JazzWax: March 2009 - Big-Band Ritmo-Sinfonica "Città di ... Spirits/JazzWax_ March 2009.pdf · Miles said he wished I could swing like Wynton [Kelly]. I looked at him and said,
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JazzWax: March 2009 http://www.jazzwax.com/2009/03/index.html[13/01/2010 13.21.37] JazzWax Marc Myers blogs daily on jazz legends and legendary jazz recordings « February 2009 | Main | April 2009 » March 2009 March 31, 2009 JazzWax Mindblowers (Vol. 5) If you're new to this blog, you should know that at the tail end of each quarter I provide a roundup of my favorite quotes from JazzWax interviews posted over the past three months. Between January and March 2009, I interviewed Jimmy Cobb, Sandie Shaw, Buddy De Franco, David Soyer, Helen Merrill, Phil Woods, Hal McKusick, Billy Joel, Chico Hamilton, Carol Sloane and Simone, Nina Simone's daughter. If you're looking for Volumes 1-4 in this series, you'll find them by typing "Top Mindblowers" into the search engine in the upper right-hand corner of this page. So, without further delay, here are the past quarter's gems: British pop singer Sandie Shaw on why there were so many "girl" singers in the U.K. in the early 1960s: In the 1960s, the American scene was still stuck in the 1950s. The U.K. had an amazing free creative environment and a huge establishment to kick against. We had a class war to fight and sexual equality to define within the new liberalism over here. Our male and female audiences directly related to all the musical output and were really ready for change. Email me Just click here Search JazzWax Web About Marc Myers is a New York journalist and historian. His thoughts on jazz and jazz recordings appear here daily. more... JazzWax Interviewed Subscribe for free Enter your email address: Delivered by FeedBurner SponsLink
JazzWaxMarc Myers blogs daily on jazz legends and legendary jazz recordings
laquo February 2009 | Main | April 2009 raquo
March 2009March 31 2009
JazzWax Mindblowers (Vol 5)
If youre new to this blog you should know that at the tail end ofeach quarter I provide aroundup of my favorite quotesfrom JazzWax interviewsposted over the past threemonths Between Januaryand March 2009 I interviewedJimmy Cobb Sandie ShawBuddy De Franco DavidSoyer Helen Merrill PhilWoods Hal McKusick BillyJoel Chico Hamilton CarolSloane and Simone Nina Simones daughter If youre looking forVolumes 1-4 in this series youll find them by typing TopMindblowers into the search engine in the upper right-handcorner of this page
So without further delay here are the past quarters gems
British pop singer Sandie Shaw on why there were so manygirl singers in the UK inthe early 1960s In the1960s the American scenewas still stuck in the 1950sThe UK had an amazing freecreative environment and ahuge establishment to kickagainst We had a class war
to fight and sexual equality to define within the new liberalismover here Our male and female audiences directly related to allthe musical output and were really ready for change
E m a i l m e
Just click here
S e a r c h
JazzWax
Web
A b o u t
Marc Myers is a New Yorkjournalist and historian Histhoughts on jazz and jazzrecordings appear heredailymore
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Drummer Jimmy Cobb on Dinah Washington Dinah had acruel streak Probably because she was brought up aroundGladys Hampton Lionelrsquos wife andthe person who ran Hamps businessside Gladys used to buy Dinah nicethings to wear on stage but at theend of the week shersquod take it out ofher pay Most of the time it was stuffDinah couldnrsquot afford So Dinahwould do the same thing to the girlswho worked for her
Jimmy Cobb on what he learnedfrom Washington Feelings Dinah
was aBaptist When I heard that Baptistsound it took me over I wasnrsquot usedto hearing that It would make thehairs stand up on my arms and neckwhere people are singing andshouting in church That struck meright away She taught me to put the
passion into what I was doing
Jimmy Cobb on being hired in 1958 by Miles Davis for hissextet Philly Joe Jones was starting to come late to Miles jobs Cannonball Adderley was especially worried because he neededthe job He was living in [hisbrother] Natrsquos apartment inNew York and couldnrsquot standnot to have a gig you knowWhen Cannon saw that Phillywasnrsquot showing up he wasntsure if Miles was going tokeep the thing going So hetold Miles about me WhenJoe didnrsquot show one night Isat in Then I played on theOn Green Dolphin Street session and Miles dug what I did onthere
Jimmy Cobb on Miles Davis quirky personality One time
J a z z W a xI n t e r v i e w s
Adam Rudolph Al Stewart Andreas Meyer Art DLugoff Benny Golson Benny Powell Big Jay McNeely1 Big Jay McNeely2 Bill Holman 1 Bill Holman 2 Bill Holman 3 Billy Joel Billy Taylor Bob Brookmeyer Bobby Sanabria Bret Primack Brooks Tegler Bud Shank Buddy DeFranco 1 Buddy DeFranco 2 Buddy DeFranco 3 Buddy DeFranco 4 Buddy DeFranco 5 Buddy DeFranco 6 Carol Sloane Chantale Gagne Chembo Corniel
JazzWax March 2009
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Miles said he wished I could swing like Wynton [Kelly] I looked athim and said I sure wish youcould too Miles Miles gaveme a look but we were prettygood friends He knew I wasalways there when we playedThat was Miles thing He wasalways watching to see whatyou were going to bring Miles
was a funny little guy He was always busting in your face to seewhat your reaction would be [Photo Herb Snitzer]
Jimmy Cobb on how Davis wound up credited with songs hedidnt write Funny things used tohappen in the studio Wersquod be in arecording session and the engineerwould say What song was thatMiles Miles would tell him and theguy would write it down and creditMiles A bunch of songs wereattributed to Miles that way
Jimmy Cobb on Bill Evans and Kind of Blue Bill Evans had abigger hand in writing many of thosesongs than most people realize Thefeeling was very close to the way Billplayed piano Bill kind of got Milesinto that groove
Jimmy Cobb on Miles Davis andSonny Stitt during their 1960
European tour Miles didnrsquot want Sonny toplay tenor on the tour Miles said Man Irsquomgoing to step on that tenor Sonny wouldget all upset and say Oh man Miles Thatwas Milesrsquo way of letting Sonny know howhe felt Sonny took the tenor anyway
Jimmy Cobb on his famed metronome-like cymbal playing that opens Someday
My Prince WillCome That was my idea I thoughtI had made a mistake by hitting the
Chico Hamilton Chris Connor Creed Taylor 1 Creed Taylor 2 Creed Taylor 3 Creed Taylor 4 Creed Taylor 5 Dan Morgenstern1 Dan Morgenstern2 Danny Bank 1 Danny Bank 2 Danny Bank 3 Danny Bank 4 Dave Pell David Allyn 1 David Allyn 2 David Amram 1 David Amram 2 David Amram 3 Denny Zeitlin Dick Katz Dick Hyman Don Friedman Doug Ramsey Eddie Bert George Wein Grant Stewart Hal McKusick 1 Hal McKusick 2 Hal McKusick 3 Hal McKusick 4 Hal McKusick 5 Hal McKusick 6 Hal McKusick 7 Hal McKusick 8 Hank ONeal Helen Merrill Herman Leonard Howard Rumsey Ithamara Koorax Jackie Cain Jimmy Cobb Jimmy Heath Jimmy Heath2 Joe Wilder Johnny Mandel Johnny Mandel2 Jon Hendricks Laurie Pepper 1 Laurie Pepper 2 Laurie Verchomin Lennie Niehaus Leon Ware Loren Schoenberg Louie Bellson 1 Louie Bellson 2 Marian McPartland Marty Sheller Med Flory Merdith dAmbrosio Mundell Lowe 1 Mundell Lowe 2 Nat Hentoff Orrin Keepnews Pete Turner Phil Urso Phil Woods Rachel Rodgers Ray De Felitta Ray Santos Roberto Magris Ron Carter Ronnell Bright Roy Haynes Russ Garcia Sammy Nestico Sandie Shaw Simone Sonny Rollins
JazzWax March 2009
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cymbal too high up and too hard Ithought the engineer might not havebeen able to control it [with thelevels] But during the playbackeveryone liked it just as it was
Buddy De Franco on Miles Davis and the Metronome All-Stars of 1948-49 Miles was an up-and-coming guy at thatpoint a smart alec He had a way of playing and got very popularbecoming one of the biggestnames in jazz and pop musicBut next to Dizzy and Fatsthat day he was a weak thirdHe was not that super atrumpet player yet
Buddy De Franco on ArtieShaw Arties bop band in 1949 was a mistake Artie
underestimated the idea of playingbop He tried but it didnrsquot come offHe didnrsquot spend enough timelearning bop Artie didnrsquot really carethat much He was interested in toomany other thingsmdashyou knowwriting politics and other things thattook his interest away The idea of aband was a good idea to Artie until it
got boring
Buddy De Franco on what Charlie Parker said to him whenBuddy asked Bird why he didnt play the clarinet He wasvery kind He said Because you play it [laughs]
Cellist David Soyer who played in the string section on BillieHolidays Lady in Satin with his wife harpist Janet Putnamon the 1958 session I rememberBillie didnt want the guys in the bandto hear the playbacks because shedidnt think she sounded good Butwe all went into the booth after to
Sonny Rollins2 Stan Freberg 1 Stan Freberg 2 Stanley Cooper Ted Gioia Teddy Charles 1 Teddy Charles 2 Teddy Charles 3 Terry Teachout Yolande Bavan Yusef Lateef
E y e W i t n e s s
Bill Evans Bill Perkins Charlie Parker Dizzy Gillespie Don Fagerquist Don Sleet Frank Sinatra Jimmy Forrest Lester Young
O b i t s
Art DLugoff Bob Willoughby Bud Shank Chris Connor Dick Katz Ed Beach Eddie Higgins Eddie Locke George Russell Louie Bellson Morris Nanton Roy DeCarava Stacy Rowles Torrie Zito
P h o t o S t o r y
Big Jay McNeely Bill Evans Dizzy Gillespie Dizzy Gillespie2 Duke Ellington Harry Edison Lester Young Louis Armstrong Miles Davis Miles Davis2 Med Flory Sammy Davis Jr Zoot Sims
hear them anyway She soundedpretty damn good to me
Singer Helen Merrill on her veryfirst club performance with Bud Powell on piano After I
started singing Bud stopped playing turnedaround looked at me with the biggest grinon his face and then continued to play Itwas a huge compliment and a completesurprise I wasnrsquot professional yet but whenBud did that it gave me so muchconfidence He was so sweet
Helen Merrill on her famed 1954recording for Mercury with trumpeterClifford Brown We didnrsquot talk much atthose sessions We just smiled at eachother a lot What we had to say to eachother was unspoken It came through themusic and you can still hear that unspokenconversation on there today
Helen Merrill on seeing the cover of the album for the firsttime I cried I didnt think I looked like that when I sang But I
did As a woman I thought I wasprettier I dont mean that in a vainway Its just that you have a certainvision of how you look and whenthat image is different you feel sortof vulnerable
Helen Merrill on Dream of You her1956 album arranged by Gil
Evans It was my idea to use Gil He was so gifted I hadremembered his beautiful music forClaude Thornhill and I thought hismusic would be beautiful to singagainst When I mentioned Gils
J a z z W a xM e n t i o n s
BBC Jazz Session LA Times USA Today Wall St Journal
J a z z W a x L i n e rN o t e s
JoeAltermanPianoTracks(Vol 1)
CarolSloaneWell MeetAgain
BennyGolsonBest ofBennyGolson
TeddyCharlesCompleteTentet
GrantStewartYoung atHeart
R e c e n t P o s t s
Interview Sammy Nestico
>
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name to [EmArcy head ] Bob Shad Ithought Bob was going to have aheart attack At first Bob said Nobecause Gil was famous for keepingorchestras overtime and studio timeand musicians were very expensive Eventually Bob gave in
Helen Merrill on Miles Davis [In the early and mid-1950s]Miles used to love my sound andalways came to hear me sing Wewere dear friends He told me heloved my whisper sounds Thats atechnique I used by getting up realclose to the microphone Id singalmost in a whisper which created avery intimate sound I developed thisby listening to my voice and trying
different things with the mikes
Helen Merrill on Bill Evans Bill called me the night Miles hadasked him to join his sextet in 1958 Bill said Helen do you reallythink Im good enough Do you thinkIm good enough to play with Miles[laughs] I said of course Bill knewhe was great but needed theencouragement I was very touchedby what he asked me and I knewexactly how he felt It was a big movefor him Even when you know youcan do something you want to hear it from someone who feelsthe way you do someone who understands what youre goingthrough inside
Phil Woods on words of encouragement from Charlie ParkerI came into Arthurs Tavern [in 1953] and there was the great
Charlie Parkermdashplaying the baritonesax It belonged to Larry Rivers thepainter Parker knew me He knewall the kids who were coming up I
(Part 2)
Interview Sammy Nestico(Part 1)
Sunday Wax Bits
PhotoStory13 Harry Edison
Herb Pomeroy ASplendored Gig
Interview Dick Hyman (Part3)
Interview Dick Hyman (Part2)
Interview Dick Hyman (Part1)
Sunday Wax Bits
Six Hawks for the New Year
A r c h i v e s
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
More
J a z z W a x P i c k s
NatAdderleyThats Right
DameroniaLook Stopamp Listen
IthamaraKoorax BimBom
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said Mr Parker perhaps yoursquod liketo play my alto He said Phil thatwould be great This baritonersquoskicking my butt So I ran back acrossthe street to the Nut Club andgrabbed the alto sax that I hated Icame back and handed my horn toBird and he played Long Ago and
Far Away As Irsquom listening to him play my horn Irsquomrealizing therersquos nothing wrong with it [laughs] Nothing was wrongwith the reed nothing was wrong with the mouthpiecemdasheven thestrap sounded good Then Parkersays to me Now you play I said tomyself My God So I did I played achorus for him When I was doneBird leaned over and said Soundsreal good Phil This time I levitatedover Seventh Avenue to the NutClub And when I got back on thebandstand there I played the shit outof Harlem Nocturne Thatrsquos when Istopped complaining and startedpracticing [Image of Jazz magazinecourtesy of Bird Lives]
Phil Woods on his famous solo on Billy Joels Just the WayYou Are People come up to me allthe time to ask me about that Myfavorite was the young saxophonistwho came up to me on some gig Iwas playing and said Are you theguy on the Billy Joel record I saidYes I am He said Have you doneanything on your own [laughs] Isaid A couple of things
Billy Joel on jazz Jazz takes a good amount of technicalexpertise to get it right You need a greatdeal of study and discipline A lot of people
Lyle MurphyGone withtheWoodwinds
WoodyHermanColumbiaRecordings(1945 -1947)
JohnColtraneSide Steps
Art FarmerAztec Suite
Machito attheCrescendo
Tom TalbertBix DukeFats
Don SleetAllMembers
LennieNiehausQuintetsand Strings
StanKentonStage DoorSwings
MartySheller WhyDeny
JazzWax March 2009
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in rock and pop donrsquot necessarily have thatkind of background and they donrsquot havethat well-developed a technique
Billy Joel on Art Tatum Tatum wouldplay runs with his left hand and justthrow them away You know likeyoursquod hear it once and yoursquod neverhear it again Irsquod find myself sittingthere going Please do that again Icouldnrsquot hear what the hell that wasthat Tatum did so Irsquod have to lift upthe needle and go back you know
Billy Joel on playing rock in stadiums Itrsquos a blast Itrsquos fun tomake that noise We manipulate sound Rockers are kind ofmagicians and wizards We take soundsand play with them youknow and then we put it outthere and do magic to peoplewith it and it gets this bigresponse [pause] And chicksdig it [laughs] Itrsquos this greatpower But I have a lot ofrespect for jazz musiciansThats hard in a completelydifferent way
Billy Joel on why he didnt become a jazz musician Imfamiliar with a lot of good jazz I listened to it all through myteenage years And I still do to this day I love jazz I wanted to bea jazz guy I just didnt I dont have the chops
Chico Hamilton on the Gerry Mulligan Quartet of 1952 Gerrydidnrsquot want me to use my bass drum And thatrsquos when we went towar [laughs] I finally went out and got myself a tom-tom insteada small bass drum and converted itinto a bass drum Gerry didnt wantany bass drum at all But I told him Ineeded something there for my rightfoot to keep my rhythm My timing
EddiePalmieriAzucar PaTi
Bill PerkinsOn Stage
John LewisGrandEncounter
Dick Collinsamp RunawayHerd Hornof Plenty
LennieTristanoIntuition
BlueMitchellSextet BlueSoul
HalMcKusickTripleExposure
Dave PellJazz ForDancingandListening
DonFagerquistPortrait of aGreat JazzArtist
FourBrothersThe FourBrothers
JazzWax March 2009
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depended on it Irsquom still using asmaller bass drum today
Chico Hamilton on his music forand appearance in the 1957 filmSweet Smell of Success Theactor Martin Milner who played theguitarist and the quintets bandleaderin the movie he didnt know how toplay guitar So what happened wasMilner put his left hand behind himand John Pisano my guitar playerput his hand on the strings It lookedlike Milner was playing the guitar theway Jimmy Wong [Howe] shot it
[laughs]
Chico Hamilton on why hesunderappreciated I donrsquot know Maybebecause Ive always seen the drums as amelodic instrument not a percussive one Ideveloped a touch It may not have been asloud but its mine
Saxophonist Hal McKusick on arrangerGeorge Handy and the Boyd RaeburnOrchestra When we were on tour in San Francisco in 1945 the
Palace Hotel didnt like the fact thatwe had a broadcast there each nightat around dinnertime We playedstraight out for the radio audiencewhich rattled the staff and guests Toup the ante [Johnny] Mandel and[George] Handy [pictured] dyed theirhair green which scared the staffand patrons But the two of themdidnt care The bandrsquos vocalist DavidAllyn practiced singing in an
TogetherAgain
JamesMoodyMoody 4A
MeredithdAmbrosioLove Is Nota Game
DonFriedmanCircleWaltz
ScottLaFaroPieces ofJade
Chet Baker+ ArtPepperPlayboys
CyrusChestnutSpirit
EnduranceHeath Brothers Endurance
Med FloryGo WestYoung Med
LockjawDavis Foxand theHounds +Lock the
JazzWax March 2009
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abandoned tomb in the graveyard He liked the sound there
Carol Sloane on Oscar Peterson Oscar would watch my set atthe Village Vanguard [in 1961] from adark banquette off to the side Eachtime he would ask out loud for me tosing Kurt Weills My Ship Id jazz upthe song and when Id finish Id lookat Oscar for his reaction Each time Isang it Oscar was expressionlessFor a week hed shout out the samerequest and each time Id workharder to make a jazz impressionAnd each time Id get the same stonyreaction I finally grew exhaustedtrying to embellish the song So onenight I just sang it straight When I finished Oscar was grinningand applauding I finally got Oscars message A great songdoesnt need to be jazzed up You just have to sing it straight Ivecarried Oscars lesson with me ever since
Carol Sloane on Barbra Streisand The first time I met her I wassinging at the Village Vanguard in 1961 One of the waiters came
up to me to tell me that there was ayoung girl in the back who lookedkind of weird He said she doesnthave a purse and shes wearing a T-shirt and her hair is long and stringyThe waiter asked if I wanted to seethis girl or should he tell her Im notavailable I went to the back of theclub and there was this ordinary
looking girl She [introduced herself and] said to me How do youdo that Do what You mean singing I asked Yeah how doyou sing like that She said she was just starting out
Carol Sloane on performing with Ben Webster in 1963 inRhode Island I listened to everynote Ben played As a singer Icouldnt believe how great he
sounded After the set he smiled atme That was enough He smiledThen he went straight to the bar
Carol Sloane on watching the Beatles perform from thedugout at Shea Stadium in 1965 andhearing the mass hysteria As a jazzsinger I was nauseous I could see thewriting on the wall with the Beatles The kidshad been drifting away from jazz for yearsBut by this concert in 1965 they werecompletely gone and I knew they werenever coming back You could see it Youcould hear it
Carol Sloane on her stormy relationship with pianist JimmyRowles It was a tough period forme I was in my early 40s and hadbegun questioning everything aboutmy career and my ability Jimmy wasa legendary pianist the guy who hadaccompanied everyone In thebeginning he made me feel greatBut little by little things got worseand worse It got so bad that I triedto take my own life
Carol Sloane on Ella Fitzgeralds performance anxiety [Ella]was pacing and wringing her handsbackstage and saying Irsquom sonervous Irsquom so nervous I said GodElla donrsquot worry Jimmy [Rowles] willnever let you down Yoursquove gotnothing to worry about She said Iknow She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15years So all of a sudden she had anew guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was
behaving as though the world was going to come to an end
Wailin
Red MitchellPresentingRed Mitchell
SonnyClarkLeapin andLopin
SonnyRollinsAlfie
MachitoKenya Afro-Cuban Jazz
YusefLateef TheGolden Flute
YusefLateef IntoSomething
MundellLowe Satanin HighHeels
Bill EvansLive in Paris1965
FrankSinatra ASwinginAffair
This Here
JazzWax March 2009
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March 30 2009
Carol Sloane on her own stage anxiety I was always nervousabout performing To the point of being ill It was awful I used tohave performance-anxiety dreams Id go to sleep and havenightmares about having to go out and sing It cant be helped Itssomething deep in your brain
Singer Simone on what she misses most about her motherNina Simone I miss her handrubbing my head I miss her touch
Posted by Marc Myers at 0830 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Billy Joel Buddy De Franco Carol Sloane Chico Hamilton David Soyer HalMcKusick Helen Merrill Jimmy Cobb Phil Woods Sandie Shaw Simone
Hank Garland Jazz Winds
Country musicians have a long history of teaming with jazz andblues artists to produce hipmusic Western swing was anoutgrowth of jazz The samegoes for rockabilly and theearly Sun Records soundOne of the finest examples ofthis twang-and-hang hybrid isJazz Winds from a NewDirection Recorded in August1960 the session was led by
Hank Garland one of Nashvilles topcountry studio musicians at the timewho recorded with Elvis Presley andother country-rock artists in the late1950s Jazz Winds teamed Garlandwith Gary Burton on vibes JoeBenjamin on bass and Joe Morelloon drums
How did this configuration come to be Garlands professionalrelationship with Burton actually began a month earlier on July 41960 after rowdy spectators at the Newport Jazz Festival causedthe cancellation of the events remaining performances One ofthose planned events included Garland and other Nashville artistswho enjoyed playing jazz
So RCA executive Ben Rosner quickly rented a mansion and onthe afternoon of July 4th the groupbilled as the Nashville All-Starsrecorded seven tracks The bandfeatured Boots Randolph (alto sax)Gary Burton (vibes) [pictured] FloydCramer (piano) Hank Garland andChet Atkins (guitars) Brenton Banks(violin) Bob Moore (bass) and Buddy Harman (drums)
The album was released as After theRiot at Newport and featured a coverillustrated by Jim Flora and linernotes by Newport Jazz Festivalfounder and producer George WeinHeres what George wrote
The music on this disc is whattranspired on that sunny Monday
afternoon [of July 4th] Incidentally but importantly twoselections in the album were composed for the occasionChet Atkins penned Nashville to Newport and BootsRandolph with Hank Garland extemporized Riot-Chous thenight before the sessionmdashright after the big riot
To me the highlights of the album are the wonderful violinof Brenton Banks the swinging guitar
Joe Timer ampTHEOrchestraWillisConoversHouse ofSounds
Presents THE Orchestra
JazzWax March 2009
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of Hank Garland and the brilliant workof a 17-year old vibraphonist fromPrinceton Indiana Gary Burtonwhom you will be sure to hear a lot inthe future [Pictured George Wein]
A month later on August 23d Garland wentinto ColumbiasNashvillestudio withBurton Joe Benjamin and JoeMorello and recorded Jazz Windsfrom a New Direction Six days laterthe same group recorded SubtleSwing
In early 1961 Garland picked up where he left off in the Nashvillestudios with Presley and other country and early rock artists Butin September Garland was ina near-fatal auto accidentnear Nashville that left him ina coma for a week When heemerged he had sufferedsevere brain damage Hiswife helped him learn to walktalk and regain partial guitar-playing ability But except foran occasional appearanceGarland remained retiredpassing away in 2004[Pictured Presley and HankGarland]
Jazz Winds and the other albums mentioned above show theearly jazz promise of Hank Garlandjust before his flame was tragicallysnuffed out They also demonstrateGeorge Weins gift for dismissingnaysayers and bringing togetherartists of different stripes to createbeautiful music Had Garlandsurvived there surely would have
CannonballAdderleyArtFarmerAlabamaConcerto
LambertHendricks ampBavan Liveat BasinStreet East
DavidAmramJazz Portrait
Frank WessWess PointTheCommodoreRecordings
HalMcKusickHalMcKusickQuartet
TeddyCharlesTentetTeddyCharlesTentet
TeddyCharles withJimmyRaney NewDirections
TeddyCharlesCoolin
SarahVaughanAfter Hoursat theLondonHouse
V i d e o s
Art Van Damme Ben Webster Bill Evans Billie Holiday Bob Brookmeyer Bobby Timmons Cannbl Adderley Carmen McRae 1
JazzWax March 2009
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March 29 2009
been all types of jazz-country fusionefforts throughout the 1960s and beyond Garland could swingJust ask Gary Burton
JazzWax tracks You can buy Hank Garlands jazz albumsindividually but youll pay a fortune sincemost are out of print Or you can buy thetwo-CD set Move The Guitar Artistry ofHank Garland which includes selectionsfrom four of Garlands jazz-countryrecordings After the Riot Jazz Winds froma New Direction Velvet Guitar and SubtleSwing Youll find the CD and samples here
A special thanks to Kurt Kolstad for introducing me to Garland andJazz Winds
JazzWax clip Heres a clip of country guitarists Eddy Arnold andHank Garland in the mid-1950s Pay particular attention toGarlands jazz chords on the Hank Garland Stomp
Posted by Marc Myers at 0751 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Chet Atkins Eddy Arnold Elvis Presley Gary Burton George Wein HankGarland Joe Morello
Carmen McRae 2 Charleston Charlie Parker Chet Baker Chico OFarrill Claus Ogerman Coleman Hawkins Count Basie Dinah Washington Dizzy Gillespie Earl Hines Eddie Palmieri Gerry Mulligan Gene Krupa Geo Shearing Jack Teagarden Jackie McLean Jackie Paris Jammin the Blues June Christy 1 June Christy 2 Lee Morgan Lockjaw Davis Louie Bellson Maynard Ferguson Max Roach Miles Davis 1 Miles Davis 2 Mundell Lowe 1 Mundell Lowe 2 Oscar Pettiford Paul Desmond Pepper Adams Phineas Newborn Sarah Vaughan Sonny Rollins Sound of Jazz Stan Kenton Teddy Wilson Terry Gibbs Wes Montgomery Woody Herman Yolande Bavan Yusef Lateef
B l o g s
Terry Teachout Doug Ramsey Jazz Video Guy Nate Chinen Jazzcom JazzSession Cab Calloway A Blog Supreme David B Johnson Gregory Bell Jan Stevens Ed Leimbacher Howard Mandel Jazz Lives JerryJazzMusician Ian Carey Latin Jazz Corner Lost + Sound MuleWalkJazzTalk My2CentsWorth New Orleans News Ray De Felitta Ricky Riccardi Russ Neff Steve Cerra Vinson Valega Von Babasin
A r t i s t S i t e s
>
JazzWax March 2009
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Sunday Wax Bits
The future of live jazz I have no idea whether anyone hasconducted an in-depth studyof jazz-club attendance andlive-jazz revenue trends overthe past five years I supposeits safe to assume that if thenewspaper business and CDindustry are drowning theeffort to put warm bodies inseats at clubs concerts andfestivals cant be far behind[Photo of girl transfixed byjazz by Bob Willoughby 1951]
The deck certainly is stackedagainst concert producersclub owners and musicians alike Real estate leases remainprohibitively high insurance premiums are up the comforts ofhome are increasingly seductive discretionary income is tight thejazz legend pool is shrinking and the promotional dollars neededto spread the word never seems to be enough
And thats the good news The bigger dragon here is technologyDramatic shifts occur every time this beastswishes its tail Have you noticed thatvirtually everything you can hold in yourhands these days is disappearing Gizmoscreens have become so clear and Internetbandwidth so wide that increasing amountsof our culture are being consumed through
pixels and digital bites
Dig this Music downloads now represent the only slice of therecord business thats growingAmazons Kindle has rendered books(the kind with spines and dustjackets) almost meaningless Moviedownloads have already begun toovercome DVDs And once wall-sized computer screens aredeveloped and affordable its easy to
Art Blakey Art Pepper Arturo OFarrill Benny Carter Bill Evans Brooks Tegler Bud Shank Charles Mingus Chet Baker Clifford Brown David Amram Frank Wess Grant Stewart Jackie Paris Louie Bellson Nelson Riddle Pharoah Sanders Roberto Magris Sal Mosca Sonny Rollins Teddy Charles Tessa Souter Warne Marsh Yolande Bavan
R a d i o
JAZZFM91 PURE JAZZ WBGO-FM WKCR-FM WDNA-FM WFIU-FM WNMC-FM WWOZ-FM BlackJazz Radio
S h o p p i n g
JazzFirstBooks VinylReVinyl
R e s o u r c e s
Jazz Corner Jazz Foundation Planet Bret Videos JazzBeatorg All About Jazz
Blog powered by TypePadMember since 072007
JazzWax March 2009
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imagine that well be able todownload Caribbean and European travel experiences withoutleaving home
Back to jazz You dont have to be a Facebook founder to knowthat the CDs days arenumbered and that live musicis under fire Lets face itgoing out to clubs isnt aseasy as it used to be Youhave to get it together arriveearly to win a favorable seatpay a fortune for admissionfork over more for smalldrinks and then travel homeearly before your chin hitsyour chest Personally I dontknow how people wentclubbing all week long in the
1940s and 1950s Didnt they have to get up early for work thenext day Or hadnt jobs been invented yet [Photo by Dave EScherman 1942 for Life]
Its anyones guess how many clubs and festivals will exist five orten years from now or how many musicians will be able to affordto play jazz at a high enough level to leave an impression Letsassume the number will be less than nowAfter all the trend is clear and its entirelypossible that live jazz will go the way of themanual transmission and TV antennas Thechallenge for jazz producers club ownersand musicians will be to find a way to makemoney using the Web to keep live jazzticking Newspapers stubbornly ignored the digital trend for yearsand learned a terrible lesson the hard way
Paul Slaughter Ive long been a fan of photographer PaulSlaughters work Over the past yearPaul has graciously allowed me touse his photos (with credit ofcourse) to illustrate JazzWax postsPaul has captured a large number ofthe jazz greats So I asked if he
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would select one of his favoriteimages and tell JazzWax readers alittle about how the photo came tobe
The Saturday afternoon before Sonnys Sunday night concert in Santa Fe inJuly of 2007 ABSpellman a retiredDeputy Chair of NationalEndowment of the Artsinterviewed Sonnybefore an audience atthe Lensic Theater anold movie houserenovated into abeautiful legit theaterAB got the JazzMasters Program goingat NEA and Sonny hadreceived an NEA JazzMasters Award in 1983
After ABs interview I gave Sonny a photo I took of him in1971 at the Monterey Jazz Festival
The next day I was hoping for a dressing room photo ofSonny so I brought him photos of his interview with ABUpon arrival at the Lensic I heard Sonny playing his horn inhis dressing room When there was a lull in Sonnys playing Iknocked on his door He said Come in There was Sonnydressed in a red shirt blue pants wearing a process capand holding his tenor sax What a terrific image I thought
I gave Sonny the photos I had brought with me He politelythanked me I asked if I could take his photo with his hornHe replied I always think part my soul is being captured
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when I am photographed I replied No Sonny this willmerely be a reflection of your soul He smiled warmly andallowed me to take one photograph The split-second resultis the image you see above
You can learn more about Paul at his site here His currentexhibition People of Our Times featuring celebrities and jazzgreats is at the Verve Gallery of Photography in Santa Fe NMuntil May 2
Doug Ramsey Last week author jazz critic and Rifftidesblogger DougRamsey featured twowonderful YouTube clips featuring singerSue Raney [pictured] One is of Raneysinging Henry Mancinis Dreamsville in2008 The other is a campy Scopitone fromthe mid-1960s of Raney singing Before theRain Scopitone was an early video jukeboxfeaturng 16mm film loops and soundtracks
Carol Sloane After viewing Bret Primacksvideo interview of me legendary singer Carol Sloane sent alongthe following e-mail
Like you I too listened faithfully to Al Jazzbo Collins[pictured] when the signal fromWNEW-NY became crystalclear as soon as other FMstations in Rhode Island shutdown for the night I found himand Harrison [the TasmanianOwl] in The Purple Grotto quiteby accident one night when Iwas spinning the dial and
should have been asleep
Of course I was hooked I even sent a fan letter written onthe diagonal (to be arty and to insure he would be obliged toread it) in purple ink Well hell I was 13 or 14 years old atthe time Never mind it worked One night I turned on theprogram and he was reading my letter on the air
Fortunately I had the opportunity to tell him many years
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later how thrilling that moment had been for me and that Irecorded My One And Only Love with him in mind because itwas his theme song
For more on Al Jazzbo Collins go here To view Carols blogSloanView go here
CD discovery of the week Back in 2006 Swiss trumpeter PeterScharli and Brazilian vocalistIthamara Koorax came together inZurich to record a beautiful albumcalled Obrigado Dom Um RomaoThe result is a tender tribute toBrazilian percussionist Dom UmRomao (Obrigado is Portuguesefor thank you)
Romao had introduced Scharli to Ithamara who became soexcited by the sound of Scharlis trumpet that she agreed torecord and tour Europe with both artists But before the tourbegan Romao died at age 82 So Scharli and Ithamara decidedto dedicate the CD to him
On the album Scharli [pictured] and Ithamara perform a series ofduets with Ithamara singing inPortuguese on 8 of the 10 tracks Ontwo tracks (Love for Sale and I Fall inLove Too Easily) Ithamara sings inEnglish But perhaps the mostfascinating songs feature Ithamarasinging vocalese in Portuguese OnVocaliste and Miniature IV she uses
Swingle Single-like tones to match Scharlis trumpet tones notefor note The result is quite fascinating as the pair come togetheror joust in counterpoint
Ithamaras voice throughout is passionate and her phrasing issoft and caressing Scharlis trumpet ispinpoint sharp without being too strong orloud Joining Ithamara [pictured] and Scharliare Markus Stalder on guitar and ThomasDurst on bass Romao plays berimbao onone track Manha de Carnaval
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March 27 2009
You can sample tracks here where youllalso find the imported CD
Oddball album cover of the week Released in 1959 on CubRecords and arrangedby Sammy Lowe TakeOff in Sound wassinger Marla Smithsonly known recordingIts unclear why Smithis pictured with anAmerican Airlines 707jet since the songsare rather land-locked(Speak Low Boy onthe Beach Wild Fireetc) Whats evenmore puzzling is the art direction Here Smith is depicted eitheras a ghost serenading mid-flight passengers Or she just
detached herself from the tailand is singing while trying tofly Either way Smiths up at35000 feet surfing theheavens in an evening gownAnd even though Smithseems to have only a cloudfor support she had the goodfashion sense to extend herleft leg for the photographer(who must have broken free
from the tail moments before her)
Posted by Marc Myers at 0815 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
JazzWax March 2009
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Interview Lisa Simone
One of the most exciting new singers Ive heard in some time isLisa Simone daughter of oneof Americas mostimpassioned vocalists NinaSimone Known simply asSimone the 46-year-old artisthas just released her first full-length album a stunningtribute to her mother Ratherthan simply mimic Ninas styleand outrage Simone hasproduced an updatedinterpretation of her motherscatalog complete with vocalpower range and tendernessSimones album Simone onSimone is earthy and gutsybut its also unmistakably adaughters message to her late mother
From the albums opening duet Music for Lovers which Lisa sangwith Nina live in Ireland to thealbums closing song Feeling Goodthis 14-track CD is packed withgospel belters big band swingersand soulful ballads Thearrangements for the 19-piece bandwere nimbly handled by Ken Moyerand they support Lisas all-in vocalstyle perfectly without being
overbearing or tissue-thin
A Broadway veteran since the mid-1990s Simone has sustainingchops that allow her voice to hit the farthest corners of any roomShe also has full command of her mothers challenging materialwhich twists and turns in places while vocals are delivered at fullthrottle
Classic Nina Simone songs on this CD include Gal From JoesGo to Hell Keeper of the Flame and a rousing version of BillyTaylors I Wish I Knew How It WouldFeel to Be Free One of my favorites
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is I Hold No Grudge which Ninarecorded in 1966 with a hugeorchestra and chorus arranged andconducted by Hal Mooney Moyersexpansive chart for Lisa is just assoft and dramatic What makes thistrack so special is Simones poetictelling of the songs lyric building to a final rousing held note
When I received a copy of Simone on Simone a couple of weeksago I put it on with some trepidation An ardent fan of NinaSimone I was fearful that Simone would either go too far or notfar enough in her tribute Instead I was blown away Simone hasre-energized her mothers material with loving sensitivity and afresh uplifting spirit
After listening to the album several times I gave Simone a call tochat about the album and her experience growing up as NinaSimones daughter
JazzWax How did it feel to have a mother who was sodeeply committed to music Lisa Simone It was normal for me My mother was alreadycommitted to music and social issues before I was born She
often had to struggle to split herlove equally between art andme which wasnt always easyOur relationship certainly hadits challenges But now that Irsquomolder and can reflect back onthose days I realize Iwitnessed a lot of history I canlook back and appreciate my
time with her whether standing in the wings watching her onstage or watching her write To Be Young Gifted and Black in1969
JW Were you always tugging at herLS I never felt I had enough of my mom I just had to dealwith it You take what you can get Now when I look back Ihave a finer understanding of my mom And Im able to get
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that extra piece I missed out on
JW Were you and your mom closeLS Yes but at times the world got in the way
JW Were you close with your father Andy StroudLS I am now When my parents were together up until1972 thatrsquos when I sawmy dad a lot When myparents divorced my lifechanged It flippedcompletely Therewerenrsquot a lot of terms inthose days to describewhat kids went throughwhen parents divorced I didnrsquot see a lot of my dad after thatyear My parents didnrsquot really get along after their splitWhen they did see each other they didnrsquot get a whole lotaccomplished [Pictured Nina Simone and husband AndyStroud]
JW What do you miss most about your momLS I miss her hand rubbing my head I miss her touch
JW Did you study singingLS No The most instruction Irsquove had was just before
appearing on stage in theBroadway production of Aida in2001 When I saw what theshow demanded I realized Ineeded a vocal coach Mycoach taught me a great dealprimarily that singing didnrsquothave to hurt I had been singingthrough my throat My coachtaught me to sing through mydiaphragm which shifts thepower source and prevents youfrom damaging your voice or
burning out
JW Youve been in few other major Broadway productionsLS Yes I was in the original cast of Rent in 1996 Then I
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toured with the production for a year and a half Before RentI was in a touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar
JW What did your mother teach you about singingLS All she said to me was ldquoHoney you donrsquot have to workso hardrdquo
JW What did she meanLS At the time my mother had come to a few of my showsin Los Angeles when I wasperforming at various clubsthere Her style and mine werevery different
JW How soLS Irsquom the one who jumpsaround the room like DaffyDuck I get so energizedWhereas Mommy because of all the years of practicing and
rehearsing and performing shehad already settled into singingon cruise control She wantedme to know that I could be justas effective as a singer oncruise control By urging me torelax and pace myperformances my mother felt Iwould avoid wearing myselfout Of course I learned all ofthat before I was on BroadwayAnd I learned even more whenI did eight performances a
week on stage
JW What did your mother teach you about life Or wereyou sheltered in her shadowLS [Laughs] You didnt wilt in Ninarsquos presence You neverwould have recovered from that A lot of what I learned wasby watching and listening Itrsquos amazing what children pick upthat way I didnrsquot wilt in her presence but I did learn how tofeel the air shift around me and about timingmdashwhen tospeak and when not to
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JW Were you honest with your mother LS I learned later on in our relationship that I needed toclearly communicate what Ineeded from her so I could getpositive reinforcement duringour conversations and visitsMy mom was so commandingand so accustomed to beingthe one dictating theconversation that to have someone like me come aroundand not want anything from her just her love was almostalien to her
JW Did she adjust to meet those needsLS It was hard for her For mom to make that shift was like
the grinding of gears Ihad to let her know in nouncertain terms that Iloved her very much butthat it hurt when shesaid certain things anddid certain things I alsosaid that I would
appreciate her taking certain things like my needs intoconsideration [Pictured Lisa Simone playing for motherNina]
JW What happenedLS She started to do that and our relationship was at awonderful point when she passed away in 2003
JW As a child understanding your mothers needs andhonoring them required enormous maturityLS I was grown up before I was an adult When yoursquore anonly child and yoursquoreglobetrotting all over the placewith your mother you findyourself growing in ways thatyou wouldnt have in othercircumstances
JW Was it tough traveling somuch
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LS You make the best of yourenvironment Books for mebecame my world
JW I Hold No Grudge has been wonderfully updatedLS Thank you Theyrsquore all special My mother said we were
both griots which are WestAfrican storytellers She saidwe both had an ability to makeour audiences feel what wersquoresinging about Itrsquos justsomething that I seem to haveand I have no idea where itcame from Irsquove found thatsinging for me is also a way of
getting certain emotions out Most people know that whenIrsquove had a bad day theyrsquore going to get an even better showsince Irsquom going to take any blow up and turn it intosomething beautiful
JW Is this album a message to your mom LS I like that question Yes it is Now that Irsquovebeen traveling on tour Itend to talk more aboutmy life with my motherIt has been a celebrationof my legacy and mymotherrsquosaccomplishments hermessage and her musicNot only have I learned to face this part of my life but Irsquoveembraced it This is not only about my mother but also myway of presenting myself to the world
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JW What do you think Ninawould say about your albumLS I think there would be a bigsmile on her face and shersquodlisten to it over and over again
JazzWax tracks Simone onSimone is available as adownload at iTunes and
Amazon or as a CD here For Simones tour information and tohear clips from her new album you can visit her site here
JazzWax clips Heres a YouTube clip interview with Simone onher new CD
Once you hear Simones new version of I Hold No Grudge listento Ninas original version from 1966
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March 26 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0803 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Andy Stroud Lisa Simone Nina Simone Simone
Bill Evans at Town Hall
Of pianist Bill Evans many live albums At Town Hall Vol 1 hasalways been among his mostdelicate and elegant Evansplaying is taut and gracefulwith lovely longimprovisational lines and asnappy fluid attack on thekeyboard The mix ofstandards and two originalsmdashone was a suite in memory ofhis father who died just threedays earliermdashalso were neatlyselected and assembled
For those who share my love of this album heresa list of little-known facts about the recording takenfrom Peter Pettingers How My Heart Sings a BillEvans discography and quotes from sources Ispoke to yesterday afternoon I also have a raretreat for you at the bottom
Despite playing New York club dates for 10 years the TownHall recording on February 21 1966 was Evans first NewYork concert appearance
Evans played the first half of the Town Hall concert with justbassist Chuck Israels and drummer Arnie Wise and thesecond half with an orchestra
According to Tom Lords Jazz Discography the orchestrasegment was arranged and conducted by Al Cohn [pictured]and featured Ernie Royal ClarkTerry and Bill Berry (trumpets)
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Bob Brookmeyer QuentinJackson and Bill Watrous(trombone) Bob Northern(French horn) Jerry DodgionGeorge Marge Eddie DanielsFrank Petrovsky and MarvinHolladay (reeds) Evans(piano) Chuck Israels (bass)and Grady Tate (drums)
The orchestra performed four Al Cohn-arranged tunesWillow Weep for Me and What Kind of Fool Am I as well asEvans originals Funkallero and Waltz for Debby
Verve never released Volume 2 which was to have featuredthe orchestral material and three trio tracks that didnt fit onthe first LP Yesterday I asked Jan Stevens of The BillEvans Web Pages what became of the band tracks Jansays Evans was intensely displeased with the result
Al Cohn did a strange thing The orchestral materialwas set up so the band played one of Cohnsarrangements followed by Bill playing a solo interludebetween songs In this regard the four songs were
meant to be a kind ofsuite with Bills pianobridging the gaps ButHelen Keane told me inthe early 1980s that Billwas extremely unhappywith the result She saidthe tracks would nevercome out no matter
what So far theyve never been commercially issuedWhats more they have never appeared on a bootlegwhich leads me to think Verve may have purged themasters immediately on Keanes or Evans insistence[Photo of Helen Keane and Bill Evans by Phil Braycourtesy of BillEvansnl in the Netherlands]
Although Creed Taylors name and signature were used byVerve on the LP jacket Creed told me yesterday that Helenalone produced the concert and that he wasnt there and
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had nothing to do with the event or the albums production
Gene Lees the legendary jazz writer and close friend ofEvans said yesterday he couldnt remember the concert anddidnt know specifically why the orchestral material wasntissued or what happened to the tracks
The concert was Chuck Israels last recorded appearance asa regular member of the Bill Evans Trio
Note-for-note piano transcriptions of the six songs recordedat Town Hall were recently issued as Bill Evans at TownHall Piano Transcriptions and Performance Notes by PascalWetzel Youll find it here
And now for the treat I promised you above Thanks to thegenerosity of JazzWax reader Kurt Kolstad who attended theTown Hall concert in 1966 heres the program sheet front andback including Gene Lees tribute essay Kurt says the songselections did not appear in the program and were announcedfrom the stage (click on the image to enlarge)
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
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Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
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Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
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In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
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March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
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written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
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Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
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March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
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What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
JazzWax March 2009
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
JazzWax March 2009
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
JazzWax March 2009
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youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
JazzWax March 2009
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
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1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
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music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
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Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
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sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
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email
input7
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Drummer Jimmy Cobb on Dinah Washington Dinah had acruel streak Probably because she was brought up aroundGladys Hampton Lionelrsquos wife andthe person who ran Hamps businessside Gladys used to buy Dinah nicethings to wear on stage but at theend of the week shersquod take it out ofher pay Most of the time it was stuffDinah couldnrsquot afford So Dinahwould do the same thing to the girlswho worked for her
Jimmy Cobb on what he learnedfrom Washington Feelings Dinah
was aBaptist When I heard that Baptistsound it took me over I wasnrsquot usedto hearing that It would make thehairs stand up on my arms and neckwhere people are singing andshouting in church That struck meright away She taught me to put the
passion into what I was doing
Jimmy Cobb on being hired in 1958 by Miles Davis for hissextet Philly Joe Jones was starting to come late to Miles jobs Cannonball Adderley was especially worried because he neededthe job He was living in [hisbrother] Natrsquos apartment inNew York and couldnrsquot standnot to have a gig you knowWhen Cannon saw that Phillywasnrsquot showing up he wasntsure if Miles was going tokeep the thing going So hetold Miles about me WhenJoe didnrsquot show one night Isat in Then I played on theOn Green Dolphin Street session and Miles dug what I did onthere
Jimmy Cobb on Miles Davis quirky personality One time
J a z z W a xI n t e r v i e w s
Adam Rudolph Al Stewart Andreas Meyer Art DLugoff Benny Golson Benny Powell Big Jay McNeely1 Big Jay McNeely2 Bill Holman 1 Bill Holman 2 Bill Holman 3 Billy Joel Billy Taylor Bob Brookmeyer Bobby Sanabria Bret Primack Brooks Tegler Bud Shank Buddy DeFranco 1 Buddy DeFranco 2 Buddy DeFranco 3 Buddy DeFranco 4 Buddy DeFranco 5 Buddy DeFranco 6 Carol Sloane Chantale Gagne Chembo Corniel
JazzWax March 2009
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Miles said he wished I could swing like Wynton [Kelly] I looked athim and said I sure wish youcould too Miles Miles gaveme a look but we were prettygood friends He knew I wasalways there when we playedThat was Miles thing He wasalways watching to see whatyou were going to bring Miles
was a funny little guy He was always busting in your face to seewhat your reaction would be [Photo Herb Snitzer]
Jimmy Cobb on how Davis wound up credited with songs hedidnt write Funny things used tohappen in the studio Wersquod be in arecording session and the engineerwould say What song was thatMiles Miles would tell him and theguy would write it down and creditMiles A bunch of songs wereattributed to Miles that way
Jimmy Cobb on Bill Evans and Kind of Blue Bill Evans had abigger hand in writing many of thosesongs than most people realize Thefeeling was very close to the way Billplayed piano Bill kind of got Milesinto that groove
Jimmy Cobb on Miles Davis andSonny Stitt during their 1960
European tour Miles didnrsquot want Sonny toplay tenor on the tour Miles said Man Irsquomgoing to step on that tenor Sonny wouldget all upset and say Oh man Miles Thatwas Milesrsquo way of letting Sonny know howhe felt Sonny took the tenor anyway
Jimmy Cobb on his famed metronome-like cymbal playing that opens Someday
My Prince WillCome That was my idea I thoughtI had made a mistake by hitting the
Chico Hamilton Chris Connor Creed Taylor 1 Creed Taylor 2 Creed Taylor 3 Creed Taylor 4 Creed Taylor 5 Dan Morgenstern1 Dan Morgenstern2 Danny Bank 1 Danny Bank 2 Danny Bank 3 Danny Bank 4 Dave Pell David Allyn 1 David Allyn 2 David Amram 1 David Amram 2 David Amram 3 Denny Zeitlin Dick Katz Dick Hyman Don Friedman Doug Ramsey Eddie Bert George Wein Grant Stewart Hal McKusick 1 Hal McKusick 2 Hal McKusick 3 Hal McKusick 4 Hal McKusick 5 Hal McKusick 6 Hal McKusick 7 Hal McKusick 8 Hank ONeal Helen Merrill Herman Leonard Howard Rumsey Ithamara Koorax Jackie Cain Jimmy Cobb Jimmy Heath Jimmy Heath2 Joe Wilder Johnny Mandel Johnny Mandel2 Jon Hendricks Laurie Pepper 1 Laurie Pepper 2 Laurie Verchomin Lennie Niehaus Leon Ware Loren Schoenberg Louie Bellson 1 Louie Bellson 2 Marian McPartland Marty Sheller Med Flory Merdith dAmbrosio Mundell Lowe 1 Mundell Lowe 2 Nat Hentoff Orrin Keepnews Pete Turner Phil Urso Phil Woods Rachel Rodgers Ray De Felitta Ray Santos Roberto Magris Ron Carter Ronnell Bright Roy Haynes Russ Garcia Sammy Nestico Sandie Shaw Simone Sonny Rollins
JazzWax March 2009
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cymbal too high up and too hard Ithought the engineer might not havebeen able to control it [with thelevels] But during the playbackeveryone liked it just as it was
Buddy De Franco on Miles Davis and the Metronome All-Stars of 1948-49 Miles was an up-and-coming guy at thatpoint a smart alec He had a way of playing and got very popularbecoming one of the biggestnames in jazz and pop musicBut next to Dizzy and Fatsthat day he was a weak thirdHe was not that super atrumpet player yet
Buddy De Franco on ArtieShaw Arties bop band in 1949 was a mistake Artie
underestimated the idea of playingbop He tried but it didnrsquot come offHe didnrsquot spend enough timelearning bop Artie didnrsquot really carethat much He was interested in toomany other thingsmdashyou knowwriting politics and other things thattook his interest away The idea of aband was a good idea to Artie until it
got boring
Buddy De Franco on what Charlie Parker said to him whenBuddy asked Bird why he didnt play the clarinet He wasvery kind He said Because you play it [laughs]
Cellist David Soyer who played in the string section on BillieHolidays Lady in Satin with his wife harpist Janet Putnamon the 1958 session I rememberBillie didnt want the guys in the bandto hear the playbacks because shedidnt think she sounded good Butwe all went into the booth after to
Sonny Rollins2 Stan Freberg 1 Stan Freberg 2 Stanley Cooper Ted Gioia Teddy Charles 1 Teddy Charles 2 Teddy Charles 3 Terry Teachout Yolande Bavan Yusef Lateef
E y e W i t n e s s
Bill Evans Bill Perkins Charlie Parker Dizzy Gillespie Don Fagerquist Don Sleet Frank Sinatra Jimmy Forrest Lester Young
O b i t s
Art DLugoff Bob Willoughby Bud Shank Chris Connor Dick Katz Ed Beach Eddie Higgins Eddie Locke George Russell Louie Bellson Morris Nanton Roy DeCarava Stacy Rowles Torrie Zito
P h o t o S t o r y
Big Jay McNeely Bill Evans Dizzy Gillespie Dizzy Gillespie2 Duke Ellington Harry Edison Lester Young Louis Armstrong Miles Davis Miles Davis2 Med Flory Sammy Davis Jr Zoot Sims
hear them anyway She soundedpretty damn good to me
Singer Helen Merrill on her veryfirst club performance with Bud Powell on piano After I
started singing Bud stopped playing turnedaround looked at me with the biggest grinon his face and then continued to play Itwas a huge compliment and a completesurprise I wasnrsquot professional yet but whenBud did that it gave me so muchconfidence He was so sweet
Helen Merrill on her famed 1954recording for Mercury with trumpeterClifford Brown We didnrsquot talk much atthose sessions We just smiled at eachother a lot What we had to say to eachother was unspoken It came through themusic and you can still hear that unspokenconversation on there today
Helen Merrill on seeing the cover of the album for the firsttime I cried I didnt think I looked like that when I sang But I
did As a woman I thought I wasprettier I dont mean that in a vainway Its just that you have a certainvision of how you look and whenthat image is different you feel sortof vulnerable
Helen Merrill on Dream of You her1956 album arranged by Gil
Evans It was my idea to use Gil He was so gifted I hadremembered his beautiful music forClaude Thornhill and I thought hismusic would be beautiful to singagainst When I mentioned Gils
J a z z W a xM e n t i o n s
BBC Jazz Session LA Times USA Today Wall St Journal
J a z z W a x L i n e rN o t e s
JoeAltermanPianoTracks(Vol 1)
CarolSloaneWell MeetAgain
BennyGolsonBest ofBennyGolson
TeddyCharlesCompleteTentet
GrantStewartYoung atHeart
R e c e n t P o s t s
Interview Sammy Nestico
>
JazzWax March 2009
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name to [EmArcy head ] Bob Shad Ithought Bob was going to have aheart attack At first Bob said Nobecause Gil was famous for keepingorchestras overtime and studio timeand musicians were very expensive Eventually Bob gave in
Helen Merrill on Miles Davis [In the early and mid-1950s]Miles used to love my sound andalways came to hear me sing Wewere dear friends He told me heloved my whisper sounds Thats atechnique I used by getting up realclose to the microphone Id singalmost in a whisper which created avery intimate sound I developed thisby listening to my voice and trying
different things with the mikes
Helen Merrill on Bill Evans Bill called me the night Miles hadasked him to join his sextet in 1958 Bill said Helen do you reallythink Im good enough Do you thinkIm good enough to play with Miles[laughs] I said of course Bill knewhe was great but needed theencouragement I was very touchedby what he asked me and I knewexactly how he felt It was a big movefor him Even when you know youcan do something you want to hear it from someone who feelsthe way you do someone who understands what youre goingthrough inside
Phil Woods on words of encouragement from Charlie ParkerI came into Arthurs Tavern [in 1953] and there was the great
Charlie Parkermdashplaying the baritonesax It belonged to Larry Rivers thepainter Parker knew me He knewall the kids who were coming up I
(Part 2)
Interview Sammy Nestico(Part 1)
Sunday Wax Bits
PhotoStory13 Harry Edison
Herb Pomeroy ASplendored Gig
Interview Dick Hyman (Part3)
Interview Dick Hyman (Part2)
Interview Dick Hyman (Part1)
Sunday Wax Bits
Six Hawks for the New Year
A r c h i v e s
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
More
J a z z W a x P i c k s
NatAdderleyThats Right
DameroniaLook Stopamp Listen
IthamaraKoorax BimBom
JazzWax March 2009
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said Mr Parker perhaps yoursquod liketo play my alto He said Phil thatwould be great This baritonersquoskicking my butt So I ran back acrossthe street to the Nut Club andgrabbed the alto sax that I hated Icame back and handed my horn toBird and he played Long Ago and
Far Away As Irsquom listening to him play my horn Irsquomrealizing therersquos nothing wrong with it [laughs] Nothing was wrongwith the reed nothing was wrong with the mouthpiecemdasheven thestrap sounded good Then Parkersays to me Now you play I said tomyself My God So I did I played achorus for him When I was doneBird leaned over and said Soundsreal good Phil This time I levitatedover Seventh Avenue to the NutClub And when I got back on thebandstand there I played the shit outof Harlem Nocturne Thatrsquos when Istopped complaining and startedpracticing [Image of Jazz magazinecourtesy of Bird Lives]
Phil Woods on his famous solo on Billy Joels Just the WayYou Are People come up to me allthe time to ask me about that Myfavorite was the young saxophonistwho came up to me on some gig Iwas playing and said Are you theguy on the Billy Joel record I saidYes I am He said Have you doneanything on your own [laughs] Isaid A couple of things
Billy Joel on jazz Jazz takes a good amount of technicalexpertise to get it right You need a greatdeal of study and discipline A lot of people
Lyle MurphyGone withtheWoodwinds
WoodyHermanColumbiaRecordings(1945 -1947)
JohnColtraneSide Steps
Art FarmerAztec Suite
Machito attheCrescendo
Tom TalbertBix DukeFats
Don SleetAllMembers
LennieNiehausQuintetsand Strings
StanKentonStage DoorSwings
MartySheller WhyDeny
JazzWax March 2009
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in rock and pop donrsquot necessarily have thatkind of background and they donrsquot havethat well-developed a technique
Billy Joel on Art Tatum Tatum wouldplay runs with his left hand and justthrow them away You know likeyoursquod hear it once and yoursquod neverhear it again Irsquod find myself sittingthere going Please do that again Icouldnrsquot hear what the hell that wasthat Tatum did so Irsquod have to lift upthe needle and go back you know
Billy Joel on playing rock in stadiums Itrsquos a blast Itrsquos fun tomake that noise We manipulate sound Rockers are kind ofmagicians and wizards We take soundsand play with them youknow and then we put it outthere and do magic to peoplewith it and it gets this bigresponse [pause] And chicksdig it [laughs] Itrsquos this greatpower But I have a lot ofrespect for jazz musiciansThats hard in a completelydifferent way
Billy Joel on why he didnt become a jazz musician Imfamiliar with a lot of good jazz I listened to it all through myteenage years And I still do to this day I love jazz I wanted to bea jazz guy I just didnt I dont have the chops
Chico Hamilton on the Gerry Mulligan Quartet of 1952 Gerrydidnrsquot want me to use my bass drum And thatrsquos when we went towar [laughs] I finally went out and got myself a tom-tom insteada small bass drum and converted itinto a bass drum Gerry didnt wantany bass drum at all But I told him Ineeded something there for my rightfoot to keep my rhythm My timing
EddiePalmieriAzucar PaTi
Bill PerkinsOn Stage
John LewisGrandEncounter
Dick Collinsamp RunawayHerd Hornof Plenty
LennieTristanoIntuition
BlueMitchellSextet BlueSoul
HalMcKusickTripleExposure
Dave PellJazz ForDancingandListening
DonFagerquistPortrait of aGreat JazzArtist
FourBrothersThe FourBrothers
JazzWax March 2009
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depended on it Irsquom still using asmaller bass drum today
Chico Hamilton on his music forand appearance in the 1957 filmSweet Smell of Success Theactor Martin Milner who played theguitarist and the quintets bandleaderin the movie he didnt know how toplay guitar So what happened wasMilner put his left hand behind himand John Pisano my guitar playerput his hand on the strings It lookedlike Milner was playing the guitar theway Jimmy Wong [Howe] shot it
[laughs]
Chico Hamilton on why hesunderappreciated I donrsquot know Maybebecause Ive always seen the drums as amelodic instrument not a percussive one Ideveloped a touch It may not have been asloud but its mine
Saxophonist Hal McKusick on arrangerGeorge Handy and the Boyd RaeburnOrchestra When we were on tour in San Francisco in 1945 the
Palace Hotel didnt like the fact thatwe had a broadcast there each nightat around dinnertime We playedstraight out for the radio audiencewhich rattled the staff and guests Toup the ante [Johnny] Mandel and[George] Handy [pictured] dyed theirhair green which scared the staffand patrons But the two of themdidnt care The bandrsquos vocalist DavidAllyn practiced singing in an
TogetherAgain
JamesMoodyMoody 4A
MeredithdAmbrosioLove Is Nota Game
DonFriedmanCircleWaltz
ScottLaFaroPieces ofJade
Chet Baker+ ArtPepperPlayboys
CyrusChestnutSpirit
EnduranceHeath Brothers Endurance
Med FloryGo WestYoung Med
LockjawDavis Foxand theHounds +Lock the
JazzWax March 2009
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abandoned tomb in the graveyard He liked the sound there
Carol Sloane on Oscar Peterson Oscar would watch my set atthe Village Vanguard [in 1961] from adark banquette off to the side Eachtime he would ask out loud for me tosing Kurt Weills My Ship Id jazz upthe song and when Id finish Id lookat Oscar for his reaction Each time Isang it Oscar was expressionlessFor a week hed shout out the samerequest and each time Id workharder to make a jazz impressionAnd each time Id get the same stonyreaction I finally grew exhaustedtrying to embellish the song So onenight I just sang it straight When I finished Oscar was grinningand applauding I finally got Oscars message A great songdoesnt need to be jazzed up You just have to sing it straight Ivecarried Oscars lesson with me ever since
Carol Sloane on Barbra Streisand The first time I met her I wassinging at the Village Vanguard in 1961 One of the waiters came
up to me to tell me that there was ayoung girl in the back who lookedkind of weird He said she doesnthave a purse and shes wearing a T-shirt and her hair is long and stringyThe waiter asked if I wanted to seethis girl or should he tell her Im notavailable I went to the back of theclub and there was this ordinary
looking girl She [introduced herself and] said to me How do youdo that Do what You mean singing I asked Yeah how doyou sing like that She said she was just starting out
Carol Sloane on performing with Ben Webster in 1963 inRhode Island I listened to everynote Ben played As a singer Icouldnt believe how great he
sounded After the set he smiled atme That was enough He smiledThen he went straight to the bar
Carol Sloane on watching the Beatles perform from thedugout at Shea Stadium in 1965 andhearing the mass hysteria As a jazzsinger I was nauseous I could see thewriting on the wall with the Beatles The kidshad been drifting away from jazz for yearsBut by this concert in 1965 they werecompletely gone and I knew they werenever coming back You could see it Youcould hear it
Carol Sloane on her stormy relationship with pianist JimmyRowles It was a tough period forme I was in my early 40s and hadbegun questioning everything aboutmy career and my ability Jimmy wasa legendary pianist the guy who hadaccompanied everyone In thebeginning he made me feel greatBut little by little things got worseand worse It got so bad that I triedto take my own life
Carol Sloane on Ella Fitzgeralds performance anxiety [Ella]was pacing and wringing her handsbackstage and saying Irsquom sonervous Irsquom so nervous I said GodElla donrsquot worry Jimmy [Rowles] willnever let you down Yoursquove gotnothing to worry about She said Iknow She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15years So all of a sudden she had anew guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was
behaving as though the world was going to come to an end
Wailin
Red MitchellPresentingRed Mitchell
SonnyClarkLeapin andLopin
SonnyRollinsAlfie
MachitoKenya Afro-Cuban Jazz
YusefLateef TheGolden Flute
YusefLateef IntoSomething
MundellLowe Satanin HighHeels
Bill EvansLive in Paris1965
FrankSinatra ASwinginAffair
This Here
JazzWax March 2009
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March 30 2009
