BYOV - Meeting #6

A month since my last post!?! That sucks. I have been working on a few pieces. They have required some interaction and some research. Hope to have at least one of them up within a week or two.

Once again, it is that time of year. I did manage to escape that web on Black Friday.

Sometimes things just don’t go your way. I had been concerned about attendance for our sixth installment (Nov. 20) because of a slight change in time, 1pm instead of the usual 3pm. Then it had to be a gorgeous, warm and sunny Sunday afternoon. Recipe for disaster. I should have wished for a black Sunday...

To top it off, my friendly relationship with my MacBook ended when it decided not to work at all that afternoon, thus making it impossible to play CDs. Fine, fine… The show must go on. And it did to a smaller crew than usual. But what we lacked in size, we made up for in spirit!

We had one theme for BYOV #6:

Everyone's an expert. Presenters should bring a recording they find best represents the work of an artist they feel that they really get. Then explain what makes them so special. Mariah Carey's biggest fan? Bring your favorite track by your gurl. Bix Beiderbecke gets you revved? Haul out your 78s. Be prepared to defend your choices. We have some critics hanging around.

Before we played any music, there was a long discussion covering a wide range of musical topics. It began with Steve Futterman inquiring if anyone had seen any live music over the previous week. He and his brother Robert had been to see Chick Corea at the Blue Note, both with differing but altogether positive reviews. I admitted not being much of a Corea fan, at least not since his earlier works on Blue Note or ECM (I don’t think I said so much but hope it was implied).

Sorry to sidetrack but some of this will come up again later…

Anyway… This led to a discussion of musicians and their choices of musical direction. David Sanborn’s name came up rather quickly. Most of us had a huge respect for his abilities as a saxophonist but not in his choice of material. It has been interesting to note that many saxophonists from the past couple of decades were weaned on Sanborn and hold him in the highest regard. Discussion entered on where he had played in some more “interesting” musical settings. There were his recordings with Butterfield Blues Band, Stevie Wonder, Tim Berne and the Gil Evans Orchestra.

As I typically present last, I was asked to present first and as fate would have it the first recording happened to be of that aforementioned Gil Evans Orchestra (which happened to include Mr. Sanborn).

1. Marvin “Hannibal” Peterson w/ the Gil Evans Orchestra – “Zee Zee” from Svengali (Atlantic SD 1643 (1973))
Presented by Me – LP

I knew that these guys would guess this track immediately, after all that talk. I put the needle to the groove and as soon as those low brass tones came in:

“Those first notes…”

Everyone knew that it was Evans and the Orchestra. I believe Steve guessed that it was the Svengali recording. Though I had thought of presenting Evans, I was more concerned with the soloist on this particular track.

Then came that trumpet.

Robert: “Is that Hannibal?”

Yes, sir. Marvin “Hannibal” Peterson, aka Hannibal Marvin Peterson, aka Hannibal Peterson, aka Hannibal, aka Hannibal Lokumbe.

I had been juggling the names of a few musicians for my submission, including Mr. Evans, as his arranging work (particularly his later stuff) has been some of my favorite material for years. I decided to go with Hannibal because I thought that he really deserved to be recognized as both an impressive instrumentalist and composer, though he seemed to have disappeared long ago.

“Zee Zee” was an Evans original composition that was essentially a harmonic bed of eerie, moody low tones. The focal point of the song was an extended trumpet solo by Hannibal. This performance has gone on to become the most well known example of the Texas born trumpeter’s playing.

Steve: “That track was a gift from Gil.”

Robert: “Man… I haven’t heard that track for a long time. I must have it on vinyl.”

Hannibal presented a well-defined tone and boundless ideas on the trumpet along with a brute force that really cut through the loose arrangement of Evans.

Hannibal was born in 1948 and started on the trumpet during his early teens. He quickly started his own ensemble, the Soul Masters, which backed many soul and blues greats as they toured throughout Texas. He attended North Texas State University for two years before moving to New York in 1970. Hannibal then joined up with Rahsaan Roland Kirk before settling in with Evans as a principal soloist for nearly 10 years. He later went on to perform in groups led by Pharoah Sanders, Roy Haynes and Elvin Jones.

While Hannibal was being featured in these various settings, he also maintained his own ensembles that featured his unique compositional voice. Most famously with his Sunrise Orchestra.

2. Hannibal Marvin Peterson & The Sunrise Orchestra – “Movement 1. Forest Sunrise B. Song of Life” from Children of the Fire (Sunrise Records 1944 (1974))
Presented by Me – LP

I brought this one along just to give a taste of where Hannibal had begun as a composer and music conceptualist.

Children of the Fire was a larger ensemble piece that was written by Hannibal and arranged by the talented David Amram. The album also was produced in part by his employer and biggest fan, Gil Evans.

The pieces on the record were written in tribute to the children of Vietnam and presented a feast of eclectic folk sensibilities alongside a strong dose of spiritual jazz. The outcome wasn’t far from where Don Cherry was at the same period with the Eternal Rhythm and JCOA recordings. Peterson might have been a stronger trumpet soloist, however.

The 1970s saw a handful of other releases from Hannibal and more pared down versions of the Sunrise Orchestra, mostly on the Japanese Baystate, German MPS and Enja labels. From the 1980s on, Hannibal’s releases began to be entirely theme oriented. The Angels of Atlanta was a tribute to the victims of racism-fueled bombings of Atlanta. One with the Wind and African Portraits dealt with the African diaspora and how it has been dealt with in modern American history. His latest release Dear Mrs. Parks (Naxos, 2009) was a commission from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra that celebrates the contributions and cultural legacy of African Americans, including that of Mrs. Rosa Parks.

