorded 1979 NYAll compositions McBee Cecil McBee 1982 Album: 'Flying Out' Recorded 1982 Brooklyn All compositions McBeeCecil McBee 1995 Filmed live in Budapest Concert recorded 3 July 1995Issued on 'Live in Budapest' 1996 Piano: Joanne Brackeen Drums: Al Foster Tenor sax: Tony Lakatos Composition: Tony Lakatos Soprano sax: Tony Lakatos Composition: Joanne Brackeen The Cookers 2016 Live at La Usina del Arte 23 Nov 2016 Buenos Aires Composition: Cecil McBee Composition: Cecil McBee
|
 Cecil McBee Source: Mezzrow |
|
 Grachan Moncur III Source: WNCU |
Though born in New York City in 1937, trombonist,
Grachan Moncur III,
was raised in Newark, New Jersey, son to bassist, Grachan Moncur II also credited as
Grachan Moncur [1,
2]. Moncur began performing while in high
school, sitting in with
Art Blakey and
Jackie McLean as occurred. Upon
graduating from high school he toured with
Ray Charles. He was picked up by
Art Farmer and
Benny Golson to participate in the
recording of 'Here and Now' in 1962. He then participated in four tracks on
Golson's 'Pop + Jazz = Swing' in April
that year. It was 'Another Git Together' in May and June with the same
Jazztet as 'Here and Now'. We skip ahead a bit through
Herbie Hancock and Horace Silver
in early '63 to April of that year for
Jackie McLean's 'One Step Beyond'.
'Destination... Out!' followed on September 20. On November 21 that year
McLean supported Moncur's debut LP,
'Evolution' [1,
2],
w
Lee Morgan (trumpet),
Bobby Hutcherson
(vibes),
Bob Cranshaw (bass) and
Tony Williams (drums). Come 1967 for
McLean's 'Hipnosis' and ''Bout Soul'.
Moncur had squared away his second album, 'Some Other Stuff' [1,
2],
on 6 July of 1964 w
Wayne Shorter (tenor sax),
Herbie Hancock
(piano),
Cecil McBee (bass) and
Williams again at drums. Among the more important figures in Moncur's career was drummer,
Beaver Harris, who first joined
Moncur on March 28, 1965, to tape 'Blue Free' at the Village Gate in NYC in March of 1965 for
'The New Wave in Jazz' with
Hutcherson again at
vibes and
McBee again at bass. Others
recording at the Village Gate on that date were
John Coltrane,
Albert Ayler,
Archie Shepp and
Charles Tolliver, all
included on 'The New Wave in Jazz'. Come April of 1966
for
Marion Brown's 'Juba-Lee'.
Moncur joined Harris
in August of '66 toward
Shepp's 'Mama Too
Tight'.
The first of Dec 1966 saw Moncur supporting
Brown's 'Three for Shepp'.
Moncur was in Paris on 11 August of '69 when 'New Africa' [1,
2]
went down w
Roscoe Mitchell
(alto), Dave Burrell (piano),
Alan Silva
(bass) and Andrew Cyrille (drums) with
Shepp contributing to
one title, 'When'. It was also Paris where Moncur laid out 'Aco Dei De
Madrugada' in Sep and Nov of 1969 [Lord] w Fernando Martins (piano/ vocals), Beb
Guerin (bass) and Nelson Serra de Castro (drums).
Brown,
Harris and Moncur joined
Shepp, on the latter's 'Things Have Got to Change'
on 17 May of 1971. On April 11 of
1974 Moncur employed Harris for
'Echoes of Prayer' commissioned by the Jazz Composer's Orchestra.
Brown joined Moncur again
in June of '77 in Massachusetts toward Moncur's 'Shadows' [1,
2]
w Dave Burrell (piano), Roland Prince (guitar), Reggie Workman (bass), Joe
Chambers (drums) and Andy Bey (vocals). In 1979
Moncur supported Harris' 'Live
at Nyon' ('81) in Switzerland, 'Safe' ('79) in Switzerland and 'Beautiful
Africa' ('79) in Milan, Italy. Moncur was composer in residence at the
Newark Community School of the Arts from 1982 to 1991. Among those with whom
he performed during that period was guitarist and vocalist, Cassandra
Wilson, contributing to her album, 'Point of View', in Brooklyn in Dec of
1985. As implied above, tenor saxophonist,
Archie Shepp, was one of
Moncur's more important musical associates. Moncur contributed to ten of
Shepp's albums from 'Mama
Too Tight' in '66 to 'Live in New York' on September 23 and 24 of 2000.
Deeper into the new millennium Moncur formed an octet to record
'Exploration' [1,
2,
3]
on 30 June of 2004. Moncur
recorded his ninth and latest album, 'Inner Cry Blues', in New York on 7 February of 2007 w Mitch
Marcus (tenor sax), Erik Jekabson (trumpet), Ben Adams (vibes), Lukas
Vesely (bass) and Sameer Gupta (drums). Among others on whose
recordings Moncur can be found are Dave Burrell,
Lee Morgan, Chris White, William
Parker and Khan Jamal. References: 1,
2.
Sessions: Fitzgerald,
JDP, Lord (leading 9 of 63).
Discos: 1,
2,
3.
Interviews: AAJ 2003,
Sean Singer 2011.
IA.
Further reading: Ed Berger.
Other profiles 1,
2,
3.
Grachan Moncur III 1962 From 'Here and Now' Album by Art Farmer & Benny Golson Composition: Harold Mabern Composition: Ray Bryant Grachan Moncur III 1964 From 'One Step Beyond' Album by Jackie McLean Recorded 19 April 1963 Van Gelder NJ Composition: Moncur III Composition: Jackie McLean From 'Evolution' Recorded 21 Nov 1963 Van Gelder NJ All compositions Moncur III Grachan Moncur III 1965 From 'Some Other Stuff' Recorded 6 July 1964 Van Gelder NJ All compositions Moncur III Grachan Moncur III 1967 From 'Hipnosis' Recorded 1962/1967 Van Gelder NJ Issued 1978 Recorded 3 Feb 1967 Composition: Moncur III Grachan Moncur III 1969 From 'New Africa' Recorded 1969 All compositions Moncur III Tenor sax: Archie Shepp Grachan Moncur III 1975 Album: 'Echoes of Prayer' With the Jazz Composer's Orchestra Recorded 11 April 1974 Blue Rock NYC All compositions Moncur III
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|
 Billy Hart Photo: Lothar Jung Source: Drummer World |
Billy Hart was a drummer born in 1940
in Washington DC. Per the Billy Hart website his first professional gigs were
as a soul drummer, working w such as
Otis Redding and
Sam & Dave. He moved on to Buck Hill in 1960 (on whose
much later debut album, 'This Is Buck Hill', Hart would appear in 1978) and
Shirley Horn. Hart then toured with the Montgomery Brothers (Buddy,
Monk and
Wes),
his first recordings with the Montgomery Brothers in 1961 in St. Louis,
Missouri. RateYourMusic has 'Recorded Live at Jorgies Jazz
Club' (VGM 0001) issued in September of 1980. The
Wes Montgomery Fan Club has 'Live at Jorgies and More'
(VGM 0008) issued in April of 1983. November of 1961 found Hart
participating in 'The
Buck Clarke Sound' at the Jewish Community Center in Washington D.C. for
issue in 1963. He joined
Jimmy Smith on May 31, 1963, for 'Live
at the Village Gate'. Four albums later it was 'In Hamburg Live' performed
in November of 1965. That same month on the 26th he was in London at
Ronnie Scott's jazz club for
Benny Golson's 'Three Little Words'.
Hart worked more with
the Montgomery Brothers until
Wes' death in 1968, then began doing session
work in New York City. He has since recorded prolifically, credited with
well above 600 sessions. We thus skip ahead a bit to one of Hart's more
important sessions in December 1970, that for
Herbie Hancock's 'Mwandishi'.
Hancock would be among the
more important figures in Hart's career in the seventies. When not working
on
Hancock's projects they
supported other ensembles together including
Joe Zawinul's and Miles
Davis'. Hart participated in
Hancock's 'Crossings' in
December of '71, 'Sextant' in '72 and 'V.S.O.P' on June 29 of '76 at the
Newport Jazz Festival with trumpeter,
Freddie Hubbard. Also present
at that session in 1970 above were trumpeter,
Eddie Henderson, and
bassist,
Buster Williams. Continuing
with
Hancock together, Hart and
Henderson would partner
numerously in various groups over the decades well into the new millennium.
Along the way Hart contributed to eight of
Henderson's albums from
'Realization' in February of 1973 to 'Precious Moment' in 2005.
Henderson backed Hart's
debut LP in the winter of '77 for 'Enchance'. A decade later it was Hart's
'Rah' in September of 1987. Come 2010 Hart and
Henderson formed the Cookers
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5]
with
Billy Harper (tenor sax), David
Weiss (trumpet), Craig Handy (alto/flute), George Cables (piano) and
Cecil McBee. Four albums later in 2016
it was 'The Call of the Wild and Peaceful Heart' with the same configuration
excepting that Donald Harrison had replaced Handy on alto. As for
Buster Williams, he and Hart
provided rhythm on countless mutual sessions, including such as
Harold Land's or
Larry Coryell's, into the new
millennium. Along the way Hart backed
Williams' debut LP,
'Pinnacle' in August of 1975, 'Crystal Reflections' in August of 1976,
'Heartbeat' in 1978 and 'Dreams Come True' in 1978.
Williams's supported Hart's
'Enchance' in '77 and 'Rah' in September of 1987. Lord's disco shows them
partnering as late as January 5 of 2015 for Sally Night's 'Night Time'. We
slip back to November 11, 1973, for among Hart's more important associates
in the seventies, that saxophonist,
Stan Getz, with whom 'Live at Sir
Morgan's Cove 1973' went down on that date for issue in 2011. Sessions that
would go toward about sixteen more
Getz albums were held to 'Poetry in Jazz'
at the Montreux Jazz Festival on July 20, 1978. They would reunite in early
1982 for 'Blue Skies' and 'Pure Getz'. 1979 saw the first of Hart's recordings on albums by both
Chico Freeman and
Duke Jordan. Saxophonist, Freeman, son
of saxophonist,
Von Freeman, is a bit late for these
histories, thought to have first appeared on vinyl in 1975 per the musical
drama, 'Black Fairy'. Be as may, in 1980 Hart backed Freeman's 'Peaceful
Heart, Gentle Spirit' with flautist, James Newton. Hart later contributed to
Newton's 'James Newton' in '82, 'Luella' in '83, 'The African Flower' in
'85, 'If Love' in '89 and 'David Murray/James Newton Quintet' in '91. Hart
joined the group, Quest, in time for its second album, 'Quest II' in
Copenhagen, Denmark, on April 17, 1986. The original Quest releasing 'Quest'
in 1981 had consisted of
George Mraz (bass),
Al Foster (drums), Richie Beirach
(piano) and Dave Liebman (alto/flute). On ten albums from 'Quest II' in '86
to 'Circular Dreaming' in 2013 the band's consistent members were Hart,
Beirach, Liebman and Ron McLure at bass. During the nineties Hart backed the
first of several albums by
Charles Lloyd, that 'The Call'
in '93. 'All My Relations' followed in '94, 'Canto' in '96 and 'Lift Every
Voice' in '02. Among the host of others on whose recordings Hart can be
found were
Eddie Harris,
Pharoah Sanders,
Kenny Barron, Joanne Brackeen,
Jimmy Knepper, Doug Raney and Yelena Eckemoff. As mentioned, Hart issued his debut LP in
1977: 'Enchance'. Eight albums later it was 'Sixty-Eight' issued in 2011. Residing
in Montclair, New Jersey, Hart has taught in various distinguished
capacities since the nineties and is yet active with the Billy Hart Quartet
[1,
2]
which debut album, 'Billy Hart Quartet', saw issue in 2006 consisting of
Mark Turner (sax), Ethan Iverson (piano) and Ben Street (bass). That project
had gone down in studio in Easton, Connecticut, on 14/15 Oct 2005. The same
ensemble issued 'All Our Reasons' in 2012, recorded in June of 2011.
The same bunch packed up 'One Is the Other'
[review] in NYC in April and May of 2013.
On 3 June of 2014 Hart's Quartet performed at the Village Vanguard [1,
2,
audio].
Abe Books has Hart publishing 'Jazz Drumming' (Advance Music) in 2015
including a CD and transcriptions. Among more recent collaborations, 18 Feb of 2016 saw Hart in Brooklyn
supporting Luis Perdomo's 'Spirits and Warriors'. He contributed drums to
'Almost Like Being in Love' on Massimo Farao's 'Swingin'' in March of 2016.
Hart also released 'The Broader Picture' w the WDR Big Band in 2016. More
recent collaborations include organist, Jared Gold's, 'Reemergence' gone
down on 22 Jan of 2018 w Jeremy Pelt (trumpet) and Dave Stryker (guitar).
Hart's most recent issue as of this writing was 'Talking About the Weather'
[1,
2]
in April of 2019 w drummer, Eric Thielemans. References:
1,
2,
3.
Sessions: JDP; Lord (leading 19 0f 639).
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Interviews: Ethan Iverson 2006/08;
Ted Panken 2012.
Other profiles: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6. Billy Hart 1961 Piano: Buddy Montgomery Guitar: Wes Montgomery Bass: Monk Montgomery Composition: Cole Porter Album: 'Recorded Live at Jorgies Jazz Club' Recorded 19 August 1961 Issued 1980 on VGM 0001 [RYM] Billy Hart 1969 Composition: Eddie Harris Album by Eddie Harris: 'High Voltage' Billy Hart 1971 Filmed live in Norway With Herbie Hancock & Mwandishi Billy Hart 1977 Billy Hart 1997 Composition: John Stubblefield Album: 'Oceans of Time' Billy Hart 2000 Filmed concert Billy Hart 2006 Composition: Hart Album: 'Billy Hart Quartet' Tenor sax: Mark TurnerPiano: Ethan Iverson Bass: Ben Street Billy Hart 2013 Filmed live Bass: Daryl Johns Piano: Roberta Piket Composition: Herbie HancockBilly Hart Quartet Filmed live Venue unidentified Tenor sax: Mark TurnerPiano: Ethan Iverson Bass: Ben Street With Quest Sax: Dave Liebman Composition: Garrison Fewell Album: 'Tribal Ghost' Recorded 9/10 Feb 2007 Billy Hart 2014 Album by Billy Hart Quartet Billy Hart 2018 Filmed live w Joshua Redman Billy Hart 2019 Recorded 1 May 2019 Oberlin Conservatory Tenor sax: Henry Fernandez Bass: Ari Smith Composition: Meredith Willson 1957 For the musical 'The Music Man'
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Born in Houston in 1939, flautist,
Hubert Laws,
won a scholarship to Juilliard in 1960. He there studied by day while
gigging by night in NYC, his first professional job at Sugar Ray's Lounge in
Harlem. Among those with whom Laws played in those early days was Mongo Santamaria.
Laws is thought to have first surfaced on vinyl in 1963 with Solomon Ilori
on the album, 'African High Life', performing on flute and sax on April 25
on tracks 7-9. Come June that year he supported
James Moody's 'Great Day' by flute. In February of 1964
Laws laid tracks with Dave Pike toward 'Manhattan Latin'. Santamaria's
'Mongo Explodes' went down sometime in spring of '64 at the Village Gate in
Greenwich Village, NYC. Seven more with Santamaria
resulted to 'Mambo Mongo' in March of 1992. On April 2 of '64 Laws strung
out
his debut album, 'The Laws of Jazz', with
Chick Corea (piano), Richard Davis
(bass) and Bobby Thomas (drums). It was August 10, 1966, when bassist,
Ron Carter, joined him on 'Laws'
Cause' with
Corea and
Grady Tate (drums). Both
Carter
and Tate would play major roles in Laws' career.
Carter and Laws carved a direct
path together into the eighties, both supporting other ensembles such as
Antônio Carlos Jobim in 1970, and each other.
Carter supported Laws on
seven more albums to 'The Chicago Theme' in 1975,
including the prior 'In the Beginning' in Feb of '74. Laws contributed to eight of
Carter's albums from 'Uptown Conversation' in
'69 to 'Friends' in December of '92. Lord's disco has their last mutual
session for
Stanley Turrentine on 'If
I Could' in May of '93. As for
Tate, he and Laws would
interweave often into the latter seventies, both supporting other ensembles,
such as Kai Winding's in 1967, and each other.
Tate participated in Laws'
'Crying Song' in 1969. Laws contributed to
Tate's 'She's My Lady' in 1972.
Lord's disco has their last mutual session for
Turrentine's 'West Side
Highway' in 1977. Lord's disco has them reuniting for
Turrentine on 'If I Could'
in May of '93. Another major figure in Laws' career was keyboardist, Eumir Deodato,
with whom his first mutual project was Astrud Gilberto's 'Beach Samba'
on May 25,
1967, Deodato arranging and conducting that. Deodato and Laws worked
together on multiple occasions on such as
Jobim's 'Stone Flower' in 1970 and
'Gilberto with Turrentine' in 1971. Laws participated in Deodato's 'Prelude'
in '72 and 'Very Together' in '76. Laws initial sessions with pianist,
Herbie Hancock, were for
Wes Montgomery's 'Down Here on the Ground' in December '67/January '68. Laws and
Hancock worked together often into the eighties supporting other bands,
Quincy Jones' and
Eddie Henderson's one among
them. Laws supported
Hancock's 'The Prisoner' in April of '69 and 'Dis
Is Da Drum' in '94. They reunited as late as 2000 for Marcus Miller's
'M2'. Laws
capped the sixties in '69 with the first of several albums for both
George Benson
('Tell It Like It Is' in April) and Quincy Jones ('Walking in Space'
in June) in 1969. Five more albums with
Benson ensued to 'Love
Remembers' in '93. Six more with
Jones went down to 'Basie & Beyond' in
2000. Freddie Hubbard had
added trumpet to Jones' 'Walking in Space'.
Hubbard and Laws found themselves partners
on numerous occasions into the latter seventies backing other operations,
such as
Carmen McRae's. Along the way Laws contributed to five of
Hubbard's
LPs from 'First Light' in September of '71 to 'Super Blue' in March and
April of '78. During the latter seventies Laws was a member on a couple
notable tours. The one in July of '77 to Switzerland wrought both volumes 'Montreux
Summit'. The other was a trip to Havana, Cuba, in March of '79 for
performances at the Karl Marx Theatre with the CBS All Stars resulting in
'Havana Jam'. Among the host of others contributing to Laws' 367 accredited sessions
were Milt Jackson,
Charles Mingus,
Charles Earland,
McCoy Tyner, Chet Baker,
Jim Hall and
Bobby Hutcherson and Ed
Motta. Laws has been the recipient of several 'Downbeat' awards in the new
millennium in addition to the NEA lifetime achievement award in 2010 and the
NEA Jazz Master award in 2011. Laws yet pursues his career full swing, his
latest release being 'Flute Adaptations of Rachmaninov & Barber' in 2009. He
has contributed as recently as February 2015 to 'I Saw a Sparrow' on Ann
Hampton Callaway's 'The Hope of Christmas'. References: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5, Lord (leading 58 out of 368).
Reviews.
Interviews:
A.B. Spellman 2010;
Anthony Brown 2011
(pdf); NAMM 2018;
Peter Westbrook 2019.
IMDb.
Further reading: HL Blog.
Hubert Laws 1963 From 'African High Life' Solomon Ilori LP Recorded 25 April 1963 All comps by Ilori Igbesi Aiye (Song of Praise to God) Hubert Laws 1966 From 'Flute By-Laws' All comps by Laws Hubert Laws 1970 Album Hubert Laws 1971 From the classical LP 'The Rite of Spring' Composition: Johann Sebastian Bach Composition: Gabriel Fauré Hubert Laws 1976 Album Hubert Laws 1977 Composition: Eugene McDaniels Album: 'The San Francisco Concert' Hubert Laws 1979 Vocal: Debra Laws Composition: Laws Arrangement: Laws Album: 'Land of Passion' Hubert Laws 1980 Keyboards: Chick Corea Composition: Maurice Ravel Album: 'Family' Guitar: Earl Klugh Composition: Patrick Williams Album: 'How to Beat the High Cost of Living' Hubert Laws 2013 Filmed live in Los Angeles Kim Richmond Concert Jazz Orchestra Composition: Johnny Mandel Arrangement: Kim Richmond
|
 Hubert Laws Photo: Todd Gray Source: All Music |
|
 Wilbert Longmire Source: Cover Source |
Though born in Mobile, Alabama, in December of 1943, soul
jazz organist, guitarist and vocalist,
Wilbert Longmire,
grew up in Cincinnati. Though Longmire wouldn't enjoy worldwide repute with
contemporaries such as
George Benson, he was one of the
finer jazz musicians to arise out of that town. Beginning with violin,
Longmire moved onward to guitar, played in a band called the Students as a
youth, then joined the
Hank Marr Band in 1963 with which he made
his first recordings: 'For All We Know' (unissued) and 'The Greasy Spoon',
the latter released in '63 by the Federal label according to 45cat. 1964
found him on
Marr's 'Live at the Club
502' [1,
2]. It was Trudy Pitts' trio with Bill Carney on drums for 'Bucketful of
Soul' on December 20 of '67. Longmire's debut album,
'Revolution' [*], went down in Los Angeles in 1968 or '69. Now considered something of an acid
jazz classic, it less than took the world by storm upon issue in '69. Come
'The Excitement of Trudy Pitts' in May of 1968 preceding
Jean-Luc Ponty’s 'Electric
Connection' in March of 1969. Longmire issued his second LP, 'The Way We
Were', in '75 [*], 'This Side of
Heaven' in '76 [*]. His
career picked up speed upon being recommended by
Benson to the newly founding Tappan Zee label.
Longmire recorded three albums with that company before settling into
gigging in Cincinnati: 'Sunny Side Up' issued in '78 [*], 'Champagne'
[*]
in '79 and, his last album, 'With
All My Love' in '80 [*].
Longmire was among numerous to contribute to Bob James' 'All Around the
Town' in 1981. Keeping his activities to
Ohio since then, Longmire later partnered with
Marr again at the Kentucky Center for the
Arts in Louisville on May 22, 1996, for 'Groovin' It'.
2001 witnessed him on
Marr's 'Blues'n and Cruisin''. Lord's
disco shows him recording as recently as Gene Walker's 'Friends' issued in
December of 2005. Longmire died in Cincinnati on 3 January 2018 [obits: 1,
2]. Among others with whom Longmire
had
laid tracks were Rusty Bryant and Bill Mason. References: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5, Lord (leading 5 of 22 sessions). Wilbert Longmire 1963 Federal 45-12508 Tenor sax: Rusty Bryant Organ: Hank Marr Guitar: Wilbert Longmire Drums: Taylor Orr Composition: Gene Redd/Hank Marr Composition: Henry Glover/Sally Nix Wilbert Longmire 1964 Composition: Count Basie 1937 Album by Hank Marr: 'Live at the Club 502' Wilbert Longmire 1969 From 'Revolution' Composition: John Lennon/Paul McCartney Composition: Paul Simon/Art Garfunkel Wilbert Longmire 1975 Composition: Roger Nichols/Paul Williams LP: 'The Way We Were' Wilbert Longmire 1976 LP: 'This Side of Heaven' Wilbert Longmire 1978 From 'Sunny Side Up' Composition: Jay Chattaway Wilbert Longmire 1979 Composition: Jay Chattaway LP: 'Champagne' Wilbert Longmire 1980 From 'With All My Love' Composition: Jay Chattaway Composition: Bruce Hawes/Vinnie Barrett
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|
 Jeremy Steig Source: Grognards |
Born in 1942 in Greenwich Village, NYC, flautist,
Jeremy Steig,
was born to 'New Yorker' cartoonist, William Steig, his mother an educator
at Lesley College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was an adolescent friend
of double bassist,
Eddie Gómez, the two to maintain a close relationship
throughout their careers. That, however, might not have occurred due to a
motorcycle accident in 1961 that wrought the left side of Steig's face
paralyzed. He continued with a mouthpiece fashioned with cardboard and tape
until the late sixties, that is, through his initial two albums. Steig's
first was also pianist,
Denny Zeitlin's, debut appearance on vinyl, 'Flute
Fever' in 1963. Steig supported
Paul Winter's 'Jazz Meets the
Folk Song' in December that year. In 1967 he and
Gómez formed the Satyrs with
Warren Bernhardt, Adrian Guillary and Donald McDonald to put down his second
album, 'Jeremy & the Satyrs' that year. That group was among the
earliest "fusion" bands. Until the latter sixties and early seventies jazz
had largely occupied a fairly highbrow status relative to rock, as had
classical and country western. (Once the bad boys of country western began
to stray from the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville country western was on route
to becoming a sibling of rock, rock with twang, though its style, fashion
and audience largely distinct to itself.) The exception was swing jazz
developing into R&B with some assistance from blues
[*]. But then came such as
Frank Zappa, Miles
Davis and
Weather Report, each to toss
ingredients of jazz and rock into their own pots of fusion, helping to
affect what has been a major genre ever since. As for the Satyrs, their
brief existence had included a tour from NYC to California for billing with
the rock band,
Cream, at the Fillmore (West) and Winterland.
Together with supporting other bands on occasion
Gómez and Steig participated in each
other's projects, the next of which was Steig's 'Legwork' in 1967 with Sam
Brown (guitar)and Don Alias (drums).
Gómez provided rhythm on nine more of
Steig's albums to 'Rain Forest' in March 1980. Steig contributed to
Gómez' 'Power Play' in 1987,
'Next Future' in '93 and 'Dedication' in June of '97. Their last mutual
session is thought to have followed on March of 2003 for pianist, Carl
Munoz', 'Both Sides Now' with Joe Chambers at drums. Though Steig had
recorded as variously as w rockers,
Tommy Bolin and
Johnny Winter, in the early seventies,
most of his work through the
years had been in jazz, supporting such as Jazz Wave Ltd, Pierre Courbois
and Mike Mainieri. Steig had joined Courbois playing drums in the latter's
band, Association P.C., in Germany and Switzerland in June of 1973 for the
taping of 'Mama Kuku' [1,
2,
3]. Steig's
own
catalogue is worth thirty albums as a leader or co-leader, his last 'Pterodactyl' per 2007.
Having been residing in Japan with his wife, Asako, he died in Yokohama on
April 13, 2016
[obits: 1,
2].
References: *.
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6, Lord (leading 21 of 65 sessions).
Select videography.
Website tribute.
Steig Blog.
Interviews: Scott McIntosh 2000.
Periodical archive.
Further reading: Celeste Sunderland.