Carol Sloane on her own stage anxiety I was always nervousabout performing To the point of being ill It was awful I used tohave performance-anxiety dreams Id go to sleep and havenightmares about having to go out and sing It cant be helped Itssomething deep in your brain
Singer Simone on what she misses most about her motherNina Simone I miss her handrubbing my head I miss her touch
Posted by Marc Myers at 0830 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Billy Joel Buddy De Franco Carol Sloane Chico Hamilton David Soyer HalMcKusick Helen Merrill Jimmy Cobb Phil Woods Sandie Shaw Simone
Hank Garland Jazz Winds
Country musicians have a long history of teaming with jazz andblues artists to produce hipmusic Western swing was anoutgrowth of jazz The samegoes for rockabilly and theearly Sun Records soundOne of the finest examples ofthis twang-and-hang hybrid isJazz Winds from a NewDirection Recorded in August1960 the session was led by
Hank Garland one of Nashvilles topcountry studio musicians at the timewho recorded with Elvis Presley andother country-rock artists in the late1950s Jazz Winds teamed Garlandwith Gary Burton on vibes JoeBenjamin on bass and Joe Morelloon drums
How did this configuration come to be Garlands professionalrelationship with Burton actually began a month earlier on July 41960 after rowdy spectators at the Newport Jazz Festival causedthe cancellation of the events remaining performances One ofthose planned events included Garland and other Nashville artistswho enjoyed playing jazz
So RCA executive Ben Rosner quickly rented a mansion and onthe afternoon of July 4th the groupbilled as the Nashville All-Starsrecorded seven tracks The bandfeatured Boots Randolph (alto sax)Gary Burton (vibes) [pictured] FloydCramer (piano) Hank Garland andChet Atkins (guitars) Brenton Banks(violin) Bob Moore (bass) and Buddy Harman (drums)
The album was released as After theRiot at Newport and featured a coverillustrated by Jim Flora and linernotes by Newport Jazz Festivalfounder and producer George WeinHeres what George wrote
The music on this disc is whattranspired on that sunny Monday
afternoon [of July 4th] Incidentally but importantly twoselections in the album were composed for the occasionChet Atkins penned Nashville to Newport and BootsRandolph with Hank Garland extemporized Riot-Chous thenight before the sessionmdashright after the big riot
To me the highlights of the album are the wonderful violinof Brenton Banks the swinging guitar
Joe Timer ampTHEOrchestraWillisConoversHouse ofSounds
Presents THE Orchestra
JazzWax March 2009
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of Hank Garland and the brilliant workof a 17-year old vibraphonist fromPrinceton Indiana Gary Burtonwhom you will be sure to hear a lot inthe future [Pictured George Wein]
A month later on August 23d Garland wentinto ColumbiasNashvillestudio withBurton Joe Benjamin and JoeMorello and recorded Jazz Windsfrom a New Direction Six days laterthe same group recorded SubtleSwing
In early 1961 Garland picked up where he left off in the Nashvillestudios with Presley and other country and early rock artists Butin September Garland was ina near-fatal auto accidentnear Nashville that left him ina coma for a week When heemerged he had sufferedsevere brain damage Hiswife helped him learn to walktalk and regain partial guitar-playing ability But except foran occasional appearanceGarland remained retiredpassing away in 2004[Pictured Presley and HankGarland]
Jazz Winds and the other albums mentioned above show theearly jazz promise of Hank Garlandjust before his flame was tragicallysnuffed out They also demonstrateGeorge Weins gift for dismissingnaysayers and bringing togetherartists of different stripes to createbeautiful music Had Garlandsurvived there surely would have
CannonballAdderleyArtFarmerAlabamaConcerto
LambertHendricks ampBavan Liveat BasinStreet East
DavidAmramJazz Portrait
Frank WessWess PointTheCommodoreRecordings
HalMcKusickHalMcKusickQuartet
TeddyCharlesTentetTeddyCharlesTentet
TeddyCharles withJimmyRaney NewDirections
TeddyCharlesCoolin
SarahVaughanAfter Hoursat theLondonHouse
V i d e o s
Art Van Damme Ben Webster Bill Evans Billie Holiday Bob Brookmeyer Bobby Timmons Cannbl Adderley Carmen McRae 1
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March 29 2009
been all types of jazz-country fusionefforts throughout the 1960s and beyond Garland could swingJust ask Gary Burton
JazzWax tracks You can buy Hank Garlands jazz albumsindividually but youll pay a fortune sincemost are out of print Or you can buy thetwo-CD set Move The Guitar Artistry ofHank Garland which includes selectionsfrom four of Garlands jazz-countryrecordings After the Riot Jazz Winds froma New Direction Velvet Guitar and SubtleSwing Youll find the CD and samples here
A special thanks to Kurt Kolstad for introducing me to Garland andJazz Winds
JazzWax clip Heres a clip of country guitarists Eddy Arnold andHank Garland in the mid-1950s Pay particular attention toGarlands jazz chords on the Hank Garland Stomp
Posted by Marc Myers at 0751 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Chet Atkins Eddy Arnold Elvis Presley Gary Burton George Wein HankGarland Joe Morello
Carmen McRae 2 Charleston Charlie Parker Chet Baker Chico OFarrill Claus Ogerman Coleman Hawkins Count Basie Dinah Washington Dizzy Gillespie Earl Hines Eddie Palmieri Gerry Mulligan Gene Krupa Geo Shearing Jack Teagarden Jackie McLean Jackie Paris Jammin the Blues June Christy 1 June Christy 2 Lee Morgan Lockjaw Davis Louie Bellson Maynard Ferguson Max Roach Miles Davis 1 Miles Davis 2 Mundell Lowe 1 Mundell Lowe 2 Oscar Pettiford Paul Desmond Pepper Adams Phineas Newborn Sarah Vaughan Sonny Rollins Sound of Jazz Stan Kenton Teddy Wilson Terry Gibbs Wes Montgomery Woody Herman Yolande Bavan Yusef Lateef
B l o g s
Terry Teachout Doug Ramsey Jazz Video Guy Nate Chinen Jazzcom JazzSession Cab Calloway A Blog Supreme David B Johnson Gregory Bell Jan Stevens Ed Leimbacher Howard Mandel Jazz Lives JerryJazzMusician Ian Carey Latin Jazz Corner Lost + Sound MuleWalkJazzTalk My2CentsWorth New Orleans News Ray De Felitta Ricky Riccardi Russ Neff Steve Cerra Vinson Valega Von Babasin
A r t i s t S i t e s
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JazzWax March 2009
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Sunday Wax Bits
The future of live jazz I have no idea whether anyone hasconducted an in-depth studyof jazz-club attendance andlive-jazz revenue trends overthe past five years I supposeits safe to assume that if thenewspaper business and CDindustry are drowning theeffort to put warm bodies inseats at clubs concerts andfestivals cant be far behind[Photo of girl transfixed byjazz by Bob Willoughby 1951]
The deck certainly is stackedagainst concert producersclub owners and musicians alike Real estate leases remainprohibitively high insurance premiums are up the comforts ofhome are increasingly seductive discretionary income is tight thejazz legend pool is shrinking and the promotional dollars neededto spread the word never seems to be enough
And thats the good news The bigger dragon here is technologyDramatic shifts occur every time this beastswishes its tail Have you noticed thatvirtually everything you can hold in yourhands these days is disappearing Gizmoscreens have become so clear and Internetbandwidth so wide that increasing amountsof our culture are being consumed through
pixels and digital bites
Dig this Music downloads now represent the only slice of therecord business thats growingAmazons Kindle has rendered books(the kind with spines and dustjackets) almost meaningless Moviedownloads have already begun toovercome DVDs And once wall-sized computer screens aredeveloped and affordable its easy to
Art Blakey Art Pepper Arturo OFarrill Benny Carter Bill Evans Brooks Tegler Bud Shank Charles Mingus Chet Baker Clifford Brown David Amram Frank Wess Grant Stewart Jackie Paris Louie Bellson Nelson Riddle Pharoah Sanders Roberto Magris Sal Mosca Sonny Rollins Teddy Charles Tessa Souter Warne Marsh Yolande Bavan
R a d i o
JAZZFM91 PURE JAZZ WBGO-FM WKCR-FM WDNA-FM WFIU-FM WNMC-FM WWOZ-FM BlackJazz Radio
S h o p p i n g
JazzFirstBooks VinylReVinyl
R e s o u r c e s
Jazz Corner Jazz Foundation Planet Bret Videos JazzBeatorg All About Jazz
Blog powered by TypePadMember since 072007
JazzWax March 2009
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imagine that well be able todownload Caribbean and European travel experiences withoutleaving home
Back to jazz You dont have to be a Facebook founder to knowthat the CDs days arenumbered and that live musicis under fire Lets face itgoing out to clubs isnt aseasy as it used to be Youhave to get it together arriveearly to win a favorable seatpay a fortune for admissionfork over more for smalldrinks and then travel homeearly before your chin hitsyour chest Personally I dontknow how people wentclubbing all week long in the
1940s and 1950s Didnt they have to get up early for work thenext day Or hadnt jobs been invented yet [Photo by Dave EScherman 1942 for Life]
Its anyones guess how many clubs and festivals will exist five orten years from now or how many musicians will be able to affordto play jazz at a high enough level to leave an impression Letsassume the number will be less than nowAfter all the trend is clear and its entirelypossible that live jazz will go the way of themanual transmission and TV antennas Thechallenge for jazz producers club ownersand musicians will be to find a way to makemoney using the Web to keep live jazzticking Newspapers stubbornly ignored the digital trend for yearsand learned a terrible lesson the hard way
Paul Slaughter Ive long been a fan of photographer PaulSlaughters work Over the past yearPaul has graciously allowed me touse his photos (with credit ofcourse) to illustrate JazzWax postsPaul has captured a large number ofthe jazz greats So I asked if he
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would select one of his favoriteimages and tell JazzWax readers alittle about how the photo came tobe
The Saturday afternoon before Sonnys Sunday night concert in Santa Fe inJuly of 2007 ABSpellman a retiredDeputy Chair of NationalEndowment of the Artsinterviewed Sonnybefore an audience atthe Lensic Theater anold movie houserenovated into abeautiful legit theaterAB got the JazzMasters Program goingat NEA and Sonny hadreceived an NEA JazzMasters Award in 1983
After ABs interview I gave Sonny a photo I took of him in1971 at the Monterey Jazz Festival
The next day I was hoping for a dressing room photo ofSonny so I brought him photos of his interview with ABUpon arrival at the Lensic I heard Sonny playing his horn inhis dressing room When there was a lull in Sonnys playing Iknocked on his door He said Come in There was Sonnydressed in a red shirt blue pants wearing a process capand holding his tenor sax What a terrific image I thought
I gave Sonny the photos I had brought with me He politelythanked me I asked if I could take his photo with his hornHe replied I always think part my soul is being captured
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when I am photographed I replied No Sonny this willmerely be a reflection of your soul He smiled warmly andallowed me to take one photograph The split-second resultis the image you see above
You can learn more about Paul at his site here His currentexhibition People of Our Times featuring celebrities and jazzgreats is at the Verve Gallery of Photography in Santa Fe NMuntil May 2
Doug Ramsey Last week author jazz critic and Rifftidesblogger DougRamsey featured twowonderful YouTube clips featuring singerSue Raney [pictured] One is of Raneysinging Henry Mancinis Dreamsville in2008 The other is a campy Scopitone fromthe mid-1960s of Raney singing Before theRain Scopitone was an early video jukeboxfeaturng 16mm film loops and soundtracks
Carol Sloane After viewing Bret Primacksvideo interview of me legendary singer Carol Sloane sent alongthe following e-mail
Like you I too listened faithfully to Al Jazzbo Collins[pictured] when the signal fromWNEW-NY became crystalclear as soon as other FMstations in Rhode Island shutdown for the night I found himand Harrison [the TasmanianOwl] in The Purple Grotto quiteby accident one night when Iwas spinning the dial and
should have been asleep
Of course I was hooked I even sent a fan letter written onthe diagonal (to be arty and to insure he would be obliged toread it) in purple ink Well hell I was 13 or 14 years old atthe time Never mind it worked One night I turned on theprogram and he was reading my letter on the air
Fortunately I had the opportunity to tell him many years
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later how thrilling that moment had been for me and that Irecorded My One And Only Love with him in mind because itwas his theme song
For more on Al Jazzbo Collins go here To view Carols blogSloanView go here
CD discovery of the week Back in 2006 Swiss trumpeter PeterScharli and Brazilian vocalistIthamara Koorax came together inZurich to record a beautiful albumcalled Obrigado Dom Um RomaoThe result is a tender tribute toBrazilian percussionist Dom UmRomao (Obrigado is Portuguesefor thank you)
Romao had introduced Scharli to Ithamara who became soexcited by the sound of Scharlis trumpet that she agreed torecord and tour Europe with both artists But before the tourbegan Romao died at age 82 So Scharli and Ithamara decidedto dedicate the CD to him
On the album Scharli [pictured] and Ithamara perform a series ofduets with Ithamara singing inPortuguese on 8 of the 10 tracks Ontwo tracks (Love for Sale and I Fall inLove Too Easily) Ithamara sings inEnglish But perhaps the mostfascinating songs feature Ithamarasinging vocalese in Portuguese OnVocaliste and Miniature IV she uses
Swingle Single-like tones to match Scharlis trumpet tones notefor note The result is quite fascinating as the pair come togetheror joust in counterpoint
Ithamaras voice throughout is passionate and her phrasing issoft and caressing Scharlis trumpet ispinpoint sharp without being too strong orloud Joining Ithamara [pictured] and Scharliare Markus Stalder on guitar and ThomasDurst on bass Romao plays berimbao onone track Manha de Carnaval
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March 27 2009
You can sample tracks here where youllalso find the imported CD
Oddball album cover of the week Released in 1959 on CubRecords and arrangedby Sammy Lowe TakeOff in Sound wassinger Marla Smithsonly known recordingIts unclear why Smithis pictured with anAmerican Airlines 707jet since the songsare rather land-locked(Speak Low Boy onthe Beach Wild Fireetc) Whats evenmore puzzling is the art direction Here Smith is depicted eitheras a ghost serenading mid-flight passengers Or she just
detached herself from the tailand is singing while trying tofly Either way Smiths up at35000 feet surfing theheavens in an evening gownAnd even though Smithseems to have only a cloudfor support she had the goodfashion sense to extend herleft leg for the photographer(who must have broken free
from the tail moments before her)
Posted by Marc Myers at 0815 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
JazzWax March 2009
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Interview Lisa Simone
One of the most exciting new singers Ive heard in some time isLisa Simone daughter of oneof Americas mostimpassioned vocalists NinaSimone Known simply asSimone the 46-year-old artisthas just released her first full-length album a stunningtribute to her mother Ratherthan simply mimic Ninas styleand outrage Simone hasproduced an updatedinterpretation of her motherscatalog complete with vocalpower range and tendernessSimones album Simone onSimone is earthy and gutsybut its also unmistakably adaughters message to her late mother
From the albums opening duet Music for Lovers which Lisa sangwith Nina live in Ireland to thealbums closing song Feeling Goodthis 14-track CD is packed withgospel belters big band swingersand soulful ballads Thearrangements for the 19-piece bandwere nimbly handled by Ken Moyerand they support Lisas all-in vocalstyle perfectly without being
overbearing or tissue-thin
A Broadway veteran since the mid-1990s Simone has sustainingchops that allow her voice to hit the farthest corners of any roomShe also has full command of her mothers challenging materialwhich twists and turns in places while vocals are delivered at fullthrottle
Classic Nina Simone songs on this CD include Gal From JoesGo to Hell Keeper of the Flame and a rousing version of BillyTaylors I Wish I Knew How It WouldFeel to Be Free One of my favorites
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is I Hold No Grudge which Ninarecorded in 1966 with a hugeorchestra and chorus arranged andconducted by Hal Mooney Moyersexpansive chart for Lisa is just assoft and dramatic What makes thistrack so special is Simones poetictelling of the songs lyric building to a final rousing held note
When I received a copy of Simone on Simone a couple of weeksago I put it on with some trepidation An ardent fan of NinaSimone I was fearful that Simone would either go too far or notfar enough in her tribute Instead I was blown away Simone hasre-energized her mothers material with loving sensitivity and afresh uplifting spirit
After listening to the album several times I gave Simone a call tochat about the album and her experience growing up as NinaSimones daughter
JazzWax How did it feel to have a mother who was sodeeply committed to music Lisa Simone It was normal for me My mother was alreadycommitted to music and social issues before I was born She
often had to struggle to split herlove equally between art andme which wasnt always easyOur relationship certainly hadits challenges But now that Irsquomolder and can reflect back onthose days I realize Iwitnessed a lot of history I canlook back and appreciate my
time with her whether standing in the wings watching her onstage or watching her write To Be Young Gifted and Black in1969
JW Were you always tugging at herLS I never felt I had enough of my mom I just had to dealwith it You take what you can get Now when I look back Ihave a finer understanding of my mom And Im able to get
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that extra piece I missed out on
JW Were you and your mom closeLS Yes but at times the world got in the way
JW Were you close with your father Andy StroudLS I am now When my parents were together up until1972 thatrsquos when I sawmy dad a lot When myparents divorced my lifechanged It flippedcompletely Therewerenrsquot a lot of terms inthose days to describewhat kids went throughwhen parents divorced I didnrsquot see a lot of my dad after thatyear My parents didnrsquot really get along after their splitWhen they did see each other they didnrsquot get a whole lotaccomplished [Pictured Nina Simone and husband AndyStroud]
JW What do you miss most about your momLS I miss her hand rubbing my head I miss her touch
JW Did you study singingLS No The most instruction Irsquove had was just before
appearing on stage in theBroadway production of Aida in2001 When I saw what theshow demanded I realized Ineeded a vocal coach Mycoach taught me a great dealprimarily that singing didnrsquothave to hurt I had been singingthrough my throat My coachtaught me to sing through mydiaphragm which shifts thepower source and prevents youfrom damaging your voice or
burning out
JW Youve been in few other major Broadway productionsLS Yes I was in the original cast of Rent in 1996 Then I
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toured with the production for a year and a half Before RentI was in a touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar
JW What did your mother teach you about singingLS All she said to me was ldquoHoney you donrsquot have to workso hardrdquo
JW What did she meanLS At the time my mother had come to a few of my showsin Los Angeles when I wasperforming at various clubsthere Her style and mine werevery different
JW How soLS Irsquom the one who jumpsaround the room like DaffyDuck I get so energizedWhereas Mommy because of all the years of practicing and
rehearsing and performing shehad already settled into singingon cruise control She wantedme to know that I could be justas effective as a singer oncruise control By urging me torelax and pace myperformances my mother felt Iwould avoid wearing myselfout Of course I learned all ofthat before I was on BroadwayAnd I learned even more whenI did eight performances a
week on stage
JW What did your mother teach you about life Or wereyou sheltered in her shadowLS [Laughs] You didnt wilt in Ninarsquos presence You neverwould have recovered from that A lot of what I learned wasby watching and listening Itrsquos amazing what children pick upthat way I didnrsquot wilt in her presence but I did learn how tofeel the air shift around me and about timingmdashwhen tospeak and when not to
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JW Were you honest with your mother LS I learned later on in our relationship that I needed toclearly communicate what Ineeded from her so I could getpositive reinforcement duringour conversations and visitsMy mom was so commandingand so accustomed to beingthe one dictating theconversation that to have someone like me come aroundand not want anything from her just her love was almostalien to her
JW Did she adjust to meet those needsLS It was hard for her For mom to make that shift was like
the grinding of gears Ihad to let her know in nouncertain terms that Iloved her very much butthat it hurt when shesaid certain things anddid certain things I alsosaid that I would
appreciate her taking certain things like my needs intoconsideration [Pictured Lisa Simone playing for motherNina]
JW What happenedLS She started to do that and our relationship was at awonderful point when she passed away in 2003
JW As a child understanding your mothers needs andhonoring them required enormous maturityLS I was grown up before I was an adult When yoursquore anonly child and yoursquoreglobetrotting all over the placewith your mother you findyourself growing in ways thatyou wouldnt have in othercircumstances
JW Was it tough traveling somuch
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LS You make the best of yourenvironment Books for mebecame my world
JW I Hold No Grudge has been wonderfully updatedLS Thank you Theyrsquore all special My mother said we were
both griots which are WestAfrican storytellers She saidwe both had an ability to makeour audiences feel what wersquoresinging about Itrsquos justsomething that I seem to haveand I have no idea where itcame from Irsquove found thatsinging for me is also a way of
getting certain emotions out Most people know that whenIrsquove had a bad day theyrsquore going to get an even better showsince Irsquom going to take any blow up and turn it intosomething beautiful
JW Is this album a message to your mom LS I like that question Yes it is Now that Irsquovebeen traveling on tour Itend to talk more aboutmy life with my motherIt has been a celebrationof my legacy and mymotherrsquosaccomplishments hermessage and her musicNot only have I learned to face this part of my life but Irsquoveembraced it This is not only about my mother but also myway of presenting myself to the world
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JW What do you think Ninawould say about your albumLS I think there would be a bigsmile on her face and shersquodlisten to it over and over again
JazzWax tracks Simone onSimone is available as adownload at iTunes and
Amazon or as a CD here For Simones tour information and tohear clips from her new album you can visit her site here
JazzWax clips Heres a YouTube clip interview with Simone onher new CD
Once you hear Simones new version of I Hold No Grudge listento Ninas original version from 1966
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 26 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0803 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Andy Stroud Lisa Simone Nina Simone Simone
Bill Evans at Town Hall
Of pianist Bill Evans many live albums At Town Hall Vol 1 hasalways been among his mostdelicate and elegant Evansplaying is taut and gracefulwith lovely longimprovisational lines and asnappy fluid attack on thekeyboard The mix ofstandards and two originalsmdashone was a suite in memory ofhis father who died just threedays earliermdashalso were neatlyselected and assembled
For those who share my love of this album heresa list of little-known facts about the recording takenfrom Peter Pettingers How My Heart Sings a BillEvans discography and quotes from sources Ispoke to yesterday afternoon I also have a raretreat for you at the bottom
Despite playing New York club dates for 10 years the TownHall recording on February 21 1966 was Evans first NewYork concert appearance
Evans played the first half of the Town Hall concert with justbassist Chuck Israels and drummer Arnie Wise and thesecond half with an orchestra
According to Tom Lords Jazz Discography the orchestrasegment was arranged and conducted by Al Cohn [pictured]and featured Ernie Royal ClarkTerry and Bill Berry (trumpets)
JazzWax March 2009
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Bob Brookmeyer QuentinJackson and Bill Watrous(trombone) Bob Northern(French horn) Jerry DodgionGeorge Marge Eddie DanielsFrank Petrovsky and MarvinHolladay (reeds) Evans(piano) Chuck Israels (bass)and Grady Tate (drums)
The orchestra performed four Al Cohn-arranged tunesWillow Weep for Me and What Kind of Fool Am I as well asEvans originals Funkallero and Waltz for Debby
Verve never released Volume 2 which was to have featuredthe orchestral material and three trio tracks that didnt fit onthe first LP Yesterday I asked Jan Stevens of The BillEvans Web Pages what became of the band tracks Jansays Evans was intensely displeased with the result
Al Cohn did a strange thing The orchestral materialwas set up so the band played one of Cohnsarrangements followed by Bill playing a solo interludebetween songs In this regard the four songs were
meant to be a kind ofsuite with Bills pianobridging the gaps ButHelen Keane told me inthe early 1980s that Billwas extremely unhappywith the result She saidthe tracks would nevercome out no matter
what So far theyve never been commercially issuedWhats more they have never appeared on a bootlegwhich leads me to think Verve may have purged themasters immediately on Keanes or Evans insistence[Photo of Helen Keane and Bill Evans by Phil Braycourtesy of BillEvansnl in the Netherlands]
Although Creed Taylors name and signature were used byVerve on the LP jacket Creed told me yesterday that Helenalone produced the concert and that he wasnt there and
JazzWax March 2009
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had nothing to do with the event or the albums production
Gene Lees the legendary jazz writer and close friend ofEvans said yesterday he couldnt remember the concert anddidnt know specifically why the orchestral material wasntissued or what happened to the tracks
The concert was Chuck Israels last recorded appearance asa regular member of the Bill Evans Trio
Note-for-note piano transcriptions of the six songs recordedat Town Hall were recently issued as Bill Evans at TownHall Piano Transcriptions and Performance Notes by PascalWetzel Youll find it here
And now for the treat I promised you above Thanks to thegenerosity of JazzWax reader Kurt Kolstad who attended theTown Hall concert in 1966 heres the program sheet front andback including Gene Lees tribute essay Kurt says the songselections did not appear in the program and were announcedfrom the stage (click on the image to enlarge)
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
JazzWax March 2009
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Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
JazzWax March 2009
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Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
JazzWax March 2009
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In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
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March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
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written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
JazzWax March 2009
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Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
>
JazzWax March 2009
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March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
JazzWax March 2009
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March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
>
JazzWax March 2009
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
JazzWax March 2009
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What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
JazzWax March 2009
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
JazzWax March 2009
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
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youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
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1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
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music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
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Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
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Miles said he wished I could swing like Wynton [Kelly] I looked athim and said I sure wish youcould too Miles Miles gaveme a look but we were prettygood friends He knew I wasalways there when we playedThat was Miles thing He wasalways watching to see whatyou were going to bring Miles
was a funny little guy He was always busting in your face to seewhat your reaction would be [Photo Herb Snitzer]
Jimmy Cobb on how Davis wound up credited with songs hedidnt write Funny things used tohappen in the studio Wersquod be in arecording session and the engineerwould say What song was thatMiles Miles would tell him and theguy would write it down and creditMiles A bunch of songs wereattributed to Miles that way
Jimmy Cobb on Bill Evans and Kind of Blue Bill Evans had abigger hand in writing many of thosesongs than most people realize Thefeeling was very close to the way Billplayed piano Bill kind of got Milesinto that groove
Jimmy Cobb on Miles Davis andSonny Stitt during their 1960
European tour Miles didnrsquot want Sonny toplay tenor on the tour Miles said Man Irsquomgoing to step on that tenor Sonny wouldget all upset and say Oh man Miles Thatwas Milesrsquo way of letting Sonny know howhe felt Sonny took the tenor anyway
Jimmy Cobb on his famed metronome-like cymbal playing that opens Someday
My Prince WillCome That was my idea I thoughtI had made a mistake by hitting the
Chico Hamilton Chris Connor Creed Taylor 1 Creed Taylor 2 Creed Taylor 3 Creed Taylor 4 Creed Taylor 5 Dan Morgenstern1 Dan Morgenstern2 Danny Bank 1 Danny Bank 2 Danny Bank 3 Danny Bank 4 Dave Pell David Allyn 1 David Allyn 2 David Amram 1 David Amram 2 David Amram 3 Denny Zeitlin Dick Katz Dick Hyman Don Friedman Doug Ramsey Eddie Bert George Wein Grant Stewart Hal McKusick 1 Hal McKusick 2 Hal McKusick 3 Hal McKusick 4 Hal McKusick 5 Hal McKusick 6 Hal McKusick 7 Hal McKusick 8 Hank ONeal Helen Merrill Herman Leonard Howard Rumsey Ithamara Koorax Jackie Cain Jimmy Cobb Jimmy Heath Jimmy Heath2 Joe Wilder Johnny Mandel Johnny Mandel2 Jon Hendricks Laurie Pepper 1 Laurie Pepper 2 Laurie Verchomin Lennie Niehaus Leon Ware Loren Schoenberg Louie Bellson 1 Louie Bellson 2 Marian McPartland Marty Sheller Med Flory Merdith dAmbrosio Mundell Lowe 1 Mundell Lowe 2 Nat Hentoff Orrin Keepnews Pete Turner Phil Urso Phil Woods Rachel Rodgers Ray De Felitta Ray Santos Roberto Magris Ron Carter Ronnell Bright Roy Haynes Russ Garcia Sammy Nestico Sandie Shaw Simone Sonny Rollins
JazzWax March 2009
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cymbal too high up and too hard Ithought the engineer might not havebeen able to control it [with thelevels] But during the playbackeveryone liked it just as it was
Buddy De Franco on Miles Davis and the Metronome All-Stars of 1948-49 Miles was an up-and-coming guy at thatpoint a smart alec He had a way of playing and got very popularbecoming one of the biggestnames in jazz and pop musicBut next to Dizzy and Fatsthat day he was a weak thirdHe was not that super atrumpet player yet
Buddy De Franco on ArtieShaw Arties bop band in 1949 was a mistake Artie
underestimated the idea of playingbop He tried but it didnrsquot come offHe didnrsquot spend enough timelearning bop Artie didnrsquot really carethat much He was interested in toomany other thingsmdashyou knowwriting politics and other things thattook his interest away The idea of aband was a good idea to Artie until it
got boring
Buddy De Franco on what Charlie Parker said to him whenBuddy asked Bird why he didnt play the clarinet He wasvery kind He said Because you play it [laughs]
Cellist David Soyer who played in the string section on BillieHolidays Lady in Satin with his wife harpist Janet Putnamon the 1958 session I rememberBillie didnt want the guys in the bandto hear the playbacks because shedidnt think she sounded good Butwe all went into the booth after to
Sonny Rollins2 Stan Freberg 1 Stan Freberg 2 Stanley Cooper Ted Gioia Teddy Charles 1 Teddy Charles 2 Teddy Charles 3 Terry Teachout Yolande Bavan Yusef Lateef
E y e W i t n e s s
Bill Evans Bill Perkins Charlie Parker Dizzy Gillespie Don Fagerquist Don Sleet Frank Sinatra Jimmy Forrest Lester Young
O b i t s
Art DLugoff Bob Willoughby Bud Shank Chris Connor Dick Katz Ed Beach Eddie Higgins Eddie Locke George Russell Louie Bellson Morris Nanton Roy DeCarava Stacy Rowles Torrie Zito
P h o t o S t o r y
Big Jay McNeely Bill Evans Dizzy Gillespie Dizzy Gillespie2 Duke Ellington Harry Edison Lester Young Louis Armstrong Miles Davis Miles Davis2 Med Flory Sammy Davis Jr Zoot Sims
hear them anyway She soundedpretty damn good to me
Singer Helen Merrill on her veryfirst club performance with Bud Powell on piano After I
started singing Bud stopped playing turnedaround looked at me with the biggest grinon his face and then continued to play Itwas a huge compliment and a completesurprise I wasnrsquot professional yet but whenBud did that it gave me so muchconfidence He was so sweet
Helen Merrill on her famed 1954recording for Mercury with trumpeterClifford Brown We didnrsquot talk much atthose sessions We just smiled at eachother a lot What we had to say to eachother was unspoken It came through themusic and you can still hear that unspokenconversation on there today
Helen Merrill on seeing the cover of the album for the firsttime I cried I didnt think I looked like that when I sang But I
did As a woman I thought I wasprettier I dont mean that in a vainway Its just that you have a certainvision of how you look and whenthat image is different you feel sortof vulnerable
Helen Merrill on Dream of You her1956 album arranged by Gil
Evans It was my idea to use Gil He was so gifted I hadremembered his beautiful music forClaude Thornhill and I thought hismusic would be beautiful to singagainst When I mentioned Gils
J a z z W a xM e n t i o n s
BBC Jazz Session LA Times USA Today Wall St Journal
J a z z W a x L i n e rN o t e s
JoeAltermanPianoTracks(Vol 1)
CarolSloaneWell MeetAgain
BennyGolsonBest ofBennyGolson
TeddyCharlesCompleteTentet
GrantStewartYoung atHeart
R e c e n t P o s t s
Interview Sammy Nestico
>
JazzWax March 2009
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name to [EmArcy head ] Bob Shad Ithought Bob was going to have aheart attack At first Bob said Nobecause Gil was famous for keepingorchestras overtime and studio timeand musicians were very expensive Eventually Bob gave in
Helen Merrill on Miles Davis [In the early and mid-1950s]Miles used to love my sound andalways came to hear me sing Wewere dear friends He told me heloved my whisper sounds Thats atechnique I used by getting up realclose to the microphone Id singalmost in a whisper which created avery intimate sound I developed thisby listening to my voice and trying
different things with the mikes
Helen Merrill on Bill Evans Bill called me the night Miles hadasked him to join his sextet in 1958 Bill said Helen do you reallythink Im good enough Do you thinkIm good enough to play with Miles[laughs] I said of course Bill knewhe was great but needed theencouragement I was very touchedby what he asked me and I knewexactly how he felt It was a big movefor him Even when you know youcan do something you want to hear it from someone who feelsthe way you do someone who understands what youre goingthrough inside
Phil Woods on words of encouragement from Charlie ParkerI came into Arthurs Tavern [in 1953] and there was the great
Charlie Parkermdashplaying the baritonesax It belonged to Larry Rivers thepainter Parker knew me He knewall the kids who were coming up I
(Part 2)
Interview Sammy Nestico(Part 1)
Sunday Wax Bits
PhotoStory13 Harry Edison
Herb Pomeroy ASplendored Gig
Interview Dick Hyman (Part3)
Interview Dick Hyman (Part2)
Interview Dick Hyman (Part1)
Sunday Wax Bits
Six Hawks for the New Year
A r c h i v e s
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
More
J a z z W a x P i c k s
NatAdderleyThats Right
DameroniaLook Stopamp Listen
IthamaraKoorax BimBom
JazzWax March 2009
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said Mr Parker perhaps yoursquod liketo play my alto He said Phil thatwould be great This baritonersquoskicking my butt So I ran back acrossthe street to the Nut Club andgrabbed the alto sax that I hated Icame back and handed my horn toBird and he played Long Ago and
Far Away As Irsquom listening to him play my horn Irsquomrealizing therersquos nothing wrong with it [laughs] Nothing was wrongwith the reed nothing was wrong with the mouthpiecemdasheven thestrap sounded good Then Parkersays to me Now you play I said tomyself My God So I did I played achorus for him When I was doneBird leaned over and said Soundsreal good Phil This time I levitatedover Seventh Avenue to the NutClub And when I got back on thebandstand there I played the shit outof Harlem Nocturne Thatrsquos when Istopped complaining and startedpracticing [Image of Jazz magazinecourtesy of Bird Lives]
Phil Woods on his famous solo on Billy Joels Just the WayYou Are People come up to me allthe time to ask me about that Myfavorite was the young saxophonistwho came up to me on some gig Iwas playing and said Are you theguy on the Billy Joel record I saidYes I am He said Have you doneanything on your own [laughs] Isaid A couple of things
Billy Joel on jazz Jazz takes a good amount of technicalexpertise to get it right You need a greatdeal of study and discipline A lot of people
Lyle MurphyGone withtheWoodwinds
WoodyHermanColumbiaRecordings(1945 -1947)
JohnColtraneSide Steps
Art FarmerAztec Suite
Machito attheCrescendo
Tom TalbertBix DukeFats
Don SleetAllMembers
LennieNiehausQuintetsand Strings
StanKentonStage DoorSwings
MartySheller WhyDeny
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in rock and pop donrsquot necessarily have thatkind of background and they donrsquot havethat well-developed a technique
Billy Joel on Art Tatum Tatum wouldplay runs with his left hand and justthrow them away You know likeyoursquod hear it once and yoursquod neverhear it again Irsquod find myself sittingthere going Please do that again Icouldnrsquot hear what the hell that wasthat Tatum did so Irsquod have to lift upthe needle and go back you know
Billy Joel on playing rock in stadiums Itrsquos a blast Itrsquos fun tomake that noise We manipulate sound Rockers are kind ofmagicians and wizards We take soundsand play with them youknow and then we put it outthere and do magic to peoplewith it and it gets this bigresponse [pause] And chicksdig it [laughs] Itrsquos this greatpower But I have a lot ofrespect for jazz musiciansThats hard in a completelydifferent way
Billy Joel on why he didnt become a jazz musician Imfamiliar with a lot of good jazz I listened to it all through myteenage years And I still do to this day I love jazz I wanted to bea jazz guy I just didnt I dont have the chops
Chico Hamilton on the Gerry Mulligan Quartet of 1952 Gerrydidnrsquot want me to use my bass drum And thatrsquos when we went towar [laughs] I finally went out and got myself a tom-tom insteada small bass drum and converted itinto a bass drum Gerry didnt wantany bass drum at all But I told him Ineeded something there for my rightfoot to keep my rhythm My timing
EddiePalmieriAzucar PaTi
Bill PerkinsOn Stage
John LewisGrandEncounter
Dick Collinsamp RunawayHerd Hornof Plenty
LennieTristanoIntuition
BlueMitchellSextet BlueSoul
HalMcKusickTripleExposure
Dave PellJazz ForDancingandListening
DonFagerquistPortrait of aGreat JazzArtist
FourBrothersThe FourBrothers
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depended on it Irsquom still using asmaller bass drum today
Chico Hamilton on his music forand appearance in the 1957 filmSweet Smell of Success Theactor Martin Milner who played theguitarist and the quintets bandleaderin the movie he didnt know how toplay guitar So what happened wasMilner put his left hand behind himand John Pisano my guitar playerput his hand on the strings It lookedlike Milner was playing the guitar theway Jimmy Wong [Howe] shot it
[laughs]
Chico Hamilton on why hesunderappreciated I donrsquot know Maybebecause Ive always seen the drums as amelodic instrument not a percussive one Ideveloped a touch It may not have been asloud but its mine
Saxophonist Hal McKusick on arrangerGeorge Handy and the Boyd RaeburnOrchestra When we were on tour in San Francisco in 1945 the
Palace Hotel didnt like the fact thatwe had a broadcast there each nightat around dinnertime We playedstraight out for the radio audiencewhich rattled the staff and guests Toup the ante [Johnny] Mandel and[George] Handy [pictured] dyed theirhair green which scared the staffand patrons But the two of themdidnt care The bandrsquos vocalist DavidAllyn practiced singing in an
TogetherAgain
JamesMoodyMoody 4A
MeredithdAmbrosioLove Is Nota Game
DonFriedmanCircleWaltz
ScottLaFaroPieces ofJade
Chet Baker+ ArtPepperPlayboys
CyrusChestnutSpirit
EnduranceHeath Brothers Endurance
Med FloryGo WestYoung Med
LockjawDavis Foxand theHounds +Lock the
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abandoned tomb in the graveyard He liked the sound there
Carol Sloane on Oscar Peterson Oscar would watch my set atthe Village Vanguard [in 1961] from adark banquette off to the side Eachtime he would ask out loud for me tosing Kurt Weills My Ship Id jazz upthe song and when Id finish Id lookat Oscar for his reaction Each time Isang it Oscar was expressionlessFor a week hed shout out the samerequest and each time Id workharder to make a jazz impressionAnd each time Id get the same stonyreaction I finally grew exhaustedtrying to embellish the song So onenight I just sang it straight When I finished Oscar was grinningand applauding I finally got Oscars message A great songdoesnt need to be jazzed up You just have to sing it straight Ivecarried Oscars lesson with me ever since
Carol Sloane on Barbra Streisand The first time I met her I wassinging at the Village Vanguard in 1961 One of the waiters came
up to me to tell me that there was ayoung girl in the back who lookedkind of weird He said she doesnthave a purse and shes wearing a T-shirt and her hair is long and stringyThe waiter asked if I wanted to seethis girl or should he tell her Im notavailable I went to the back of theclub and there was this ordinary
looking girl She [introduced herself and] said to me How do youdo that Do what You mean singing I asked Yeah how doyou sing like that She said she was just starting out
Carol Sloane on performing with Ben Webster in 1963 inRhode Island I listened to everynote Ben played As a singer Icouldnt believe how great he
sounded After the set he smiled atme That was enough He smiledThen he went straight to the bar
Carol Sloane on watching the Beatles perform from thedugout at Shea Stadium in 1965 andhearing the mass hysteria As a jazzsinger I was nauseous I could see thewriting on the wall with the Beatles The kidshad been drifting away from jazz for yearsBut by this concert in 1965 they werecompletely gone and I knew they werenever coming back You could see it Youcould hear it
Carol Sloane on her stormy relationship with pianist JimmyRowles It was a tough period forme I was in my early 40s and hadbegun questioning everything aboutmy career and my ability Jimmy wasa legendary pianist the guy who hadaccompanied everyone In thebeginning he made me feel greatBut little by little things got worseand worse It got so bad that I triedto take my own life
Carol Sloane on Ella Fitzgeralds performance anxiety [Ella]was pacing and wringing her handsbackstage and saying Irsquom sonervous Irsquom so nervous I said GodElla donrsquot worry Jimmy [Rowles] willnever let you down Yoursquove gotnothing to worry about She said Iknow She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15years So all of a sudden she had anew guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was
behaving as though the world was going to come to an end
Wailin
Red MitchellPresentingRed Mitchell
SonnyClarkLeapin andLopin
SonnyRollinsAlfie
MachitoKenya Afro-Cuban Jazz
YusefLateef TheGolden Flute
YusefLateef IntoSomething
MundellLowe Satanin HighHeels
Bill EvansLive in Paris1965
FrankSinatra ASwinginAffair
This Here
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March 30 2009
Carol Sloane on her own stage anxiety I was always nervousabout performing To the point of being ill It was awful I used tohave performance-anxiety dreams Id go to sleep and havenightmares about having to go out and sing It cant be helped Itssomething deep in your brain
Singer Simone on what she misses most about her motherNina Simone I miss her handrubbing my head I miss her touch
Posted by Marc Myers at 0830 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Billy Joel Buddy De Franco Carol Sloane Chico Hamilton David Soyer HalMcKusick Helen Merrill Jimmy Cobb Phil Woods Sandie Shaw Simone
Hank Garland Jazz Winds
Country musicians have a long history of teaming with jazz andblues artists to produce hipmusic Western swing was anoutgrowth of jazz The samegoes for rockabilly and theearly Sun Records soundOne of the finest examples ofthis twang-and-hang hybrid isJazz Winds from a NewDirection Recorded in August1960 the session was led by
Hank Garland one of Nashvilles topcountry studio musicians at the timewho recorded with Elvis Presley andother country-rock artists in the late1950s Jazz Winds teamed Garlandwith Gary Burton on vibes JoeBenjamin on bass and Joe Morelloon drums
How did this configuration come to be Garlands professionalrelationship with Burton actually began a month earlier on July 41960 after rowdy spectators at the Newport Jazz Festival causedthe cancellation of the events remaining performances One ofthose planned events included Garland and other Nashville artistswho enjoyed playing jazz
So RCA executive Ben Rosner quickly rented a mansion and onthe afternoon of July 4th the groupbilled as the Nashville All-Starsrecorded seven tracks The bandfeatured Boots Randolph (alto sax)Gary Burton (vibes) [pictured] FloydCramer (piano) Hank Garland andChet Atkins (guitars) Brenton Banks(violin) Bob Moore (bass) and Buddy Harman (drums)
The album was released as After theRiot at Newport and featured a coverillustrated by Jim Flora and linernotes by Newport Jazz Festivalfounder and producer George WeinHeres what George wrote
The music on this disc is whattranspired on that sunny Monday
afternoon [of July 4th] Incidentally but importantly twoselections in the album were composed for the occasionChet Atkins penned Nashville to Newport and BootsRandolph with Hank Garland extemporized Riot-Chous thenight before the sessionmdashright after the big riot
To me the highlights of the album are the wonderful violinof Brenton Banks the swinging guitar
Joe Timer ampTHEOrchestraWillisConoversHouse ofSounds
Presents THE Orchestra
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of Hank Garland and the brilliant workof a 17-year old vibraphonist fromPrinceton Indiana Gary Burtonwhom you will be sure to hear a lot inthe future [Pictured George Wein]
A month later on August 23d Garland wentinto ColumbiasNashvillestudio withBurton Joe Benjamin and JoeMorello and recorded Jazz Windsfrom a New Direction Six days laterthe same group recorded SubtleSwing
In early 1961 Garland picked up where he left off in the Nashvillestudios with Presley and other country and early rock artists Butin September Garland was ina near-fatal auto accidentnear Nashville that left him ina coma for a week When heemerged he had sufferedsevere brain damage Hiswife helped him learn to walktalk and regain partial guitar-playing ability But except foran occasional appearanceGarland remained retiredpassing away in 2004[Pictured Presley and HankGarland]
Jazz Winds and the other albums mentioned above show theearly jazz promise of Hank Garlandjust before his flame was tragicallysnuffed out They also demonstrateGeorge Weins gift for dismissingnaysayers and bringing togetherartists of different stripes to createbeautiful music Had Garlandsurvived there surely would have
CannonballAdderleyArtFarmerAlabamaConcerto
LambertHendricks ampBavan Liveat BasinStreet East
DavidAmramJazz Portrait
Frank WessWess PointTheCommodoreRecordings
HalMcKusickHalMcKusickQuartet
TeddyCharlesTentetTeddyCharlesTentet
TeddyCharles withJimmyRaney NewDirections
TeddyCharlesCoolin
SarahVaughanAfter Hoursat theLondonHouse
V i d e o s
Art Van Damme Ben Webster Bill Evans Billie Holiday Bob Brookmeyer Bobby Timmons Cannbl Adderley Carmen McRae 1
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March 29 2009
been all types of jazz-country fusionefforts throughout the 1960s and beyond Garland could swingJust ask Gary Burton
JazzWax tracks You can buy Hank Garlands jazz albumsindividually but youll pay a fortune sincemost are out of print Or you can buy thetwo-CD set Move The Guitar Artistry ofHank Garland which includes selectionsfrom four of Garlands jazz-countryrecordings After the Riot Jazz Winds froma New Direction Velvet Guitar and SubtleSwing Youll find the CD and samples here
A special thanks to Kurt Kolstad for introducing me to Garland andJazz Winds
JazzWax clip Heres a clip of country guitarists Eddy Arnold andHank Garland in the mid-1950s Pay particular attention toGarlands jazz chords on the Hank Garland Stomp
Posted by Marc Myers at 0751 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Chet Atkins Eddy Arnold Elvis Presley Gary Burton George Wein HankGarland Joe Morello
Carmen McRae 2 Charleston Charlie Parker Chet Baker Chico OFarrill Claus Ogerman Coleman Hawkins Count Basie Dinah Washington Dizzy Gillespie Earl Hines Eddie Palmieri Gerry Mulligan Gene Krupa Geo Shearing Jack Teagarden Jackie McLean Jackie Paris Jammin the Blues June Christy 1 June Christy 2 Lee Morgan Lockjaw Davis Louie Bellson Maynard Ferguson Max Roach Miles Davis 1 Miles Davis 2 Mundell Lowe 1 Mundell Lowe 2 Oscar Pettiford Paul Desmond Pepper Adams Phineas Newborn Sarah Vaughan Sonny Rollins Sound of Jazz Stan Kenton Teddy Wilson Terry Gibbs Wes Montgomery Woody Herman Yolande Bavan Yusef Lateef
B l o g s
Terry Teachout Doug Ramsey Jazz Video Guy Nate Chinen Jazzcom JazzSession Cab Calloway A Blog Supreme David B Johnson Gregory Bell Jan Stevens Ed Leimbacher Howard Mandel Jazz Lives JerryJazzMusician Ian Carey Latin Jazz Corner Lost + Sound MuleWalkJazzTalk My2CentsWorth New Orleans News Ray De Felitta Ricky Riccardi Russ Neff Steve Cerra Vinson Valega Von Babasin
A r t i s t S i t e s
>
JazzWax March 2009
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Sunday Wax Bits
The future of live jazz I have no idea whether anyone hasconducted an in-depth studyof jazz-club attendance andlive-jazz revenue trends overthe past five years I supposeits safe to assume that if thenewspaper business and CDindustry are drowning theeffort to put warm bodies inseats at clubs concerts andfestivals cant be far behind[Photo of girl transfixed byjazz by Bob Willoughby 1951]
The deck certainly is stackedagainst concert producersclub owners and musicians alike Real estate leases remainprohibitively high insurance premiums are up the comforts ofhome are increasingly seductive discretionary income is tight thejazz legend pool is shrinking and the promotional dollars neededto spread the word never seems to be enough
And thats the good news The bigger dragon here is technologyDramatic shifts occur every time this beastswishes its tail Have you noticed thatvirtually everything you can hold in yourhands these days is disappearing Gizmoscreens have become so clear and Internetbandwidth so wide that increasing amountsof our culture are being consumed through
pixels and digital bites
Dig this Music downloads now represent the only slice of therecord business thats growingAmazons Kindle has rendered books(the kind with spines and dustjackets) almost meaningless Moviedownloads have already begun toovercome DVDs And once wall-sized computer screens aredeveloped and affordable its easy to
Art Blakey Art Pepper Arturo OFarrill Benny Carter Bill Evans Brooks Tegler Bud Shank Charles Mingus Chet Baker Clifford Brown David Amram Frank Wess Grant Stewart Jackie Paris Louie Bellson Nelson Riddle Pharoah Sanders Roberto Magris Sal Mosca Sonny Rollins Teddy Charles Tessa Souter Warne Marsh Yolande Bavan
R a d i o
JAZZFM91 PURE JAZZ WBGO-FM WKCR-FM WDNA-FM WFIU-FM WNMC-FM WWOZ-FM BlackJazz Radio
S h o p p i n g
JazzFirstBooks VinylReVinyl
R e s o u r c e s
Jazz Corner Jazz Foundation Planet Bret Videos JazzBeatorg All About Jazz
Blog powered by TypePadMember since 072007
JazzWax March 2009
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imagine that well be able todownload Caribbean and European travel experiences withoutleaving home
Back to jazz You dont have to be a Facebook founder to knowthat the CDs days arenumbered and that live musicis under fire Lets face itgoing out to clubs isnt aseasy as it used to be Youhave to get it together arriveearly to win a favorable seatpay a fortune for admissionfork over more for smalldrinks and then travel homeearly before your chin hitsyour chest Personally I dontknow how people wentclubbing all week long in the
1940s and 1950s Didnt they have to get up early for work thenext day Or hadnt jobs been invented yet [Photo by Dave EScherman 1942 for Life]
Its anyones guess how many clubs and festivals will exist five orten years from now or how many musicians will be able to affordto play jazz at a high enough level to leave an impression Letsassume the number will be less than nowAfter all the trend is clear and its entirelypossible that live jazz will go the way of themanual transmission and TV antennas Thechallenge for jazz producers club ownersand musicians will be to find a way to makemoney using the Web to keep live jazzticking Newspapers stubbornly ignored the digital trend for yearsand learned a terrible lesson the hard way
Paul Slaughter Ive long been a fan of photographer PaulSlaughters work Over the past yearPaul has graciously allowed me touse his photos (with credit ofcourse) to illustrate JazzWax postsPaul has captured a large number ofthe jazz greats So I asked if he
JazzWax March 2009
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would select one of his favoriteimages and tell JazzWax readers alittle about how the photo came tobe
The Saturday afternoon before Sonnys Sunday night concert in Santa Fe inJuly of 2007 ABSpellman a retiredDeputy Chair of NationalEndowment of the Artsinterviewed Sonnybefore an audience atthe Lensic Theater anold movie houserenovated into abeautiful legit theaterAB got the JazzMasters Program goingat NEA and Sonny hadreceived an NEA JazzMasters Award in 1983
After ABs interview I gave Sonny a photo I took of him in1971 at the Monterey Jazz Festival
The next day I was hoping for a dressing room photo ofSonny so I brought him photos of his interview with ABUpon arrival at the Lensic I heard Sonny playing his horn inhis dressing room When there was a lull in Sonnys playing Iknocked on his door He said Come in There was Sonnydressed in a red shirt blue pants wearing a process capand holding his tenor sax What a terrific image I thought
I gave Sonny the photos I had brought with me He politelythanked me I asked if I could take his photo with his hornHe replied I always think part my soul is being captured
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when I am photographed I replied No Sonny this willmerely be a reflection of your soul He smiled warmly andallowed me to take one photograph The split-second resultis the image you see above
You can learn more about Paul at his site here His currentexhibition People of Our Times featuring celebrities and jazzgreats is at the Verve Gallery of Photography in Santa Fe NMuntil May 2
Doug Ramsey Last week author jazz critic and Rifftidesblogger DougRamsey featured twowonderful YouTube clips featuring singerSue Raney [pictured] One is of Raneysinging Henry Mancinis Dreamsville in2008 The other is a campy Scopitone fromthe mid-1960s of Raney singing Before theRain Scopitone was an early video jukeboxfeaturng 16mm film loops and soundtracks
Carol Sloane After viewing Bret Primacksvideo interview of me legendary singer Carol Sloane sent alongthe following e-mail
Like you I too listened faithfully to Al Jazzbo Collins[pictured] when the signal fromWNEW-NY became crystalclear as soon as other FMstations in Rhode Island shutdown for the night I found himand Harrison [the TasmanianOwl] in The Purple Grotto quiteby accident one night when Iwas spinning the dial and
should have been asleep
Of course I was hooked I even sent a fan letter written onthe diagonal (to be arty and to insure he would be obliged toread it) in purple ink Well hell I was 13 or 14 years old atthe time Never mind it worked One night I turned on theprogram and he was reading my letter on the air
Fortunately I had the opportunity to tell him many years
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later how thrilling that moment had been for me and that Irecorded My One And Only Love with him in mind because itwas his theme song
For more on Al Jazzbo Collins go here To view Carols blogSloanView go here
CD discovery of the week Back in 2006 Swiss trumpeter PeterScharli and Brazilian vocalistIthamara Koorax came together inZurich to record a beautiful albumcalled Obrigado Dom Um RomaoThe result is a tender tribute toBrazilian percussionist Dom UmRomao (Obrigado is Portuguesefor thank you)
Romao had introduced Scharli to Ithamara who became soexcited by the sound of Scharlis trumpet that she agreed torecord and tour Europe with both artists But before the tourbegan Romao died at age 82 So Scharli and Ithamara decidedto dedicate the CD to him
On the album Scharli [pictured] and Ithamara perform a series ofduets with Ithamara singing inPortuguese on 8 of the 10 tracks Ontwo tracks (Love for Sale and I Fall inLove Too Easily) Ithamara sings inEnglish But perhaps the mostfascinating songs feature Ithamarasinging vocalese in Portuguese OnVocaliste and Miniature IV she uses
Swingle Single-like tones to match Scharlis trumpet tones notefor note The result is quite fascinating as the pair come togetheror joust in counterpoint
Ithamaras voice throughout is passionate and her phrasing issoft and caressing Scharlis trumpet ispinpoint sharp without being too strong orloud Joining Ithamara [pictured] and Scharliare Markus Stalder on guitar and ThomasDurst on bass Romao plays berimbao onone track Manha de Carnaval
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March 27 2009
You can sample tracks here where youllalso find the imported CD
Oddball album cover of the week Released in 1959 on CubRecords and arrangedby Sammy Lowe TakeOff in Sound wassinger Marla Smithsonly known recordingIts unclear why Smithis pictured with anAmerican Airlines 707jet since the songsare rather land-locked(Speak Low Boy onthe Beach Wild Fireetc) Whats evenmore puzzling is the art direction Here Smith is depicted eitheras a ghost serenading mid-flight passengers Or she just
detached herself from the tailand is singing while trying tofly Either way Smiths up at35000 feet surfing theheavens in an evening gownAnd even though Smithseems to have only a cloudfor support she had the goodfashion sense to extend herleft leg for the photographer(who must have broken free
from the tail moments before her)
Posted by Marc Myers at 0815 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
JazzWax March 2009
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Interview Lisa Simone
One of the most exciting new singers Ive heard in some time isLisa Simone daughter of oneof Americas mostimpassioned vocalists NinaSimone Known simply asSimone the 46-year-old artisthas just released her first full-length album a stunningtribute to her mother Ratherthan simply mimic Ninas styleand outrage Simone hasproduced an updatedinterpretation of her motherscatalog complete with vocalpower range and tendernessSimones album Simone onSimone is earthy and gutsybut its also unmistakably adaughters message to her late mother
From the albums opening duet Music for Lovers which Lisa sangwith Nina live in Ireland to thealbums closing song Feeling Goodthis 14-track CD is packed withgospel belters big band swingersand soulful ballads Thearrangements for the 19-piece bandwere nimbly handled by Ken Moyerand they support Lisas all-in vocalstyle perfectly without being
overbearing or tissue-thin
A Broadway veteran since the mid-1990s Simone has sustainingchops that allow her voice to hit the farthest corners of any roomShe also has full command of her mothers challenging materialwhich twists and turns in places while vocals are delivered at fullthrottle
Classic Nina Simone songs on this CD include Gal From JoesGo to Hell Keeper of the Flame and a rousing version of BillyTaylors I Wish I Knew How It WouldFeel to Be Free One of my favorites
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is I Hold No Grudge which Ninarecorded in 1966 with a hugeorchestra and chorus arranged andconducted by Hal Mooney Moyersexpansive chart for Lisa is just assoft and dramatic What makes thistrack so special is Simones poetictelling of the songs lyric building to a final rousing held note
When I received a copy of Simone on Simone a couple of weeksago I put it on with some trepidation An ardent fan of NinaSimone I was fearful that Simone would either go too far or notfar enough in her tribute Instead I was blown away Simone hasre-energized her mothers material with loving sensitivity and afresh uplifting spirit
After listening to the album several times I gave Simone a call tochat about the album and her experience growing up as NinaSimones daughter
JazzWax How did it feel to have a mother who was sodeeply committed to music Lisa Simone It was normal for me My mother was alreadycommitted to music and social issues before I was born She
often had to struggle to split herlove equally between art andme which wasnt always easyOur relationship certainly hadits challenges But now that Irsquomolder and can reflect back onthose days I realize Iwitnessed a lot of history I canlook back and appreciate my
time with her whether standing in the wings watching her onstage or watching her write To Be Young Gifted and Black in1969
JW Were you always tugging at herLS I never felt I had enough of my mom I just had to dealwith it You take what you can get Now when I look back Ihave a finer understanding of my mom And Im able to get
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that extra piece I missed out on
JW Were you and your mom closeLS Yes but at times the world got in the way
JW Were you close with your father Andy StroudLS I am now When my parents were together up until1972 thatrsquos when I sawmy dad a lot When myparents divorced my lifechanged It flippedcompletely Therewerenrsquot a lot of terms inthose days to describewhat kids went throughwhen parents divorced I didnrsquot see a lot of my dad after thatyear My parents didnrsquot really get along after their splitWhen they did see each other they didnrsquot get a whole lotaccomplished [Pictured Nina Simone and husband AndyStroud]
JW What do you miss most about your momLS I miss her hand rubbing my head I miss her touch
JW Did you study singingLS No The most instruction Irsquove had was just before
appearing on stage in theBroadway production of Aida in2001 When I saw what theshow demanded I realized Ineeded a vocal coach Mycoach taught me a great dealprimarily that singing didnrsquothave to hurt I had been singingthrough my throat My coachtaught me to sing through mydiaphragm which shifts thepower source and prevents youfrom damaging your voice or
burning out
JW Youve been in few other major Broadway productionsLS Yes I was in the original cast of Rent in 1996 Then I
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toured with the production for a year and a half Before RentI was in a touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar
JW What did your mother teach you about singingLS All she said to me was ldquoHoney you donrsquot have to workso hardrdquo
JW What did she meanLS At the time my mother had come to a few of my showsin Los Angeles when I wasperforming at various clubsthere Her style and mine werevery different
JW How soLS Irsquom the one who jumpsaround the room like DaffyDuck I get so energizedWhereas Mommy because of all the years of practicing and
rehearsing and performing shehad already settled into singingon cruise control She wantedme to know that I could be justas effective as a singer oncruise control By urging me torelax and pace myperformances my mother felt Iwould avoid wearing myselfout Of course I learned all ofthat before I was on BroadwayAnd I learned even more whenI did eight performances a
week on stage
JW What did your mother teach you about life Or wereyou sheltered in her shadowLS [Laughs] You didnt wilt in Ninarsquos presence You neverwould have recovered from that A lot of what I learned wasby watching and listening Itrsquos amazing what children pick upthat way I didnrsquot wilt in her presence but I did learn how tofeel the air shift around me and about timingmdashwhen tospeak and when not to
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JW Were you honest with your mother LS I learned later on in our relationship that I needed toclearly communicate what Ineeded from her so I could getpositive reinforcement duringour conversations and visitsMy mom was so commandingand so accustomed to beingthe one dictating theconversation that to have someone like me come aroundand not want anything from her just her love was almostalien to her
JW Did she adjust to meet those needsLS It was hard for her For mom to make that shift was like
the grinding of gears Ihad to let her know in nouncertain terms that Iloved her very much butthat it hurt when shesaid certain things anddid certain things I alsosaid that I would
appreciate her taking certain things like my needs intoconsideration [Pictured Lisa Simone playing for motherNina]
JW What happenedLS She started to do that and our relationship was at awonderful point when she passed away in 2003
JW As a child understanding your mothers needs andhonoring them required enormous maturityLS I was grown up before I was an adult When yoursquore anonly child and yoursquoreglobetrotting all over the placewith your mother you findyourself growing in ways thatyou wouldnt have in othercircumstances
JW Was it tough traveling somuch
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LS You make the best of yourenvironment Books for mebecame my world
JW I Hold No Grudge has been wonderfully updatedLS Thank you Theyrsquore all special My mother said we were
both griots which are WestAfrican storytellers She saidwe both had an ability to makeour audiences feel what wersquoresinging about Itrsquos justsomething that I seem to haveand I have no idea where itcame from Irsquove found thatsinging for me is also a way of
getting certain emotions out Most people know that whenIrsquove had a bad day theyrsquore going to get an even better showsince Irsquom going to take any blow up and turn it intosomething beautiful
JW Is this album a message to your mom LS I like that question Yes it is Now that Irsquovebeen traveling on tour Itend to talk more aboutmy life with my motherIt has been a celebrationof my legacy and mymotherrsquosaccomplishments hermessage and her musicNot only have I learned to face this part of my life but Irsquoveembraced it This is not only about my mother but also myway of presenting myself to the world
JazzWax March 2009