Steve heard a Freddie Hubbard influence on Hannibal’s solo playing along with the obvious references to Strata East and Charles Tolliver.

“I called this stuff ‘acoustic fusion.’ Blending jazz, Eastern and African influences with soul and blues.”

Jason discussed the lack of depth that much spiritual jazz had. His example: a 1970s performance of Pharoah Sanders at Keystone Korner in the Bay. He said that the entire thing had been very predictable and that Pharoah had even left the stage after he was done soloing, as if it had only been routine. Many such performances were equally fomulaic.

I was asked where I found the record. I had picked it up at Jazz Record Center in midtown at a pretty unbelievable price ($25). Great shape, too. This led to a long diatribe about the record market and how it has been shaped over the past 20 years or so. I should expound about that topic at length at some point.

3. Paul Desmond Quartet – “Jazzabelle” from The Paul Desmond Quartet with Don Elliott (Fantasy 3-235 (1956))
Presented by Jeremy Udden – LP

I’m so proud. Jeremy brought an LP.

We heard an alto sax and what seemed to be a trombone playing in a quartet with bass and drums, quite unusual instrumentation for a quartet that seemed to be dating back to the 1950s.

“Is it Brookmeyer?” Nope. Head scratching…

The trombone being the quirkier of the two lead instruments, everyone tried to go for that first.

“It is a valve trombone, isn’t it?”

Not a trombone, valve or otherwise. Hmm…

Once the saxophone tone got settled, I guessed Paul Desmond. The correct guess.

We all agreed that Desmond had an amazing sound and ability on the alto, even though: “Miles said alto shouldn’t be played that way.”

Robert: “I didn’t think Desmond could play a solo of that length.”

Jeremy had to tell us that it was Don Elliott performing on a mellophone.

The tune had a particularly intriguing section that featured a fugue in counterpoint between Desmond and Elliott. Apparently the section had been fully improvised.

That brought Jeremy to mention what he finds as Desmond’s most important contribution as a musician besides his peerless tone: Desmond’s completely compositional direction. Everything that Desmond did was in service to the overall composition. Even his improvisations were extensions of the theme.

Steve: “It its own way, that is some outrageous drumming.”

The drummer was credited as Joe Chevrolet (a pun on his actual name, Joe Dodge) in the notes penned by the comedian Mort Sahl. Funny. The drummer took a very minimalist role, especially while comping solos, as he mainly focused on the rim of the snare.

Sahl had been a prominent comedian in the Bay Area, where Desmond had emerged. A bigger celebrity than Desmond, apparently. It was interesting to note that on the record sleeve, Sahl had quite a bit of room for his own material and even gets a choice photo placement (there wasn’t one for the leader). Rumor has it that Desmond later slept with Sahl’s wife and the friendship was ended. Touchy.

It was also interesting that Desmond didn’t feature a pianist in his ensemble. He was after all most well known for his work with a pianist, Dave Brubeck. Jeremy thought there might have been an agreement with Brubeck that if Desmond released a recording of his own that there wouldn’t be a piano.

We did listen to another track from the same album, “Sacre Blues.” It featured a very uncharacteristic solo from Desmond including a venture into the altissimo register of the horn.



Though Desmond didn’t receive the respect that he should have from younger generations of saxophonists, he still managed to make an impression on some rather diverse players, including Anthony Braxton. It shouldn’t be surprising then that, as Jeremy mentioned, one of Desmond’s biggest influences was a “jump” style saxophonist named Pete Brown. Quite a stylistic distance from where Desmond ended up.

“If there was an underground poll, he’d be in the top three saxophonists.”

Desmond had an obvious jazz/pop appeal and some wondered if he hadn’t been the David Sanborn of his generation.

Jeremy had mentioned that Jerry Bergonzi had said that he never really got into Desmond but had told him, “It takes balls to play that way.”

4. Ruby Braff – “Royal Garden Blues” from Bravura Eloquence (Concord 423 (1990))
Presented by Steve Futterman – MP3

Steve presaged his selection by stating, “This was the best trumpeter of the past 40 years besides Hannibal.”

The ensemble featured here was a trio of trumpet, guitar and bass. The trumpeter’s facility was pretty extraordinary. Comments were made regarding his breadth of range and dexterity throughout registers.

We needed some hints from Steve. He told us that the trumpeter’s career spanned back to the 1950s.

“Still alive?” No.

Steve: “Apparently, he was the most ornery guy in jazz.”

“He was from Boston and white.”

No one could guess.

Jeremy knew the tune and was impressed with the arrangement: “Kinda like a little big band arrangement.”

No one could guess.

Braff was born in 1927 in Boston. His music career began while he was still very young, in the 1940s, with his real foray into the jazz world beginning in the 1950s. He was well regarded in the jazz community for his ability as a trumpeter in the Louis Armstrong fashion and gained respect as he had been a young white guy able to hang with the black guys. It was interesting that he dedicated his life to the pursuit of an Armstrong ideal, as it wasn’t a popular choice when he was trying to make a name for himself.

Steve found that his most confident playing could be found on his recordings from his peak, much later in his career, from the 1970s to 1990s. As he wasn’t a writer, his recordings found him flexing his chops on well-known jewels like this featured on a 1990 Concord session.

“What does Wynton think of Ruby?”

Steve: “Can’t say that I’ve seen a word written about it.”