Jeremy Steig 1963 From 'Flute Fever' Piano: Denny ZeitlinBass: Ben Tucker Composition: Sonny Rollins Composition: Sonny Rollins Composition: Miles Davis What Is This Thing Called Love Composition: Cole Porter Jeremy Steig 1969 From Bill Evans' 'What's New' Piano: Bill Evans Bass: Eddie GómezDrums: Marty Morell Composition: Jacques Prévert/Joseph Kosma/Johnny Mercer Composition: Alex North Jeremy Steig 1970 Composition: Jan Hammer/Steig Album: 'Energy' Electric piano: Jan Hammer Composition: Steig Album: 'Legwork' Jeremy Steig 1971 From 'Wayfaring Stranger' Composition: Steig Composition: Steig Composition: Steig/Eddie Gomez Jeremy Steig 1972 Composition: Jan Hammer/Steig Album: 'Fusion' Jeremy Steig 1973 Association P.C. + Jeremy Steig Album Jeremy Steig 1974 From 'Monium' Bass: Eddie Gómez Drums/percussion: Marty MorellCongas/timbales: Ray Mantilla
Composition: Eddie Gomez/Steig Composition: Eddie Gomez Jeremy Steig 1975 Composition: Steig/Richard Beirach Alphonse Mouzon/Anthony Jackson Ray Mantilla/Johnny Winter Album: 'Temple of Birth' Jeremy Steig 1977 From 'Firefly' Composition: Googie Coppola/David Matthews Vocal: Googie Coppolla Composition: Joe Chambers
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Born in 1945 in Chicago, drummer,
Tony Williams,
was raised in Boston. He began to play professionally at age thirteen with
Sam Rivers, with whom he would
later record on multiple occasions. Jackie McLean
picked up Williams when he was sixteen, his first
studio session to follow on February 11 of 1963 for titles toward 'Vertigo',
that not issued until 1980. Come March 19 for
Herbie Hancock's 'My Point of
View' issued in September, Hancock having been part of
McLean's crew on 'Vertigo' with
Donald Byrd (trumpet) and Butch
Warren (bass). Hancock was to assume a major
role in Williams' career into the new millennium. Along with backing other
bands, such as traveling through Miles Davis
together, they supported each other. Williams contributed drums to no less
than fourteen of
Hancock's albums to 'Future
2 Future' in 2001.
Hancock had also participated
on a couple titles on Williams' debut LP, 'Lifetime', in August of '64. We
return to 1963 and Williams' third session, that with
Kenny Dorham for 'Una Mas' on April 1st. Come
McLean's 'One Step Beyond' on
April 30 prior to Williams' initial sessions with Miles
Davis
on May 14 for 'Seven Steps to Heaven'.
Davis' operation was Williams' main vehicle for the next five years, his
drumming a key element in Davis'
focus on the next seventeen LPs to come. Their final was 'In a Silent Way'
on February 18, 1969. Material from that period also saw issue in 2011 on
'Miles Davis Quintet - Live in Europe 1967' and 'Miles Davis at Newport
1955-1975' in 2015'. It was with Davis
that Williams first recorded with bassist,
Ron Carter, that at the Jazz Villa
in Missouri on May 29, 1963, for 'Miles in St. Louis'.
Carter and Williams provided
rhythm to numerous enterprises into the nineties together, such as Chet Baker's,
Herbie Hancock's and
McCoy Tyners after traveling
through Davis
together.
Carter contributed to Williams'
debut LP, 'Lifetime', in 1964. Williams' 'Ego' followed in 1971, 'Foreign
Intrigue' in June of 1985. Williams had been in
Carter's trio with
Herbie Hancock in San
Francisco on July 13, 1977, for 'Third Plane'. It was
Carter's '1 + 3' in Tokyo in 1978,
that also with
Hank Jones. It was
Carter's 'Parade' in 1979,
'Etudes' in 1982. Lord's disco puts them together a last time in the Geri
Allen Trio for 'Twenty-One' in March of 1994. Returning to '63, while with
Davis, Williams found time to round out that year on November 21 with
Grachan Moncur III's
'Evolution', that issued
in April the next year as Williams continued with
Davis. With over 230 sessions credited to Williams, we fast forward to
another of William's principle associates, that pianist,
Hank Jones, their first mutual session
thought to have been on May 21, 1976, for Sadao Watanabe's 'I'm Old
Fashioned'. That was
Jones' Great Jazz Trio [1,
2] with
Ron Carter at bass. That personnel
remained consistent through nine more Great Jazz Trio albums to 'The Great
Tokyo Meeting' on July 31 of 1978, one exception being 'Love for Sale in '76
with
Buster Williams replacing
Carter. Per above, William's debut
LP was 'Life
Time' in 1964. About twenty more ensued to his final in Tokyo in 1996: 'Young at Heart'.
Along the way he issued 'One Word/Two Worlds' in 1970 on a 7" 45 for Polydor
(2066-050) with his trio, Lifetime, consisting of
Larry Young (organ) and
John McLaughlin (guitar). It was
about 1977 that Williams had moved from NYC, making San Francisco his base
of operations. He there died of heart attack twenty years later on February
23, 1997 [obit]. Among the host of others on whose recordings he can be found are
Charles Lloyd,
Sonny Rollins, Didier Lockwood, CBS
Jazz All Stars ('Havana Jam' '79 Cuba),
Tommy Flanagan, Arcana and
Michael Wolff. References: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Sessions: JDP, Lord (leading 35 of 240).
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Interviews: Aran Wald 1978,
Paul de Barros 1983,
Michael Point 1997.
Further reading: Andy Doerschuk;
Jazz Profiles.
Other profiles: 1,
2. Per 1963 below,
Williams' first recording session was with Jackie McLean
on 11 February, titles not issued until 1980 on McLean's 'Vertigo'. Tony Williams 1963 From Jackie McLean's 'Vertigo' Issued 1980 Williams' debut session 11 Feb 1963 NJ Alto sax: Jackie McLean Trumpet: Donald Byrd Piano: Herbie Hancock Bass: Butch Warren Composition: Donald Byrd Composition: Jackie McLean End 'Vertigo' Album by Herbie Hancock: 'My Point of View' Recorded 19 March 1963 NJ All compositions Hancock Composition: Victor Feldman/Miles Davis Album by Miles Davis: 'Seven Steps to Heaven' Recorded 14 May 1963 NYC Tony Williams 1964 Composition: Kenny Dorham Album by Kenny Dorham 'Una Mas' Recorded 1 April 1963 NJ From Jackie McLean's 'One Step Beyond' Recorded 30 April 1963 NJ Alto sax: Jackie McLean Trombone: Grachan Moncur III Vibes: Bobby Hutcherson Bass: Eddie Khan Composition: Grachan Moncur III Composition: Jackie McLean End 'One Step Beyond' Album by Grachan Moncur III 'Evolution' Recorded 21 Nov 1963 NJ All compositions Moncur Tony Williams 1965 From 'Spring' Recorded 12 Aug 1965 NJ All compositions Williams Tony Williams 1969 Tony Williams 1970 Tony Williams 1971 Filmed live Filmed in Paris Composition: Williams Tony Williams 1972 Munich, Germany Flute: Jeremy Steig Bass: Stan Clarkey Drums: Art Blakey Tony Williams 1975 From 'Believe It' Composition: Allan Holdsworth Composition: Allan Holdsworth Composition: Williams Tony Williams 1976 Tony Williams 1977 Album by Sonny Rollins Live at Village Vanguard Bass: Ron Carter Piano: Hank Jones Tony Williams 1979 Filmed drum solo Composition: Williams Tony Williams 1989 Internationale Jazzwoche Burghausen Filmed live Tony Williams 1991Filmed live Filmed live Composition: Williams Tony Williams 1996 Composition: Bronislaw Kaper/Ned Washington Album: 'Young at Heart'
|
 Anthony Williams Source: All Music |
|
 Bob Moses Source: Te Koki |
Born in 1948 in New York City,
Ra-Kalam Bob Moses
was in the right place to get hired into his first important band in 1964,
drumming for
Roland Kirk. The latter's 'I Talk
with the Spirits' went down in September that year. In 1966 Moses formed the Free Spirits with
Larry Coryell (guitar),
Jim Pepper
(tenor sax/flute), Columbus Chip Baker (guitar) and Chris Hills (electric
bass). The Free Spirits recorded 'Out of Sight and Sound' in late '66.
Issued in 1967, it often
cited as the first jazz fusion album. With some altering of personnel the
Free Spirits put down 'Live at The Scene' in NYC on February 22, 1967. The
Free Spirits were disbanded that year upon
Coryell and Moses leaving to join
Gary Burton's outfit with
Steve Swallow on bass. (The remaining members of the Free Spirits went on to form
Everything Is Everything.) Moses backed
Burton on several albums through
December of 1975: 'A Genuine Tong Funeral', 'Lofty Fake Anagram', 'Gary
Burton Quartet in Concert', 'Ring' and 'Dreams So Real'. They reunited for a
couple recorded shows at the Bottom Line in NYC on September 8 of 1978. The
next year found Moses with
Burton at the Jazz Festival
Ljubljana in Slovenia on June 17, 1979, to lay out 'Como en Vietnam', that
found on the album by
various called 'Jazz Na Koncertnom Podiju Vol 4' issued in Yugoslavia in
1980. Returning to 1967, Moses began recording 'Love Animal' that year with
Coryell,
Pepper,
Swallow and
Keith Jarrett, that not to see issue until
2003. Moses provided rhythm on
Coryell's 'Lady Coryell' in 1968.
Swallow and
Moses would partner on multiple occasions over the decades, supporting other
bands if not each other.
Swallow contributed to Moses'
'Family' in August of
'79, 'When Elephants Dream of Music' in April of '82 and 'Visit with the
Great Spirit' in '83. Moses had backed
Swallow on 'Home' in
September of '79. 1993 found them in London in the Mike Gibbs Orchestra for
'By the Way'. They were together again in August of 2003 in a trio with
pianist, Greg Burk, for the latter's 'Nothing, Knowing'. Backing up to 1971,
Moses formed the ensemble, Compost, w fellow drummer,
Jack DeJohnette,
Harold Vick at
tenor saxophone and flute, Jack Gregg on bass and Jumma Santos at
percussion. The group probably recorded 'Take Off Your Body' sometime in 1971, thought issued in '72.
Moses also offered vocals on that w
DeJohnette also playing clavinet, organ
and vibes. Compost likely recorded 'Life Is Round' [1,
2] sometime in 1972 toward
probable issue in '73. It was Moses now who also contributed clavinet, organ
and vibes w
DeJohnette also on
clavinet, organ and piano. Moses had issued his first album in 1975: 'Bittersuite in the Ozone' that with
David Liebman (tenor sax) as part of his band who would back Moses
severally to as late as 'Wheels of Colored Light' in Germany in 1992. Moses
also contributed piano and vibes to 'Bittersuite in the Ozone'. Four
years after 'Bittersuite' Moses led 'Family' per above with
Swallow in August of '79.
Produced by Moses, that included
Liebman,
Terumasa Hino (cornet/percussion) and
Steve Kuhn at piano. Moses had
backed
Hino's 'Journey to Air' several years earlier in March of 1970.
Hino
would also support Moses' 'When Elephants Dream of Music' in '82 and 'Wheels
of Colored Light' in '92. As for
Kuhn, Moses had participated in 'Motility'
in January of 1977, 'Non-Fiction' in April of '78 and 'Playground' in July
of '79. He would back
Kuhn's 'Last Year's Waltz' in April of '81.
Kuhn would
be in Moses' orchestra for 'Visit with the Great Spirit' in '83, also
joining him for 'Nishoma' in July of 1998. Among Moses' most important associates
was/is guitarist, Tisziji Munoz [1,
2,
3,
4],
from whom Moses received his name of faith, Ra-Kalam. Their first certain
recording date in Lord's Disco was September 13, 1987, for their co-led
'Love Everlasting' issued in 1999 [Discogs]. Moses and Munoz had appeared on
forty-seven albums together [Wikipedia], including the more recent 'When Coltrane
Calls!' recorded on dates in 2015 toward issue in 2016 [RYM] as 'Session 1:
Fierce Compassion', 'Session 2: Liberation First' and 'Session 3: Living
Immortality'. 'Atoms of Supersoul' saw issue in Dec of 2016 [RYM]. Moses
assisted Munoz w 'Scream of Ensoundment' released in 2017. Backing up to the
early new millennium, January of 2001 saw the trio of Greg Burk on piano w
Jon Robinson at bass toward 'Checking In'. 'Ecstatic Weanderings' followed
on 12 Feb of 2002 on which Burk and Moses traded instruments placing Moses
at piano for 'Song of the Free Will'. A second trio w Burk, now with
Steve Swallow at bass,
went down on 2/3 August 2003 toward 'Nothing, Knowing' [1,
2].
Burk and Moses reunited in NYC a decade later for 'We Are One' in 2013, now
with a larger ensemble filled by Henry Cook (sax/ flute/ clarinet) and Matt
Renzi (sax/ flute/ oboe) w Ron Seguin at bass. Moses recorded a performance at the Art Institute of New England
in Boston on 16 June of 2006 toward the 2009 release of 'Father's Day B'hash'
[1,
2,
3,
4],
that with five saxophonists in his band of nine member including himself.
Moses has otherwise released some 36 albums as a leader or co-leader. His
most recent as
of this writing were 'Shamanic Soliloquies' w sax by Allan Chase in 2018 and
'Electric Organic Symphony' in 2019. Among numerous others on whose recordings
Moses can
be found are Hal Galper ('78), Gil Goldstein, David Lahm, Jerry Tilitz,
Javier Vercher, the Copperhead Trio, Brian Landrus, Stanley Sagov and Jon
Hemmersam. References: 1,
2.
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6, Lord (leading 26 of 142 sessions).
Facebook.
Interviews: Abstract Logix 2003 (?);
Jake Feinberg 2013.
Further reading: Jason M. Rubin.
See also
Native Pulse.
Other profiles *.
Personnel on all Moses albums below at Native Pulse. The Free Spirits 1967 Guitar: Larry Coryell Bob Moses 1975 Composition: Moses Album: 'Bittersuite in the Ozone' Bob Moses 1983 Vocal: Sheila Jordan Album: 'When Elephants Dream of Music' All compositions: Moses Bob Moses 1994 Guitar: Tisziji Munoz Sax: Dave Liebman Bob Moses 2003 Composition: Larry Coryell Album: 'Love Animal' Recorded 1967-68 Bob Moses 2008 Filmed live Bob Moses 2012 Album: 'Home in Motion' Bob Moses 2013 Filmed live Filmed live Bob Moses 2014 Filmed with Kari Ikonen Bob Moses 2018 Album: 'Shamanic Soliloquies' Bob Moses 2019 From 'Electric Organic Symphony'
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|
 Barre Phillips Source: The Wire |
Born in 1934 in San Francisco,
Barre Phillips
studied double bass with assistant principal bassist for the San Francisco
Symphony Orchestra, S. Charles Siani, in 1959. It was also about that time
(age 25) that he switched from classical to jazz. He left the West Coast for
New York City in 1962. The earliest recordings we know of by Phillips were
in 1963 for
Eric Dolphy at Carnegie Hall on March
14 and April 16: 'Densities', 'Abstraction' and 'Donna Lee'. Those
eventually got released with other
Dolphy titles in 1987 as 'Vintage
Dolphy'. Some time in 1964 he joined
Don Ellis (trumpet) and Joe Cocuzzo
(drums) with the New York Philharmonic conducted
by
Leonard
Bernstein
to record Larry Austin's 'Improvisations for Orchestra and Jazz
Soloists', that released in 1965. Lord's disco puts Barre in Europe with
pianist,
George Russell, in latter '64 to
record 'Live in Bremen and Paris 1964' issued that year per Wikipedia.
February 27 of 1967 found Barre in Paris with Jimmy
Giuffre for titles toward 'Live: Olympia 23 Fevrier 1960 - 27 Fevrier
1965' issued in 1999. Come March 15 of 1965 in Germany for guitarist,
Attila Zoller's, 'The Horizon Beyond'
with
Don Friedman (piano) and Daniel
Humair (drums). There would be multiple dates with
Zoller into 1968. A session followed
on May 19 of '65 with Giuffre at Columbia University,
titles to be found on a double CD
released in 2014: 'The New York Concerts'. The next July he was at
the Newport Jazz Festival with
Archie Shepp for an album
shared with
John Coltrane on side A: 'New Thing at Newport'.
February of 1966 saw
Phillips touring Arizona and Colorado in a trio with pianist, Peter Nero and drummer, Joseph Cusatis,
to result in 'Peter Nero on Tour'. He had been recording with
Zoller and drummer, Stu Martin, in
Germany, and was working with
Chris McGregor and
John Surman in London in the
summer of 1968 when he decided to live in Europe permanently, to make his
base of operations in southern France. He joined
Marion Brown with
Steve McCall at drums for the
soundtrack, 'Le Temps Fou', that September. As explained in an interview in
the 'The Jerusalem Post', Philips thought there to be greater opportunities
in Europe than NYC both creatively and financially. Philips had recorded
unissued titles per above in 1968 in London with pianist,
McGregor and
saxophonist,
John Surman. Come
McGregor's 'Up to Earth' in
London in 1969.
Surman would be one of the more
important figures in Philips' career into the eighties, both backing each
and other ensembles. Philips' first sessions for
Surman are thought to have been
in March for 'Event' and 'Premonition', those to surface in the UK in 1970
on
Surman's 'How Many Clouds Can
You See?'. Their first session as a trio with Stu Martin was in Germany for
'Live in Altena' on January 10,1970. Two or so followed to 'By Contact' in
London in April of '71. Lord's disco shows that trio's last session in
Austria in the summer of 1971 for 'Oh Dear', that issued on the album by
various, 'Ossiach Live', that year. Martin had backed Philips' second LP,
'For All It Is', in March of 1971. Philips' first had been for solo bass per Part 1 & 2 of
'Journal Violone' laid out in London on November 30, 1968. That was also
issued as 'Unaccompanied Barre' and 'Basse Barre'. Between Discogs,
RYM,
Jazzlists and MusicBrainz issue dates on all three of those vary from 1968
to 1970. Phillips' second album, 'For All It Is', went down in Hamburg on 12
March of 1971 w three other bassists and Stu Martin at percussion. Both Martin and
Surman supported Philips' third
LP, 'Mountainscapes', in March of 1976 in Ludwigsburg, Germany.
Surman would also participate in
Philips' 'Journal Violone II' in Ludwigsburg in June of 1979. March of 1980
found them in a trio with vocalist, Aina Kemanis, for Parts 1-4 of 'Journal
Violone', those issued [per discogs] in 2013 on 'Jazzwerkstatt Peitz 50'.
Lord's disco has Philips and
Surman together around twenty
years later on Tim Brady's 'Invention I' per 'Inventions' issued in 1991. As
for Martin, after their last trio session with
Surman in '71 above they backed
multiple operations together, such as
Cedar Walton's, to as late as March of
'77 for 'A Matter of Taste' with the Mumps, a group with a brief duration of
a few months formed with
Surman and
Albert Mangelsdorff on
trombone and guitar. Phillips first session with Barry Guy's London Jazz Composers Orchestra
was on November 11, 1979, for 'Polyhymnia' found on 'Zurich Concerts' in
1988. Numerous followed to as late as December 19, 1995, in Switzerland for
'Double Trouble Two'. On 5 April 1994 Phillips recorded duets in concert
with Japanese bassist, Motoharu Yoshizawa, in Hofu, Japan, toward 'Live
'Okidoki'' issued in 1998 by Chap Chap Records and 'Oh My, Those Boys!'
released by No Business Records in 2018. In 1999 Phillips formed the LDP Trio
[1,
2] in Marseilles w
saxophonist, Urs Leimgruber, and pianist, Jacques Demierre. They didn't get
around to recording an album until 2008, 'Albeit', issued 2009. 'Montreuil'
followed on 10 Dec of 2010, '1-3-2:⇔1' [*] in 2012 toward release in 2015. All
three of those saw compiling by Jazzwerkstatt in 2015 w the same front
sleeve as 'Albeit' (audio).
The LDP published a 2015 tour travelogue in 2016 titled 'Listening'
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7].
Earlier trio recordings by Phillips include' Open Spaces' in 1988 w Arrigo
Cappelletti and Massimo Pintori, 'No Pieces' in 1992 in with Michel Doneda
(sax) and Alain Joule (percussion), 'Mbat' in 1993 w Biggi Vinkeloe and Peeter
Uuskyla, and 'Time Will Tell' in 1994 w
Paul Bley and
Evan Parker. Soundtracks on
which Philips has worked include 'Merry-Go-Round' ('81), 'Naked
Lunch' ('91) and 'Alles was baumelt, bringt Glück!' ('13). Among the host of others for whom Philips has provided
upright bass through the years were Herve Bourde, Claude Jordan and Oriental
Fusion. On 19 February of 2005 Phillips documented 'Live in Vienna'
[1,
2]
on DVD w John Hollenbeck on piano and drums. Having released more than thirty albums as a leader or co-leader,
Philips' latest issue as of this writing was 'End to End'
in 2018 consisting of suites for solo bass laid along in March of 2017 [1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6;
audio].
References: 1,
2.
Sessions: Dan Kurdilla: 1,
2;
Tom Lord (leading 28 of 142).
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4.
IMDb.
Reviews.
Interviews: Fred Jung 2000; Andrey Henkin 2003;
Kevin Johnson 2019.
Other profiles: 1,
2. Barre Phillips 1965 From 'New Thing at Newport' Tenor sax: Archie Shepp Comps below by Shepp Barre Phillips 1969 Bass solosRecorded 30 Nov 1968 London Note: Year of Issue per RYM. Discogs lends 1970, other sources 1968. 'Basse Barre' was also issued as 'Journal Violone' and 'Unaccompanied Barre', all sometime between 1968 and 1970. Barre Phillips 1970 Composition: Barre Phillips Album: 'The Trio' Barre Phillips 1971 From 'Music from Two Basses' Duets with David Holland Composition: Barre Phillips Composition: Holland/Phillips Composition: Dave Holland Barre Phillips 1973 Recorded 12 March 1971 From 'Live in Bremen' Recorded 4 April 1973 Guitar/flute: Terje Rypdal Drums: Jon Christensen Composition: Terje Rypdal Composition: Barre Phillips Barre Phillips 1976 Album: 'Mountainscapes' Barre Phillips 1979 Album: 'Three Day Moon' All comps by Phillips Barre Phillips 1983 Bass solos recorded Feb 1983 Album: 'Call Me When You Get There' All comps by Phillips Barre Phillips 1995 Composition: Paul Bley/Evan Parker/Phillips Album by Paul Bley: 'Time Will Tell' Recorded Jan 1994 Saxophone: Evan Parker Piano: Paul Bley Barre Phillips 2009 From 'Albeit' Recorded 19 Feb 2008 Saxophone: Urs Leimgruber Piano: Jacques Demierre All comps by Demierre/Leimgruber/Phillips End 'Albeit' Filmed live Piano: Matthew Bourne Drums: Roger Turner Barre Phillips 2012 From 'Montreuil' Recorded 15 Dec 2010 Saxophone: Urs Leimgruber Piano: Jacques Demierre All comps by Demierre/Leimgruber/Phillips Barre Phillips 2015 From '1-3-2:⇔1' Recorded 15 Dec 2010 Mastered Dec 2014 Saxophone: Urs Leimgruber Piano: Jacques Demierre All comps by Demierre/Leimgruber/Phillips
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Born in 1944 in Laurinburg, North Carolina,
Woody Shaw, began
playing bugle at age nine in various Bugle Corps in Newark, New Jersey,
where his family had moved. He began trumpet a couple years later because
positions for violin and saxophone in his junior high school band were
already taken. He was playing professionally as a teenager at such as
weddings, eventually moving to nightclubs, then New York City. He was working with
Eric Dolphy when
he held his first session with the latter on July 3, 1963, for 'Burning
Spear', that eventually issued on Dolphy's posthumous 'Iron Man' in 1968.
Lord's disco indicates a second session on that date for titles that would
get issued on 'The Eric Dolphy Memorial Album' in latter 1964. Poynor's
sessionography (below) differs from Lord, giving a session date of May 6 of
'63. Lord and Poynor differ in other data. As there isn't space here to cite
how they differ the following takes the rail laid by Lord: Upon
Dolphy's
death in Berlin in June of '64 Shaw was invited to Paris to join
Dolphy's comrades, tenor
saxophonist,
Nathan Davis, and organist,
Larry Young. Shaw's next three
sessions with
Davis and
Young in December '64 and
January '65 would see issue in 2016 on 'Larry Young in Paris: The ORTF
Recordings'. That last session on January 22 was a quartet with drummer,
Billy Brooks. That quartet held another session on February 9, also included
on 'Larry Young in Paris: The ORTF Recordings'. Between those two was a
session on January 31 to result in
Davis' 'Happy Girl' issued in 1965. Come
a couple unissued sessions in the Jef Gilson Orchestre in July before
Davis'
'Peace Treaty' on May 6. On May 15 it was Jef Gilson's 'Jef Gilson a Gaveau',
Shaw's final before returning to the States. Upon treading American turf again
Shaw joined pianist, Horace Silver,
in October of '65 for 'The Cape Verdean Blues' issued in '66. On November 10
of '65 it was
Young's 'Unity'. In December Shaw put down his debut
tracks as a leader, though not issued until 'In the Beginning' in 1983
(also issued as 'Cassandranite' in '89). His first to see release was
'Blackstone Legacy' in 1971. Wikipedia has Shaw down for 27
albums to the last he recorded, 'Imagination', on June 4 of 1987. Volumes
1-4 of 'Woody Shaw Live' surfacing from 2000 to 2005 were recorded earlier
between 1977 and 1981. 'Stepping Stones: Live at the Village Vanguard' in
2005 had gone down in August of 1978. 'Trumpet Legacy Revisited' features
tracks recorded in 1980 in San Francisco and 1981 in NYC (See Ball State University Libraries). Returning
to the sixties, Shaw's first session with
Art Blakey and his
Jazz Messengers was toward
'Mellow Blues' at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ, on April 15,
1969. It was the Newport Jazz Festival on July 5. Shaw contributed to 'I Can't
Get Started' on
Blakey's 'Child's Dance' in July of '72. Come March of 1973
for 'Buhaina' and 'Anthenagin' in Berkeley, CA. Shaw's last tracks for
Blakey are thought to have gone down at the Chicago Jazz Festival on
September 5, 1987: 'Politely', 'Along Came Betty', et al. Back to the
sixties, Shaw is thought to have toured to Iran with vocalist,
Abbey Lincoln, and drummer,
Max Roach sometime in 1969. The
Library of Congress houses a recording by
Lincoln with
Roach during that tour, Shaw's
collaboration unknown. During the seventies Shaw put in some solid time with
tenor saxophonist,
Dexter Gordon, their first mutual
session thought to have been in Baden, Switzerland, on April 8, 1972, for
The Band's (not the American folk band) 'The Alpine Power Plant'. Shaw's
first titles for
Gordon were 'Fried bananas', 'Strollin'' and 'You've
Changed' on October 25 of 1976. Those would be found on 'At the Village
Gate' in 2011. His last session for
Gordon was on June 20, 1982, for 'Bag's
Groove', that also found on 'At the Village Gate'. In addition to sessions
good for about six more Gordon albums in between, they both participated in
Volumes 1 & 2 of 'Montreux Summit' in July of 1977. They also joined the CBS All
Stars for a tour to Cuba in March of 1979 resulting in 'Havana Jam'. Another
important figure in the latter seventies was drummer,
Louis Hayes. Along with backing
Gordon in 1976 they collaborated
on mutual projects in 1976-77. They began with their co-led 'The Tour
Volume One' at the Liederhalle Mozartsaal in Stuttgart, Germany, on
March 22, 1976, that issued in 2016. It was 'The Woody Shaw Concert Ensemble
at The Berliner Jazztage' on November 6 of 1976. Shaw had supported
Hayes and
Junior Cook's 'Ichi-Ban' in May
of '76. It was the Hayes/Shaw
Quintet for 'Lausanne 1977' in Switzerland on February 4 that year,
released in 1997. Come Hayes' 'The
Real Thing' on May 20 and 21 of '77. Shaw won Down Beat magazine's Critics or Readers Polls in
'77, '78 (2) and '80, and was posthumously elected into Down Beat's
Hall of Fame in '89. During the eighties Shaw toured the Middle East for the
United States Information Agency (which handled public diplomacy). Like many
jazz masters, Shaw also taught variously. Beyond music, he is said to have
had a photographic memory and was a practitioner of tai chi. He was only 44
years of age when he tripped (perhaps pushed, not known) from a subway platform in NYC and lost his left
arm to a train. Complications in the hospital a few months later saw him die
on May 10 of 1989 of kidney failure. Shaw remains among the more highly
estimated trumpet players of the last century. His last two sessions per
Lord had
been in 1988 for the Paris Reunion Band's 'Jazz Bühne Berlin '88' on June 4
and Carlos Ward's 'Lito' on July 9. Poynor adds a session in between on 9
June at the Theaterhaus in Stuttgart, West Germany, for titles like 'Tune
Down' and 'Work Song'. Among the host of others he had
supported through 185 sessions [Lord] were
Andrew Hill,
Joe Henderson,
Bobby Hutcherson and
Freddie Hubbard. References:
1 (internet hub),
2,
3,
4,
5.