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JW What do you think Ninawould say about your albumLS I think there would be a bigsmile on her face and shersquodlisten to it over and over again
JazzWax tracks Simone onSimone is available as adownload at iTunes and
Amazon or as a CD here For Simones tour information and tohear clips from her new album you can visit her site here
JazzWax clips Heres a YouTube clip interview with Simone onher new CD
Once you hear Simones new version of I Hold No Grudge listento Ninas original version from 1966
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 26 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0803 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Andy Stroud Lisa Simone Nina Simone Simone
Bill Evans at Town Hall
Of pianist Bill Evans many live albums At Town Hall Vol 1 hasalways been among his mostdelicate and elegant Evansplaying is taut and gracefulwith lovely longimprovisational lines and asnappy fluid attack on thekeyboard The mix ofstandards and two originalsmdashone was a suite in memory ofhis father who died just threedays earliermdashalso were neatlyselected and assembled
For those who share my love of this album heresa list of little-known facts about the recording takenfrom Peter Pettingers How My Heart Sings a BillEvans discography and quotes from sources Ispoke to yesterday afternoon I also have a raretreat for you at the bottom
Despite playing New York club dates for 10 years the TownHall recording on February 21 1966 was Evans first NewYork concert appearance
Evans played the first half of the Town Hall concert with justbassist Chuck Israels and drummer Arnie Wise and thesecond half with an orchestra
According to Tom Lords Jazz Discography the orchestrasegment was arranged and conducted by Al Cohn [pictured]and featured Ernie Royal ClarkTerry and Bill Berry (trumpets)
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Bob Brookmeyer QuentinJackson and Bill Watrous(trombone) Bob Northern(French horn) Jerry DodgionGeorge Marge Eddie DanielsFrank Petrovsky and MarvinHolladay (reeds) Evans(piano) Chuck Israels (bass)and Grady Tate (drums)
The orchestra performed four Al Cohn-arranged tunesWillow Weep for Me and What Kind of Fool Am I as well asEvans originals Funkallero and Waltz for Debby
Verve never released Volume 2 which was to have featuredthe orchestral material and three trio tracks that didnt fit onthe first LP Yesterday I asked Jan Stevens of The BillEvans Web Pages what became of the band tracks Jansays Evans was intensely displeased with the result
Al Cohn did a strange thing The orchestral materialwas set up so the band played one of Cohnsarrangements followed by Bill playing a solo interludebetween songs In this regard the four songs were
meant to be a kind ofsuite with Bills pianobridging the gaps ButHelen Keane told me inthe early 1980s that Billwas extremely unhappywith the result She saidthe tracks would nevercome out no matter
what So far theyve never been commercially issuedWhats more they have never appeared on a bootlegwhich leads me to think Verve may have purged themasters immediately on Keanes or Evans insistence[Photo of Helen Keane and Bill Evans by Phil Braycourtesy of BillEvansnl in the Netherlands]
Although Creed Taylors name and signature were used byVerve on the LP jacket Creed told me yesterday that Helenalone produced the concert and that he wasnt there and
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had nothing to do with the event or the albums production
Gene Lees the legendary jazz writer and close friend ofEvans said yesterday he couldnt remember the concert anddidnt know specifically why the orchestral material wasntissued or what happened to the tracks
The concert was Chuck Israels last recorded appearance asa regular member of the Bill Evans Trio
Note-for-note piano transcriptions of the six songs recordedat Town Hall were recently issued as Bill Evans at TownHall Piano Transcriptions and Performance Notes by PascalWetzel Youll find it here
And now for the treat I promised you above Thanks to thegenerosity of JazzWax reader Kurt Kolstad who attended theTown Hall concert in 1966 heres the program sheet front andback including Gene Lees tribute essay Kurt says the songselections did not appear in the program and were announcedfrom the stage (click on the image to enlarge)
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
JazzWax March 2009
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Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
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Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
JazzWax March 2009
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In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
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March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
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written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
JazzWax March 2009
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Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
JazzWax March 2009
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March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
JazzWax March 2009
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What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
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youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
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1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
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music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
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Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
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cymbal too high up and too hard Ithought the engineer might not havebeen able to control it [with thelevels] But during the playbackeveryone liked it just as it was
Buddy De Franco on Miles Davis and the Metronome All-Stars of 1948-49 Miles was an up-and-coming guy at thatpoint a smart alec He had a way of playing and got very popularbecoming one of the biggestnames in jazz and pop musicBut next to Dizzy and Fatsthat day he was a weak thirdHe was not that super atrumpet player yet
Buddy De Franco on ArtieShaw Arties bop band in 1949 was a mistake Artie
underestimated the idea of playingbop He tried but it didnrsquot come offHe didnrsquot spend enough timelearning bop Artie didnrsquot really carethat much He was interested in toomany other thingsmdashyou knowwriting politics and other things thattook his interest away The idea of aband was a good idea to Artie until it
got boring
Buddy De Franco on what Charlie Parker said to him whenBuddy asked Bird why he didnt play the clarinet He wasvery kind He said Because you play it [laughs]
Cellist David Soyer who played in the string section on BillieHolidays Lady in Satin with his wife harpist Janet Putnamon the 1958 session I rememberBillie didnt want the guys in the bandto hear the playbacks because shedidnt think she sounded good Butwe all went into the booth after to
Sonny Rollins2 Stan Freberg 1 Stan Freberg 2 Stanley Cooper Ted Gioia Teddy Charles 1 Teddy Charles 2 Teddy Charles 3 Terry Teachout Yolande Bavan Yusef Lateef
E y e W i t n e s s
Bill Evans Bill Perkins Charlie Parker Dizzy Gillespie Don Fagerquist Don Sleet Frank Sinatra Jimmy Forrest Lester Young
O b i t s
Art DLugoff Bob Willoughby Bud Shank Chris Connor Dick Katz Ed Beach Eddie Higgins Eddie Locke George Russell Louie Bellson Morris Nanton Roy DeCarava Stacy Rowles Torrie Zito
P h o t o S t o r y
Big Jay McNeely Bill Evans Dizzy Gillespie Dizzy Gillespie2 Duke Ellington Harry Edison Lester Young Louis Armstrong Miles Davis Miles Davis2 Med Flory Sammy Davis Jr Zoot Sims
hear them anyway She soundedpretty damn good to me
Singer Helen Merrill on her veryfirst club performance with Bud Powell on piano After I
started singing Bud stopped playing turnedaround looked at me with the biggest grinon his face and then continued to play Itwas a huge compliment and a completesurprise I wasnrsquot professional yet but whenBud did that it gave me so muchconfidence He was so sweet
Helen Merrill on her famed 1954recording for Mercury with trumpeterClifford Brown We didnrsquot talk much atthose sessions We just smiled at eachother a lot What we had to say to eachother was unspoken It came through themusic and you can still hear that unspokenconversation on there today
Helen Merrill on seeing the cover of the album for the firsttime I cried I didnt think I looked like that when I sang But I
did As a woman I thought I wasprettier I dont mean that in a vainway Its just that you have a certainvision of how you look and whenthat image is different you feel sortof vulnerable
Helen Merrill on Dream of You her1956 album arranged by Gil
Evans It was my idea to use Gil He was so gifted I hadremembered his beautiful music forClaude Thornhill and I thought hismusic would be beautiful to singagainst When I mentioned Gils
J a z z W a xM e n t i o n s
BBC Jazz Session LA Times USA Today Wall St Journal
J a z z W a x L i n e rN o t e s
JoeAltermanPianoTracks(Vol 1)
CarolSloaneWell MeetAgain
BennyGolsonBest ofBennyGolson
TeddyCharlesCompleteTentet
GrantStewartYoung atHeart
R e c e n t P o s t s
Interview Sammy Nestico
>
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name to [EmArcy head ] Bob Shad Ithought Bob was going to have aheart attack At first Bob said Nobecause Gil was famous for keepingorchestras overtime and studio timeand musicians were very expensive Eventually Bob gave in
Helen Merrill on Miles Davis [In the early and mid-1950s]Miles used to love my sound andalways came to hear me sing Wewere dear friends He told me heloved my whisper sounds Thats atechnique I used by getting up realclose to the microphone Id singalmost in a whisper which created avery intimate sound I developed thisby listening to my voice and trying
different things with the mikes
Helen Merrill on Bill Evans Bill called me the night Miles hadasked him to join his sextet in 1958 Bill said Helen do you reallythink Im good enough Do you thinkIm good enough to play with Miles[laughs] I said of course Bill knewhe was great but needed theencouragement I was very touchedby what he asked me and I knewexactly how he felt It was a big movefor him Even when you know youcan do something you want to hear it from someone who feelsthe way you do someone who understands what youre goingthrough inside
Phil Woods on words of encouragement from Charlie ParkerI came into Arthurs Tavern [in 1953] and there was the great
Charlie Parkermdashplaying the baritonesax It belonged to Larry Rivers thepainter Parker knew me He knewall the kids who were coming up I
(Part 2)
Interview Sammy Nestico(Part 1)
Sunday Wax Bits
PhotoStory13 Harry Edison
Herb Pomeroy ASplendored Gig
Interview Dick Hyman (Part3)
Interview Dick Hyman (Part2)
Interview Dick Hyman (Part1)
Sunday Wax Bits
Six Hawks for the New Year
A r c h i v e s
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
More
J a z z W a x P i c k s
NatAdderleyThats Right
DameroniaLook Stopamp Listen
IthamaraKoorax BimBom
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said Mr Parker perhaps yoursquod liketo play my alto He said Phil thatwould be great This baritonersquoskicking my butt So I ran back acrossthe street to the Nut Club andgrabbed the alto sax that I hated Icame back and handed my horn toBird and he played Long Ago and
Far Away As Irsquom listening to him play my horn Irsquomrealizing therersquos nothing wrong with it [laughs] Nothing was wrongwith the reed nothing was wrong with the mouthpiecemdasheven thestrap sounded good Then Parkersays to me Now you play I said tomyself My God So I did I played achorus for him When I was doneBird leaned over and said Soundsreal good Phil This time I levitatedover Seventh Avenue to the NutClub And when I got back on thebandstand there I played the shit outof Harlem Nocturne Thatrsquos when Istopped complaining and startedpracticing [Image of Jazz magazinecourtesy of Bird Lives]
Phil Woods on his famous solo on Billy Joels Just the WayYou Are People come up to me allthe time to ask me about that Myfavorite was the young saxophonistwho came up to me on some gig Iwas playing and said Are you theguy on the Billy Joel record I saidYes I am He said Have you doneanything on your own [laughs] Isaid A couple of things
Billy Joel on jazz Jazz takes a good amount of technicalexpertise to get it right You need a greatdeal of study and discipline A lot of people
Lyle MurphyGone withtheWoodwinds
WoodyHermanColumbiaRecordings(1945 -1947)
JohnColtraneSide Steps
Art FarmerAztec Suite
Machito attheCrescendo
Tom TalbertBix DukeFats
Don SleetAllMembers
LennieNiehausQuintetsand Strings
StanKentonStage DoorSwings
MartySheller WhyDeny
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in rock and pop donrsquot necessarily have thatkind of background and they donrsquot havethat well-developed a technique
Billy Joel on Art Tatum Tatum wouldplay runs with his left hand and justthrow them away You know likeyoursquod hear it once and yoursquod neverhear it again Irsquod find myself sittingthere going Please do that again Icouldnrsquot hear what the hell that wasthat Tatum did so Irsquod have to lift upthe needle and go back you know
Billy Joel on playing rock in stadiums Itrsquos a blast Itrsquos fun tomake that noise We manipulate sound Rockers are kind ofmagicians and wizards We take soundsand play with them youknow and then we put it outthere and do magic to peoplewith it and it gets this bigresponse [pause] And chicksdig it [laughs] Itrsquos this greatpower But I have a lot ofrespect for jazz musiciansThats hard in a completelydifferent way
Billy Joel on why he didnt become a jazz musician Imfamiliar with a lot of good jazz I listened to it all through myteenage years And I still do to this day I love jazz I wanted to bea jazz guy I just didnt I dont have the chops
Chico Hamilton on the Gerry Mulligan Quartet of 1952 Gerrydidnrsquot want me to use my bass drum And thatrsquos when we went towar [laughs] I finally went out and got myself a tom-tom insteada small bass drum and converted itinto a bass drum Gerry didnt wantany bass drum at all But I told him Ineeded something there for my rightfoot to keep my rhythm My timing
EddiePalmieriAzucar PaTi
Bill PerkinsOn Stage
John LewisGrandEncounter
Dick Collinsamp RunawayHerd Hornof Plenty
LennieTristanoIntuition
BlueMitchellSextet BlueSoul
HalMcKusickTripleExposure
Dave PellJazz ForDancingandListening
DonFagerquistPortrait of aGreat JazzArtist
FourBrothersThe FourBrothers
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depended on it Irsquom still using asmaller bass drum today
Chico Hamilton on his music forand appearance in the 1957 filmSweet Smell of Success Theactor Martin Milner who played theguitarist and the quintets bandleaderin the movie he didnt know how toplay guitar So what happened wasMilner put his left hand behind himand John Pisano my guitar playerput his hand on the strings It lookedlike Milner was playing the guitar theway Jimmy Wong [Howe] shot it
[laughs]
Chico Hamilton on why hesunderappreciated I donrsquot know Maybebecause Ive always seen the drums as amelodic instrument not a percussive one Ideveloped a touch It may not have been asloud but its mine
Saxophonist Hal McKusick on arrangerGeorge Handy and the Boyd RaeburnOrchestra When we were on tour in San Francisco in 1945 the
Palace Hotel didnt like the fact thatwe had a broadcast there each nightat around dinnertime We playedstraight out for the radio audiencewhich rattled the staff and guests Toup the ante [Johnny] Mandel and[George] Handy [pictured] dyed theirhair green which scared the staffand patrons But the two of themdidnt care The bandrsquos vocalist DavidAllyn practiced singing in an
TogetherAgain
JamesMoodyMoody 4A
MeredithdAmbrosioLove Is Nota Game
DonFriedmanCircleWaltz
ScottLaFaroPieces ofJade
Chet Baker+ ArtPepperPlayboys
CyrusChestnutSpirit
EnduranceHeath Brothers Endurance
Med FloryGo WestYoung Med
LockjawDavis Foxand theHounds +Lock the
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abandoned tomb in the graveyard He liked the sound there
Carol Sloane on Oscar Peterson Oscar would watch my set atthe Village Vanguard [in 1961] from adark banquette off to the side Eachtime he would ask out loud for me tosing Kurt Weills My Ship Id jazz upthe song and when Id finish Id lookat Oscar for his reaction Each time Isang it Oscar was expressionlessFor a week hed shout out the samerequest and each time Id workharder to make a jazz impressionAnd each time Id get the same stonyreaction I finally grew exhaustedtrying to embellish the song So onenight I just sang it straight When I finished Oscar was grinningand applauding I finally got Oscars message A great songdoesnt need to be jazzed up You just have to sing it straight Ivecarried Oscars lesson with me ever since
Carol Sloane on Barbra Streisand The first time I met her I wassinging at the Village Vanguard in 1961 One of the waiters came
up to me to tell me that there was ayoung girl in the back who lookedkind of weird He said she doesnthave a purse and shes wearing a T-shirt and her hair is long and stringyThe waiter asked if I wanted to seethis girl or should he tell her Im notavailable I went to the back of theclub and there was this ordinary
looking girl She [introduced herself and] said to me How do youdo that Do what You mean singing I asked Yeah how doyou sing like that She said she was just starting out
Carol Sloane on performing with Ben Webster in 1963 inRhode Island I listened to everynote Ben played As a singer Icouldnt believe how great he
sounded After the set he smiled atme That was enough He smiledThen he went straight to the bar
Carol Sloane on watching the Beatles perform from thedugout at Shea Stadium in 1965 andhearing the mass hysteria As a jazzsinger I was nauseous I could see thewriting on the wall with the Beatles The kidshad been drifting away from jazz for yearsBut by this concert in 1965 they werecompletely gone and I knew they werenever coming back You could see it Youcould hear it
Carol Sloane on her stormy relationship with pianist JimmyRowles It was a tough period forme I was in my early 40s and hadbegun questioning everything aboutmy career and my ability Jimmy wasa legendary pianist the guy who hadaccompanied everyone In thebeginning he made me feel greatBut little by little things got worseand worse It got so bad that I triedto take my own life
Carol Sloane on Ella Fitzgeralds performance anxiety [Ella]was pacing and wringing her handsbackstage and saying Irsquom sonervous Irsquom so nervous I said GodElla donrsquot worry Jimmy [Rowles] willnever let you down Yoursquove gotnothing to worry about She said Iknow She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15years So all of a sudden she had anew guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was
behaving as though the world was going to come to an end
Wailin
Red MitchellPresentingRed Mitchell
SonnyClarkLeapin andLopin
SonnyRollinsAlfie
MachitoKenya Afro-Cuban Jazz
YusefLateef TheGolden Flute
YusefLateef IntoSomething
MundellLowe Satanin HighHeels
Bill EvansLive in Paris1965
FrankSinatra ASwinginAffair
This Here
JazzWax March 2009
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March 30 2009
Carol Sloane on her own stage anxiety I was always nervousabout performing To the point of being ill It was awful I used tohave performance-anxiety dreams Id go to sleep and havenightmares about having to go out and sing It cant be helped Itssomething deep in your brain
Singer Simone on what she misses most about her motherNina Simone I miss her handrubbing my head I miss her touch
Posted by Marc Myers at 0830 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Billy Joel Buddy De Franco Carol Sloane Chico Hamilton David Soyer HalMcKusick Helen Merrill Jimmy Cobb Phil Woods Sandie Shaw Simone
Hank Garland Jazz Winds
Country musicians have a long history of teaming with jazz andblues artists to produce hipmusic Western swing was anoutgrowth of jazz The samegoes for rockabilly and theearly Sun Records soundOne of the finest examples ofthis twang-and-hang hybrid isJazz Winds from a NewDirection Recorded in August1960 the session was led by
Hank Garland one of Nashvilles topcountry studio musicians at the timewho recorded with Elvis Presley andother country-rock artists in the late1950s Jazz Winds teamed Garlandwith Gary Burton on vibes JoeBenjamin on bass and Joe Morelloon drums
How did this configuration come to be Garlands professionalrelationship with Burton actually began a month earlier on July 41960 after rowdy spectators at the Newport Jazz Festival causedthe cancellation of the events remaining performances One ofthose planned events included Garland and other Nashville artistswho enjoyed playing jazz
So RCA executive Ben Rosner quickly rented a mansion and onthe afternoon of July 4th the groupbilled as the Nashville All-Starsrecorded seven tracks The bandfeatured Boots Randolph (alto sax)Gary Burton (vibes) [pictured] FloydCramer (piano) Hank Garland andChet Atkins (guitars) Brenton Banks(violin) Bob Moore (bass) and Buddy Harman (drums)
The album was released as After theRiot at Newport and featured a coverillustrated by Jim Flora and linernotes by Newport Jazz Festivalfounder and producer George WeinHeres what George wrote
The music on this disc is whattranspired on that sunny Monday
afternoon [of July 4th] Incidentally but importantly twoselections in the album were composed for the occasionChet Atkins penned Nashville to Newport and BootsRandolph with Hank Garland extemporized Riot-Chous thenight before the sessionmdashright after the big riot
To me the highlights of the album are the wonderful violinof Brenton Banks the swinging guitar
Joe Timer ampTHEOrchestraWillisConoversHouse ofSounds
Presents THE Orchestra
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of Hank Garland and the brilliant workof a 17-year old vibraphonist fromPrinceton Indiana Gary Burtonwhom you will be sure to hear a lot inthe future [Pictured George Wein]
A month later on August 23d Garland wentinto ColumbiasNashvillestudio withBurton Joe Benjamin and JoeMorello and recorded Jazz Windsfrom a New Direction Six days laterthe same group recorded SubtleSwing
In early 1961 Garland picked up where he left off in the Nashvillestudios with Presley and other country and early rock artists Butin September Garland was ina near-fatal auto accidentnear Nashville that left him ina coma for a week When heemerged he had sufferedsevere brain damage Hiswife helped him learn to walktalk and regain partial guitar-playing ability But except foran occasional appearanceGarland remained retiredpassing away in 2004[Pictured Presley and HankGarland]
Jazz Winds and the other albums mentioned above show theearly jazz promise of Hank Garlandjust before his flame was tragicallysnuffed out They also demonstrateGeorge Weins gift for dismissingnaysayers and bringing togetherartists of different stripes to createbeautiful music Had Garlandsurvived there surely would have
CannonballAdderleyArtFarmerAlabamaConcerto
LambertHendricks ampBavan Liveat BasinStreet East
DavidAmramJazz Portrait
Frank WessWess PointTheCommodoreRecordings
HalMcKusickHalMcKusickQuartet
TeddyCharlesTentetTeddyCharlesTentet
TeddyCharles withJimmyRaney NewDirections
TeddyCharlesCoolin
SarahVaughanAfter Hoursat theLondonHouse
V i d e o s
Art Van Damme Ben Webster Bill Evans Billie Holiday Bob Brookmeyer Bobby Timmons Cannbl Adderley Carmen McRae 1
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March 29 2009
been all types of jazz-country fusionefforts throughout the 1960s and beyond Garland could swingJust ask Gary Burton
JazzWax tracks You can buy Hank Garlands jazz albumsindividually but youll pay a fortune sincemost are out of print Or you can buy thetwo-CD set Move The Guitar Artistry ofHank Garland which includes selectionsfrom four of Garlands jazz-countryrecordings After the Riot Jazz Winds froma New Direction Velvet Guitar and SubtleSwing Youll find the CD and samples here
A special thanks to Kurt Kolstad for introducing me to Garland andJazz Winds
JazzWax clip Heres a clip of country guitarists Eddy Arnold andHank Garland in the mid-1950s Pay particular attention toGarlands jazz chords on the Hank Garland Stomp
Posted by Marc Myers at 0751 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Chet Atkins Eddy Arnold Elvis Presley Gary Burton George Wein HankGarland Joe Morello
Carmen McRae 2 Charleston Charlie Parker Chet Baker Chico OFarrill Claus Ogerman Coleman Hawkins Count Basie Dinah Washington Dizzy Gillespie Earl Hines Eddie Palmieri Gerry Mulligan Gene Krupa Geo Shearing Jack Teagarden Jackie McLean Jackie Paris Jammin the Blues June Christy 1 June Christy 2 Lee Morgan Lockjaw Davis Louie Bellson Maynard Ferguson Max Roach Miles Davis 1 Miles Davis 2 Mundell Lowe 1 Mundell Lowe 2 Oscar Pettiford Paul Desmond Pepper Adams Phineas Newborn Sarah Vaughan Sonny Rollins Sound of Jazz Stan Kenton Teddy Wilson Terry Gibbs Wes Montgomery Woody Herman Yolande Bavan Yusef Lateef
B l o g s
Terry Teachout Doug Ramsey Jazz Video Guy Nate Chinen Jazzcom JazzSession Cab Calloway A Blog Supreme David B Johnson Gregory Bell Jan Stevens Ed Leimbacher Howard Mandel Jazz Lives JerryJazzMusician Ian Carey Latin Jazz Corner Lost + Sound MuleWalkJazzTalk My2CentsWorth New Orleans News Ray De Felitta Ricky Riccardi Russ Neff Steve Cerra Vinson Valega Von Babasin
A r t i s t S i t e s
>
JazzWax March 2009
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Sunday Wax Bits
The future of live jazz I have no idea whether anyone hasconducted an in-depth studyof jazz-club attendance andlive-jazz revenue trends overthe past five years I supposeits safe to assume that if thenewspaper business and CDindustry are drowning theeffort to put warm bodies inseats at clubs concerts andfestivals cant be far behind[Photo of girl transfixed byjazz by Bob Willoughby 1951]
The deck certainly is stackedagainst concert producersclub owners and musicians alike Real estate leases remainprohibitively high insurance premiums are up the comforts ofhome are increasingly seductive discretionary income is tight thejazz legend pool is shrinking and the promotional dollars neededto spread the word never seems to be enough
And thats the good news The bigger dragon here is technologyDramatic shifts occur every time this beastswishes its tail Have you noticed thatvirtually everything you can hold in yourhands these days is disappearing Gizmoscreens have become so clear and Internetbandwidth so wide that increasing amountsof our culture are being consumed through
pixels and digital bites
Dig this Music downloads now represent the only slice of therecord business thats growingAmazons Kindle has rendered books(the kind with spines and dustjackets) almost meaningless Moviedownloads have already begun toovercome DVDs And once wall-sized computer screens aredeveloped and affordable its easy to
Art Blakey Art Pepper Arturo OFarrill Benny Carter Bill Evans Brooks Tegler Bud Shank Charles Mingus Chet Baker Clifford Brown David Amram Frank Wess Grant Stewart Jackie Paris Louie Bellson Nelson Riddle Pharoah Sanders Roberto Magris Sal Mosca Sonny Rollins Teddy Charles Tessa Souter Warne Marsh Yolande Bavan
R a d i o
JAZZFM91 PURE JAZZ WBGO-FM WKCR-FM WDNA-FM WFIU-FM WNMC-FM WWOZ-FM BlackJazz Radio
S h o p p i n g
JazzFirstBooks VinylReVinyl
R e s o u r c e s
Jazz Corner Jazz Foundation Planet Bret Videos JazzBeatorg All About Jazz
Blog powered by TypePadMember since 072007
JazzWax March 2009
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imagine that well be able todownload Caribbean and European travel experiences withoutleaving home
Back to jazz You dont have to be a Facebook founder to knowthat the CDs days arenumbered and that live musicis under fire Lets face itgoing out to clubs isnt aseasy as it used to be Youhave to get it together arriveearly to win a favorable seatpay a fortune for admissionfork over more for smalldrinks and then travel homeearly before your chin hitsyour chest Personally I dontknow how people wentclubbing all week long in the
1940s and 1950s Didnt they have to get up early for work thenext day Or hadnt jobs been invented yet [Photo by Dave EScherman 1942 for Life]
Its anyones guess how many clubs and festivals will exist five orten years from now or how many musicians will be able to affordto play jazz at a high enough level to leave an impression Letsassume the number will be less than nowAfter all the trend is clear and its entirelypossible that live jazz will go the way of themanual transmission and TV antennas Thechallenge for jazz producers club ownersand musicians will be to find a way to makemoney using the Web to keep live jazzticking Newspapers stubbornly ignored the digital trend for yearsand learned a terrible lesson the hard way
Paul Slaughter Ive long been a fan of photographer PaulSlaughters work Over the past yearPaul has graciously allowed me touse his photos (with credit ofcourse) to illustrate JazzWax postsPaul has captured a large number ofthe jazz greats So I asked if he
JazzWax March 2009
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would select one of his favoriteimages and tell JazzWax readers alittle about how the photo came tobe
The Saturday afternoon before Sonnys Sunday night concert in Santa Fe inJuly of 2007 ABSpellman a retiredDeputy Chair of NationalEndowment of the Artsinterviewed Sonnybefore an audience atthe Lensic Theater anold movie houserenovated into abeautiful legit theaterAB got the JazzMasters Program goingat NEA and Sonny hadreceived an NEA JazzMasters Award in 1983
After ABs interview I gave Sonny a photo I took of him in1971 at the Monterey Jazz Festival
The next day I was hoping for a dressing room photo ofSonny so I brought him photos of his interview with ABUpon arrival at the Lensic I heard Sonny playing his horn inhis dressing room When there was a lull in Sonnys playing Iknocked on his door He said Come in There was Sonnydressed in a red shirt blue pants wearing a process capand holding his tenor sax What a terrific image I thought
I gave Sonny the photos I had brought with me He politelythanked me I asked if I could take his photo with his hornHe replied I always think part my soul is being captured
JazzWax March 2009
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when I am photographed I replied No Sonny this willmerely be a reflection of your soul He smiled warmly andallowed me to take one photograph The split-second resultis the image you see above
You can learn more about Paul at his site here His currentexhibition People of Our Times featuring celebrities and jazzgreats is at the Verve Gallery of Photography in Santa Fe NMuntil May 2
Doug Ramsey Last week author jazz critic and Rifftidesblogger DougRamsey featured twowonderful YouTube clips featuring singerSue Raney [pictured] One is of Raneysinging Henry Mancinis Dreamsville in2008 The other is a campy Scopitone fromthe mid-1960s of Raney singing Before theRain Scopitone was an early video jukeboxfeaturng 16mm film loops and soundtracks
Carol Sloane After viewing Bret Primacksvideo interview of me legendary singer Carol Sloane sent alongthe following e-mail
Like you I too listened faithfully to Al Jazzbo Collins[pictured] when the signal fromWNEW-NY became crystalclear as soon as other FMstations in Rhode Island shutdown for the night I found himand Harrison [the TasmanianOwl] in The Purple Grotto quiteby accident one night when Iwas spinning the dial and
should have been asleep
Of course I was hooked I even sent a fan letter written onthe diagonal (to be arty and to insure he would be obliged toread it) in purple ink Well hell I was 13 or 14 years old atthe time Never mind it worked One night I turned on theprogram and he was reading my letter on the air
Fortunately I had the opportunity to tell him many years
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later how thrilling that moment had been for me and that Irecorded My One And Only Love with him in mind because itwas his theme song
For more on Al Jazzbo Collins go here To view Carols blogSloanView go here
CD discovery of the week Back in 2006 Swiss trumpeter PeterScharli and Brazilian vocalistIthamara Koorax came together inZurich to record a beautiful albumcalled Obrigado Dom Um RomaoThe result is a tender tribute toBrazilian percussionist Dom UmRomao (Obrigado is Portuguesefor thank you)
Romao had introduced Scharli to Ithamara who became soexcited by the sound of Scharlis trumpet that she agreed torecord and tour Europe with both artists But before the tourbegan Romao died at age 82 So Scharli and Ithamara decidedto dedicate the CD to him
On the album Scharli [pictured] and Ithamara perform a series ofduets with Ithamara singing inPortuguese on 8 of the 10 tracks Ontwo tracks (Love for Sale and I Fall inLove Too Easily) Ithamara sings inEnglish But perhaps the mostfascinating songs feature Ithamarasinging vocalese in Portuguese OnVocaliste and Miniature IV she uses
Swingle Single-like tones to match Scharlis trumpet tones notefor note The result is quite fascinating as the pair come togetheror joust in counterpoint
Ithamaras voice throughout is passionate and her phrasing issoft and caressing Scharlis trumpet ispinpoint sharp without being too strong orloud Joining Ithamara [pictured] and Scharliare Markus Stalder on guitar and ThomasDurst on bass Romao plays berimbao onone track Manha de Carnaval
JazzWax March 2009
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March 27 2009
You can sample tracks here where youllalso find the imported CD
Oddball album cover of the week Released in 1959 on CubRecords and arrangedby Sammy Lowe TakeOff in Sound wassinger Marla Smithsonly known recordingIts unclear why Smithis pictured with anAmerican Airlines 707jet since the songsare rather land-locked(Speak Low Boy onthe Beach Wild Fireetc) Whats evenmore puzzling is the art direction Here Smith is depicted eitheras a ghost serenading mid-flight passengers Or she just
detached herself from the tailand is singing while trying tofly Either way Smiths up at35000 feet surfing theheavens in an evening gownAnd even though Smithseems to have only a cloudfor support she had the goodfashion sense to extend herleft leg for the photographer(who must have broken free
from the tail moments before her)
Posted by Marc Myers at 0815 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
JazzWax March 2009
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Interview Lisa Simone
One of the most exciting new singers Ive heard in some time isLisa Simone daughter of oneof Americas mostimpassioned vocalists NinaSimone Known simply asSimone the 46-year-old artisthas just released her first full-length album a stunningtribute to her mother Ratherthan simply mimic Ninas styleand outrage Simone hasproduced an updatedinterpretation of her motherscatalog complete with vocalpower range and tendernessSimones album Simone onSimone is earthy and gutsybut its also unmistakably adaughters message to her late mother
From the albums opening duet Music for Lovers which Lisa sangwith Nina live in Ireland to thealbums closing song Feeling Goodthis 14-track CD is packed withgospel belters big band swingersand soulful ballads Thearrangements for the 19-piece bandwere nimbly handled by Ken Moyerand they support Lisas all-in vocalstyle perfectly without being
overbearing or tissue-thin
A Broadway veteran since the mid-1990s Simone has sustainingchops that allow her voice to hit the farthest corners of any roomShe also has full command of her mothers challenging materialwhich twists and turns in places while vocals are delivered at fullthrottle
Classic Nina Simone songs on this CD include Gal From JoesGo to Hell Keeper of the Flame and a rousing version of BillyTaylors I Wish I Knew How It WouldFeel to Be Free One of my favorites
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is I Hold No Grudge which Ninarecorded in 1966 with a hugeorchestra and chorus arranged andconducted by Hal Mooney Moyersexpansive chart for Lisa is just assoft and dramatic What makes thistrack so special is Simones poetictelling of the songs lyric building to a final rousing held note
When I received a copy of Simone on Simone a couple of weeksago I put it on with some trepidation An ardent fan of NinaSimone I was fearful that Simone would either go too far or notfar enough in her tribute Instead I was blown away Simone hasre-energized her mothers material with loving sensitivity and afresh uplifting spirit
After listening to the album several times I gave Simone a call tochat about the album and her experience growing up as NinaSimones daughter
JazzWax How did it feel to have a mother who was sodeeply committed to music Lisa Simone It was normal for me My mother was alreadycommitted to music and social issues before I was born She
often had to struggle to split herlove equally between art andme which wasnt always easyOur relationship certainly hadits challenges But now that Irsquomolder and can reflect back onthose days I realize Iwitnessed a lot of history I canlook back and appreciate my
time with her whether standing in the wings watching her onstage or watching her write To Be Young Gifted and Black in1969
JW Were you always tugging at herLS I never felt I had enough of my mom I just had to dealwith it You take what you can get Now when I look back Ihave a finer understanding of my mom And Im able to get
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that extra piece I missed out on
JW Were you and your mom closeLS Yes but at times the world got in the way
JW Were you close with your father Andy StroudLS I am now When my parents were together up until1972 thatrsquos when I sawmy dad a lot When myparents divorced my lifechanged It flippedcompletely Therewerenrsquot a lot of terms inthose days to describewhat kids went throughwhen parents divorced I didnrsquot see a lot of my dad after thatyear My parents didnrsquot really get along after their splitWhen they did see each other they didnrsquot get a whole lotaccomplished [Pictured Nina Simone and husband AndyStroud]
JW What do you miss most about your momLS I miss her hand rubbing my head I miss her touch
JW Did you study singingLS No The most instruction Irsquove had was just before
appearing on stage in theBroadway production of Aida in2001 When I saw what theshow demanded I realized Ineeded a vocal coach Mycoach taught me a great dealprimarily that singing didnrsquothave to hurt I had been singingthrough my throat My coachtaught me to sing through mydiaphragm which shifts thepower source and prevents youfrom damaging your voice or
burning out
JW Youve been in few other major Broadway productionsLS Yes I was in the original cast of Rent in 1996 Then I
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toured with the production for a year and a half Before RentI was in a touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar
JW What did your mother teach you about singingLS All she said to me was ldquoHoney you donrsquot have to workso hardrdquo
JW What did she meanLS At the time my mother had come to a few of my showsin Los Angeles when I wasperforming at various clubsthere Her style and mine werevery different
JW How soLS Irsquom the one who jumpsaround the room like DaffyDuck I get so energizedWhereas Mommy because of all the years of practicing and
rehearsing and performing shehad already settled into singingon cruise control She wantedme to know that I could be justas effective as a singer oncruise control By urging me torelax and pace myperformances my mother felt Iwould avoid wearing myselfout Of course I learned all ofthat before I was on BroadwayAnd I learned even more whenI did eight performances a
week on stage
JW What did your mother teach you about life Or wereyou sheltered in her shadowLS [Laughs] You didnt wilt in Ninarsquos presence You neverwould have recovered from that A lot of what I learned wasby watching and listening Itrsquos amazing what children pick upthat way I didnrsquot wilt in her presence but I did learn how tofeel the air shift around me and about timingmdashwhen tospeak and when not to
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JW Were you honest with your mother LS I learned later on in our relationship that I needed toclearly communicate what Ineeded from her so I could getpositive reinforcement duringour conversations and visitsMy mom was so commandingand so accustomed to beingthe one dictating theconversation that to have someone like me come aroundand not want anything from her just her love was almostalien to her
JW Did she adjust to meet those needsLS It was hard for her For mom to make that shift was like
the grinding of gears Ihad to let her know in nouncertain terms that Iloved her very much butthat it hurt when shesaid certain things anddid certain things I alsosaid that I would
appreciate her taking certain things like my needs intoconsideration [Pictured Lisa Simone playing for motherNina]
JW What happenedLS She started to do that and our relationship was at awonderful point when she passed away in 2003
JW As a child understanding your mothers needs andhonoring them required enormous maturityLS I was grown up before I was an adult When yoursquore anonly child and yoursquoreglobetrotting all over the placewith your mother you findyourself growing in ways thatyou wouldnt have in othercircumstances
JW Was it tough traveling somuch
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LS You make the best of yourenvironment Books for mebecame my world
JW I Hold No Grudge has been wonderfully updatedLS Thank you Theyrsquore all special My mother said we were
both griots which are WestAfrican storytellers She saidwe both had an ability to makeour audiences feel what wersquoresinging about Itrsquos justsomething that I seem to haveand I have no idea where itcame from Irsquove found thatsinging for me is also a way of
getting certain emotions out Most people know that whenIrsquove had a bad day theyrsquore going to get an even better showsince Irsquom going to take any blow up and turn it intosomething beautiful
JW Is this album a message to your mom LS I like that question Yes it is Now that Irsquovebeen traveling on tour Itend to talk more aboutmy life with my motherIt has been a celebrationof my legacy and mymotherrsquosaccomplishments hermessage and her musicNot only have I learned to face this part of my life but Irsquoveembraced it This is not only about my mother but also myway of presenting myself to the world
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JW What do you think Ninawould say about your albumLS I think there would be a bigsmile on her face and shersquodlisten to it over and over again
JazzWax tracks Simone onSimone is available as adownload at iTunes and
Amazon or as a CD here For Simones tour information and tohear clips from her new album you can visit her site here
JazzWax clips Heres a YouTube clip interview with Simone onher new CD
Once you hear Simones new version of I Hold No Grudge listento Ninas original version from 1966
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>
JazzWax March 2009
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March 26 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0803 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Andy Stroud Lisa Simone Nina Simone Simone
Bill Evans at Town Hall
Of pianist Bill Evans many live albums At Town Hall Vol 1 hasalways been among his mostdelicate and elegant Evansplaying is taut and gracefulwith lovely longimprovisational lines and asnappy fluid attack on thekeyboard The mix ofstandards and two originalsmdashone was a suite in memory ofhis father who died just threedays earliermdashalso were neatlyselected and assembled
For those who share my love of this album heresa list of little-known facts about the recording takenfrom Peter Pettingers How My Heart Sings a BillEvans discography and quotes from sources Ispoke to yesterday afternoon I also have a raretreat for you at the bottom
Despite playing New York club dates for 10 years the TownHall recording on February 21 1966 was Evans first NewYork concert appearance
Evans played the first half of the Town Hall concert with justbassist Chuck Israels and drummer Arnie Wise and thesecond half with an orchestra
According to Tom Lords Jazz Discography the orchestrasegment was arranged and conducted by Al Cohn [pictured]and featured Ernie Royal ClarkTerry and Bill Berry (trumpets)
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Bob Brookmeyer QuentinJackson and Bill Watrous(trombone) Bob Northern(French horn) Jerry DodgionGeorge Marge Eddie DanielsFrank Petrovsky and MarvinHolladay (reeds) Evans(piano) Chuck Israels (bass)and Grady Tate (drums)
The orchestra performed four Al Cohn-arranged tunesWillow Weep for Me and What Kind of Fool Am I as well asEvans originals Funkallero and Waltz for Debby
Verve never released Volume 2 which was to have featuredthe orchestral material and three trio tracks that didnt fit onthe first LP Yesterday I asked Jan Stevens of The BillEvans Web Pages what became of the band tracks Jansays Evans was intensely displeased with the result
Al Cohn did a strange thing The orchestral materialwas set up so the band played one of Cohnsarrangements followed by Bill playing a solo interludebetween songs In this regard the four songs were
meant to be a kind ofsuite with Bills pianobridging the gaps ButHelen Keane told me inthe early 1980s that Billwas extremely unhappywith the result She saidthe tracks would nevercome out no matter
what So far theyve never been commercially issuedWhats more they have never appeared on a bootlegwhich leads me to think Verve may have purged themasters immediately on Keanes or Evans insistence[Photo of Helen Keane and Bill Evans by Phil Braycourtesy of BillEvansnl in the Netherlands]
Although Creed Taylors name and signature were used byVerve on the LP jacket Creed told me yesterday that Helenalone produced the concert and that he wasnt there and
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had nothing to do with the event or the albums production
Gene Lees the legendary jazz writer and close friend ofEvans said yesterday he couldnt remember the concert anddidnt know specifically why the orchestral material wasntissued or what happened to the tracks
The concert was Chuck Israels last recorded appearance asa regular member of the Bill Evans Trio
Note-for-note piano transcriptions of the six songs recordedat Town Hall were recently issued as Bill Evans at TownHall Piano Transcriptions and Performance Notes by PascalWetzel Youll find it here
And now for the treat I promised you above Thanks to thegenerosity of JazzWax reader Kurt Kolstad who attended theTown Hall concert in 1966 heres the program sheet front andback including Gene Lees tribute essay Kurt says the songselections did not appear in the program and were announcedfrom the stage (click on the image to enlarge)
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
JazzWax March 2009
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Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
JazzWax March 2009
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Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
JazzWax March 2009
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In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
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March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
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written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
JazzWax March 2009
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Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
JazzWax March 2009
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March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
JazzWax March 2009
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What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
JazzWax March 2009
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
JazzWax March 2009
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
JazzWax March 2009
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youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
JazzWax March 2009
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
JazzWax March 2009
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
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1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
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music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
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Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
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sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
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email
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hear them anyway She soundedpretty damn good to me
Singer Helen Merrill on her veryfirst club performance with Bud Powell on piano After I
started singing Bud stopped playing turnedaround looked at me with the biggest grinon his face and then continued to play Itwas a huge compliment and a completesurprise I wasnrsquot professional yet but whenBud did that it gave me so muchconfidence He was so sweet
Helen Merrill on her famed 1954recording for Mercury with trumpeterClifford Brown We didnrsquot talk much atthose sessions We just smiled at eachother a lot What we had to say to eachother was unspoken It came through themusic and you can still hear that unspokenconversation on there today
Helen Merrill on seeing the cover of the album for the firsttime I cried I didnt think I looked like that when I sang But I
did As a woman I thought I wasprettier I dont mean that in a vainway Its just that you have a certainvision of how you look and whenthat image is different you feel sortof vulnerable
Helen Merrill on Dream of You her1956 album arranged by Gil
Evans It was my idea to use Gil He was so gifted I hadremembered his beautiful music forClaude Thornhill and I thought hismusic would be beautiful to singagainst When I mentioned Gils
J a z z W a xM e n t i o n s
BBC Jazz Session LA Times USA Today Wall St Journal
J a z z W a x L i n e rN o t e s
JoeAltermanPianoTracks(Vol 1)
CarolSloaneWell MeetAgain
BennyGolsonBest ofBennyGolson
TeddyCharlesCompleteTentet
GrantStewartYoung atHeart
R e c e n t P o s t s
Interview Sammy Nestico
>
JazzWax March 2009
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name to [EmArcy head ] Bob Shad Ithought Bob was going to have aheart attack At first Bob said Nobecause Gil was famous for keepingorchestras overtime and studio timeand musicians were very expensive Eventually Bob gave in
Helen Merrill on Miles Davis [In the early and mid-1950s]Miles used to love my sound andalways came to hear me sing Wewere dear friends He told me heloved my whisper sounds Thats atechnique I used by getting up realclose to the microphone Id singalmost in a whisper which created avery intimate sound I developed thisby listening to my voice and trying
different things with the mikes
Helen Merrill on Bill Evans Bill called me the night Miles hadasked him to join his sextet in 1958 Bill said Helen do you reallythink Im good enough Do you thinkIm good enough to play with Miles[laughs] I said of course Bill knewhe was great but needed theencouragement I was very touchedby what he asked me and I knewexactly how he felt It was a big movefor him Even when you know youcan do something you want to hear it from someone who feelsthe way you do someone who understands what youre goingthrough inside
Phil Woods on words of encouragement from Charlie ParkerI came into Arthurs Tavern [in 1953] and there was the great
Charlie Parkermdashplaying the baritonesax It belonged to Larry Rivers thepainter Parker knew me He knewall the kids who were coming up I
(Part 2)
Interview Sammy Nestico(Part 1)
Sunday Wax Bits
PhotoStory13 Harry Edison
Herb Pomeroy ASplendored Gig
Interview Dick Hyman (Part3)
Interview Dick Hyman (Part2)
Interview Dick Hyman (Part1)
Sunday Wax Bits
Six Hawks for the New Year
A r c h i v e s
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
More
J a z z W a x P i c k s
NatAdderleyThats Right
DameroniaLook Stopamp Listen
IthamaraKoorax BimBom
JazzWax March 2009
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said Mr Parker perhaps yoursquod liketo play my alto He said Phil thatwould be great This baritonersquoskicking my butt So I ran back acrossthe street to the Nut Club andgrabbed the alto sax that I hated Icame back and handed my horn toBird and he played Long Ago and
Far Away As Irsquom listening to him play my horn Irsquomrealizing therersquos nothing wrong with it [laughs] Nothing was wrongwith the reed nothing was wrong with the mouthpiecemdasheven thestrap sounded good Then Parkersays to me Now you play I said tomyself My God So I did I played achorus for him When I was doneBird leaned over and said Soundsreal good Phil This time I levitatedover Seventh Avenue to the NutClub And when I got back on thebandstand there I played the shit outof Harlem Nocturne Thatrsquos when Istopped complaining and startedpracticing [Image of Jazz magazinecourtesy of Bird Lives]
Phil Woods on his famous solo on Billy Joels Just the WayYou Are People come up to me allthe time to ask me about that Myfavorite was the young saxophonistwho came up to me on some gig Iwas playing and said Are you theguy on the Billy Joel record I saidYes I am He said Have you doneanything on your own [laughs] Isaid A couple of things
Billy Joel on jazz Jazz takes a good amount of technicalexpertise to get it right You need a greatdeal of study and discipline A lot of people
Lyle MurphyGone withtheWoodwinds
WoodyHermanColumbiaRecordings(1945 -1947)
JohnColtraneSide Steps
Art FarmerAztec Suite
Machito attheCrescendo
Tom TalbertBix DukeFats
Don SleetAllMembers
LennieNiehausQuintetsand Strings
StanKentonStage DoorSwings
MartySheller WhyDeny
JazzWax March 2009
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in rock and pop donrsquot necessarily have thatkind of background and they donrsquot havethat well-developed a technique
Billy Joel on Art Tatum Tatum wouldplay runs with his left hand and justthrow them away You know likeyoursquod hear it once and yoursquod neverhear it again Irsquod find myself sittingthere going Please do that again Icouldnrsquot hear what the hell that wasthat Tatum did so Irsquod have to lift upthe needle and go back you know
Billy Joel on playing rock in stadiums Itrsquos a blast Itrsquos fun tomake that noise We manipulate sound Rockers are kind ofmagicians and wizards We take soundsand play with them youknow and then we put it outthere and do magic to peoplewith it and it gets this bigresponse [pause] And chicksdig it [laughs] Itrsquos this greatpower But I have a lot ofrespect for jazz musiciansThats hard in a completelydifferent way
Billy Joel on why he didnt become a jazz musician Imfamiliar with a lot of good jazz I listened to it all through myteenage years And I still do to this day I love jazz I wanted to bea jazz guy I just didnt I dont have the chops
Chico Hamilton on the Gerry Mulligan Quartet of 1952 Gerrydidnrsquot want me to use my bass drum And thatrsquos when we went towar [laughs] I finally went out and got myself a tom-tom insteada small bass drum and converted itinto a bass drum Gerry didnt wantany bass drum at all But I told him Ineeded something there for my rightfoot to keep my rhythm My timing
EddiePalmieriAzucar PaTi
Bill PerkinsOn Stage
John LewisGrandEncounter
Dick Collinsamp RunawayHerd Hornof Plenty
LennieTristanoIntuition
BlueMitchellSextet BlueSoul
HalMcKusickTripleExposure
Dave PellJazz ForDancingandListening
DonFagerquistPortrait of aGreat JazzArtist
FourBrothersThe FourBrothers
JazzWax March 2009
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depended on it Irsquom still using asmaller bass drum today
Chico Hamilton on his music forand appearance in the 1957 filmSweet Smell of Success Theactor Martin Milner who played theguitarist and the quintets bandleaderin the movie he didnt know how toplay guitar So what happened wasMilner put his left hand behind himand John Pisano my guitar playerput his hand on the strings It lookedlike Milner was playing the guitar theway Jimmy Wong [Howe] shot it
[laughs]
Chico Hamilton on why hesunderappreciated I donrsquot know Maybebecause Ive always seen the drums as amelodic instrument not a percussive one Ideveloped a touch It may not have been asloud but its mine
Saxophonist Hal McKusick on arrangerGeorge Handy and the Boyd RaeburnOrchestra When we were on tour in San Francisco in 1945 the
Palace Hotel didnt like the fact thatwe had a broadcast there each nightat around dinnertime We playedstraight out for the radio audiencewhich rattled the staff and guests Toup the ante [Johnny] Mandel and[George] Handy [pictured] dyed theirhair green which scared the staffand patrons But the two of themdidnt care The bandrsquos vocalist DavidAllyn practiced singing in an
TogetherAgain
JamesMoodyMoody 4A
MeredithdAmbrosioLove Is Nota Game
DonFriedmanCircleWaltz
ScottLaFaroPieces ofJade
Chet Baker+ ArtPepperPlayboys
CyrusChestnutSpirit
EnduranceHeath Brothers Endurance
Med FloryGo WestYoung Med
LockjawDavis Foxand theHounds +Lock the
JazzWax March 2009
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abandoned tomb in the graveyard He liked the sound there
Carol Sloane on Oscar Peterson Oscar would watch my set atthe Village Vanguard [in 1961] from adark banquette off to the side Eachtime he would ask out loud for me tosing Kurt Weills My Ship Id jazz upthe song and when Id finish Id lookat Oscar for his reaction Each time Isang it Oscar was expressionlessFor a week hed shout out the samerequest and each time Id workharder to make a jazz impressionAnd each time Id get the same stonyreaction I finally grew exhaustedtrying to embellish the song So onenight I just sang it straight When I finished Oscar was grinningand applauding I finally got Oscars message A great songdoesnt need to be jazzed up You just have to sing it straight Ivecarried Oscars lesson with me ever since
Carol Sloane on Barbra Streisand The first time I met her I wassinging at the Village Vanguard in 1961 One of the waiters came
up to me to tell me that there was ayoung girl in the back who lookedkind of weird He said she doesnthave a purse and shes wearing a T-shirt and her hair is long and stringyThe waiter asked if I wanted to seethis girl or should he tell her Im notavailable I went to the back of theclub and there was this ordinary
looking girl She [introduced herself and] said to me How do youdo that Do what You mean singing I asked Yeah how doyou sing like that She said she was just starting out
Carol Sloane on performing with Ben Webster in 1963 inRhode Island I listened to everynote Ben played As a singer Icouldnt believe how great he
sounded After the set he smiled atme That was enough He smiledThen he went straight to the bar
Carol Sloane on watching the Beatles perform from thedugout at Shea Stadium in 1965 andhearing the mass hysteria As a jazzsinger I was nauseous I could see thewriting on the wall with the Beatles The kidshad been drifting away from jazz for yearsBut by this concert in 1965 they werecompletely gone and I knew they werenever coming back You could see it Youcould hear it
Carol Sloane on her stormy relationship with pianist JimmyRowles It was a tough period forme I was in my early 40s and hadbegun questioning everything aboutmy career and my ability Jimmy wasa legendary pianist the guy who hadaccompanied everyone In thebeginning he made me feel greatBut little by little things got worseand worse It got so bad that I triedto take my own life
Carol Sloane on Ella Fitzgeralds performance anxiety [Ella]was pacing and wringing her handsbackstage and saying Irsquom sonervous Irsquom so nervous I said GodElla donrsquot worry Jimmy [Rowles] willnever let you down Yoursquove gotnothing to worry about She said Iknow She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15years So all of a sudden she had anew guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was
behaving as though the world was going to come to an end
Wailin
Red MitchellPresentingRed Mitchell
SonnyClarkLeapin andLopin
SonnyRollinsAlfie
MachitoKenya Afro-Cuban Jazz
YusefLateef TheGolden Flute
YusefLateef IntoSomething
MundellLowe Satanin HighHeels
Bill EvansLive in Paris1965
FrankSinatra ASwinginAffair
This Here
JazzWax March 2009
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March 30 2009
Carol Sloane on her own stage anxiety I was always nervousabout performing To the point of being ill It was awful I used tohave performance-anxiety dreams Id go to sleep and havenightmares about having to go out and sing It cant be helped Itssomething deep in your brain
Singer Simone on what she misses most about her motherNina Simone I miss her handrubbing my head I miss her touch
Posted by Marc Myers at 0830 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Billy Joel Buddy De Franco Carol Sloane Chico Hamilton David Soyer HalMcKusick Helen Merrill Jimmy Cobb Phil Woods Sandie Shaw Simone
Hank Garland Jazz Winds
Country musicians have a long history of teaming with jazz andblues artists to produce hipmusic Western swing was anoutgrowth of jazz The samegoes for rockabilly and theearly Sun Records soundOne of the finest examples ofthis twang-and-hang hybrid isJazz Winds from a NewDirection Recorded in August1960 the session was led by
Hank Garland one of Nashvilles topcountry studio musicians at the timewho recorded with Elvis Presley andother country-rock artists in the late1950s Jazz Winds teamed Garlandwith Gary Burton on vibes JoeBenjamin on bass and Joe Morelloon drums
How did this configuration come to be Garlands professionalrelationship with Burton actually began a month earlier on July 41960 after rowdy spectators at the Newport Jazz Festival causedthe cancellation of the events remaining performances One ofthose planned events included Garland and other Nashville artistswho enjoyed playing jazz
So RCA executive Ben Rosner quickly rented a mansion and onthe afternoon of July 4th the groupbilled as the Nashville All-Starsrecorded seven tracks The bandfeatured Boots Randolph (alto sax)Gary Burton (vibes) [pictured] FloydCramer (piano) Hank Garland andChet Atkins (guitars) Brenton Banks(violin) Bob Moore (bass) and Buddy Harman (drums)
The album was released as After theRiot at Newport and featured a coverillustrated by Jim Flora and linernotes by Newport Jazz Festivalfounder and producer George WeinHeres what George wrote
The music on this disc is whattranspired on that sunny Monday
afternoon [of July 4th] Incidentally but importantly twoselections in the album were composed for the occasionChet Atkins penned Nashville to Newport and BootsRandolph with Hank Garland extemporized Riot-Chous thenight before the sessionmdashright after the big riot
To me the highlights of the album are the wonderful violinof Brenton Banks the swinging guitar
Joe Timer ampTHEOrchestraWillisConoversHouse ofSounds
Presents THE Orchestra
JazzWax March 2009
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of Hank Garland and the brilliant workof a 17-year old vibraphonist fromPrinceton Indiana Gary Burtonwhom you will be sure to hear a lot inthe future [Pictured George Wein]
A month later on August 23d Garland wentinto ColumbiasNashvillestudio withBurton Joe Benjamin and JoeMorello and recorded Jazz Windsfrom a New Direction Six days laterthe same group recorded SubtleSwing
In early 1961 Garland picked up where he left off in the Nashvillestudios with Presley and other country and early rock artists Butin September Garland was ina near-fatal auto accidentnear Nashville that left him ina coma for a week When heemerged he had sufferedsevere brain damage Hiswife helped him learn to walktalk and regain partial guitar-playing ability But except foran occasional appearanceGarland remained retiredpassing away in 2004[Pictured Presley and HankGarland]
Jazz Winds and the other albums mentioned above show theearly jazz promise of Hank Garlandjust before his flame was tragicallysnuffed out They also demonstrateGeorge Weins gift for dismissingnaysayers and bringing togetherartists of different stripes to createbeautiful music Had Garlandsurvived there surely would have
CannonballAdderleyArtFarmerAlabamaConcerto
LambertHendricks ampBavan Liveat BasinStreet East
DavidAmramJazz Portrait
Frank WessWess PointTheCommodoreRecordings
HalMcKusickHalMcKusickQuartet
TeddyCharlesTentetTeddyCharlesTentet
TeddyCharles withJimmyRaney NewDirections
TeddyCharlesCoolin
SarahVaughanAfter Hoursat theLondonHouse
V i d e o s
Art Van Damme Ben Webster Bill Evans Billie Holiday Bob Brookmeyer Bobby Timmons Cannbl Adderley Carmen McRae 1
JazzWax March 2009
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March 29 2009
been all types of jazz-country fusionefforts throughout the 1960s and beyond Garland could swingJust ask Gary Burton
JazzWax tracks You can buy Hank Garlands jazz albumsindividually but youll pay a fortune sincemost are out of print Or you can buy thetwo-CD set Move The Guitar Artistry ofHank Garland which includes selectionsfrom four of Garlands jazz-countryrecordings After the Riot Jazz Winds froma New Direction Velvet Guitar and SubtleSwing Youll find the CD and samples here
A special thanks to Kurt Kolstad for introducing me to Garland andJazz Winds
JazzWax clip Heres a clip of country guitarists Eddy Arnold andHank Garland in the mid-1950s Pay particular attention toGarlands jazz chords on the Hank Garland Stomp
Posted by Marc Myers at 0751 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Chet Atkins Eddy Arnold Elvis Presley Gary Burton George Wein HankGarland Joe Morello
Carmen McRae 2 Charleston Charlie Parker Chet Baker Chico OFarrill Claus Ogerman Coleman Hawkins Count Basie Dinah Washington Dizzy Gillespie Earl Hines Eddie Palmieri Gerry Mulligan Gene Krupa Geo Shearing Jack Teagarden Jackie McLean Jackie Paris Jammin the Blues June Christy 1 June Christy 2 Lee Morgan Lockjaw Davis Louie Bellson Maynard Ferguson Max Roach Miles Davis 1 Miles Davis 2 Mundell Lowe 1 Mundell Lowe 2 Oscar Pettiford Paul Desmond Pepper Adams Phineas Newborn Sarah Vaughan Sonny Rollins Sound of Jazz Stan Kenton Teddy Wilson Terry Gibbs Wes Montgomery Woody Herman Yolande Bavan Yusef Lateef
B l o g s
Terry Teachout Doug Ramsey Jazz Video Guy Nate Chinen Jazzcom JazzSession Cab Calloway A Blog Supreme David B Johnson Gregory Bell Jan Stevens Ed Leimbacher Howard Mandel Jazz Lives JerryJazzMusician Ian Carey Latin Jazz Corner Lost + Sound MuleWalkJazzTalk My2CentsWorth New Orleans News Ray De Felitta Ricky Riccardi Russ Neff Steve Cerra Vinson Valega Von Babasin
A r t i s t S i t e s
>
JazzWax March 2009
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Sunday Wax Bits
The future of live jazz I have no idea whether anyone hasconducted an in-depth studyof jazz-club attendance andlive-jazz revenue trends overthe past five years I supposeits safe to assume that if thenewspaper business and CDindustry are drowning theeffort to put warm bodies inseats at clubs concerts andfestivals cant be far behind[Photo of girl transfixed byjazz by Bob Willoughby 1951]
The deck certainly is stackedagainst concert producersclub owners and musicians alike Real estate leases remainprohibitively high insurance premiums are up the comforts ofhome are increasingly seductive discretionary income is tight thejazz legend pool is shrinking and the promotional dollars neededto spread the word never seems to be enough
And thats the good news The bigger dragon here is technologyDramatic shifts occur every time this beastswishes its tail Have you noticed thatvirtually everything you can hold in yourhands these days is disappearing Gizmoscreens have become so clear and Internetbandwidth so wide that increasing amountsof our culture are being consumed through
pixels and digital bites
Dig this Music downloads now represent the only slice of therecord business thats growingAmazons Kindle has rendered books(the kind with spines and dustjackets) almost meaningless Moviedownloads have already begun toovercome DVDs And once wall-sized computer screens aredeveloped and affordable its easy to
Art Blakey Art Pepper Arturo OFarrill Benny Carter Bill Evans Brooks Tegler Bud Shank Charles Mingus Chet Baker Clifford Brown David Amram Frank Wess Grant Stewart Jackie Paris Louie Bellson Nelson Riddle Pharoah Sanders Roberto Magris Sal Mosca Sonny Rollins Teddy Charles Tessa Souter Warne Marsh Yolande Bavan