This got us into our monthly rant on Wynton.

Speaking of which, had you heard that Jazz @ Lincoln Center has decided toopen new locations around the world, including Dubai?

5. Maze featuring Frankie Beverley– “While I’m Alone” from Maze featuring Frankie Beverly (Capitol C2-91244, 1977)
Presented by Zak Shelby-Szyszko – YouTube.com

Zak can always be counted on to derail the jazz express. This time he was able to use the magic of the internet to give us a soul group that many of us had never explored.

Steve: “Is that ‘What You See, Is What You Get’?” No…

We heard a rather breezy, bass heavy groove. A tenor with a slight rasp comes in with a wordless, scat-ish vocal.

“Donny Hathaway?” An emphatic no – at least from Zak and myself.

Hints?

Zak: “From the West Coast.”

“Group with a band name or the name of the featured vocalist?”

Zak: “It is a band with a featured vocalist.”

“What year?”

Zak: “1977.”

Me: “I’m embarrassed to say I don’t recognize the vocalist, Zak.”

Steve: “Can we have the singer’s initials?”

Zak: “FB.”

No one had it.

Zak gave us a break – Maze featuring Frankie Beverley. Beverley and Maze had originally come from Philadelphia where they performed as the Butlers. They didn’t quite gel with the “Philly Sound” made popular by Gamble & Huff so they moved to California where they changed their name to Raw Soul.

The group’s break came when they were introduced to Marvin Gaye, who had them tour as an opening act. He also suggested the group change their name to Maze.

“While I’m Alone” was the group’s first hit single from their debut album. Not their biggest hit, by any means. Zak also played the group’s “Happy Feelings” from the same album to see if we had heard it.



Though some of us liked the tune, some thought it kind of boring.

“Sounds like a vamp looking for a tune.”

“There didn’t seem to be a hook.”

Zak mentioned that the group still toured and sounded good when they played in Brooklyn last summer. He felt that they should have been better known in their prime but they were never able to break through into the white mainstream, though they had a similar sound to that of the extremely popular Earth Wind & Fire.

6. Steve Lacy – “The Uh Uh Uh” from Dreams (Saravah SH 10058, (1975)
Presented by Jason Weiss – CD (Couldn’t play – computer meltdown)

Jason had seen baritone saxophonist/Lacy devotee Josh Sinton’s group Ideal Bread play this tune a few nights before our meeting. He decided to present Lacy as he had been a big fan of the soprano saxophonist for years and had conducted many interviews with him, which he later presented in a fine collection (here).

“The Uh Uh Uh” featured a typically strong Lacy melody alongside an ensemble featuring a more subdued Derek Bailey, who avoided playing his more typical language of squiggles for one that was a little more approachable (I still hear some clangs). The tune was a tribute to the late guitar legend Jimi Hendrix, who’s music Lacy was familiar with via a long relationship with Gil Evans (we come around, yet again).

Jason looked back to this period of Lacy’s career as one of the better ones. Though he played in many different situations, his own groups were pretty well established. Lacy had always looked to establish long term relationships with musicians he played with, most notable were his relationships with Mal Waldron and Roswell Rudd. This period was also before he added vocals to his music, which alienated some fans.

The fan base for Lacy’s music has been large and dedicated. Jason himself has been involved with a particularly devoted gang of Lacy aficionados, including four Frenchmen. They have been trading recordings of Lacy’s for years. He remembered meeting a European couple that would come to New York on their vacation to hear every set of Lacy’s annual, week-long stand at Sweet Basil.

Jason’s own fondness for Lacy’s music stemmed from the saxophonist’s singular sound and writing. Lacy’s soprano sound was completely unique. He was possibly the only saxophonist to fully identify with the smaller horn and never got caught up in using the horn in a purely “Eastern” esthetic, as many doublers would in the future. Lacy was also a creative composer who wrote memorable themes with melodic hooks and plenty of repetition. The songs have stood out.

Jason: “Just like with Monk. I can remember the tune but not the name of the tune.”

In interviews that he conducted with Lacy, Jason was able to learn about Lacy’s writing style. Lacy would write with lyrics in mind, which Jason thought added another dimension to the music.

Jason: “I like to compare the vocal to the instrumental version of Lacy’s songs. I prefer the instrumental.”

Lacy’s wife and collaborator Irene Aebi would typically take the vocal duties on these tracks later on. Her voice has been equally heralded and derided for decades.

Robert: “My wife has always made me stop the record when she heard Irene and, believe it or not, Abbey Lincoln.”

Strange bedfellows…

Lacy created his own brand of art song while putting others’ words to music. Jason mentioned that most of his meetings with Lacy were spent talking about books. This tradition has been kept alive recently by a number of musicians. Some that came to this group’s collective mind were John Hollenbeck, Frank Carlberg and Sam Sadigursky.

Steve: “Do you think that Lacy recorded too much?”

Jason: “I almost think he did.”

Lacy has been one of the most prolifically recorded jazz musicians ever. The race between him and David Murray could be very close. The amount of recordings could be seen as a sign of the times he lived in. Much of his income derived from recording sessions from numerous independent European labels during the 1970s, where the music was more appreciated.

“Is he an inimitable figure?”

Jason: “Yes and no.”

Jason explained that Lacy’s work on the soprano stood alone. Listening to Lacy’s soprano had ruined him for other saxophonists that have taken up the instrument, mostly on the side. Lacy had mastered the horn as others merely added it to their repertoire.