Synopsis. Sessions:
JDP; Lord;
Tod Poynor: 1,
2.
Discos: 1,
2,
3.
Select audio chronology by Gordon Vernick.
Compositions.
Transcriptions: 1,
2,
3.
Compilations: 'The Complete Muse Sessions' 2013:
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Reviews: Michael West. Analysis: 'Development of Style in Three Versions of 'The Moontrane'' by
Keith Karns.
Shaw in visual media: IMDb;
videography;
YouTube.
Interviews: 1976;
Ted Panken 2001.
Biblio: 'The Last Great Trumpet Innovator' by Ivan Radivojevic.
Facebook tribute.
Woody Shaw 1963 Album by Eric Dolphy Title track composed by Dolphy Woody Shaw 1970 Live at The Lighthouse Woody Shaw 1971 Composition: Shaw Album: 'Blackstone Legacy' Woody Shaw 1975 Composition: Onaje Allan Gumbs Arrangement: Onaje Allan Gumbs Buster Williams album: 'Pinnacle' Woody Shaw 1977 Album Title track composed by ShawWoody Shaw 1979 Filmed concert Filmed live Woody Shaw 1981 Composition: Ronnie Mathews/Shaw Album: 'United' Woody Shaw 1983 Filmed concert Woody Shaw 1985 Album: 'Woody Shaw with the Tone Jansa Quartet' All compositions: Tone Janša Woody Shaw 1986 Filmed with Freddy Hubbard Woody Shaw 1987 With Freddy Hubbard Composition: ShawFilmed live with Prince Lasha Woody Shaw 1988 Composition: Bobby Timmons/Oscar Brown Jr. Album: 'Imagination'
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 Woody Shaw Source: Jazz Trumpet Solos |
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Born in 1942 in Jacksonville, FL, big band musician,
Charles Tolliver's
first trumpet was given him by his grandmother. He was a pharmacy student at
Howard University before heading to NYC in 1964 where he would record with
Jackie McLean at alto sax that year
along with other jazz elites like
Cecil McBee at bass toward
McLean's 'It's Time!', that gone down
on 5 Aug 1964 toward issue in '65 w
Herbie Hancock at
piano and
Roy Haynes on drums. Come
McLean's 'Action Action Action' on 16
Sep of '64 w
McBee,
Bobby Hutcherson at
vibes and
Billy Higgins on drums. He participated in
titles in September of '65 toward
McLean's 'Jacknife' issued in '75.
Tolliver had held his first session as a leader at the Village Vanguard in
NYC on March 28, 1965, for 'Brilliant Corners' and 'Plight'. The former got
issued in 1966 on the album by various, 'New Wave In Jazz'. Both saw release
on the same-titled CD in 1994. Among the more important of Tolliver's
comrades was pianist,
Stanley Cowell, with whom he is
thought to have first held session for drummer,
Max Roach, at the Newport Jazz
Festival on July 2, 1967. Cowell supported Tolliver's second album, 'The
Ringer', in London in June of 1969. He can be found on six more to as late
as 'Impact' gone down on January 17, 1975. In the meantime
Cowell and Tolliver had founded Strata-East Records
in 1970, that operation commencing with Volumes 1 & 2 of 'Live at Slugs'' on
May 1 of 1970, that with his ensemble, Music Inc [1,
2], consisting of
Cowell,
McBee and Jimmy Hopps at
drums. That crew saw the addition of 13 more musicians sufficient to a big
band to pump out 'Music Inc.' [1,
2]
on 11 Nov 1970 in NYC toward issue in '71. Among other titles recorded for
Strata-East was 'Colors'
by the Brass Company in 1974 (Cowell
out). Cowell and Tolliver
reunited thirty years later for the latter's big band on 'With Love' in June
of 2006 and 'Emperor March' in July of 2008, Cowell
contributing piano to 'On the Nile' on the latter project. Tolliver had recorded
his first album, 'Charles Tolliver and His All Stars', on 2 July 1968 toward
issue in 1971 leading to various
reissues: 'Paper Man' '75, 'Earl's World' '77 [see also Pure Pleasure SES 19681: 1,
2]. His latest of
thirteen albums as a leader was 'Emperor March'
per above w his big band in 2008, that live at the Blue Note in NYC. Tolliver had appeared on multiple albums by both
Andrew Hill and
Louis Hayes. Others on whose
recordings he can be found include
Archie Shepp,
Booker Ervin, Roy Ayers,
Oliver Nelson, Doug Carn, Vi
Redd, Horace Silver,
McCoy Tyner,
Gerald Wilson, John Gordon, the Reunion Legacy Band, Donald Bailey,
Wendell Harrison and Keyon Harrold. References: 1,
2
(alt).
Sessions: JDP; Lord (leading 16 of 57).
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Select videography.
Reviews.
Interviews: Dan Bergsagel 2015;
Gilles Peterson 2015.
Further reading: Trumpet Herald.
Other profiles: 1,
2.
Charles Tolliver 1964 From Jackie McLean's 'It's Time!' Composition: Tolliver Composition: McLean Charles Tolliver 1968 From 'Charles Tolliver and His All Stars' Recorded 2 July 1968 Issued 1971 Reissues: 'Paper Man' '75; 'Earl's World' '77 All compositions Tolliver Charles Tolliver 1969 From 'The Ringer' Piano: Stanley CowellBass: Steve Novosel Drums: Jimmy Hopps All compositions Tolliver Charles Tolliver 1970 From 'Live at Slugs' (Vol I) Composition: Tolliver Composition: Stanley Cpwell Charles Tolliver 1971 Filmed live Charles Tolliver 1972 Composition: Tolliver Album: 'Impact' Charles Tolliver 1974 Live at Yubinchokin Hall Tokyo Composition: Stanley CpwellCharles Tolliver 2014 Filmed live Piano: Theo HillBass: Devin Starks Guitar: Bruce Edwards Drums: Gene Jackson
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 Charles Tolliver Source: Discogs |
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 Al Foster Source: Blue Note |
Born in 1943 in Richmond, Virginia, composer and drummer,
Al Foster, grew up
in Harlem, taking up drums at age thirteen upon his father, an amateur
bassist, purchasing him a drum set. Harlem hadn't Virginia's beautiful
landscape, but it did have the Apollo Theatre and close proximity to other
New York City venues. Foster had been playing about eight years when he
recorded 'The Thing to Do' with
Blue Mitchell in July of 1964,
issued in June a year later. Another album with
Mitchell was released in 1965
as well: 'Down With It!'. It was Mitchell's 'Heads Up!' on November 17 of
1967. That included
McCoy Tyner on piano. Eleven
years later in 1978 Foster and
Tyner would partner on
'Milestone Jazz Stars in Concert' with
Sonny Rollins (sax) and
Ron Carter (bass). Come
Tyner's 'Horizon' going down in
April of 1979. Five albums later it was 'McCoy Tyner with Stanley Clarke and
Al Foster' in April of 1999, released in 2000. We return to August 12, 1964,
for the obscure Parts 1 & 2 of 'Sister Meyme' for Walter Davis Jr with John
Ore on bass. The Library of Congress has that copyrighted on November 16,
1964, by Anita Music (EU853476), though it wouldn't appear to have been
issued until 1974 by Akbar Records on a 7" 45 (per discogs, et al). With
Foster's sessions hovering up around 350 of them, we breeze through the
sixties to trumpeter, Miles
Davis, in 1972, Davis to play
one of the largest roles in Foster's career. Foster's first session with
Davis may have been on March 9, 1972, for the title, 'Red China Blues'.
(June dates per Columbia are thought erroneous.) Foster participated in
twelve Davis albums from 'Big Fun'
in the summer of '72 to 'Amandia' issued in 1989. They were in Paris on July
10, 1991, for the recording of 'At La Villette' issued in 2007 on DVD.
Foster also appears with Davis on
'Miles Davis at Newport 1955-1975' released in 2015. Among the more
important bassists often at Foster's side was
Ron Carter, for whom we return to
pianist, Horace Silver's 'Silver
'N Brass' on January 10, 1975.
Carter and Foster supported other
bands together, such as Silver's
or
McCoy Tyner's, fairly
continuously into the nineties with reunions in the new millennium. Lord's
disco finds their latest of countless sessions together for Israeli
saxophonist, Eli Degibri's, 'Israel Song' with Brad Mehldau (piano) on
December 22, 2009. We return to latter 1978 for 'Milestone Jazz Stars in
Concert' per above with
Sonny Rollins. Foster contributed to
four of
Rollins' LPs from 'Don't Ask' in May
of 1979 to 'Sonny Rollins + 3' in latter 1995. He is also thought to appear
on all four volumes of
Rollins' 'Road Shows' issued between
2008 and 2016. We back up to November, 1985, for another major tenor
saxophonist,
Joe Henderson, with whom
Foster recorded both volumes of 'The State of the Tenor' that month in a
trio with
Ron Carter. Foster and Henderson
would hold multiple sessions with smaller ensembles. It was a trio in Genoa,
Italy, on July 9 of 1987 with bassist,
Charlie Haden, for 'An Evening with
Joe Henderson'. It was a trio with Rufus Reid (bass) in NYC on March 26,
1991, for 'The Standard Joe'. Lord's disco has them together a last time in
June of 1996 for
Henderson's 'Big Band' issued
the next year. As for Foster's own albums, his first was 'Mixed Roots' in
1978. 'Brandyn' was recorded in Monster, Netherlands, on October 14, 1996.
''Oh!' didn't come about until quite a bit later in July of 2002. 'Love,
Peace and Jazz!' was performed at the Village Vanguard in NYC on April 27
and 28 of 2007. 'The Paris Concert' was performed in July of 2007 for
release on DVD. Among numerous others along Foster's path havve been
Monty Alexander (trio w
Bob Cranshaw '67),
Illinois Jacquet ('Soul
Explosion' '69),
Cedar Walton (three albums),
Hank Jones,
Tommy Flanagan (three albums),
Steve Kuhn (4 albums), Kent
Jordan ('Essence' '88) and Paul Mousavi ('Sound Mind' '94). Foster yet
actively tours as of this writing. Recent recordings include 'Search
for Peace' with Heads of State (Gary Bartz,
Larry Willis and
Buster Williams) for issue
in 2015 and Jorge Rossy's 'Stay There' released in 2016. Foster's most
recent issue as of this writing was 'Inspirations & Dedications' [1,
2,
3] gone down
in New York City on 28 Jan 2019. References: 1,
2,
3.
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
Lord (leading 9 of 356 sessions).
Interviews: Terrell Kent Holmes 2009.
Further reading: Francis Marmande.
Other profiles: 1,
2.
Per 1965 below, both
albums are by
Blue Mitchell. Al Foster 1965 From 'The Thing to Do' Recorded 30 July 1964 Composition: Chick Corea Composition: Jimmy Heath End 'The Thing to Do' Composition: Chick Corea/Blue Mitchell Blue Mitchell album: 'Down With It!' Recorded 14 July 1965 Al Foster 1978 From 'Mixed Roots' Comps below by Foster Al Foster 1979 Composition: Hubert Eaves Album: 'Mr. Foster' Al Foster 1982 Filmed live with Miles Davis Al Foster 1987 Montreux Jazz Festival Filmed live Piano: Herbie Hancock Bass: Buster Williams Composition: Buster Williams Al Foster 1988 Umbria Jazz Festival Filmed live Tenor sax: Michael Brecker Piano: Herbie Hancock Bass: Buster Williams Al Foster 1989 Composition: Cole Porter 1936 Album: 'Presage' Bass: Eddie Gomez Piano: David Kikoski Al Foster 1997 Filmed live at the Théâtre Antique de Vienne Composition: Joe Henderson 1963 Al Foster 2000 Filmed live at Jazzfestival Vienna Al Foster 2002 Filmed concert Al Foster 2011 Al Foster 2019 Composition: Foster Album: 'Inspirations & Dedications'
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 Beaver Harris Source: Ni Kantu |
Born in 1936 in Pittsburgh, PA, drummer,
Beaver Harris,
may well have gotten into the pots and pans as a toddler. Beyond that he had
no experience in percussion until the US Army. Upon discharge he went to New
York City where he honed his skills before his first recording in 1965 with
trombonist,
Grachan Moncur III, at the
Village Gate nightclub in Greenwich Village. Those numbers were 'Blue Free'
and 'The Intellect'. He was yet going by Bill Harris at that time (William
his birth name). His first appearance on an album by free jazz saxophonist,
Archie Shepp, was recorded in February of 1966, resulting in 'Archie
Shepp Live in San Francisco' that year. Harris would back
Shepp on twelve more
albums into latter 1975. In July of 1966 he laid several tracks with
Rosewell Rudd
for the release that year of 'Everywhere'. Sessions with
Albert Ayler
occurred in November and December, also contributing to a couple tracks that
December to Marion Brown's debut album, 'Three for Shepp'.
In 1968 Harris formed the group, 360 Degree Music Experience, w
Grachan Moncur III
and pianist, Dave Burrell. Moncur was no longer part of the band when its first album
was released in 1975, 'From Ragtime to No Time' [*].
'In Sanity' [*]
followed the next year, yet w Burrell.
Harris issued six more to 'Beaver Is My Name' [*] recorded in Monster,
Holland, in 1983 followed by 'Thank You for Your Ears' gone down in Frankfurt in
1984. Among those along the way was 'A Well Kept
Secret' [1,
2,
3,
4,
5] in 1984. Harris died of prostate cancer, age only 55, in December
of 1991. Among his last recordings were
Larry Coryell's 'Toku-Do' in
September of '87 and 'Incandescence' on June 23 of 1988, a trio with Jim
Sauter at tenor sax and Rudolph Gray at guitar. References: 1,
2, 3,
4.
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
Lord (leading 13 of 68 sessions).
Radio broadcasts: WKCR-FM 1987 (interview w Elliott Bratton);
WKCR 2000.
Beaver Harris 1965 With Grachan Moncur III Composition: Grachan Moncur III Beaver Harris 1966 Composition: Duke Ellington/Manny Kurtz/Irving Mills Album by Archie Shepp: 'Live in San Francisco' Composition: Duke Ellington/Manny Kurtz/Irving Mills Album by Archie Shepp: 'Mama Too Tight'Beaver Harris 1974 Trumpet: Chet Baker Composition: Miles Davis With Grachan Moncur III Composition: Moncur With Grachan Moncur III Composition: Moncur Beaver Harris 1975 Composition: Beaver Harris Album: 'From Rag Time to No Time' Beaver Harris 1976 Tenor saxophone: Cameron Brown Composition: Cal Massey Beaver Harris 1983 Saalfelden Jazz Festival Sax: Sam Rivers Steel drums: Francis Haynes Composition: Beaver Harris
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 Howard Lewis Johnson Photo: Roger Humbert Source: All About Jazz |
Born blind in 1941 in Montgomery, Alabama, himself
Howard Lewis Johnson
(not to be confused with the earlier saxophonist or later soul singer),
performed on all manner of horn as well as
baritone sax, but it is tuba for which he is especially distinguished in
jazz history. He'd begun playing baritone at age 13, adding tuba the next year.
From '58 to '62 he served in the US Navy, after which he headed to Boston
where he met
Eric Dolphy, then moved to New York City in
1963 where he joined trumpeter,
Bill Dixon's, 7-Tette on both baritone and
tuba on March 4 of 1964 for 'Winter Song, 1964' and 'The 12th December',
those first issued that year on an LP shared with
Archie Shepp's Contemporary 5. In April of 1964 he
began recording 'Dig These Blues' with
Hank Crawford, performing on
baritone. After another
session that December and one in February of '65 the album was issued that
year.
Crawford would be a large
figure in Johnson's career, he supporting
Crawford on nine albums from
'Centerpiece' in 1978 to 'Tight' in 1996. Their last mutual session per
Lord's disco was Bernard Pretty Purdie's 'Soul to Jazz II' in January of
1997. We return to September of '65 when Johnson held three sessions on tuba
with bassist,
Charles Mingus, the first in NYC at
the Village Gate on the 10th, the second at the Monterey Jazz Festival on
the 18th, the third at Royce Hall, UCLA, in Los Angeles on the 25th for
'Music Written for Monterey 1965'. Johnson performed baritone during three
more sessions with Crawford in
January of '66 before
Hank Mobley's 'A Slice of the Top' on March 18. In
August it was tuba for
Archie Shepp's 'Mama Too Tight', playing tuba. Another of the more important
figures in Johnson's career was
Gil Evans, joining the latter's orchestra
for the first time on February 16, 1968, to back Miles
Davis' 'Falling Water'. Johnson participated in a minimum of thirteen
albums by
Evans from 'Blues in Orbit' at the
Village Vanguard in 1969 to 'Live 1986 Unissued' in Switzerland and Italy.
One of those along the way was 'The Gil Evans Orchestra Plays the Music of
Jimi Hendrix', in June of 1974 on which Johnson played tuba and clarinet. It
was with
Evans that Johnson first recorded with
multi-instrumentalist (keyboards/ synthesizer), Pete Levin, on April 4,1973,
on unknown titles. Johnson and Levin traveled through
Evans together until 1986. Johnson later
backed Levin on the latter's 'Party in the Basement' in 1990. The
recording of Toshihiko Kankawa's 'B III' began in December of '95. They
reunited once again in October of '96 for John Clark's 'I Will'. Another
important keyboardist was
George Gruntz with whom Johnson
is thought to have first recorded on March 14, 1976, in Zurich, Switzerland,
he directing The
Band's 'Live at the Schauspielhaus'. Johnson appeared on sixteen of
Gruntz' albums from 'GG-CJB' in
Europe in 1978 to 'News Reel Matters' in NYC in November of 2012. Johnson
didn't record as a leader until 'Arrival' on October 20, 1994, in either
Berlin or Hamburg. That was a tribute to
Pharoah Sanders with
Johnson's band, Nubia. Johnson's 'Right Now' went down in December of 1996
featuring
Taj Mahal. In 1968 he had formed the
tuba ensemble, Substructure, changing its name to Gravity in 1972. Though
leading Gravity ever since, the group issued only three albums:
'Gravity!!!'
laid out in September of '95 w nine tuba players including Johnson himself,
'Right Now' [1,
2]
in 1967 w a total of six tuba players and 'Testimony' [1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7] in 2016
w five tuba players in all. Johnson
is thought to have joined the original 'Saturday Night' band in '75, leading it in
'77. NBC television's 'Saturday Night' became 'Saturday Night Live' in 1977. Johnson can also be found on several film scores.
Among the host of others on
whose recordings Johnson can be found are
George Benson,
Bill Evans, Rickie Boger, Cathy
Chamberlain,
Roland Kirk,
Carla Bley, Chet Baker,
Terence Blanchard and T.S. Monk. Johnson is yet
active performing, also holding clinics and master classes.
Recent work includes lyrics by himself added to Antonín Dvořák's
'Humoresque' recorded by rocker, Jack White, on 'Boarding House Reach' issued in 2018
[*].
References: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Discos: 1,
2,
3, Lord (leading 11 of 320 sessions).
Interviews: Bob Pawlo 2015.
Other profiles: 1,
2,
3. Howard Johnson 1965 From Hank Crawford's 'Dig These Blues' Issued 1965 per 45Worlds, Discogs and RYM Composition: Hank Crawford Composition: Duke Ellington/Bob Russell Telecast from the Village Gate NYC 10 September 1965 With Charles Mingus Note: Title above along with 'Majonet' ('The Arts of Tatum and Freddie Webster')' has been among the more confusing in the annals of discography. I've seen discographers combust and vaporize over the matter on numerous occasions. But what the heck, let's walk the plank. I hope you like tuna fish: Without developing cramps over data such as 1966 at the Half Note, Mingus recorded 'Don't Let It Happen Here' at Village Gate on Sep 10 1965 per Lord and, including Fitzgerald, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Cecil Taylor may have recorded titles at the Gate on the same date but w a band apart from Mingus' group. That, however, is moot: session 10 Sep 1965: 1, 2, 3 (Fitzgerald); session 19 Sep 1965: 1, 2. Both Mingus and Taylor saw issue on the same album, 'Charles Mingus - Cecil Taylor' (Ozone 19). Fitzgerald gives a session date of 10 Sep 1965 for Mingus at Organissimo. Thus his date of 19 Sep 1965 at * could be a lightning quick issue date? Discogs hesitates to give a date. Howsoever, Mingus took the same band to California where they recorded 'Don't Let It Happen Here' again w another version of 'The Arts of Tatum and Freddie Webster' at the Monterey Jazz Fest on 18 Sep of 1965: J-Disc, Lord. Those saw release in 2012 on Mosaic MD7-253. Music Written for Monterey 1965 Album by Charles Mingus Howard Johnson 1966 Album by Archie Shepp Howard Johnson 1974 'The Gil Evans Orchestra Plays the Music of Jimi Hendrix'All compositions Hendrix Howard Johnson 1985 Baritone Sax Quartet in Berlin Filmed live Howard Johnson 1995 From 'Arrival' Tribute to Pharoah Sanders w Nubia Composition: Howard Johnson Composition: Pharoah Sanders Howard Johnson 1996 From 'Gravity!!!' Composition: Don Pullen Composition: Oliver Nelson Howard Johnson 1997 LP: 'Right Now' Issue date of 1998 often given Listed as 1997 per 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Composition: Howard Johnson Composition: Charles Tolliver Howard Johnson 2015 Filmed at the Bitter End Greenwich Village: Composition: Bob Neloms Composition: Carol King Howard Johnson 2017 Composition: Wilton Felder Album: 'Testimony'
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|
 Clifford Thornton Source: Jazz Vinyl |
Born in 1936 in Philadelphia, PA,
Clifford Thornton,
played piano as a child before switching to trumpet. Thornton also played
the valve trombone. He studied at at least two universities, is said to have
learned some tricks with
Donald Byrd in 1957, and played in Army bands. Upon
discharge from military service Thornton headed for Brooklyn where he shared
an apartment with
Rashied Ali, Don Cherry and
Marion Brown. His first
recording session was with
Sun Ra in 1962, performing on 'Infinity of the
Universe' contained on
Ra's 1965 album, 'Art Forms of Dimensions Tomorrow'.
In 1966 he laid three tracks with the Marzette Watts Ensemble that saw
release in 1971 on the album, 'Marzette And Company'. 1967 saw the release
of Thornton's first of several albums as a leader, 'Freedom & Unity',
recorded in July.
Thornton began recording with
Archie Shepp in 1969,
the first two of ten albums with
Shepp released that year: 'Live at the
Pan-African Festival' and 'Yasmina, a Black Woman'. His last LP with
Shepp was 'Attica Blues' going
down in January of 1972.
Shepp had joined Thornton in
Paris in August of 1969 for the latter's second LP, 'Ketchaoua'. Also in 1969 Thornton
began teaching at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, remaining there until
1975. The next year he was employed by UNESO as a counselor on
African-American education, he then moving to Geneva, Switzerland.
Thornton's recordings were much aligned with his second career
as an
educator, he a highly regarded composer. Thornton's third of only five
albums went down in Paris in 1970 per 'The Panther & the Lash', its title
referencing Langston Hughes and containing Thornton's 'Huey Is Free',
remarking the release from incarceration of Black Panther Party founder,
Huey Newton. Thornton's fourth album was recorded in Paris in
1972 per 'Communications Network'. His final was 'The Gardens of
Harlem' gone down in NYC in 1974 [*].
Thornton's last session is thought to have been held in Lindau,
Switzerland, on February 5 and 6, 1980, for Joe Malinga's 'Tears for the
Children of Soweto'. Among others on whose recordings he can be found are
Sunny Murray,
Joe McPhee [1,
2,
3,
4,
5], and the
Reform Art Unit w
Anthony Braxton. Thornton died in Geneva on 29 Dec 1989,
the date most seen. Sources also lend 29 Dec 1983. No authority or obituary
is found to settle the matter. IPFS comments that his given birthdate of 6 Sep
1936, with which all sources agree, is also dubious. References:
Wikipedia,
AllMusic. Sessions:
Jason Guthartz,
Tom Lord. Discos: Discogs,
RYM,
Wikipedia.