R a d i o
JAZZFM91 PURE JAZZ WBGO-FM WKCR-FM WDNA-FM WFIU-FM WNMC-FM WWOZ-FM BlackJazz Radio
S h o p p i n g
JazzFirstBooks VinylReVinyl
R e s o u r c e s
Jazz Corner Jazz Foundation Planet Bret Videos JazzBeatorg All About Jazz
Blog powered by TypePadMember since 072007
JazzWax March 2009
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imagine that well be able todownload Caribbean and European travel experiences withoutleaving home
Back to jazz You dont have to be a Facebook founder to knowthat the CDs days arenumbered and that live musicis under fire Lets face itgoing out to clubs isnt aseasy as it used to be Youhave to get it together arriveearly to win a favorable seatpay a fortune for admissionfork over more for smalldrinks and then travel homeearly before your chin hitsyour chest Personally I dontknow how people wentclubbing all week long in the
1940s and 1950s Didnt they have to get up early for work thenext day Or hadnt jobs been invented yet [Photo by Dave EScherman 1942 for Life]
Its anyones guess how many clubs and festivals will exist five orten years from now or how many musicians will be able to affordto play jazz at a high enough level to leave an impression Letsassume the number will be less than nowAfter all the trend is clear and its entirelypossible that live jazz will go the way of themanual transmission and TV antennas Thechallenge for jazz producers club ownersand musicians will be to find a way to makemoney using the Web to keep live jazzticking Newspapers stubbornly ignored the digital trend for yearsand learned a terrible lesson the hard way
Paul Slaughter Ive long been a fan of photographer PaulSlaughters work Over the past yearPaul has graciously allowed me touse his photos (with credit ofcourse) to illustrate JazzWax postsPaul has captured a large number ofthe jazz greats So I asked if he
JazzWax March 2009
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would select one of his favoriteimages and tell JazzWax readers alittle about how the photo came tobe
The Saturday afternoon before Sonnys Sunday night concert in Santa Fe inJuly of 2007 ABSpellman a retiredDeputy Chair of NationalEndowment of the Artsinterviewed Sonnybefore an audience atthe Lensic Theater anold movie houserenovated into abeautiful legit theaterAB got the JazzMasters Program goingat NEA and Sonny hadreceived an NEA JazzMasters Award in 1983
After ABs interview I gave Sonny a photo I took of him in1971 at the Monterey Jazz Festival
The next day I was hoping for a dressing room photo ofSonny so I brought him photos of his interview with ABUpon arrival at the Lensic I heard Sonny playing his horn inhis dressing room When there was a lull in Sonnys playing Iknocked on his door He said Come in There was Sonnydressed in a red shirt blue pants wearing a process capand holding his tenor sax What a terrific image I thought
I gave Sonny the photos I had brought with me He politelythanked me I asked if I could take his photo with his hornHe replied I always think part my soul is being captured
JazzWax March 2009
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when I am photographed I replied No Sonny this willmerely be a reflection of your soul He smiled warmly andallowed me to take one photograph The split-second resultis the image you see above
You can learn more about Paul at his site here His currentexhibition People of Our Times featuring celebrities and jazzgreats is at the Verve Gallery of Photography in Santa Fe NMuntil May 2
Doug Ramsey Last week author jazz critic and Rifftidesblogger DougRamsey featured twowonderful YouTube clips featuring singerSue Raney [pictured] One is of Raneysinging Henry Mancinis Dreamsville in2008 The other is a campy Scopitone fromthe mid-1960s of Raney singing Before theRain Scopitone was an early video jukeboxfeaturng 16mm film loops and soundtracks
Carol Sloane After viewing Bret Primacksvideo interview of me legendary singer Carol Sloane sent alongthe following e-mail
Like you I too listened faithfully to Al Jazzbo Collins[pictured] when the signal fromWNEW-NY became crystalclear as soon as other FMstations in Rhode Island shutdown for the night I found himand Harrison [the TasmanianOwl] in The Purple Grotto quiteby accident one night when Iwas spinning the dial and
should have been asleep
Of course I was hooked I even sent a fan letter written onthe diagonal (to be arty and to insure he would be obliged toread it) in purple ink Well hell I was 13 or 14 years old atthe time Never mind it worked One night I turned on theprogram and he was reading my letter on the air
Fortunately I had the opportunity to tell him many years
JazzWax March 2009
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later how thrilling that moment had been for me and that Irecorded My One And Only Love with him in mind because itwas his theme song
For more on Al Jazzbo Collins go here To view Carols blogSloanView go here
CD discovery of the week Back in 2006 Swiss trumpeter PeterScharli and Brazilian vocalistIthamara Koorax came together inZurich to record a beautiful albumcalled Obrigado Dom Um RomaoThe result is a tender tribute toBrazilian percussionist Dom UmRomao (Obrigado is Portuguesefor thank you)
Romao had introduced Scharli to Ithamara who became soexcited by the sound of Scharlis trumpet that she agreed torecord and tour Europe with both artists But before the tourbegan Romao died at age 82 So Scharli and Ithamara decidedto dedicate the CD to him
On the album Scharli [pictured] and Ithamara perform a series ofduets with Ithamara singing inPortuguese on 8 of the 10 tracks Ontwo tracks (Love for Sale and I Fall inLove Too Easily) Ithamara sings inEnglish But perhaps the mostfascinating songs feature Ithamarasinging vocalese in Portuguese OnVocaliste and Miniature IV she uses
Swingle Single-like tones to match Scharlis trumpet tones notefor note The result is quite fascinating as the pair come togetheror joust in counterpoint
Ithamaras voice throughout is passionate and her phrasing issoft and caressing Scharlis trumpet ispinpoint sharp without being too strong orloud Joining Ithamara [pictured] and Scharliare Markus Stalder on guitar and ThomasDurst on bass Romao plays berimbao onone track Manha de Carnaval
JazzWax March 2009
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March 27 2009
You can sample tracks here where youllalso find the imported CD
Oddball album cover of the week Released in 1959 on CubRecords and arrangedby Sammy Lowe TakeOff in Sound wassinger Marla Smithsonly known recordingIts unclear why Smithis pictured with anAmerican Airlines 707jet since the songsare rather land-locked(Speak Low Boy onthe Beach Wild Fireetc) Whats evenmore puzzling is the art direction Here Smith is depicted eitheras a ghost serenading mid-flight passengers Or she just
detached herself from the tailand is singing while trying tofly Either way Smiths up at35000 feet surfing theheavens in an evening gownAnd even though Smithseems to have only a cloudfor support she had the goodfashion sense to extend herleft leg for the photographer(who must have broken free
from the tail moments before her)
Posted by Marc Myers at 0815 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
JazzWax March 2009
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Interview Lisa Simone
One of the most exciting new singers Ive heard in some time isLisa Simone daughter of oneof Americas mostimpassioned vocalists NinaSimone Known simply asSimone the 46-year-old artisthas just released her first full-length album a stunningtribute to her mother Ratherthan simply mimic Ninas styleand outrage Simone hasproduced an updatedinterpretation of her motherscatalog complete with vocalpower range and tendernessSimones album Simone onSimone is earthy and gutsybut its also unmistakably adaughters message to her late mother
From the albums opening duet Music for Lovers which Lisa sangwith Nina live in Ireland to thealbums closing song Feeling Goodthis 14-track CD is packed withgospel belters big band swingersand soulful ballads Thearrangements for the 19-piece bandwere nimbly handled by Ken Moyerand they support Lisas all-in vocalstyle perfectly without being
overbearing or tissue-thin
A Broadway veteran since the mid-1990s Simone has sustainingchops that allow her voice to hit the farthest corners of any roomShe also has full command of her mothers challenging materialwhich twists and turns in places while vocals are delivered at fullthrottle
Classic Nina Simone songs on this CD include Gal From JoesGo to Hell Keeper of the Flame and a rousing version of BillyTaylors I Wish I Knew How It WouldFeel to Be Free One of my favorites
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is I Hold No Grudge which Ninarecorded in 1966 with a hugeorchestra and chorus arranged andconducted by Hal Mooney Moyersexpansive chart for Lisa is just assoft and dramatic What makes thistrack so special is Simones poetictelling of the songs lyric building to a final rousing held note
When I received a copy of Simone on Simone a couple of weeksago I put it on with some trepidation An ardent fan of NinaSimone I was fearful that Simone would either go too far or notfar enough in her tribute Instead I was blown away Simone hasre-energized her mothers material with loving sensitivity and afresh uplifting spirit
After listening to the album several times I gave Simone a call tochat about the album and her experience growing up as NinaSimones daughter
JazzWax How did it feel to have a mother who was sodeeply committed to music Lisa Simone It was normal for me My mother was alreadycommitted to music and social issues before I was born She
often had to struggle to split herlove equally between art andme which wasnt always easyOur relationship certainly hadits challenges But now that Irsquomolder and can reflect back onthose days I realize Iwitnessed a lot of history I canlook back and appreciate my
time with her whether standing in the wings watching her onstage or watching her write To Be Young Gifted and Black in1969
JW Were you always tugging at herLS I never felt I had enough of my mom I just had to dealwith it You take what you can get Now when I look back Ihave a finer understanding of my mom And Im able to get
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that extra piece I missed out on
JW Were you and your mom closeLS Yes but at times the world got in the way
JW Were you close with your father Andy StroudLS I am now When my parents were together up until1972 thatrsquos when I sawmy dad a lot When myparents divorced my lifechanged It flippedcompletely Therewerenrsquot a lot of terms inthose days to describewhat kids went throughwhen parents divorced I didnrsquot see a lot of my dad after thatyear My parents didnrsquot really get along after their splitWhen they did see each other they didnrsquot get a whole lotaccomplished [Pictured Nina Simone and husband AndyStroud]
JW What do you miss most about your momLS I miss her hand rubbing my head I miss her touch
JW Did you study singingLS No The most instruction Irsquove had was just before
appearing on stage in theBroadway production of Aida in2001 When I saw what theshow demanded I realized Ineeded a vocal coach Mycoach taught me a great dealprimarily that singing didnrsquothave to hurt I had been singingthrough my throat My coachtaught me to sing through mydiaphragm which shifts thepower source and prevents youfrom damaging your voice or
burning out
JW Youve been in few other major Broadway productionsLS Yes I was in the original cast of Rent in 1996 Then I
JazzWax March 2009
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toured with the production for a year and a half Before RentI was in a touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar
JW What did your mother teach you about singingLS All she said to me was ldquoHoney you donrsquot have to workso hardrdquo
JW What did she meanLS At the time my mother had come to a few of my showsin Los Angeles when I wasperforming at various clubsthere Her style and mine werevery different
JW How soLS Irsquom the one who jumpsaround the room like DaffyDuck I get so energizedWhereas Mommy because of all the years of practicing and
rehearsing and performing shehad already settled into singingon cruise control She wantedme to know that I could be justas effective as a singer oncruise control By urging me torelax and pace myperformances my mother felt Iwould avoid wearing myselfout Of course I learned all ofthat before I was on BroadwayAnd I learned even more whenI did eight performances a
week on stage
JW What did your mother teach you about life Or wereyou sheltered in her shadowLS [Laughs] You didnt wilt in Ninarsquos presence You neverwould have recovered from that A lot of what I learned wasby watching and listening Itrsquos amazing what children pick upthat way I didnrsquot wilt in her presence but I did learn how tofeel the air shift around me and about timingmdashwhen tospeak and when not to
JazzWax March 2009
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JW Were you honest with your mother LS I learned later on in our relationship that I needed toclearly communicate what Ineeded from her so I could getpositive reinforcement duringour conversations and visitsMy mom was so commandingand so accustomed to beingthe one dictating theconversation that to have someone like me come aroundand not want anything from her just her love was almostalien to her
JW Did she adjust to meet those needsLS It was hard for her For mom to make that shift was like
the grinding of gears Ihad to let her know in nouncertain terms that Iloved her very much butthat it hurt when shesaid certain things anddid certain things I alsosaid that I would
appreciate her taking certain things like my needs intoconsideration [Pictured Lisa Simone playing for motherNina]
JW What happenedLS She started to do that and our relationship was at awonderful point when she passed away in 2003
JW As a child understanding your mothers needs andhonoring them required enormous maturityLS I was grown up before I was an adult When yoursquore anonly child and yoursquoreglobetrotting all over the placewith your mother you findyourself growing in ways thatyou wouldnt have in othercircumstances
JW Was it tough traveling somuch
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LS You make the best of yourenvironment Books for mebecame my world
JW I Hold No Grudge has been wonderfully updatedLS Thank you Theyrsquore all special My mother said we were
both griots which are WestAfrican storytellers She saidwe both had an ability to makeour audiences feel what wersquoresinging about Itrsquos justsomething that I seem to haveand I have no idea where itcame from Irsquove found thatsinging for me is also a way of
getting certain emotions out Most people know that whenIrsquove had a bad day theyrsquore going to get an even better showsince Irsquom going to take any blow up and turn it intosomething beautiful
JW Is this album a message to your mom LS I like that question Yes it is Now that Irsquovebeen traveling on tour Itend to talk more aboutmy life with my motherIt has been a celebrationof my legacy and mymotherrsquosaccomplishments hermessage and her musicNot only have I learned to face this part of my life but Irsquoveembraced it This is not only about my mother but also myway of presenting myself to the world
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JW What do you think Ninawould say about your albumLS I think there would be a bigsmile on her face and shersquodlisten to it over and over again
JazzWax tracks Simone onSimone is available as adownload at iTunes and
Amazon or as a CD here For Simones tour information and tohear clips from her new album you can visit her site here
JazzWax clips Heres a YouTube clip interview with Simone onher new CD
Once you hear Simones new version of I Hold No Grudge listento Ninas original version from 1966
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>
JazzWax March 2009
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March 26 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0803 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Andy Stroud Lisa Simone Nina Simone Simone
Bill Evans at Town Hall
Of pianist Bill Evans many live albums At Town Hall Vol 1 hasalways been among his mostdelicate and elegant Evansplaying is taut and gracefulwith lovely longimprovisational lines and asnappy fluid attack on thekeyboard The mix ofstandards and two originalsmdashone was a suite in memory ofhis father who died just threedays earliermdashalso were neatlyselected and assembled
For those who share my love of this album heresa list of little-known facts about the recording takenfrom Peter Pettingers How My Heart Sings a BillEvans discography and quotes from sources Ispoke to yesterday afternoon I also have a raretreat for you at the bottom
Despite playing New York club dates for 10 years the TownHall recording on February 21 1966 was Evans first NewYork concert appearance
Evans played the first half of the Town Hall concert with justbassist Chuck Israels and drummer Arnie Wise and thesecond half with an orchestra
According to Tom Lords Jazz Discography the orchestrasegment was arranged and conducted by Al Cohn [pictured]and featured Ernie Royal ClarkTerry and Bill Berry (trumpets)
JazzWax March 2009
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Bob Brookmeyer QuentinJackson and Bill Watrous(trombone) Bob Northern(French horn) Jerry DodgionGeorge Marge Eddie DanielsFrank Petrovsky and MarvinHolladay (reeds) Evans(piano) Chuck Israels (bass)and Grady Tate (drums)
The orchestra performed four Al Cohn-arranged tunesWillow Weep for Me and What Kind of Fool Am I as well asEvans originals Funkallero and Waltz for Debby
Verve never released Volume 2 which was to have featuredthe orchestral material and three trio tracks that didnt fit onthe first LP Yesterday I asked Jan Stevens of The BillEvans Web Pages what became of the band tracks Jansays Evans was intensely displeased with the result
Al Cohn did a strange thing The orchestral materialwas set up so the band played one of Cohnsarrangements followed by Bill playing a solo interludebetween songs In this regard the four songs were
meant to be a kind ofsuite with Bills pianobridging the gaps ButHelen Keane told me inthe early 1980s that Billwas extremely unhappywith the result She saidthe tracks would nevercome out no matter
what So far theyve never been commercially issuedWhats more they have never appeared on a bootlegwhich leads me to think Verve may have purged themasters immediately on Keanes or Evans insistence[Photo of Helen Keane and Bill Evans by Phil Braycourtesy of BillEvansnl in the Netherlands]
Although Creed Taylors name and signature were used byVerve on the LP jacket Creed told me yesterday that Helenalone produced the concert and that he wasnt there and
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had nothing to do with the event or the albums production
Gene Lees the legendary jazz writer and close friend ofEvans said yesterday he couldnt remember the concert anddidnt know specifically why the orchestral material wasntissued or what happened to the tracks
The concert was Chuck Israels last recorded appearance asa regular member of the Bill Evans Trio
Note-for-note piano transcriptions of the six songs recordedat Town Hall were recently issued as Bill Evans at TownHall Piano Transcriptions and Performance Notes by PascalWetzel Youll find it here
And now for the treat I promised you above Thanks to thegenerosity of JazzWax reader Kurt Kolstad who attended theTown Hall concert in 1966 heres the program sheet front andback including Gene Lees tribute essay Kurt says the songselections did not appear in the program and were announcedfrom the stage (click on the image to enlarge)
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
JazzWax March 2009
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Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
JazzWax March 2009
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Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
JazzWax March 2009
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In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
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March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
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written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
JazzWax March 2009
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Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
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March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
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What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
JazzWax March 2009
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
JazzWax March 2009
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
JazzWax March 2009
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youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
JazzWax March 2009
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
JazzWax March 2009
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
JazzWax March 2009
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
JazzWax March 2009
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1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
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music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
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Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
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name to [EmArcy head ] Bob Shad Ithought Bob was going to have aheart attack At first Bob said Nobecause Gil was famous for keepingorchestras overtime and studio timeand musicians were very expensive Eventually Bob gave in
Helen Merrill on Miles Davis [In the early and mid-1950s]Miles used to love my sound andalways came to hear me sing Wewere dear friends He told me heloved my whisper sounds Thats atechnique I used by getting up realclose to the microphone Id singalmost in a whisper which created avery intimate sound I developed thisby listening to my voice and trying
different things with the mikes
Helen Merrill on Bill Evans Bill called me the night Miles hadasked him to join his sextet in 1958 Bill said Helen do you reallythink Im good enough Do you thinkIm good enough to play with Miles[laughs] I said of course Bill knewhe was great but needed theencouragement I was very touchedby what he asked me and I knewexactly how he felt It was a big movefor him Even when you know youcan do something you want to hear it from someone who feelsthe way you do someone who understands what youre goingthrough inside
Phil Woods on words of encouragement from Charlie ParkerI came into Arthurs Tavern [in 1953] and there was the great
Charlie Parkermdashplaying the baritonesax It belonged to Larry Rivers thepainter Parker knew me He knewall the kids who were coming up I
(Part 2)
Interview Sammy Nestico(Part 1)
Sunday Wax Bits
PhotoStory13 Harry Edison
Herb Pomeroy ASplendored Gig
Interview Dick Hyman (Part3)
Interview Dick Hyman (Part2)
Interview Dick Hyman (Part1)
Sunday Wax Bits
Six Hawks for the New Year
A r c h i v e s
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
More
J a z z W a x P i c k s
NatAdderleyThats Right
DameroniaLook Stopamp Listen
IthamaraKoorax BimBom
JazzWax March 2009
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said Mr Parker perhaps yoursquod liketo play my alto He said Phil thatwould be great This baritonersquoskicking my butt So I ran back acrossthe street to the Nut Club andgrabbed the alto sax that I hated Icame back and handed my horn toBird and he played Long Ago and
Far Away As Irsquom listening to him play my horn Irsquomrealizing therersquos nothing wrong with it [laughs] Nothing was wrongwith the reed nothing was wrong with the mouthpiecemdasheven thestrap sounded good Then Parkersays to me Now you play I said tomyself My God So I did I played achorus for him When I was doneBird leaned over and said Soundsreal good Phil This time I levitatedover Seventh Avenue to the NutClub And when I got back on thebandstand there I played the shit outof Harlem Nocturne Thatrsquos when Istopped complaining and startedpracticing [Image of Jazz magazinecourtesy of Bird Lives]
Phil Woods on his famous solo on Billy Joels Just the WayYou Are People come up to me allthe time to ask me about that Myfavorite was the young saxophonistwho came up to me on some gig Iwas playing and said Are you theguy on the Billy Joel record I saidYes I am He said Have you doneanything on your own [laughs] Isaid A couple of things
Billy Joel on jazz Jazz takes a good amount of technicalexpertise to get it right You need a greatdeal of study and discipline A lot of people
Lyle MurphyGone withtheWoodwinds
WoodyHermanColumbiaRecordings(1945 -1947)
JohnColtraneSide Steps
Art FarmerAztec Suite
Machito attheCrescendo
Tom TalbertBix DukeFats
Don SleetAllMembers
LennieNiehausQuintetsand Strings
StanKentonStage DoorSwings
MartySheller WhyDeny
JazzWax March 2009
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in rock and pop donrsquot necessarily have thatkind of background and they donrsquot havethat well-developed a technique
Billy Joel on Art Tatum Tatum wouldplay runs with his left hand and justthrow them away You know likeyoursquod hear it once and yoursquod neverhear it again Irsquod find myself sittingthere going Please do that again Icouldnrsquot hear what the hell that wasthat Tatum did so Irsquod have to lift upthe needle and go back you know
Billy Joel on playing rock in stadiums Itrsquos a blast Itrsquos fun tomake that noise We manipulate sound Rockers are kind ofmagicians and wizards We take soundsand play with them youknow and then we put it outthere and do magic to peoplewith it and it gets this bigresponse [pause] And chicksdig it [laughs] Itrsquos this greatpower But I have a lot ofrespect for jazz musiciansThats hard in a completelydifferent way
Billy Joel on why he didnt become a jazz musician Imfamiliar with a lot of good jazz I listened to it all through myteenage years And I still do to this day I love jazz I wanted to bea jazz guy I just didnt I dont have the chops
Chico Hamilton on the Gerry Mulligan Quartet of 1952 Gerrydidnrsquot want me to use my bass drum And thatrsquos when we went towar [laughs] I finally went out and got myself a tom-tom insteada small bass drum and converted itinto a bass drum Gerry didnt wantany bass drum at all But I told him Ineeded something there for my rightfoot to keep my rhythm My timing
EddiePalmieriAzucar PaTi
Bill PerkinsOn Stage
John LewisGrandEncounter
Dick Collinsamp RunawayHerd Hornof Plenty
LennieTristanoIntuition
BlueMitchellSextet BlueSoul
HalMcKusickTripleExposure
Dave PellJazz ForDancingandListening
DonFagerquistPortrait of aGreat JazzArtist
FourBrothersThe FourBrothers
JazzWax March 2009
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depended on it Irsquom still using asmaller bass drum today
Chico Hamilton on his music forand appearance in the 1957 filmSweet Smell of Success Theactor Martin Milner who played theguitarist and the quintets bandleaderin the movie he didnt know how toplay guitar So what happened wasMilner put his left hand behind himand John Pisano my guitar playerput his hand on the strings It lookedlike Milner was playing the guitar theway Jimmy Wong [Howe] shot it
[laughs]
Chico Hamilton on why hesunderappreciated I donrsquot know Maybebecause Ive always seen the drums as amelodic instrument not a percussive one Ideveloped a touch It may not have been asloud but its mine
Saxophonist Hal McKusick on arrangerGeorge Handy and the Boyd RaeburnOrchestra When we were on tour in San Francisco in 1945 the
Palace Hotel didnt like the fact thatwe had a broadcast there each nightat around dinnertime We playedstraight out for the radio audiencewhich rattled the staff and guests Toup the ante [Johnny] Mandel and[George] Handy [pictured] dyed theirhair green which scared the staffand patrons But the two of themdidnt care The bandrsquos vocalist DavidAllyn practiced singing in an
TogetherAgain
JamesMoodyMoody 4A
MeredithdAmbrosioLove Is Nota Game
DonFriedmanCircleWaltz
ScottLaFaroPieces ofJade
Chet Baker+ ArtPepperPlayboys
CyrusChestnutSpirit
EnduranceHeath Brothers Endurance
Med FloryGo WestYoung Med
LockjawDavis Foxand theHounds +Lock the
JazzWax March 2009
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abandoned tomb in the graveyard He liked the sound there
Carol Sloane on Oscar Peterson Oscar would watch my set atthe Village Vanguard [in 1961] from adark banquette off to the side Eachtime he would ask out loud for me tosing Kurt Weills My Ship Id jazz upthe song and when Id finish Id lookat Oscar for his reaction Each time Isang it Oscar was expressionlessFor a week hed shout out the samerequest and each time Id workharder to make a jazz impressionAnd each time Id get the same stonyreaction I finally grew exhaustedtrying to embellish the song So onenight I just sang it straight When I finished Oscar was grinningand applauding I finally got Oscars message A great songdoesnt need to be jazzed up You just have to sing it straight Ivecarried Oscars lesson with me ever since
Carol Sloane on Barbra Streisand The first time I met her I wassinging at the Village Vanguard in 1961 One of the waiters came
up to me to tell me that there was ayoung girl in the back who lookedkind of weird He said she doesnthave a purse and shes wearing a T-shirt and her hair is long and stringyThe waiter asked if I wanted to seethis girl or should he tell her Im notavailable I went to the back of theclub and there was this ordinary
looking girl She [introduced herself and] said to me How do youdo that Do what You mean singing I asked Yeah how doyou sing like that She said she was just starting out
Carol Sloane on performing with Ben Webster in 1963 inRhode Island I listened to everynote Ben played As a singer Icouldnt believe how great he
sounded After the set he smiled atme That was enough He smiledThen he went straight to the bar
Carol Sloane on watching the Beatles perform from thedugout at Shea Stadium in 1965 andhearing the mass hysteria As a jazzsinger I was nauseous I could see thewriting on the wall with the Beatles The kidshad been drifting away from jazz for yearsBut by this concert in 1965 they werecompletely gone and I knew they werenever coming back You could see it Youcould hear it
Carol Sloane on her stormy relationship with pianist JimmyRowles It was a tough period forme I was in my early 40s and hadbegun questioning everything aboutmy career and my ability Jimmy wasa legendary pianist the guy who hadaccompanied everyone In thebeginning he made me feel greatBut little by little things got worseand worse It got so bad that I triedto take my own life
Carol Sloane on Ella Fitzgeralds performance anxiety [Ella]was pacing and wringing her handsbackstage and saying Irsquom sonervous Irsquom so nervous I said GodElla donrsquot worry Jimmy [Rowles] willnever let you down Yoursquove gotnothing to worry about She said Iknow She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15years So all of a sudden she had anew guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was
behaving as though the world was going to come to an end
Wailin
Red MitchellPresentingRed Mitchell
SonnyClarkLeapin andLopin
SonnyRollinsAlfie
MachitoKenya Afro-Cuban Jazz
YusefLateef TheGolden Flute
YusefLateef IntoSomething
MundellLowe Satanin HighHeels
Bill EvansLive in Paris1965
FrankSinatra ASwinginAffair
This Here
JazzWax March 2009
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March 30 2009
Carol Sloane on her own stage anxiety I was always nervousabout performing To the point of being ill It was awful I used tohave performance-anxiety dreams Id go to sleep and havenightmares about having to go out and sing It cant be helped Itssomething deep in your brain
Singer Simone on what she misses most about her motherNina Simone I miss her handrubbing my head I miss her touch
Posted by Marc Myers at 0830 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Billy Joel Buddy De Franco Carol Sloane Chico Hamilton David Soyer HalMcKusick Helen Merrill Jimmy Cobb Phil Woods Sandie Shaw Simone
Hank Garland Jazz Winds
Country musicians have a long history of teaming with jazz andblues artists to produce hipmusic Western swing was anoutgrowth of jazz The samegoes for rockabilly and theearly Sun Records soundOne of the finest examples ofthis twang-and-hang hybrid isJazz Winds from a NewDirection Recorded in August1960 the session was led by
Hank Garland one of Nashvilles topcountry studio musicians at the timewho recorded with Elvis Presley andother country-rock artists in the late1950s Jazz Winds teamed Garlandwith Gary Burton on vibes JoeBenjamin on bass and Joe Morelloon drums
How did this configuration come to be Garlands professionalrelationship with Burton actually began a month earlier on July 41960 after rowdy spectators at the Newport Jazz Festival causedthe cancellation of the events remaining performances One ofthose planned events included Garland and other Nashville artistswho enjoyed playing jazz
So RCA executive Ben Rosner quickly rented a mansion and onthe afternoon of July 4th the groupbilled as the Nashville All-Starsrecorded seven tracks The bandfeatured Boots Randolph (alto sax)Gary Burton (vibes) [pictured] FloydCramer (piano) Hank Garland andChet Atkins (guitars) Brenton Banks(violin) Bob Moore (bass) and Buddy Harman (drums)
The album was released as After theRiot at Newport and featured a coverillustrated by Jim Flora and linernotes by Newport Jazz Festivalfounder and producer George WeinHeres what George wrote
The music on this disc is whattranspired on that sunny Monday
afternoon [of July 4th] Incidentally but importantly twoselections in the album were composed for the occasionChet Atkins penned Nashville to Newport and BootsRandolph with Hank Garland extemporized Riot-Chous thenight before the sessionmdashright after the big riot
To me the highlights of the album are the wonderful violinof Brenton Banks the swinging guitar
Joe Timer ampTHEOrchestraWillisConoversHouse ofSounds
Presents THE Orchestra
JazzWax March 2009
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of Hank Garland and the brilliant workof a 17-year old vibraphonist fromPrinceton Indiana Gary Burtonwhom you will be sure to hear a lot inthe future [Pictured George Wein]
A month later on August 23d Garland wentinto ColumbiasNashvillestudio withBurton Joe Benjamin and JoeMorello and recorded Jazz Windsfrom a New Direction Six days laterthe same group recorded SubtleSwing
In early 1961 Garland picked up where he left off in the Nashvillestudios with Presley and other country and early rock artists Butin September Garland was ina near-fatal auto accidentnear Nashville that left him ina coma for a week When heemerged he had sufferedsevere brain damage Hiswife helped him learn to walktalk and regain partial guitar-playing ability But except foran occasional appearanceGarland remained retiredpassing away in 2004[Pictured Presley and HankGarland]
Jazz Winds and the other albums mentioned above show theearly jazz promise of Hank Garlandjust before his flame was tragicallysnuffed out They also demonstrateGeorge Weins gift for dismissingnaysayers and bringing togetherartists of different stripes to createbeautiful music Had Garlandsurvived there surely would have
CannonballAdderleyArtFarmerAlabamaConcerto
LambertHendricks ampBavan Liveat BasinStreet East
DavidAmramJazz Portrait
Frank WessWess PointTheCommodoreRecordings
HalMcKusickHalMcKusickQuartet
TeddyCharlesTentetTeddyCharlesTentet
TeddyCharles withJimmyRaney NewDirections
TeddyCharlesCoolin
SarahVaughanAfter Hoursat theLondonHouse
V i d e o s
Art Van Damme Ben Webster Bill Evans Billie Holiday Bob Brookmeyer Bobby Timmons Cannbl Adderley Carmen McRae 1
JazzWax March 2009
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March 29 2009
been all types of jazz-country fusionefforts throughout the 1960s and beyond Garland could swingJust ask Gary Burton
JazzWax tracks You can buy Hank Garlands jazz albumsindividually but youll pay a fortune sincemost are out of print Or you can buy thetwo-CD set Move The Guitar Artistry ofHank Garland which includes selectionsfrom four of Garlands jazz-countryrecordings After the Riot Jazz Winds froma New Direction Velvet Guitar and SubtleSwing Youll find the CD and samples here
A special thanks to Kurt Kolstad for introducing me to Garland andJazz Winds
JazzWax clip Heres a clip of country guitarists Eddy Arnold andHank Garland in the mid-1950s Pay particular attention toGarlands jazz chords on the Hank Garland Stomp
Posted by Marc Myers at 0751 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Chet Atkins Eddy Arnold Elvis Presley Gary Burton George Wein HankGarland Joe Morello
Carmen McRae 2 Charleston Charlie Parker Chet Baker Chico OFarrill Claus Ogerman Coleman Hawkins Count Basie Dinah Washington Dizzy Gillespie Earl Hines Eddie Palmieri Gerry Mulligan Gene Krupa Geo Shearing Jack Teagarden Jackie McLean Jackie Paris Jammin the Blues June Christy 1 June Christy 2 Lee Morgan Lockjaw Davis Louie Bellson Maynard Ferguson Max Roach Miles Davis 1 Miles Davis 2 Mundell Lowe 1 Mundell Lowe 2 Oscar Pettiford Paul Desmond Pepper Adams Phineas Newborn Sarah Vaughan Sonny Rollins Sound of Jazz Stan Kenton Teddy Wilson Terry Gibbs Wes Montgomery Woody Herman Yolande Bavan Yusef Lateef
B l o g s
Terry Teachout Doug Ramsey Jazz Video Guy Nate Chinen Jazzcom JazzSession Cab Calloway A Blog Supreme David B Johnson Gregory Bell Jan Stevens Ed Leimbacher Howard Mandel Jazz Lives JerryJazzMusician Ian Carey Latin Jazz Corner Lost + Sound MuleWalkJazzTalk My2CentsWorth New Orleans News Ray De Felitta Ricky Riccardi Russ Neff Steve Cerra Vinson Valega Von Babasin
A r t i s t S i t e s
>
JazzWax March 2009
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Sunday Wax Bits
The future of live jazz I have no idea whether anyone hasconducted an in-depth studyof jazz-club attendance andlive-jazz revenue trends overthe past five years I supposeits safe to assume that if thenewspaper business and CDindustry are drowning theeffort to put warm bodies inseats at clubs concerts andfestivals cant be far behind[Photo of girl transfixed byjazz by Bob Willoughby 1951]
The deck certainly is stackedagainst concert producersclub owners and musicians alike Real estate leases remainprohibitively high insurance premiums are up the comforts ofhome are increasingly seductive discretionary income is tight thejazz legend pool is shrinking and the promotional dollars neededto spread the word never seems to be enough
And thats the good news The bigger dragon here is technologyDramatic shifts occur every time this beastswishes its tail Have you noticed thatvirtually everything you can hold in yourhands these days is disappearing Gizmoscreens have become so clear and Internetbandwidth so wide that increasing amountsof our culture are being consumed through
pixels and digital bites
Dig this Music downloads now represent the only slice of therecord business thats growingAmazons Kindle has rendered books(the kind with spines and dustjackets) almost meaningless Moviedownloads have already begun toovercome DVDs And once wall-sized computer screens aredeveloped and affordable its easy to
Art Blakey Art Pepper Arturo OFarrill Benny Carter Bill Evans Brooks Tegler Bud Shank Charles Mingus Chet Baker Clifford Brown David Amram Frank Wess Grant Stewart Jackie Paris Louie Bellson Nelson Riddle Pharoah Sanders Roberto Magris Sal Mosca Sonny Rollins Teddy Charles Tessa Souter Warne Marsh Yolande Bavan
R a d i o
JAZZFM91 PURE JAZZ WBGO-FM WKCR-FM WDNA-FM WFIU-FM WNMC-FM WWOZ-FM BlackJazz Radio
S h o p p i n g
JazzFirstBooks VinylReVinyl
R e s o u r c e s
Jazz Corner Jazz Foundation Planet Bret Videos JazzBeatorg All About Jazz
Blog powered by TypePadMember since 072007
JazzWax March 2009
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imagine that well be able todownload Caribbean and European travel experiences withoutleaving home
Back to jazz You dont have to be a Facebook founder to knowthat the CDs days arenumbered and that live musicis under fire Lets face itgoing out to clubs isnt aseasy as it used to be Youhave to get it together arriveearly to win a favorable seatpay a fortune for admissionfork over more for smalldrinks and then travel homeearly before your chin hitsyour chest Personally I dontknow how people wentclubbing all week long in the
1940s and 1950s Didnt they have to get up early for work thenext day Or hadnt jobs been invented yet [Photo by Dave EScherman 1942 for Life]
Its anyones guess how many clubs and festivals will exist five orten years from now or how many musicians will be able to affordto play jazz at a high enough level to leave an impression Letsassume the number will be less than nowAfter all the trend is clear and its entirelypossible that live jazz will go the way of themanual transmission and TV antennas Thechallenge for jazz producers club ownersand musicians will be to find a way to makemoney using the Web to keep live jazzticking Newspapers stubbornly ignored the digital trend for yearsand learned a terrible lesson the hard way
Paul Slaughter Ive long been a fan of photographer PaulSlaughters work Over the past yearPaul has graciously allowed me touse his photos (with credit ofcourse) to illustrate JazzWax postsPaul has captured a large number ofthe jazz greats So I asked if he
JazzWax March 2009
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would select one of his favoriteimages and tell JazzWax readers alittle about how the photo came tobe
The Saturday afternoon before Sonnys Sunday night concert in Santa Fe inJuly of 2007 ABSpellman a retiredDeputy Chair of NationalEndowment of the Artsinterviewed Sonnybefore an audience atthe Lensic Theater anold movie houserenovated into abeautiful legit theaterAB got the JazzMasters Program goingat NEA and Sonny hadreceived an NEA JazzMasters Award in 1983
After ABs interview I gave Sonny a photo I took of him in1971 at the Monterey Jazz Festival
The next day I was hoping for a dressing room photo ofSonny so I brought him photos of his interview with ABUpon arrival at the Lensic I heard Sonny playing his horn inhis dressing room When there was a lull in Sonnys playing Iknocked on his door He said Come in There was Sonnydressed in a red shirt blue pants wearing a process capand holding his tenor sax What a terrific image I thought
I gave Sonny the photos I had brought with me He politelythanked me I asked if I could take his photo with his hornHe replied I always think part my soul is being captured
JazzWax March 2009
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when I am photographed I replied No Sonny this willmerely be a reflection of your soul He smiled warmly andallowed me to take one photograph The split-second resultis the image you see above
You can learn more about Paul at his site here His currentexhibition People of Our Times featuring celebrities and jazzgreats is at the Verve Gallery of Photography in Santa Fe NMuntil May 2
Doug Ramsey Last week author jazz critic and Rifftidesblogger DougRamsey featured twowonderful YouTube clips featuring singerSue Raney [pictured] One is of Raneysinging Henry Mancinis Dreamsville in2008 The other is a campy Scopitone fromthe mid-1960s of Raney singing Before theRain Scopitone was an early video jukeboxfeaturng 16mm film loops and soundtracks
Carol Sloane After viewing Bret Primacksvideo interview of me legendary singer Carol Sloane sent alongthe following e-mail
Like you I too listened faithfully to Al Jazzbo Collins[pictured] when the signal fromWNEW-NY became crystalclear as soon as other FMstations in Rhode Island shutdown for the night I found himand Harrison [the TasmanianOwl] in The Purple Grotto quiteby accident one night when Iwas spinning the dial and
should have been asleep
Of course I was hooked I even sent a fan letter written onthe diagonal (to be arty and to insure he would be obliged toread it) in purple ink Well hell I was 13 or 14 years old atthe time Never mind it worked One night I turned on theprogram and he was reading my letter on the air
Fortunately I had the opportunity to tell him many years
JazzWax March 2009
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later how thrilling that moment had been for me and that Irecorded My One And Only Love with him in mind because itwas his theme song
For more on Al Jazzbo Collins go here To view Carols blogSloanView go here
CD discovery of the week Back in 2006 Swiss trumpeter PeterScharli and Brazilian vocalistIthamara Koorax came together inZurich to record a beautiful albumcalled Obrigado Dom Um RomaoThe result is a tender tribute toBrazilian percussionist Dom UmRomao (Obrigado is Portuguesefor thank you)
Romao had introduced Scharli to Ithamara who became soexcited by the sound of Scharlis trumpet that she agreed torecord and tour Europe with both artists But before the tourbegan Romao died at age 82 So Scharli and Ithamara decidedto dedicate the CD to him
On the album Scharli [pictured] and Ithamara perform a series ofduets with Ithamara singing inPortuguese on 8 of the 10 tracks Ontwo tracks (Love for Sale and I Fall inLove Too Easily) Ithamara sings inEnglish But perhaps the mostfascinating songs feature Ithamarasinging vocalese in Portuguese OnVocaliste and Miniature IV she uses
Swingle Single-like tones to match Scharlis trumpet tones notefor note The result is quite fascinating as the pair come togetheror joust in counterpoint
Ithamaras voice throughout is passionate and her phrasing issoft and caressing Scharlis trumpet ispinpoint sharp without being too strong orloud Joining Ithamara [pictured] and Scharliare Markus Stalder on guitar and ThomasDurst on bass Romao plays berimbao onone track Manha de Carnaval
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March 27 2009
You can sample tracks here where youllalso find the imported CD
Oddball album cover of the week Released in 1959 on CubRecords and arrangedby Sammy Lowe TakeOff in Sound wassinger Marla Smithsonly known recordingIts unclear why Smithis pictured with anAmerican Airlines 707jet since the songsare rather land-locked(Speak Low Boy onthe Beach Wild Fireetc) Whats evenmore puzzling is the art direction Here Smith is depicted eitheras a ghost serenading mid-flight passengers Or she just
detached herself from the tailand is singing while trying tofly Either way Smiths up at35000 feet surfing theheavens in an evening gownAnd even though Smithseems to have only a cloudfor support she had the goodfashion sense to extend herleft leg for the photographer(who must have broken free
from the tail moments before her)
Posted by Marc Myers at 0815 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
JazzWax March 2009
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Interview Lisa Simone
One of the most exciting new singers Ive heard in some time isLisa Simone daughter of oneof Americas mostimpassioned vocalists NinaSimone Known simply asSimone the 46-year-old artisthas just released her first full-length album a stunningtribute to her mother Ratherthan simply mimic Ninas styleand outrage Simone hasproduced an updatedinterpretation of her motherscatalog complete with vocalpower range and tendernessSimones album Simone onSimone is earthy and gutsybut its also unmistakably adaughters message to her late mother
From the albums opening duet Music for Lovers which Lisa sangwith Nina live in Ireland to thealbums closing song Feeling Goodthis 14-track CD is packed withgospel belters big band swingersand soulful ballads Thearrangements for the 19-piece bandwere nimbly handled by Ken Moyerand they support Lisas all-in vocalstyle perfectly without being
overbearing or tissue-thin
A Broadway veteran since the mid-1990s Simone has sustainingchops that allow her voice to hit the farthest corners of any roomShe also has full command of her mothers challenging materialwhich twists and turns in places while vocals are delivered at fullthrottle
Classic Nina Simone songs on this CD include Gal From JoesGo to Hell Keeper of the Flame and a rousing version of BillyTaylors I Wish I Knew How It WouldFeel to Be Free One of my favorites
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is I Hold No Grudge which Ninarecorded in 1966 with a hugeorchestra and chorus arranged andconducted by Hal Mooney Moyersexpansive chart for Lisa is just assoft and dramatic What makes thistrack so special is Simones poetictelling of the songs lyric building to a final rousing held note
When I received a copy of Simone on Simone a couple of weeksago I put it on with some trepidation An ardent fan of NinaSimone I was fearful that Simone would either go too far or notfar enough in her tribute Instead I was blown away Simone hasre-energized her mothers material with loving sensitivity and afresh uplifting spirit
After listening to the album several times I gave Simone a call tochat about the album and her experience growing up as NinaSimones daughter
JazzWax How did it feel to have a mother who was sodeeply committed to music Lisa Simone It was normal for me My mother was alreadycommitted to music and social issues before I was born She
often had to struggle to split herlove equally between art andme which wasnt always easyOur relationship certainly hadits challenges But now that Irsquomolder and can reflect back onthose days I realize Iwitnessed a lot of history I canlook back and appreciate my
time with her whether standing in the wings watching her onstage or watching her write To Be Young Gifted and Black in1969
JW Were you always tugging at herLS I never felt I had enough of my mom I just had to dealwith it You take what you can get Now when I look back Ihave a finer understanding of my mom And Im able to get
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that extra piece I missed out on
JW Were you and your mom closeLS Yes but at times the world got in the way
JW Were you close with your father Andy StroudLS I am now When my parents were together up until1972 thatrsquos when I sawmy dad a lot When myparents divorced my lifechanged It flippedcompletely Therewerenrsquot a lot of terms inthose days to describewhat kids went throughwhen parents divorced I didnrsquot see a lot of my dad after thatyear My parents didnrsquot really get along after their splitWhen they did see each other they didnrsquot get a whole lotaccomplished [Pictured Nina Simone and husband AndyStroud]
JW What do you miss most about your momLS I miss her hand rubbing my head I miss her touch
JW Did you study singingLS No The most instruction Irsquove had was just before
appearing on stage in theBroadway production of Aida in2001 When I saw what theshow demanded I realized Ineeded a vocal coach Mycoach taught me a great dealprimarily that singing didnrsquothave to hurt I had been singingthrough my throat My coachtaught me to sing through mydiaphragm which shifts thepower source and prevents youfrom damaging your voice or
burning out
JW Youve been in few other major Broadway productionsLS Yes I was in the original cast of Rent in 1996 Then I
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toured with the production for a year and a half Before RentI was in a touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar
JW What did your mother teach you about singingLS All she said to me was ldquoHoney you donrsquot have to workso hardrdquo
JW What did she meanLS At the time my mother had come to a few of my showsin Los Angeles when I wasperforming at various clubsthere Her style and mine werevery different
JW How soLS Irsquom the one who jumpsaround the room like DaffyDuck I get so energizedWhereas Mommy because of all the years of practicing and
rehearsing and performing shehad already settled into singingon cruise control She wantedme to know that I could be justas effective as a singer oncruise control By urging me torelax and pace myperformances my mother felt Iwould avoid wearing myselfout Of course I learned all ofthat before I was on BroadwayAnd I learned even more whenI did eight performances a
week on stage
JW What did your mother teach you about life Or wereyou sheltered in her shadowLS [Laughs] You didnt wilt in Ninarsquos presence You neverwould have recovered from that A lot of what I learned wasby watching and listening Itrsquos amazing what children pick upthat way I didnrsquot wilt in her presence but I did learn how tofeel the air shift around me and about timingmdashwhen tospeak and when not to
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JW Were you honest with your mother LS I learned later on in our relationship that I needed toclearly communicate what Ineeded from her so I could getpositive reinforcement duringour conversations and visitsMy mom was so commandingand so accustomed to beingthe one dictating theconversation that to have someone like me come aroundand not want anything from her just her love was almostalien to her
JW Did she adjust to meet those needsLS It was hard for her For mom to make that shift was like
the grinding of gears Ihad to let her know in nouncertain terms that Iloved her very much butthat it hurt when shesaid certain things anddid certain things I alsosaid that I would
appreciate her taking certain things like my needs intoconsideration [Pictured Lisa Simone playing for motherNina]
JW What happenedLS She started to do that and our relationship was at awonderful point when she passed away in 2003
JW As a child understanding your mothers needs andhonoring them required enormous maturityLS I was grown up before I was an adult When yoursquore anonly child and yoursquoreglobetrotting all over the placewith your mother you findyourself growing in ways thatyou wouldnt have in othercircumstances
JW Was it tough traveling somuch
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LS You make the best of yourenvironment Books for mebecame my world
JW I Hold No Grudge has been wonderfully updatedLS Thank you Theyrsquore all special My mother said we were
both griots which are WestAfrican storytellers She saidwe both had an ability to makeour audiences feel what wersquoresinging about Itrsquos justsomething that I seem to haveand I have no idea where itcame from Irsquove found thatsinging for me is also a way of
getting certain emotions out Most people know that whenIrsquove had a bad day theyrsquore going to get an even better showsince Irsquom going to take any blow up and turn it intosomething beautiful
JW Is this album a message to your mom LS I like that question Yes it is Now that Irsquovebeen traveling on tour Itend to talk more aboutmy life with my motherIt has been a celebrationof my legacy and mymotherrsquosaccomplishments hermessage and her musicNot only have I learned to face this part of my life but Irsquoveembraced it This is not only about my mother but also myway of presenting myself to the world
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JW What do you think Ninawould say about your albumLS I think there would be a bigsmile on her face and shersquodlisten to it over and over again
JazzWax tracks Simone onSimone is available as adownload at iTunes and
Amazon or as a CD here For Simones tour information and tohear clips from her new album you can visit her site here
JazzWax clips Heres a YouTube clip interview with Simone onher new CD
Once you hear Simones new version of I Hold No Grudge listento Ninas original version from 1966
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 26 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0803 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Andy Stroud Lisa Simone Nina Simone Simone
Bill Evans at Town Hall
Of pianist Bill Evans many live albums At Town Hall Vol 1 hasalways been among his mostdelicate and elegant Evansplaying is taut and gracefulwith lovely longimprovisational lines and asnappy fluid attack on thekeyboard The mix ofstandards and two originalsmdashone was a suite in memory ofhis father who died just threedays earliermdashalso were neatlyselected and assembled
For those who share my love of this album heresa list of little-known facts about the recording takenfrom Peter Pettingers How My Heart Sings a BillEvans discography and quotes from sources Ispoke to yesterday afternoon I also have a raretreat for you at the bottom
Despite playing New York club dates for 10 years the TownHall recording on February 21 1966 was Evans first NewYork concert appearance
Evans played the first half of the Town Hall concert with justbassist Chuck Israels and drummer Arnie Wise and thesecond half with an orchestra
According to Tom Lords Jazz Discography the orchestrasegment was arranged and conducted by Al Cohn [pictured]and featured Ernie Royal ClarkTerry and Bill Berry (trumpets)
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Bob Brookmeyer QuentinJackson and Bill Watrous(trombone) Bob Northern(French horn) Jerry DodgionGeorge Marge Eddie DanielsFrank Petrovsky and MarvinHolladay (reeds) Evans(piano) Chuck Israels (bass)and Grady Tate (drums)
The orchestra performed four Al Cohn-arranged tunesWillow Weep for Me and What Kind of Fool Am I as well asEvans originals Funkallero and Waltz for Debby
Verve never released Volume 2 which was to have featuredthe orchestral material and three trio tracks that didnt fit onthe first LP Yesterday I asked Jan Stevens of The BillEvans Web Pages what became of the band tracks Jansays Evans was intensely displeased with the result
Al Cohn did a strange thing The orchestral materialwas set up so the band played one of Cohnsarrangements followed by Bill playing a solo interludebetween songs In this regard the four songs were
meant to be a kind ofsuite with Bills pianobridging the gaps ButHelen Keane told me inthe early 1980s that Billwas extremely unhappywith the result She saidthe tracks would nevercome out no matter
what So far theyve never been commercially issuedWhats more they have never appeared on a bootlegwhich leads me to think Verve may have purged themasters immediately on Keanes or Evans insistence[Photo of Helen Keane and Bill Evans by Phil Braycourtesy of BillEvansnl in the Netherlands]
Although Creed Taylors name and signature were used byVerve on the LP jacket Creed told me yesterday that Helenalone produced the concert and that he wasnt there and
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had nothing to do with the event or the albums production
Gene Lees the legendary jazz writer and close friend ofEvans said yesterday he couldnt remember the concert anddidnt know specifically why the orchestral material wasntissued or what happened to the tracks
The concert was Chuck Israels last recorded appearance asa regular member of the Bill Evans Trio
Note-for-note piano transcriptions of the six songs recordedat Town Hall were recently issued as Bill Evans at TownHall Piano Transcriptions and Performance Notes by PascalWetzel Youll find it here
And now for the treat I promised you above Thanks to thegenerosity of JazzWax reader Kurt Kolstad who attended theTown Hall concert in 1966 heres the program sheet front andback including Gene Lees tribute essay Kurt says the songselections did not appear in the program and were announcedfrom the stage (click on the image to enlarge)
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
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Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
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Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
JazzWax March 2009
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In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
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March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
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written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
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Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
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March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
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What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
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youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
JazzWax March 2009
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
JazzWax March 2009
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
JazzWax March 2009
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1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
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music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
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Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
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said Mr Parker perhaps yoursquod liketo play my alto He said Phil thatwould be great This baritonersquoskicking my butt So I ran back acrossthe street to the Nut Club andgrabbed the alto sax that I hated Icame back and handed my horn toBird and he played Long Ago and
Far Away As Irsquom listening to him play my horn Irsquomrealizing therersquos nothing wrong with it [laughs] Nothing was wrongwith the reed nothing was wrong with the mouthpiecemdasheven thestrap sounded good Then Parkersays to me Now you play I said tomyself My God So I did I played achorus for him When I was doneBird leaned over and said Soundsreal good Phil This time I levitatedover Seventh Avenue to the NutClub And when I got back on thebandstand there I played the shit outof Harlem Nocturne Thatrsquos when Istopped complaining and startedpracticing [Image of Jazz magazinecourtesy of Bird Lives]
Phil Woods on his famous solo on Billy Joels Just the WayYou Are People come up to me allthe time to ask me about that Myfavorite was the young saxophonistwho came up to me on some gig Iwas playing and said Are you theguy on the Billy Joel record I saidYes I am He said Have you doneanything on your own [laughs] Isaid A couple of things
Billy Joel on jazz Jazz takes a good amount of technicalexpertise to get it right You need a greatdeal of study and discipline A lot of people
Lyle MurphyGone withtheWoodwinds
WoodyHermanColumbiaRecordings(1945 -1947)
JohnColtraneSide Steps
Art FarmerAztec Suite
Machito attheCrescendo
Tom TalbertBix DukeFats
Don SleetAllMembers
LennieNiehausQuintetsand Strings
StanKentonStage DoorSwings
MartySheller WhyDeny
JazzWax March 2009
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in rock and pop donrsquot necessarily have thatkind of background and they donrsquot havethat well-developed a technique
Billy Joel on Art Tatum Tatum wouldplay runs with his left hand and justthrow them away You know likeyoursquod hear it once and yoursquod neverhear it again Irsquod find myself sittingthere going Please do that again Icouldnrsquot hear what the hell that wasthat Tatum did so Irsquod have to lift upthe needle and go back you know
Billy Joel on playing rock in stadiums Itrsquos a blast Itrsquos fun tomake that noise We manipulate sound Rockers are kind ofmagicians and wizards We take soundsand play with them youknow and then we put it outthere and do magic to peoplewith it and it gets this bigresponse [pause] And chicksdig it [laughs] Itrsquos this greatpower But I have a lot ofrespect for jazz musiciansThats hard in a completelydifferent way
Billy Joel on why he didnt become a jazz musician Imfamiliar with a lot of good jazz I listened to it all through myteenage years And I still do to this day I love jazz I wanted to bea jazz guy I just didnt I dont have the chops
Chico Hamilton on the Gerry Mulligan Quartet of 1952 Gerrydidnrsquot want me to use my bass drum And thatrsquos when we went towar [laughs] I finally went out and got myself a tom-tom insteada small bass drum and converted itinto a bass drum Gerry didnt wantany bass drum at all But I told him Ineeded something there for my rightfoot to keep my rhythm My timing
EddiePalmieriAzucar PaTi
Bill PerkinsOn Stage
John LewisGrandEncounter
Dick Collinsamp RunawayHerd Hornof Plenty
LennieTristanoIntuition
BlueMitchellSextet BlueSoul
HalMcKusickTripleExposure
Dave PellJazz ForDancingandListening
DonFagerquistPortrait of aGreat JazzArtist
FourBrothersThe FourBrothers
JazzWax March 2009
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depended on it Irsquom still using asmaller bass drum today
Chico Hamilton on his music forand appearance in the 1957 filmSweet Smell of Success Theactor Martin Milner who played theguitarist and the quintets bandleaderin the movie he didnt know how toplay guitar So what happened wasMilner put his left hand behind himand John Pisano my guitar playerput his hand on the strings It lookedlike Milner was playing the guitar theway Jimmy Wong [Howe] shot it
[laughs]
Chico Hamilton on why hesunderappreciated I donrsquot know Maybebecause Ive always seen the drums as amelodic instrument not a percussive one Ideveloped a touch It may not have been asloud but its mine
Saxophonist Hal McKusick on arrangerGeorge Handy and the Boyd RaeburnOrchestra When we were on tour in San Francisco in 1945 the
Palace Hotel didnt like the fact thatwe had a broadcast there each nightat around dinnertime We playedstraight out for the radio audiencewhich rattled the staff and guests Toup the ante [Johnny] Mandel and[George] Handy [pictured] dyed theirhair green which scared the staffand patrons But the two of themdidnt care The bandrsquos vocalist DavidAllyn practiced singing in an
TogetherAgain
JamesMoodyMoody 4A
MeredithdAmbrosioLove Is Nota Game
DonFriedmanCircleWaltz
ScottLaFaroPieces ofJade
Chet Baker+ ArtPepperPlayboys
CyrusChestnutSpirit
EnduranceHeath Brothers Endurance
Med FloryGo WestYoung Med
LockjawDavis Foxand theHounds +Lock the
JazzWax March 2009
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abandoned tomb in the graveyard He liked the sound there
Carol Sloane on Oscar Peterson Oscar would watch my set atthe Village Vanguard [in 1961] from adark banquette off to the side Eachtime he would ask out loud for me tosing Kurt Weills My Ship Id jazz upthe song and when Id finish Id lookat Oscar for his reaction Each time Isang it Oscar was expressionlessFor a week hed shout out the samerequest and each time Id workharder to make a jazz impressionAnd each time Id get the same stonyreaction I finally grew exhaustedtrying to embellish the song So onenight I just sang it straight When I finished Oscar was grinningand applauding I finally got Oscars message A great songdoesnt need to be jazzed up You just have to sing it straight Ivecarried Oscars lesson with me ever since
Carol Sloane on Barbra Streisand The first time I met her I wassinging at the Village Vanguard in 1961 One of the waiters came
up to me to tell me that there was ayoung girl in the back who lookedkind of weird He said she doesnthave a purse and shes wearing a T-shirt and her hair is long and stringyThe waiter asked if I wanted to seethis girl or should he tell her Im notavailable I went to the back of theclub and there was this ordinary
looking girl She [introduced herself and] said to me How do youdo that Do what You mean singing I asked Yeah how doyou sing like that She said she was just starting out
Carol Sloane on performing with Ben Webster in 1963 inRhode Island I listened to everynote Ben played As a singer Icouldnt believe how great he
sounded After the set he smiled atme That was enough He smiledThen he went straight to the bar
Carol Sloane on watching the Beatles perform from thedugout at Shea Stadium in 1965 andhearing the mass hysteria As a jazzsinger I was nauseous I could see thewriting on the wall with the Beatles The kidshad been drifting away from jazz for yearsBut by this concert in 1965 they werecompletely gone and I knew they werenever coming back You could see it Youcould hear it
Carol Sloane on her stormy relationship with pianist JimmyRowles It was a tough period forme I was in my early 40s and hadbegun questioning everything aboutmy career and my ability Jimmy wasa legendary pianist the guy who hadaccompanied everyone In thebeginning he made me feel greatBut little by little things got worseand worse It got so bad that I triedto take my own life
Carol Sloane on Ella Fitzgeralds performance anxiety [Ella]was pacing and wringing her handsbackstage and saying Irsquom sonervous Irsquom so nervous I said GodElla donrsquot worry Jimmy [Rowles] willnever let you down Yoursquove gotnothing to worry about She said Iknow She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15years So all of a sudden she had anew guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was
behaving as though the world was going to come to an end