We discussed the best starting points for Lacy newbies. Most thought that starting with his early recordings and easing your way in might be best, the same strategy might prove to be helpful in tackling the music of Cecil Taylor. Another method would be listening to Lacy interpret tunes of well-known composers, which he did quite often. He was recognized as one of the best interpreters of Thelonious Monk and Herbie Nichols and did some interesting interpretations of Ellington, as well.

Example below.

Steve Lacy - "Prelude to a Kiss" from 10 Of Dukes + 6 Originals (Senators Records SEN 01 (2002))

Next BYOV will be on Dec. 11th. Come get some cake.

BYOV - Meeting #4

September can be beautiful. Sunday the 18th was a beautiful day in Brooklyn with sun and cool temperatures. Even so, a dedicated group of jazz aficionados still took to the dimly lit backroom of Barbés to enjoy what turned into an inspired afternoon of mostly jazz with classical music inspiration.

Here were the themes the presenters had to work with:

a) I know you got soul! Bring your most heart wringing, emotion pulling tracks. We want to feel it.

b) Classical-ish. Selections should be music that either uses instrumentation or techniques typical to the classical genre. Chamber groups, Third Stream, strings, etc.

c) Mangled covers. Well known songs that get the Picasso treatment.

Sometimes you can tell what will be the most popular theme. The group definitely fell into the classically inspired / third wave theme. There were, however, a couple different takes and thoughts on what works most successfully when bringing classical forms or classically trained musicians to work with those of jazz.

Once again, all the selections were done as blindfold tests.

On with the show…

1. Billy Childs – “A Man Chasing the Horizon” from Autumn: In Moving Pictures (Artists Share, 2010)
Presented by Joel Harrison – Theme: B – CD

This was a lovely, long and varied composition that seemed to vacillate between jazz and classical with equal ability. A long introductory section that featured a prominent soprano sax had the first guesses to see whether it was related to Oregon because of the Paul McCandless overtones. “Ralph Towner on piano?”

Lush strings accompany the woodwinds before a brief piano feature. This would be the only way to identify the pianist as the leader of the group. “Only pianists can write like this,” Joel opined.

Ed Simon? No. Danilo Perez? Nice guess. But no…

The rhythm section was given. Bassist Scott Colley and drummer Brian Blade powered this ensemble. Finally, someone mentioned the West Coast residency of the leader. Mr. Adam Kolker then guessed Billy Childs.

The song was a nice example of what could be achieved between a blend of classical and jazz elements. The use of all these structural and expressive elements led to a composition that contained many shifts in mood, color and texture. Maybe too much?

“This song never ends…”

“It sounds like an all acoustic version of Weather Report. Or ELO…”

Joel wanted a consensus on whether we considered this truly “Third Wave.” I think everyone agreed that it was. I did mention that I found it interesting that the instigators of the Third Wave movement (Gunther Schuller, John Lewis, etc.) really made a point of coming at the music by way of jazz. Most of the pieces that were written or arranged on the Jazz Abstractions record (check # 11) were classical arrangements of jazz pieces, mostly by Monk. Most practitioners have now taken the opposite approach, using elements of jazz (improv, rhythmic devices, etc.) within a classical framework. Evolution happens…

2. Classical Jazz Quartet – “Blues à la Russe” from Play Tchaikovsky (Kind of Blue 10011, 2006 – Recorded 2001)
Presented by Steve Futterman – Theme: B – CD

“No extra credit for guessing the composer,” remarked Steve as he plugged in.

We were hit with an extremely swinging quartet tune with a strong vibraphone lead. The quartet also included piano, bass and drums. Vibes player was the odd man out, so the identification process began with him.

Lionel Hampton? Red Norvo? More contemporary.

Too upfront to be Modern Jazz Quartet… Joe Locke? Nope.

Stefon Harris? Yep. The next sequence of identification was pretty impressive. Someone got Lewis Nash on drums. François pieced Kenny Barron in on piano. No one guessed the bassist, Mr. Ron Carter.

The ensemble gave an obvious nod toward the MJQ based on their choice of instrumentation and choice of classical themes. Regardless, some thought it had nothing to do with classical music as the group arranged the Tchaikovsky theme to the service of jazz changes for blowing solos. François maintained that the use of familiar material was “utterly commercial,” as buyers were sure to know the themes from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker.

The playing was great and the arrangement was fun but the combination of classical and jazz never really took. The two genres never really co-existed. The ensemble had made a modern jazz tune using the theme from Tchaikovsky.

Gave the group some good talking points.

3. Jimmy Giuffre – “Jesus Maria” from Fusion (Verve V-8397, 1961)
Presented by Thomas Heberer – Theme: B – LP

Thomas’s track was identified right away. The distinctive sound of Jimmy Giuffre’s clarinet along with Paul Bley’s piano and Steve Swallow’s bass has been imbedded in the ears of most progressive musicians and fans for generations.

“The best thing is that it swings…”

Giuffre’s was intense music that really pushed the limits of what was considered jazz but never abandoned the most important principles.

This particular Giuffre trio has been placed on a pedestal. The group’s interplay and dynamic range was completely unique at the time of their existence. Giuffre had been a lonely experimenter on the West Coast, finding opportunities every so often to lead ensembles through his inventive music.

This particular Trio played an important role in free improvisation as it approached freedom with restraint and poise. The classical overtones came from their attempt to work as a chamber ensemble of sorts.

Soon after he released a handful of recordings with Bley and Swallow in 1961 and 1962, Giuffre abandoned the music industry to teach because of the lack of opportunity to present his more advanced musical forms. He resurfaced at the beginning of the 1970s.