Discussion. Clifford Thornton 1965 Sun Ra album: 'Art Forms of Dimensions Tomorrow' All compositions: Sun Ra Trumpet: Thornton on this title only Clifford Thornton 1968 Album: 'Marzette and Company' Recorded Dec 1966' All compositions: Marzette Watts Trombone/cornet: Thornton Clifford Thornton 1969 From 'Ketchaoua' Recorded 18 August 1969 in Paris Cornet: Thornton All compositions: Thornton All arrangements: Thornton Album: 'Ketchaoua' From 'Freedom and Unity' Recorded 22 July 1967 Sound City Studios NYC Valve trombone: Thornton Composition: Sonny King Album: 'Freedom and Unity' Composition: Joe McPhee From Archie Shepp's 'Yasmina, a Black Woman' Recorded 12 August 1969 Composition: Archie Shepp Clifford Thornton 1970 Album: 'The Panther and the Lash' Recorded 7 Nov 1970 in Paris Piano: François Tusques Double bass: Beb Guérin Drums: Noel McGhie Composition: Thornton Clifford Thornton 1975 Album w the Jazz Composers Orchestra Recorded 4 April 1974 in NYC Cornet: Thornton Production: Thornton Liner notes: Thornton
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|
|
Born in 1933 in Philadelphia, PA,
Rashied Ali was
older brother to drummer, Muhammad Ali, born in 1936
(35 sessions Lord's Disco). Rashied
played drums in military bands in the US Army during the Korean War.
Upon release from duty he headed for New York City where he was picked up by
such as
Bill Dixon and
Paul Bley. Lord's disco seems to want his
first sessions with
Bobby Hutcherson on vibes
on August 12 of 1965 for
Archie Shepp's 'On This Night'.
August 28 found him at the Woodstock Playhouse in Woodstock, New York, for
what would get issued in 2010 as
Burton Greene's 'Live at The Woodstock
Playhouse 1965'. Come 'Marion Brown Quartet' in November containing
'Capricorn Moon', '27 Cooper Square', 'Exhibition' and 'Mephistopheles'. Ali's next session on November 23 of '65 would be an important one alongside
drummer,
Elvin Jones, that his first with
John Coltrane to record 'Meditations'
with
Pharoah Sanders (tenor sax),
McCoy Tyner (piano) and
Jimmy Garrison (bass). Ali would
record seven more albums with
Coltrane until the latter's death in July of
'67, including
Coltrane's posthumous 1968 issue of 'Cosmic Music'.
The session for those titles had been held February 2 of 1966 in San Francisco,
thought his first with pianist,
Alice Coltrane (John's
widow). Tom Lord traces Ali w
Coltrane to the latter's final
session on 17 May of 1967 for the lost titles, 'None Other' and
'Kaleidoscope'. Lord has Ali playing on bass on those alongside
Alice
Sanders,
Garrison and Algie DeWitt at
percussion. Upon
Coltrane's death Ali quickly headed for
Europe to study in London w drummer,
Philly Joe Jones. Going by
the Rashied Ali website, he was back in
the States in time to support
Jackie McLean's 'Bout Soul' on 8 Sep 1967
[Lord].
Making another trip to London in 1968, he contributed to 'Double Trio'
(unissued) on 10 March w
Evan Parker (soprano sax), Trevor Watts (alto sax),
Dave Holland
(bass),
Peter Kowald (bass) and drummer, John Stevens [1,
2,
3].
He was back with
Alice in NYC on 6 June of
1968 for titles toward 'A Monastic Trio'.
May 14 of '69 witnessed titles toward
Alice's 'Huntington Ashram
Monastery' w
Ron Carter at bass. Come
titles in July and Nov of 1970 toward
Alice's 'Journey in
Satchidananda'. Ali's last session w
Alice' is thought to have been toward
the latter's 'Universal
Consciousness' on June 19, 1971. Ali's
debut album, 'New Directions in Modern Music', appeared in 1971 as well. Ali
was financially successful enough to open his own bar in New York City
called Ali's Alley which he ran for several years during the seventies.
Closing that decade with Sangeeta Michael Berardi's 'Divine Song'
in 1979, Ali commenced the eighties with the Lee Rozie Trio with Rick Rozie at
bass in Kirchhellen, Germany, in May of 1980 for 'Afro Algonquin'. The mid
eighties found Ali participating in Zusaan Kali Fasteau's 'Beyond Words',
'Affinity' and 'Worlds Beyond Words'. The eighties also found Ali joining
George Adams' quartet, Phalanx, with
James Blood Ulmer (guitar)
and Sirone (bass) for 'Original Phalanx' in February of 1987. The next year
the same configuration recorded 'In Touch'. In
1997 Ali surfaced on the first of fourteen albums with guitarist, Tisziji Munoz:
'The River of Blood'. Wikipedia lists their last per 'Sky Worlds' in 2014.
Also notable in the new millennium were Ali's performances as a
duo with double bassist,
Henry Grimes. 'Going to the Ritual'
went down on March 20 of 2007. 'Spirits Aloft' followed at Rutgers
University in New Jersey on February 7, 2009.
Four months before his death Ali recorded 'Mystic Journey' with saxophonist, Azar
Lawrence, released in 2010. He died on August 12 of 2009 of heart attack
[obit].
He had recorded above twenty albums to his last, 'Spirits Aloft', released posthumously
in 2010. Among the numerous others he'd supported with drums during his
career were
Gary Bartz, Michael
Bocian, Henry Rollins, Gene Ess and Ivo Perelman. References: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Discos: 1,
2,
3, Lord (leading 18 of 105 sessions).
IMDb.
Select videography.
Reviews.
Interviews:
Harold Howland 1984,
Howard Mandel 1990,
AllAboutJazz 2003,
Chris Albertson 2010.
Further reading: Crown Propeller;
Matt Wilson.
Rashied Ali 1966 With the Marion Brown Quartet Composition: Marion Brown With the Marion Brown Quartet Composition: Marion Brown Rashied Ali 1967 John Coltrane LP: 'Interstellar Space' Recorded 22 Feb 1967 Not issued until 1974 Tenor sax: John Coltrane All compositions John Coltrane Rashied Ali 1971 New Directions in Modern Music LP: 'New Directions in Modern Music' Recorded 1971 Issued 1973 Rashied Ali 1972 Filmed live Composition: John Coltrane Rashied Ali 1973 Guitar: James Blood Ulmer Rashied Ali 1981 From 'Remember Trane and Bird' Recorded 29 Aug 1981 Willisau, Switzerland Issued 2004 on Ayler aylCD-050/051d Piano & tenor sax: Arthur Rhames Rashied Ali 1994 Album w Prima Materia: 'Peace on Earth' All compositions John Coltrane Composition: Peter Brötzmann/Fred Hopkins Album: 'Songlines' Sax: Peter Brötzmann Bass: Fred Hopkins Recorded 30/31 Oct 1991 in Berlin Rashied Ali 1995 Filmed live Rashied Ali 2008 Filmed concert
|
 Rashied Ali Source: Drummer World |
|
 Larry Coryell Source: Music Guy 247 |
Born in 1943 in Galveston, TX, jazz-rock fusion guitarist,
Larry Coryell,
graduated from high school in Richland, Washington. He'd played with a
number of R&B bands before heading to the coast to attend the University of
Washington in Seattle. He played in various bands while a student there as
well before moving to
NYC to take classical training. He there joined Chico Hamilton's
outfit, replacing
Gabor Szabo to emerge on Hamilton's,
'The Dealer', in latter 1966. Nigh forty years later he would surface on
Hamilton's 'Thoughts Of ...' in 2003. He recorded several
albums with
Gary Burton from April of 1967
for 'Duster' to 'Gary Burton Quartet in Concert' in February of 1968. Also in 1967
Coryell formed the Free Spirits, releasing 'Out of Sight and Sound'
that year. He issued his first name albums as a leader in 1969: 'Lady Coryell'
and 'Coryell'. Also important in the latter sixties was his
appearance on a few albums by saxophonist,
Steve Marcus: 'Tomorrow Never
Knows', 'Count's Rock Band' and 'The Lord's Prayer'. 1974 saw the
first LP by Coryell's group, the Eleventh House [1,
2],
w
Randy Brecker at trumpet: 'Introducing
the Eleventh House
with Larry Coryell' [*]. The last of seven albums recorded by Eleventh House was
'Aspects', laid out sometime in 1976. Backing up a sniff to 1973, 17 March
saw Coryell recording a live version of 'Lady Coryell' at a SUNY concert in
New Paltz, New York. Lord has that along w other titles like 'Yin' and
'Joyride' as #164 at Wolfgang's Vault. During the latter seventies
Coryell participated in albums by double bassist,
Charles Mingus. Of piquant note was his flamenco partnership in 1979 with guitarists,
John McLaughlin (also on
Coryell's 'Spaces' per 1970), and
Paco de Lucía. The DVD of their performance
at Royal Albert Hall in London in 1979 was made available the next year:
'Meeting of the Spirits'. Coryell favored smaller ensembles including duos
and trios.
Among such was 'Solos-Duos-Trios' put down in March of 1978 in Germany with
Stu Goldberg (keyboards) and Lakshminarayana Subramaniam (violin).
Paco de Lucía's 'Castro Marin' was recorded
in Tokyo with
McLaughlin in December of 1980.
Among duets were 'Twin House' in '76 in London and 'Splendid' in '78 in
Germany with Belgian guitarist,
Philip Catherine. 'Standing
Ovation' was recorded in March of '78 with Subramaniam. 'The Larry
Coryell/Michal Urbaniak Duo' was spread out in February of 1982. 'American
Odyssey' was a duo with saxophonist,
Wayne Shorter, recorded in Japan in
1989. Jumping beyond above ten albums issued in the nineties came
'Tricycles' [1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6]
in latter 2002 in a trio w Mark Egan at bass and Paul Wertico on drums. Come 'The Power Trio Live
in Chicago' in 2003 with
Larry Gray (bass) and Paul Wertico (drums). 'Electric' ('05) and 'Traffic' ('06)
were trios with Victor Bailey (electric bass) and
Lenny White (drums). It was
a trio filled by John Colianni at piano and Jim Cammack on bass for
'Montgomery' [1,
2]
in 2011. Among
Coryell's own solo titles were 'Guitar Player' in '76, 'European
Impressions' in '78, 'Visions in Blue: Coryell Plays Ravel & Gershwin'
recorded in Japan for issue in '89, and 'Private Concert' in '98. Hal
Leonard Corporation published Coryell's autobiography, 'Improvising: My Life in Music'
[*], in
2007. Coryell let 'Earthquake at the Avalon' [1,
2]
loose in 2009. He reunited w
Randy Brecker in 2016 to
resurrect Eleventh House as 11th House per 'Seven Secrets' [1,
2]
issued in August. Having led or co-led some eighty albums, Coryell also released 'Barefoot Man: Sanpaku'
[1,
2]
in 2016, that in October.
He
died in New York City on 19 February 2017 [obits: 1,
2,
3,
4].
Coryell had been married thrice, first to Julie Nathanson [1,
2] in 1978, his
manager since 1975 and pen behind 'Jazz-Rock Fusion' published in 1978.
Divorced in 1985, Coryell married Mary (Molly) Schuler in 1988 until 2005.
Come singer, Tracey Coryell, in 2007. Coryell was father to guitarists,
Murali Coryell [b '69 *]
and Julian Coryell [b '73 *]. References: 1,
2,
3.
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
Lord (leading 122 of 266 sessions).
IMDb.
IA.
Reviews.
Facebook.
Interviews: NAMM 2008,
Daniel Margolis 2008,
Larry Appelbaum 2011.
Coryell website.
Further reading: Andrew Dansby;
Bill Milkowski;
Marc Myers;
NPR;
Radio WQXR.
Other profiles *. Per 1980 below, 'Meeting
of the Spirits' is performed with guitarists,
John McLaughlin and
Paco de Lucía. Per 1990, the Super Guitar
Trio consists of Coryell with Al Di Meola and Bireli Lagrene. Larry Coryell 1966 From 'The Dealer: Introducing Larry Coryell' Chico Hamilton LP Alto sax: Arnie LawrenceBass: Richard Davis Drums: Chico Hamilton Composition: Hamilton/Jimmy Cheatham Larry Coryell 1967 Composition: Mike Gibbs Gary Burton LP 'Duster' Vibes: Gary BurtonBass: Steve Swallow Drums: Roy Haynes Filmed with Gary Burton Composition: Steve SwallowComposition: Coryell LP w Free Spirits: 'Out of Sight and Sound' Saxophone: Jim Pepper Guitar/sitar: Coryell Guitar: Columbus Chip Baker Bass: Chris Hills Drums: Bob Moses Larry Coryell 1968 Composition: Donovan Leitch Steve Marcus LP: 'Tomorrow Never Knows' Sax: Steve MarcusPiano: Mike Nock Bass: Chris Hills Drums: Bob Moses Eleventh House 1973 Filmed live Composition: Coryell Eleventh House 1974 Composition: Coryell LP: 'Introducing Eleventh House' Trumpet: Randy BreckerPiano/synth: Mike Mandel Bass: Danny Trifan Percussion: Alphonse Mouzon Eleventh House 1975 From the LP: 'Level One' Trumpet/flugelhorn: Michael Lawrence Keyboards: Mike Mandel Bass: John Lee Percussion: Alphonse Mouzon Composition: Mike Mandell Composition: John Lee Eleventh House 1976 Composition: Coryell LP: 'Aspects' Larry Coryell 1978 Filmed in Montreux Composition: 1, 2, 3, 4Larry Coryell 1980 Composition: John McLaughlin Excerpt DVD Guitar trio w John McLaughlin & Paco de Lucía Larry Coryell 1990 Filmed live w Al Di Meola & Bireli Lagrene Larry Coryell 1992 Filmed live Composition: Maurice Ravel Larry Coryell 1995 Filmed in Czech Republic Piano: Mark Sherman Composition: John Coltrane Larry Coryell 2006 Bass: Victor Bailey Drums: Lenny White Larry Coryell 2011 Filmed live Composition: Thelonious Monk Filmed live Composition: Jimi HendrixLarry Coryell 2013 Filmed concert Filmed at Yoshi's Oakland CA Composition: CoryellLarry Coryell 2014 Filmed live Larry Coryell 2015 Filmed live
|
|
 Jack DeJohnette Source: Jazz Festival |
Born in 1942 in Chicago,
Jack DeJohnette
began
piano studies at age four and played professionally on that instrument
before switching to drums. He performed with R&B and bop bands in Chicago
prior to twisting toward avant-garde jazz. Gigs in those early days were
often loft concerts with such as
Richard Abrams and
Roscoe Mitchell. He sat
in with with
Sun Ra's Arkestra now and then as well. He is mentioned to have
recorded a few tracks with
John Coltrane in the early sixties
but no documentation of such is found. He entered the studio on July 30 of '65
with
Jackie McLean to record a couple of rejected tunes:
'Climax' and 'On the Nile'. His next session
with
McLean that September, yielded 'Jacknife', that LP
not
released until 1975. It was 1966 that DeJohnette broke out the gate so far
as recording is concerned, he contributing to four albums by
Charles Lloyd
that year beginning with 'Dream Weaver' in March, four to follow to January
of 1969 ('Soundtrack'). Present in
Lloyd's ensemble for 'Dream
Weaver' had been pianist,
Keith Jarrett, among the more
important of DeJohnette's comrades into the new millennium. They toured
through
Lloyd
together, then Miles
Davis into the early seventies. May of 1971 saw them recording their
duo, 'Ruta and Daitya'. Starting with Volumes 1 and 2 of
Jarrett's 'Standards' issued
in 1983 DeJohnette collaborated on twenty of
Jarrett's albums to
'Somewhere' performed live in Lucerne, Switzerland, on July 11, 2009. We
fall back to November of 1966 when DeJohnette joined
Herbie Hancock in the studio to record
the soundtrack to 'Blow-Up', released the next year.
Hancock was to become
another of the larger figures in DeJohnette's career, they interweaving fairly
often in the support of various ensembles, such as those of Miles
Davis,
into the seventies. August of 1980 found them backing a couple of titles on Jaco Pastorius'
'Word of Mouth'. 1988 found them participating in
Michael Brecker's 'Don't Try This at Home'. Some time in 1990 found them in a trio
with Pat Metheny for 'Parallel Realities'. Bassist,
Dave Holland, was added
for 'Parallel Realities Live' at the Mellon Jazz Festival on June 23, 1990,
in Philadelphia, PA. Multiple mutual sessions occurred in the nineties,
including
Hancock's 'The New Standard' gone down in 1996. December of 2000
saw them backing
Brecker's 'Nearness of You: The Ballad Book'. 2001 found
DeJohnette siding
Brecker's 'Future 2 Future'. Lord's disco has them
together a last time in August of 2006 for
Brecker's 'Pilgrimage'. We return
to 'Blow-Up' in 1966 for another large presence in DeJohnette's career, that
tenor saxophonist,
Joe Henderson. From the
latter's second album, 'Tetragon', in 1968 to 'Black Narcissus' in '74
DeJohnette supported five of
Henderson's LPs. In 1978 they joined
Freddie Hubbard for 'Super Blue'. May of 1980 found them supporting Joanne Brackeen's 'Ancient Dynasty'. Fourteen years later DeJohnette joined
Hancock and Christian McBride
on bass
for
Henderson's 'Double Rainbow' in May of 1996. Come May the next year for
Henderson's version of 'Porgy and Bess'. Two years after his
first sessions with Henderson DeJohnette found himself in the studio for
the first time on November 27, 1968, with Miles
Davis, recording tracks that would appear on
Davis' 1981 release of 'Directions'.
That would be an important affair insofar as it was also his first session
with keyboardist,
Chick Corea, bassist,
Dave Holland, and tenor
saxophonist,
Wayne Shorter, all to play major
roles in DeJohnette's career. In 1969 DeJohnette participated in the
recording of Davis' 'Bitches Brew', issued the next year.
Ten more albums
with Davis would ensue to 'On the
Corner' in 1972. Live recordings with Davis at the Newport Jazz Festival in
'69 and Fillmore East in 1970 would see issue in the new millennium by
Columbia Legacy. As for
Corea, he and DeJohnette partnered numerously,
especially with Davis, into the seventies. During that period DeJonette
participated in
Corea's 'Is' in '69, 'Sundance' in '69 and 'The Sun' on
September 14 of 1970. 1978 found them contributing to 'Do You Hear the
Voices that You Left Behind?' on
John McLaughlin's 'Electric
Guitarist' with bassist,
Stanley Clarke. 1981 saw
DeJohnette and
Corea with bassist,
Miroslav Vitouš, and alto
saxophonist,
Anthony Braxton, for two
volumes of 'Woodstock Jazz Festival' by Creative Music Studio. They reunited
in November of 1995 for Christian McBride's 'Number Two Express', 2003 for
Vitouš' 'Universal
Syncopations' and January of 2006 for Igor Butman's 'Magic Land'. As for
Dave Holland, he and DeJohnette
backed others such as Davis and Henderson into the seventies.
Holland
contributed to DeJohnette's 'Time & Space' in June of '73, 'Sorcery' in
March of '74 and 'Parallel Realities Live' per above in June of 1990. They
had formed the trio, Gateway, in 1975 with guitarist,
John Abercrombie, that
combo to issue four albums: 'Gateway' ('76), 'Gateway 2' ('78), 'Homecoming'
('95) and 'In the Moment' ('96). DeJohnette had also supported
Holland's
'Triplicate' in March of 1988 with Steve Coleman on alto sax. 1997 found
them with Henderson again for the latter's rendering of 'Porgy and Bess'.
The Kenny Werner Trio followed the next month in June for 'A Delicate
Balance'. Lord's disco has them together a last time in 2004 for pianist,
Geri Allen's, 'The Life of a Song'. As for
Wayne Shorter, they were continual
partners with Davis into the early seventies. During that period DeJohnette sided
Shorter's 'Supernova in 1969. They would reunite in 1980
for Jaco Pastorius' 'Word of Mouth' per above with
Herbie Hancock. 1987
found them in Tokyo for alto saxophonist,
David Liebman's, tribute to
John Coltrane, 'Live Under the Sky'.
Come Milton Nascimento's 'Angelus' in 1994. Lord's disco has them together a
last time in 2001 for
Herbie Hancock's 'Future 2 Future'. Another major
tenor saxophonist along DeJohnette's path was
Bennie Maupin for whom we return to
DeJohnette's debut LP as a leader gone down in December of 1968: 'The DeJohnette
Complex'. That included
Stanley Cowell (piano),
Miroslav Vitouš (bass) and
Roy Haynes (drums). Partnering numerously with Davis into the early seventies,
Maupin
also supported DeJohnette's 'Have You Heard?' in April of 1970 and 'Sorcery'
in March of 1974. Four years later in latter '78 they backed
McCoy Tyner's 'Together' with
Freddie Hubbard and
Hubert Laws. As mentioned,
Dejohnette's 'The DeJohnette Complex' in latter 1968 Miroslav Vitouš,
another major player in DeJohnette's career. They would record with
Stan Getz and
Wayne Shorter in 1969 before
DeJohnette joined
Vitouš' quintet in NYC
in October of 1969 for 'Infinite Search'.
Vitouš' 'Magical
Shepard' went down in 1976, 'Universal Syncopations' in 2003. We slip
back to May of 1969 for
Chick Corea's 'Is' with flautist,
Hubert Laws. DeJohnette and
Laws held a nigh parallel path
throughout the seventies numerously supporting a variety of operations such
as
Joe Zawinul's,
Freddie Hubbard's and the CTI
All Stars. Along the way DeJohnette had backed
Laws' 'The Rite of Spring' in
June of 1971. Their last mutual session may have been for
McCoy Tyner's '13th House' in
October of 1980. The first
two of six albums with
Freddie Hubbard appeared in 1971: 'Straight Life' and
'First Light'. 1972 saw the release of the first of seven LPs with
Sonny Rollins, 'Next
Album', to 'This Is What I Do' in 2000. Come December, 1973, for
DeJohnette's initial sessions with guitarist,
John Abercrombie, backing
titles for
Enrico Rava's 'Pupa O Crisalide'
and 'Quotation Marks'.
Abercrombie would
contribute to eight of DeJohnette's albums from 'Sorcery' in March of 1974
to 'New Directions in Europe' in Switzerland in June of 1979. DeJohnette
backed
Abercrombie's 'Timeless' in
June of 1974 and 'Night' in April of 1984. Along their way
Abercrombie and DeJohnette
formed Gateway in 1975, a trio with
Dave Holland per above, issuing
four albums to 1996. In 1979 DeJohnette formed the group, Special Edition,
its first album going down by that name in March of that year. Nine albums
later it was 'Extra Special Edition' in 1994. In 1987 DeJohnette appeared on
'Michael Brecker' and would join Brecker on four more LPs
to 'Pilgrimage' in 2007. DeJohnette began the new millennium with
Wadada Leo Smith, appearing on the first of three albums with
Smith in 2000, 'Golden
Quartet', to 'America' issued in 2009. DeJohnette founded the Golden Beams Productions record label in
2005. He was appointed a Jazz Master in 2012 by the National Endowment for
the Arts. In addition to Gateway's four and Special Edition's nine,
DeJohnette has led or co-led nigh thirty other albums. Solos among
those were 'New Rags' in 1977 w
John Abercrombie (guitar/ mandolin), Alex
Foster (saxophones) and Mike Richmond (bass), a suite of piano pieces on
'The Jack DeJohnette Piano Album' in 1985, 'Zebra' gone down in May of 1985 with
Lester Bowie on three tracks,
'Music in the Key of Om' in 2003, 'Peace Time' recorded in 2006 and 'Return'
[1,
2],
another suite of piano solos,
in 2016. He released 'Hudson' as recently as 2017 w John Medeski (piano),
John Scofield (guitar) and Larry Grenadier (bass). Among the host with whom DeJohnette has recorded were Sonny Fortune,
Eric Kloss, Chico Freeman,
John Surman,
Kenny Wheeler, Ulf Wakenius,
Harold Mabern, Eliane Elias, Lars Danielsson, Esperanza Spalding and Leo
Genovese. References: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Sessions: JDP;
Lord (leading 52 of 494 to date). Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Select audio.
Select video.
Interviews: NAMM 1997;
Modern Drummer 2004;
Dr. Anthony Brown 2011
(pdf);
NEA 2013/14;
Dr. David Schroeder 2015;
Austin Chronicle 2018;
various.
Equipment.
Facebook.
Other profiles: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Jack DeJohnette 1965 Jackie McLean LP 'Jacknife' Recorded '65 Issued '75 Composition: Jackie McLean Composition: Charles Tolliver Composition: Don Moore Jack DeJohnette 1966 Tenor sax: Charles LLoyd Piano: Keith Jarrett Bass: Cecil McBee Compositions: Charles LLoyd Filmed live Jack DeJohnette 1967 Charles LLoyd LP 'Forest Flower' Compositions: LLoyd Jack DeJohnette 1968 Composition: LLoyd Bronislaw Kaper/Paul Francis Webster Joe Henderson album: 'Tetragon' Jack DeJohnette 1969 Debut LP 'The DeJohnette Complex' Composition: Stanley Cowell Composition: DeJohnette Composition: Miroslav Vitous End 'The DeJohnette Complex' Filmed live with Miles Davis Jack DeJohnette 1970 Album by Freddie Hubbard Title track composed by Hubbard Jack DeJohnette 1974 Composition: DeJohnette/Dave Holland Album: 'Sorcery' Jack DeJohnette 1984 Album Jack DeJohnette 1989 Music: Pee Wee King 1946 Lyric: Redd Stewart Sonny Rollins album: 'Falling in Love with Jazz' Jack DeJohnette 2003 Album Synthesizer/percussion: DeJohnette Composition: DeJohnette Jack DeJohnette 2005 Filmed live Jack DeJohnette 2006 Filmed live Jack DeJohnette 2008 Album Synthesizer/percussion: DeJohnette Composition: DeJohnette Jack DeJohnette 2013 Composition: Leonard Bernstein Keith Jarrett Stephen Sondheim Album with Keith Jarrett: 'Somewhere' Jack DeJohnette 2014 Filmed live at the Blue Note Milano Composition: John Coltrane
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Born in 1948 in Chicago, drummer,
Thurman Barker
began his professional career as a teenager with blues guitarist,
Mighty Joe Young. He
received his degree from Empire State College in New York, also attending
the American Conservatory of Music and Roosevelt University in Chicago.