Wailin
Red MitchellPresentingRed Mitchell
SonnyClarkLeapin andLopin
SonnyRollinsAlfie
MachitoKenya Afro-Cuban Jazz
YusefLateef TheGolden Flute
YusefLateef IntoSomething
MundellLowe Satanin HighHeels
Bill EvansLive in Paris1965
FrankSinatra ASwinginAffair
This Here
JazzWax March 2009
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March 30 2009
Carol Sloane on her own stage anxiety I was always nervousabout performing To the point of being ill It was awful I used tohave performance-anxiety dreams Id go to sleep and havenightmares about having to go out and sing It cant be helped Itssomething deep in your brain
Singer Simone on what she misses most about her motherNina Simone I miss her handrubbing my head I miss her touch
Posted by Marc Myers at 0830 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Billy Joel Buddy De Franco Carol Sloane Chico Hamilton David Soyer HalMcKusick Helen Merrill Jimmy Cobb Phil Woods Sandie Shaw Simone
Hank Garland Jazz Winds
Country musicians have a long history of teaming with jazz andblues artists to produce hipmusic Western swing was anoutgrowth of jazz The samegoes for rockabilly and theearly Sun Records soundOne of the finest examples ofthis twang-and-hang hybrid isJazz Winds from a NewDirection Recorded in August1960 the session was led by
Hank Garland one of Nashvilles topcountry studio musicians at the timewho recorded with Elvis Presley andother country-rock artists in the late1950s Jazz Winds teamed Garlandwith Gary Burton on vibes JoeBenjamin on bass and Joe Morelloon drums
How did this configuration come to be Garlands professionalrelationship with Burton actually began a month earlier on July 41960 after rowdy spectators at the Newport Jazz Festival causedthe cancellation of the events remaining performances One ofthose planned events included Garland and other Nashville artistswho enjoyed playing jazz
So RCA executive Ben Rosner quickly rented a mansion and onthe afternoon of July 4th the groupbilled as the Nashville All-Starsrecorded seven tracks The bandfeatured Boots Randolph (alto sax)Gary Burton (vibes) [pictured] FloydCramer (piano) Hank Garland andChet Atkins (guitars) Brenton Banks(violin) Bob Moore (bass) and Buddy Harman (drums)
The album was released as After theRiot at Newport and featured a coverillustrated by Jim Flora and linernotes by Newport Jazz Festivalfounder and producer George WeinHeres what George wrote
The music on this disc is whattranspired on that sunny Monday
afternoon [of July 4th] Incidentally but importantly twoselections in the album were composed for the occasionChet Atkins penned Nashville to Newport and BootsRandolph with Hank Garland extemporized Riot-Chous thenight before the sessionmdashright after the big riot
To me the highlights of the album are the wonderful violinof Brenton Banks the swinging guitar
Joe Timer ampTHEOrchestraWillisConoversHouse ofSounds
Presents THE Orchestra
JazzWax March 2009
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of Hank Garland and the brilliant workof a 17-year old vibraphonist fromPrinceton Indiana Gary Burtonwhom you will be sure to hear a lot inthe future [Pictured George Wein]
A month later on August 23d Garland wentinto ColumbiasNashvillestudio withBurton Joe Benjamin and JoeMorello and recorded Jazz Windsfrom a New Direction Six days laterthe same group recorded SubtleSwing
In early 1961 Garland picked up where he left off in the Nashvillestudios with Presley and other country and early rock artists Butin September Garland was ina near-fatal auto accidentnear Nashville that left him ina coma for a week When heemerged he had sufferedsevere brain damage Hiswife helped him learn to walktalk and regain partial guitar-playing ability But except foran occasional appearanceGarland remained retiredpassing away in 2004[Pictured Presley and HankGarland]
Jazz Winds and the other albums mentioned above show theearly jazz promise of Hank Garlandjust before his flame was tragicallysnuffed out They also demonstrateGeorge Weins gift for dismissingnaysayers and bringing togetherartists of different stripes to createbeautiful music Had Garlandsurvived there surely would have
CannonballAdderleyArtFarmerAlabamaConcerto
LambertHendricks ampBavan Liveat BasinStreet East
DavidAmramJazz Portrait
Frank WessWess PointTheCommodoreRecordings
HalMcKusickHalMcKusickQuartet
TeddyCharlesTentetTeddyCharlesTentet
TeddyCharles withJimmyRaney NewDirections
TeddyCharlesCoolin
SarahVaughanAfter Hoursat theLondonHouse
V i d e o s
Art Van Damme Ben Webster Bill Evans Billie Holiday Bob Brookmeyer Bobby Timmons Cannbl Adderley Carmen McRae 1
JazzWax March 2009
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March 29 2009
been all types of jazz-country fusionefforts throughout the 1960s and beyond Garland could swingJust ask Gary Burton
JazzWax tracks You can buy Hank Garlands jazz albumsindividually but youll pay a fortune sincemost are out of print Or you can buy thetwo-CD set Move The Guitar Artistry ofHank Garland which includes selectionsfrom four of Garlands jazz-countryrecordings After the Riot Jazz Winds froma New Direction Velvet Guitar and SubtleSwing Youll find the CD and samples here
A special thanks to Kurt Kolstad for introducing me to Garland andJazz Winds
JazzWax clip Heres a clip of country guitarists Eddy Arnold andHank Garland in the mid-1950s Pay particular attention toGarlands jazz chords on the Hank Garland Stomp
Posted by Marc Myers at 0751 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Chet Atkins Eddy Arnold Elvis Presley Gary Burton George Wein HankGarland Joe Morello
Carmen McRae 2 Charleston Charlie Parker Chet Baker Chico OFarrill Claus Ogerman Coleman Hawkins Count Basie Dinah Washington Dizzy Gillespie Earl Hines Eddie Palmieri Gerry Mulligan Gene Krupa Geo Shearing Jack Teagarden Jackie McLean Jackie Paris Jammin the Blues June Christy 1 June Christy 2 Lee Morgan Lockjaw Davis Louie Bellson Maynard Ferguson Max Roach Miles Davis 1 Miles Davis 2 Mundell Lowe 1 Mundell Lowe 2 Oscar Pettiford Paul Desmond Pepper Adams Phineas Newborn Sarah Vaughan Sonny Rollins Sound of Jazz Stan Kenton Teddy Wilson Terry Gibbs Wes Montgomery Woody Herman Yolande Bavan Yusef Lateef
B l o g s
Terry Teachout Doug Ramsey Jazz Video Guy Nate Chinen Jazzcom JazzSession Cab Calloway A Blog Supreme David B Johnson Gregory Bell Jan Stevens Ed Leimbacher Howard Mandel Jazz Lives JerryJazzMusician Ian Carey Latin Jazz Corner Lost + Sound MuleWalkJazzTalk My2CentsWorth New Orleans News Ray De Felitta Ricky Riccardi Russ Neff Steve Cerra Vinson Valega Von Babasin
A r t i s t S i t e s
>
JazzWax March 2009
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Sunday Wax Bits
The future of live jazz I have no idea whether anyone hasconducted an in-depth studyof jazz-club attendance andlive-jazz revenue trends overthe past five years I supposeits safe to assume that if thenewspaper business and CDindustry are drowning theeffort to put warm bodies inseats at clubs concerts andfestivals cant be far behind[Photo of girl transfixed byjazz by Bob Willoughby 1951]
The deck certainly is stackedagainst concert producersclub owners and musicians alike Real estate leases remainprohibitively high insurance premiums are up the comforts ofhome are increasingly seductive discretionary income is tight thejazz legend pool is shrinking and the promotional dollars neededto spread the word never seems to be enough
And thats the good news The bigger dragon here is technologyDramatic shifts occur every time this beastswishes its tail Have you noticed thatvirtually everything you can hold in yourhands these days is disappearing Gizmoscreens have become so clear and Internetbandwidth so wide that increasing amountsof our culture are being consumed through
pixels and digital bites
Dig this Music downloads now represent the only slice of therecord business thats growingAmazons Kindle has rendered books(the kind with spines and dustjackets) almost meaningless Moviedownloads have already begun toovercome DVDs And once wall-sized computer screens aredeveloped and affordable its easy to
Art Blakey Art Pepper Arturo OFarrill Benny Carter Bill Evans Brooks Tegler Bud Shank Charles Mingus Chet Baker Clifford Brown David Amram Frank Wess Grant Stewart Jackie Paris Louie Bellson Nelson Riddle Pharoah Sanders Roberto Magris Sal Mosca Sonny Rollins Teddy Charles Tessa Souter Warne Marsh Yolande Bavan
R a d i o
JAZZFM91 PURE JAZZ WBGO-FM WKCR-FM WDNA-FM WFIU-FM WNMC-FM WWOZ-FM BlackJazz Radio
S h o p p i n g
JazzFirstBooks VinylReVinyl
R e s o u r c e s
Jazz Corner Jazz Foundation Planet Bret Videos JazzBeatorg All About Jazz
Blog powered by TypePadMember since 072007
JazzWax March 2009
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imagine that well be able todownload Caribbean and European travel experiences withoutleaving home
Back to jazz You dont have to be a Facebook founder to knowthat the CDs days arenumbered and that live musicis under fire Lets face itgoing out to clubs isnt aseasy as it used to be Youhave to get it together arriveearly to win a favorable seatpay a fortune for admissionfork over more for smalldrinks and then travel homeearly before your chin hitsyour chest Personally I dontknow how people wentclubbing all week long in the
1940s and 1950s Didnt they have to get up early for work thenext day Or hadnt jobs been invented yet [Photo by Dave EScherman 1942 for Life]
Its anyones guess how many clubs and festivals will exist five orten years from now or how many musicians will be able to affordto play jazz at a high enough level to leave an impression Letsassume the number will be less than nowAfter all the trend is clear and its entirelypossible that live jazz will go the way of themanual transmission and TV antennas Thechallenge for jazz producers club ownersand musicians will be to find a way to makemoney using the Web to keep live jazzticking Newspapers stubbornly ignored the digital trend for yearsand learned a terrible lesson the hard way
Paul Slaughter Ive long been a fan of photographer PaulSlaughters work Over the past yearPaul has graciously allowed me touse his photos (with credit ofcourse) to illustrate JazzWax postsPaul has captured a large number ofthe jazz greats So I asked if he
JazzWax March 2009
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would select one of his favoriteimages and tell JazzWax readers alittle about how the photo came tobe
The Saturday afternoon before Sonnys Sunday night concert in Santa Fe inJuly of 2007 ABSpellman a retiredDeputy Chair of NationalEndowment of the Artsinterviewed Sonnybefore an audience atthe Lensic Theater anold movie houserenovated into abeautiful legit theaterAB got the JazzMasters Program goingat NEA and Sonny hadreceived an NEA JazzMasters Award in 1983
After ABs interview I gave Sonny a photo I took of him in1971 at the Monterey Jazz Festival
The next day I was hoping for a dressing room photo ofSonny so I brought him photos of his interview with ABUpon arrival at the Lensic I heard Sonny playing his horn inhis dressing room When there was a lull in Sonnys playing Iknocked on his door He said Come in There was Sonnydressed in a red shirt blue pants wearing a process capand holding his tenor sax What a terrific image I thought
I gave Sonny the photos I had brought with me He politelythanked me I asked if I could take his photo with his hornHe replied I always think part my soul is being captured
JazzWax March 2009
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when I am photographed I replied No Sonny this willmerely be a reflection of your soul He smiled warmly andallowed me to take one photograph The split-second resultis the image you see above
You can learn more about Paul at his site here His currentexhibition People of Our Times featuring celebrities and jazzgreats is at the Verve Gallery of Photography in Santa Fe NMuntil May 2
Doug Ramsey Last week author jazz critic and Rifftidesblogger DougRamsey featured twowonderful YouTube clips featuring singerSue Raney [pictured] One is of Raneysinging Henry Mancinis Dreamsville in2008 The other is a campy Scopitone fromthe mid-1960s of Raney singing Before theRain Scopitone was an early video jukeboxfeaturng 16mm film loops and soundtracks
Carol Sloane After viewing Bret Primacksvideo interview of me legendary singer Carol Sloane sent alongthe following e-mail
Like you I too listened faithfully to Al Jazzbo Collins[pictured] when the signal fromWNEW-NY became crystalclear as soon as other FMstations in Rhode Island shutdown for the night I found himand Harrison [the TasmanianOwl] in The Purple Grotto quiteby accident one night when Iwas spinning the dial and
should have been asleep
Of course I was hooked I even sent a fan letter written onthe diagonal (to be arty and to insure he would be obliged toread it) in purple ink Well hell I was 13 or 14 years old atthe time Never mind it worked One night I turned on theprogram and he was reading my letter on the air
Fortunately I had the opportunity to tell him many years
JazzWax March 2009
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later how thrilling that moment had been for me and that Irecorded My One And Only Love with him in mind because itwas his theme song
For more on Al Jazzbo Collins go here To view Carols blogSloanView go here
CD discovery of the week Back in 2006 Swiss trumpeter PeterScharli and Brazilian vocalistIthamara Koorax came together inZurich to record a beautiful albumcalled Obrigado Dom Um RomaoThe result is a tender tribute toBrazilian percussionist Dom UmRomao (Obrigado is Portuguesefor thank you)
Romao had introduced Scharli to Ithamara who became soexcited by the sound of Scharlis trumpet that she agreed torecord and tour Europe with both artists But before the tourbegan Romao died at age 82 So Scharli and Ithamara decidedto dedicate the CD to him
On the album Scharli [pictured] and Ithamara perform a series ofduets with Ithamara singing inPortuguese on 8 of the 10 tracks Ontwo tracks (Love for Sale and I Fall inLove Too Easily) Ithamara sings inEnglish But perhaps the mostfascinating songs feature Ithamarasinging vocalese in Portuguese OnVocaliste and Miniature IV she uses
Swingle Single-like tones to match Scharlis trumpet tones notefor note The result is quite fascinating as the pair come togetheror joust in counterpoint
Ithamaras voice throughout is passionate and her phrasing issoft and caressing Scharlis trumpet ispinpoint sharp without being too strong orloud Joining Ithamara [pictured] and Scharliare Markus Stalder on guitar and ThomasDurst on bass Romao plays berimbao onone track Manha de Carnaval
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March 27 2009
You can sample tracks here where youllalso find the imported CD
Oddball album cover of the week Released in 1959 on CubRecords and arrangedby Sammy Lowe TakeOff in Sound wassinger Marla Smithsonly known recordingIts unclear why Smithis pictured with anAmerican Airlines 707jet since the songsare rather land-locked(Speak Low Boy onthe Beach Wild Fireetc) Whats evenmore puzzling is the art direction Here Smith is depicted eitheras a ghost serenading mid-flight passengers Or she just
detached herself from the tailand is singing while trying tofly Either way Smiths up at35000 feet surfing theheavens in an evening gownAnd even though Smithseems to have only a cloudfor support she had the goodfashion sense to extend herleft leg for the photographer(who must have broken free
from the tail moments before her)
Posted by Marc Myers at 0815 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
JazzWax March 2009
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Interview Lisa Simone
One of the most exciting new singers Ive heard in some time isLisa Simone daughter of oneof Americas mostimpassioned vocalists NinaSimone Known simply asSimone the 46-year-old artisthas just released her first full-length album a stunningtribute to her mother Ratherthan simply mimic Ninas styleand outrage Simone hasproduced an updatedinterpretation of her motherscatalog complete with vocalpower range and tendernessSimones album Simone onSimone is earthy and gutsybut its also unmistakably adaughters message to her late mother
From the albums opening duet Music for Lovers which Lisa sangwith Nina live in Ireland to thealbums closing song Feeling Goodthis 14-track CD is packed withgospel belters big band swingersand soulful ballads Thearrangements for the 19-piece bandwere nimbly handled by Ken Moyerand they support Lisas all-in vocalstyle perfectly without being
overbearing or tissue-thin
A Broadway veteran since the mid-1990s Simone has sustainingchops that allow her voice to hit the farthest corners of any roomShe also has full command of her mothers challenging materialwhich twists and turns in places while vocals are delivered at fullthrottle
Classic Nina Simone songs on this CD include Gal From JoesGo to Hell Keeper of the Flame and a rousing version of BillyTaylors I Wish I Knew How It WouldFeel to Be Free One of my favorites
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is I Hold No Grudge which Ninarecorded in 1966 with a hugeorchestra and chorus arranged andconducted by Hal Mooney Moyersexpansive chart for Lisa is just assoft and dramatic What makes thistrack so special is Simones poetictelling of the songs lyric building to a final rousing held note
When I received a copy of Simone on Simone a couple of weeksago I put it on with some trepidation An ardent fan of NinaSimone I was fearful that Simone would either go too far or notfar enough in her tribute Instead I was blown away Simone hasre-energized her mothers material with loving sensitivity and afresh uplifting spirit
After listening to the album several times I gave Simone a call tochat about the album and her experience growing up as NinaSimones daughter
JazzWax How did it feel to have a mother who was sodeeply committed to music Lisa Simone It was normal for me My mother was alreadycommitted to music and social issues before I was born She
often had to struggle to split herlove equally between art andme which wasnt always easyOur relationship certainly hadits challenges But now that Irsquomolder and can reflect back onthose days I realize Iwitnessed a lot of history I canlook back and appreciate my
time with her whether standing in the wings watching her onstage or watching her write To Be Young Gifted and Black in1969
JW Were you always tugging at herLS I never felt I had enough of my mom I just had to dealwith it You take what you can get Now when I look back Ihave a finer understanding of my mom And Im able to get
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that extra piece I missed out on
JW Were you and your mom closeLS Yes but at times the world got in the way
JW Were you close with your father Andy StroudLS I am now When my parents were together up until1972 thatrsquos when I sawmy dad a lot When myparents divorced my lifechanged It flippedcompletely Therewerenrsquot a lot of terms inthose days to describewhat kids went throughwhen parents divorced I didnrsquot see a lot of my dad after thatyear My parents didnrsquot really get along after their splitWhen they did see each other they didnrsquot get a whole lotaccomplished [Pictured Nina Simone and husband AndyStroud]
JW What do you miss most about your momLS I miss her hand rubbing my head I miss her touch
JW Did you study singingLS No The most instruction Irsquove had was just before
appearing on stage in theBroadway production of Aida in2001 When I saw what theshow demanded I realized Ineeded a vocal coach Mycoach taught me a great dealprimarily that singing didnrsquothave to hurt I had been singingthrough my throat My coachtaught me to sing through mydiaphragm which shifts thepower source and prevents youfrom damaging your voice or
burning out
JW Youve been in few other major Broadway productionsLS Yes I was in the original cast of Rent in 1996 Then I
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toured with the production for a year and a half Before RentI was in a touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar
JW What did your mother teach you about singingLS All she said to me was ldquoHoney you donrsquot have to workso hardrdquo
JW What did she meanLS At the time my mother had come to a few of my showsin Los Angeles when I wasperforming at various clubsthere Her style and mine werevery different
JW How soLS Irsquom the one who jumpsaround the room like DaffyDuck I get so energizedWhereas Mommy because of all the years of practicing and
rehearsing and performing shehad already settled into singingon cruise control She wantedme to know that I could be justas effective as a singer oncruise control By urging me torelax and pace myperformances my mother felt Iwould avoid wearing myselfout Of course I learned all ofthat before I was on BroadwayAnd I learned even more whenI did eight performances a
week on stage
JW What did your mother teach you about life Or wereyou sheltered in her shadowLS [Laughs] You didnt wilt in Ninarsquos presence You neverwould have recovered from that A lot of what I learned wasby watching and listening Itrsquos amazing what children pick upthat way I didnrsquot wilt in her presence but I did learn how tofeel the air shift around me and about timingmdashwhen tospeak and when not to
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JW Were you honest with your mother LS I learned later on in our relationship that I needed toclearly communicate what Ineeded from her so I could getpositive reinforcement duringour conversations and visitsMy mom was so commandingand so accustomed to beingthe one dictating theconversation that to have someone like me come aroundand not want anything from her just her love was almostalien to her
JW Did she adjust to meet those needsLS It was hard for her For mom to make that shift was like
the grinding of gears Ihad to let her know in nouncertain terms that Iloved her very much butthat it hurt when shesaid certain things anddid certain things I alsosaid that I would
appreciate her taking certain things like my needs intoconsideration [Pictured Lisa Simone playing for motherNina]
JW What happenedLS She started to do that and our relationship was at awonderful point when she passed away in 2003
JW As a child understanding your mothers needs andhonoring them required enormous maturityLS I was grown up before I was an adult When yoursquore anonly child and yoursquoreglobetrotting all over the placewith your mother you findyourself growing in ways thatyou wouldnt have in othercircumstances
JW Was it tough traveling somuch
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LS You make the best of yourenvironment Books for mebecame my world
JW I Hold No Grudge has been wonderfully updatedLS Thank you Theyrsquore all special My mother said we were
both griots which are WestAfrican storytellers She saidwe both had an ability to makeour audiences feel what wersquoresinging about Itrsquos justsomething that I seem to haveand I have no idea where itcame from Irsquove found thatsinging for me is also a way of
getting certain emotions out Most people know that whenIrsquove had a bad day theyrsquore going to get an even better showsince Irsquom going to take any blow up and turn it intosomething beautiful
JW Is this album a message to your mom LS I like that question Yes it is Now that Irsquovebeen traveling on tour Itend to talk more aboutmy life with my motherIt has been a celebrationof my legacy and mymotherrsquosaccomplishments hermessage and her musicNot only have I learned to face this part of my life but Irsquoveembraced it This is not only about my mother but also myway of presenting myself to the world
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JW What do you think Ninawould say about your albumLS I think there would be a bigsmile on her face and shersquodlisten to it over and over again
JazzWax tracks Simone onSimone is available as adownload at iTunes and
Amazon or as a CD here For Simones tour information and tohear clips from her new album you can visit her site here
JazzWax clips Heres a YouTube clip interview with Simone onher new CD
Once you hear Simones new version of I Hold No Grudge listento Ninas original version from 1966
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 26 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0803 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Andy Stroud Lisa Simone Nina Simone Simone
Bill Evans at Town Hall
Of pianist Bill Evans many live albums At Town Hall Vol 1 hasalways been among his mostdelicate and elegant Evansplaying is taut and gracefulwith lovely longimprovisational lines and asnappy fluid attack on thekeyboard The mix ofstandards and two originalsmdashone was a suite in memory ofhis father who died just threedays earliermdashalso were neatlyselected and assembled
For those who share my love of this album heresa list of little-known facts about the recording takenfrom Peter Pettingers How My Heart Sings a BillEvans discography and quotes from sources Ispoke to yesterday afternoon I also have a raretreat for you at the bottom
Despite playing New York club dates for 10 years the TownHall recording on February 21 1966 was Evans first NewYork concert appearance
Evans played the first half of the Town Hall concert with justbassist Chuck Israels and drummer Arnie Wise and thesecond half with an orchestra
According to Tom Lords Jazz Discography the orchestrasegment was arranged and conducted by Al Cohn [pictured]and featured Ernie Royal ClarkTerry and Bill Berry (trumpets)
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Bob Brookmeyer QuentinJackson and Bill Watrous(trombone) Bob Northern(French horn) Jerry DodgionGeorge Marge Eddie DanielsFrank Petrovsky and MarvinHolladay (reeds) Evans(piano) Chuck Israels (bass)and Grady Tate (drums)
The orchestra performed four Al Cohn-arranged tunesWillow Weep for Me and What Kind of Fool Am I as well asEvans originals Funkallero and Waltz for Debby
Verve never released Volume 2 which was to have featuredthe orchestral material and three trio tracks that didnt fit onthe first LP Yesterday I asked Jan Stevens of The BillEvans Web Pages what became of the band tracks Jansays Evans was intensely displeased with the result
Al Cohn did a strange thing The orchestral materialwas set up so the band played one of Cohnsarrangements followed by Bill playing a solo interludebetween songs In this regard the four songs were
meant to be a kind ofsuite with Bills pianobridging the gaps ButHelen Keane told me inthe early 1980s that Billwas extremely unhappywith the result She saidthe tracks would nevercome out no matter
what So far theyve never been commercially issuedWhats more they have never appeared on a bootlegwhich leads me to think Verve may have purged themasters immediately on Keanes or Evans insistence[Photo of Helen Keane and Bill Evans by Phil Braycourtesy of BillEvansnl in the Netherlands]
Although Creed Taylors name and signature were used byVerve on the LP jacket Creed told me yesterday that Helenalone produced the concert and that he wasnt there and
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had nothing to do with the event or the albums production
Gene Lees the legendary jazz writer and close friend ofEvans said yesterday he couldnt remember the concert anddidnt know specifically why the orchestral material wasntissued or what happened to the tracks
The concert was Chuck Israels last recorded appearance asa regular member of the Bill Evans Trio
Note-for-note piano transcriptions of the six songs recordedat Town Hall were recently issued as Bill Evans at TownHall Piano Transcriptions and Performance Notes by PascalWetzel Youll find it here
And now for the treat I promised you above Thanks to thegenerosity of JazzWax reader Kurt Kolstad who attended theTown Hall concert in 1966 heres the program sheet front andback including Gene Lees tribute essay Kurt says the songselections did not appear in the program and were announcedfrom the stage (click on the image to enlarge)
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
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Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
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Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
JazzWax March 2009
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In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
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March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
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written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
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Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
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March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
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What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
JazzWax March 2009
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
JazzWax March 2009
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youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
JazzWax March 2009
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
JazzWax March 2009
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1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
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music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
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Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
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in rock and pop donrsquot necessarily have thatkind of background and they donrsquot havethat well-developed a technique
Billy Joel on Art Tatum Tatum wouldplay runs with his left hand and justthrow them away You know likeyoursquod hear it once and yoursquod neverhear it again Irsquod find myself sittingthere going Please do that again Icouldnrsquot hear what the hell that wasthat Tatum did so Irsquod have to lift upthe needle and go back you know
Billy Joel on playing rock in stadiums Itrsquos a blast Itrsquos fun tomake that noise We manipulate sound Rockers are kind ofmagicians and wizards We take soundsand play with them youknow and then we put it outthere and do magic to peoplewith it and it gets this bigresponse [pause] And chicksdig it [laughs] Itrsquos this greatpower But I have a lot ofrespect for jazz musiciansThats hard in a completelydifferent way
Billy Joel on why he didnt become a jazz musician Imfamiliar with a lot of good jazz I listened to it all through myteenage years And I still do to this day I love jazz I wanted to bea jazz guy I just didnt I dont have the chops
Chico Hamilton on the Gerry Mulligan Quartet of 1952 Gerrydidnrsquot want me to use my bass drum And thatrsquos when we went towar [laughs] I finally went out and got myself a tom-tom insteada small bass drum and converted itinto a bass drum Gerry didnt wantany bass drum at all But I told him Ineeded something there for my rightfoot to keep my rhythm My timing
EddiePalmieriAzucar PaTi
Bill PerkinsOn Stage
John LewisGrandEncounter
Dick Collinsamp RunawayHerd Hornof Plenty
LennieTristanoIntuition
BlueMitchellSextet BlueSoul
HalMcKusickTripleExposure
Dave PellJazz ForDancingandListening
DonFagerquistPortrait of aGreat JazzArtist
FourBrothersThe FourBrothers
JazzWax March 2009
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depended on it Irsquom still using asmaller bass drum today
Chico Hamilton on his music forand appearance in the 1957 filmSweet Smell of Success Theactor Martin Milner who played theguitarist and the quintets bandleaderin the movie he didnt know how toplay guitar So what happened wasMilner put his left hand behind himand John Pisano my guitar playerput his hand on the strings It lookedlike Milner was playing the guitar theway Jimmy Wong [Howe] shot it
[laughs]
Chico Hamilton on why hesunderappreciated I donrsquot know Maybebecause Ive always seen the drums as amelodic instrument not a percussive one Ideveloped a touch It may not have been asloud but its mine
Saxophonist Hal McKusick on arrangerGeorge Handy and the Boyd RaeburnOrchestra When we were on tour in San Francisco in 1945 the
Palace Hotel didnt like the fact thatwe had a broadcast there each nightat around dinnertime We playedstraight out for the radio audiencewhich rattled the staff and guests Toup the ante [Johnny] Mandel and[George] Handy [pictured] dyed theirhair green which scared the staffand patrons But the two of themdidnt care The bandrsquos vocalist DavidAllyn practiced singing in an
TogetherAgain
JamesMoodyMoody 4A
MeredithdAmbrosioLove Is Nota Game
DonFriedmanCircleWaltz
ScottLaFaroPieces ofJade
Chet Baker+ ArtPepperPlayboys
CyrusChestnutSpirit
EnduranceHeath Brothers Endurance
Med FloryGo WestYoung Med
LockjawDavis Foxand theHounds +Lock the
JazzWax March 2009
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abandoned tomb in the graveyard He liked the sound there
Carol Sloane on Oscar Peterson Oscar would watch my set atthe Village Vanguard [in 1961] from adark banquette off to the side Eachtime he would ask out loud for me tosing Kurt Weills My Ship Id jazz upthe song and when Id finish Id lookat Oscar for his reaction Each time Isang it Oscar was expressionlessFor a week hed shout out the samerequest and each time Id workharder to make a jazz impressionAnd each time Id get the same stonyreaction I finally grew exhaustedtrying to embellish the song So onenight I just sang it straight When I finished Oscar was grinningand applauding I finally got Oscars message A great songdoesnt need to be jazzed up You just have to sing it straight Ivecarried Oscars lesson with me ever since
Carol Sloane on Barbra Streisand The first time I met her I wassinging at the Village Vanguard in 1961 One of the waiters came
up to me to tell me that there was ayoung girl in the back who lookedkind of weird He said she doesnthave a purse and shes wearing a T-shirt and her hair is long and stringyThe waiter asked if I wanted to seethis girl or should he tell her Im notavailable I went to the back of theclub and there was this ordinary
looking girl She [introduced herself and] said to me How do youdo that Do what You mean singing I asked Yeah how doyou sing like that She said she was just starting out
Carol Sloane on performing with Ben Webster in 1963 inRhode Island I listened to everynote Ben played As a singer Icouldnt believe how great he
sounded After the set he smiled atme That was enough He smiledThen he went straight to the bar
Carol Sloane on watching the Beatles perform from thedugout at Shea Stadium in 1965 andhearing the mass hysteria As a jazzsinger I was nauseous I could see thewriting on the wall with the Beatles The kidshad been drifting away from jazz for yearsBut by this concert in 1965 they werecompletely gone and I knew they werenever coming back You could see it Youcould hear it
Carol Sloane on her stormy relationship with pianist JimmyRowles It was a tough period forme I was in my early 40s and hadbegun questioning everything aboutmy career and my ability Jimmy wasa legendary pianist the guy who hadaccompanied everyone In thebeginning he made me feel greatBut little by little things got worseand worse It got so bad that I triedto take my own life
Carol Sloane on Ella Fitzgeralds performance anxiety [Ella]was pacing and wringing her handsbackstage and saying Irsquom sonervous Irsquom so nervous I said GodElla donrsquot worry Jimmy [Rowles] willnever let you down Yoursquove gotnothing to worry about She said Iknow She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15years So all of a sudden she had anew guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was
behaving as though the world was going to come to an end
Wailin
Red MitchellPresentingRed Mitchell
SonnyClarkLeapin andLopin
SonnyRollinsAlfie
MachitoKenya Afro-Cuban Jazz
YusefLateef TheGolden Flute
YusefLateef IntoSomething
MundellLowe Satanin HighHeels
Bill EvansLive in Paris1965
FrankSinatra ASwinginAffair
This Here
JazzWax March 2009
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March 30 2009
Carol Sloane on her own stage anxiety I was always nervousabout performing To the point of being ill It was awful I used tohave performance-anxiety dreams Id go to sleep and havenightmares about having to go out and sing It cant be helped Itssomething deep in your brain
Singer Simone on what she misses most about her motherNina Simone I miss her handrubbing my head I miss her touch
Posted by Marc Myers at 0830 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Billy Joel Buddy De Franco Carol Sloane Chico Hamilton David Soyer HalMcKusick Helen Merrill Jimmy Cobb Phil Woods Sandie Shaw Simone
Hank Garland Jazz Winds
Country musicians have a long history of teaming with jazz andblues artists to produce hipmusic Western swing was anoutgrowth of jazz The samegoes for rockabilly and theearly Sun Records soundOne of the finest examples ofthis twang-and-hang hybrid isJazz Winds from a NewDirection Recorded in August1960 the session was led by
Hank Garland one of Nashvilles topcountry studio musicians at the timewho recorded with Elvis Presley andother country-rock artists in the late1950s Jazz Winds teamed Garlandwith Gary Burton on vibes JoeBenjamin on bass and Joe Morelloon drums
How did this configuration come to be Garlands professionalrelationship with Burton actually began a month earlier on July 41960 after rowdy spectators at the Newport Jazz Festival causedthe cancellation of the events remaining performances One ofthose planned events included Garland and other Nashville artistswho enjoyed playing jazz
So RCA executive Ben Rosner quickly rented a mansion and onthe afternoon of July 4th the groupbilled as the Nashville All-Starsrecorded seven tracks The bandfeatured Boots Randolph (alto sax)Gary Burton (vibes) [pictured] FloydCramer (piano) Hank Garland andChet Atkins (guitars) Brenton Banks(violin) Bob Moore (bass) and Buddy Harman (drums)
The album was released as After theRiot at Newport and featured a coverillustrated by Jim Flora and linernotes by Newport Jazz Festivalfounder and producer George WeinHeres what George wrote
The music on this disc is whattranspired on that sunny Monday
afternoon [of July 4th] Incidentally but importantly twoselections in the album were composed for the occasionChet Atkins penned Nashville to Newport and BootsRandolph with Hank Garland extemporized Riot-Chous thenight before the sessionmdashright after the big riot
To me the highlights of the album are the wonderful violinof Brenton Banks the swinging guitar
Joe Timer ampTHEOrchestraWillisConoversHouse ofSounds
Presents THE Orchestra
JazzWax March 2009
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of Hank Garland and the brilliant workof a 17-year old vibraphonist fromPrinceton Indiana Gary Burtonwhom you will be sure to hear a lot inthe future [Pictured George Wein]
A month later on August 23d Garland wentinto ColumbiasNashvillestudio withBurton Joe Benjamin and JoeMorello and recorded Jazz Windsfrom a New Direction Six days laterthe same group recorded SubtleSwing
In early 1961 Garland picked up where he left off in the Nashvillestudios with Presley and other country and early rock artists Butin September Garland was ina near-fatal auto accidentnear Nashville that left him ina coma for a week When heemerged he had sufferedsevere brain damage Hiswife helped him learn to walktalk and regain partial guitar-playing ability But except foran occasional appearanceGarland remained retiredpassing away in 2004[Pictured Presley and HankGarland]
Jazz Winds and the other albums mentioned above show theearly jazz promise of Hank Garlandjust before his flame was tragicallysnuffed out They also demonstrateGeorge Weins gift for dismissingnaysayers and bringing togetherartists of different stripes to createbeautiful music Had Garlandsurvived there surely would have
CannonballAdderleyArtFarmerAlabamaConcerto
LambertHendricks ampBavan Liveat BasinStreet East
DavidAmramJazz Portrait
Frank WessWess PointTheCommodoreRecordings
HalMcKusickHalMcKusickQuartet
TeddyCharlesTentetTeddyCharlesTentet
TeddyCharles withJimmyRaney NewDirections
TeddyCharlesCoolin
SarahVaughanAfter Hoursat theLondonHouse
V i d e o s
Art Van Damme Ben Webster Bill Evans Billie Holiday Bob Brookmeyer Bobby Timmons Cannbl Adderley Carmen McRae 1
JazzWax March 2009
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March 29 2009
been all types of jazz-country fusionefforts throughout the 1960s and beyond Garland could swingJust ask Gary Burton
JazzWax tracks You can buy Hank Garlands jazz albumsindividually but youll pay a fortune sincemost are out of print Or you can buy thetwo-CD set Move The Guitar Artistry ofHank Garland which includes selectionsfrom four of Garlands jazz-countryrecordings After the Riot Jazz Winds froma New Direction Velvet Guitar and SubtleSwing Youll find the CD and samples here
A special thanks to Kurt Kolstad for introducing me to Garland andJazz Winds
JazzWax clip Heres a clip of country guitarists Eddy Arnold andHank Garland in the mid-1950s Pay particular attention toGarlands jazz chords on the Hank Garland Stomp
Posted by Marc Myers at 0751 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Chet Atkins Eddy Arnold Elvis Presley Gary Burton George Wein HankGarland Joe Morello
Carmen McRae 2 Charleston Charlie Parker Chet Baker Chico OFarrill Claus Ogerman Coleman Hawkins Count Basie Dinah Washington Dizzy Gillespie Earl Hines Eddie Palmieri Gerry Mulligan Gene Krupa Geo Shearing Jack Teagarden Jackie McLean Jackie Paris Jammin the Blues June Christy 1 June Christy 2 Lee Morgan Lockjaw Davis Louie Bellson Maynard Ferguson Max Roach Miles Davis 1 Miles Davis 2 Mundell Lowe 1 Mundell Lowe 2 Oscar Pettiford Paul Desmond Pepper Adams Phineas Newborn Sarah Vaughan Sonny Rollins Sound of Jazz Stan Kenton Teddy Wilson Terry Gibbs Wes Montgomery Woody Herman Yolande Bavan Yusef Lateef
B l o g s
Terry Teachout Doug Ramsey Jazz Video Guy Nate Chinen Jazzcom JazzSession Cab Calloway A Blog Supreme David B Johnson Gregory Bell Jan Stevens Ed Leimbacher Howard Mandel Jazz Lives JerryJazzMusician Ian Carey Latin Jazz Corner Lost + Sound MuleWalkJazzTalk My2CentsWorth New Orleans News Ray De Felitta Ricky Riccardi Russ Neff Steve Cerra Vinson Valega Von Babasin
A r t i s t S i t e s
>
JazzWax March 2009
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Sunday Wax Bits
The future of live jazz I have no idea whether anyone hasconducted an in-depth studyof jazz-club attendance andlive-jazz revenue trends overthe past five years I supposeits safe to assume that if thenewspaper business and CDindustry are drowning theeffort to put warm bodies inseats at clubs concerts andfestivals cant be far behind[Photo of girl transfixed byjazz by Bob Willoughby 1951]
The deck certainly is stackedagainst concert producersclub owners and musicians alike Real estate leases remainprohibitively high insurance premiums are up the comforts ofhome are increasingly seductive discretionary income is tight thejazz legend pool is shrinking and the promotional dollars neededto spread the word never seems to be enough
And thats the good news The bigger dragon here is technologyDramatic shifts occur every time this beastswishes its tail Have you noticed thatvirtually everything you can hold in yourhands these days is disappearing Gizmoscreens have become so clear and Internetbandwidth so wide that increasing amountsof our culture are being consumed through
pixels and digital bites
Dig this Music downloads now represent the only slice of therecord business thats growingAmazons Kindle has rendered books(the kind with spines and dustjackets) almost meaningless Moviedownloads have already begun toovercome DVDs And once wall-sized computer screens aredeveloped and affordable its easy to
Art Blakey Art Pepper Arturo OFarrill Benny Carter Bill Evans Brooks Tegler Bud Shank Charles Mingus Chet Baker Clifford Brown David Amram Frank Wess Grant Stewart Jackie Paris Louie Bellson Nelson Riddle Pharoah Sanders Roberto Magris Sal Mosca Sonny Rollins Teddy Charles Tessa Souter Warne Marsh Yolande Bavan
R a d i o
JAZZFM91 PURE JAZZ WBGO-FM WKCR-FM WDNA-FM WFIU-FM WNMC-FM WWOZ-FM BlackJazz Radio
S h o p p i n g
JazzFirstBooks VinylReVinyl
R e s o u r c e s
Jazz Corner Jazz Foundation Planet Bret Videos JazzBeatorg All About Jazz
Blog powered by TypePadMember since 072007
JazzWax March 2009
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imagine that well be able todownload Caribbean and European travel experiences withoutleaving home
Back to jazz You dont have to be a Facebook founder to knowthat the CDs days arenumbered and that live musicis under fire Lets face itgoing out to clubs isnt aseasy as it used to be Youhave to get it together arriveearly to win a favorable seatpay a fortune for admissionfork over more for smalldrinks and then travel homeearly before your chin hitsyour chest Personally I dontknow how people wentclubbing all week long in the
1940s and 1950s Didnt they have to get up early for work thenext day Or hadnt jobs been invented yet [Photo by Dave EScherman 1942 for Life]
Its anyones guess how many clubs and festivals will exist five orten years from now or how many musicians will be able to affordto play jazz at a high enough level to leave an impression Letsassume the number will be less than nowAfter all the trend is clear and its entirelypossible that live jazz will go the way of themanual transmission and TV antennas Thechallenge for jazz producers club ownersand musicians will be to find a way to makemoney using the Web to keep live jazzticking Newspapers stubbornly ignored the digital trend for yearsand learned a terrible lesson the hard way
Paul Slaughter Ive long been a fan of photographer PaulSlaughters work Over the past yearPaul has graciously allowed me touse his photos (with credit ofcourse) to illustrate JazzWax postsPaul has captured a large number ofthe jazz greats So I asked if he
JazzWax March 2009
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would select one of his favoriteimages and tell JazzWax readers alittle about how the photo came tobe
The Saturday afternoon before Sonnys Sunday night concert in Santa Fe inJuly of 2007 ABSpellman a retiredDeputy Chair of NationalEndowment of the Artsinterviewed Sonnybefore an audience atthe Lensic Theater anold movie houserenovated into abeautiful legit theaterAB got the JazzMasters Program goingat NEA and Sonny hadreceived an NEA JazzMasters Award in 1983
After ABs interview I gave Sonny a photo I took of him in1971 at the Monterey Jazz Festival
The next day I was hoping for a dressing room photo ofSonny so I brought him photos of his interview with ABUpon arrival at the Lensic I heard Sonny playing his horn inhis dressing room When there was a lull in Sonnys playing Iknocked on his door He said Come in There was Sonnydressed in a red shirt blue pants wearing a process capand holding his tenor sax What a terrific image I thought
I gave Sonny the photos I had brought with me He politelythanked me I asked if I could take his photo with his hornHe replied I always think part my soul is being captured
JazzWax March 2009
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when I am photographed I replied No Sonny this willmerely be a reflection of your soul He smiled warmly andallowed me to take one photograph The split-second resultis the image you see above
You can learn more about Paul at his site here His currentexhibition People of Our Times featuring celebrities and jazzgreats is at the Verve Gallery of Photography in Santa Fe NMuntil May 2
Doug Ramsey Last week author jazz critic and Rifftidesblogger DougRamsey featured twowonderful YouTube clips featuring singerSue Raney [pictured] One is of Raneysinging Henry Mancinis Dreamsville in2008 The other is a campy Scopitone fromthe mid-1960s of Raney singing Before theRain Scopitone was an early video jukeboxfeaturng 16mm film loops and soundtracks
Carol Sloane After viewing Bret Primacksvideo interview of me legendary singer Carol Sloane sent alongthe following e-mail
Like you I too listened faithfully to Al Jazzbo Collins[pictured] when the signal fromWNEW-NY became crystalclear as soon as other FMstations in Rhode Island shutdown for the night I found himand Harrison [the TasmanianOwl] in The Purple Grotto quiteby accident one night when Iwas spinning the dial and
should have been asleep
Of course I was hooked I even sent a fan letter written onthe diagonal (to be arty and to insure he would be obliged toread it) in purple ink Well hell I was 13 or 14 years old atthe time Never mind it worked One night I turned on theprogram and he was reading my letter on the air
Fortunately I had the opportunity to tell him many years
JazzWax March 2009
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later how thrilling that moment had been for me and that Irecorded My One And Only Love with him in mind because itwas his theme song
For more on Al Jazzbo Collins go here To view Carols blogSloanView go here
CD discovery of the week Back in 2006 Swiss trumpeter PeterScharli and Brazilian vocalistIthamara Koorax came together inZurich to record a beautiful albumcalled Obrigado Dom Um RomaoThe result is a tender tribute toBrazilian percussionist Dom UmRomao (Obrigado is Portuguesefor thank you)
Romao had introduced Scharli to Ithamara who became soexcited by the sound of Scharlis trumpet that she agreed torecord and tour Europe with both artists But before the tourbegan Romao died at age 82 So Scharli and Ithamara decidedto dedicate the CD to him
On the album Scharli [pictured] and Ithamara perform a series ofduets with Ithamara singing inPortuguese on 8 of the 10 tracks Ontwo tracks (Love for Sale and I Fall inLove Too Easily) Ithamara sings inEnglish But perhaps the mostfascinating songs feature Ithamarasinging vocalese in Portuguese OnVocaliste and Miniature IV she uses
Swingle Single-like tones to match Scharlis trumpet tones notefor note The result is quite fascinating as the pair come togetheror joust in counterpoint
Ithamaras voice throughout is passionate and her phrasing issoft and caressing Scharlis trumpet ispinpoint sharp without being too strong orloud Joining Ithamara [pictured] and Scharliare Markus Stalder on guitar and ThomasDurst on bass Romao plays berimbao onone track Manha de Carnaval
JazzWax March 2009
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March 27 2009
You can sample tracks here where youllalso find the imported CD
Oddball album cover of the week Released in 1959 on CubRecords and arrangedby Sammy Lowe TakeOff in Sound wassinger Marla Smithsonly known recordingIts unclear why Smithis pictured with anAmerican Airlines 707jet since the songsare rather land-locked(Speak Low Boy onthe Beach Wild Fireetc) Whats evenmore puzzling is the art direction Here Smith is depicted eitheras a ghost serenading mid-flight passengers Or she just
detached herself from the tailand is singing while trying tofly Either way Smiths up at35000 feet surfing theheavens in an evening gownAnd even though Smithseems to have only a cloudfor support she had the goodfashion sense to extend herleft leg for the photographer(who must have broken free
from the tail moments before her)
Posted by Marc Myers at 0815 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
JazzWax March 2009
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Interview Lisa Simone
One of the most exciting new singers Ive heard in some time isLisa Simone daughter of oneof Americas mostimpassioned vocalists NinaSimone Known simply asSimone the 46-year-old artisthas just released her first full-length album a stunningtribute to her mother Ratherthan simply mimic Ninas styleand outrage Simone hasproduced an updatedinterpretation of her motherscatalog complete with vocalpower range and tendernessSimones album Simone onSimone is earthy and gutsybut its also unmistakably adaughters message to her late mother
From the albums opening duet Music for Lovers which Lisa sangwith Nina live in Ireland to thealbums closing song Feeling Goodthis 14-track CD is packed withgospel belters big band swingersand soulful ballads Thearrangements for the 19-piece bandwere nimbly handled by Ken Moyerand they support Lisas all-in vocalstyle perfectly without being
overbearing or tissue-thin
A Broadway veteran since the mid-1990s Simone has sustainingchops that allow her voice to hit the farthest corners of any roomShe also has full command of her mothers challenging materialwhich twists and turns in places while vocals are delivered at fullthrottle
Classic Nina Simone songs on this CD include Gal From JoesGo to Hell Keeper of the Flame and a rousing version of BillyTaylors I Wish I Knew How It WouldFeel to Be Free One of my favorites
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is I Hold No Grudge which Ninarecorded in 1966 with a hugeorchestra and chorus arranged andconducted by Hal Mooney Moyersexpansive chart for Lisa is just assoft and dramatic What makes thistrack so special is Simones poetictelling of the songs lyric building to a final rousing held note
When I received a copy of Simone on Simone a couple of weeksago I put it on with some trepidation An ardent fan of NinaSimone I was fearful that Simone would either go too far or notfar enough in her tribute Instead I was blown away Simone hasre-energized her mothers material with loving sensitivity and afresh uplifting spirit
After listening to the album several times I gave Simone a call tochat about the album and her experience growing up as NinaSimones daughter
JazzWax How did it feel to have a mother who was sodeeply committed to music Lisa Simone It was normal for me My mother was alreadycommitted to music and social issues before I was born She
often had to struggle to split herlove equally between art andme which wasnt always easyOur relationship certainly hadits challenges But now that Irsquomolder and can reflect back onthose days I realize Iwitnessed a lot of history I canlook back and appreciate my
time with her whether standing in the wings watching her onstage or watching her write To Be Young Gifted and Black in1969
JW Were you always tugging at herLS I never felt I had enough of my mom I just had to dealwith it You take what you can get Now when I look back Ihave a finer understanding of my mom And Im able to get
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that extra piece I missed out on
JW Were you and your mom closeLS Yes but at times the world got in the way
JW Were you close with your father Andy StroudLS I am now When my parents were together up until1972 thatrsquos when I sawmy dad a lot When myparents divorced my lifechanged It flippedcompletely Therewerenrsquot a lot of terms inthose days to describewhat kids went throughwhen parents divorced I didnrsquot see a lot of my dad after thatyear My parents didnrsquot really get along after their splitWhen they did see each other they didnrsquot get a whole lotaccomplished [Pictured Nina Simone and husband AndyStroud]
JW What do you miss most about your momLS I miss her hand rubbing my head I miss her touch
JW Did you study singingLS No The most instruction Irsquove had was just before
appearing on stage in theBroadway production of Aida in2001 When I saw what theshow demanded I realized Ineeded a vocal coach Mycoach taught me a great dealprimarily that singing didnrsquothave to hurt I had been singingthrough my throat My coachtaught me to sing through mydiaphragm which shifts thepower source and prevents youfrom damaging your voice or
burning out
JW Youve been in few other major Broadway productionsLS Yes I was in the original cast of Rent in 1996 Then I
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toured with the production for a year and a half Before RentI was in a touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar
JW What did your mother teach you about singingLS All she said to me was ldquoHoney you donrsquot have to workso hardrdquo
JW What did she meanLS At the time my mother had come to a few of my showsin Los Angeles when I wasperforming at various clubsthere Her style and mine werevery different
JW How soLS Irsquom the one who jumpsaround the room like DaffyDuck I get so energizedWhereas Mommy because of all the years of practicing and
rehearsing and performing shehad already settled into singingon cruise control She wantedme to know that I could be justas effective as a singer oncruise control By urging me torelax and pace myperformances my mother felt Iwould avoid wearing myselfout Of course I learned all ofthat before I was on BroadwayAnd I learned even more whenI did eight performances a
week on stage
JW What did your mother teach you about life Or wereyou sheltered in her shadowLS [Laughs] You didnt wilt in Ninarsquos presence You neverwould have recovered from that A lot of what I learned wasby watching and listening Itrsquos amazing what children pick upthat way I didnrsquot wilt in her presence but I did learn how tofeel the air shift around me and about timingmdashwhen tospeak and when not to
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JW Were you honest with your mother LS I learned later on in our relationship that I needed toclearly communicate what Ineeded from her so I could getpositive reinforcement duringour conversations and visitsMy mom was so commandingand so accustomed to beingthe one dictating theconversation that to have someone like me come aroundand not want anything from her just her love was almostalien to her
JW Did she adjust to meet those needsLS It was hard for her For mom to make that shift was like
the grinding of gears Ihad to let her know in nouncertain terms that Iloved her very much butthat it hurt when shesaid certain things anddid certain things I alsosaid that I would
appreciate her taking certain things like my needs intoconsideration [Pictured Lisa Simone playing for motherNina]
JW What happenedLS She started to do that and our relationship was at awonderful point when she passed away in 2003
JW As a child understanding your mothers needs andhonoring them required enormous maturityLS I was grown up before I was an adult When yoursquore anonly child and yoursquoreglobetrotting all over the placewith your mother you findyourself growing in ways thatyou wouldnt have in othercircumstances
JW Was it tough traveling somuch
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LS You make the best of yourenvironment Books for mebecame my world
JW I Hold No Grudge has been wonderfully updatedLS Thank you Theyrsquore all special My mother said we were
both griots which are WestAfrican storytellers She saidwe both had an ability to makeour audiences feel what wersquoresinging about Itrsquos justsomething that I seem to haveand I have no idea where itcame from Irsquove found thatsinging for me is also a way of
getting certain emotions out Most people know that whenIrsquove had a bad day theyrsquore going to get an even better showsince Irsquom going to take any blow up and turn it intosomething beautiful
JW Is this album a message to your mom LS I like that question Yes it is Now that Irsquovebeen traveling on tour Itend to talk more aboutmy life with my motherIt has been a celebrationof my legacy and mymotherrsquosaccomplishments hermessage and her musicNot only have I learned to face this part of my life but Irsquoveembraced it This is not only about my mother but also myway of presenting myself to the world
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JW What do you think Ninawould say about your albumLS I think there would be a bigsmile on her face and shersquodlisten to it over and over again
JazzWax tracks Simone onSimone is available as adownload at iTunes and
Amazon or as a CD here For Simones tour information and tohear clips from her new album you can visit her site here
JazzWax clips Heres a YouTube clip interview with Simone onher new CD
Once you hear Simones new version of I Hold No Grudge listento Ninas original version from 1966
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>
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March 26 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0803 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Andy Stroud Lisa Simone Nina Simone Simone
Bill Evans at Town Hall
Of pianist Bill Evans many live albums At Town Hall Vol 1 hasalways been among his mostdelicate and elegant Evansplaying is taut and gracefulwith lovely longimprovisational lines and asnappy fluid attack on thekeyboard The mix ofstandards and two originalsmdashone was a suite in memory ofhis father who died just threedays earliermdashalso were neatlyselected and assembled
For those who share my love of this album heresa list of little-known facts about the recording takenfrom Peter Pettingers How My Heart Sings a BillEvans discography and quotes from sources Ispoke to yesterday afternoon I also have a raretreat for you at the bottom
Despite playing New York club dates for 10 years the TownHall recording on February 21 1966 was Evans first NewYork concert appearance
Evans played the first half of the Town Hall concert with justbassist Chuck Israels and drummer Arnie Wise and thesecond half with an orchestra
According to Tom Lords Jazz Discography the orchestrasegment was arranged and conducted by Al Cohn [pictured]and featured Ernie Royal ClarkTerry and Bill Berry (trumpets)
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Bob Brookmeyer QuentinJackson and Bill Watrous(trombone) Bob Northern(French horn) Jerry DodgionGeorge Marge Eddie DanielsFrank Petrovsky and MarvinHolladay (reeds) Evans(piano) Chuck Israels (bass)and Grady Tate (drums)
The orchestra performed four Al Cohn-arranged tunesWillow Weep for Me and What Kind of Fool Am I as well asEvans originals Funkallero and Waltz for Debby
Verve never released Volume 2 which was to have featuredthe orchestral material and three trio tracks that didnt fit onthe first LP Yesterday I asked Jan Stevens of The BillEvans Web Pages what became of the band tracks Jansays Evans was intensely displeased with the result
Al Cohn did a strange thing The orchestral materialwas set up so the band played one of Cohnsarrangements followed by Bill playing a solo interludebetween songs In this regard the four songs were
meant to be a kind ofsuite with Bills pianobridging the gaps ButHelen Keane told me inthe early 1980s that Billwas extremely unhappywith the result She saidthe tracks would nevercome out no matter
what So far theyve never been commercially issuedWhats more they have never appeared on a bootlegwhich leads me to think Verve may have purged themasters immediately on Keanes or Evans insistence[Photo of Helen Keane and Bill Evans by Phil Braycourtesy of BillEvansnl in the Netherlands]
Although Creed Taylors name and signature were used byVerve on the LP jacket Creed told me yesterday that Helenalone produced the concert and that he wasnt there and
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had nothing to do with the event or the albums production
Gene Lees the legendary jazz writer and close friend ofEvans said yesterday he couldnt remember the concert anddidnt know specifically why the orchestral material wasntissued or what happened to the tracks
The concert was Chuck Israels last recorded appearance asa regular member of the Bill Evans Trio
Note-for-note piano transcriptions of the six songs recordedat Town Hall were recently issued as Bill Evans at TownHall Piano Transcriptions and Performance Notes by PascalWetzel Youll find it here
And now for the treat I promised you above Thanks to thegenerosity of JazzWax reader Kurt Kolstad who attended theTown Hall concert in 1966 heres the program sheet front andback including Gene Lees tribute essay Kurt says the songselections did not appear in the program and were announcedfrom the stage (click on the image to enlarge)
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
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Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
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Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
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In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
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March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
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written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
JazzWax March 2009
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Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
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March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
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March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
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What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
JazzWax March 2009
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
JazzWax March 2009
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youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
JazzWax March 2009
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
JazzWax March 2009
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
JazzWax March 2009
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1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
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music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
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Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
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depended on it Irsquom still using asmaller bass drum today
Chico Hamilton on his music forand appearance in the 1957 filmSweet Smell of Success Theactor Martin Milner who played theguitarist and the quintets bandleaderin the movie he didnt know how toplay guitar So what happened wasMilner put his left hand behind himand John Pisano my guitar playerput his hand on the strings It lookedlike Milner was playing the guitar theway Jimmy Wong [Howe] shot it
[laughs]
Chico Hamilton on why hesunderappreciated I donrsquot know Maybebecause Ive always seen the drums as amelodic instrument not a percussive one Ideveloped a touch It may not have been asloud but its mine
Saxophonist Hal McKusick on arrangerGeorge Handy and the Boyd RaeburnOrchestra When we were on tour in San Francisco in 1945 the
Palace Hotel didnt like the fact thatwe had a broadcast there each nightat around dinnertime We playedstraight out for the radio audiencewhich rattled the staff and guests Toup the ante [Johnny] Mandel and[George] Handy [pictured] dyed theirhair green which scared the staffand patrons But the two of themdidnt care The bandrsquos vocalist DavidAllyn practiced singing in an
TogetherAgain
JamesMoodyMoody 4A
MeredithdAmbrosioLove Is Nota Game
DonFriedmanCircleWaltz
ScottLaFaroPieces ofJade
Chet Baker+ ArtPepperPlayboys
CyrusChestnutSpirit
EnduranceHeath Brothers Endurance
Med FloryGo WestYoung Med
LockjawDavis Foxand theHounds +Lock the
JazzWax March 2009
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abandoned tomb in the graveyard He liked the sound there
Carol Sloane on Oscar Peterson Oscar would watch my set atthe Village Vanguard [in 1961] from adark banquette off to the side Eachtime he would ask out loud for me tosing Kurt Weills My Ship Id jazz upthe song and when Id finish Id lookat Oscar for his reaction Each time Isang it Oscar was expressionlessFor a week hed shout out the samerequest and each time Id workharder to make a jazz impressionAnd each time Id get the same stonyreaction I finally grew exhaustedtrying to embellish the song So onenight I just sang it straight When I finished Oscar was grinningand applauding I finally got Oscars message A great songdoesnt need to be jazzed up You just have to sing it straight Ivecarried Oscars lesson with me ever since
Carol Sloane on Barbra Streisand The first time I met her I wassinging at the Village Vanguard in 1961 One of the waiters came
up to me to tell me that there was ayoung girl in the back who lookedkind of weird He said she doesnthave a purse and shes wearing a T-shirt and her hair is long and stringyThe waiter asked if I wanted to seethis girl or should he tell her Im notavailable I went to the back of theclub and there was this ordinary
looking girl She [introduced herself and] said to me How do youdo that Do what You mean singing I asked Yeah how doyou sing like that She said she was just starting out
Carol Sloane on performing with Ben Webster in 1963 inRhode Island I listened to everynote Ben played As a singer Icouldnt believe how great he
sounded After the set he smiled atme That was enough He smiledThen he went straight to the bar