Steve Swallow was only 18 years old 20 years old at the time of the Fusion recording. Amazing to think that he had such advanced vocabulary at that time. Obviously, he was very serious about the music and his own direction. Swallow switched to electric bass very early on. Apparently, he was so steadfast in his switch that he passed up opportunities to play with his hero Thelonious Monk and what would be a high profile gig with Keith Jarrett to pursue his muse.

4. The Dave Brubeck Octet – “Fugue on Bop Themes” from The Dave Brubeck Octet (Fantasy EP 4003, 1951)
Presented by François Zalacain – Theme: B – 10” Red Vinyl LP!

Oh… Pretty… Clear red vinyl ten inch. Sorry… Just so aesthetically pleasing. Cover looked nice, too. Love that aggressive modern look of the ‘50s.

Larger ensemble without a clear lead player. The clarinet was a real standout as it weaved in and out of the other woodwinds.

Benny Goodman? Nope. C’mon!

Harrison, “I’ve heard everything George Russell ever put out. This isn’t him.”

Mr. Futterman asked if it wasn’t West Coast clarinetist Bill Smith’s date possibly with Dave Brubeck on piano. Pretty good.

This was an early recording of Brubeck and his Octet that included Bill Smith, vibraphonist/drummer Cal Tjader, trumpeter Dick Collins, bassist Jack Weeks, trombonist Bob Collins and saxophonists Paul Desmond and Dave Van Kriedt. This particular composition was recorded in July 1950. One of Brubeck’s first recordings with Desmond, their collaborations would become legendary in years to come.

Brubeck was always interested in classical form and used many classical techniques in his compositions. “Fugue” utilized counterpoint writing between the horns. This was a pretty successful marriage of the two idioms that came out right after the Miles Davis’s Birth of the Cool sessions that ushered in the wave of classical thought in jazz.

Interesting that the West Coast of the late 1940s had so many characters that played a part in the development of Third Stream thought. Brubeck, Gil Evans, Giuffre, Gerry Mulligan…

“Ah... The years of bebop counterpoint!”

5. David Holland / Barre Phillips – “Song for Clare” from Music From Two Basses (ECM 1011, 1972)
Presented by Jason Weiss – Theme: A – CD

Jason decided to present us with a soulful performance. I won’t deny the track’s power.

Low string duet. Slow paced with nice apathetic interplay.

Is it a single artist? Maybe overdubbed? No.

Fred Hopkins and Deidre Murray? Interesting guess… But no.

Miroslav Vitous? Nope.

No one was getting it. Hint given was that one of the performers was from the US and the other was not.

Michael Bates guessed Dave and Barre.

Surprised that no one picked up on the recording earlier. I’ve found that many record collectors (whether jazz fans or not) began their ECM and/or jazz collections with this duo record. Pretty strange, no?

Great piece that showed fantastic rapport between two amazing musicians that have very different approaches to the same instrument.

Barre Phillips has become a BYOV fav, apparently.

6. John Coltrane (Alice Coltrane) – “Peace on Earth” from Infinity (Impulse! AS-9225, 1972 (1965-66))
Presented by Me – Theme: B – LP

Controversy!

Nobody batted an eye when the lush, modal strings came streaming from the turntable. The descending harp lines and full swathes of the orchestra sunk in without trouble.

Then that familiar saxophone sound came in. Eyes bugged, eyebrows raised. The group kept listening.

Futterman, “Is this Alice Coltrane with Ornette Coleman?” One out of two.

“C’mon… It’s on the tip of your tongues, guys,” I urged.

Is that John? Yep. The group looked a little shocked.

In 1972, John Coltrane’s widow Alice decided to honor her husband’s memory by making a tribute album. She took unreleased recordings that the legendary Coltrane Quartet had made from 1965 to 1966 and recorded her own orchestral arrangements to accompany them. This essentially created a remix of the original compositions. She even went so far as to add members of her current ensemble to the compositions, most notably subbing Charlie Haden’s bass parts for those of Jimmy Garrison.

Upon release, this album was seen as heresy among John Coltrane devotees. Still is, I found. Though the opinions of the overall performance were mixed.

“We don’t know where Trane would have gone but this album presents a foreign conception to where he was going at the end of his career.”

“This is some new age bullshit.” `

“This is a revolutionary album. It is essentially one of the first uses of remixing.”

Personally, I found the recording well done. Who else could have touched the musical legacy of Trane other than his wife (also collaborator) and kin? Who’s to say that she didn’t know where he was planning on taking the music next?

The group’s main issue was that the album came out under Trane’s name, not that of Alice. Impulse!’s last ditch attempt to cash in on the Trane’s legacy on the label? Probably.

“The jazz police say ‘hmmm…’”

7. Mark Feldman – “Xanax” and “Kit Suite (Kit / Les Tenebrides / Murmur)” from Book of Tells (Enja ENJ-9385 2, 2001)
Presented by Michael Bates – Theme: B – CD

Michael played a selection by a wonderfully advanced string quartet. He mentioned that two of the musicians were improvisers while the other two were not.

One of the lower string voices had the lead in the ensemble. Turned out to be the cello.

We needed more hints.

Based in New York City. A more recent release.

Is the cellist Erik Friedlander? Yep. Hmm… Who else could be in the ensemble?

Joel, “Is it Mark Feldman? I don’t hear the usual Feldman licks.”