Barker first emerged on vinyl in 1967, backing
Joseph Jarman on the album,
'Song For', in letter 1966. He'd joined the Association for the Advancement of Creative
Musicians (AACM) about that time, leading to sessions with the newly forming
Art Ensemble of Chicago in 1967, titles issued in 1993 per 'Early
Combinations'. 1967 also found Barker participating in
Muhal Richard Abrams' 'Levels
and Degrees of Light' with alto saxophonist,
Anthony Braxton. That
ensemble also included
Jarman,
Lester Bowie,
Roscoe Mitchell,
Malachi Favors and Charles Clark. Barker would contribute
to several of
Abrams' albums to as late as
'Blu Blu Blu' in 1990. He would later join
Braxton in Europe in 1978 for
what would get issued as 'Creative Orchestra (Koln) 1978' ('95) and
'Orchestra (Paris) 1978' ('11). The next year he joined
Braxton in Europe for
'Performance 9/1/79' ('81) and 'Seven Compositions 1978' ('80), the last
recorded in Paris in November of 1979. The latter seventies also saw
Mitchell's 'L-R-G / The Maze /
S II Examples' in 1978. Barker joined
Sam Rivers
for 'Waves' in August of 1978 in NYC and 'Contrasts' in December of 1979 in
Ludwigsburg, Germany. During the eighties he contributed to several albums
by Cecil Taylor. Barker didn't
release a name album until 'Voyage' in 1987. He started teaching
at Bard College in New York in 1993, thereafter focusing on composition, his
'Dialogue' premiering in New York City in 1994.
'The Way I Hear It' was released in 1998, followed by 'Time Factor' ('01),
'Strike Force' ('04) and 'Rediscovered', his latest in 2009. Barker currently yet serves on the faculty at Bard College.
References: 1,
2.
Discos: 1,
2,
3.
Interviews: Ted Panken 1985;
Tobias Fischer 2008. Thurman Barker 1967 Non-Cognitive Aspects of the City Composition: Joseph Jarman Joseph Jarman album: 'Song For' Thurman Barker 1987 From 'Voyage' All compositions Barker Thurman Barker 1995 Filmed live with Cecil Taylor Thurman Barker 1998 From 'The Way I Hear It' Compositions below by Barker Thurman Barker 2001 Composition: Barker Album: 'Time Factor' Thurman Barker 2013 Solo filmed live
|
 Thurman Barker Source: New Music USA |
|
 Eddie Daniels Source: Berkeley Agency |
Born in 1941 in New York City, Jewish clarinetist,
Eddie Daniels,
began his career as a tenor saxophonist before switching to clarinet nigh
exclusively. He was fifteen when he appeared on alto sax at
the Newport Jazz Festival in a youth competition. He was also a member of
Marshall Brown’s Youth Band as a teenager. Attending Brooklyn College, then
Juilliard, Daniels' first recordings were also the first for the
Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra at the Village Vanguard on February 7, 1966. Those
weren't made available until 2000 on 'Opening Night'. An even later edition
titled 'All My Yesterdays' includes recordings from March 21 in '66.
Recordings by that orchestra in May of '66 at the Vanguard were released as
'Presenting' in 1975. The first to see vinyl were recorded in April 1967 for
release that year, titled 'Live at the Village Vanguard'. Howsoever, the
Thad Jones/Mel Lewis
Orchestra has been a mainstay or, rather, an
institution in jazz that has performed at the Vanguard ever since (also as
the
Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, then the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra). Daniels
released his first LP, 'First Prize!', in '67 as well. Also a classical
musician, Daniels has been involved in third stream (jazz-classical fusion).
Among his latest releases was 'Live at the Library of Congress', recorded in
February 2010 with third stream pianist, Roger Kellaway. Among
well above twenty albums as a leader was 'Street Wind' in 2016 followed by
his latest release as of this writing in 2018, 'Heart of Brazil' [1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8], the
latter gone down in Beverly Hills, CA, the year before.
Among the numerous others with whom he has recorded over the years through
well above 200 sessions include Bucky Pizzarelli,
Eric Gale, Bob James and Dave
Grusin. He yet tours the United States as of this writing.
References: 1,
2.
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5, Lord (leading 44 of 211
sessions).
Reviews.
Select videography.
Interviews.
Transcriptions: 'The Music of Eddie Daniels: Solo Transcriptions and Performing Artist Master Class CD' (Alfred Music 2004).
Jazz Improvisation Clinics *.
Further reading: Backun;
Byadam Perlmutter;
Kim Richmond.
Other profiles: 1,
2. Per 1966 and
1967 below, Daniels is unfeatured as one of five saxophone players
ranging from baritone to soprano in the
Thad Jones/Mel Lewis
Orchestra. 'Don't Git Sassy' had to be found on another collection than its
original LP, 'Live at the Village Vanguard'. Eddie Daniels 1966 Composition: Thad Jones LP: 'Opening Night' Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra Not released until 2000 Eddie Daniels 1967 Composition: Thad Jones LP: 'Live at the Village Vanguard' Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra Eddie Daniels 1968 Composition: John Coltrane LP: 'This is New' Eddie Daniels 1978 From 'Streetwind' Composition: Peter Allen/Adrienne Anderson Eddie Daniels 1980 Album Eddie Daniels 1985 LP: 'Breakhrough' Eddie Daniels 1987 Composition: Brooks Bowman LP: 'To Bird with Love' Eddie Daniels 1988 West Texas State University Symphonic Band Composition: Carl Maria von Weber 1811 premiere 1813 Eddie Daniels 1989 Composition: Rob Mounsey LP: 'Blackwood' Eddie Daniels 1997 Composition: Erik Satie Arrangement: Chuck Loeb/Eddie Daniels LP: 'Beautiful Love' Eddie Daniels 2010 Filmed with Damian Draghici Composition: Miles Davis Eddie Daniels 2011 Filmed with the WDR Big Band Composition: Eddie Daniels Arrangement: Mike Abene Eddie Daniels 2012 Composition: Aaron Copland 1947 Filmed with Orchestra Sinfonica G.Rossini Eddie Daniels 2013 Filmed live
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Born in 1937 in Port Arthur, Texas, guitarist,
Ted Dunbar (Earl
Theodore Dunbar),
was self-taught with the exception of studying to become a pharmacist at
Texas Southern University. He is thought to have first recorded with Gloria
Coleman in 1965, not released until 1971 as Gloria Coleman Ltd. 'Sings and Swings
Organ' [Mainstream MRL 322
*]. (Coleman had played professionally since 1952. Her debut album in
1963, 'Soul Sisters', featured
Grant Green on guitar.) In 1967 Dunbar
laid tracks with
David Fathead Newman for 'House
of David' [Atlantic 1489
*]. He also recorded private unknown titles with
Gil Evans that year in New York City.
Dunbar commenced the seventies with
Lou Donaldson on 'Pretty Things'
[Blue Note BST-84359
*] in
1970. On February 15 of 1975 he co-led 'In Tandem' [Muse MR 5140
*] with
Kenny Barron toward
issue in 1980. He released the
first of only four albums as a leader in 1978, recording 'Opening Remarks' [Xanadu
155
*]
on 24 January in New York w
Tommy Flanagan (piano),
Sam Jones (bass) and Leroy Williams
(drums), all compositions his own. 'Secundum Artem'
[Xanadu 181
*] followed in 1980,
recorded on 12 June in New York w
Kenny Barron (piano),
Steve Nelson (vibes), Rufus Reid (bass) and
Al Foster (drums). 'Jazz Guitarist'
[Xanadu 196
*]
was a suite of guitar solos recorded in New York on 29 July of '82. His last
name album, 'Gentle Time Alone' [Steeplechase SCCD 31298
*],
went down nearly a decade later in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December 1991 w
his Quartet consisting of Mickey Tucker (piano), Ray Drummond (bass) and
David Jones (drums). Flautist, Dotti Anita Taylor, contributed to two tracks
on that titled 'Neeta' and 'Gentle Time Alone'. Dunbar had a second career in
education, having begun to teach at Livingston College Rutgers in 1972. He
published the first of four volumes of guitar instruction in 1975: 'A
System of Tonal Convergence'. He supported numerous during the eighties from
Michał Urbaniak
to
Frank Wess. In the meantime he had
reunited with David Fathead Newman on 23 Sep
of 1983 toward the latter's 'Resurgence!' [Muse MR 5234
*]. Another reunion w
Newman on Sep 3 of 1989
resulted in
Newman's 'Blue Head' [Candid
CCD79041
*] w
Clifford Jordan also contributing
saxophone. Newman and Dunbar had also joined one another in support of Janus
Siegel's 'Experiment in White' in 1982 and
Buddy Montgomery's 'Ties if
Love' in 1986. Among Dunbar's latter recordings was in
support of Hamiet Bluiett's 'Live at The Village Vanguard: Ballads & Blues'
[Soul Note 121288-2
*]
on 20 Feb 1994, issued
in 1997. Lord's disco traces him to as late as Zachary Breaux's 'Uptown Groove'
[Zebra ZD 44002
*]
issued in 1997, contributing lead guitar to 'After 2:00 AM on the East
Coast' and 'I Love This Life'. Dunbar was only 61 when he died of stroke on
May 29 of 1998 in New Brunswick, New Jersey [obit]. Among the numerous others with whom he had recorded during his career were
Gil Evans,
Charles Mingus and
Frank Foster.
References: 1,
2,
3.
Sessions: Fitzgerald: main,
multiple versions,
personnel;
JDP; Lord (leading 4 of 80).
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5. Biblio: instructional books by Dunbar: 'A System of Tonal Convergence' 1975:
1
(alt),
2;
'The Interrelationship of Chords, Scales and Fingerboard' 1978
*; other:
1,
2.
Further reading: Ashley Kahn;
Larry Ridley.
Other profiles
*. Per 1967 below, 'House of David' is an
album by
David Fathead Newman. Per
1973, 'Bebop Spoken Here' features Joe Carroll, an early vocalese singer who
first came into the spotlight with Dizzy
Gillespie between 1949 and '53 ('Jump Did-Le Ba' thought to be his
first, recorded in May of '49). Ted Dunbar 1967 Composition: David Fathead Newman LP by Newman: Tenor sax/flute: Newman Organ: Kossi Gardner Drums: Milt Turner Ted Dunbar 1972 Filmed with Richard Davis Music: George Gershwin 1935 Lyrics: DuBose Heyward/Ira Gershwin For the opera 'Porgy and Bess' Ted Dunbar 1973 Filmed live Composition: Charlie Parker Filmed live with Joe Carroll Note: Carroll's vocalese improvisation above bears little resemblance to the original 'Be-Bop Spoken Here' that was a duet by Dave Lambert and Buddy Stewart backed by the Charlie Barnet Orchestra issued on Capitol C 57-640 in 1949. Composition was credited to Matty Malneck and Milton DeLugg. Filmed live Composition credited: Charlie Parker Composition claimed: Miles Davis Ted Dunbar 1974 Albert Heath LP: 'Kwanza (The First)' Recorded June 1973 All compositions Albert Heath Ted Dunbar 1978 Composition: Ted Dunbar LP: 'Opening Remarks' See personnel below Piano: Tommy Flanagan Bass: Sam Jones Drums: Leroy Williams All compositions Ted Dunbar Ted Dunbar 1992 Flute: Dotti Anita Taylor Album: 'Gentle Time Alone' All compositions Ted Dunbar
|
 Ted Dunbar Source: Discogs |
|
 Steve McCall Source: Sooze Blues & Jazz |
Born in 1933 in Chicago, among the musicians with whom
Steve McCall
performed during his early career in the fifties was Lucky Carmichael. Yet
in Chicago, he met composer and pianist,
Muhal Richard Abrams, in
1961. He and
Abrams would be among the founders of the Association for the
Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) in 1965. The seventies would see
them together on multiple occasions, including
Abrams' 'Things to Come from
Those Now Gone' in '72 and '1-OQA+19' in latter '77. Returning to McCall's
early days in Chicago, his first session is thought to have been for
pianist,
Ramsey Lewis', 'More Sounds of
Christmas' on October 15 of '64, issued in 1966. Still in Chicago, McCall
participated in
Joseph Jarman's 'Song For' in
December of '66, augmenting drummer,
Thurman Barker. When he
finally decided to run away from home at age 35 he left no doubt he'd left
town by up moving to Amsterdam where his first sessions are thought to have
been with in March and April of 1968 for
Anthony Braxton's
'3 Compositions of New Jazz' with
Anthony Braxton. He also
held sessions for
Marion Brown in 1968: 'Gesprach
Fetzen' in Munich and 'Le Temps Fou' in Pairs. Additional sessions were held
with
Brown in 1969 before recording
Gunter Hampel's 'The 8Th of
July 1969', that with
Anthony Braxton at sax and
contrabass clarinet. McCall's last session in Europe before returning to the
States was one of several with
Braxton, that for 'This
Time...' in Paris in January of 1970. His first titles upon returning to the
States went down at the Washington Square Methodist Church (Peace Church) in
NYC on May 19, 1970, for 'Creative Construction Company 1 & 2'. That was
followed back in Chicago by
Gene Ammons and
Dexter Gordon's 'The
Chase' on July 26 of 1970. In 1971 McCall formed the free jazz
trio,
Air, with alto sax player,
Henry Threadgill [1,
2,
3], and
bassist, Fred Hopkins [1,
2,
3]. That trio put down nine albums from 'Air Song' on
September 10, 1975, to '80° Below '82' in January of '82. (New Air, was
formed upon percussionist, Pheeroan akLaff [1,
2,
3], replacing McCall. That trio
released a couple albums in '84 and '86, the second with vocalist, Cassandra
Wilson.) Threadgill and McCall had
also partnered in other ensembles, such as David Murray's with whom they
recorded three albums: 'Ming' in July of 1980, 'Home' in 1981 and 'Murray's
Steps' in July of 82. McCall had already backed Murray in 1979 on 'Sweet
Lovely' in a trio with Fred Hopkins. Among the numerous others for whom
McCall had played drums through 73 sessions were Chico Freeman,
Arthur Blythe and trumpeter,
Ted Curson. Among the several
albums that he co-led were 'Live at the 'Gill's Club'' in 1970 in a trio
with Siegfried Kessler and
Barre Phillips, and 'Vintage
Duets' in November of 1980 with tenor saxophonist, Fred Anderson, that
issued posthumously in 1996. McCall's last three sessions per Lord's disco
were in 1986: Cecil
Taylor's 'Olu Iwa' in April,
Roscoe Mitchell's 'The Flow
Of Things' in June and Carle Wooley's 'There Is No Greater Love' in
December. McCall died of stoke on May 24,
1989, an early death at age 56. References for McCall: 1,
2.
Discos: 1,
2,
3, Lord (74 sessions).
References for Air: 1,
2.
Sessions: JDP; Lord (15).
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Per below, all tracks from 1976 onward are with McCall's group, Air,
unless otherwise noted. Steve McCall 1967 Composition: Fred Anderson Joseph Jarman album: 'Song For' Version above not released until 1991 reissue Steve McCall 1969 Radio broadcast Bremen, Germany Alto sax: Marion Brown Trombone: Ed Kroeger Bass: Sigi Busch Steve McCall 1976 Album: 'Air Raid' All compositions Henry Threadgill Steve McCall 1977 Steve McCall 1978 Agnez (With Respect to Roy Haynes) Cecil McBee album: 'Music from the Source' All compositions Cecil McBee 'The Jick or Mandrill's Cosmic Ass' Album: 'Open Air Suit' All compositions Henry Threadgill Steve McCall 1979 Composition: Scott Joplin * Album: 'Air Lore' Steve McCall 1980 Album: 'Live Air' All compositions Henry Threadgill Steve McCall 1981 Composition: Steve McCall Album: 'Air Mail' Steve McCall 1982 Amiri Baraka album: 'New Music - New Poetry' All compositions Amiri Baraka See also *
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Born in 1941 in Portland, Oregon, double bassist,
Glen Moore began
performing as an adolescent in a group called the Young Oregonians. While
with that band he performed with saxophonist,
Jim Pepper. After studying history and
literature at the University of Oregon he became an itinerant student,
studying bass with instructors in Portland, Seattle, New York, Copenhagen,
Vienna and Hawaii. In 1967 he emerged on
saxophonist,
Nick Brignola's 'This Is It'.
1969 saw him surface on
Jeremy Steig's 'This Is Jeremy Steig',
recorded sometime in '67.
He next contributed to
Paul Bley and Ann Peacock's 'Revenge' in
April of 1969, that issued in 1971. Come 'Road' with the
Paul Winter Consort in various
locations in '69 and '70. He was in NYC in 1970 for Peter Warren's 'Bass
Is', issued in '72. Others performing bass on that with Moore and Warren
were
Dave Holland and Jaime Faunt.
They were joined by Chick Corea
(piano), John Surman (sax) and
percussionists Barry Altschul, Steve Hauss and Stu Martin. Present with the
Paul Winter Consort above in
1969-70 were
Paul McCandless (horns),
Ralph Towner (guitar) and
Collin Walcott
(percussion/sitar). They would now form
Oregon to record
'Our First Record 'in the summer of 1970, though not released until 1980. In latter
November of 1972 Moore,
McCandless and
Walcott backed
Towner's debut LP, 'Trios /
Solos' for issue the next year. It was on an unknown date in '72 that
Oregon laid out 'Music of Another Present
Era', its debut issue that year. As Moore continued w Oregon he made a path
of his own, among his earlier projects being 'In Concert' on which he
performed piano w David Friesen at upright bass at a concert in Portland in
March 1975, issued on Vanguard VSD 79383. Come 'May 24, 1974' [1,
2] w Larry Karush
at piano, Moore at bass and violin, compositions by both. Moore performed bass, piano, violin
and viola in New York City in December 1978 toward his album, 'Introducing
Glen Moore', supported by
Zbigniew Seifert
(violin), David Darling (cello) and
Jan Hammer (drums). Among Moore's
compositions was 'Firebat Suite' premiered by the Philadelphia Symphony in
1985. Moore began working with the Mountain Writers Center in 1988,
providing bass accompaniment for poets. Another joint album with Friesen went down in Portland in April of
1993 toward 'Returning' issued in 1995 on Burnside BCD-0013. He composed all
but one of fifteen titles on his solo album, 'Dragonetti's Dream' (Intuition
INT 2154 2), gone down in Calliano, Italy, on July 17-19, 1995, w Moore at
bass and piano. Come bass and piano tracks in May of 1996 toward 'Nude Bass
Ascending' (Intuition INT 3192 2) w
Carla Bley (organ),
Rabih Abou-Khalil (oud),
Steve Swallow (electric
bass) and Arto Tunçboyacıyan (percussion/ vocals). Having meanwhile been a
member of Oregon through the decades, that group's 28th album, 'Family
Tree', was recorded in Germany in 2012. That yet included
McCandless and
Towner, now with Mark Walker at
percussion, he having been with
Oregon since 'Northwest Passage' in October
of 1996.
Collin Walcott's last session
with
Oregon had been in October of '84 for
'Bratislava Jazz Days 1984' in Czechoslovakia. The next month on the 8th he
was killed in an auto accident in East Germany. He was replaced by Trilok
Gurtu for 'Ecotopia' in March of 1987 in Oslo, Norway.
Oregon had closed the 20th century with a tour
to Russia, recording 'In Moscow' in June of '99. The new millennium
commenced with 'Live at Yoshi's' in August of 2001 in Oakland, California.
The next year Moore contributed to guitarist,
Larry Coryell's 'Birdfingers'.
Come 'Bactrian' [1,
2,
3,
4,
5] with old acquaintance, David Friesen, in Germany, on March 25,
2015, both contributing bass and piano. Having released a minimum of ten
albums as a leader or co-leader apart from
Oregon, others whom Moore had supported
through the years
include Rabih Abou-Khalil,
Minimal Kidds and Richard Leo Johnson. As of this writing his most recent
release w
Oregon was 'Lantern' in 2017. Moore yet actively
tours and teaches double bass at his studio in Portland.
References: 1,
2
(alt).
Discos: 1,
2,
3, Lord (leading 10 of 90 sessions)
Further reading: Lynn Darroch;
William Minor (Moore
w Friesen). Glen Moore 1970 Album by Peter Warren GGlen Moore 1973 Composition: Ralph Towner LP: 'Trios / Solos' Guitar: Ralph Towner Composition: Ralph Towner Guitar: Ralph Towner Glen Moore 1979 From 'Introducing Glen Moore' All compositions Glen Moore Three Step DanceGlen Moore 1991 From 'Impending Bloom' Vocals: Nancy King Composition: Buddy Bernier/Nat Simon Useless LandscapeComposition: Aloysio De Oliveira/Tom Jobim/Ray Gilbert Glen Moore 1993 Vocal: Nancy King LP: 'Cliff Dance' GGlen Moore 1995 Composition: Glen Moore LP: 'Dragonetti's Dream' Glen Moore 1999 LP: 'Nude Bass Ascending' Glen Moore 2011 Filmed live Glen Moore 2012 Filmed live Sax: Rob Scheps
|
 Glen Moore Source: Origin Records |
|
 Melvin Sparks SSource: Discogs |
Born in 1946 in Houston,
Melvin Sparks
took up guitar at age eleven
before playing with the doo wop group, the
Midnighters, led by
Hank Ballard, as a high school
student. He dropped out of school and left home to tour with the Upsetters
in '63 or '64,
a road band formed by
Little Richard in '53.
(Richard's band also backed
R&B figures
such as
Jackie Wilson,
Curtis Mayfield,
Marvin Gaye and
Sam Cooke over the years) Sparks ended
up in NYC in 1966 where
King Curtis,
Grant Green and
George Benson became early
associates. Sparks' first session is thought to have been for 'The George
Benson Cookbook' recorded between August and October of 1966, issued in
1967. He also participated in tracks in '66 that would see issue on 'Benson
Burner' in 1976 (see Doug Payne's breakdown of 'Benson Burner').
December of '66 found Smith with organist,
Brother Jack McDuff, toward
'Do It Now'. 'Double-Barrelled Soul' followed in August of '67. Come
Lonnie Smith's 'Think!' in July
of '68 and 'Turning Point' in January of '69. The latter is thought to have
been Spark's first session with drummer,
Idris Muhammad (Leo Morris)
who would be an important personality in Sparks' career off and on to as
late as the nineties. Supporting other ensembles, such as
Rusty Bryant's or Sonny Stitt''s, they also backed each
other's projects. The first such occasion was Sparks' debut LP, 'Sparks!',
on September 14, 1970. Five more followed to 'I'm a Gittar Player' in 1997.
Sparks had contributed to
Muhammad's 'Black Rhythm
Revolution' on November 2 of 1970 and 'Peace And Rhythm Suite' in September
1971.
Muhammad and Sparks formed a
quartet in 1981 with a couple other important characters in Sparks' career,
organist,
Charles Earland, and tenor
saxophonist,
Houston Person. That ensemble
wrought Spark's 'Sparkling' on February 18, 1981. It was
Earland's 'In the Poclet' in
1982. Blake Unangst contributed conga to 'ESPM: The Reunion- Live at Akbar
Hall' on May 18 of 1996. Sparks' last recordings with
Muhammad are thought to have
been in 1997 for 'Ron Levy's Wild Kingdom - Greaze Is What's Good', allmusic
showing release in '98. Backing up to the sixties, come
Lou Donaldson's 'Hot Dog' and
'Everything I Play Is Funky' in April and August of '69. That was followed
by
Reuben Wilson's 'Blue Mode' in
December before Sparks' initial LP for organist,
Charles Earland on December
15: 'Black Talk!'.
Earland had been part of the
crew on both albums by
Donaldson above. Sparks participated
in seven additional albums by
Earland to as late as 'If Only for One Night'
on October 19 of 1999. Together with backing others, like
Rusty Bryant, they had recorded three
albums per above in a quartet with
Muhammad and
Person, one of those
Earland's 'In
the Pocket' in 1982.
Earland's 'Back Talk!' above in December of 1969 is
thought to have been Sparks' first session with
Person. Their next was Spark's
debut LP, 'Sparks!', per above in 1970 with
Muhammad. Along with their
quartet per above with
Earland and
Muhammad they supported other ensembles
together numerously, such as organist, Joey DeFrancesco's, in the latter
nineties. Spark's had backed
Person's 'The Nearness of You' in November 1977.
Four albums later it was 'Christmas with Houston Person and Friends' in July
of 1994. Their last occasion to record together was in Paris at the Club Meridien on February 6, 2004, for organist, Rhoda Scott''s 'Very Saxy'. Well
to mention organist,
Jimmy McGriff, for whom we return to April of '83 for
the latter's 'Countdown'. Sessions for
McGriff would fill six albums to
as late as 'McGriff Avenue' in October 2001. One of those was 'Crunch Time'
which
McGriff co-led with
Hank Crawford in November 1998.
Crawford played a major role in
Spark's career, for whom we slip back to their first session in August of
1983 for
Crawford's 'Indigo Blue'. Seven albums later it was 'The World of
Hank Crawford' in February 2000. Sparks' final of twelve albums [Wikipedia] was issued in 2005: 'Groove On Up'. He died
on March
15 of 2011 at his home in Mount Vernon, New York, only age 64 [obit]. His most
recent session is thought to have been for Kathryn Farmer's 'Moondance'
issued in 2013. Among others on whose recordings he can be found along his
path of 114 sessions in Lord, leading 16, are Leon
Spencer Jr, Charles Kynard,
Jimmy Witherspoon and Sonny Phillips.
References: 1,
2,
3.
Discographies: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Reviews.
Internet Archive.
Melvin Sparks 1967 From the Jack McDuff LP 'Do It Now!' Composition: Jack McDuff Composition: Jack McDuff Melvin Sparks 1970 Composition: Sylvester Stewart LP: 'Sparks!' Melvin Sparks 1971 Composition: Melvin Sparks LP: 'Spark Plug' Melvin Sparks 1973 From 'Texas Twister' Composition: Bobby Graham Composition: Melvin Sparks Melvin Sparks 1975 Composition: Rose Marks LP: 'Melvin Sparks '75' Melvin Sparks 2002 Filmed in Trenton NJ Melvin Sparks 2004 Composition: Roger Ball/Malcolm Duncan Alan Gorrie/Robbie McIntosh/Owen McIntyre LP: 'It Is What It Is' Melvin Sparks 2005 Filmed in Virginia Beach VA Melvin Sparks 2011 Filmed in Springfield MA Drums: Bill Carbone Organ: Beau Sasser
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 James Blood Ulmer Source: Colozine Magazin |
Born in 1940 in St. Matthews, South Carolina,
James Blood Ulmer
began playing guitar in jazz groups in Pittsburgh in 1959. In '64 he changed
his base of operations to Columbus, Ohio, where he made his first recordings
in latter 1964 with organist,
Hank Marr. Those weren't released until 1967 as
'Sounds from the Marr-Ket Place'. It was in 1969 that Ulmer appeared on
Big John Patton's 'Accent on the Blues'.