Carol Sloane on watching the Beatles perform from thedugout at Shea Stadium in 1965 andhearing the mass hysteria As a jazzsinger I was nauseous I could see thewriting on the wall with the Beatles The kidshad been drifting away from jazz for yearsBut by this concert in 1965 they werecompletely gone and I knew they werenever coming back You could see it Youcould hear it
Carol Sloane on her stormy relationship with pianist JimmyRowles It was a tough period forme I was in my early 40s and hadbegun questioning everything aboutmy career and my ability Jimmy wasa legendary pianist the guy who hadaccompanied everyone In thebeginning he made me feel greatBut little by little things got worseand worse It got so bad that I triedto take my own life
Carol Sloane on Ella Fitzgeralds performance anxiety [Ella]was pacing and wringing her handsbackstage and saying Irsquom sonervous Irsquom so nervous I said GodElla donrsquot worry Jimmy [Rowles] willnever let you down Yoursquove gotnothing to worry about She said Iknow She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15years So all of a sudden she had anew guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was
behaving as though the world was going to come to an end
Wailin
Red MitchellPresentingRed Mitchell
SonnyClarkLeapin andLopin
SonnyRollinsAlfie
MachitoKenya Afro-Cuban Jazz
YusefLateef TheGolden Flute
YusefLateef IntoSomething
MundellLowe Satanin HighHeels
Bill EvansLive in Paris1965
FrankSinatra ASwinginAffair
This Here
JazzWax March 2009
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March 30 2009
Carol Sloane on her own stage anxiety I was always nervousabout performing To the point of being ill It was awful I used tohave performance-anxiety dreams Id go to sleep and havenightmares about having to go out and sing It cant be helped Itssomething deep in your brain
Singer Simone on what she misses most about her motherNina Simone I miss her handrubbing my head I miss her touch
Posted by Marc Myers at 0830 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Billy Joel Buddy De Franco Carol Sloane Chico Hamilton David Soyer HalMcKusick Helen Merrill Jimmy Cobb Phil Woods Sandie Shaw Simone
Hank Garland Jazz Winds
Country musicians have a long history of teaming with jazz andblues artists to produce hipmusic Western swing was anoutgrowth of jazz The samegoes for rockabilly and theearly Sun Records soundOne of the finest examples ofthis twang-and-hang hybrid isJazz Winds from a NewDirection Recorded in August1960 the session was led by
Hank Garland one of Nashvilles topcountry studio musicians at the timewho recorded with Elvis Presley andother country-rock artists in the late1950s Jazz Winds teamed Garlandwith Gary Burton on vibes JoeBenjamin on bass and Joe Morelloon drums
How did this configuration come to be Garlands professionalrelationship with Burton actually began a month earlier on July 41960 after rowdy spectators at the Newport Jazz Festival causedthe cancellation of the events remaining performances One ofthose planned events included Garland and other Nashville artistswho enjoyed playing jazz
So RCA executive Ben Rosner quickly rented a mansion and onthe afternoon of July 4th the groupbilled as the Nashville All-Starsrecorded seven tracks The bandfeatured Boots Randolph (alto sax)Gary Burton (vibes) [pictured] FloydCramer (piano) Hank Garland andChet Atkins (guitars) Brenton Banks(violin) Bob Moore (bass) and Buddy Harman (drums)
The album was released as After theRiot at Newport and featured a coverillustrated by Jim Flora and linernotes by Newport Jazz Festivalfounder and producer George WeinHeres what George wrote
The music on this disc is whattranspired on that sunny Monday
afternoon [of July 4th] Incidentally but importantly twoselections in the album were composed for the occasionChet Atkins penned Nashville to Newport and BootsRandolph with Hank Garland extemporized Riot-Chous thenight before the sessionmdashright after the big riot
To me the highlights of the album are the wonderful violinof Brenton Banks the swinging guitar
Joe Timer ampTHEOrchestraWillisConoversHouse ofSounds
Presents THE Orchestra
JazzWax March 2009
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of Hank Garland and the brilliant workof a 17-year old vibraphonist fromPrinceton Indiana Gary Burtonwhom you will be sure to hear a lot inthe future [Pictured George Wein]
A month later on August 23d Garland wentinto ColumbiasNashvillestudio withBurton Joe Benjamin and JoeMorello and recorded Jazz Windsfrom a New Direction Six days laterthe same group recorded SubtleSwing
In early 1961 Garland picked up where he left off in the Nashvillestudios with Presley and other country and early rock artists Butin September Garland was ina near-fatal auto accidentnear Nashville that left him ina coma for a week When heemerged he had sufferedsevere brain damage Hiswife helped him learn to walktalk and regain partial guitar-playing ability But except foran occasional appearanceGarland remained retiredpassing away in 2004[Pictured Presley and HankGarland]
Jazz Winds and the other albums mentioned above show theearly jazz promise of Hank Garlandjust before his flame was tragicallysnuffed out They also demonstrateGeorge Weins gift for dismissingnaysayers and bringing togetherartists of different stripes to createbeautiful music Had Garlandsurvived there surely would have
CannonballAdderleyArtFarmerAlabamaConcerto
LambertHendricks ampBavan Liveat BasinStreet East
DavidAmramJazz Portrait
Frank WessWess PointTheCommodoreRecordings
HalMcKusickHalMcKusickQuartet
TeddyCharlesTentetTeddyCharlesTentet
TeddyCharles withJimmyRaney NewDirections
TeddyCharlesCoolin
SarahVaughanAfter Hoursat theLondonHouse
V i d e o s
Art Van Damme Ben Webster Bill Evans Billie Holiday Bob Brookmeyer Bobby Timmons Cannbl Adderley Carmen McRae 1
JazzWax March 2009
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March 29 2009
been all types of jazz-country fusionefforts throughout the 1960s and beyond Garland could swingJust ask Gary Burton
JazzWax tracks You can buy Hank Garlands jazz albumsindividually but youll pay a fortune sincemost are out of print Or you can buy thetwo-CD set Move The Guitar Artistry ofHank Garland which includes selectionsfrom four of Garlands jazz-countryrecordings After the Riot Jazz Winds froma New Direction Velvet Guitar and SubtleSwing Youll find the CD and samples here
A special thanks to Kurt Kolstad for introducing me to Garland andJazz Winds
JazzWax clip Heres a clip of country guitarists Eddy Arnold andHank Garland in the mid-1950s Pay particular attention toGarlands jazz chords on the Hank Garland Stomp
Posted by Marc Myers at 0751 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Chet Atkins Eddy Arnold Elvis Presley Gary Burton George Wein HankGarland Joe Morello
Carmen McRae 2 Charleston Charlie Parker Chet Baker Chico OFarrill Claus Ogerman Coleman Hawkins Count Basie Dinah Washington Dizzy Gillespie Earl Hines Eddie Palmieri Gerry Mulligan Gene Krupa Geo Shearing Jack Teagarden Jackie McLean Jackie Paris Jammin the Blues June Christy 1 June Christy 2 Lee Morgan Lockjaw Davis Louie Bellson Maynard Ferguson Max Roach Miles Davis 1 Miles Davis 2 Mundell Lowe 1 Mundell Lowe 2 Oscar Pettiford Paul Desmond Pepper Adams Phineas Newborn Sarah Vaughan Sonny Rollins Sound of Jazz Stan Kenton Teddy Wilson Terry Gibbs Wes Montgomery Woody Herman Yolande Bavan Yusef Lateef
B l o g s
Terry Teachout Doug Ramsey Jazz Video Guy Nate Chinen Jazzcom JazzSession Cab Calloway A Blog Supreme David B Johnson Gregory Bell Jan Stevens Ed Leimbacher Howard Mandel Jazz Lives JerryJazzMusician Ian Carey Latin Jazz Corner Lost + Sound MuleWalkJazzTalk My2CentsWorth New Orleans News Ray De Felitta Ricky Riccardi Russ Neff Steve Cerra Vinson Valega Von Babasin
A r t i s t S i t e s
>
JazzWax March 2009
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Sunday Wax Bits
The future of live jazz I have no idea whether anyone hasconducted an in-depth studyof jazz-club attendance andlive-jazz revenue trends overthe past five years I supposeits safe to assume that if thenewspaper business and CDindustry are drowning theeffort to put warm bodies inseats at clubs concerts andfestivals cant be far behind[Photo of girl transfixed byjazz by Bob Willoughby 1951]
The deck certainly is stackedagainst concert producersclub owners and musicians alike Real estate leases remainprohibitively high insurance premiums are up the comforts ofhome are increasingly seductive discretionary income is tight thejazz legend pool is shrinking and the promotional dollars neededto spread the word never seems to be enough
And thats the good news The bigger dragon here is technologyDramatic shifts occur every time this beastswishes its tail Have you noticed thatvirtually everything you can hold in yourhands these days is disappearing Gizmoscreens have become so clear and Internetbandwidth so wide that increasing amountsof our culture are being consumed through
pixels and digital bites
Dig this Music downloads now represent the only slice of therecord business thats growingAmazons Kindle has rendered books(the kind with spines and dustjackets) almost meaningless Moviedownloads have already begun toovercome DVDs And once wall-sized computer screens aredeveloped and affordable its easy to
Art Blakey Art Pepper Arturo OFarrill Benny Carter Bill Evans Brooks Tegler Bud Shank Charles Mingus Chet Baker Clifford Brown David Amram Frank Wess Grant Stewart Jackie Paris Louie Bellson Nelson Riddle Pharoah Sanders Roberto Magris Sal Mosca Sonny Rollins Teddy Charles Tessa Souter Warne Marsh Yolande Bavan
R a d i o
JAZZFM91 PURE JAZZ WBGO-FM WKCR-FM WDNA-FM WFIU-FM WNMC-FM WWOZ-FM BlackJazz Radio
S h o p p i n g
JazzFirstBooks VinylReVinyl
R e s o u r c e s
Jazz Corner Jazz Foundation Planet Bret Videos JazzBeatorg All About Jazz
Blog powered by TypePadMember since 072007
JazzWax March 2009
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imagine that well be able todownload Caribbean and European travel experiences withoutleaving home
Back to jazz You dont have to be a Facebook founder to knowthat the CDs days arenumbered and that live musicis under fire Lets face itgoing out to clubs isnt aseasy as it used to be Youhave to get it together arriveearly to win a favorable seatpay a fortune for admissionfork over more for smalldrinks and then travel homeearly before your chin hitsyour chest Personally I dontknow how people wentclubbing all week long in the
1940s and 1950s Didnt they have to get up early for work thenext day Or hadnt jobs been invented yet [Photo by Dave EScherman 1942 for Life]
Its anyones guess how many clubs and festivals will exist five orten years from now or how many musicians will be able to affordto play jazz at a high enough level to leave an impression Letsassume the number will be less than nowAfter all the trend is clear and its entirelypossible that live jazz will go the way of themanual transmission and TV antennas Thechallenge for jazz producers club ownersand musicians will be to find a way to makemoney using the Web to keep live jazzticking Newspapers stubbornly ignored the digital trend for yearsand learned a terrible lesson the hard way
Paul Slaughter Ive long been a fan of photographer PaulSlaughters work Over the past yearPaul has graciously allowed me touse his photos (with credit ofcourse) to illustrate JazzWax postsPaul has captured a large number ofthe jazz greats So I asked if he
JazzWax March 2009
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would select one of his favoriteimages and tell JazzWax readers alittle about how the photo came tobe
The Saturday afternoon before Sonnys Sunday night concert in Santa Fe inJuly of 2007 ABSpellman a retiredDeputy Chair of NationalEndowment of the Artsinterviewed Sonnybefore an audience atthe Lensic Theater anold movie houserenovated into abeautiful legit theaterAB got the JazzMasters Program goingat NEA and Sonny hadreceived an NEA JazzMasters Award in 1983
After ABs interview I gave Sonny a photo I took of him in1971 at the Monterey Jazz Festival
The next day I was hoping for a dressing room photo ofSonny so I brought him photos of his interview with ABUpon arrival at the Lensic I heard Sonny playing his horn inhis dressing room When there was a lull in Sonnys playing Iknocked on his door He said Come in There was Sonnydressed in a red shirt blue pants wearing a process capand holding his tenor sax What a terrific image I thought
I gave Sonny the photos I had brought with me He politelythanked me I asked if I could take his photo with his hornHe replied I always think part my soul is being captured
JazzWax March 2009
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when I am photographed I replied No Sonny this willmerely be a reflection of your soul He smiled warmly andallowed me to take one photograph The split-second resultis the image you see above
You can learn more about Paul at his site here His currentexhibition People of Our Times featuring celebrities and jazzgreats is at the Verve Gallery of Photography in Santa Fe NMuntil May 2
Doug Ramsey Last week author jazz critic and Rifftidesblogger DougRamsey featured twowonderful YouTube clips featuring singerSue Raney [pictured] One is of Raneysinging Henry Mancinis Dreamsville in2008 The other is a campy Scopitone fromthe mid-1960s of Raney singing Before theRain Scopitone was an early video jukeboxfeaturng 16mm film loops and soundtracks
Carol Sloane After viewing Bret Primacksvideo interview of me legendary singer Carol Sloane sent alongthe following e-mail
Like you I too listened faithfully to Al Jazzbo Collins[pictured] when the signal fromWNEW-NY became crystalclear as soon as other FMstations in Rhode Island shutdown for the night I found himand Harrison [the TasmanianOwl] in The Purple Grotto quiteby accident one night when Iwas spinning the dial and
should have been asleep
Of course I was hooked I even sent a fan letter written onthe diagonal (to be arty and to insure he would be obliged toread it) in purple ink Well hell I was 13 or 14 years old atthe time Never mind it worked One night I turned on theprogram and he was reading my letter on the air
Fortunately I had the opportunity to tell him many years
JazzWax March 2009
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later how thrilling that moment had been for me and that Irecorded My One And Only Love with him in mind because itwas his theme song
For more on Al Jazzbo Collins go here To view Carols blogSloanView go here
CD discovery of the week Back in 2006 Swiss trumpeter PeterScharli and Brazilian vocalistIthamara Koorax came together inZurich to record a beautiful albumcalled Obrigado Dom Um RomaoThe result is a tender tribute toBrazilian percussionist Dom UmRomao (Obrigado is Portuguesefor thank you)
Romao had introduced Scharli to Ithamara who became soexcited by the sound of Scharlis trumpet that she agreed torecord and tour Europe with both artists But before the tourbegan Romao died at age 82 So Scharli and Ithamara decidedto dedicate the CD to him
On the album Scharli [pictured] and Ithamara perform a series ofduets with Ithamara singing inPortuguese on 8 of the 10 tracks Ontwo tracks (Love for Sale and I Fall inLove Too Easily) Ithamara sings inEnglish But perhaps the mostfascinating songs feature Ithamarasinging vocalese in Portuguese OnVocaliste and Miniature IV she uses
Swingle Single-like tones to match Scharlis trumpet tones notefor note The result is quite fascinating as the pair come togetheror joust in counterpoint
Ithamaras voice throughout is passionate and her phrasing issoft and caressing Scharlis trumpet ispinpoint sharp without being too strong orloud Joining Ithamara [pictured] and Scharliare Markus Stalder on guitar and ThomasDurst on bass Romao plays berimbao onone track Manha de Carnaval
JazzWax March 2009
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March 27 2009
You can sample tracks here where youllalso find the imported CD
Oddball album cover of the week Released in 1959 on CubRecords and arrangedby Sammy Lowe TakeOff in Sound wassinger Marla Smithsonly known recordingIts unclear why Smithis pictured with anAmerican Airlines 707jet since the songsare rather land-locked(Speak Low Boy onthe Beach Wild Fireetc) Whats evenmore puzzling is the art direction Here Smith is depicted eitheras a ghost serenading mid-flight passengers Or she just
detached herself from the tailand is singing while trying tofly Either way Smiths up at35000 feet surfing theheavens in an evening gownAnd even though Smithseems to have only a cloudfor support she had the goodfashion sense to extend herleft leg for the photographer(who must have broken free
from the tail moments before her)
Posted by Marc Myers at 0815 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
JazzWax March 2009
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Interview Lisa Simone
One of the most exciting new singers Ive heard in some time isLisa Simone daughter of oneof Americas mostimpassioned vocalists NinaSimone Known simply asSimone the 46-year-old artisthas just released her first full-length album a stunningtribute to her mother Ratherthan simply mimic Ninas styleand outrage Simone hasproduced an updatedinterpretation of her motherscatalog complete with vocalpower range and tendernessSimones album Simone onSimone is earthy and gutsybut its also unmistakably adaughters message to her late mother
From the albums opening duet Music for Lovers which Lisa sangwith Nina live in Ireland to thealbums closing song Feeling Goodthis 14-track CD is packed withgospel belters big band swingersand soulful ballads Thearrangements for the 19-piece bandwere nimbly handled by Ken Moyerand they support Lisas all-in vocalstyle perfectly without being
overbearing or tissue-thin
A Broadway veteran since the mid-1990s Simone has sustainingchops that allow her voice to hit the farthest corners of any roomShe also has full command of her mothers challenging materialwhich twists and turns in places while vocals are delivered at fullthrottle
Classic Nina Simone songs on this CD include Gal From JoesGo to Hell Keeper of the Flame and a rousing version of BillyTaylors I Wish I Knew How It WouldFeel to Be Free One of my favorites
JazzWax March 2009
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is I Hold No Grudge which Ninarecorded in 1966 with a hugeorchestra and chorus arranged andconducted by Hal Mooney Moyersexpansive chart for Lisa is just assoft and dramatic What makes thistrack so special is Simones poetictelling of the songs lyric building to a final rousing held note
When I received a copy of Simone on Simone a couple of weeksago I put it on with some trepidation An ardent fan of NinaSimone I was fearful that Simone would either go too far or notfar enough in her tribute Instead I was blown away Simone hasre-energized her mothers material with loving sensitivity and afresh uplifting spirit
After listening to the album several times I gave Simone a call tochat about the album and her experience growing up as NinaSimones daughter
JazzWax How did it feel to have a mother who was sodeeply committed to music Lisa Simone It was normal for me My mother was alreadycommitted to music and social issues before I was born She
often had to struggle to split herlove equally between art andme which wasnt always easyOur relationship certainly hadits challenges But now that Irsquomolder and can reflect back onthose days I realize Iwitnessed a lot of history I canlook back and appreciate my
time with her whether standing in the wings watching her onstage or watching her write To Be Young Gifted and Black in1969
JW Were you always tugging at herLS I never felt I had enough of my mom I just had to dealwith it You take what you can get Now when I look back Ihave a finer understanding of my mom And Im able to get
JazzWax March 2009
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that extra piece I missed out on
JW Were you and your mom closeLS Yes but at times the world got in the way
JW Were you close with your father Andy StroudLS I am now When my parents were together up until1972 thatrsquos when I sawmy dad a lot When myparents divorced my lifechanged It flippedcompletely Therewerenrsquot a lot of terms inthose days to describewhat kids went throughwhen parents divorced I didnrsquot see a lot of my dad after thatyear My parents didnrsquot really get along after their splitWhen they did see each other they didnrsquot get a whole lotaccomplished [Pictured Nina Simone and husband AndyStroud]
JW What do you miss most about your momLS I miss her hand rubbing my head I miss her touch
JW Did you study singingLS No The most instruction Irsquove had was just before
appearing on stage in theBroadway production of Aida in2001 When I saw what theshow demanded I realized Ineeded a vocal coach Mycoach taught me a great dealprimarily that singing didnrsquothave to hurt I had been singingthrough my throat My coachtaught me to sing through mydiaphragm which shifts thepower source and prevents youfrom damaging your voice or
burning out
JW Youve been in few other major Broadway productionsLS Yes I was in the original cast of Rent in 1996 Then I
JazzWax March 2009
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toured with the production for a year and a half Before RentI was in a touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar
JW What did your mother teach you about singingLS All she said to me was ldquoHoney you donrsquot have to workso hardrdquo
JW What did she meanLS At the time my mother had come to a few of my showsin Los Angeles when I wasperforming at various clubsthere Her style and mine werevery different
JW How soLS Irsquom the one who jumpsaround the room like DaffyDuck I get so energizedWhereas Mommy because of all the years of practicing and
rehearsing and performing shehad already settled into singingon cruise control She wantedme to know that I could be justas effective as a singer oncruise control By urging me torelax and pace myperformances my mother felt Iwould avoid wearing myselfout Of course I learned all ofthat before I was on BroadwayAnd I learned even more whenI did eight performances a
week on stage
JW What did your mother teach you about life Or wereyou sheltered in her shadowLS [Laughs] You didnt wilt in Ninarsquos presence You neverwould have recovered from that A lot of what I learned wasby watching and listening Itrsquos amazing what children pick upthat way I didnrsquot wilt in her presence but I did learn how tofeel the air shift around me and about timingmdashwhen tospeak and when not to
JazzWax March 2009
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JW Were you honest with your mother LS I learned later on in our relationship that I needed toclearly communicate what Ineeded from her so I could getpositive reinforcement duringour conversations and visitsMy mom was so commandingand so accustomed to beingthe one dictating theconversation that to have someone like me come aroundand not want anything from her just her love was almostalien to her
JW Did she adjust to meet those needsLS It was hard for her For mom to make that shift was like
the grinding of gears Ihad to let her know in nouncertain terms that Iloved her very much butthat it hurt when shesaid certain things anddid certain things I alsosaid that I would
appreciate her taking certain things like my needs intoconsideration [Pictured Lisa Simone playing for motherNina]
JW What happenedLS She started to do that and our relationship was at awonderful point when she passed away in 2003
JW As a child understanding your mothers needs andhonoring them required enormous maturityLS I was grown up before I was an adult When yoursquore anonly child and yoursquoreglobetrotting all over the placewith your mother you findyourself growing in ways thatyou wouldnt have in othercircumstances
JW Was it tough traveling somuch
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LS You make the best of yourenvironment Books for mebecame my world
JW I Hold No Grudge has been wonderfully updatedLS Thank you Theyrsquore all special My mother said we were
both griots which are WestAfrican storytellers She saidwe both had an ability to makeour audiences feel what wersquoresinging about Itrsquos justsomething that I seem to haveand I have no idea where itcame from Irsquove found thatsinging for me is also a way of
getting certain emotions out Most people know that whenIrsquove had a bad day theyrsquore going to get an even better showsince Irsquom going to take any blow up and turn it intosomething beautiful
JW Is this album a message to your mom LS I like that question Yes it is Now that Irsquovebeen traveling on tour Itend to talk more aboutmy life with my motherIt has been a celebrationof my legacy and mymotherrsquosaccomplishments hermessage and her musicNot only have I learned to face this part of my life but Irsquoveembraced it This is not only about my mother but also myway of presenting myself to the world
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JW What do you think Ninawould say about your albumLS I think there would be a bigsmile on her face and shersquodlisten to it over and over again
JazzWax tracks Simone onSimone is available as adownload at iTunes and
Amazon or as a CD here For Simones tour information and tohear clips from her new album you can visit her site here
JazzWax clips Heres a YouTube clip interview with Simone onher new CD
Once you hear Simones new version of I Hold No Grudge listento Ninas original version from 1966
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 26 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0803 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Andy Stroud Lisa Simone Nina Simone Simone
Bill Evans at Town Hall
Of pianist Bill Evans many live albums At Town Hall Vol 1 hasalways been among his mostdelicate and elegant Evansplaying is taut and gracefulwith lovely longimprovisational lines and asnappy fluid attack on thekeyboard The mix ofstandards and two originalsmdashone was a suite in memory ofhis father who died just threedays earliermdashalso were neatlyselected and assembled
For those who share my love of this album heresa list of little-known facts about the recording takenfrom Peter Pettingers How My Heart Sings a BillEvans discography and quotes from sources Ispoke to yesterday afternoon I also have a raretreat for you at the bottom
Despite playing New York club dates for 10 years the TownHall recording on February 21 1966 was Evans first NewYork concert appearance
Evans played the first half of the Town Hall concert with justbassist Chuck Israels and drummer Arnie Wise and thesecond half with an orchestra
According to Tom Lords Jazz Discography the orchestrasegment was arranged and conducted by Al Cohn [pictured]and featured Ernie Royal ClarkTerry and Bill Berry (trumpets)
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Bob Brookmeyer QuentinJackson and Bill Watrous(trombone) Bob Northern(French horn) Jerry DodgionGeorge Marge Eddie DanielsFrank Petrovsky and MarvinHolladay (reeds) Evans(piano) Chuck Israels (bass)and Grady Tate (drums)
The orchestra performed four Al Cohn-arranged tunesWillow Weep for Me and What Kind of Fool Am I as well asEvans originals Funkallero and Waltz for Debby
Verve never released Volume 2 which was to have featuredthe orchestral material and three trio tracks that didnt fit onthe first LP Yesterday I asked Jan Stevens of The BillEvans Web Pages what became of the band tracks Jansays Evans was intensely displeased with the result
Al Cohn did a strange thing The orchestral materialwas set up so the band played one of Cohnsarrangements followed by Bill playing a solo interludebetween songs In this regard the four songs were
meant to be a kind ofsuite with Bills pianobridging the gaps ButHelen Keane told me inthe early 1980s that Billwas extremely unhappywith the result She saidthe tracks would nevercome out no matter
what So far theyve never been commercially issuedWhats more they have never appeared on a bootlegwhich leads me to think Verve may have purged themasters immediately on Keanes or Evans insistence[Photo of Helen Keane and Bill Evans by Phil Braycourtesy of BillEvansnl in the Netherlands]
Although Creed Taylors name and signature were used byVerve on the LP jacket Creed told me yesterday that Helenalone produced the concert and that he wasnt there and
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had nothing to do with the event or the albums production
Gene Lees the legendary jazz writer and close friend ofEvans said yesterday he couldnt remember the concert anddidnt know specifically why the orchestral material wasntissued or what happened to the tracks
The concert was Chuck Israels last recorded appearance asa regular member of the Bill Evans Trio
Note-for-note piano transcriptions of the six songs recordedat Town Hall were recently issued as Bill Evans at TownHall Piano Transcriptions and Performance Notes by PascalWetzel Youll find it here
And now for the treat I promised you above Thanks to thegenerosity of JazzWax reader Kurt Kolstad who attended theTown Hall concert in 1966 heres the program sheet front andback including Gene Lees tribute essay Kurt says the songselections did not appear in the program and were announcedfrom the stage (click on the image to enlarge)
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
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Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
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Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
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In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
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March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
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written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
JazzWax March 2009
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Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
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March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
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What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
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youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
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1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
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music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
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Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
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sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
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JazzWax March 2009
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abandoned tomb in the graveyard He liked the sound there
Carol Sloane on Oscar Peterson Oscar would watch my set atthe Village Vanguard [in 1961] from adark banquette off to the side Eachtime he would ask out loud for me tosing Kurt Weills My Ship Id jazz upthe song and when Id finish Id lookat Oscar for his reaction Each time Isang it Oscar was expressionlessFor a week hed shout out the samerequest and each time Id workharder to make a jazz impressionAnd each time Id get the same stonyreaction I finally grew exhaustedtrying to embellish the song So onenight I just sang it straight When I finished Oscar was grinningand applauding I finally got Oscars message A great songdoesnt need to be jazzed up You just have to sing it straight Ivecarried Oscars lesson with me ever since
Carol Sloane on Barbra Streisand The first time I met her I wassinging at the Village Vanguard in 1961 One of the waiters came
up to me to tell me that there was ayoung girl in the back who lookedkind of weird He said she doesnthave a purse and shes wearing a T-shirt and her hair is long and stringyThe waiter asked if I wanted to seethis girl or should he tell her Im notavailable I went to the back of theclub and there was this ordinary
looking girl She [introduced herself and] said to me How do youdo that Do what You mean singing I asked Yeah how doyou sing like that She said she was just starting out
Carol Sloane on performing with Ben Webster in 1963 inRhode Island I listened to everynote Ben played As a singer Icouldnt believe how great he
sounded After the set he smiled atme That was enough He smiledThen he went straight to the bar
Carol Sloane on watching the Beatles perform from thedugout at Shea Stadium in 1965 andhearing the mass hysteria As a jazzsinger I was nauseous I could see thewriting on the wall with the Beatles The kidshad been drifting away from jazz for yearsBut by this concert in 1965 they werecompletely gone and I knew they werenever coming back You could see it Youcould hear it
Carol Sloane on her stormy relationship with pianist JimmyRowles It was a tough period forme I was in my early 40s and hadbegun questioning everything aboutmy career and my ability Jimmy wasa legendary pianist the guy who hadaccompanied everyone In thebeginning he made me feel greatBut little by little things got worseand worse It got so bad that I triedto take my own life
Carol Sloane on Ella Fitzgeralds performance anxiety [Ella]was pacing and wringing her handsbackstage and saying Irsquom sonervous Irsquom so nervous I said GodElla donrsquot worry Jimmy [Rowles] willnever let you down Yoursquove gotnothing to worry about She said Iknow She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15years So all of a sudden she had anew guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was
behaving as though the world was going to come to an end
Wailin
Red MitchellPresentingRed Mitchell
SonnyClarkLeapin andLopin
SonnyRollinsAlfie
MachitoKenya Afro-Cuban Jazz
YusefLateef TheGolden Flute
YusefLateef IntoSomething
MundellLowe Satanin HighHeels
Bill EvansLive in Paris1965
FrankSinatra ASwinginAffair
This Here
JazzWax March 2009
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March 30 2009
Carol Sloane on her own stage anxiety I was always nervousabout performing To the point of being ill It was awful I used tohave performance-anxiety dreams Id go to sleep and havenightmares about having to go out and sing It cant be helped Itssomething deep in your brain
Singer Simone on what she misses most about her motherNina Simone I miss her handrubbing my head I miss her touch
Posted by Marc Myers at 0830 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Billy Joel Buddy De Franco Carol Sloane Chico Hamilton David Soyer HalMcKusick Helen Merrill Jimmy Cobb Phil Woods Sandie Shaw Simone
Hank Garland Jazz Winds
Country musicians have a long history of teaming with jazz andblues artists to produce hipmusic Western swing was anoutgrowth of jazz The samegoes for rockabilly and theearly Sun Records soundOne of the finest examples ofthis twang-and-hang hybrid isJazz Winds from a NewDirection Recorded in August1960 the session was led by
Hank Garland one of Nashvilles topcountry studio musicians at the timewho recorded with Elvis Presley andother country-rock artists in the late1950s Jazz Winds teamed Garlandwith Gary Burton on vibes JoeBenjamin on bass and Joe Morelloon drums
How did this configuration come to be Garlands professionalrelationship with Burton actually began a month earlier on July 41960 after rowdy spectators at the Newport Jazz Festival causedthe cancellation of the events remaining performances One ofthose planned events included Garland and other Nashville artistswho enjoyed playing jazz
So RCA executive Ben Rosner quickly rented a mansion and onthe afternoon of July 4th the groupbilled as the Nashville All-Starsrecorded seven tracks The bandfeatured Boots Randolph (alto sax)Gary Burton (vibes) [pictured] FloydCramer (piano) Hank Garland andChet Atkins (guitars) Brenton Banks(violin) Bob Moore (bass) and Buddy Harman (drums)
The album was released as After theRiot at Newport and featured a coverillustrated by Jim Flora and linernotes by Newport Jazz Festivalfounder and producer George WeinHeres what George wrote
The music on this disc is whattranspired on that sunny Monday
afternoon [of July 4th] Incidentally but importantly twoselections in the album were composed for the occasionChet Atkins penned Nashville to Newport and BootsRandolph with Hank Garland extemporized Riot-Chous thenight before the sessionmdashright after the big riot
To me the highlights of the album are the wonderful violinof Brenton Banks the swinging guitar
Joe Timer ampTHEOrchestraWillisConoversHouse ofSounds
Presents THE Orchestra
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of Hank Garland and the brilliant workof a 17-year old vibraphonist fromPrinceton Indiana Gary Burtonwhom you will be sure to hear a lot inthe future [Pictured George Wein]
A month later on August 23d Garland wentinto ColumbiasNashvillestudio withBurton Joe Benjamin and JoeMorello and recorded Jazz Windsfrom a New Direction Six days laterthe same group recorded SubtleSwing
In early 1961 Garland picked up where he left off in the Nashvillestudios with Presley and other country and early rock artists Butin September Garland was ina near-fatal auto accidentnear Nashville that left him ina coma for a week When heemerged he had sufferedsevere brain damage Hiswife helped him learn to walktalk and regain partial guitar-playing ability But except foran occasional appearanceGarland remained retiredpassing away in 2004[Pictured Presley and HankGarland]
Jazz Winds and the other albums mentioned above show theearly jazz promise of Hank Garlandjust before his flame was tragicallysnuffed out They also demonstrateGeorge Weins gift for dismissingnaysayers and bringing togetherartists of different stripes to createbeautiful music Had Garlandsurvived there surely would have
CannonballAdderleyArtFarmerAlabamaConcerto
LambertHendricks ampBavan Liveat BasinStreet East
DavidAmramJazz Portrait
Frank WessWess PointTheCommodoreRecordings
HalMcKusickHalMcKusickQuartet
TeddyCharlesTentetTeddyCharlesTentet
TeddyCharles withJimmyRaney NewDirections
TeddyCharlesCoolin
SarahVaughanAfter Hoursat theLondonHouse
V i d e o s
Art Van Damme Ben Webster Bill Evans Billie Holiday Bob Brookmeyer Bobby Timmons Cannbl Adderley Carmen McRae 1
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March 29 2009
been all types of jazz-country fusionefforts throughout the 1960s and beyond Garland could swingJust ask Gary Burton
JazzWax tracks You can buy Hank Garlands jazz albumsindividually but youll pay a fortune sincemost are out of print Or you can buy thetwo-CD set Move The Guitar Artistry ofHank Garland which includes selectionsfrom four of Garlands jazz-countryrecordings After the Riot Jazz Winds froma New Direction Velvet Guitar and SubtleSwing Youll find the CD and samples here
A special thanks to Kurt Kolstad for introducing me to Garland andJazz Winds
JazzWax clip Heres a clip of country guitarists Eddy Arnold andHank Garland in the mid-1950s Pay particular attention toGarlands jazz chords on the Hank Garland Stomp
Posted by Marc Myers at 0751 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Chet Atkins Eddy Arnold Elvis Presley Gary Burton George Wein HankGarland Joe Morello
Carmen McRae 2 Charleston Charlie Parker Chet Baker Chico OFarrill Claus Ogerman Coleman Hawkins Count Basie Dinah Washington Dizzy Gillespie Earl Hines Eddie Palmieri Gerry Mulligan Gene Krupa Geo Shearing Jack Teagarden Jackie McLean Jackie Paris Jammin the Blues June Christy 1 June Christy 2 Lee Morgan Lockjaw Davis Louie Bellson Maynard Ferguson Max Roach Miles Davis 1 Miles Davis 2 Mundell Lowe 1 Mundell Lowe 2 Oscar Pettiford Paul Desmond Pepper Adams Phineas Newborn Sarah Vaughan Sonny Rollins Sound of Jazz Stan Kenton Teddy Wilson Terry Gibbs Wes Montgomery Woody Herman Yolande Bavan Yusef Lateef
B l o g s
Terry Teachout Doug Ramsey Jazz Video Guy Nate Chinen Jazzcom JazzSession Cab Calloway A Blog Supreme David B Johnson Gregory Bell Jan Stevens Ed Leimbacher Howard Mandel Jazz Lives JerryJazzMusician Ian Carey Latin Jazz Corner Lost + Sound MuleWalkJazzTalk My2CentsWorth New Orleans News Ray De Felitta Ricky Riccardi Russ Neff Steve Cerra Vinson Valega Von Babasin
A r t i s t S i t e s
>
JazzWax March 2009
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Sunday Wax Bits
The future of live jazz I have no idea whether anyone hasconducted an in-depth studyof jazz-club attendance andlive-jazz revenue trends overthe past five years I supposeits safe to assume that if thenewspaper business and CDindustry are drowning theeffort to put warm bodies inseats at clubs concerts andfestivals cant be far behind[Photo of girl transfixed byjazz by Bob Willoughby 1951]
The deck certainly is stackedagainst concert producersclub owners and musicians alike Real estate leases remainprohibitively high insurance premiums are up the comforts ofhome are increasingly seductive discretionary income is tight thejazz legend pool is shrinking and the promotional dollars neededto spread the word never seems to be enough
And thats the good news The bigger dragon here is technologyDramatic shifts occur every time this beastswishes its tail Have you noticed thatvirtually everything you can hold in yourhands these days is disappearing Gizmoscreens have become so clear and Internetbandwidth so wide that increasing amountsof our culture are being consumed through
pixels and digital bites
Dig this Music downloads now represent the only slice of therecord business thats growingAmazons Kindle has rendered books(the kind with spines and dustjackets) almost meaningless Moviedownloads have already begun toovercome DVDs And once wall-sized computer screens aredeveloped and affordable its easy to
Art Blakey Art Pepper Arturo OFarrill Benny Carter Bill Evans Brooks Tegler Bud Shank Charles Mingus Chet Baker Clifford Brown David Amram Frank Wess Grant Stewart Jackie Paris Louie Bellson Nelson Riddle Pharoah Sanders Roberto Magris Sal Mosca Sonny Rollins Teddy Charles Tessa Souter Warne Marsh Yolande Bavan
R a d i o
JAZZFM91 PURE JAZZ WBGO-FM WKCR-FM WDNA-FM WFIU-FM WNMC-FM WWOZ-FM BlackJazz Radio
S h o p p i n g
JazzFirstBooks VinylReVinyl
R e s o u r c e s
Jazz Corner Jazz Foundation Planet Bret Videos JazzBeatorg All About Jazz
Blog powered by TypePadMember since 072007
JazzWax March 2009
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imagine that well be able todownload Caribbean and European travel experiences withoutleaving home
Back to jazz You dont have to be a Facebook founder to knowthat the CDs days arenumbered and that live musicis under fire Lets face itgoing out to clubs isnt aseasy as it used to be Youhave to get it together arriveearly to win a favorable seatpay a fortune for admissionfork over more for smalldrinks and then travel homeearly before your chin hitsyour chest Personally I dontknow how people wentclubbing all week long in the
1940s and 1950s Didnt they have to get up early for work thenext day Or hadnt jobs been invented yet [Photo by Dave EScherman 1942 for Life]
Its anyones guess how many clubs and festivals will exist five orten years from now or how many musicians will be able to affordto play jazz at a high enough level to leave an impression Letsassume the number will be less than nowAfter all the trend is clear and its entirelypossible that live jazz will go the way of themanual transmission and TV antennas Thechallenge for jazz producers club ownersand musicians will be to find a way to makemoney using the Web to keep live jazzticking Newspapers stubbornly ignored the digital trend for yearsand learned a terrible lesson the hard way
Paul Slaughter Ive long been a fan of photographer PaulSlaughters work Over the past yearPaul has graciously allowed me touse his photos (with credit ofcourse) to illustrate JazzWax postsPaul has captured a large number ofthe jazz greats So I asked if he
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would select one of his favoriteimages and tell JazzWax readers alittle about how the photo came tobe
The Saturday afternoon before Sonnys Sunday night concert in Santa Fe inJuly of 2007 ABSpellman a retiredDeputy Chair of NationalEndowment of the Artsinterviewed Sonnybefore an audience atthe Lensic Theater anold movie houserenovated into abeautiful legit theaterAB got the JazzMasters Program goingat NEA and Sonny hadreceived an NEA JazzMasters Award in 1983
After ABs interview I gave Sonny a photo I took of him in1971 at the Monterey Jazz Festival
The next day I was hoping for a dressing room photo ofSonny so I brought him photos of his interview with ABUpon arrival at the Lensic I heard Sonny playing his horn inhis dressing room When there was a lull in Sonnys playing Iknocked on his door He said Come in There was Sonnydressed in a red shirt blue pants wearing a process capand holding his tenor sax What a terrific image I thought
I gave Sonny the photos I had brought with me He politelythanked me I asked if I could take his photo with his hornHe replied I always think part my soul is being captured
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when I am photographed I replied No Sonny this willmerely be a reflection of your soul He smiled warmly andallowed me to take one photograph The split-second resultis the image you see above
You can learn more about Paul at his site here His currentexhibition People of Our Times featuring celebrities and jazzgreats is at the Verve Gallery of Photography in Santa Fe NMuntil May 2
Doug Ramsey Last week author jazz critic and Rifftidesblogger DougRamsey featured twowonderful YouTube clips featuring singerSue Raney [pictured] One is of Raneysinging Henry Mancinis Dreamsville in2008 The other is a campy Scopitone fromthe mid-1960s of Raney singing Before theRain Scopitone was an early video jukeboxfeaturng 16mm film loops and soundtracks
Carol Sloane After viewing Bret Primacksvideo interview of me legendary singer Carol Sloane sent alongthe following e-mail
Like you I too listened faithfully to Al Jazzbo Collins[pictured] when the signal fromWNEW-NY became crystalclear as soon as other FMstations in Rhode Island shutdown for the night I found himand Harrison [the TasmanianOwl] in The Purple Grotto quiteby accident one night when Iwas spinning the dial and
should have been asleep
Of course I was hooked I even sent a fan letter written onthe diagonal (to be arty and to insure he would be obliged toread it) in purple ink Well hell I was 13 or 14 years old atthe time Never mind it worked One night I turned on theprogram and he was reading my letter on the air
Fortunately I had the opportunity to tell him many years
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later how thrilling that moment had been for me and that Irecorded My One And Only Love with him in mind because itwas his theme song
For more on Al Jazzbo Collins go here To view Carols blogSloanView go here
CD discovery of the week Back in 2006 Swiss trumpeter PeterScharli and Brazilian vocalistIthamara Koorax came together inZurich to record a beautiful albumcalled Obrigado Dom Um RomaoThe result is a tender tribute toBrazilian percussionist Dom UmRomao (Obrigado is Portuguesefor thank you)
Romao had introduced Scharli to Ithamara who became soexcited by the sound of Scharlis trumpet that she agreed torecord and tour Europe with both artists But before the tourbegan Romao died at age 82 So Scharli and Ithamara decidedto dedicate the CD to him
On the album Scharli [pictured] and Ithamara perform a series ofduets with Ithamara singing inPortuguese on 8 of the 10 tracks Ontwo tracks (Love for Sale and I Fall inLove Too Easily) Ithamara sings inEnglish But perhaps the mostfascinating songs feature Ithamarasinging vocalese in Portuguese OnVocaliste and Miniature IV she uses
Swingle Single-like tones to match Scharlis trumpet tones notefor note The result is quite fascinating as the pair come togetheror joust in counterpoint
Ithamaras voice throughout is passionate and her phrasing issoft and caressing Scharlis trumpet ispinpoint sharp without being too strong orloud Joining Ithamara [pictured] and Scharliare Markus Stalder on guitar and ThomasDurst on bass Romao plays berimbao onone track Manha de Carnaval
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March 27 2009
You can sample tracks here where youllalso find the imported CD
Oddball album cover of the week Released in 1959 on CubRecords and arrangedby Sammy Lowe TakeOff in Sound wassinger Marla Smithsonly known recordingIts unclear why Smithis pictured with anAmerican Airlines 707jet since the songsare rather land-locked(Speak Low Boy onthe Beach Wild Fireetc) Whats evenmore puzzling is the art direction Here Smith is depicted eitheras a ghost serenading mid-flight passengers Or she just
detached herself from the tailand is singing while trying tofly Either way Smiths up at35000 feet surfing theheavens in an evening gownAnd even though Smithseems to have only a cloudfor support she had the goodfashion sense to extend herleft leg for the photographer(who must have broken free
from the tail moments before her)
Posted by Marc Myers at 0815 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
JazzWax March 2009
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Interview Lisa Simone
One of the most exciting new singers Ive heard in some time isLisa Simone daughter of oneof Americas mostimpassioned vocalists NinaSimone Known simply asSimone the 46-year-old artisthas just released her first full-length album a stunningtribute to her mother Ratherthan simply mimic Ninas styleand outrage Simone hasproduced an updatedinterpretation of her motherscatalog complete with vocalpower range and tendernessSimones album Simone onSimone is earthy and gutsybut its also unmistakably adaughters message to her late mother
From the albums opening duet Music for Lovers which Lisa sangwith Nina live in Ireland to thealbums closing song Feeling Goodthis 14-track CD is packed withgospel belters big band swingersand soulful ballads Thearrangements for the 19-piece bandwere nimbly handled by Ken Moyerand they support Lisas all-in vocalstyle perfectly without being
overbearing or tissue-thin
A Broadway veteran since the mid-1990s Simone has sustainingchops that allow her voice to hit the farthest corners of any roomShe also has full command of her mothers challenging materialwhich twists and turns in places while vocals are delivered at fullthrottle
Classic Nina Simone songs on this CD include Gal From JoesGo to Hell Keeper of the Flame and a rousing version of BillyTaylors I Wish I Knew How It WouldFeel to Be Free One of my favorites
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is I Hold No Grudge which Ninarecorded in 1966 with a hugeorchestra and chorus arranged andconducted by Hal Mooney Moyersexpansive chart for Lisa is just assoft and dramatic What makes thistrack so special is Simones poetictelling of the songs lyric building to a final rousing held note
When I received a copy of Simone on Simone a couple of weeksago I put it on with some trepidation An ardent fan of NinaSimone I was fearful that Simone would either go too far or notfar enough in her tribute Instead I was blown away Simone hasre-energized her mothers material with loving sensitivity and afresh uplifting spirit
After listening to the album several times I gave Simone a call tochat about the album and her experience growing up as NinaSimones daughter
JazzWax How did it feel to have a mother who was sodeeply committed to music Lisa Simone It was normal for me My mother was alreadycommitted to music and social issues before I was born She
often had to struggle to split herlove equally between art andme which wasnt always easyOur relationship certainly hadits challenges But now that Irsquomolder and can reflect back onthose days I realize Iwitnessed a lot of history I canlook back and appreciate my
time with her whether standing in the wings watching her onstage or watching her write To Be Young Gifted and Black in1969
JW Were you always tugging at herLS I never felt I had enough of my mom I just had to dealwith it You take what you can get Now when I look back Ihave a finer understanding of my mom And Im able to get
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that extra piece I missed out on
JW Were you and your mom closeLS Yes but at times the world got in the way
JW Were you close with your father Andy StroudLS I am now When my parents were together up until1972 thatrsquos when I sawmy dad a lot When myparents divorced my lifechanged It flippedcompletely Therewerenrsquot a lot of terms inthose days to describewhat kids went throughwhen parents divorced I didnrsquot see a lot of my dad after thatyear My parents didnrsquot really get along after their splitWhen they did see each other they didnrsquot get a whole lotaccomplished [Pictured Nina Simone and husband AndyStroud]
JW What do you miss most about your momLS I miss her hand rubbing my head I miss her touch
JW Did you study singingLS No The most instruction Irsquove had was just before
appearing on stage in theBroadway production of Aida in2001 When I saw what theshow demanded I realized Ineeded a vocal coach Mycoach taught me a great dealprimarily that singing didnrsquothave to hurt I had been singingthrough my throat My coachtaught me to sing through mydiaphragm which shifts thepower source and prevents youfrom damaging your voice or
burning out
JW Youve been in few other major Broadway productionsLS Yes I was in the original cast of Rent in 1996 Then I
JazzWax March 2009
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toured with the production for a year and a half Before RentI was in a touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar
JW What did your mother teach you about singingLS All she said to me was ldquoHoney you donrsquot have to workso hardrdquo
JW What did she meanLS At the time my mother had come to a few of my showsin Los Angeles when I wasperforming at various clubsthere Her style and mine werevery different
JW How soLS Irsquom the one who jumpsaround the room like DaffyDuck I get so energizedWhereas Mommy because of all the years of practicing and
rehearsing and performing shehad already settled into singingon cruise control She wantedme to know that I could be justas effective as a singer oncruise control By urging me torelax and pace myperformances my mother felt Iwould avoid wearing myselfout Of course I learned all ofthat before I was on BroadwayAnd I learned even more whenI did eight performances a
week on stage
JW What did your mother teach you about life Or wereyou sheltered in her shadowLS [Laughs] You didnt wilt in Ninarsquos presence You neverwould have recovered from that A lot of what I learned wasby watching and listening Itrsquos amazing what children pick upthat way I didnrsquot wilt in her presence but I did learn how tofeel the air shift around me and about timingmdashwhen tospeak and when not to
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JW Were you honest with your mother LS I learned later on in our relationship that I needed toclearly communicate what Ineeded from her so I could getpositive reinforcement duringour conversations and visitsMy mom was so commandingand so accustomed to beingthe one dictating theconversation that to have someone like me come aroundand not want anything from her just her love was almostalien to her
JW Did she adjust to meet those needsLS It was hard for her For mom to make that shift was like
the grinding of gears Ihad to let her know in nouncertain terms that Iloved her very much butthat it hurt when shesaid certain things anddid certain things I alsosaid that I would
appreciate her taking certain things like my needs intoconsideration [Pictured Lisa Simone playing for motherNina]
JW What happenedLS She started to do that and our relationship was at awonderful point when she passed away in 2003
JW As a child understanding your mothers needs andhonoring them required enormous maturityLS I was grown up before I was an adult When yoursquore anonly child and yoursquoreglobetrotting all over the placewith your mother you findyourself growing in ways thatyou wouldnt have in othercircumstances
JW Was it tough traveling somuch
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LS You make the best of yourenvironment Books for mebecame my world
JW I Hold No Grudge has been wonderfully updatedLS Thank you Theyrsquore all special My mother said we were
both griots which are WestAfrican storytellers She saidwe both had an ability to makeour audiences feel what wersquoresinging about Itrsquos justsomething that I seem to haveand I have no idea where itcame from Irsquove found thatsinging for me is also a way of
getting certain emotions out Most people know that whenIrsquove had a bad day theyrsquore going to get an even better showsince Irsquom going to take any blow up and turn it intosomething beautiful
JW Is this album a message to your mom LS I like that question Yes it is Now that Irsquovebeen traveling on tour Itend to talk more aboutmy life with my motherIt has been a celebrationof my legacy and mymotherrsquosaccomplishments hermessage and her musicNot only have I learned to face this part of my life but Irsquoveembraced it This is not only about my mother but also myway of presenting myself to the world
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JW What do you think Ninawould say about your albumLS I think there would be a bigsmile on her face and shersquodlisten to it over and over again
JazzWax tracks Simone onSimone is available as adownload at iTunes and
Amazon or as a CD here For Simones tour information and tohear clips from her new album you can visit her site here
JazzWax clips Heres a YouTube clip interview with Simone onher new CD
Once you hear Simones new version of I Hold No Grudge listento Ninas original version from 1966
>
>
JazzWax March 2009
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March 26 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0803 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Andy Stroud Lisa Simone Nina Simone Simone
Bill Evans at Town Hall
Of pianist Bill Evans many live albums At Town Hall Vol 1 hasalways been among his mostdelicate and elegant Evansplaying is taut and gracefulwith lovely longimprovisational lines and asnappy fluid attack on thekeyboard The mix ofstandards and two originalsmdashone was a suite in memory ofhis father who died just threedays earliermdashalso were neatlyselected and assembled
For those who share my love of this album heresa list of little-known facts about the recording takenfrom Peter Pettingers How My Heart Sings a BillEvans discography and quotes from sources Ispoke to yesterday afternoon I also have a raretreat for you at the bottom
Despite playing New York club dates for 10 years the TownHall recording on February 21 1966 was Evans first NewYork concert appearance
Evans played the first half of the Town Hall concert with justbassist Chuck Israels and drummer Arnie Wise and thesecond half with an orchestra
According to Tom Lords Jazz Discography the orchestrasegment was arranged and conducted by Al Cohn [pictured]and featured Ernie Royal ClarkTerry and Bill Berry (trumpets)
JazzWax March 2009
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Bob Brookmeyer QuentinJackson and Bill Watrous(trombone) Bob Northern(French horn) Jerry DodgionGeorge Marge Eddie DanielsFrank Petrovsky and MarvinHolladay (reeds) Evans(piano) Chuck Israels (bass)and Grady Tate (drums)
The orchestra performed four Al Cohn-arranged tunesWillow Weep for Me and What Kind of Fool Am I as well asEvans originals Funkallero and Waltz for Debby
Verve never released Volume 2 which was to have featuredthe orchestral material and three trio tracks that didnt fit onthe first LP Yesterday I asked Jan Stevens of The BillEvans Web Pages what became of the band tracks Jansays Evans was intensely displeased with the result
Al Cohn did a strange thing The orchestral materialwas set up so the band played one of Cohnsarrangements followed by Bill playing a solo interludebetween songs In this regard the four songs were
meant to be a kind ofsuite with Bills pianobridging the gaps ButHelen Keane told me inthe early 1980s that Billwas extremely unhappywith the result She saidthe tracks would nevercome out no matter
what So far theyve never been commercially issuedWhats more they have never appeared on a bootlegwhich leads me to think Verve may have purged themasters immediately on Keanes or Evans insistence[Photo of Helen Keane and Bill Evans by Phil Braycourtesy of BillEvansnl in the Netherlands]
Although Creed Taylors name and signature were used byVerve on the LP jacket Creed told me yesterday that Helenalone produced the concert and that he wasnt there and
JazzWax March 2009
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had nothing to do with the event or the albums production
Gene Lees the legendary jazz writer and close friend ofEvans said yesterday he couldnt remember the concert anddidnt know specifically why the orchestral material wasntissued or what happened to the tracks
The concert was Chuck Israels last recorded appearance asa regular member of the Bill Evans Trio
Note-for-note piano transcriptions of the six songs recordedat Town Hall were recently issued as Bill Evans at TownHall Piano Transcriptions and Performance Notes by PascalWetzel Youll find it here
And now for the treat I promised you above Thanks to thegenerosity of JazzWax reader Kurt Kolstad who attended theTown Hall concert in 1966 heres the program sheet front andback including Gene Lees tribute essay Kurt says the songselections did not appear in the program and were announcedfrom the stage (click on the image to enlarge)
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
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Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
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Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
JazzWax March 2009
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In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
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March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
JazzWax March 2009
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written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
JazzWax March 2009
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Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
>
JazzWax March 2009
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March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
JazzWax March 2009
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March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
>
JazzWax March 2009
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
JazzWax March 2009
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What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
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youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
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1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
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music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
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Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
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sounded After the set he smiled atme That was enough He smiledThen he went straight to the bar
Carol Sloane on watching the Beatles perform from thedugout at Shea Stadium in 1965 andhearing the mass hysteria As a jazzsinger I was nauseous I could see thewriting on the wall with the Beatles The kidshad been drifting away from jazz for yearsBut by this concert in 1965 they werecompletely gone and I knew they werenever coming back You could see it Youcould hear it
Carol Sloane on her stormy relationship with pianist JimmyRowles It was a tough period forme I was in my early 40s and hadbegun questioning everything aboutmy career and my ability Jimmy wasa legendary pianist the guy who hadaccompanied everyone In thebeginning he made me feel greatBut little by little things got worseand worse It got so bad that I triedto take my own life
Carol Sloane on Ella Fitzgeralds performance anxiety [Ella]was pacing and wringing her handsbackstage and saying Irsquom sonervous Irsquom so nervous I said GodElla donrsquot worry Jimmy [Rowles] willnever let you down Yoursquove gotnothing to worry about She said Iknow She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15years So all of a sudden she had anew guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was
behaving as though the world was going to come to an end
Wailin
Red MitchellPresentingRed Mitchell
SonnyClarkLeapin andLopin
SonnyRollinsAlfie
MachitoKenya Afro-Cuban Jazz
YusefLateef TheGolden Flute
YusefLateef IntoSomething
MundellLowe Satanin HighHeels
Bill EvansLive in Paris1965
FrankSinatra ASwinginAffair
This Here
JazzWax March 2009
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March 30 2009
Carol Sloane on her own stage anxiety I was always nervousabout performing To the point of being ill It was awful I used tohave performance-anxiety dreams Id go to sleep and havenightmares about having to go out and sing It cant be helped Itssomething deep in your brain
Singer Simone on what she misses most about her motherNina Simone I miss her handrubbing my head I miss her touch
Posted by Marc Myers at 0830 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Billy Joel Buddy De Franco Carol Sloane Chico Hamilton David Soyer HalMcKusick Helen Merrill Jimmy Cobb Phil Woods Sandie Shaw Simone
Hank Garland Jazz Winds
Country musicians have a long history of teaming with jazz andblues artists to produce hipmusic Western swing was anoutgrowth of jazz The samegoes for rockabilly and theearly Sun Records soundOne of the finest examples ofthis twang-and-hang hybrid isJazz Winds from a NewDirection Recorded in August1960 the session was led by
Hank Garland one of Nashvilles topcountry studio musicians at the timewho recorded with Elvis Presley andother country-rock artists in the late1950s Jazz Winds teamed Garlandwith Gary Burton on vibes JoeBenjamin on bass and Joe Morelloon drums
How did this configuration come to be Garlands professionalrelationship with Burton actually began a month earlier on July 41960 after rowdy spectators at the Newport Jazz Festival causedthe cancellation of the events remaining performances One ofthose planned events included Garland and other Nashville artistswho enjoyed playing jazz
So RCA executive Ben Rosner quickly rented a mansion and onthe afternoon of July 4th the groupbilled as the Nashville All-Starsrecorded seven tracks The bandfeatured Boots Randolph (alto sax)Gary Burton (vibes) [pictured] FloydCramer (piano) Hank Garland andChet Atkins (guitars) Brenton Banks(violin) Bob Moore (bass) and Buddy Harman (drums)
The album was released as After theRiot at Newport and featured a coverillustrated by Jim Flora and linernotes by Newport Jazz Festivalfounder and producer George WeinHeres what George wrote
The music on this disc is whattranspired on that sunny Monday
afternoon [of July 4th] Incidentally but importantly twoselections in the album were composed for the occasionChet Atkins penned Nashville to Newport and BootsRandolph with Hank Garland extemporized Riot-Chous thenight before the sessionmdashright after the big riot
To me the highlights of the album are the wonderful violinof Brenton Banks the swinging guitar
Joe Timer ampTHEOrchestraWillisConoversHouse ofSounds
Presents THE Orchestra
JazzWax March 2009
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of Hank Garland and the brilliant workof a 17-year old vibraphonist fromPrinceton Indiana Gary Burtonwhom you will be sure to hear a lot inthe future [Pictured George Wein]
A month later on August 23d Garland wentinto ColumbiasNashvillestudio withBurton Joe Benjamin and JoeMorello and recorded Jazz Windsfrom a New Direction Six days laterthe same group recorded SubtleSwing
In early 1961 Garland picked up where he left off in the Nashvillestudios with Presley and other country and early rock artists Butin September Garland was ina near-fatal auto accidentnear Nashville that left him ina coma for a week When heemerged he had sufferedsevere brain damage Hiswife helped him learn to walktalk and regain partial guitar-playing ability But except foran occasional appearanceGarland remained retiredpassing away in 2004[Pictured Presley and HankGarland]
Jazz Winds and the other albums mentioned above show theearly jazz promise of Hank Garlandjust before his flame was tragicallysnuffed out They also demonstrateGeorge Weins gift for dismissingnaysayers and bringing togetherartists of different stripes to createbeautiful music Had Garlandsurvived there surely would have