It was Feldman and his record. The other musicians on “Xanax” included viola player Joyce Hammann and violinist Cenovia Cummins.
Michael played us the “Kit Suite” so we could hear the more distinctive side of Feldman with his fast high register moves that grace the works of the Aracado Trio, the Masada String Trio, various ensembles with pianist Sylvie Courvoisier and the John Abercrombie Ensemble. Feldman has a reputation as a virtuoso string player and master improviser.

Gotta get that one. Michael mentioned that it was an Enja release that didn’t get much distribution in the States, his copy being one of the few that made it over the pond. I found it available digitally on iTunes and Amazon. Get it and dig it.

8. Joe Maneri / Joe Morris / Mat Maneri – “What’s New” from Three Men Walking (ECM 1597, 1996)
Presented by Oran Etkin – Theme: A, B & C – CD

Mr. Etkin decided to go for the triple: all the themes in one selection.

The most distinct voice on the track was a slippery tenor sax that seemed to dip and rise within each note. There was also the pointillist attack of a guitarist and what seemed to be a legato bass.

I knew that I’d heard that tenor tone before. Wracked my brain and buzzed in with Joe Maneri, the microtonal woodwind player and major improviser. That meant that the trio had to be his son, viola expert, improviser extraordinaire Mat Maneri and long time collaborator, guitarist, master improviser Joe Morris.

I had thought that the low register was Morris on bass but it was really Mat playing low on the viola. There were times where Joe and Mat’s instruments couldn’t be discerned from one another.

I heard similarities between this and the Giuffre Trio, played earlier. The Maneris and Morris are almost an extension of the Giuffre Trio legacy from 30 years before. Both groups are without percussion, have woodwind leads, tonal ambiguity and a typically restrained approach that could veer at any point. The main difference seemed to be that the Maneri ensemble had more focus on the use of nonlinear tones in their communication, and maybe a tad larger vocabulary than that of Guiffre.

The listening group was struck by the tones that Joe and Mat were able to pull from their respective instruments.

“Man… That’s fucked up. And I mean that as a compliment…”

This was a cover, after all. A well disguised rendition of the standard “What’s New”.

Oran, “It was also played rather soulfully, no?”

Okay, Oran. You got the points for the triple.

9. Dan Tepfer / J.S. Bach – “Variations 8-10” & “Reinterpretations 8-10” from Goldberg Variations / Variations (Sunnyside 1284, 2011)
Presented by Ben Wendel – Theme: B – MP3

"Variation 8"


"Improvisation 8"


"Variation 9 - Canon at the Third"


"Improvisation 9 - Thirds"


"Variation 10 - Fughetta"


"Improvisation 10 - Fuguelike"

Disclaimer: Yes – Sunnyside Records was well represented. Not only by the members of the discussion group but also in this selection. The selection was an upcoming release picked because it fit the classical meets jazz theme so well.

Pretty sure that most folks in the room knew who this was. We let the uninitiated try to suss it out.

The first piece played was in the baroque style of Bach. Obviously one of the Goldberg Variations. This was followed by a short improvisation that used elements from the source Variation to make a new unique composition.

Jean Michel Pilc? It isn’t Uri Caine…

They couldn’t guess.

François expounded on the story behind Tepfer’s project to record all of the Goldberg Variations alongside his own “variations” of the Variations. Got your head around that?

Over the past year, Dan has been going into the Yamaha piano show room in NYC recording the Variations and his own improvisations. All 31. He recorded 62 separate tracks for the upcoming CD. Pretty amazing stuff.

Discussion focused on if this might create any controversy between classical and jazz music buffs. Seems that folks would probably be used to the idea of musicians challenging the idea and past forms of these master composers. It wasn’t as if Tepfer ignored the original material. It would be presented alongside his “remixes”.

Glenn Gould’s own interpretations of the Goldberg Variations were controversial but this was over 50 years ago. I would think that the classical world would accept any project trying to vivify the work of Bach and that extend his legacy.

“Bach… The Coltrane of classical music…”

10. Bobby Previte – “Open World” from Pushing the Envelope (Gramavision 18-8711-2, 1987)
Presented by Jim Macnie – Theme: B – CD

Jim put it on and Thomas Heberer named Previte right away.

What a unique and immediately identifiable style. Previte has been one of my favorite composers for some time.

“But what sounds classical here?” queried Joel.

Jim admitted his classical ignorance but stuck to his guns. Previte came up when the Downtown scene was still in its prime. A place where genre wasn’t important, it was about the intent of the music. “A time before minimalist composers were superstars…”

Improvisation was just as important as composition to many practitioners and composition could be anything. Look to the music of George Lewis, Elliot Sharp and John Zorn for further evidence. Jazz with metal, Morricone soundtracks with electronics, disco with banjos… Eclecticism was at its height.

Here’s where the New Music versus Classical debate reared its head.

Maybe the composition doesn’t have the typical traits of classical pieces but there was certainly a lot of thought put into the form. This concentration on the composing aspect puts Previte’s work in a unique place away from the jazzers. Weiss mentioned the tonalities that Previte made use of that were much more varied than what many at the time were using in composition.

Previte’s mastery of both improv and composition has been well documented, especially on the now defunct Gramavision label. There was a moment of silence for the beloved label. The catalog has held up as one of the strongest of the time period and definitely should be made available once again. Can’t argue with the cast of characters: Previte, Anthony Davis, Bob Moses, John Carter, Billy Hart, etc., etc. “With Gramavision, I had found a label that made sense…”

Mr. Jonathan Rose - If you are reading, please, please consider getting these important documents back into circulation. Even if only digitally. We’d be happy to help.