Titles went down in 1973 with
Rashied Ali,
Larry Young and
Joe Henderson. Come
Ornette Coleman in Italy, then
Frank Wright in NYC, in 1974. Ulmer recorded tracks for an album in
1977, but they weren't released as 'Revealing' until 1990. In December of
'78 he recorded 'Tales of Captain Black' for release the next year. In
January of 1980 he recorded 'Are You Glad to Be in America?' for release
that year. With the exception of a period in the latter nineties Ulmer
averaged about one album per year as a leader. In June 1980
Ulmer put down his first album with the Music Revelation Ensemble, that in
Dusseldorf, Germany:
'No Wave'. That ensemble's personnel would be completely changed by the time
of its seventh album, 'Cross Fire', recorded in December of 1996. It had
been
1983 when Ulmer issued 'Odyssey' [1,
2,
3], the first with his trio, Odyssey the Band,
populated with drummer, Warren Benbow, and violinist, Charles Burnham. It
was the same trio in 1998 for 'Reunion' and 2005 for 'Back in Time'. For
Ulmer's band, Phalanx, we need return to his album, 'Revealing', in 1977 and
his initial session with tenor saxophonist, George Adams. Several years
later on June 23, 1985, in Germany they co-led a quartet for titles that
would get issued on 'Jazzbühne Berlin Vol 12' in 1990. Completing that crew
were Amin Ali (bass) and Calwin Weston (drums). The same filled the quartet, Phalanx,
to record 'Got Something for You' in September in Hamburg. The same
personnel (Ulmer, Adams, Ali, Weston) recorded 'Phalanx Live' in Bremen in
1986, that later issued in 2013. It was a
different quartet in February of 1987 with Sirone (bass) and
Rashied Ali (drums) for
'Original Phalanx'. That same crew spread out 'In Touch' in February of '88.
Into the new millennium Ulmer laid out 'Back in Time' [1,
2,
3,
4]
in May of 2005 w Charles Burnham at violin and Warren Benbow on drums. Ulmer's latest of twenty-two
albums per Wikipedia was his CD release of 'In and Out' in
2009 for In+Out Records. That same year Ulmer founded the American Revelation
label, releasing via internet. On 15 July of 2015 Ulmer joined the Thing in
concert at the Molde International Jazz Festival in Norway to the result of
'Baby Talk' [1,
2,
3,
4]
with titles composed by Ulmer. Others with whom Ulmer has recorded include
Third Rail, Rodolphe Burger and the New Jazz Art Quartet. He currently has websites at
Facebook and
Myspace.
References: 1,
2,
3.
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Reviews.
Interviews: Jason Gross 1998.
Internet Archive.
Further reading:
Patrick Ambrose;
Michael Feeney;
Geoffrey Himes;
Rocktologist;
Michael West.
Other profiles: *.
James Blood Ulmer 1967 Sounds from The Marr-Ket Place Album with Hank Marr James Blood Ulmer 1969 From 'Accent on the Blues' John Patton LP Organ: John Patton Composition: Aretha Franklin/Ted White Composition: Harold Mabem James Blood Ulmer 1977 From 'Revealing' Recorded 1977 in NYC Not issued until 1990 by In+Out Tenor sax: George Adams Bass: Cecil McBee Drums: Doug Hammond All comps by Ulmer James Blood Ulmer 1979 Alto sax: Ornette Coleman Electric bass: Jamaaladeen Tacuma Drums: Denardo Coleman All comps by Ulmer James Blood Ulmer 1980 From 'Are You Glad to Be in America?' All comps by Ulmer Are You Glad to Be in America? James Blood Ulmer 1981 Album All comps by Ulmer James Blood Ulmer 1982 From 'Black Rock' Composition: Ulmer Composition: Ulmer James Blood Ulmer 1987 Composition: Ulmer Album: 'Original Phalanx' Tenor sax/flute: George Adams Bass: Sirone (Norris Jones) Drums: Rashied Ali James Blood Ulmer 1992 Recorded Oct 1991 Composition: Ulmer With the Music Revelation Ensemble: Tenor sax: David Murray Electric bass: Amin Alia Drums: Cornell Rochester James Blood Ulmer 1993 Filmed live Filmed live Composition: Ulmer James Blood Ulmer 1996 Album: 'Knights of Power' Alto sax: Arthur Blythe Baritone sax: Hamiet Bluiett Electric bass: Amin Ali Drums: Cornell Rochester All comps by Ulmer James Blood Ulmer 2001 Composition: Ulmer Album: 'Blue Blood' Keyboards: Bernie Worrell/Amina Claudine Myers Bass: Bill Laswell Drums: Jerome Bigfoot Brailey James Blood Ulmer 2003 Filmed live James Blood Ulmer 2009 Filmed live
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Born in 1945 in NYC,
Collin Walcott,
studied at the Yale School of music, majored in percussion at Indiana
University and ethnomusicology at the University of California Los Angeles.
He studied sitar under
Ravi Shankar and
tabla (similar to bongos) with Alla Rakha. He was doing session work in
1967, playing sitar and tabla on 'Lotus Palace' with the Alan Lorber
Orchestra that year. In 1968 he performed on sitar on 'Homage To Lord
Krishna', a track on Tony Scott's
'Tony Scott'. Walcott is best known as an original member of the
group,
Oregon, formed in 1970. In addition to
fourteen albums with
Oregon, Walcott issued his first of three
albums as a leader or co-leader in 1976, 'Cloud Dance', on which he played
sitar and tabla supported by
John Abercrombie (guitar),
Dave Holland
(bass) and
Jack DeJohnette (drums).
That had gone down on Ludwigsburg, Germany, in March of 1975. 'Grazing
Dreams' followed in February of 1977 in Oslo, Norway, on which Walcott had
the support of
Abercrombie in
addition to Don Cherry at trumpet,
flugelhorn and doussn'gouni [*], Palle Danielsson (bass) and Dom Um Romao (percussion). 'Dawn Dance'
[1,
2], with Steve Eliovson, arrived in 1981,
taped in Ludwigsburg.
Walcott was also a founding member of the trio, Codona [*], with Cherry
and percussionist, Naná Vasconcelos. That group issued three albums on ECM between
1979 and '83 [*]. Unfortunately, Walcott died in an auto crash on Germany's
Autobahn on November 8 of 1984 while on tour with
Oregon. His last title
with that ensemble was live in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia, in October: 'The
Silence of a Candle'. References: 1,
2,
3.
Sessions: Fitzgerald;
JDP; Lord (leading 2 of 55).
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Select videography.
Bibliography.
Further reading by various.
More recordings by Walcott under
Oregon. Collin Walcott 1967 Composition: George Harrison LP: 'Lotus Palace' Alan Lorber Orchestra Collin Walcott 1968 Composition: Tony Scott LP: 'Tony Scott' Collin Walcott 1976 Collin Walcott 1977 From 'Grazing Dreams' Composition: Don Cherry/Collin Walcott Composition: Don Cherry/John Abercrombie/Collin WalcottCollin Walcott 1979 Composition: Collin Walcott LP: 'Codona' Collin Walcott 1981 From 'Dawn Dance' Guitar: Steve Eliovson Composition: Steve Eliovson Composition: Steve Eliovson Filmed live Collin Walcott 1983 Composition: Collin Walcott LP: 'Codona 3'
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 Collin Walcott Photo: Collin Walcott Family Source: Discogs |
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 John Abercrombie Photo: Hans Speekenbrink Source: Moments Musicales |
Born in 1944 in Port Chester, New York,
John Abercrombie,
was raised in Greenwich, Connecticut. Abercrombie began playing guitar at
age fourteen, teaching himself via recordings by
Chuck Berry and
Barney Kessel. He attended the
Berklee College of Music in Boston from 1962 to 1966. While there he
participated in 'Jazz in the Classroom Vol 10: A Tribute to Charlie
Mariano', sheet music for which Berklee has copyrighted by Newport Music in
1966. When those titles got released isn't readily determinable. Abercrombie
attended North Texas State University in 1967 before heading to New
York City in 1968 to do session work. Lord's disco has him with
Johnny Hammond Smith, on
June 18, 1968, for 'Nasty', 1968 thus Abercrombie's earliest identifiable
date of issue that isn't estimated. In 1969 he joined a band called Dreams run by
Michael and
Randy Brecker, appearing on
their 1970 release of 'Dreams'. Abercrombie would record with
Michael and/or
Randy on occasion throughout his career, backing this or that combo.
Michael
joined Abercrombie on the latter's album, 'Night', in 1984 and 'Getting
There' in 1987. His last session with
Michael would appear to have been in
2002 for 'Marc Copland And ...'. Abercrombie's first album with
Enrico Rava
was in 1973: 'Katcharpari'. Several followed to as late as April of 2002 in
Denmark for 'Happiness Is...'. In December of 1973 drummer,
Jack DeJohnette, had joined
Abercrombie in support of
Rava's 'Pupa O Crisalide' and 'Quotation Marks'.
DeJohnette would become one
of the more important of Abercrombie's associates throughout the years. From
'Sorcery' gone down in March of 1974 to 'New Directions in Europe' recorded
live in Switzerland in June of '79 Abercrombie backed multiple
DeJohnette
albums.
DeJohnette supported
Abercrombie's first LP release in 1974 per
'Timeless' [1,
2]
w
Jan Hammer providing piano, organ
and synthesizer. A decade later he backed Abercrombie's 'Night' in April of '84.
Abercrombie and
DeJohnette also formed a trio called Gateway with bassist,
Dave Holland, resulting in
'Gateway' ('76), 'Gateway 2' ('78), 'Homecoming' ('95) and 'In the Moment'
('96). Lord's disco has Abercrombie and
DeJohnette together a last
time in NYC in September of 2010 for
John Surman's 'Brewster's Rooster'.
Holland was himself among
Abercrombie's major comrades. Their first mutual session is thought to have
been DeJohnette's 'Sorcery'
per above in 1974. In February of 1976 they recorded their duo LP,
'Pictures'. They partnered in support of multiple ensembles throughout the
years to as late as
Charles Lloyd's 'Voice in the
Night' in May of 1998. As commented, Abercrombie issued his debut album,
'Timeless' [1,
2], in 1974, that a trio with
DeJohnette and
Jan Hammer at keyboards. He would lead
some thirty-six more LPs of small combos such as trios and quartets to his
latest per above in 2017, 'Up and Coming'. Along the way his solo album,
'Characters' [1,
2,
3], arrived in 1977. He issued duos with guitarist,
Ralph Towner,
bassist and pianist, Don Thompson and pianist, Richie Belrarch. Another
important drummer was
Peter Erskine, they first
recording together in June of 1979 for
Bobby Hutcherson's 'Un Poco Loco'. In
1985 they formed a trio with Marc Johnson on bass in Oslo, Norway, for
'Current Events'. October of 1986 saw Abercrombie supporting
Erskine's
'Transition' in NYC. 'John Abercrombie | Marc Johnson | Peter Erskine' [1,
2]
went down on 21 April of 1988 toward issue in '89. Abercrombie and
Erskine collaborated on multiple projects to as late as
'The Hudson Project' in October of 1998 with Bob Mintzer (tenor sax) and
John Patitucci (bass). They continued working together fairly regularly to
Chuck Bergeron's 'Cause and Effect' in 2001. Ten years later found them
together again in Germany for Vince Mendoza's 'Nights On Earth' in 2011. A
third drummer with a strong presence in Abercrombie's career was Adam
Nussbaum. Their initial mutual session is thought to have been for Jeff
Palmer's 'Laser Wizard' on July 16, 1985, commencing a parallel rail that
would last into the late nineties. They partnered in support of numerous
ensembles when not fulfilling Abercrombie's projects from 'While We're
Young' in 1992 to 'Open Land' in 1998. 'Tactics' [1,
2]
had gone down in July of '96 in NYC with Dan Wall at Hammond B3. Come 'Ronnie Scott's
London' [1,
2]
on 4 October 1999 w Nussbaum, Wall and Mark Feldman at violin,
aired by BBC on 30 Oct '99. Occasional sessions in the new
millennium were held w Nussbaum to the Nuttree Quartet in New Paltz, NY, in September,
2007, for 'Something Sentimental'. Abercrombie had surfaced on his first LP with
Kenny Wheeler in 1977: 'Deer
Wan'. Several followed to as late as July 2005 for 'It Takes Two'. The
seventies had also seen Abercrombie in sessions with such as
Gato Barbieri and
Gil Evans.
Abercrombie began working with a guitar
synthesizer in 1984, continuing so through the eighties, a decade which
also found him contributing to titles by such as Andy LaVerne and Rudy Linka. He
supported pianist, Marc Copland, numerously beginning in June of '88 with
the latter's 'My Foolish Heart'. Come the new millennium they began
co-leading projects together, such as their trio with
Kenny Wheeler in Hilversum,
Holland, in October 2000 to result in 'That's for Sure'. Abercrombie and
Copland recorded 'Speak to Me' as a duo in Munich in March of 2011. Their
most recent of partnerships was Abercrombie's quartet for 'Up and Coming' in
2016, released the next year. Returning to the nineties, Abercrombie kept a blistering schedule that
included touring, also surfacing on LPs by such as organist,
Lonnie Smith: 'Afro Blue'
(1993), 'Purple Haze: Tribute to Jimi Hendrix' (1995) and 'Foxy Lady:
Tribute to Jimi Hendrix' (1996). Into the new millennium he was joined by
violinist, Mark Feldman, again in June of 2006 toward 'The Third Quartet'
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5]
w Marc Johnson at bass and Joey Baron at drums. Abercrombie, genius of just the touch, just the
clue and sometimes the just barely, with a light, often minimal, approach,
Abercrombie used
understatement toward the greater impression, there heavy stuff unseen
behind the but agreeably apparent. A rarified figure in jazz
guitar, his compositions are in a dimension with the writer, Jacque Derrida. Abercrombie released 'John Abercrombie Teaches Jazz Guitar
Improvisation' on VHS in 1990, an obligatory kind of thing addressing basics for
budding guitarists yet without callouses, paradoxical in that Abercrombie
surely knew that Abercrombie can't be taught: you either have it, in which
case you're unique, or you don't. Abercrombie is to jazz a bit like, say,
Max Plank was to physics: not for everybody, yet just so. As the advanced of the advanced of the
advanced, nigh defining sensibility the meanwhile, Abercrombie is a good deep read
indefinitely at any paragraph, any book and, like the better authors, most
is missed the first time through because even his empty spaces are loaded,
that in itself curious in that he did so much with challengingly little, alike
placing impossibility in his path to accomplish the impossible.
Abercrombie is both heady composition and improvisation, the greater
immediacy and encompassment of which goes unsuspected in simply good music.
Not for the vacuous masses because he should be (an Abercrombie kind of
self-wrestling phrase), the greater portion of Abercrombie's presence is invisible, there
much more to which to listen than the already heard. Were I a youth with a
guitar and ten humble years ahead of myself Abercrombie's are the first
discs to which I'd be listening. Having been at ECM Records for well over
forty years, Abercrombie died on 22 August 2014 [obits: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5]. References:
1,
2.
Sessions: JDP; Lord (leading 41 of 267).
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Interviews: Tim Berens 1996;
David Adler 2004;
Mark Tucker 2005;
NPR 2007.
Facebook.
Further reading: Peter Erskine;
Evan Haga.
Other profiles: 1,
2,
3.
Per 1975 below, Abercrombie is accompanied on
'Timeless' by
Jack DeJohnette (drums) and
Jan Hammer (keys). John Abercrombie 1968 Composition: Johnny Hammond Smith Johnny Hammond Smith LP: 'Nasty' John Abercrombie 1974 Montreux Jazz Festival Drums: Billy Cobham Composition: Billy Cobham Composition: Billy Cobham/Liz Hamill John Abercrombie 1975 From 'Timeless' Recorded 21-22 June 1974 NYC Keyboards: Jan Hammer Drums: Jack DeJohnette Composition: Jan Hammer Composition: Abercrombie End 'Timeless' Album Recorded March 1975 Bass: Dave Holland Drums: Jack DeJohnette John Abercrombie 1976 Filmed concert 1976 Filmed concert 1976 Filmed concert 1976 John Abercrombie 1978 Composition: Richie Beirach Album: 'Arcade' Piano: Richie Beirach Bass: George Mraz Drums: Peter Donald John Abercrombie 1985 Filmed live Tenor sax: Michael Brecker Bass: Marc Johnson Drums: Peter Erskine John Abercrombie 2000 Violin: Mark Feldman Bass: Marc Johnson Drums: Joey Baron John Abercrombie 2006 Bass: Eddie Gomez Drums: Gene Jackson John Abercrombie 2011 Filmed in Bologna, Italy John Abercrombie 2012 Filmed in Koln, Germany Composition: Thelonious Monk 1944 John Abercrombie 2013 Filmed concert John Abercrombie 2014 Filmed live Drums: Adam Nussbaum Organ: Gary Versace
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 Randy Brecker Source: Jazz Trumpet Solos |
Born in 1945 in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, flugelhorn player
and trumpeter,
Randy Brecker,
was elder brother to tenor saxophonist,
Michael Brecker. Brecker's
father was a lawyer who played jazz piano. His mother was a portrait artist.
Brecker matriculated into Indiana State University in '63. The IU Jazz Band
won the 1965 Notre Dame Jazz Festival to be awarded a 3 month State
Department tour of the Middle East and Asia before Brecker headed to
NYC in 1966. On December 24th and 25th that year he was recorded live in two
broadcast sessions with Clark
Terry in
Charlie Barnet's big band at Basin
Street East. Another broadcast session was recorded on January 1 of '67.
Those tapes weren't released until 2006 on 'Charlie Barnet Live at Basin
Street East', including a couple tracks from the January show. On February
22, 1967, Brecker joined
Larry Coryell in the Free Spirits in NYC for what
would get issued in 2011 as 'Live at The Scene'. In latter
1967 Brecker was an original member of
Blood Sweat & Tears, emerging on
'Child Is Father to the Man' in 1968. Brecker had also recorded with
Duke Pearson in
December of '67, 'Introducing Duke Pearson's Big Band' issued in 1968. Brecker had left
Blood Sweat & Tears before appearing on
the 'Jazz Casual' television program in April of 1968 with the
Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. Brecker is thought to have released his first LP
in 1969 (1970 per discogs), 'Score', featuring his brother,
Michael.
Larry Coryell also contributed to
that LP. Brecker and
Michael formed the
band, Dreams, with drummer,
Billy Cobham, to release 'Dreams' in 1970 and
'Imagine My Surprise' the next year. Important to Brecker's early career in
the seventies were such as Horace Silver, Tod Rundgren and
Idris Muhammad. In
1975 he formed the Brecker Brothers with
Michael, they to perform together
into the nineties with a brief respite in the eighties. In 2003 they toured
Japan together. Brecker's last performance with
Michael was in 2004 in
Europe with the German WDR Big Band, as
Michael would fall ill and die in
January 2007 of leukemia (MDS). During the new millennium Brecker has toured
Europe heavily, receiving his sixth Grammy in 2014 for his 2012 LP, 'Night
in Calisia', recorded in Poland. Brecker is yet active as ever. Among the latest of his forty
some albums as a leader or co-leader, not counting the Brecker Brothers, was
'Dearborn Station' in 2015 with the DePaul University Jazz Ensemble,
recorded in 2014. Like brother
Michael who was highly
prolific at 515 sessions, Lord's disco credits Randy with 722 of them. Among
the host on whose recordings he can be heard are
Johnny Hodges, John Tropea,
Joe Farrell,
Eddie Daniels, Mingus Dynasty,
Bob Mintzer, Vince Mendoza, Andy Sheppard, Al Kooper, Tom Scott,
Herbie Mann, Parliament and David Lahm.
References for Randy: 1,
2,
3.
Discos: 1,
2,
3. Interviews:
Mike Brannon 2003,
Filippo Maria Caggiani 2007,
Marc Myers 2015.
Other profiles: Yamaha.
References for the Brecker Brothers:
1,
2,
3. Sessions:
JDP; Lord.
Discos: 1,
2.
Compilations: 'The Brecker Bros. Collection' Vol 1
& 2
1975-81 by RCA 1990/91. Randy Brecker 1969 Album Tenor sax: Michael Brecker Dreams 1970 From the LP 'Dreams' Tenor sax: Michael Brecker Compositions: Jeff Kent Arrangement: Randy Brecker Arrangement: Barry Rogers/Brecker Brothers Arrangement: Barry Rogers/Brecker Brothers Randy Brecker 1977 Album by Jack Wilkins Randy Brecker 1986 Album with Eliane Elias Tenor sax: Michael Brecker The Brecker Brothers 1992 Filmed concert Randy Brecker 2012 Filmed live with Ventzislav Blagoev Randy Brecker 2014 Filmed with Ozone Makoto & Mike Stern
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 Billy Cobham 2007 Source: paoenrico |
Born in 1944 in Panama, jazz fusion drummer,
Billy Cobham,
was raised in New York City. Graduating from high school in 1962, he then
enlisted in the Army and played in Army bands. Upon release from service
Cobham wasted little time forging important important relationships in New
York City. His earliest known recording session was in February of
1967 with
George Benson, appearing on 'Giblet
Gravy' the next year.
He thereat formed strong relationships with bassist,
Ron Carter, guitarist, Eric Gale, and pianist,
Herbie Hancock.
Hancock and,
especially,
Benson, would join Cobham on multiple occasions in the future in
support of other bands. Along the way Cobham provided rhythm on
Benson's
'White Rabbit' in November, 1971. Lord's disco has their last mutual session
in 1974 for 'Naturally' (Nat Adderley), that included on
Freddie Hubbard's
'Polar AC' issued in '76. As for
Carter, he was to become a figure of major
importance throughout Cobham's career. They worked nigh as left and right
rail into the latter eighties in support numerous operations, partnering
likewise on multiple occasions in the new millennium. Along the way Cobham
sided for
Carter on seven albums from 'Uptown Conversation' in October of
'69 to 'Empire Jazz' in 1980.
Carter contributed to Cobham's debut LP,
'Spectrum', in May of 1973, that with
Tommy Bolin (guitar),
Jan Hammer
(keyboards/ Moog) and Lee Sklar (bass). It was Cobham's 'Picture This' in Italy for
issue in 1987. The trio, Art of Three, including pianist,
Kenny Barron,
recorded 'The Art of Three' in Norway and Denmark on January 12 and 13 of
2001. 'Art of Four' went down in Switzerland that year on an unidentified
date. It was the Art of Three again for 'Live in Japan 2003'. Lord's disco
has
Carter and Cobham recording together as late as a trio with alto
saxophonist, Donald Harrison, for 'This Is Jazz' in March of 2011. As for Eric Gale,
he and Cobham would interweave often into the eighties in support of various
groups such as
Stanley Turrentine's. Along the way they would both participate
in both volumes of 'Montreux Summit' in 1977 in Switzerland. Lord's disco
shows their last mutual session in Montreux on July 21, 1982, for
Mose Allison's 'Lesson In Living'. We turn
back to March of 1968 for three
tracks with Horace Silver on the
latter's 'Serenade to a Soul Sister' for Blue Note that year. His period
with Silver into 1969 included a tour to France for 'Live' in November of
'68. With well above 250 sessions to his credit, we skip through '69 a bit
to trumpeter, Miles
Davis, for 'Big Fun' in November. From Cobham's participation in
'Bitches Brew' on January 20, 1970, to 'Circle in the Round' in November of
'79 Cobham contributed to seven of
Davis' albums. 'Big Fun' in November of
1968 included guitarist,
John McLaughlin, who would also
play a major role in Cobham's career. Continuing with
Davis together, Cobham
would support above ten of
McLaughlin's albums with the
latter's
Mahavishnu Orchestra beginning with 'The Inner Mounting Flame' in
August of 1971 to 'Mahavishnu' in Paris in 1984. Cobham and
McLaughlin would reunite in 2010
at the 44th Montreux Jazz Festival. The early seventies had also seen recordings
for
Johnny Hammond Smith and
Eumir Deodato before Cobham's first LP as a leader
issued in 1973: 'Spectrum'. Joining him on that were
Jan Hammer (keyboards)
Tommy Bolin (guitar) and Lee Sklar
(electric bass). The seventies also saw Cobham on titles for
Larry Coryell and
Stanley Clarke. During the early eighties
Cobham drummed with the
Grateful Dead, then formed his quartet, the Glass Menagerie. Cobham was
elected into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1987. During the nineties
he worked with
Peter Gabriel, formed the quartet, Nordic
('Nordic' '96), then the
trio, Paradox ('Paradox' '96), with Bill Bickford (guitar) and Wolfgang
Schmid (bass). Cobham was a member of the group, Jazz Is Dead, a
Dead-jazz
fusion group performing
Grateful Dead covers. He appeared on Jazz Is
Dead's first two albums, 'Blue Light Rain' ('98) and 'Laughing Water' ('99).
That group's original members were Alphonso Johnson (bass), Jimmy Herring
(guitar) and T Levitz (keyboards). Among the numerous others Cobham had
supported during his career were
Kenny Burrell,
Les McCann and
Hubert Laws. With a prolific recording career behind
him, Cobham has issued about forty albums as a leader. Come 'Compass Point'
in 2013 w Gary Husband at keyboards. He released 'Tales from the Skeleton Coast' in 2014.
The next year he issued the live LP, 'Spectrum 40 Live' and the studio
album, 'Reflected Journey'. Cobham has been teaching drums online since 2011
for the ArtistWorks Drum Academy. Rolling Stone ranks him at #45 on its list
of 100 Greatest Drummers
(John Bonham of
Led Zeppelin #1). References:
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6, Lord (leading 57 of 275 sessions).
IMDb.
Facebook.
Reviews: 1,
2.
Interviews: Les Tomkins 1974,
Ray Shasho 2013,
Dylan Muhlberg 2015.
Further reading: discussion;
Mark Griffith;
William Miller.
Biblio: 'The Billy Cobham Real Book' (lead sheets by Cobham/ Hal Leonard 2017). Other profiles:
*.
Per below,
Mahavishnu Orchestra also means
John McLaughlin. Per 1971 below,
'Jack Johnson' (the boxer) has been reissued a few times as 'A Tribute to
Jack Johnson'. Billy Cobham 1968 Composition: George Benson Benson LP: 'Giblet Gravy' Guitar: Benson Horace Silver LP: 'Serenade to a Soul Sister' All comps by Silver Billy Cobham 1970 Ron Carter LP: 'Uptown Conversation' Recorded Oct 1969 Double and electric bass: Carter All comps by Carter Billy Cobham 1971 Mahavishnu Orchestra LP: 'The Inner Mounting Flame' Recorded 14 Aug '71 Guitar: John McLaughlin Violin: Jerry Goodman Keyboards: Jan Hammer Bass: Rick Laird All comps by McLaughlin Miles Davis LP: 'Jack Johnson' All composition Davis Billy Cobham 1972 Filmed live Billy Cobham 1973 Album Billy Cobham 1974 Album Filmed live at Rainbow Theatre Billy Cobham 1976 Filmed concert Billy Cobham 1977 Album Billy Cobham 1981 Filmed with Glass Mangerie Billy Cobham 1982 LP with Glass Mangerie Billy Cobham 1983 Filmed concert Bass: Ron Carter Piano: Herbie Hancock Billy Cobham 1984 Filmed live Zildjian Day in New York Billy Cobham 2002 Filmed concert Billy Cobham 2011 Filmed concert Billy Cobham 2013 Filmed live Filmed live Billy Cobham 2014 Filmed live Filmed at Teatro Gabriele D'Annunzio Billy Cobham 2016 Filmed live Leverkusen, Germany Composition: Cobham
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 Wadada Leo Smith Source: MS Writers & Musicians |
Born in 1941 in Leland, Mississippi,
Wadada Leo Smith
began playing trumpet in R&B bands before becoming a member of the Association
for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) in 1967. Smith is thought
to have first seen vinyl in 1968 on
Anthony Braxton's '3 Compositions of New
Jazz'. Eight albums followed to May 12 and 16 of 1978 per
Braxton's 'Creative
Orchestra (Köln) 1978' and 'Orchestra (Paris) 1978'. Smith had founded his own record label, 'Kabell', in 1971.