CannonballAdderleyArtFarmerAlabamaConcerto
LambertHendricks ampBavan Liveat BasinStreet East
DavidAmramJazz Portrait
Frank WessWess PointTheCommodoreRecordings
HalMcKusickHalMcKusickQuartet
TeddyCharlesTentetTeddyCharlesTentet
TeddyCharles withJimmyRaney NewDirections
TeddyCharlesCoolin
SarahVaughanAfter Hoursat theLondonHouse
V i d e o s
Art Van Damme Ben Webster Bill Evans Billie Holiday Bob Brookmeyer Bobby Timmons Cannbl Adderley Carmen McRae 1
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March 29 2009
been all types of jazz-country fusionefforts throughout the 1960s and beyond Garland could swingJust ask Gary Burton
JazzWax tracks You can buy Hank Garlands jazz albumsindividually but youll pay a fortune sincemost are out of print Or you can buy thetwo-CD set Move The Guitar Artistry ofHank Garland which includes selectionsfrom four of Garlands jazz-countryrecordings After the Riot Jazz Winds froma New Direction Velvet Guitar and SubtleSwing Youll find the CD and samples here
A special thanks to Kurt Kolstad for introducing me to Garland andJazz Winds
JazzWax clip Heres a clip of country guitarists Eddy Arnold andHank Garland in the mid-1950s Pay particular attention toGarlands jazz chords on the Hank Garland Stomp
Posted by Marc Myers at 0751 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Chet Atkins Eddy Arnold Elvis Presley Gary Burton George Wein HankGarland Joe Morello
Carmen McRae 2 Charleston Charlie Parker Chet Baker Chico OFarrill Claus Ogerman Coleman Hawkins Count Basie Dinah Washington Dizzy Gillespie Earl Hines Eddie Palmieri Gerry Mulligan Gene Krupa Geo Shearing Jack Teagarden Jackie McLean Jackie Paris Jammin the Blues June Christy 1 June Christy 2 Lee Morgan Lockjaw Davis Louie Bellson Maynard Ferguson Max Roach Miles Davis 1 Miles Davis 2 Mundell Lowe 1 Mundell Lowe 2 Oscar Pettiford Paul Desmond Pepper Adams Phineas Newborn Sarah Vaughan Sonny Rollins Sound of Jazz Stan Kenton Teddy Wilson Terry Gibbs Wes Montgomery Woody Herman Yolande Bavan Yusef Lateef
B l o g s
Terry Teachout Doug Ramsey Jazz Video Guy Nate Chinen Jazzcom JazzSession Cab Calloway A Blog Supreme David B Johnson Gregory Bell Jan Stevens Ed Leimbacher Howard Mandel Jazz Lives JerryJazzMusician Ian Carey Latin Jazz Corner Lost + Sound MuleWalkJazzTalk My2CentsWorth New Orleans News Ray De Felitta Ricky Riccardi Russ Neff Steve Cerra Vinson Valega Von Babasin
A r t i s t S i t e s
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JazzWax March 2009
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Sunday Wax Bits
The future of live jazz I have no idea whether anyone hasconducted an in-depth studyof jazz-club attendance andlive-jazz revenue trends overthe past five years I supposeits safe to assume that if thenewspaper business and CDindustry are drowning theeffort to put warm bodies inseats at clubs concerts andfestivals cant be far behind[Photo of girl transfixed byjazz by Bob Willoughby 1951]
The deck certainly is stackedagainst concert producersclub owners and musicians alike Real estate leases remainprohibitively high insurance premiums are up the comforts ofhome are increasingly seductive discretionary income is tight thejazz legend pool is shrinking and the promotional dollars neededto spread the word never seems to be enough
And thats the good news The bigger dragon here is technologyDramatic shifts occur every time this beastswishes its tail Have you noticed thatvirtually everything you can hold in yourhands these days is disappearing Gizmoscreens have become so clear and Internetbandwidth so wide that increasing amountsof our culture are being consumed through
pixels and digital bites
Dig this Music downloads now represent the only slice of therecord business thats growingAmazons Kindle has rendered books(the kind with spines and dustjackets) almost meaningless Moviedownloads have already begun toovercome DVDs And once wall-sized computer screens aredeveloped and affordable its easy to
Art Blakey Art Pepper Arturo OFarrill Benny Carter Bill Evans Brooks Tegler Bud Shank Charles Mingus Chet Baker Clifford Brown David Amram Frank Wess Grant Stewart Jackie Paris Louie Bellson Nelson Riddle Pharoah Sanders Roberto Magris Sal Mosca Sonny Rollins Teddy Charles Tessa Souter Warne Marsh Yolande Bavan
R a d i o
JAZZFM91 PURE JAZZ WBGO-FM WKCR-FM WDNA-FM WFIU-FM WNMC-FM WWOZ-FM BlackJazz Radio
S h o p p i n g
JazzFirstBooks VinylReVinyl
R e s o u r c e s
Jazz Corner Jazz Foundation Planet Bret Videos JazzBeatorg All About Jazz
Blog powered by TypePadMember since 072007
JazzWax March 2009
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imagine that well be able todownload Caribbean and European travel experiences withoutleaving home
Back to jazz You dont have to be a Facebook founder to knowthat the CDs days arenumbered and that live musicis under fire Lets face itgoing out to clubs isnt aseasy as it used to be Youhave to get it together arriveearly to win a favorable seatpay a fortune for admissionfork over more for smalldrinks and then travel homeearly before your chin hitsyour chest Personally I dontknow how people wentclubbing all week long in the
1940s and 1950s Didnt they have to get up early for work thenext day Or hadnt jobs been invented yet [Photo by Dave EScherman 1942 for Life]
Its anyones guess how many clubs and festivals will exist five orten years from now or how many musicians will be able to affordto play jazz at a high enough level to leave an impression Letsassume the number will be less than nowAfter all the trend is clear and its entirelypossible that live jazz will go the way of themanual transmission and TV antennas Thechallenge for jazz producers club ownersand musicians will be to find a way to makemoney using the Web to keep live jazzticking Newspapers stubbornly ignored the digital trend for yearsand learned a terrible lesson the hard way
Paul Slaughter Ive long been a fan of photographer PaulSlaughters work Over the past yearPaul has graciously allowed me touse his photos (with credit ofcourse) to illustrate JazzWax postsPaul has captured a large number ofthe jazz greats So I asked if he
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would select one of his favoriteimages and tell JazzWax readers alittle about how the photo came tobe
The Saturday afternoon before Sonnys Sunday night concert in Santa Fe inJuly of 2007 ABSpellman a retiredDeputy Chair of NationalEndowment of the Artsinterviewed Sonnybefore an audience atthe Lensic Theater anold movie houserenovated into abeautiful legit theaterAB got the JazzMasters Program goingat NEA and Sonny hadreceived an NEA JazzMasters Award in 1983
After ABs interview I gave Sonny a photo I took of him in1971 at the Monterey Jazz Festival
The next day I was hoping for a dressing room photo ofSonny so I brought him photos of his interview with ABUpon arrival at the Lensic I heard Sonny playing his horn inhis dressing room When there was a lull in Sonnys playing Iknocked on his door He said Come in There was Sonnydressed in a red shirt blue pants wearing a process capand holding his tenor sax What a terrific image I thought
I gave Sonny the photos I had brought with me He politelythanked me I asked if I could take his photo with his hornHe replied I always think part my soul is being captured
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when I am photographed I replied No Sonny this willmerely be a reflection of your soul He smiled warmly andallowed me to take one photograph The split-second resultis the image you see above
You can learn more about Paul at his site here His currentexhibition People of Our Times featuring celebrities and jazzgreats is at the Verve Gallery of Photography in Santa Fe NMuntil May 2
Doug Ramsey Last week author jazz critic and Rifftidesblogger DougRamsey featured twowonderful YouTube clips featuring singerSue Raney [pictured] One is of Raneysinging Henry Mancinis Dreamsville in2008 The other is a campy Scopitone fromthe mid-1960s of Raney singing Before theRain Scopitone was an early video jukeboxfeaturng 16mm film loops and soundtracks
Carol Sloane After viewing Bret Primacksvideo interview of me legendary singer Carol Sloane sent alongthe following e-mail
Like you I too listened faithfully to Al Jazzbo Collins[pictured] when the signal fromWNEW-NY became crystalclear as soon as other FMstations in Rhode Island shutdown for the night I found himand Harrison [the TasmanianOwl] in The Purple Grotto quiteby accident one night when Iwas spinning the dial and
should have been asleep
Of course I was hooked I even sent a fan letter written onthe diagonal (to be arty and to insure he would be obliged toread it) in purple ink Well hell I was 13 or 14 years old atthe time Never mind it worked One night I turned on theprogram and he was reading my letter on the air
Fortunately I had the opportunity to tell him many years
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later how thrilling that moment had been for me and that Irecorded My One And Only Love with him in mind because itwas his theme song
For more on Al Jazzbo Collins go here To view Carols blogSloanView go here
CD discovery of the week Back in 2006 Swiss trumpeter PeterScharli and Brazilian vocalistIthamara Koorax came together inZurich to record a beautiful albumcalled Obrigado Dom Um RomaoThe result is a tender tribute toBrazilian percussionist Dom UmRomao (Obrigado is Portuguesefor thank you)
Romao had introduced Scharli to Ithamara who became soexcited by the sound of Scharlis trumpet that she agreed torecord and tour Europe with both artists But before the tourbegan Romao died at age 82 So Scharli and Ithamara decidedto dedicate the CD to him
On the album Scharli [pictured] and Ithamara perform a series ofduets with Ithamara singing inPortuguese on 8 of the 10 tracks Ontwo tracks (Love for Sale and I Fall inLove Too Easily) Ithamara sings inEnglish But perhaps the mostfascinating songs feature Ithamarasinging vocalese in Portuguese OnVocaliste and Miniature IV she uses
Swingle Single-like tones to match Scharlis trumpet tones notefor note The result is quite fascinating as the pair come togetheror joust in counterpoint
Ithamaras voice throughout is passionate and her phrasing issoft and caressing Scharlis trumpet ispinpoint sharp without being too strong orloud Joining Ithamara [pictured] and Scharliare Markus Stalder on guitar and ThomasDurst on bass Romao plays berimbao onone track Manha de Carnaval
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March 27 2009
You can sample tracks here where youllalso find the imported CD
Oddball album cover of the week Released in 1959 on CubRecords and arrangedby Sammy Lowe TakeOff in Sound wassinger Marla Smithsonly known recordingIts unclear why Smithis pictured with anAmerican Airlines 707jet since the songsare rather land-locked(Speak Low Boy onthe Beach Wild Fireetc) Whats evenmore puzzling is the art direction Here Smith is depicted eitheras a ghost serenading mid-flight passengers Or she just
detached herself from the tailand is singing while trying tofly Either way Smiths up at35000 feet surfing theheavens in an evening gownAnd even though Smithseems to have only a cloudfor support she had the goodfashion sense to extend herleft leg for the photographer(who must have broken free
from the tail moments before her)
Posted by Marc Myers at 0815 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
JazzWax March 2009
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Interview Lisa Simone
One of the most exciting new singers Ive heard in some time isLisa Simone daughter of oneof Americas mostimpassioned vocalists NinaSimone Known simply asSimone the 46-year-old artisthas just released her first full-length album a stunningtribute to her mother Ratherthan simply mimic Ninas styleand outrage Simone hasproduced an updatedinterpretation of her motherscatalog complete with vocalpower range and tendernessSimones album Simone onSimone is earthy and gutsybut its also unmistakably adaughters message to her late mother
From the albums opening duet Music for Lovers which Lisa sangwith Nina live in Ireland to thealbums closing song Feeling Goodthis 14-track CD is packed withgospel belters big band swingersand soulful ballads Thearrangements for the 19-piece bandwere nimbly handled by Ken Moyerand they support Lisas all-in vocalstyle perfectly without being
overbearing or tissue-thin
A Broadway veteran since the mid-1990s Simone has sustainingchops that allow her voice to hit the farthest corners of any roomShe also has full command of her mothers challenging materialwhich twists and turns in places while vocals are delivered at fullthrottle
Classic Nina Simone songs on this CD include Gal From JoesGo to Hell Keeper of the Flame and a rousing version of BillyTaylors I Wish I Knew How It WouldFeel to Be Free One of my favorites
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is I Hold No Grudge which Ninarecorded in 1966 with a hugeorchestra and chorus arranged andconducted by Hal Mooney Moyersexpansive chart for Lisa is just assoft and dramatic What makes thistrack so special is Simones poetictelling of the songs lyric building to a final rousing held note
When I received a copy of Simone on Simone a couple of weeksago I put it on with some trepidation An ardent fan of NinaSimone I was fearful that Simone would either go too far or notfar enough in her tribute Instead I was blown away Simone hasre-energized her mothers material with loving sensitivity and afresh uplifting spirit
After listening to the album several times I gave Simone a call tochat about the album and her experience growing up as NinaSimones daughter
JazzWax How did it feel to have a mother who was sodeeply committed to music Lisa Simone It was normal for me My mother was alreadycommitted to music and social issues before I was born She
often had to struggle to split herlove equally between art andme which wasnt always easyOur relationship certainly hadits challenges But now that Irsquomolder and can reflect back onthose days I realize Iwitnessed a lot of history I canlook back and appreciate my
time with her whether standing in the wings watching her onstage or watching her write To Be Young Gifted and Black in1969
JW Were you always tugging at herLS I never felt I had enough of my mom I just had to dealwith it You take what you can get Now when I look back Ihave a finer understanding of my mom And Im able to get
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that extra piece I missed out on
JW Were you and your mom closeLS Yes but at times the world got in the way
JW Were you close with your father Andy StroudLS I am now When my parents were together up until1972 thatrsquos when I sawmy dad a lot When myparents divorced my lifechanged It flippedcompletely Therewerenrsquot a lot of terms inthose days to describewhat kids went throughwhen parents divorced I didnrsquot see a lot of my dad after thatyear My parents didnrsquot really get along after their splitWhen they did see each other they didnrsquot get a whole lotaccomplished [Pictured Nina Simone and husband AndyStroud]
JW What do you miss most about your momLS I miss her hand rubbing my head I miss her touch
JW Did you study singingLS No The most instruction Irsquove had was just before
appearing on stage in theBroadway production of Aida in2001 When I saw what theshow demanded I realized Ineeded a vocal coach Mycoach taught me a great dealprimarily that singing didnrsquothave to hurt I had been singingthrough my throat My coachtaught me to sing through mydiaphragm which shifts thepower source and prevents youfrom damaging your voice or
burning out
JW Youve been in few other major Broadway productionsLS Yes I was in the original cast of Rent in 1996 Then I
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toured with the production for a year and a half Before RentI was in a touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar
JW What did your mother teach you about singingLS All she said to me was ldquoHoney you donrsquot have to workso hardrdquo
JW What did she meanLS At the time my mother had come to a few of my showsin Los Angeles when I wasperforming at various clubsthere Her style and mine werevery different
JW How soLS Irsquom the one who jumpsaround the room like DaffyDuck I get so energizedWhereas Mommy because of all the years of practicing and
rehearsing and performing shehad already settled into singingon cruise control She wantedme to know that I could be justas effective as a singer oncruise control By urging me torelax and pace myperformances my mother felt Iwould avoid wearing myselfout Of course I learned all ofthat before I was on BroadwayAnd I learned even more whenI did eight performances a
week on stage
JW What did your mother teach you about life Or wereyou sheltered in her shadowLS [Laughs] You didnt wilt in Ninarsquos presence You neverwould have recovered from that A lot of what I learned wasby watching and listening Itrsquos amazing what children pick upthat way I didnrsquot wilt in her presence but I did learn how tofeel the air shift around me and about timingmdashwhen tospeak and when not to
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JW Were you honest with your mother LS I learned later on in our relationship that I needed toclearly communicate what Ineeded from her so I could getpositive reinforcement duringour conversations and visitsMy mom was so commandingand so accustomed to beingthe one dictating theconversation that to have someone like me come aroundand not want anything from her just her love was almostalien to her
JW Did she adjust to meet those needsLS It was hard for her For mom to make that shift was like
the grinding of gears Ihad to let her know in nouncertain terms that Iloved her very much butthat it hurt when shesaid certain things anddid certain things I alsosaid that I would
appreciate her taking certain things like my needs intoconsideration [Pictured Lisa Simone playing for motherNina]
JW What happenedLS She started to do that and our relationship was at awonderful point when she passed away in 2003
JW As a child understanding your mothers needs andhonoring them required enormous maturityLS I was grown up before I was an adult When yoursquore anonly child and yoursquoreglobetrotting all over the placewith your mother you findyourself growing in ways thatyou wouldnt have in othercircumstances
JW Was it tough traveling somuch
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LS You make the best of yourenvironment Books for mebecame my world
JW I Hold No Grudge has been wonderfully updatedLS Thank you Theyrsquore all special My mother said we were
both griots which are WestAfrican storytellers She saidwe both had an ability to makeour audiences feel what wersquoresinging about Itrsquos justsomething that I seem to haveand I have no idea where itcame from Irsquove found thatsinging for me is also a way of
getting certain emotions out Most people know that whenIrsquove had a bad day theyrsquore going to get an even better showsince Irsquom going to take any blow up and turn it intosomething beautiful
JW Is this album a message to your mom LS I like that question Yes it is Now that Irsquovebeen traveling on tour Itend to talk more aboutmy life with my motherIt has been a celebrationof my legacy and mymotherrsquosaccomplishments hermessage and her musicNot only have I learned to face this part of my life but Irsquoveembraced it This is not only about my mother but also myway of presenting myself to the world
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JW What do you think Ninawould say about your albumLS I think there would be a bigsmile on her face and shersquodlisten to it over and over again
JazzWax tracks Simone onSimone is available as adownload at iTunes and
Amazon or as a CD here For Simones tour information and tohear clips from her new album you can visit her site here
JazzWax clips Heres a YouTube clip interview with Simone onher new CD
Once you hear Simones new version of I Hold No Grudge listento Ninas original version from 1966
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 26 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0803 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Andy Stroud Lisa Simone Nina Simone Simone
Bill Evans at Town Hall
Of pianist Bill Evans many live albums At Town Hall Vol 1 hasalways been among his mostdelicate and elegant Evansplaying is taut and gracefulwith lovely longimprovisational lines and asnappy fluid attack on thekeyboard The mix ofstandards and two originalsmdashone was a suite in memory ofhis father who died just threedays earliermdashalso were neatlyselected and assembled
For those who share my love of this album heresa list of little-known facts about the recording takenfrom Peter Pettingers How My Heart Sings a BillEvans discography and quotes from sources Ispoke to yesterday afternoon I also have a raretreat for you at the bottom
Despite playing New York club dates for 10 years the TownHall recording on February 21 1966 was Evans first NewYork concert appearance
Evans played the first half of the Town Hall concert with justbassist Chuck Israels and drummer Arnie Wise and thesecond half with an orchestra
According to Tom Lords Jazz Discography the orchestrasegment was arranged and conducted by Al Cohn [pictured]and featured Ernie Royal ClarkTerry and Bill Berry (trumpets)
JazzWax March 2009
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Bob Brookmeyer QuentinJackson and Bill Watrous(trombone) Bob Northern(French horn) Jerry DodgionGeorge Marge Eddie DanielsFrank Petrovsky and MarvinHolladay (reeds) Evans(piano) Chuck Israels (bass)and Grady Tate (drums)
The orchestra performed four Al Cohn-arranged tunesWillow Weep for Me and What Kind of Fool Am I as well asEvans originals Funkallero and Waltz for Debby
Verve never released Volume 2 which was to have featuredthe orchestral material and three trio tracks that didnt fit onthe first LP Yesterday I asked Jan Stevens of The BillEvans Web Pages what became of the band tracks Jansays Evans was intensely displeased with the result
Al Cohn did a strange thing The orchestral materialwas set up so the band played one of Cohnsarrangements followed by Bill playing a solo interludebetween songs In this regard the four songs were
meant to be a kind ofsuite with Bills pianobridging the gaps ButHelen Keane told me inthe early 1980s that Billwas extremely unhappywith the result She saidthe tracks would nevercome out no matter
what So far theyve never been commercially issuedWhats more they have never appeared on a bootlegwhich leads me to think Verve may have purged themasters immediately on Keanes or Evans insistence[Photo of Helen Keane and Bill Evans by Phil Braycourtesy of BillEvansnl in the Netherlands]
Although Creed Taylors name and signature were used byVerve on the LP jacket Creed told me yesterday that Helenalone produced the concert and that he wasnt there and
JazzWax March 2009
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had nothing to do with the event or the albums production
Gene Lees the legendary jazz writer and close friend ofEvans said yesterday he couldnt remember the concert anddidnt know specifically why the orchestral material wasntissued or what happened to the tracks
The concert was Chuck Israels last recorded appearance asa regular member of the Bill Evans Trio
Note-for-note piano transcriptions of the six songs recordedat Town Hall were recently issued as Bill Evans at TownHall Piano Transcriptions and Performance Notes by PascalWetzel Youll find it here
And now for the treat I promised you above Thanks to thegenerosity of JazzWax reader Kurt Kolstad who attended theTown Hall concert in 1966 heres the program sheet front andback including Gene Lees tribute essay Kurt says the songselections did not appear in the program and were announcedfrom the stage (click on the image to enlarge)
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
JazzWax March 2009
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Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
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Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
JazzWax March 2009
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In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
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March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
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written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
JazzWax March 2009
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Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
>
JazzWax March 2009
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March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
JazzWax March 2009
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March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
>
JazzWax March 2009
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
JazzWax March 2009
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What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
JazzWax March 2009
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
JazzWax March 2009
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
JazzWax March 2009
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youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
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1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
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music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
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Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
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March 30 2009
Carol Sloane on her own stage anxiety I was always nervousabout performing To the point of being ill It was awful I used tohave performance-anxiety dreams Id go to sleep and havenightmares about having to go out and sing It cant be helped Itssomething deep in your brain
Singer Simone on what she misses most about her motherNina Simone I miss her handrubbing my head I miss her touch
Posted by Marc Myers at 0830 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Billy Joel Buddy De Franco Carol Sloane Chico Hamilton David Soyer HalMcKusick Helen Merrill Jimmy Cobb Phil Woods Sandie Shaw Simone
Hank Garland Jazz Winds
Country musicians have a long history of teaming with jazz andblues artists to produce hipmusic Western swing was anoutgrowth of jazz The samegoes for rockabilly and theearly Sun Records soundOne of the finest examples ofthis twang-and-hang hybrid isJazz Winds from a NewDirection Recorded in August1960 the session was led by
Hank Garland one of Nashvilles topcountry studio musicians at the timewho recorded with Elvis Presley andother country-rock artists in the late1950s Jazz Winds teamed Garlandwith Gary Burton on vibes JoeBenjamin on bass and Joe Morelloon drums
How did this configuration come to be Garlands professionalrelationship with Burton actually began a month earlier on July 41960 after rowdy spectators at the Newport Jazz Festival causedthe cancellation of the events remaining performances One ofthose planned events included Garland and other Nashville artistswho enjoyed playing jazz
So RCA executive Ben Rosner quickly rented a mansion and onthe afternoon of July 4th the groupbilled as the Nashville All-Starsrecorded seven tracks The bandfeatured Boots Randolph (alto sax)Gary Burton (vibes) [pictured] FloydCramer (piano) Hank Garland andChet Atkins (guitars) Brenton Banks(violin) Bob Moore (bass) and Buddy Harman (drums)
The album was released as After theRiot at Newport and featured a coverillustrated by Jim Flora and linernotes by Newport Jazz Festivalfounder and producer George WeinHeres what George wrote
The music on this disc is whattranspired on that sunny Monday
afternoon [of July 4th] Incidentally but importantly twoselections in the album were composed for the occasionChet Atkins penned Nashville to Newport and BootsRandolph with Hank Garland extemporized Riot-Chous thenight before the sessionmdashright after the big riot
To me the highlights of the album are the wonderful violinof Brenton Banks the swinging guitar
Joe Timer ampTHEOrchestraWillisConoversHouse ofSounds
Presents THE Orchestra
JazzWax March 2009
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of Hank Garland and the brilliant workof a 17-year old vibraphonist fromPrinceton Indiana Gary Burtonwhom you will be sure to hear a lot inthe future [Pictured George Wein]
A month later on August 23d Garland wentinto ColumbiasNashvillestudio withBurton Joe Benjamin and JoeMorello and recorded Jazz Windsfrom a New Direction Six days laterthe same group recorded SubtleSwing
In early 1961 Garland picked up where he left off in the Nashvillestudios with Presley and other country and early rock artists Butin September Garland was ina near-fatal auto accidentnear Nashville that left him ina coma for a week When heemerged he had sufferedsevere brain damage Hiswife helped him learn to walktalk and regain partial guitar-playing ability But except foran occasional appearanceGarland remained retiredpassing away in 2004[Pictured Presley and HankGarland]
Jazz Winds and the other albums mentioned above show theearly jazz promise of Hank Garlandjust before his flame was tragicallysnuffed out They also demonstrateGeorge Weins gift for dismissingnaysayers and bringing togetherartists of different stripes to createbeautiful music Had Garlandsurvived there surely would have
CannonballAdderleyArtFarmerAlabamaConcerto
LambertHendricks ampBavan Liveat BasinStreet East
DavidAmramJazz Portrait
Frank WessWess PointTheCommodoreRecordings
HalMcKusickHalMcKusickQuartet
TeddyCharlesTentetTeddyCharlesTentet
TeddyCharles withJimmyRaney NewDirections
TeddyCharlesCoolin
SarahVaughanAfter Hoursat theLondonHouse
V i d e o s
Art Van Damme Ben Webster Bill Evans Billie Holiday Bob Brookmeyer Bobby Timmons Cannbl Adderley Carmen McRae 1
JazzWax March 2009
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March 29 2009
been all types of jazz-country fusionefforts throughout the 1960s and beyond Garland could swingJust ask Gary Burton
JazzWax tracks You can buy Hank Garlands jazz albumsindividually but youll pay a fortune sincemost are out of print Or you can buy thetwo-CD set Move The Guitar Artistry ofHank Garland which includes selectionsfrom four of Garlands jazz-countryrecordings After the Riot Jazz Winds froma New Direction Velvet Guitar and SubtleSwing Youll find the CD and samples here
A special thanks to Kurt Kolstad for introducing me to Garland andJazz Winds
JazzWax clip Heres a clip of country guitarists Eddy Arnold andHank Garland in the mid-1950s Pay particular attention toGarlands jazz chords on the Hank Garland Stomp
Posted by Marc Myers at 0751 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Chet Atkins Eddy Arnold Elvis Presley Gary Burton George Wein HankGarland Joe Morello
Carmen McRae 2 Charleston Charlie Parker Chet Baker Chico OFarrill Claus Ogerman Coleman Hawkins Count Basie Dinah Washington Dizzy Gillespie Earl Hines Eddie Palmieri Gerry Mulligan Gene Krupa Geo Shearing Jack Teagarden Jackie McLean Jackie Paris Jammin the Blues June Christy 1 June Christy 2 Lee Morgan Lockjaw Davis Louie Bellson Maynard Ferguson Max Roach Miles Davis 1 Miles Davis 2 Mundell Lowe 1 Mundell Lowe 2 Oscar Pettiford Paul Desmond Pepper Adams Phineas Newborn Sarah Vaughan Sonny Rollins Sound of Jazz Stan Kenton Teddy Wilson Terry Gibbs Wes Montgomery Woody Herman Yolande Bavan Yusef Lateef
B l o g s
Terry Teachout Doug Ramsey Jazz Video Guy Nate Chinen Jazzcom JazzSession Cab Calloway A Blog Supreme David B Johnson Gregory Bell Jan Stevens Ed Leimbacher Howard Mandel Jazz Lives JerryJazzMusician Ian Carey Latin Jazz Corner Lost + Sound MuleWalkJazzTalk My2CentsWorth New Orleans News Ray De Felitta Ricky Riccardi Russ Neff Steve Cerra Vinson Valega Von Babasin
A r t i s t S i t e s
>
JazzWax March 2009
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Sunday Wax Bits
The future of live jazz I have no idea whether anyone hasconducted an in-depth studyof jazz-club attendance andlive-jazz revenue trends overthe past five years I supposeits safe to assume that if thenewspaper business and CDindustry are drowning theeffort to put warm bodies inseats at clubs concerts andfestivals cant be far behind[Photo of girl transfixed byjazz by Bob Willoughby 1951]
The deck certainly is stackedagainst concert producersclub owners and musicians alike Real estate leases remainprohibitively high insurance premiums are up the comforts ofhome are increasingly seductive discretionary income is tight thejazz legend pool is shrinking and the promotional dollars neededto spread the word never seems to be enough
And thats the good news The bigger dragon here is technologyDramatic shifts occur every time this beastswishes its tail Have you noticed thatvirtually everything you can hold in yourhands these days is disappearing Gizmoscreens have become so clear and Internetbandwidth so wide that increasing amountsof our culture are being consumed through
pixels and digital bites
Dig this Music downloads now represent the only slice of therecord business thats growingAmazons Kindle has rendered books(the kind with spines and dustjackets) almost meaningless Moviedownloads have already begun toovercome DVDs And once wall-sized computer screens aredeveloped and affordable its easy to
Art Blakey Art Pepper Arturo OFarrill Benny Carter Bill Evans Brooks Tegler Bud Shank Charles Mingus Chet Baker Clifford Brown David Amram Frank Wess Grant Stewart Jackie Paris Louie Bellson Nelson Riddle Pharoah Sanders Roberto Magris Sal Mosca Sonny Rollins Teddy Charles Tessa Souter Warne Marsh Yolande Bavan
R a d i o
JAZZFM91 PURE JAZZ WBGO-FM WKCR-FM WDNA-FM WFIU-FM WNMC-FM WWOZ-FM BlackJazz Radio
S h o p p i n g
JazzFirstBooks VinylReVinyl
R e s o u r c e s
Jazz Corner Jazz Foundation Planet Bret Videos JazzBeatorg All About Jazz
Blog powered by TypePadMember since 072007
JazzWax March 2009
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imagine that well be able todownload Caribbean and European travel experiences withoutleaving home
Back to jazz You dont have to be a Facebook founder to knowthat the CDs days arenumbered and that live musicis under fire Lets face itgoing out to clubs isnt aseasy as it used to be Youhave to get it together arriveearly to win a favorable seatpay a fortune for admissionfork over more for smalldrinks and then travel homeearly before your chin hitsyour chest Personally I dontknow how people wentclubbing all week long in the
1940s and 1950s Didnt they have to get up early for work thenext day Or hadnt jobs been invented yet [Photo by Dave EScherman 1942 for Life]
Its anyones guess how many clubs and festivals will exist five orten years from now or how many musicians will be able to affordto play jazz at a high enough level to leave an impression Letsassume the number will be less than nowAfter all the trend is clear and its entirelypossible that live jazz will go the way of themanual transmission and TV antennas Thechallenge for jazz producers club ownersand musicians will be to find a way to makemoney using the Web to keep live jazzticking Newspapers stubbornly ignored the digital trend for yearsand learned a terrible lesson the hard way
Paul Slaughter Ive long been a fan of photographer PaulSlaughters work Over the past yearPaul has graciously allowed me touse his photos (with credit ofcourse) to illustrate JazzWax postsPaul has captured a large number ofthe jazz greats So I asked if he
JazzWax March 2009
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would select one of his favoriteimages and tell JazzWax readers alittle about how the photo came tobe
The Saturday afternoon before Sonnys Sunday night concert in Santa Fe inJuly of 2007 ABSpellman a retiredDeputy Chair of NationalEndowment of the Artsinterviewed Sonnybefore an audience atthe Lensic Theater anold movie houserenovated into abeautiful legit theaterAB got the JazzMasters Program goingat NEA and Sonny hadreceived an NEA JazzMasters Award in 1983
After ABs interview I gave Sonny a photo I took of him in1971 at the Monterey Jazz Festival
The next day I was hoping for a dressing room photo ofSonny so I brought him photos of his interview with ABUpon arrival at the Lensic I heard Sonny playing his horn inhis dressing room When there was a lull in Sonnys playing Iknocked on his door He said Come in There was Sonnydressed in a red shirt blue pants wearing a process capand holding his tenor sax What a terrific image I thought
I gave Sonny the photos I had brought with me He politelythanked me I asked if I could take his photo with his hornHe replied I always think part my soul is being captured
JazzWax March 2009
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when I am photographed I replied No Sonny this willmerely be a reflection of your soul He smiled warmly andallowed me to take one photograph The split-second resultis the image you see above
You can learn more about Paul at his site here His currentexhibition People of Our Times featuring celebrities and jazzgreats is at the Verve Gallery of Photography in Santa Fe NMuntil May 2
Doug Ramsey Last week author jazz critic and Rifftidesblogger DougRamsey featured twowonderful YouTube clips featuring singerSue Raney [pictured] One is of Raneysinging Henry Mancinis Dreamsville in2008 The other is a campy Scopitone fromthe mid-1960s of Raney singing Before theRain Scopitone was an early video jukeboxfeaturng 16mm film loops and soundtracks
Carol Sloane After viewing Bret Primacksvideo interview of me legendary singer Carol Sloane sent alongthe following e-mail
Like you I too listened faithfully to Al Jazzbo Collins[pictured] when the signal fromWNEW-NY became crystalclear as soon as other FMstations in Rhode Island shutdown for the night I found himand Harrison [the TasmanianOwl] in The Purple Grotto quiteby accident one night when Iwas spinning the dial and
should have been asleep
Of course I was hooked I even sent a fan letter written onthe diagonal (to be arty and to insure he would be obliged toread it) in purple ink Well hell I was 13 or 14 years old atthe time Never mind it worked One night I turned on theprogram and he was reading my letter on the air
Fortunately I had the opportunity to tell him many years
JazzWax March 2009
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later how thrilling that moment had been for me and that Irecorded My One And Only Love with him in mind because itwas his theme song
For more on Al Jazzbo Collins go here To view Carols blogSloanView go here
CD discovery of the week Back in 2006 Swiss trumpeter PeterScharli and Brazilian vocalistIthamara Koorax came together inZurich to record a beautiful albumcalled Obrigado Dom Um RomaoThe result is a tender tribute toBrazilian percussionist Dom UmRomao (Obrigado is Portuguesefor thank you)
Romao had introduced Scharli to Ithamara who became soexcited by the sound of Scharlis trumpet that she agreed torecord and tour Europe with both artists But before the tourbegan Romao died at age 82 So Scharli and Ithamara decidedto dedicate the CD to him
On the album Scharli [pictured] and Ithamara perform a series ofduets with Ithamara singing inPortuguese on 8 of the 10 tracks Ontwo tracks (Love for Sale and I Fall inLove Too Easily) Ithamara sings inEnglish But perhaps the mostfascinating songs feature Ithamarasinging vocalese in Portuguese OnVocaliste and Miniature IV she uses
Swingle Single-like tones to match Scharlis trumpet tones notefor note The result is quite fascinating as the pair come togetheror joust in counterpoint
Ithamaras voice throughout is passionate and her phrasing issoft and caressing Scharlis trumpet ispinpoint sharp without being too strong orloud Joining Ithamara [pictured] and Scharliare Markus Stalder on guitar and ThomasDurst on bass Romao plays berimbao onone track Manha de Carnaval
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March 27 2009
You can sample tracks here where youllalso find the imported CD
Oddball album cover of the week Released in 1959 on CubRecords and arrangedby Sammy Lowe TakeOff in Sound wassinger Marla Smithsonly known recordingIts unclear why Smithis pictured with anAmerican Airlines 707jet since the songsare rather land-locked(Speak Low Boy onthe Beach Wild Fireetc) Whats evenmore puzzling is the art direction Here Smith is depicted eitheras a ghost serenading mid-flight passengers Or she just
detached herself from the tailand is singing while trying tofly Either way Smiths up at35000 feet surfing theheavens in an evening gownAnd even though Smithseems to have only a cloudfor support she had the goodfashion sense to extend herleft leg for the photographer(who must have broken free
from the tail moments before her)
Posted by Marc Myers at 0815 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
JazzWax March 2009
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Interview Lisa Simone
One of the most exciting new singers Ive heard in some time isLisa Simone daughter of oneof Americas mostimpassioned vocalists NinaSimone Known simply asSimone the 46-year-old artisthas just released her first full-length album a stunningtribute to her mother Ratherthan simply mimic Ninas styleand outrage Simone hasproduced an updatedinterpretation of her motherscatalog complete with vocalpower range and tendernessSimones album Simone onSimone is earthy and gutsybut its also unmistakably adaughters message to her late mother
From the albums opening duet Music for Lovers which Lisa sangwith Nina live in Ireland to thealbums closing song Feeling Goodthis 14-track CD is packed withgospel belters big band swingersand soulful ballads Thearrangements for the 19-piece bandwere nimbly handled by Ken Moyerand they support Lisas all-in vocalstyle perfectly without being
overbearing or tissue-thin
A Broadway veteran since the mid-1990s Simone has sustainingchops that allow her voice to hit the farthest corners of any roomShe also has full command of her mothers challenging materialwhich twists and turns in places while vocals are delivered at fullthrottle
Classic Nina Simone songs on this CD include Gal From JoesGo to Hell Keeper of the Flame and a rousing version of BillyTaylors I Wish I Knew How It WouldFeel to Be Free One of my favorites
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is I Hold No Grudge which Ninarecorded in 1966 with a hugeorchestra and chorus arranged andconducted by Hal Mooney Moyersexpansive chart for Lisa is just assoft and dramatic What makes thistrack so special is Simones poetictelling of the songs lyric building to a final rousing held note
When I received a copy of Simone on Simone a couple of weeksago I put it on with some trepidation An ardent fan of NinaSimone I was fearful that Simone would either go too far or notfar enough in her tribute Instead I was blown away Simone hasre-energized her mothers material with loving sensitivity and afresh uplifting spirit
After listening to the album several times I gave Simone a call tochat about the album and her experience growing up as NinaSimones daughter
JazzWax How did it feel to have a mother who was sodeeply committed to music Lisa Simone It was normal for me My mother was alreadycommitted to music and social issues before I was born She
often had to struggle to split herlove equally between art andme which wasnt always easyOur relationship certainly hadits challenges But now that Irsquomolder and can reflect back onthose days I realize Iwitnessed a lot of history I canlook back and appreciate my
time with her whether standing in the wings watching her onstage or watching her write To Be Young Gifted and Black in1969
JW Were you always tugging at herLS I never felt I had enough of my mom I just had to dealwith it You take what you can get Now when I look back Ihave a finer understanding of my mom And Im able to get
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that extra piece I missed out on
JW Were you and your mom closeLS Yes but at times the world got in the way
JW Were you close with your father Andy StroudLS I am now When my parents were together up until1972 thatrsquos when I sawmy dad a lot When myparents divorced my lifechanged It flippedcompletely Therewerenrsquot a lot of terms inthose days to describewhat kids went throughwhen parents divorced I didnrsquot see a lot of my dad after thatyear My parents didnrsquot really get along after their splitWhen they did see each other they didnrsquot get a whole lotaccomplished [Pictured Nina Simone and husband AndyStroud]
JW What do you miss most about your momLS I miss her hand rubbing my head I miss her touch
JW Did you study singingLS No The most instruction Irsquove had was just before
appearing on stage in theBroadway production of Aida in2001 When I saw what theshow demanded I realized Ineeded a vocal coach Mycoach taught me a great dealprimarily that singing didnrsquothave to hurt I had been singingthrough my throat My coachtaught me to sing through mydiaphragm which shifts thepower source and prevents youfrom damaging your voice or
burning out
JW Youve been in few other major Broadway productionsLS Yes I was in the original cast of Rent in 1996 Then I
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toured with the production for a year and a half Before RentI was in a touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar
JW What did your mother teach you about singingLS All she said to me was ldquoHoney you donrsquot have to workso hardrdquo
JW What did she meanLS At the time my mother had come to a few of my showsin Los Angeles when I wasperforming at various clubsthere Her style and mine werevery different
JW How soLS Irsquom the one who jumpsaround the room like DaffyDuck I get so energizedWhereas Mommy because of all the years of practicing and
rehearsing and performing shehad already settled into singingon cruise control She wantedme to know that I could be justas effective as a singer oncruise control By urging me torelax and pace myperformances my mother felt Iwould avoid wearing myselfout Of course I learned all ofthat before I was on BroadwayAnd I learned even more whenI did eight performances a
week on stage
JW What did your mother teach you about life Or wereyou sheltered in her shadowLS [Laughs] You didnt wilt in Ninarsquos presence You neverwould have recovered from that A lot of what I learned wasby watching and listening Itrsquos amazing what children pick upthat way I didnrsquot wilt in her presence but I did learn how tofeel the air shift around me and about timingmdashwhen tospeak and when not to
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JW Were you honest with your mother LS I learned later on in our relationship that I needed toclearly communicate what Ineeded from her so I could getpositive reinforcement duringour conversations and visitsMy mom was so commandingand so accustomed to beingthe one dictating theconversation that to have someone like me come aroundand not want anything from her just her love was almostalien to her
JW Did she adjust to meet those needsLS It was hard for her For mom to make that shift was like
the grinding of gears Ihad to let her know in nouncertain terms that Iloved her very much butthat it hurt when shesaid certain things anddid certain things I alsosaid that I would
appreciate her taking certain things like my needs intoconsideration [Pictured Lisa Simone playing for motherNina]
JW What happenedLS She started to do that and our relationship was at awonderful point when she passed away in 2003
JW As a child understanding your mothers needs andhonoring them required enormous maturityLS I was grown up before I was an adult When yoursquore anonly child and yoursquoreglobetrotting all over the placewith your mother you findyourself growing in ways thatyou wouldnt have in othercircumstances
JW Was it tough traveling somuch
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LS You make the best of yourenvironment Books for mebecame my world
JW I Hold No Grudge has been wonderfully updatedLS Thank you Theyrsquore all special My mother said we were
both griots which are WestAfrican storytellers She saidwe both had an ability to makeour audiences feel what wersquoresinging about Itrsquos justsomething that I seem to haveand I have no idea where itcame from Irsquove found thatsinging for me is also a way of
getting certain emotions out Most people know that whenIrsquove had a bad day theyrsquore going to get an even better showsince Irsquom going to take any blow up and turn it intosomething beautiful
JW Is this album a message to your mom LS I like that question Yes it is Now that Irsquovebeen traveling on tour Itend to talk more aboutmy life with my motherIt has been a celebrationof my legacy and mymotherrsquosaccomplishments hermessage and her musicNot only have I learned to face this part of my life but Irsquoveembraced it This is not only about my mother but also myway of presenting myself to the world
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JW What do you think Ninawould say about your albumLS I think there would be a bigsmile on her face and shersquodlisten to it over and over again
JazzWax tracks Simone onSimone is available as adownload at iTunes and
Amazon or as a CD here For Simones tour information and tohear clips from her new album you can visit her site here
JazzWax clips Heres a YouTube clip interview with Simone onher new CD
Once you hear Simones new version of I Hold No Grudge listento Ninas original version from 1966
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March 26 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0803 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Andy Stroud Lisa Simone Nina Simone Simone
Bill Evans at Town Hall
Of pianist Bill Evans many live albums At Town Hall Vol 1 hasalways been among his mostdelicate and elegant Evansplaying is taut and gracefulwith lovely longimprovisational lines and asnappy fluid attack on thekeyboard The mix ofstandards and two originalsmdashone was a suite in memory ofhis father who died just threedays earliermdashalso were neatlyselected and assembled
For those who share my love of this album heresa list of little-known facts about the recording takenfrom Peter Pettingers How My Heart Sings a BillEvans discography and quotes from sources Ispoke to yesterday afternoon I also have a raretreat for you at the bottom
Despite playing New York club dates for 10 years the TownHall recording on February 21 1966 was Evans first NewYork concert appearance
Evans played the first half of the Town Hall concert with justbassist Chuck Israels and drummer Arnie Wise and thesecond half with an orchestra
According to Tom Lords Jazz Discography the orchestrasegment was arranged and conducted by Al Cohn [pictured]and featured Ernie Royal ClarkTerry and Bill Berry (trumpets)
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Bob Brookmeyer QuentinJackson and Bill Watrous(trombone) Bob Northern(French horn) Jerry DodgionGeorge Marge Eddie DanielsFrank Petrovsky and MarvinHolladay (reeds) Evans(piano) Chuck Israels (bass)and Grady Tate (drums)
The orchestra performed four Al Cohn-arranged tunesWillow Weep for Me and What Kind of Fool Am I as well asEvans originals Funkallero and Waltz for Debby
Verve never released Volume 2 which was to have featuredthe orchestral material and three trio tracks that didnt fit onthe first LP Yesterday I asked Jan Stevens of The BillEvans Web Pages what became of the band tracks Jansays Evans was intensely displeased with the result
Al Cohn did a strange thing The orchestral materialwas set up so the band played one of Cohnsarrangements followed by Bill playing a solo interludebetween songs In this regard the four songs were
meant to be a kind ofsuite with Bills pianobridging the gaps ButHelen Keane told me inthe early 1980s that Billwas extremely unhappywith the result She saidthe tracks would nevercome out no matter
what So far theyve never been commercially issuedWhats more they have never appeared on a bootlegwhich leads me to think Verve may have purged themasters immediately on Keanes or Evans insistence[Photo of Helen Keane and Bill Evans by Phil Braycourtesy of BillEvansnl in the Netherlands]
Although Creed Taylors name and signature were used byVerve on the LP jacket Creed told me yesterday that Helenalone produced the concert and that he wasnt there and
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had nothing to do with the event or the albums production
Gene Lees the legendary jazz writer and close friend ofEvans said yesterday he couldnt remember the concert anddidnt know specifically why the orchestral material wasntissued or what happened to the tracks
The concert was Chuck Israels last recorded appearance asa regular member of the Bill Evans Trio
Note-for-note piano transcriptions of the six songs recordedat Town Hall were recently issued as Bill Evans at TownHall Piano Transcriptions and Performance Notes by PascalWetzel Youll find it here
And now for the treat I promised you above Thanks to thegenerosity of JazzWax reader Kurt Kolstad who attended theTown Hall concert in 1966 heres the program sheet front andback including Gene Lees tribute essay Kurt says the songselections did not appear in the program and were announcedfrom the stage (click on the image to enlarge)
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
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Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
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Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
JazzWax March 2009
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In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
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March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
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written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
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Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
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March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
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What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
JazzWax March 2009
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youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
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1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
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music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
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Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
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How did this configuration come to be Garlands professionalrelationship with Burton actually began a month earlier on July 41960 after rowdy spectators at the Newport Jazz Festival causedthe cancellation of the events remaining performances One ofthose planned events included Garland and other Nashville artistswho enjoyed playing jazz
So RCA executive Ben Rosner quickly rented a mansion and onthe afternoon of July 4th the groupbilled as the Nashville All-Starsrecorded seven tracks The bandfeatured Boots Randolph (alto sax)Gary Burton (vibes) [pictured] FloydCramer (piano) Hank Garland andChet Atkins (guitars) Brenton Banks(violin) Bob Moore (bass) and Buddy Harman (drums)
The album was released as After theRiot at Newport and featured a coverillustrated by Jim Flora and linernotes by Newport Jazz Festivalfounder and producer George WeinHeres what George wrote
The music on this disc is whattranspired on that sunny Monday
afternoon [of July 4th] Incidentally but importantly twoselections in the album were composed for the occasionChet Atkins penned Nashville to Newport and BootsRandolph with Hank Garland extemporized Riot-Chous thenight before the sessionmdashright after the big riot
To me the highlights of the album are the wonderful violinof Brenton Banks the swinging guitar
Joe Timer ampTHEOrchestraWillisConoversHouse ofSounds
Presents THE Orchestra
JazzWax March 2009
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of Hank Garland and the brilliant workof a 17-year old vibraphonist fromPrinceton Indiana Gary Burtonwhom you will be sure to hear a lot inthe future [Pictured George Wein]
A month later on August 23d Garland wentinto ColumbiasNashvillestudio withBurton Joe Benjamin and JoeMorello and recorded Jazz Windsfrom a New Direction Six days laterthe same group recorded SubtleSwing
In early 1961 Garland picked up where he left off in the Nashvillestudios with Presley and other country and early rock artists Butin September Garland was ina near-fatal auto accidentnear Nashville that left him ina coma for a week When heemerged he had sufferedsevere brain damage Hiswife helped him learn to walktalk and regain partial guitar-playing ability But except foran occasional appearanceGarland remained retiredpassing away in 2004[Pictured Presley and HankGarland]
Jazz Winds and the other albums mentioned above show theearly jazz promise of Hank Garlandjust before his flame was tragicallysnuffed out They also demonstrateGeorge Weins gift for dismissingnaysayers and bringing togetherartists of different stripes to createbeautiful music Had Garlandsurvived there surely would have
CannonballAdderleyArtFarmerAlabamaConcerto
LambertHendricks ampBavan Liveat BasinStreet East
DavidAmramJazz Portrait
Frank WessWess PointTheCommodoreRecordings
HalMcKusickHalMcKusickQuartet
TeddyCharlesTentetTeddyCharlesTentet
TeddyCharles withJimmyRaney NewDirections
TeddyCharlesCoolin
SarahVaughanAfter Hoursat theLondonHouse
V i d e o s
Art Van Damme Ben Webster Bill Evans Billie Holiday Bob Brookmeyer Bobby Timmons Cannbl Adderley Carmen McRae 1
JazzWax March 2009
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March 29 2009
been all types of jazz-country fusionefforts throughout the 1960s and beyond Garland could swingJust ask Gary Burton
JazzWax tracks You can buy Hank Garlands jazz albumsindividually but youll pay a fortune sincemost are out of print Or you can buy thetwo-CD set Move The Guitar Artistry ofHank Garland which includes selectionsfrom four of Garlands jazz-countryrecordings After the Riot Jazz Winds froma New Direction Velvet Guitar and SubtleSwing Youll find the CD and samples here
A special thanks to Kurt Kolstad for introducing me to Garland andJazz Winds
JazzWax clip Heres a clip of country guitarists Eddy Arnold andHank Garland in the mid-1950s Pay particular attention toGarlands jazz chords on the Hank Garland Stomp
Posted by Marc Myers at 0751 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Chet Atkins Eddy Arnold Elvis Presley Gary Burton George Wein HankGarland Joe Morello
Carmen McRae 2 Charleston Charlie Parker Chet Baker Chico OFarrill Claus Ogerman Coleman Hawkins Count Basie Dinah Washington Dizzy Gillespie Earl Hines Eddie Palmieri Gerry Mulligan Gene Krupa Geo Shearing Jack Teagarden Jackie McLean Jackie Paris Jammin the Blues June Christy 1 June Christy 2 Lee Morgan Lockjaw Davis Louie Bellson Maynard Ferguson Max Roach Miles Davis 1 Miles Davis 2 Mundell Lowe 1 Mundell Lowe 2 Oscar Pettiford Paul Desmond Pepper Adams Phineas Newborn Sarah Vaughan Sonny Rollins Sound of Jazz Stan Kenton Teddy Wilson Terry Gibbs Wes Montgomery Woody Herman Yolande Bavan Yusef Lateef
B l o g s
Terry Teachout Doug Ramsey Jazz Video Guy Nate Chinen Jazzcom JazzSession Cab Calloway A Blog Supreme David B Johnson Gregory Bell Jan Stevens Ed Leimbacher Howard Mandel Jazz Lives JerryJazzMusician Ian Carey Latin Jazz Corner Lost + Sound MuleWalkJazzTalk My2CentsWorth New Orleans News Ray De Felitta Ricky Riccardi Russ Neff Steve Cerra Vinson Valega Von Babasin
A r t i s t S i t e s
>
JazzWax March 2009
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Sunday Wax Bits
The future of live jazz I have no idea whether anyone hasconducted an in-depth studyof jazz-club attendance andlive-jazz revenue trends overthe past five years I supposeits safe to assume that if thenewspaper business and CDindustry are drowning theeffort to put warm bodies inseats at clubs concerts andfestivals cant be far behind[Photo of girl transfixed byjazz by Bob Willoughby 1951]
The deck certainly is stackedagainst concert producersclub owners and musicians alike Real estate leases remainprohibitively high insurance premiums are up the comforts ofhome are increasingly seductive discretionary income is tight thejazz legend pool is shrinking and the promotional dollars neededto spread the word never seems to be enough
And thats the good news The bigger dragon here is technologyDramatic shifts occur every time this beastswishes its tail Have you noticed thatvirtually everything you can hold in yourhands these days is disappearing Gizmoscreens have become so clear and Internetbandwidth so wide that increasing amountsof our culture are being consumed through
pixels and digital bites
Dig this Music downloads now represent the only slice of therecord business thats growingAmazons Kindle has rendered books(the kind with spines and dustjackets) almost meaningless Moviedownloads have already begun toovercome DVDs And once wall-sized computer screens aredeveloped and affordable its easy to
Art Blakey Art Pepper Arturo OFarrill Benny Carter Bill Evans Brooks Tegler Bud Shank Charles Mingus Chet Baker Clifford Brown David Amram Frank Wess Grant Stewart Jackie Paris Louie Bellson Nelson Riddle Pharoah Sanders Roberto Magris Sal Mosca Sonny Rollins Teddy Charles Tessa Souter Warne Marsh Yolande Bavan
R a d i o
JAZZFM91 PURE JAZZ WBGO-FM WKCR-FM WDNA-FM WFIU-FM WNMC-FM WWOZ-FM BlackJazz Radio
S h o p p i n g
JazzFirstBooks VinylReVinyl
R e s o u r c e s
Jazz Corner Jazz Foundation Planet Bret Videos JazzBeatorg All About Jazz
Blog powered by TypePadMember since 072007
JazzWax March 2009
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imagine that well be able todownload Caribbean and European travel experiences withoutleaving home
Back to jazz You dont have to be a Facebook founder to knowthat the CDs days arenumbered and that live musicis under fire Lets face itgoing out to clubs isnt aseasy as it used to be Youhave to get it together arriveearly to win a favorable seatpay a fortune for admissionfork over more for smalldrinks and then travel homeearly before your chin hitsyour chest Personally I dontknow how people wentclubbing all week long in the
1940s and 1950s Didnt they have to get up early for work thenext day Or hadnt jobs been invented yet [Photo by Dave EScherman 1942 for Life]
Its anyones guess how many clubs and festivals will exist five orten years from now or how many musicians will be able to affordto play jazz at a high enough level to leave an impression Letsassume the number will be less than nowAfter all the trend is clear and its entirelypossible that live jazz will go the way of themanual transmission and TV antennas Thechallenge for jazz producers club ownersand musicians will be to find a way to makemoney using the Web to keep live jazzticking Newspapers stubbornly ignored the digital trend for yearsand learned a terrible lesson the hard way
Paul Slaughter Ive long been a fan of photographer PaulSlaughters work Over the past yearPaul has graciously allowed me touse his photos (with credit ofcourse) to illustrate JazzWax postsPaul has captured a large number ofthe jazz greats So I asked if he
JazzWax March 2009
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would select one of his favoriteimages and tell JazzWax readers alittle about how the photo came tobe
The Saturday afternoon before Sonnys Sunday night concert in Santa Fe inJuly of 2007 ABSpellman a retiredDeputy Chair of NationalEndowment of the Artsinterviewed Sonnybefore an audience atthe Lensic Theater anold movie houserenovated into abeautiful legit theaterAB got the JazzMasters Program goingat NEA and Sonny hadreceived an NEA JazzMasters Award in 1983
After ABs interview I gave Sonny a photo I took of him in1971 at the Monterey Jazz Festival
The next day I was hoping for a dressing room photo ofSonny so I brought him photos of his interview with ABUpon arrival at the Lensic I heard Sonny playing his horn inhis dressing room When there was a lull in Sonnys playing Iknocked on his door He said Come in There was Sonnydressed in a red shirt blue pants wearing a process capand holding his tenor sax What a terrific image I thought
I gave Sonny the photos I had brought with me He politelythanked me I asked if I could take his photo with his hornHe replied I always think part my soul is being captured
JazzWax March 2009
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when I am photographed I replied No Sonny this willmerely be a reflection of your soul He smiled warmly andallowed me to take one photograph The split-second resultis the image you see above
You can learn more about Paul at his site here His currentexhibition People of Our Times featuring celebrities and jazzgreats is at the Verve Gallery of Photography in Santa Fe NMuntil May 2
Doug Ramsey Last week author jazz critic and Rifftidesblogger DougRamsey featured twowonderful YouTube clips featuring singerSue Raney [pictured] One is of Raneysinging Henry Mancinis Dreamsville in2008 The other is a campy Scopitone fromthe mid-1960s of Raney singing Before theRain Scopitone was an early video jukeboxfeaturng 16mm film loops and soundtracks
Carol Sloane After viewing Bret Primacksvideo interview of me legendary singer Carol Sloane sent alongthe following e-mail
Like you I too listened faithfully to Al Jazzbo Collins[pictured] when the signal fromWNEW-NY became crystalclear as soon as other FMstations in Rhode Island shutdown for the night I found himand Harrison [the TasmanianOwl] in The Purple Grotto quiteby accident one night when Iwas spinning the dial and
should have been asleep
Of course I was hooked I even sent a fan letter written onthe diagonal (to be arty and to insure he would be obliged toread it) in purple ink Well hell I was 13 or 14 years old atthe time Never mind it worked One night I turned on theprogram and he was reading my letter on the air
Fortunately I had the opportunity to tell him many years
JazzWax March 2009
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later how thrilling that moment had been for me and that Irecorded My One And Only Love with him in mind because itwas his theme song
For more on Al Jazzbo Collins go here To view Carols blogSloanView go here
CD discovery of the week Back in 2006 Swiss trumpeter PeterScharli and Brazilian vocalistIthamara Koorax came together inZurich to record a beautiful albumcalled Obrigado Dom Um RomaoThe result is a tender tribute toBrazilian percussionist Dom UmRomao (Obrigado is Portuguesefor thank you)
Romao had introduced Scharli to Ithamara who became soexcited by the sound of Scharlis trumpet that she agreed torecord and tour Europe with both artists But before the tourbegan Romao died at age 82 So Scharli and Ithamara decidedto dedicate the CD to him
On the album Scharli [pictured] and Ithamara perform a series ofduets with Ithamara singing inPortuguese on 8 of the 10 tracks Ontwo tracks (Love for Sale and I Fall inLove Too Easily) Ithamara sings inEnglish But perhaps the mostfascinating songs feature Ithamarasinging vocalese in Portuguese OnVocaliste and Miniature IV she uses
Swingle Single-like tones to match Scharlis trumpet tones notefor note The result is quite fascinating as the pair come togetheror joust in counterpoint
Ithamaras voice throughout is passionate and her phrasing issoft and caressing Scharlis trumpet ispinpoint sharp without being too strong orloud Joining Ithamara [pictured] and Scharliare Markus Stalder on guitar and ThomasDurst on bass Romao plays berimbao onone track Manha de Carnaval
JazzWax March 2009
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March 27 2009
You can sample tracks here where youllalso find the imported CD
Oddball album cover of the week Released in 1959 on CubRecords and arrangedby Sammy Lowe TakeOff in Sound wassinger Marla Smithsonly known recordingIts unclear why Smithis pictured with anAmerican Airlines 707jet since the songsare rather land-locked(Speak Low Boy onthe Beach Wild Fireetc) Whats evenmore puzzling is the art direction Here Smith is depicted eitheras a ghost serenading mid-flight passengers Or she just
detached herself from the tailand is singing while trying tofly Either way Smiths up at35000 feet surfing theheavens in an evening gownAnd even though Smithseems to have only a cloudfor support she had the goodfashion sense to extend herleft leg for the photographer(who must have broken free