11. Ornette Coleman w/ Gunther Schuller – “Abstraction” from Jazz Abstractions (Atlantic SD 1365, 1960)
Presented by Joel Harrison – Theme: B – CD

This was the official beginning of the Third Stream.

The two previous “streams” were classical and jazz, of course. Composer/French horn player Gunther Schuller had been on both sides of the coin. He had begun his career early as a horn player for the American Ballet Theatre, then the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. He then ventured into jazz, performed on what was perhaps the closest marriage of the two genres up to that time, Miles Davis’s Birth of the Cool.

Along with pianist John Lewis, Schuller started the Jazz and Classical Music Society, which attempted to bridge the two genres into a style that he christened the Third Stream.

The first appearance of the Third Stream on record came from this 1960 Atlantic LP. “Abstraction” is a piece composed for nine musicians, including soloist Ornette Coleman (who I imagine had no written part). Apparently, the rest of the piece was notated but sounded very much improvised.

Impressive piece that made our conversation possible.

12. Jerry Butler – “Giving Up on Love” from “I’ve Been Trying / Giving Up On Love” Single (Vee Jay VJ 588, 1961)
Presented by Steve Futterman – Theme: A – MP3

Steve wanted to finish the session with a song that “made him cry.” We indulged him. I didn’t see any tears.

The Iceman. Mr. Jerry Butler. A former member of the Impressions who went on to have a successful solo career that included “Giving Up on Love.”

Steve was always impressed at Butler’s ability really go for it but has the class to hold it back. “He’s kind of like Billy Eckstine with an R&B esthetic.”

Nice way to end the afternoon.

BYOV - Meeting #1

Also the first post, incidentally.

So this will be the official online home for BYOV (Bring Your Own Vinyl).
I decided to start this listening group to provide source for knowledge building and a fun hang. Nice of me, huh? Actually, the group’s success is entirely dependent on folks (like you) coming to meetings and sharing your favorite music. Sounds like a gas, right?

The first meeting was on June 5th at Barbés in Park Slope, Brooklyn. I have to admit being a little antsy when only a few people were hanging at 3pm. I forgot I live in NYC for a sec. Give ‘em 15. I think we had a great group show up with some fantastic music selections.

Onto the show. The initial two themes for this meeting were the following:

a) Start at the bottom… Who are your favorite low voices? Bass players, tuba virtuosos, etc.
b) He/she did what!?! Know a performer that’s done something completely out of the ordinary? Change genres? Instruments? Genders?

So here’s a list of the selections that were brought in along with links to sound and places to find ‘em.

1. Keith Jarrett – “Mortgage On My Soul” from Birth (Atlantic, SD 1612)

Presented by Me – Theme: Both - LP

I picked this track because it applied to both themes. Birth is one of three recordings that emerged from a particularly fruitful July 1971 with his recently formed American Quartet, featuring Dewey Redman (reeds), Charlie Haden (bass), and Paul Motian (drums). Of course, Haden is one of the greatest bass players in jazz history. But what the hell was he doing with a wah-wah pedal?

I remember buying this record when I was 17 or 18 at the Record Exchange in Kansas City. Being more or less a jazz novice, I knew that I had to give Jarrett a listen. He was supposed to be heavy, right? This may have been the cheapest in the bin plus it had some killer artwork. Psychedelic baby burps? Count me in. I was coming to jazz via hip-hop and “Mortgage” had a particular grab on me.



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2. Barre Phillips – “Mountainscape, I” – from Mountainscapes (ECM, 1076)

Presented by Ben Monder – Theme: LV - LP

Oh man… Told Ben that I had nearly brought this one myself. This 1976 ECM release is an amazing blend of acoustic and electronic instrumentation. Phillips is an American born bassist who left to find greener pastures and a more receptive audience in Europe. His most frequent collaborators turned out to be the British reed/synthesizer master John Surman and another ex-pat drummer/synth guru Stu Martin, who both appear here. These three originally came together as a trio called, well, the Trio.

The thing that is most striking about this recording is the fact the synthesizers don’t date the work or dominate the proceedings. They sound natural in the development of the overall sound. Large credit should be given to experimental synth maven Dieter Feichtner.

We discussed the work of Stu Martin a little. There isn’t much info available about him or his short career. His work with Surman and Michel Portal is great. I also see that there is a trio recording on the French Marge label entitled Sunrise from 1979. More info on Stu would be appreciated.

This record received an ovation, btw.



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3. Eva Taylor w/ Clarence Williams’ Blue 5 - “Mandy Make Up Your Mind” (Okeh, 40260)

Presented by David Adler – Theme: Both - CD

“Is that Wynton?” Some laughs. Great tune, great singer… Features the lovely trumpet of Louis Armstrong. Overall this is a nice trad jazz recording from December 17, 1924. But that isn’t reason it was brought in. This track also features the legendary reeds virtuoso Sidney Bechet. He isn’t playing his customary soprano sax or even a clarinet. He solos on an instrument called the Sarrusophone.

David went on to explain the particulars. Evidently, Bechet, being a master at many wind instruments, decided to try something new. He came across this behemoth of a horn in a music shop before this recording. The Sarrusophone is a woodwind instrument named after French bandmaster Pierre-Auguste Sarrus. The instrument was intended to be a louder replacement for the oboe or bassoon in outdoor bands. The fingering is close to that of a sax, thus Bechet was an easy study.