His first issue as
a leader was in 1972: 'Creative Music - 1'. During the seventies he studied
at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. He also developed Ankhrasmation in
the seventies, a system of graphic notation. Becoming a Rastafarian in the
eighties, he began using the name, Wadada. He began teaching at the
California Institute of the Arts (Calarts) in 1993, remaining there until
2014. Playing multiple instruments, he also taught instrument making. In
1998 Smith surfaced on the first of three albums with guitarist, Henry Kaiser:
'Yo, Miles!'.
2002 saw the release of Smith's first album with his Golden Quartet, 'The
Year of the
Elephant'. In 2013 he issued 'Ten Freedom Summers' [1,
2,
3], a four-disc tribute to
the Civil Rights movement three decades in the making. That album made him a
candidate for the Pulitzer Prize that year. Smith yet performs as of this
writing. Wikipedia has him on 50 albums as a leader to 'A Cosmic Rhythm with
Each Stroke' in October of 2015 w keyboardist, Vijay Iyer, and 'America's
National Parks' on May 5 of 2016 in New Haven, Connecticut. Come 'Najwa' and
'Solo: Reflections and Meditations on Monk' in 2017 followed by 'Lebroba' w
Andrew Cyrille and Bill Frisell in 2018. Among the
numerous on whose recordings Smith can be found are Frank Lowe, Derek Bailey,
Jeanne Lee, the Creative
Construction Company, Tyrone Henderson, John Lindberg and Johnnie Valentino.
References: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4, Lord (leading 66 of 166 sessions).
Reviews: 1,
2.
Notation & scoring: Ankhrasmation: 1,
2; as art:
1,
2;
artist statement;
exhibitions.
Interviews:
Fred Jung 2003,
Matthew Sumera 2005,
John Corbett 2016,
Justin Cober-Lake 2018,
Leonard Lopate 2019. Further reading:
John Sharpe,
Arminia Wallace.
Smith at Facebook.
Wadada Leo Smith 1968 Anthony Braxton album: '3 Compositions of New Jazz' 'The Bell' composed by Smith Wadada Leo Smith 1975 Creative Improvisation Ensemble Album Recorded 1970 Alto sax: Marion Brown Comps by Brown & Smith Wadada Leo Smith 1976 Composition: Smith Album: 'Kabell Years 1971-1979' Released 2004 See 1, 2 Wadada Leo Smith 1979 Album Recorded Sep 1978 All comps by Smith Wadada Leo Smith 2005 Live at the Banlieues Bleues Festival DVD: 'Freedom Now' Recorded 2004 Wadada Leo Smith 2009 Album: 'Spiritual Dimensions' All comps by Smith Wadada Leo Smith 2012 Album: 'Ten Freedom Summers' All comps by Smith Wadada Leo Smith 2013 Filmed live in London Piano: Anthony Davis Bass: John Lindberg Drums: Anthony Brown Composition: Smith Wadada Leo Smith 2014 Album: 'Red Hill' Keyboards: Jamie Saft Bass: Joe Morris Drums: Balázs Pándi Compositions: Smith/Saft/Morris/Pándi Album 'The Great Lakes Suites' Alto sax/flute: Henry Threadgill Bass: John Lindberg Drums: Jack DeJohnette All comps by Smith Filmed live Piano: Anthony Davis Bass: John Lindberg Drums: Pheeroan akLaff Composition: Smith Wadada Leo Smith 2015 Filmed live
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 Score by Smith Source: The Wire |
|
Liberation Music Orchestra See
Liberation Music Orchestra. |
||
 Paul McCandless Source: Joseph Noise |
Born in 1947 in Indiana, PA, composer,
Paul McCandless,
played woodwinds from oboe and clarinet to sax and flute. He began his
career performing on English horn, another instrument next to oboe for which
he is notable in jazz history, with the
Paul Winter Consort, emerging on
Winter's 'Something In the Wind' in 1969.
McCandless would be found on nine more albums in association with
Winter and the
Winter Consort, including
'Living Music Collection' in '86, to 'Spanish Angel' in 1993 which won a
Grammy. McCandless became better known as a founding
member of the group,
Oregon, in 1970 which has remained largely
intact to this day (but for the loss of
Collin Walcott in 1984 by auto
accident in Germany).
Oregon laid its first tracks in 1970, 'Our
First Record', not issued until 1980. Its first release was 'Music of
Another Present Era' in 1972. The group's 28th and latest issue per
Wikipedia was 'Family Tree' in 2012. In January 1979 McCandless recorded his debut LP
as a leader, 'All the Mornings Bring' (Elektra 6E-196), backed by Art Lande
at piano and Dave Samuels on vibraphone in North Brookfield, Massachusetts.
He himself contributed oboe, flute, bass clarinet and English horn.
McCandless put down 'Navigator' (Landslide LD1005) in New York in February
of '81, 'Heresay' (Windham Hill WD1075) in Belmont, California, in April of '88, 'Premonition'
(Windham Hill Jazz 10140-2) in Chicago in latter '91 and 'The
Impressionists' (Windham Hill 11116-2) in San Francisco in '92, joined on
the last by Bill Banovertz (oboe), Mike Marshall (guitar) and Richard
Schonherz (synthesizer/ engineer). He himself performed on English horn. 'Isole'
(Egea SCA074) followed in July of '99 in Perugia, Italy, w Bebo Ferra
(guitar), Paolino Dalla Porta (bass) and Fulvio Maras (percussion),
McCandless himself at soprano sax, oboe, English horn and bass clarinet.
Come 'Shapeshifter' (Synergy 80022) in Berkeley, CA,
in 2003 w Art Lande (piano), Peter Barshay (bass) and Alan Hall (drums),
McCandless at tenor sax, soprano sax, oboe, English horn and bass clarinet.
Come 'Evansiana' in Umbria, Italy, in October of 2014 w
John Taylor
(piano), Pierluigi Balducci (electric bass) and Michele Rabbia (drums),
MacCandless at soprano sax, English horn and bass clarinet. In addition to
recording thirty albums w
Oregon, McCandless has backed a host of
others, the most pronounced being banjo virtuoso, Bela Fleck, with whom
McCandless can be found on 'Live Art'
('96), 'Greatest Hits of the 20th Century' ('99), 'Outbound' (2000) and
'Live at the Quick' ('02). McCandless has won three Grammy awards, one in association with Bela Fleck in 1996 ('Sinister Minister'), two more in 2007 and 2011 for work with
Paul Winter ('Crestone' and
'Miho: Journey to the Mountain'). McCandless began working w the group,
Charged Particles, in San Francisco in 2014 [1,
2,
3].
Other among McCandless' later contributions was
'Hommage a Eberhard Weber' in 2015 for bassist,
Eberhard Weber. Remaining
active with Oregon, as of this writing the group's
latest release was 'Lantern' as recently as 2017, their 30th album. References: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
Lord (leading 9 of 156 sessions).
Select videography. Paul McCandless 1969 Composition: Johann Sebastian Bach Arrangement: Paul Winter Paul Winter LP: 'Something in the Wind' Paul McCandless 1979 LP: 'All the Mornings Bring' All compositions McCandlessPaul McCandless 1990 Composition: Felix Mendelssohn Album by various: 'The Romantics' Paul McCandless 1992 From 'Premonition' All compositions McCandless Paul McCandless 2007 Filmed with Antonio Calogero Composition: Antonio CalogeroPaul McCandless 2008 Filmed with Art Lande Composition: McCandlessPaul McCandless 2011 Filmed in Italy Composition: Sandro SchneebeliPaul McCandless 2015 Filmed in Revensburg, Germany Guitar: Samo Salamon Drums: Roberto DaniComposition: Samo Salamon Filmed with the SWR Big Band Composition: Eberhard Weber
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Alphonse Mouzon
is but barely beyond the range of this page, being jazz musicians who issued
before 1970. But he was an important jazz fusion drummer and did record in
the sixties. Born in 1948 in Charleston, South Carolina, Mouzon studied both
drama at the City College of New York and medicine at the Manhattan Medical
School. He also received instruction from Bobby Thomas, drummer for
Billy Taylor. While yet a student he
worked professionally on Broadway in 1968 as a percussionist in the musical,
'Promises, Promises'. He was working at a hospital when he was able to quit
his day job and invest full focus on music. It was about that time on an
unknown date in 1969 that he
recorded 'Thoroughbred' and 'Blues In Orbit' with
Gil Evans, at the Village Vanguard, those released
in 1970 on
Evans' eponymously titled 'Gil Evans'.
That was reissued in
1971 as 'Blues In Orbit'. (Drummer on the remainder of the tracks on those was
Elvin Jones.) After
Evans, if not before, Mouzon joined Robin
Kenyatta at Columbia University, New York, on April 6 of 1969 for 'Beggars
and Stealers'. Sometime in 1970 Mouzon contributed to Roy Ayers' 'Ubiquity'
issued in 1971. On August 6 of 1970 it was
Wayne Shorter's 'Odyssey of Iska'.
That would lead to 'Weather Report' in February of 1971, a jazz fusion
ensemble led by
Shorter,
Joe Zawinul and
Miroslav Vitouš. Between the
above two sessions had come unissued titles for Blue Note by
Shorter on October 13 of 1970 such as
'The Creation', 'Cee', 'Dee', et al, those with
Vitouš and
McCoy Tyner present. Mouzon
would support four of
Tyner's albums from 'Sahara' in
January of 1972 to 'Enlightenment' on July 7 of 1973 at the Montreux Jazz
Festival in Switzerland. Among the more important figures in Mouzon's career
was guitarist,
Larry Coryell, with whom he had
first recorded 'Introducing the Eleventh House' in March of 1973. They were
at Mouzon's next Montreux Jazz Festival on July 4, 1974, for 'The Eleventh
House at Montreaux'. Seven more albums for
Coryell followed to 'The Coryells'
in August of 1999, including their jointly led 'The 11th House' in 1985.
Along the way they had supported pianist, Roykey Wydh's, 'Secret Message' in
1984. It had been June of 1972 when Mouzon joined drummer,
Norman Connors, with pianist,
Herbie Hancock, for 'Dance of
Magic'. Four years later they toured to Tokyo to support Kimiko Kasai's
'Butterfly' in October of 1978.
Hancock's 'Direct Step' also
went down in October in Tokyo. Three more LPs followed ('Monster' and 'Mr.
Hands') to 'Magic Windows' in 1981. Latter '80 saw
Hancock contributing to
Mouzon's 'By All Means' followed by 'Morning Sun' in 1980-81. It had been
December of 1972 that Mouzin recorded his debut album, 'The Essence of
Mystery'. Twenty years later he founded Tenacious Records in 1992, on which he
released 'The Survivor' and numerous since. Wikipedia gives him a catalogue
of 25 albums to 'Angel Face' in 2011, the latter seventeen per Tenacious
(which also reissued titles prior to 'The Survivor' by other labels). Among
numerous others for whom Mouzon drummed along his path of above couple
hundred sessions were
Jeremy Steig,
Albert Mangelsdorff, the
Piano Conclave, Patrick Moraz, Joachim Kuhn, Torsten DeWinkel and El
Chicano. Having resided in Los Angeles, he there died of cardiac arrest on
Christmas of 2016. References:
1,
2,
3.
Discographies: 1,
2,
3.
2012 interview w Gigi Brooks.
Further reading: 1,
2,
3,
4. Alphonse Mouzon 1971 Recorded 1969 Composition: George Russell Gil Evans LP: 'Blues in Orbit' Television broadcast Piano: McCoy Tyner Recorded 1969 Composition: Billy Harper Gil Evans LP: 'Blues in Orbit' Alphonse Mouzon 1974 Album Not released until 1999 Guitar: Tommy Bolin Alphonse Mouzon 1975 From 'Mind Transplant' Compositions: Mouzon Alphonse Mouzon 1976 Filmed live Bass: Jaco Pastorius Trombone: Albert Mangelsdorff Filmed live Jazz Zur Nacht Composition: Mouzon Filmed live Jazz Zur Nacht Composition: Mouzon Filmed live Trombone: Albert Mangelsdorff Bass: Jaco Pastorius Composition: Mangelsdorff/Pastorius Alphonse Mouzon 1979 Composition: John Lennon/Paul McCartney LP: 'Baby Come Back' Alphonse Mouzon 2015 Filmed at Bonzo Bash Composition: John Paul Jones/Jimmy Page/Robert Plant
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 Alphonse Mouzon Source: Valvulado |
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 Ralph Towner Source: Inner Views |
Ralph Towner was born
in Chehalis, Washington, in 1940. Though he played multiple instruments he
is best known as an acoustic guitarist. Towner was tapping piano keys at three and blowing
trumpet at five. He was a student at the University of Oregon with future
partner,
Glen Moore, in 1960. Like
Moore, he studied abroad in Vienna,
classical composition. With
Moore he was recorded with the
Paul Winter
Consort at locations in California and New York for
Winter's 1970 release of
'Road'. By that time Towner and
Moore had put together the group,
Oregon, with
Paul McCandless and
Collin Walcott. That group recorded tracks for its
first LP in 1970, but before its pressing Increase Records went bankrupt.
Those recordings didn't see light until 1980 on 'Our First Record'.
Oregon's
first LP to see record shelves was 'Music of Another Present Era' in 1972,
the same year he and
Moore released 'Trios / Solos'.
Towner,
Moore and
McCandless have remained
with
Oregon well into the new millennium,
recording 'Family Tree' as recently as April of 2012 in Ludwigsburg,
Germany. (Walcott had died in an auto
accident in 1984.) Towner's second session in the capacity of a leader
was his 1974 album, 'Diary', on which he
performed on all instruments himself (guitars, piano, gong). Having
released above 30 LPs as a leader or co-leader (not counting
Oregon),
solos among those were 'Solo Concert' ('79), 'Blue Sun' ('83), Ana ('97),
'Anthem' ('01), 'Time Line' ('06) and, his most recent issue, 'My Foolish
Heart' ('17). That had been preceded by 'Travel Guide', also in Lugano,
Switzerland, in August of 2012 with Slava Grigoryan (guitar) and Wolfgang
Muthspiel (electric guitar). Collaborations with others have included
Weather Report ('I Sing the Body Electric'
'72), John Abercrombie,
Gary Burton and
Gary Peacock. Towner is yet active, his base of operations in Rome, Italy.
As of this writing, his last release w
Oregon was 'Lantern' in 2017.
References: 1,
2,
3.
Sessions: JDP; Lord (leading 25 of 112).
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
IMDb.
Reviews: 1,
2.
Scores.
Interviews: Mark Small 2001;
NPR 2006;
Anil Prasad 2010
(alt);
Mario Calvitti 2017;
Jeff Tamarkin 2017;
Anil Prasad 2017;
various. Books by
Towner: 'Improvisation and Performance Techniques for Classical and Acoustic
Guitar' (Hal Leonard 1985)
*;
other.
Archives: 1,
2. Other profiles:
1,
2,
3,
4.
Ralph Towner 1973 Composition: Towner LP: 'Trios / Solos' Bass: Glen Moore Composition: Towner Bass: Glen Moore Ralph Towner 1975 Composition: Towner LP: 'Solstice' Ralph Towner 1979 LP: 'Old Friends, New Friends' All compositions: TownerRalph Towner 1982 Guitar: John Abercrombie Composition: TownerRalph Towner 1996 Album: 'Ana' All compositions: TownerRalph Towner 2001 Album Ralph Towner 2005 Filmed live Guitars: Wolfgang Muthspiel & Slava Grigoryan Composition: Towner Ralph Towner 2007? Television broadcast Composition: TownerRalph Towner 2011 Filmed live Trumpet/Flugelhorn: Paolo Fresu Ralph Towner 2012 Filmed in Banchette, Turin Composition: Edgar Sampson 1934
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 Lenny White Source: WCSU FM |
Lenny White [*] was
a jazz fusion drummer born in 1949 in NYC. Self-taught, he is thought to
have begun his career at age nineteen with, already,
Jackie McLean. Lord's disco finds him
with Miles
Davis in August of '69 toward 'Bitches Brew' issued in 1970. That November he recorded 'Passing Ships' with
Andrew Hill. That wasn't issued, however, until 2003.
Well to mention
Chick Corea's presence in those
sessions for 'Bitches Brew'.
Corea was to be one of White's more
important associates into the decades to come. Together with backing other
enterprises together, such as Wallace Roney in '96, they supported each
other's projects. White joined
Chick Corea's Return To Forever in
time to record that group's third studio album, 'Hymn of the Seventh
Galaxy', in August of 1973. Three more LPs w Return to Forever followed to
'Romantic Warrior' in February of 1976, with reunions as late as 2009 for
'Returns' and 'Forever'.
Corea contributed to White's 'Present
Tense' in 1995. We return to '69 for
Andrew Hill's 'Passing Ships'
with bassist,
Ron Carter, in on that.
Carter and White provided rhythm
to numerous bands together into the new millennium, such as
Freddie Hubbard's, also
supporting each other.
Carter contributed to White's
'Tribute to Earth, Wind & Fire' in February of 1998. Come 2001 it was
Carter's 'Stardust' with
Benny Golson at tenor sax. Lord's
disco shows them together to as late as vocalist, Letizia Gambi's, 'Blue
Monday' issued in March of 2016. We slip back to July of 1971 for another
important bassist, and electric bassist,
Stanley Clarke, that for
trombonist,
Curtis Fuller's, 'Crankin''.
Also participating in other operations together, such as the Manhattan
Project in 1989,
Clarke and White supported
each other's projects into the new millennium. White contributed to
Clarke's 'Children of
Forever' in December 1972, 'Journey to Love' ('75) and 'Jazz in the Garden'
in December 2008 in a trio with Hiromi at piano.
Clarke had been a constant
member of
Chick Corea's Return to Forever since
that ensemble's inception in 1972.
Clarke and White thus
collaborated on the several albums to which White contributed.
Clarke also participated in
White's 'Present Tense' in '95 and 'Renderers of Spitit' in '96. They held
their last mutual session as recently as 'Beka Gochiashvili' issued in 2012.
White had put down his debut album in the summer of 1975: 'Venusian Summer'.
'Big City followed in 1976, 'Presents the Adventures of Astral Pirates' in
'77. Upon departing from
Corea's outfit, Return to
Forever, in 1979 White put together the group, Twennynine [1,
2],
w Denzil Miller (keyboards), Eddie Martinez (guitar). That ensemble's first album, 'Best of Friends',
saw issue in 1979 with vocalists, Don
Blackman and Lynn Davis. Twennynine saw release on a couple more albums
partially sharing identical tracks
until 'Just Like Dreamin'' in 1981, yet consisting of Miller and Martinez
amidst a much larger band. Into the nineties White joined Igor Butman (sax),
Andrei Kondakov (piano) and
Eddie Gómez (bass) in Long Island on 18 Dec of
'96 toward 'Blues for 4' released in Russia in 2011 on Butman IB 74007. A
tour to Japan in 1997 saw later issue in 2013 on 'Lenny White Live'. Issuing numerously into the new millennium, White released 'Anomaly'
[1,
2,
3,
4] in 2010.
'Explorations in Space and Time' went down on 20 Dec of 2010 w fellow
percussionists, Jamey Haddad and Mark Sherman. Staying busy to this day, Tom
Lord traces White contributing to numerous operations to possibly as late as
2019 for pianist, George Colligan's, 'Again with Attitude' w
Buster Williams at
bass. Amidst the host of others with whom
White has recorded are
Gato Barbieri,
Joe Henderson, Azteca and Al Di Meola. White is yet active, touring the United States
as of this writing. Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5, Lord (leading 52 of 278
sessions).
IMDb.
Facebook.
Interviews: Aran Wald 1977;
UnderYourSkin 2009;
Charles Waring 2010.
Further reading: White on Miles
Davis: Jazz Times.
Other profiles: 1,
2. Lenny White 1969 Recorded 7 Nov 1969 Andrew Hill album: 'Passing Ships' Recorded 7/14 Nov 1969 Issued 2003 All compositions Hill Composition: Miles Davis Recorded 28 Nov 1969 Album: 'Complete Bitches Brew Sessions' Lenny White 1970 'If You're Not Part of the Solution' Composition: Joe Henderson Joe Henderson Quintet Album: 'At the Lighthouse' Lenny White 1975 Date unconfirmed Filmed live Lenny White 1978 The Adventures of Astral Pirates Lenny White 1979 With Twennynine Composition: White Album: 'Best of Friends' Lenny White 1995 Composition: Bernard Wright/White Album: 'Present Tense' Lenny White 2008 Filmed in San Sebastian, Spain Guitars: Stanley Clarke & Al Di Meola Keyboards: Chick Corea Filmed live Lenny White 2010 Composition: White Album: 'Anomaly'
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 Stanley Clarke Source: World Cafe Live |
Unique bass guitarist,
Stanley Clarke,
is bit beyond the scope of this page concerning jazz musicians who surfaced
on vinyl in the sixties. But he was a major bass guitarist whose virtuosity
requires inclusion with other musicians of the period. Clarke was a composer
who performed on acoustic and electric upright bass and bass guitar. He was born in
Philadelphia in 1951. Graduating from the Philadelphia Musical Academy in
1971, he headed directly to the hotbed of jazz that was New York City and
wasted little time making himself indispensable. He soon found himself on
Curtis Fuller's 'Crankin' recorded
in July of '71.
Lenny White played drums on
that, to become one of the more important percussionists in Clarke's career,
both backing other enterprises, like
Chick Corea's Return to Forever (RTF),
and each other.
White drummed on Clarke's debut album, 'Children of
Forever', in December of 1972. Clarke contributed bass to 'Dark' on
White's
'Present Tense' in 1995 and 'Ho - Cake' on 'Renderors of Spirit' in 1996.
Among other collaborations over the years was 'Jazz in the Garden' in 2014
with the Stanley Clarke Trio including pianist, Hiromi Uehara. Lord's disco
has Clark and
White together as late as 'Beka Gochiashvili' in 2012.
Returning to 1971,
Gato Barbieri's 'Under Fire'
also went down that year on an unknown date. That included
Airto Moreira, another of the
more important percussionists in Clarke's career, interweaving on multiple
occasions into the latter seventies in support of other enterprises like
Barbieri's or
Chick Corea's. Along the way
Clarke contributed to
Moreira's 'Virgin Land' in
February of 1974. Clarke's 'Stanley Clark' went down on an unknown date that
year as well. ;October of 1977 found them supporting Dee Dee
Bridgewater's 'Just Family'. Lord's disco has their next and last mutual
sessions in 1987 for Billy Shields' 'Shieldstone' and Dianne Reeves' 'Dianne
Reeves'. We slip back to 1971 for sessions with
Joe Henderson in May, Luis
Gasca in August and
Pharoah Sanders in November
for 'Black
Unity'. He then hooked up with pianist,
Chick Corea,
joining the latter's group, Return to Forever (RTF), to record 'Return to
Forever' in February of 1972. Clarke would remain with RTF through six more
albums into 1977, but would reunite with
Corea in the eighties and the new
millennium. The RTF was resurrected in the new millennium as well: 'Returns'
('09), 'Forever' ('11) and 'The Mothership Returns' ('12).
Corea had supported Clarke's debut album, 'Children of Forever', in
December of 1972. Above forty years later
Corea contributed piano to
Clarke's 'Up' in 2014. Among the numerous others Clarke supported were
saxophonist,
Stan Getz, Indian violinist,
Lakshminarayana Subramaniam, and saxophonist, Doug Webb. Clarke himself would issue
more than forty albums, also responsible for more than sixty
television and film scores, starting with 'Pee Wee’s Playhouse' in the mid
eighties. Films would include such as 'Boyz ‘N the Hood' in 1991 and 'Barber
Shop: The Next Cut' more recently in 2016. Clarke had
also worked much as a producer over the years introducing new talent to jazz
audiences. Having won
numerous honors including four Grammy awards, among Clarke's latest issues
were 'Up' [1,
2,
3] in
2014 and 'D-Stringz' in 2016, the latter gone down in Brussels, Belgium, in August of 2014
with Bireli Lagrene at guitar and
Jean-Luc Ponty on violin.
Also issued in 2016 was pan flautist, Damian Draghici's, 'The American
Dream'. Clarke's latest issue as of this writing was 'The Message' [1,
2,
2]
in 2018 w Beka Gochiashvili (piano), Cameron Graves (synthesizer) and Mike
Mitchell (drums). His most recent soundtrack was for 'Halston' [*]
directed by Frédéric Tcheng in 2019, a documentary addressing the life of
fashion designer, Roy Halston Frowick. His preferred
electric bass the handmade Alembic, Clarke yet tours internationally. References: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8, Lord (leading 38 of 192 sessions).
Soundtracks: 1,
2.
Facebook.
Interviews: Anil Prasad 1998;
Ed Gordon 2005;
Nick Deriso 2012;
Ward Meeker 2014;
Chris Jisi 2015;
Jackson Sinnenberg 2018.
Transcriptions: 'Stanley Clarke Collection: Bass Recorded Versions' (Hal Leonard 1999).
Further reading: DJF;
PIJF.