So… Here we are listening to this lovely track when this tuba meets dump truck sound comes in. Huh? So back to the story… Bechet makes this recording and decides that he doesn’t like the track or the horn. So not only does he quickly get rid of the horn but also denies that he ever played it or even appeared on the track.

This track was a real winner and a total surprise. Also got us contemplating strange low voiced instruments and contemporary players. Scott Robinson, Anthony Braxton, J.D. Parran, Roscoe Mitchell! Please take a bow.



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4. Billy Higgins - “Blues Tinge” – Which Way Is East (ECM, 1878)

Presented by Jerome Sabbagh – Theme: HDW? - CD

This was a blindfold test for the group. I can tell you that no one got it right. Apparently, Monder had guessed Elvin Jones on a previous listen.
Now we know what it sounds like when a fantastic drummer plays the guitar. Higgins appears on what seems to have been a very laid back session with saxophonist Charles Lloyd with guitar and the blues.

Not that he’s the greatest vocalist or guitarist of all time but rhythmically there wasn’t anyone that could have delivered the song more naturally. Pretty interesting to hear. BTW, there is a Elvin Jones recording where he plays guitar – Elvin Jones/Jimmy Garrison’s Heavy Sounds on Impulse!. Also worth a listen.

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5. Jimmie Rodgers & Louis Armstrong – “Blue Yodel #9”

Presented by Oran Etkin – Theme: HDW? - CD

Early fusion? I guess you could call it that. I’m happy that Oran brought this in. Very interesting how closely related the blues and country music really are.

Rodgers was a fantastic country guitarist and vocalist (yodeler). This session with Louis Armstrong and pianist Lil Hardin was put together in July 1930. The form is extremely loose. Oran points out that all the members were willing to let measures slide in order to extend phrases, etc. A rambling tune in the American tradition, huh?

Armstrong’s solo is a work of minimalist beauty, too. Far from his usual bravado.



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6. Swamp Dogg – “The Other Man” – You Ain’t Never Too Old To Boogie (DJM, 20476)

Presented by Zak Shelby-Syszko – Theme: HDW? – MP3

Born Jerry Williams, Swamp Dogg has been a musical gypsy his entire career. Jumping from genre to genre and label to label. He finally began his own label to release his particularly unusual records. Musically, he has been associated primarily with soul but, as this particular selection proves, Swamp can play whatever.

Swamp grew up listening to country music. The genre creeps into this rockabilly, country swing tune from 1976. Honky tonk guitar and driving drums. Really fun.

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7. Swamp Dogg – “Synthetic World” – Total Destruction of Your Mind (Canyon Records, LP-7706)

Presented by Mark Jacobson – Theme: HDW? – MP3

Talk of Swamp Dogg led to another track from an iPod. Ugh. Kidding…

“Synthetic World” is what many refer to as Swamp’s “hit”. Swamp complains about a “world that is plastic.” Worries about falseness, pollution, psychedelic music… Call him old fashioned and a little ridiculous but some fun shit. This came out in 1971.

“My patience is wearing thin…”



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8. Hermann Szobel – “Transcendental Floss” – Szobel (Arista, AL 4058)

Presented by Richard Gehr – Theme: HDW? – CD

Whoa… Richard described it as “a distillation of all fusion” then added, “I think it is pretty awesome…”

Brief story. 18 year old, Austrian nephew of famed concert promoter Bill Graham records his one and only record for Arista. He was a piano prodigy influenced by Jarrett and Martial Solal. He puts out the record and then has a nervous breakdown. Szobel completely disappears never to be heard from again. Uh… Read some more on the guy this Myspace tribute site. http://www.myspace.com/szobel/blog/172297862

What the hell is “the Roberta Flack thing”? Weird.

Sounds like a fusion of 1976. Mish mash ideas with segued sections. Overcomplicated piano over aggressively reverbed space drums. Many wondered who the sax player was. A guess was Steve Grossman. I thought it sounded a lot like Gato Barbieri. Dude named Vadim Vyadro. Breakdowns leading to contemplative piano ruminations and sax slinkiness. Zappa-ish toward the end where Dave Samuels’ (a name we recognize!) marimba comes in.



Ebay that sucker!

9. Sam Newsome – “Blue Beijing” – Blue Soliloquy (CD Baby)

Presented by Jim Macnie – HDW? – CD

Brilliant example of physical command of body and instrument. Sam Newsome is a fabulous saxophonist that has been focusing on the soprano for over 15 years. His command of the horn is well known.

“Blue Beijing” is an exercise in circular breathing and pattern in a solo setting. The Eastern flavor is a premise for his arpeggiating figures that run up and down the length of the horn. His speed increases as the figures get more complex and ends up with some extremely highly blown altissimo notes.

Give his blog a read. Fascinating study on this difficult instrument.

http://sopranosaxtalk.blogspot.com/

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10. The Stoner (Nils Berg) – “Mitt svenska hjärta” – Hat Music (Hoob Jazz)

Presented by Jeremy Udden – LV – CD

The Stoner is a band led by the Swedish saxophonist/bass clarinetist Nils Berg. Jeremy tells us that Berg is his favorite bass clarinetist.

The tune is from a live recording of the band. The low fi quality is cool as it provides an interesting vibe to the piece. There is also an airiness in the music as Berg and the piano player seem to float in the space. Beautiful piece of music.

Buy and listen

Amazon links will have sound samples where YouTube couldn't find. Hope to make this a little more solid soon.

Thanks again to all of you that came, presented, and listened! Hope to see some more folks on July the 10th!

Love to hear comments and thoughts.