Stanley Clarke 1971 Album by Curtis Fuller: 'Crankin' Recorded 27/28 July 1971 All compositions Fuller Composition: Sanders Album by Pharoah Sanders Recorded 24 Nov 1971 Stanley Clarke 1972 Album by Chick Corea Stanley Clarke 1973 Stanley Clarke 1974 Composition: Sanders Album: 'Stanley Clarke' Stanley Clarke 1975 Stanley Clarke 1976 All compositions Clarke Stanley Clarke 1977 Filmed at Montreux Composition: Clarke Stanley Clarke 1979 Recorded live 1977/78 Filmed live Stanley Clarke 1993 Stanley Clarke 1995 Guitar: Al Di Meola Violin: Jean-Luc Ponty Stanley Clarke 2002 Filmed live Stanley Clarke 2003 Filmed live Stanley Clarke 2006 Filmed with Jeff Beck Stanley Clarke 2009 Filmed Marcus Miller & Victor Wooten Filmed Marcus Miller & Victor Wooten Stanley Clarke 2010 Filmed live Stanley Clarke 2015 Filmed live Stanley Clarke 2018 Composition: Clarke Album: 'The Message' Stanley Clarke 2019 Soundtrack Composition: Clarke
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Eddie Henderson
is beyond the scope of this page concerning jazz musicians who issued before
1970. But he was a major trumpet talent just a hop across the fence. Born in 1940 in New York City.
His mother was a dancer at the Cotton Club. His father died when he was
nine, his mother to remarry a doctor who took them to San Francisco in
1954. Henderson had begun trumpet at age nine. His mother had known
Louis Armstrong and Miles
Davis, Henderson as well, the latter's influence apparent in tracks
below. Henderson
attended the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, after which he joined the
San Francisco Conservatory Symphony Orchestra. After three years in the Air
Force Henderson received his bachelor's in zoology from the University of
California Berkeley. His doctorate in medicine followed in 1968 from Howard
University in Washington DC, after which he spent a residency in psychiatry.
He would practice medicine together with his musical career until the latter
eighties. Henderson was serving an internship in San Francisco when he recorded 'Mwandishi'
with
Herbie Hancock in 1970, issued the next year.
Hancock would play an
important role in Henderson's career through the seventies, both supporting
each other's projects and backing other operations such as
Norman Connors'. Henderson
contributed to
Hancock's 'Crossings' in
December of '71, 'Sextant' in '72 and 'V.S.O.P.' in '76.
Hancock participated in
Henderson's debut LP, 'Realization' [1,
2,
3,
4,
5], in February of '73, 'Inside Out' in
October of '73, 'Mahal' in '78 and 'Runnin' to Your Love' in '79. They would
reunite in 1998 for
Hancock's 'Gershwin's World'.
Present on
Hancock's 'Crossings' in 1971
was drummer,
Billy Hart, with whom Henderson
would interweave numerously throughout their careers, both backing each
other's projects and other ensembles.
Hart supported eight of
Henderson's albums from his debut, 'Realization', in 1973 to 'Precious
Moment' on March 22 of 2005. Henderson contributed to
Hart's debut LP, 'Enchance', in
March of 1977 and 'Rah' in 1987. Come 2010
Hart and Henderson formed the Cookers
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5] with
Billy Harper (tenor sax), David
Weiss (trumpet), Craig Handy (alto/flute), George Cables (piano) and
Cecil McBee. Four albums later in 2016
it was 'The Call of the Wild and Peaceful Heart' with the same configuration
excepting that Donald Harrison had replaced Handy on alto.
Hart and Henderson have partnered
as recently as pianist, Bob Gluck's, 'Infinite Spirit' in June of 2015. As
for
Norman Connors, Henderson
would participate in five of his albums from 'Dance of Magic' in June of
1972 to 'Saturday Night Special' in May of 1975. They would reunite in
Raleigh, NC, on October 27, 1996, for Elmer Gibson's 'Generation Dance'.
Present on
Connors' 'Dance of Magic' was
Cecil McBee, later to become one of
the Cookers per above. Henderson's first mutual session with George Cables
per the Cookers above is thought to have been in 1975 in Hollywood for
Gary Bartz' 'Music Is My
Sanctuary'. Cables put piano to Henderson's 'Comin' Through' in 1977.
Henderson contributed tracks to Cables' 'Morning Song' in 1980. Henderson
also supported saxman,
Pharoah Sanders's, 'Journey
to the One' in 1980. Toward the end of that decade another important figure
arrived in tenor saxophonist,
Billy Harper, Henderson joining
Harper on the latter's 'Destiny
Is Yours' in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December, 1989. 1991 would realize
three volumes of 'Live on Tour in the Far East'. Come Harper's 'Somalia' in
October of 1993 and 'If Our Hearts Could Only See' in February of '97. Per
above Henderson and
Harper were also members of the
Cookers from 2010 to 2016. Approaching toward a couple hundred sessions,
Henderson has recorded as widely as with Buddy Terry ('Pure Dynamite' '72),
Pete Yellin,
Stanley Cowell and Steve
Davis.
Henderson is down for 15 albums as a leader at Wikipedia since 'Realization'
in '73. He commenced the
new millennium w 'Oasis' [1,
2]
in 2001, that w a crew of Kevin Hays (piano), Joe Locke (vibraphone) and
Billy Drummond at drums. Four albums later in 2015 it was 'Collective
Portrait' [1,
2,
3,
4,
5] w
Gary Bartz, George Cables, Doug
Weiss and Carl Allen. He recorded his latest release as of this writing, 'Be
Cool' [1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
9], on 31 Oct 2017 in New York. Henderson yet performs in clubs as of this writing.
References: 1,
2,
3.
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
Lord (leading 30 of 189 sessions).
Facebook.
Further reading: R.J. Deluke.
Other profiles: 1,
2,
3,
4. Eddie Henderson 1971 Album by Herbie Hancock Eddie Henderson 1973 From 'Realization' Composition: Herbie Hancock Composition: Henderson Eddie Henderson 1975 From 'Sunburst' Composition: Henderson Composition: Alphonso Johnson Composition: Henderson Eddie Henderson 1977 From 'Comin' Through' Composition: George Cables Composition: Henderson Eddie Henderson 1978 From 'Mahal' Composition: Herbie Hancock Composition: James Mtume Eddie Henderson 1994 From 'Manhattan in Blue' (Japan) Issued as 'Inspiration' in the US in 1995 Composition: Benny Golson Music: Bronisław Kaper 1947 Lyrics: Ned Washington Eddie Henderson 2013 Filmed live Composition: Henderson Eddie Henderson 2015 Eddie Henderson 2018 Composition: Natsuko Henderson Album: 'Be Cool'
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 Eddie Henderson Source: Songkick |
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Bobbi Humphrey
was born Barbara Ann Humphrey in Marlin, Texas, in 1950, raised in Dallas to
later make new York her base of operations. Humphrey was playing flute by
high school and continued studies at a couple universities in Texas. She was
noticed by Dizzy
Gillespie who was passing through town and secured her an engagement
at the Apollo Theatre in NYC. Her initial recordings there were for
trumpeter,
Lee Morgan's, last studio album in
September of 1971, 'The Last Session', issued in '72. She recorded her first album in
September and October of 1971 at Rudy Van Gelder's in New Jersey:
'Flute-In', issued that year. July of '72 saw her second LP, 'Dig This!',
gone down in NYC. 'Blacks and Blues'
[1,
2,
3,
4,
5] was accompanied by the Mizell Brothers
[*], Alphonso and Larry, et al, in Hollywood in June of 1973.
A few albums later she was elected Best Female
Instrumentalist in 1976 by Billboard. She participated in both volumes of 'Montreux
Summit' in July of 1977. After 'The Good Life' in '79 Humphrey didn't issue
another album until 'City Beat' in 1988. The nineties saw her founding Paradise Sounds Records in
'94, she releasing
her twelfth and last album that year: 'Passion Flute'. References: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7
(alt).
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
Lord (leading 17 of 25 sessions).
Reviews.
Interviews: Rico Washington 2006.
Other profiles *. Per 1971 below,
Humphrey is joined by
Billy Harper on sax. Bobbi Humphrey 1971 Bobbi Humphrey 1973 All compositions Larry MizellBobbi Humphrey 1974 Composition: Larry Mizell Album: 'Satin Doll' Bobbi Humphrey 1975 From 'Fancy Dancer' Composition: Larry & Fonce Mizell/Warren JordanComposition: Larry Mizell Bobbi Humphrey 1977 Composition: Skip Scarborough Album: 'Tailor Made' Bobbi Humphrey 1979 Composition: Humphrey/Tom James Album: 'The Good Life' Bobbi Humphrey 1988 From 'City Beat' Composition: Humphrey Composition: Kenneth Simms Bobbi Humphrey 2012 Filmed live Composition: Ralph MacDonald
|
 Bobbi Humphrey Source: Discogs |
|
 Weather Report 1979 L to R: Joe Zawinul (keyboards) Wayne Shorter (horns) Peter Erskine (drums) Jaco Pastorius (bass) Source: Record Collector News |
Weather Report is a
bit beyond the scope of this page concerning jazz groups and musicians who
issued recordings before 1970. But as jazz fusion (jazz rock, jazz et al) would become a
major genre in itself in the seventies and eighties, Weather Report requires
mention as among its earliest expressions. The group was put together by
saxophonist,
Wayne Shorter, and keyboard player,
Joe Zawinul, who had first met in
1959 in
Maynard Ferguson's big band.
Recruiting
Miroslav Vitouš for bass
guitar and upright bass, and
Alphonse Mouzon for drums,
Don Alias and Barbara Burton were added to the group's original personnel
for percussion. Personnel would shift about during the sixteen years of the
band's existence, perhaps most notably in 1976 when bass guitarist, Jaco
Pastorius [1,
2,
3,
4] joined the band for several years (leaving in 1981). Drummer,
Peter Erskine, who had begun his recording recording career in 1972 with
Stan Kenton, joined the group in 1978.
The group issued its first album, 'Weather Report' in 1971. Their seventh
and most
popular album, 'Heavy Weather'
[1,
2,
3], arrived in 1977 containing Zawinul's
composition, 'Birdland' [1,
2]. Weather Report's sixteenth and last
studio release was 'This Is This!' in 1986. Two live albums had been issued in
the seventies as well: 'Live In Tokyo' ('72) and '8:30' ('79).
Shorter would eventually lose
interest in the group among other pursuits, spelling its demise in 1986.
Zawinul would continue with the
band another year, rechristened Weather Update.
References: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Members.
Drummers.
Discos: Bianchi's Annotated,
Discogs,
RYM,
Wikipedia.
Album reviews.
Compilations preceding Pastorious: 'The Columbia Albums 1971-1975' issued in 2015:
1,
2,
3.
Compilations w Pastorious: 'Live and Unreleased' 1975-83 by Columbia 2003: 1,
2; 'The Legendary Live Tapes 1978-1981' by Legacy 2015: 1,
2.
Facebook tribute.
Per 1971 below, notes per Discogs state that 'Vienna, November 1971' was recorded, not in Vienna, but
at ORF Studio in Klagenfurt for radio broadcast. Another note comments that
the CD cover features a photograph from a 1978 German Rockpalast broadcast.
(The entry for 'Weather Report', the group's initial album, uses the same
image but isn't that album's cover.) Weather Report 1971 Berlin television broadcast Release unknown Album Weather Report 1973 Album Weather Report 1975 Filmed live Weather Report 1976 Side A Side B Weather Report 1977 Album Weather Report 1978 Album DVD released 2011 Recording by Dan Lampinski Made public 2010? Weather Report 1982 Filmed live Composition: Joe Zawinul Weather Report 1984 Filmed concert
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|
 Peter Erskine Source: Gitarren |
Peter Erskine is a
couple steps beyond the range of this page, being musicians who saw vinyl
before 1970. But a bit longer step turns two into one, and Erskine requires
mention as one of the more important jazz drummers among his slightly
earlier contemporaries bearing jazz through the seventies. Erskine was born
in 1954 in Somers Point, New Jersey. He graduated from the Interlochen Arts
Academy in Michigan, and studied at Indiana University as well before
joining the
Stan Kenton Orchestra in 1972. It was
with
Kenton's big band that Erskine first
appeared on record, 'National Anthems of the World' issued that year.
Erskine stayed with Kenton through four more LPs to 'Fire, Fury and Fun' in
latter 1974. Come
Maynard Ferguson for 'New
Vintage' ('77), 'Conquistador' ('77) and 'Carnival' ('78). From 'Mr. Gone'
in September of 1978 to the summer of 1981 Erskine contributed to titles to
be found on seven albums issued by
Weather Report. Come Jaco
Pastorius' 'Word of Mouth' in July of 1981, 'Twins 1 & 2' in '82',
'Invitation' in '83 and 'The Birthday Concert' in '95. Erskine
issued his debut album, 'Peter Erskine', in 1982. The next year he joined
Steps Ahead for the LP by that name, followed by 'Modern Times' ('84) and
'Magnetic' ('86). The eighties also saw Erskine beginning to back such as
John Abercrombie (five
albums), Bob Mintzer (five albums),
Gary Burton (three albums) and Eliane Elias
(five albums).
The nineties saw him recording with Vince Mendoza (three albums) and Nguyên
Lê (three albums). The 21st century witnessed titles for Dewa Budjana (three
albums), then Yelena
Eckemoff (three albums). Erskine has also published several books and DVDs.
AllAboutJazz draws attention to 'No Beethoven' by Alfred Music in 2013
containing Erskine's chronicle of
Weather Report. Credited with well above 500 sessions including film scores
[Lord], he has led or
co-led well above forty albums. His last studio
albums per this writing were released in 2016: 'Dr. Um' and 'Side Man Blues'. Erskine is yet
active, touring internationally. References 1,
2,
3.
Discos: 1,
2,
3.
Equipment.
Erskine at Facebook.
Other profiles: DrummerWorld. Per 1972 below, both tracks are from
Stan Kenton's 'National Anthems Of The
World'. Per 1994, 'Time Being' is with the trio consisting of Palle
Danielsson (double bass) and
John Taylor (piano). Peter Erskine 1975 Live telecast with Maynard Ferguson Composition: Alan Downey/Maynard Ferguson Peter Erskine 1978 Concert filmed with Weather Report Peter Erskine 1983 Concert filmed with Steps Ahead Peter Erskine 1986 Composition: Vince Mendoza LP: 'Transition' 'Music from Shakespeare's King Richard II' Composition: Peter Erskine LP: 'Transition' Peter Erskine 1990 Album by Gary Burton Peter Erskine 1994 From 'Time Being': Composition: John Taylor Composition: Kenny Wheeler Peter Erskine 2014 Album Bass: Janek Gwizdala Piano: Paolo Di Sabatino Peter Erskine 2015 Filmed at the Blue Note Milano Trio M/E/D Piano: Rita Marcotulli Bass: Palle Danielsson DVD: 'Bass Sessionz Vol 1'
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 Jon Faddis Source: WBGO |
Jon Faddis is a
bit beyond the scope of this page, too young to have appeared on any issued
recordings in the sixties. He was, however, a major trumpeter (would perform
with the upraised trumpet like
Gillespie), and
Oregon mustn't hog the show for year 1972.
Born in 1953 in Oakland, CA, Faddis began honking at age seven, inspired by
Louis Armstrong on the
'Ed Sullivan Show'. He was just eighteen fresh out of high school
when he joined Lionel
Hampton's orchestra. That would have made it 1971 when he participated
in Mike Mainieri's 'White Elephant' for issue in 1972 (Just Sunshine Records
JSS 3000). That recorded in NYC, one presumes Faddis had made his way from
California to New
York via Hampton, whence he began doing session work in '72. His first
certain date that year was on January 25 for
Thad Jones' and Mel Lewis'
'Meetin' Place' on their album, 'Suite for Pops'. The next day he recorded
three unissued titles for Ray Bryant: 'Keeping', 'D-Blues' and 'Hy Life'.
Apt to mention that in attendance on the 25th was among Faddis' more
constant comrades to come, that flautist,
Eddie Daniels, with whom he
would interweave numerously into the eighties in support of other bands.
Along the way he contributed to
Daniels' 'Street Wind' in
1978. Lord's disco has their last mutual sessions in 1984 on
David Sanborn's 'Straight to
the Heart', Don Sebesky's 'Full Cycle' and Bob James' '12'. Returning to
1972, February 4 found Faddis in concert at Philharmonic Hall with
Charles Mingus, filling in for an
ill Roy
Eldridge. That was issued that year as 'Charles Mingus and Friends in
Concert', Faddis appearing on 'Ecclusiastics', 'Little Royal Suite' and 'E's
Flat, Ah's Flat Too'. Faddis would emerge on five
Mingus LPs, three recorded
on tour in Europe, to 'Mingus at Carnegie Hall' on January 19, 1974. Apt to
mention another of Faddis' more significant comrades at Philharmonic Hall on
February 4 of 1972, that Dizzy
Gillespie. They would join
Mingus in Nice, France, for 'Nice
Mood' on July 20 of '72, then
T-Bone Walker for 'Very Rare'
in 1973. Attending the Monterey Jazz Festival in September that year, they
performed 'Manteca', that getting issued in 1997 on the LP by various,
'Monterey Jazz Festival: 40 Legendary Years'. The next month found Faddis on
Gillespie's 'Journey to Next'. 1977 found them performing live titles in
Nice and Montreux, Switzerland.
Gillespie's 'Live in Concert' went down in Bern, Switzerland, in May of
1982. They recorded titles in Netherlands in '88 before
Gillespie participated in Faddis' 'Hornucopia' in 1990.
Gillespie's 'To Diz With Love' followed in early 1992 at the Blue Note
in NYC. Returning to 1972, come
Charles Earland for 'Charles
III' on February 14 and 'Intensity' on February 16. (Lee Morgan's final recordings were
on 'Intensity', he shot to death by his girlfriend two days later at age
thirty-three.) Faddis' fifth album with
Earland was 'The Great
Pyramid' issued in 1976. Well to return to circa July 1972 for what are
thought Faddis' first titles with saxophonist and flautist,
Frank Wess, those for pianist, Gap
Mangione's, 'Sing Along Junk'. Faddis and
Wess would partner numerously in the
support of various operations into the new millennium. Examples of such were
'Eastwood After Hours' at Carnegie Hall in 1996 with trombonist, Steve
Turre, and Turre's 'Swing Summit: Passing the Torch' in Tarrytown, New York,
in 1997. September 2005 saw
Wess participating in Faddis' 'Teranga'
[1,
2].
We slip back to January of 1973 for guitarist,
Eric Gale's 'Forecast'.
Gale would be another important
presence in Faddis' career, they partnering numerously into the eighties in
support of other enterprises like those of pianist, Bob James, or
Stanley Turrentine. Along
the way Faddis participated in
Gale's 'Ginseng Woman' and
'Multiplication' issued in 1977. Lord's disco has them together as late as
Ralph McDonald's '(It's) The Game' in 1984. James' was also a strong
presence along Faddis' path into the eighties, they partnering numerously in
support of other operations when Faddis wasn't backing James' projects.
Faddis participated in eleven of James' LPs from 'One' in 1974 to 'Grand
Piano Canyon' released in 1990. We return to September of 1973 for a tour to London with the
Thad Jones/Mel Lewis
Jazz Orchestra to record Thad Jones/Mel Lewis and The Jazz Orchestra Meet
Manuel De Sica' in September of 1973. Faddis hung with the
Jones/Lewis
operation to December 17 of 1975 for two takes of 'Love to One Is One to
Love' spliced into one that got issued. During that period Faddis
contributed to Eumir Deodato's 'Whirlwinds' with guitarist, John Tropea,
sometime in 1974. Faddis and Tropea partnered numerously into the
eighties in support of other bands, as well as backing each other's
projects. Faddis participated in Tropea's 'Short Trip to Space' in '76, 'To
Touch You Again' in '79 and 'Live at Mikell's' in April of 1980. Tropea
supported Faddis' 'Good and Plenty' in latter 1978. Lord's disco has
them together to as late as Michael Franks' 'Passion Fruit' in 1983. We back up
to 5 June 1975 for a duo w pianist,
Oscar Peterson, issued on 'Oscar
Peterson & Jon Faddis' [*]. In March of 1976
it was another important pianist in Lalo Schifrin whose 'Black
Widow' went down that month. Five more
Schifrin albums followed to a
couple titles on 'Ins And Outs and Lalo Live At The Blue Note' issused in
2003. Faddis' first name LP had been performed in Tokyo on March 13 of 1974,
co-led with saxophone player,
Billy Harper toward 'Jon & Billy'.
Also in on that were Roland Hanna
(piano),
George Mraz (bass), Motohiko
Hino (drums) and Cecil Bridgewater (kalimba).
Mraz would back Faddis on his
next album, 'Youngblood', in January of 1976 in the Faddis' quartet with
Kenny Barron (piano) and Mickey
Roker (drums). He put together a whole orchestra for 'Good and Plenty' in
latter 1978. Five albums later it was 'Teranga' [1,
2] in 2006. Faddis rode the nineties
into the 21st century as Director of the Dizzy Gillespie Allumni All-Stars.
He also began teaching trumpet at SUNY
Purchase early in the new millennium. Faddis has preferred the Shike
trumpet. Lord's disco credits Faddis with a prolific 407 sessions, found as
recently as 2015 on 'Dear Dizzy: A Tribute to Dizzy Gillespie' with the
Temple University Jazz Band. Among the numerous others with whom he had
recorded during his early career in the seventies were
Johnny Hammond Smith
('The Prophet' in '72),
Mongo Santamaria,
Les McCann, the Manhattan Transfer,
David Matthews and
Anthony Braxton. The
eighties brought such as Wynton Marsalis, Bobby Watson, Peter Washington and
Renee Rosnes. The nineties brought such as Douglas Purviance, Aydin Esen and
Jerry Dodgion. Performances in the new millennium include a tribute to Miles
Davis in 2011 at Prague Castle for Czech President, Václav Klaus, a pianist
himself [1,
2]. References: 1,
2,
3,
4.
Sessions: J-Disc; Lord (leading 17 of 417).
Discos: 1,
2,
3.
IMDb.
Facebook.
Interviews:
Marian McPartland for NPR 2004.
Press.
Other profiles: 1,
2,
3,
4. Per 1987 below, Faddis
joins Dizzy
Gillespie
(trumpet), Arturo Sandoval (trumpet),
Slide Hampton (trombone),
Johnny Griffin (tenor sax),
Hank Jones (piano),
Eddie Gómez (bass) and
Ed Thigpen (drums) at a concert
for ZDF Jazz Club in Germany. Jon Faddis 1972 Composition: Charles Mingus 'Charles Mingus and Friends in Concert' Jon Faddis 1974 Composition: Roland Hanna 'Jon & Billy: Jon Faddis & Billy Harper' Jon Faddis 1976 Composition: Antônio Maria/Luiz Bonfá Album: 'Youngblood' Jon Faddis 1977 Filmed live Note: Above concert issued in 1977 on 'Montreux '77: Dizzy Gillespie Jam' (Pablo Live series *). It was reissued in 2005 on 'Dizzy Gillespie Sextet '77' (Norman Granz Jazz in Montreux series *). Jon Faddis 1982 Dizzy Gillespie Dream Band Composition: 1947: Dizzy Gillespie/Chano Pozo/Gil Fuller Jon Faddis 1985 'Merv Griffin Show' with Jack Sheldon Composition: Duke Ellington 1940 Jon Faddis 1987 Filmed live: ZDF Jazz Club Germany Composition: Juan Tizol/Duke Ellington 1936 Filmed live Composition: Dizzy Gillespie/Frank Paparelli 1942 Jon Faddis 1990 With Doc Cheatham & Wynton Marsallis Music: Lil Armstrong 1930 Lyrics: Don Raye Jon Faddis 1999 Composition: Antonio Carlos (Tom) Jobim Album: "Dizzy's World' Jon Faddis 2006
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Oregon was a group
employing avant-garde, classical and East Indian elements. It was formed in 1970 by
Paul McCandless (woodwinds),
Glen Moore (double
bass/violin),
Ralph Towner (guitar) and
Collin Walcott (percussion/ sitar/ tabla).
They first recorded in 1970 for Increase Records, which decreased into
bankruptcy before pressing. Those tracks instead eventually ended up on 'Our
First Record' in 1980. The group's first release was in 1972 with 'Music of
Another Present Era' followed by ''Distant Hills' in '73. Since that time
the band has issued 25 more albums. Walcott died in 1984 in an auto accident
on November 8 in Germany the month after recording 'Crossing' in Germany in
October. His last track with Oregon was 'The Silence of a Candle' laid out
in Czechoslovakia in October, 1984, found on the album by various,
'Bratislava Jazz Days 1984'. (Walcott had
released three LPs of his own plus three with the group, Codona.) He was
replaced by Indian percussionist, Trilok Gurtu [1,
2,
3,
4], in 1986, the group's next
album 'Ecotopia' gone down in March of '87. Girtu remained
until 1992, the group a trio until 1996 when percussionist, Mark
Walker [1,
2,
(alt)], joined Oregon for 'Northwest Passage'. Important in 1999 was Oregon's tour to Moscow,
Russia, to record 'In Moscow' with the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra,
issued 2000. The group's first album in the new millennium was 'Live at
Yoshi's' recorded in August, 2001, in Oakland, CA. Five albums have followed
to 'Family Tree' recorded in April of 2012 in Ludwigsburg, Germany. That was
yet with original members,
McCandless,
Moore and
Towner accompanied by Walker.
The same configuration has remained to Oregon's most recent issue as of this
writing, 'Lantern' [1,
2], in 2017,
that their 30th album. Oregon has been a highly popular
band throughout the decades of its existence. References: 1,
2,
3.
Sessions: JDP;
live;
Tom Lord (42).
Discos: 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Compilations: 'Out of the Woods' | 'Roots in the Sky' by Collector's Choice 2005 containing 2 albums issued in 1978:
1,
2.
Set list. Oregon 1972 Album Oregon 1978 Composition: Ralph Towner LP: 'Out of the Woods' Oregon 1980 Composition: Collin Walcott/Ralph Towner LP: 'Our First Record' Recorded 1970 Oregon 1987 Composition: Ralph Towner LP: 'Distant Hills' Oregon 2006 Filmed live Composition: Ralph Towner Filmed live Composition: Ralph Towner Oregon 2009 Filmed live Composition: Ralph Towner Oregon 2018 Concert filmed live
|
 Oregon Source: Prog Archives |
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|
We pause this history of modern jazz in the United States from 1960 to 1970 with Oregon. |
|
Early Blues 2: Vocal - Other Instruments
Modern Blues 2: Vocal - Other Instruments
Romantic: Composers born 1770 to 1840
Modern: Composers born 1900 to 1950
Early Jazz 1: Ragtime - Bands - Horn
Early Jazz 2: Ragtime - Other Instrumentation
Modern 4: Guitar - Other String
Modern 5: Percussion - Other Orchestration
Modern 7: Latin Jazz - Latin Recording
Modern 8: United States 1960 - 1970
Modern 9: International 1960 - 1970
Latin
Latin Recording 2: The Caribbean
Latin Recording 3: South America
Total War - Sixties American Rock
Classical - Medieval to Renaissance
Classical - Baroque to Classical
Classical - Romantic to Modern
Jazz Early - Ragtime - Swing Jazz
Jazz Modern- Percussion - Latin - Song - Other
Boogie Woogie - Doo Wop - R&B - Rock & Roll - Soul - Disco
Sixties American Rock - Popular
vfssmail (at) gmaill (dot) com