from the tail moments before her)
Posted by Marc Myers at 0815 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
JazzWax March 2009
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Interview Lisa Simone
One of the most exciting new singers Ive heard in some time isLisa Simone daughter of oneof Americas mostimpassioned vocalists NinaSimone Known simply asSimone the 46-year-old artisthas just released her first full-length album a stunningtribute to her mother Ratherthan simply mimic Ninas styleand outrage Simone hasproduced an updatedinterpretation of her motherscatalog complete with vocalpower range and tendernessSimones album Simone onSimone is earthy and gutsybut its also unmistakably adaughters message to her late mother
From the albums opening duet Music for Lovers which Lisa sangwith Nina live in Ireland to thealbums closing song Feeling Goodthis 14-track CD is packed withgospel belters big band swingersand soulful ballads Thearrangements for the 19-piece bandwere nimbly handled by Ken Moyerand they support Lisas all-in vocalstyle perfectly without being
overbearing or tissue-thin
A Broadway veteran since the mid-1990s Simone has sustainingchops that allow her voice to hit the farthest corners of any roomShe also has full command of her mothers challenging materialwhich twists and turns in places while vocals are delivered at fullthrottle
Classic Nina Simone songs on this CD include Gal From JoesGo to Hell Keeper of the Flame and a rousing version of BillyTaylors I Wish I Knew How It WouldFeel to Be Free One of my favorites
JazzWax March 2009
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is I Hold No Grudge which Ninarecorded in 1966 with a hugeorchestra and chorus arranged andconducted by Hal Mooney Moyersexpansive chart for Lisa is just assoft and dramatic What makes thistrack so special is Simones poetictelling of the songs lyric building to a final rousing held note
When I received a copy of Simone on Simone a couple of weeksago I put it on with some trepidation An ardent fan of NinaSimone I was fearful that Simone would either go too far or notfar enough in her tribute Instead I was blown away Simone hasre-energized her mothers material with loving sensitivity and afresh uplifting spirit
After listening to the album several times I gave Simone a call tochat about the album and her experience growing up as NinaSimones daughter
JazzWax How did it feel to have a mother who was sodeeply committed to music Lisa Simone It was normal for me My mother was alreadycommitted to music and social issues before I was born She
often had to struggle to split herlove equally between art andme which wasnt always easyOur relationship certainly hadits challenges But now that Irsquomolder and can reflect back onthose days I realize Iwitnessed a lot of history I canlook back and appreciate my
time with her whether standing in the wings watching her onstage or watching her write To Be Young Gifted and Black in1969
JW Were you always tugging at herLS I never felt I had enough of my mom I just had to dealwith it You take what you can get Now when I look back Ihave a finer understanding of my mom And Im able to get
JazzWax March 2009
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that extra piece I missed out on
JW Were you and your mom closeLS Yes but at times the world got in the way
JW Were you close with your father Andy StroudLS I am now When my parents were together up until1972 thatrsquos when I sawmy dad a lot When myparents divorced my lifechanged It flippedcompletely Therewerenrsquot a lot of terms inthose days to describewhat kids went throughwhen parents divorced I didnrsquot see a lot of my dad after thatyear My parents didnrsquot really get along after their splitWhen they did see each other they didnrsquot get a whole lotaccomplished [Pictured Nina Simone and husband AndyStroud]
JW What do you miss most about your momLS I miss her hand rubbing my head I miss her touch
JW Did you study singingLS No The most instruction Irsquove had was just before
appearing on stage in theBroadway production of Aida in2001 When I saw what theshow demanded I realized Ineeded a vocal coach Mycoach taught me a great dealprimarily that singing didnrsquothave to hurt I had been singingthrough my throat My coachtaught me to sing through mydiaphragm which shifts thepower source and prevents youfrom damaging your voice or
burning out
JW Youve been in few other major Broadway productionsLS Yes I was in the original cast of Rent in 1996 Then I
JazzWax March 2009
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toured with the production for a year and a half Before RentI was in a touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar
JW What did your mother teach you about singingLS All she said to me was ldquoHoney you donrsquot have to workso hardrdquo
JW What did she meanLS At the time my mother had come to a few of my showsin Los Angeles when I wasperforming at various clubsthere Her style and mine werevery different
JW How soLS Irsquom the one who jumpsaround the room like DaffyDuck I get so energizedWhereas Mommy because of all the years of practicing and
rehearsing and performing shehad already settled into singingon cruise control She wantedme to know that I could be justas effective as a singer oncruise control By urging me torelax and pace myperformances my mother felt Iwould avoid wearing myselfout Of course I learned all ofthat before I was on BroadwayAnd I learned even more whenI did eight performances a
week on stage
JW What did your mother teach you about life Or wereyou sheltered in her shadowLS [Laughs] You didnt wilt in Ninarsquos presence You neverwould have recovered from that A lot of what I learned wasby watching and listening Itrsquos amazing what children pick upthat way I didnrsquot wilt in her presence but I did learn how tofeel the air shift around me and about timingmdashwhen tospeak and when not to
JazzWax March 2009
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JW Were you honest with your mother LS I learned later on in our relationship that I needed toclearly communicate what Ineeded from her so I could getpositive reinforcement duringour conversations and visitsMy mom was so commandingand so accustomed to beingthe one dictating theconversation that to have someone like me come aroundand not want anything from her just her love was almostalien to her
JW Did she adjust to meet those needsLS It was hard for her For mom to make that shift was like
the grinding of gears Ihad to let her know in nouncertain terms that Iloved her very much butthat it hurt when shesaid certain things anddid certain things I alsosaid that I would
appreciate her taking certain things like my needs intoconsideration [Pictured Lisa Simone playing for motherNina]
JW What happenedLS She started to do that and our relationship was at awonderful point when she passed away in 2003
JW As a child understanding your mothers needs andhonoring them required enormous maturityLS I was grown up before I was an adult When yoursquore anonly child and yoursquoreglobetrotting all over the placewith your mother you findyourself growing in ways thatyou wouldnt have in othercircumstances
JW Was it tough traveling somuch
JazzWax March 2009
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LS You make the best of yourenvironment Books for mebecame my world
JW I Hold No Grudge has been wonderfully updatedLS Thank you Theyrsquore all special My mother said we were
both griots which are WestAfrican storytellers She saidwe both had an ability to makeour audiences feel what wersquoresinging about Itrsquos justsomething that I seem to haveand I have no idea where itcame from Irsquove found thatsinging for me is also a way of
getting certain emotions out Most people know that whenIrsquove had a bad day theyrsquore going to get an even better showsince Irsquom going to take any blow up and turn it intosomething beautiful
JW Is this album a message to your mom LS I like that question Yes it is Now that Irsquovebeen traveling on tour Itend to talk more aboutmy life with my motherIt has been a celebrationof my legacy and mymotherrsquosaccomplishments hermessage and her musicNot only have I learned to face this part of my life but Irsquoveembraced it This is not only about my mother but also myway of presenting myself to the world
JazzWax March 2009
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JW What do you think Ninawould say about your albumLS I think there would be a bigsmile on her face and shersquodlisten to it over and over again
JazzWax tracks Simone onSimone is available as adownload at iTunes and
Amazon or as a CD here For Simones tour information and tohear clips from her new album you can visit her site here
JazzWax clips Heres a YouTube clip interview with Simone onher new CD
Once you hear Simones new version of I Hold No Grudge listento Ninas original version from 1966
>
>
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 26 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0803 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Andy Stroud Lisa Simone Nina Simone Simone
Bill Evans at Town Hall
Of pianist Bill Evans many live albums At Town Hall Vol 1 hasalways been among his mostdelicate and elegant Evansplaying is taut and gracefulwith lovely longimprovisational lines and asnappy fluid attack on thekeyboard The mix ofstandards and two originalsmdashone was a suite in memory ofhis father who died just threedays earliermdashalso were neatlyselected and assembled
For those who share my love of this album heresa list of little-known facts about the recording takenfrom Peter Pettingers How My Heart Sings a BillEvans discography and quotes from sources Ispoke to yesterday afternoon I also have a raretreat for you at the bottom
Despite playing New York club dates for 10 years the TownHall recording on February 21 1966 was Evans first NewYork concert appearance
Evans played the first half of the Town Hall concert with justbassist Chuck Israels and drummer Arnie Wise and thesecond half with an orchestra
According to Tom Lords Jazz Discography the orchestrasegment was arranged and conducted by Al Cohn [pictured]and featured Ernie Royal ClarkTerry and Bill Berry (trumpets)
JazzWax March 2009
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Bob Brookmeyer QuentinJackson and Bill Watrous(trombone) Bob Northern(French horn) Jerry DodgionGeorge Marge Eddie DanielsFrank Petrovsky and MarvinHolladay (reeds) Evans(piano) Chuck Israels (bass)and Grady Tate (drums)
The orchestra performed four Al Cohn-arranged tunesWillow Weep for Me and What Kind of Fool Am I as well asEvans originals Funkallero and Waltz for Debby
Verve never released Volume 2 which was to have featuredthe orchestral material and three trio tracks that didnt fit onthe first LP Yesterday I asked Jan Stevens of The BillEvans Web Pages what became of the band tracks Jansays Evans was intensely displeased with the result
Al Cohn did a strange thing The orchestral materialwas set up so the band played one of Cohnsarrangements followed by Bill playing a solo interludebetween songs In this regard the four songs were
meant to be a kind ofsuite with Bills pianobridging the gaps ButHelen Keane told me inthe early 1980s that Billwas extremely unhappywith the result She saidthe tracks would nevercome out no matter
what So far theyve never been commercially issuedWhats more they have never appeared on a bootlegwhich leads me to think Verve may have purged themasters immediately on Keanes or Evans insistence[Photo of Helen Keane and Bill Evans by Phil Braycourtesy of BillEvansnl in the Netherlands]
Although Creed Taylors name and signature were used byVerve on the LP jacket Creed told me yesterday that Helenalone produced the concert and that he wasnt there and
JazzWax March 2009
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had nothing to do with the event or the albums production
Gene Lees the legendary jazz writer and close friend ofEvans said yesterday he couldnt remember the concert anddidnt know specifically why the orchestral material wasntissued or what happened to the tracks
The concert was Chuck Israels last recorded appearance asa regular member of the Bill Evans Trio
Note-for-note piano transcriptions of the six songs recordedat Town Hall were recently issued as Bill Evans at TownHall Piano Transcriptions and Performance Notes by PascalWetzel Youll find it here
And now for the treat I promised you above Thanks to thegenerosity of JazzWax reader Kurt Kolstad who attended theTown Hall concert in 1966 heres the program sheet front andback including Gene Lees tribute essay Kurt says the songselections did not appear in the program and were announcedfrom the stage (click on the image to enlarge)
JazzWax March 2009
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JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
JazzWax March 2009
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Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
JazzWax March 2009
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Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
JazzWax March 2009
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In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
JazzWax March 2009
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written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
JazzWax March 2009
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Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
>
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
JazzWax March 2009
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March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
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JazzWax March 2009
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
JazzWax March 2009
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What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
JazzWax March 2009
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
JazzWax March 2009
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
JazzWax March 2009
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youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
JazzWax March 2009
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
JazzWax March 2009
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
JazzWax March 2009
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
JazzWax March 2009
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1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
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music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
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Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
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of Hank Garland and the brilliant workof a 17-year old vibraphonist fromPrinceton Indiana Gary Burtonwhom you will be sure to hear a lot inthe future [Pictured George Wein]
A month later on August 23d Garland wentinto ColumbiasNashvillestudio withBurton Joe Benjamin and JoeMorello and recorded Jazz Windsfrom a New Direction Six days laterthe same group recorded SubtleSwing
In early 1961 Garland picked up where he left off in the Nashvillestudios with Presley and other country and early rock artists Butin September Garland was ina near-fatal auto accidentnear Nashville that left him ina coma for a week When heemerged he had sufferedsevere brain damage Hiswife helped him learn to walktalk and regain partial guitar-playing ability But except foran occasional appearanceGarland remained retiredpassing away in 2004[Pictured Presley and HankGarland]
Jazz Winds and the other albums mentioned above show theearly jazz promise of Hank Garlandjust before his flame was tragicallysnuffed out They also demonstrateGeorge Weins gift for dismissingnaysayers and bringing togetherartists of different stripes to createbeautiful music Had Garlandsurvived there surely would have
CannonballAdderleyArtFarmerAlabamaConcerto
LambertHendricks ampBavan Liveat BasinStreet East
DavidAmramJazz Portrait
Frank WessWess PointTheCommodoreRecordings
HalMcKusickHalMcKusickQuartet
TeddyCharlesTentetTeddyCharlesTentet
TeddyCharles withJimmyRaney NewDirections
TeddyCharlesCoolin
SarahVaughanAfter Hoursat theLondonHouse
V i d e o s
Art Van Damme Ben Webster Bill Evans Billie Holiday Bob Brookmeyer Bobby Timmons Cannbl Adderley Carmen McRae 1
JazzWax March 2009
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March 29 2009
been all types of jazz-country fusionefforts throughout the 1960s and beyond Garland could swingJust ask Gary Burton
JazzWax tracks You can buy Hank Garlands jazz albumsindividually but youll pay a fortune sincemost are out of print Or you can buy thetwo-CD set Move The Guitar Artistry ofHank Garland which includes selectionsfrom four of Garlands jazz-countryrecordings After the Riot Jazz Winds froma New Direction Velvet Guitar and SubtleSwing Youll find the CD and samples here
A special thanks to Kurt Kolstad for introducing me to Garland andJazz Winds
JazzWax clip Heres a clip of country guitarists Eddy Arnold andHank Garland in the mid-1950s Pay particular attention toGarlands jazz chords on the Hank Garland Stomp
Posted by Marc Myers at 0751 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Chet Atkins Eddy Arnold Elvis Presley Gary Burton George Wein HankGarland Joe Morello
Carmen McRae 2 Charleston Charlie Parker Chet Baker Chico OFarrill Claus Ogerman Coleman Hawkins Count Basie Dinah Washington Dizzy Gillespie Earl Hines Eddie Palmieri Gerry Mulligan Gene Krupa Geo Shearing Jack Teagarden Jackie McLean Jackie Paris Jammin the Blues June Christy 1 June Christy 2 Lee Morgan Lockjaw Davis Louie Bellson Maynard Ferguson Max Roach Miles Davis 1 Miles Davis 2 Mundell Lowe 1 Mundell Lowe 2 Oscar Pettiford Paul Desmond Pepper Adams Phineas Newborn Sarah Vaughan Sonny Rollins Sound of Jazz Stan Kenton Teddy Wilson Terry Gibbs Wes Montgomery Woody Herman Yolande Bavan Yusef Lateef
B l o g s
Terry Teachout Doug Ramsey Jazz Video Guy Nate Chinen Jazzcom JazzSession Cab Calloway A Blog Supreme David B Johnson Gregory Bell Jan Stevens Ed Leimbacher Howard Mandel Jazz Lives JerryJazzMusician Ian Carey Latin Jazz Corner Lost + Sound MuleWalkJazzTalk My2CentsWorth New Orleans News Ray De Felitta Ricky Riccardi Russ Neff Steve Cerra Vinson Valega Von Babasin
A r t i s t S i t e s
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JazzWax March 2009
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Sunday Wax Bits
The future of live jazz I have no idea whether anyone hasconducted an in-depth studyof jazz-club attendance andlive-jazz revenue trends overthe past five years I supposeits safe to assume that if thenewspaper business and CDindustry are drowning theeffort to put warm bodies inseats at clubs concerts andfestivals cant be far behind[Photo of girl transfixed byjazz by Bob Willoughby 1951]
The deck certainly is stackedagainst concert producersclub owners and musicians alike Real estate leases remainprohibitively high insurance premiums are up the comforts ofhome are increasingly seductive discretionary income is tight thejazz legend pool is shrinking and the promotional dollars neededto spread the word never seems to be enough
And thats the good news The bigger dragon here is technologyDramatic shifts occur every time this beastswishes its tail Have you noticed thatvirtually everything you can hold in yourhands these days is disappearing Gizmoscreens have become so clear and Internetbandwidth so wide that increasing amountsof our culture are being consumed through
pixels and digital bites
Dig this Music downloads now represent the only slice of therecord business thats growingAmazons Kindle has rendered books(the kind with spines and dustjackets) almost meaningless Moviedownloads have already begun toovercome DVDs And once wall-sized computer screens aredeveloped and affordable its easy to
Art Blakey Art Pepper Arturo OFarrill Benny Carter Bill Evans Brooks Tegler Bud Shank Charles Mingus Chet Baker Clifford Brown David Amram Frank Wess Grant Stewart Jackie Paris Louie Bellson Nelson Riddle Pharoah Sanders Roberto Magris Sal Mosca Sonny Rollins Teddy Charles Tessa Souter Warne Marsh Yolande Bavan
R a d i o
JAZZFM91 PURE JAZZ WBGO-FM WKCR-FM WDNA-FM WFIU-FM WNMC-FM WWOZ-FM BlackJazz Radio
S h o p p i n g
JazzFirstBooks VinylReVinyl
R e s o u r c e s
Jazz Corner Jazz Foundation Planet Bret Videos JazzBeatorg All About Jazz
Blog powered by TypePadMember since 072007
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imagine that well be able todownload Caribbean and European travel experiences withoutleaving home
Back to jazz You dont have to be a Facebook founder to knowthat the CDs days arenumbered and that live musicis under fire Lets face itgoing out to clubs isnt aseasy as it used to be Youhave to get it together arriveearly to win a favorable seatpay a fortune for admissionfork over more for smalldrinks and then travel homeearly before your chin hitsyour chest Personally I dontknow how people wentclubbing all week long in the
1940s and 1950s Didnt they have to get up early for work thenext day Or hadnt jobs been invented yet [Photo by Dave EScherman 1942 for Life]
Its anyones guess how many clubs and festivals will exist five orten years from now or how many musicians will be able to affordto play jazz at a high enough level to leave an impression Letsassume the number will be less than nowAfter all the trend is clear and its entirelypossible that live jazz will go the way of themanual transmission and TV antennas Thechallenge for jazz producers club ownersand musicians will be to find a way to makemoney using the Web to keep live jazzticking Newspapers stubbornly ignored the digital trend for yearsand learned a terrible lesson the hard way
Paul Slaughter Ive long been a fan of photographer PaulSlaughters work Over the past yearPaul has graciously allowed me touse his photos (with credit ofcourse) to illustrate JazzWax postsPaul has captured a large number ofthe jazz greats So I asked if he
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would select one of his favoriteimages and tell JazzWax readers alittle about how the photo came tobe
The Saturday afternoon before Sonnys Sunday night concert in Santa Fe inJuly of 2007 ABSpellman a retiredDeputy Chair of NationalEndowment of the Artsinterviewed Sonnybefore an audience atthe Lensic Theater anold movie houserenovated into abeautiful legit theaterAB got the JazzMasters Program goingat NEA and Sonny hadreceived an NEA JazzMasters Award in 1983
After ABs interview I gave Sonny a photo I took of him in1971 at the Monterey Jazz Festival
The next day I was hoping for a dressing room photo ofSonny so I brought him photos of his interview with ABUpon arrival at the Lensic I heard Sonny playing his horn inhis dressing room When there was a lull in Sonnys playing Iknocked on his door He said Come in There was Sonnydressed in a red shirt blue pants wearing a process capand holding his tenor sax What a terrific image I thought
I gave Sonny the photos I had brought with me He politelythanked me I asked if I could take his photo with his hornHe replied I always think part my soul is being captured
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when I am photographed I replied No Sonny this willmerely be a reflection of your soul He smiled warmly andallowed me to take one photograph The split-second resultis the image you see above
You can learn more about Paul at his site here His currentexhibition People of Our Times featuring celebrities and jazzgreats is at the Verve Gallery of Photography in Santa Fe NMuntil May 2
Doug Ramsey Last week author jazz critic and Rifftidesblogger DougRamsey featured twowonderful YouTube clips featuring singerSue Raney [pictured] One is of Raneysinging Henry Mancinis Dreamsville in2008 The other is a campy Scopitone fromthe mid-1960s of Raney singing Before theRain Scopitone was an early video jukeboxfeaturng 16mm film loops and soundtracks
Carol Sloane After viewing Bret Primacksvideo interview of me legendary singer Carol Sloane sent alongthe following e-mail
Like you I too listened faithfully to Al Jazzbo Collins[pictured] when the signal fromWNEW-NY became crystalclear as soon as other FMstations in Rhode Island shutdown for the night I found himand Harrison [the TasmanianOwl] in The Purple Grotto quiteby accident one night when Iwas spinning the dial and
should have been asleep
Of course I was hooked I even sent a fan letter written onthe diagonal (to be arty and to insure he would be obliged toread it) in purple ink Well hell I was 13 or 14 years old atthe time Never mind it worked One night I turned on theprogram and he was reading my letter on the air
Fortunately I had the opportunity to tell him many years
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later how thrilling that moment had been for me and that Irecorded My One And Only Love with him in mind because itwas his theme song
For more on Al Jazzbo Collins go here To view Carols blogSloanView go here
CD discovery of the week Back in 2006 Swiss trumpeter PeterScharli and Brazilian vocalistIthamara Koorax came together inZurich to record a beautiful albumcalled Obrigado Dom Um RomaoThe result is a tender tribute toBrazilian percussionist Dom UmRomao (Obrigado is Portuguesefor thank you)
Romao had introduced Scharli to Ithamara who became soexcited by the sound of Scharlis trumpet that she agreed torecord and tour Europe with both artists But before the tourbegan Romao died at age 82 So Scharli and Ithamara decidedto dedicate the CD to him
On the album Scharli [pictured] and Ithamara perform a series ofduets with Ithamara singing inPortuguese on 8 of the 10 tracks Ontwo tracks (Love for Sale and I Fall inLove Too Easily) Ithamara sings inEnglish But perhaps the mostfascinating songs feature Ithamarasinging vocalese in Portuguese OnVocaliste and Miniature IV she uses
Swingle Single-like tones to match Scharlis trumpet tones notefor note The result is quite fascinating as the pair come togetheror joust in counterpoint
Ithamaras voice throughout is passionate and her phrasing issoft and caressing Scharlis trumpet ispinpoint sharp without being too strong orloud Joining Ithamara [pictured] and Scharliare Markus Stalder on guitar and ThomasDurst on bass Romao plays berimbao onone track Manha de Carnaval
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March 27 2009
You can sample tracks here where youllalso find the imported CD
Oddball album cover of the week Released in 1959 on CubRecords and arrangedby Sammy Lowe TakeOff in Sound wassinger Marla Smithsonly known recordingIts unclear why Smithis pictured with anAmerican Airlines 707jet since the songsare rather land-locked(Speak Low Boy onthe Beach Wild Fireetc) Whats evenmore puzzling is the art direction Here Smith is depicted eitheras a ghost serenading mid-flight passengers Or she just
detached herself from the tailand is singing while trying tofly Either way Smiths up at35000 feet surfing theheavens in an evening gownAnd even though Smithseems to have only a cloudfor support she had the goodfashion sense to extend herleft leg for the photographer(who must have broken free
from the tail moments before her)
Posted by Marc Myers at 0815 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
JazzWax March 2009
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Interview Lisa Simone
One of the most exciting new singers Ive heard in some time isLisa Simone daughter of oneof Americas mostimpassioned vocalists NinaSimone Known simply asSimone the 46-year-old artisthas just released her first full-length album a stunningtribute to her mother Ratherthan simply mimic Ninas styleand outrage Simone hasproduced an updatedinterpretation of her motherscatalog complete with vocalpower range and tendernessSimones album Simone onSimone is earthy and gutsybut its also unmistakably adaughters message to her late mother
From the albums opening duet Music for Lovers which Lisa sangwith Nina live in Ireland to thealbums closing song Feeling Goodthis 14-track CD is packed withgospel belters big band swingersand soulful ballads Thearrangements for the 19-piece bandwere nimbly handled by Ken Moyerand they support Lisas all-in vocalstyle perfectly without being
overbearing or tissue-thin
A Broadway veteran since the mid-1990s Simone has sustainingchops that allow her voice to hit the farthest corners of any roomShe also has full command of her mothers challenging materialwhich twists and turns in places while vocals are delivered at fullthrottle
Classic Nina Simone songs on this CD include Gal From JoesGo to Hell Keeper of the Flame and a rousing version of BillyTaylors I Wish I Knew How It WouldFeel to Be Free One of my favorites
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is I Hold No Grudge which Ninarecorded in 1966 with a hugeorchestra and chorus arranged andconducted by Hal Mooney Moyersexpansive chart for Lisa is just assoft and dramatic What makes thistrack so special is Simones poetictelling of the songs lyric building to a final rousing held note
When I received a copy of Simone on Simone a couple of weeksago I put it on with some trepidation An ardent fan of NinaSimone I was fearful that Simone would either go too far or notfar enough in her tribute Instead I was blown away Simone hasre-energized her mothers material with loving sensitivity and afresh uplifting spirit
After listening to the album several times I gave Simone a call tochat about the album and her experience growing up as NinaSimones daughter
JazzWax How did it feel to have a mother who was sodeeply committed to music Lisa Simone It was normal for me My mother was alreadycommitted to music and social issues before I was born She
often had to struggle to split herlove equally between art andme which wasnt always easyOur relationship certainly hadits challenges But now that Irsquomolder and can reflect back onthose days I realize Iwitnessed a lot of history I canlook back and appreciate my
time with her whether standing in the wings watching her onstage or watching her write To Be Young Gifted and Black in1969
JW Were you always tugging at herLS I never felt I had enough of my mom I just had to dealwith it You take what you can get Now when I look back Ihave a finer understanding of my mom And Im able to get
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that extra piece I missed out on
JW Were you and your mom closeLS Yes but at times the world got in the way
JW Were you close with your father Andy StroudLS I am now When my parents were together up until1972 thatrsquos when I sawmy dad a lot When myparents divorced my lifechanged It flippedcompletely Therewerenrsquot a lot of terms inthose days to describewhat kids went throughwhen parents divorced I didnrsquot see a lot of my dad after thatyear My parents didnrsquot really get along after their splitWhen they did see each other they didnrsquot get a whole lotaccomplished [Pictured Nina Simone and husband AndyStroud]
JW What do you miss most about your momLS I miss her hand rubbing my head I miss her touch
JW Did you study singingLS No The most instruction Irsquove had was just before
appearing on stage in theBroadway production of Aida in2001 When I saw what theshow demanded I realized Ineeded a vocal coach Mycoach taught me a great dealprimarily that singing didnrsquothave to hurt I had been singingthrough my throat My coachtaught me to sing through mydiaphragm which shifts thepower source and prevents youfrom damaging your voice or
burning out
JW Youve been in few other major Broadway productionsLS Yes I was in the original cast of Rent in 1996 Then I
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toured with the production for a year and a half Before RentI was in a touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar
JW What did your mother teach you about singingLS All she said to me was ldquoHoney you donrsquot have to workso hardrdquo
JW What did she meanLS At the time my mother had come to a few of my showsin Los Angeles when I wasperforming at various clubsthere Her style and mine werevery different
JW How soLS Irsquom the one who jumpsaround the room like DaffyDuck I get so energizedWhereas Mommy because of all the years of practicing and
rehearsing and performing shehad already settled into singingon cruise control She wantedme to know that I could be justas effective as a singer oncruise control By urging me torelax and pace myperformances my mother felt Iwould avoid wearing myselfout Of course I learned all ofthat before I was on BroadwayAnd I learned even more whenI did eight performances a
week on stage
JW What did your mother teach you about life Or wereyou sheltered in her shadowLS [Laughs] You didnt wilt in Ninarsquos presence You neverwould have recovered from that A lot of what I learned wasby watching and listening Itrsquos amazing what children pick upthat way I didnrsquot wilt in her presence but I did learn how tofeel the air shift around me and about timingmdashwhen tospeak and when not to
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JW Were you honest with your mother LS I learned later on in our relationship that I needed toclearly communicate what Ineeded from her so I could getpositive reinforcement duringour conversations and visitsMy mom was so commandingand so accustomed to beingthe one dictating theconversation that to have someone like me come aroundand not want anything from her just her love was almostalien to her
JW Did she adjust to meet those needsLS It was hard for her For mom to make that shift was like
the grinding of gears Ihad to let her know in nouncertain terms that Iloved her very much butthat it hurt when shesaid certain things anddid certain things I alsosaid that I would
appreciate her taking certain things like my needs intoconsideration [Pictured Lisa Simone playing for motherNina]
JW What happenedLS She started to do that and our relationship was at awonderful point when she passed away in 2003
JW As a child understanding your mothers needs andhonoring them required enormous maturityLS I was grown up before I was an adult When yoursquore anonly child and yoursquoreglobetrotting all over the placewith your mother you findyourself growing in ways thatyou wouldnt have in othercircumstances
JW Was it tough traveling somuch
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LS You make the best of yourenvironment Books for mebecame my world
JW I Hold No Grudge has been wonderfully updatedLS Thank you Theyrsquore all special My mother said we were
both griots which are WestAfrican storytellers She saidwe both had an ability to makeour audiences feel what wersquoresinging about Itrsquos justsomething that I seem to haveand I have no idea where itcame from Irsquove found thatsinging for me is also a way of
getting certain emotions out Most people know that whenIrsquove had a bad day theyrsquore going to get an even better showsince Irsquom going to take any blow up and turn it intosomething beautiful
JW Is this album a message to your mom LS I like that question Yes it is Now that Irsquovebeen traveling on tour Itend to talk more aboutmy life with my motherIt has been a celebrationof my legacy and mymotherrsquosaccomplishments hermessage and her musicNot only have I learned to face this part of my life but Irsquoveembraced it This is not only about my mother but also myway of presenting myself to the world
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JW What do you think Ninawould say about your albumLS I think there would be a bigsmile on her face and shersquodlisten to it over and over again
JazzWax tracks Simone onSimone is available as adownload at iTunes and
Amazon or as a CD here For Simones tour information and tohear clips from her new album you can visit her site here
JazzWax clips Heres a YouTube clip interview with Simone onher new CD
Once you hear Simones new version of I Hold No Grudge listento Ninas original version from 1966
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 26 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0803 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Andy Stroud Lisa Simone Nina Simone Simone
Bill Evans at Town Hall
Of pianist Bill Evans many live albums At Town Hall Vol 1 hasalways been among his mostdelicate and elegant Evansplaying is taut and gracefulwith lovely longimprovisational lines and asnappy fluid attack on thekeyboard The mix ofstandards and two originalsmdashone was a suite in memory ofhis father who died just threedays earliermdashalso were neatlyselected and assembled
For those who share my love of this album heresa list of little-known facts about the recording takenfrom Peter Pettingers How My Heart Sings a BillEvans discography and quotes from sources Ispoke to yesterday afternoon I also have a raretreat for you at the bottom
Despite playing New York club dates for 10 years the TownHall recording on February 21 1966 was Evans first NewYork concert appearance
Evans played the first half of the Town Hall concert with justbassist Chuck Israels and drummer Arnie Wise and thesecond half with an orchestra
According to Tom Lords Jazz Discography the orchestrasegment was arranged and conducted by Al Cohn [pictured]and featured Ernie Royal ClarkTerry and Bill Berry (trumpets)
JazzWax March 2009
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Bob Brookmeyer QuentinJackson and Bill Watrous(trombone) Bob Northern(French horn) Jerry DodgionGeorge Marge Eddie DanielsFrank Petrovsky and MarvinHolladay (reeds) Evans(piano) Chuck Israels (bass)and Grady Tate (drums)
The orchestra performed four Al Cohn-arranged tunesWillow Weep for Me and What Kind of Fool Am I as well asEvans originals Funkallero and Waltz for Debby
Verve never released Volume 2 which was to have featuredthe orchestral material and three trio tracks that didnt fit onthe first LP Yesterday I asked Jan Stevens of The BillEvans Web Pages what became of the band tracks Jansays Evans was intensely displeased with the result
Al Cohn did a strange thing The orchestral materialwas set up so the band played one of Cohnsarrangements followed by Bill playing a solo interludebetween songs In this regard the four songs were
meant to be a kind ofsuite with Bills pianobridging the gaps ButHelen Keane told me inthe early 1980s that Billwas extremely unhappywith the result She saidthe tracks would nevercome out no matter
what So far theyve never been commercially issuedWhats more they have never appeared on a bootlegwhich leads me to think Verve may have purged themasters immediately on Keanes or Evans insistence[Photo of Helen Keane and Bill Evans by Phil Braycourtesy of BillEvansnl in the Netherlands]
Although Creed Taylors name and signature were used byVerve on the LP jacket Creed told me yesterday that Helenalone produced the concert and that he wasnt there and
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had nothing to do with the event or the albums production
Gene Lees the legendary jazz writer and close friend ofEvans said yesterday he couldnt remember the concert anddidnt know specifically why the orchestral material wasntissued or what happened to the tracks
The concert was Chuck Israels last recorded appearance asa regular member of the Bill Evans Trio
Note-for-note piano transcriptions of the six songs recordedat Town Hall were recently issued as Bill Evans at TownHall Piano Transcriptions and Performance Notes by PascalWetzel Youll find it here
And now for the treat I promised you above Thanks to thegenerosity of JazzWax reader Kurt Kolstad who attended theTown Hall concert in 1966 heres the program sheet front andback including Gene Lees tribute essay Kurt says the songselections did not appear in the program and were announcedfrom the stage (click on the image to enlarge)
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
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Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
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Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
JazzWax March 2009
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In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
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March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
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written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
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Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
JazzWax March 2009
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March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
>
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
JazzWax March 2009
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What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
JazzWax March 2009
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
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youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
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1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
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music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
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Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
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March 29 2009
been all types of jazz-country fusionefforts throughout the 1960s and beyond Garland could swingJust ask Gary Burton
JazzWax tracks You can buy Hank Garlands jazz albumsindividually but youll pay a fortune sincemost are out of print Or you can buy thetwo-CD set Move The Guitar Artistry ofHank Garland which includes selectionsfrom four of Garlands jazz-countryrecordings After the Riot Jazz Winds froma New Direction Velvet Guitar and SubtleSwing Youll find the CD and samples here
A special thanks to Kurt Kolstad for introducing me to Garland andJazz Winds
JazzWax clip Heres a clip of country guitarists Eddy Arnold andHank Garland in the mid-1950s Pay particular attention toGarlands jazz chords on the Hank Garland Stomp
Posted by Marc Myers at 0751 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Chet Atkins Eddy Arnold Elvis Presley Gary Burton George Wein HankGarland Joe Morello
Carmen McRae 2 Charleston Charlie Parker Chet Baker Chico OFarrill Claus Ogerman Coleman Hawkins Count Basie Dinah Washington Dizzy Gillespie Earl Hines Eddie Palmieri Gerry Mulligan Gene Krupa Geo Shearing Jack Teagarden Jackie McLean Jackie Paris Jammin the Blues June Christy 1 June Christy 2 Lee Morgan Lockjaw Davis Louie Bellson Maynard Ferguson Max Roach Miles Davis 1 Miles Davis 2 Mundell Lowe 1 Mundell Lowe 2 Oscar Pettiford Paul Desmond Pepper Adams Phineas Newborn Sarah Vaughan Sonny Rollins Sound of Jazz Stan Kenton Teddy Wilson Terry Gibbs Wes Montgomery Woody Herman Yolande Bavan Yusef Lateef
B l o g s
Terry Teachout Doug Ramsey Jazz Video Guy Nate Chinen Jazzcom JazzSession Cab Calloway A Blog Supreme David B Johnson Gregory Bell Jan Stevens Ed Leimbacher Howard Mandel Jazz Lives JerryJazzMusician Ian Carey Latin Jazz Corner Lost + Sound MuleWalkJazzTalk My2CentsWorth New Orleans News Ray De Felitta Ricky Riccardi Russ Neff Steve Cerra Vinson Valega Von Babasin
A r t i s t S i t e s
>
JazzWax March 2009
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Sunday Wax Bits
The future of live jazz I have no idea whether anyone hasconducted an in-depth studyof jazz-club attendance andlive-jazz revenue trends overthe past five years I supposeits safe to assume that if thenewspaper business and CDindustry are drowning theeffort to put warm bodies inseats at clubs concerts andfestivals cant be far behind[Photo of girl transfixed byjazz by Bob Willoughby 1951]
The deck certainly is stackedagainst concert producersclub owners and musicians alike Real estate leases remainprohibitively high insurance premiums are up the comforts ofhome are increasingly seductive discretionary income is tight thejazz legend pool is shrinking and the promotional dollars neededto spread the word never seems to be enough
And thats the good news The bigger dragon here is technologyDramatic shifts occur every time this beastswishes its tail Have you noticed thatvirtually everything you can hold in yourhands these days is disappearing Gizmoscreens have become so clear and Internetbandwidth so wide that increasing amountsof our culture are being consumed through
pixels and digital bites
Dig this Music downloads now represent the only slice of therecord business thats growingAmazons Kindle has rendered books(the kind with spines and dustjackets) almost meaningless Moviedownloads have already begun toovercome DVDs And once wall-sized computer screens aredeveloped and affordable its easy to
Art Blakey Art Pepper Arturo OFarrill Benny Carter Bill Evans Brooks Tegler Bud Shank Charles Mingus Chet Baker Clifford Brown David Amram Frank Wess Grant Stewart Jackie Paris Louie Bellson Nelson Riddle Pharoah Sanders Roberto Magris Sal Mosca Sonny Rollins Teddy Charles Tessa Souter Warne Marsh Yolande Bavan
R a d i o
JAZZFM91 PURE JAZZ WBGO-FM WKCR-FM WDNA-FM WFIU-FM WNMC-FM WWOZ-FM BlackJazz Radio
S h o p p i n g
JazzFirstBooks VinylReVinyl
R e s o u r c e s
Jazz Corner Jazz Foundation Planet Bret Videos JazzBeatorg All About Jazz
Blog powered by TypePadMember since 072007
JazzWax March 2009
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imagine that well be able todownload Caribbean and European travel experiences withoutleaving home
Back to jazz You dont have to be a Facebook founder to knowthat the CDs days arenumbered and that live musicis under fire Lets face itgoing out to clubs isnt aseasy as it used to be Youhave to get it together arriveearly to win a favorable seatpay a fortune for admissionfork over more for smalldrinks and then travel homeearly before your chin hitsyour chest Personally I dontknow how people wentclubbing all week long in the
1940s and 1950s Didnt they have to get up early for work thenext day Or hadnt jobs been invented yet [Photo by Dave EScherman 1942 for Life]
Its anyones guess how many clubs and festivals will exist five orten years from now or how many musicians will be able to affordto play jazz at a high enough level to leave an impression Letsassume the number will be less than nowAfter all the trend is clear and its entirelypossible that live jazz will go the way of themanual transmission and TV antennas Thechallenge for jazz producers club ownersand musicians will be to find a way to makemoney using the Web to keep live jazzticking Newspapers stubbornly ignored the digital trend for yearsand learned a terrible lesson the hard way
Paul Slaughter Ive long been a fan of photographer PaulSlaughters work Over the past yearPaul has graciously allowed me touse his photos (with credit ofcourse) to illustrate JazzWax postsPaul has captured a large number ofthe jazz greats So I asked if he
JazzWax March 2009
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would select one of his favoriteimages and tell JazzWax readers alittle about how the photo came tobe
The Saturday afternoon before Sonnys Sunday night concert in Santa Fe inJuly of 2007 ABSpellman a retiredDeputy Chair of NationalEndowment of the Artsinterviewed Sonnybefore an audience atthe Lensic Theater anold movie houserenovated into abeautiful legit theaterAB got the JazzMasters Program goingat NEA and Sonny hadreceived an NEA JazzMasters Award in 1983
After ABs interview I gave Sonny a photo I took of him in1971 at the Monterey Jazz Festival
The next day I was hoping for a dressing room photo ofSonny so I brought him photos of his interview with ABUpon arrival at the Lensic I heard Sonny playing his horn inhis dressing room When there was a lull in Sonnys playing Iknocked on his door He said Come in There was Sonnydressed in a red shirt blue pants wearing a process capand holding his tenor sax What a terrific image I thought
I gave Sonny the photos I had brought with me He politelythanked me I asked if I could take his photo with his hornHe replied I always think part my soul is being captured
JazzWax March 2009
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when I am photographed I replied No Sonny this willmerely be a reflection of your soul He smiled warmly andallowed me to take one photograph The split-second resultis the image you see above
You can learn more about Paul at his site here His currentexhibition People of Our Times featuring celebrities and jazzgreats is at the Verve Gallery of Photography in Santa Fe NMuntil May 2
Doug Ramsey Last week author jazz critic and Rifftidesblogger DougRamsey featured twowonderful YouTube clips featuring singerSue Raney [pictured] One is of Raneysinging Henry Mancinis Dreamsville in2008 The other is a campy Scopitone fromthe mid-1960s of Raney singing Before theRain Scopitone was an early video jukeboxfeaturng 16mm film loops and soundtracks
Carol Sloane After viewing Bret Primacksvideo interview of me legendary singer Carol Sloane sent alongthe following e-mail
Like you I too listened faithfully to Al Jazzbo Collins[pictured] when the signal fromWNEW-NY became crystalclear as soon as other FMstations in Rhode Island shutdown for the night I found himand Harrison [the TasmanianOwl] in The Purple Grotto quiteby accident one night when Iwas spinning the dial and
should have been asleep
Of course I was hooked I even sent a fan letter written onthe diagonal (to be arty and to insure he would be obliged toread it) in purple ink Well hell I was 13 or 14 years old atthe time Never mind it worked One night I turned on theprogram and he was reading my letter on the air
Fortunately I had the opportunity to tell him many years
JazzWax March 2009
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later how thrilling that moment had been for me and that Irecorded My One And Only Love with him in mind because itwas his theme song
For more on Al Jazzbo Collins go here To view Carols blogSloanView go here
CD discovery of the week Back in 2006 Swiss trumpeter PeterScharli and Brazilian vocalistIthamara Koorax came together inZurich to record a beautiful albumcalled Obrigado Dom Um RomaoThe result is a tender tribute toBrazilian percussionist Dom UmRomao (Obrigado is Portuguesefor thank you)
Romao had introduced Scharli to Ithamara who became soexcited by the sound of Scharlis trumpet that she agreed torecord and tour Europe with both artists But before the tourbegan Romao died at age 82 So Scharli and Ithamara decidedto dedicate the CD to him
On the album Scharli [pictured] and Ithamara perform a series ofduets with Ithamara singing inPortuguese on 8 of the 10 tracks Ontwo tracks (Love for Sale and I Fall inLove Too Easily) Ithamara sings inEnglish But perhaps the mostfascinating songs feature Ithamarasinging vocalese in Portuguese OnVocaliste and Miniature IV she uses
Swingle Single-like tones to match Scharlis trumpet tones notefor note The result is quite fascinating as the pair come togetheror joust in counterpoint
Ithamaras voice throughout is passionate and her phrasing issoft and caressing Scharlis trumpet ispinpoint sharp without being too strong orloud Joining Ithamara [pictured] and Scharliare Markus Stalder on guitar and ThomasDurst on bass Romao plays berimbao onone track Manha de Carnaval
JazzWax March 2009
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March 27 2009
You can sample tracks here where youllalso find the imported CD
Oddball album cover of the week Released in 1959 on CubRecords and arrangedby Sammy Lowe TakeOff in Sound wassinger Marla Smithsonly known recordingIts unclear why Smithis pictured with anAmerican Airlines 707jet since the songsare rather land-locked(Speak Low Boy onthe Beach Wild Fireetc) Whats evenmore puzzling is the art direction Here Smith is depicted eitheras a ghost serenading mid-flight passengers Or she just
detached herself from the tailand is singing while trying tofly Either way Smiths up at35000 feet surfing theheavens in an evening gownAnd even though Smithseems to have only a cloudfor support she had the goodfashion sense to extend herleft leg for the photographer(who must have broken free
from the tail moments before her)
Posted by Marc Myers at 0815 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Interview Lisa Simone
One of the most exciting new singers Ive heard in some time isLisa Simone daughter of oneof Americas mostimpassioned vocalists NinaSimone Known simply asSimone the 46-year-old artisthas just released her first full-length album a stunningtribute to her mother Ratherthan simply mimic Ninas styleand outrage Simone hasproduced an updatedinterpretation of her motherscatalog complete with vocalpower range and tendernessSimones album Simone onSimone is earthy and gutsybut its also unmistakably adaughters message to her late mother
From the albums opening duet Music for Lovers which Lisa sangwith Nina live in Ireland to thealbums closing song Feeling Goodthis 14-track CD is packed withgospel belters big band swingersand soulful ballads Thearrangements for the 19-piece bandwere nimbly handled by Ken Moyerand they support Lisas all-in vocalstyle perfectly without being
overbearing or tissue-thin
A Broadway veteran since the mid-1990s Simone has sustainingchops that allow her voice to hit the farthest corners of any roomShe also has full command of her mothers challenging materialwhich twists and turns in places while vocals are delivered at fullthrottle
Classic Nina Simone songs on this CD include Gal From JoesGo to Hell Keeper of the Flame and a rousing version of BillyTaylors I Wish I Knew How It WouldFeel to Be Free One of my favorites
JazzWax March 2009
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is I Hold No Grudge which Ninarecorded in 1966 with a hugeorchestra and chorus arranged andconducted by Hal Mooney Moyersexpansive chart for Lisa is just assoft and dramatic What makes thistrack so special is Simones poetictelling of the songs lyric building to a final rousing held note
When I received a copy of Simone on Simone a couple of weeksago I put it on with some trepidation An ardent fan of NinaSimone I was fearful that Simone would either go too far or notfar enough in her tribute Instead I was blown away Simone hasre-energized her mothers material with loving sensitivity and afresh uplifting spirit
After listening to the album several times I gave Simone a call tochat about the album and her experience growing up as NinaSimones daughter
JazzWax How did it feel to have a mother who was sodeeply committed to music Lisa Simone It was normal for me My mother was alreadycommitted to music and social issues before I was born She
often had to struggle to split herlove equally between art andme which wasnt always easyOur relationship certainly hadits challenges But now that Irsquomolder and can reflect back onthose days I realize Iwitnessed a lot of history I canlook back and appreciate my
time with her whether standing in the wings watching her onstage or watching her write To Be Young Gifted and Black in1969
JW Were you always tugging at herLS I never felt I had enough of my mom I just had to dealwith it You take what you can get Now when I look back Ihave a finer understanding of my mom And Im able to get
JazzWax March 2009
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that extra piece I missed out on
JW Were you and your mom closeLS Yes but at times the world got in the way
JW Were you close with your father Andy StroudLS I am now When my parents were together up until1972 thatrsquos when I sawmy dad a lot When myparents divorced my lifechanged It flippedcompletely Therewerenrsquot a lot of terms inthose days to describewhat kids went throughwhen parents divorced I didnrsquot see a lot of my dad after thatyear My parents didnrsquot really get along after their splitWhen they did see each other they didnrsquot get a whole lotaccomplished [Pictured Nina Simone and husband AndyStroud]
JW What do you miss most about your momLS I miss her hand rubbing my head I miss her touch
JW Did you study singingLS No The most instruction Irsquove had was just before
appearing on stage in theBroadway production of Aida in2001 When I saw what theshow demanded I realized Ineeded a vocal coach Mycoach taught me a great dealprimarily that singing didnrsquothave to hurt I had been singingthrough my throat My coachtaught me to sing through mydiaphragm which shifts thepower source and prevents youfrom damaging your voice or
burning out
JW Youve been in few other major Broadway productionsLS Yes I was in the original cast of Rent in 1996 Then I
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toured with the production for a year and a half Before RentI was in a touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar
JW What did your mother teach you about singingLS All she said to me was ldquoHoney you donrsquot have to workso hardrdquo
JW What did she meanLS At the time my mother had come to a few of my showsin Los Angeles when I wasperforming at various clubsthere Her style and mine werevery different
JW How soLS Irsquom the one who jumpsaround the room like DaffyDuck I get so energizedWhereas Mommy because of all the years of practicing and
rehearsing and performing shehad already settled into singingon cruise control She wantedme to know that I could be justas effective as a singer oncruise control By urging me torelax and pace myperformances my mother felt Iwould avoid wearing myselfout Of course I learned all ofthat before I was on BroadwayAnd I learned even more whenI did eight performances a
week on stage
JW What did your mother teach you about life Or wereyou sheltered in her shadowLS [Laughs] You didnt wilt in Ninarsquos presence You neverwould have recovered from that A lot of what I learned wasby watching and listening Itrsquos amazing what children pick upthat way I didnrsquot wilt in her presence but I did learn how tofeel the air shift around me and about timingmdashwhen tospeak and when not to
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JW Were you honest with your mother LS I learned later on in our relationship that I needed toclearly communicate what Ineeded from her so I could getpositive reinforcement duringour conversations and visitsMy mom was so commandingand so accustomed to beingthe one dictating theconversation that to have someone like me come aroundand not want anything from her just her love was almostalien to her
JW Did she adjust to meet those needsLS It was hard for her For mom to make that shift was like
the grinding of gears Ihad to let her know in nouncertain terms that Iloved her very much butthat it hurt when shesaid certain things anddid certain things I alsosaid that I would
appreciate her taking certain things like my needs intoconsideration [Pictured Lisa Simone playing for motherNina]
JW What happenedLS She started to do that and our relationship was at awonderful point when she passed away in 2003
JW As a child understanding your mothers needs andhonoring them required enormous maturityLS I was grown up before I was an adult When yoursquore anonly child and yoursquoreglobetrotting all over the placewith your mother you findyourself growing in ways thatyou wouldnt have in othercircumstances
JW Was it tough traveling somuch
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LS You make the best of yourenvironment Books for mebecame my world
JW I Hold No Grudge has been wonderfully updatedLS Thank you Theyrsquore all special My mother said we were
both griots which are WestAfrican storytellers She saidwe both had an ability to makeour audiences feel what wersquoresinging about Itrsquos justsomething that I seem to haveand I have no idea where itcame from Irsquove found thatsinging for me is also a way of
getting certain emotions out Most people know that whenIrsquove had a bad day theyrsquore going to get an even better showsince Irsquom going to take any blow up and turn it intosomething beautiful
JW Is this album a message to your mom LS I like that question Yes it is Now that Irsquovebeen traveling on tour Itend to talk more aboutmy life with my motherIt has been a celebrationof my legacy and mymotherrsquosaccomplishments hermessage and her musicNot only have I learned to face this part of my life but Irsquoveembraced it This is not only about my mother but also myway of presenting myself to the world
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JW What do you think Ninawould say about your albumLS I think there would be a bigsmile on her face and shersquodlisten to it over and over again
JazzWax tracks Simone onSimone is available as adownload at iTunes and
Amazon or as a CD here For Simones tour information and tohear clips from her new album you can visit her site here
JazzWax clips Heres a YouTube clip interview with Simone onher new CD
Once you hear Simones new version of I Hold No Grudge listento Ninas original version from 1966
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>
JazzWax March 2009
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March 26 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0803 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Andy Stroud Lisa Simone Nina Simone Simone
Bill Evans at Town Hall
Of pianist Bill Evans many live albums At Town Hall Vol 1 hasalways been among his mostdelicate and elegant Evansplaying is taut and gracefulwith lovely longimprovisational lines and asnappy fluid attack on thekeyboard The mix ofstandards and two originalsmdashone was a suite in memory ofhis father who died just threedays earliermdashalso were neatlyselected and assembled
For those who share my love of this album heresa list of little-known facts about the recording takenfrom Peter Pettingers How My Heart Sings a BillEvans discography and quotes from sources Ispoke to yesterday afternoon I also have a raretreat for you at the bottom
Despite playing New York club dates for 10 years the TownHall recording on February 21 1966 was Evans first NewYork concert appearance
Evans played the first half of the Town Hall concert with justbassist Chuck Israels and drummer Arnie Wise and thesecond half with an orchestra
According to Tom Lords Jazz Discography the orchestrasegment was arranged and conducted by Al Cohn [pictured]and featured Ernie Royal ClarkTerry and Bill Berry (trumpets)
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Bob Brookmeyer QuentinJackson and Bill Watrous(trombone) Bob Northern(French horn) Jerry DodgionGeorge Marge Eddie DanielsFrank Petrovsky and MarvinHolladay (reeds) Evans(piano) Chuck Israels (bass)and Grady Tate (drums)
The orchestra performed four Al Cohn-arranged tunesWillow Weep for Me and What Kind of Fool Am I as well asEvans originals Funkallero and Waltz for Debby
Verve never released Volume 2 which was to have featuredthe orchestral material and three trio tracks that didnt fit onthe first LP Yesterday I asked Jan Stevens of The BillEvans Web Pages what became of the band tracks Jansays Evans was intensely displeased with the result
Al Cohn did a strange thing The orchestral materialwas set up so the band played one of Cohnsarrangements followed by Bill playing a solo interludebetween songs In this regard the four songs were
meant to be a kind ofsuite with Bills pianobridging the gaps ButHelen Keane told me inthe early 1980s that Billwas extremely unhappywith the result She saidthe tracks would nevercome out no matter
what So far theyve never been commercially issuedWhats more they have never appeared on a bootlegwhich leads me to think Verve may have purged themasters immediately on Keanes or Evans insistence[Photo of Helen Keane and Bill Evans by Phil Braycourtesy of BillEvansnl in the Netherlands]
Although Creed Taylors name and signature were used byVerve on the LP jacket Creed told me yesterday that Helenalone produced the concert and that he wasnt there and
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had nothing to do with the event or the albums production
Gene Lees the legendary jazz writer and close friend ofEvans said yesterday he couldnt remember the concert anddidnt know specifically why the orchestral material wasntissued or what happened to the tracks
The concert was Chuck Israels last recorded appearance asa regular member of the Bill Evans Trio
Note-for-note piano transcriptions of the six songs recordedat Town Hall were recently issued as Bill Evans at TownHall Piano Transcriptions and Performance Notes by PascalWetzel Youll find it here
And now for the treat I promised you above Thanks to thegenerosity of JazzWax reader Kurt Kolstad who attended theTown Hall concert in 1966 heres the program sheet front andback including Gene Lees tribute essay Kurt says the songselections did not appear in the program and were announcedfrom the stage (click on the image to enlarge)
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
JazzWax March 2009
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Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
JazzWax March 2009
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Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
JazzWax March 2009
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In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
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March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
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written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
JazzWax March 2009
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Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
JazzWax March 2009
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March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
JazzWax March 2009
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What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
JazzWax March 2009
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
JazzWax March 2009
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
JazzWax March 2009
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youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
JazzWax March 2009
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
JazzWax March 2009
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
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1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
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music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
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Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
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sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
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email
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JazzWax March 2009
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Sunday Wax Bits
The future of live jazz I have no idea whether anyone hasconducted an in-depth studyof jazz-club attendance andlive-jazz revenue trends overthe past five years I supposeits safe to assume that if thenewspaper business and CDindustry are drowning theeffort to put warm bodies inseats at clubs concerts andfestivals cant be far behind[Photo of girl transfixed byjazz by Bob Willoughby 1951]
The deck certainly is stackedagainst concert producersclub owners and musicians alike Real estate leases remainprohibitively high insurance premiums are up the comforts ofhome are increasingly seductive discretionary income is tight thejazz legend pool is shrinking and the promotional dollars neededto spread the word never seems to be enough
And thats the good news The bigger dragon here is technologyDramatic shifts occur every time this beastswishes its tail Have you noticed thatvirtually everything you can hold in yourhands these days is disappearing Gizmoscreens have become so clear and Internetbandwidth so wide that increasing amountsof our culture are being consumed through
pixels and digital bites
Dig this Music downloads now represent the only slice of therecord business thats growingAmazons Kindle has rendered books(the kind with spines and dustjackets) almost meaningless Moviedownloads have already begun toovercome DVDs And once wall-sized computer screens aredeveloped and affordable its easy to
Art Blakey Art Pepper Arturo OFarrill Benny Carter Bill Evans Brooks Tegler Bud Shank Charles Mingus Chet Baker Clifford Brown David Amram Frank Wess Grant Stewart Jackie Paris Louie Bellson Nelson Riddle Pharoah Sanders Roberto Magris Sal Mosca Sonny Rollins Teddy Charles Tessa Souter Warne Marsh Yolande Bavan
R a d i o
JAZZFM91 PURE JAZZ WBGO-FM WKCR-FM WDNA-FM WFIU-FM WNMC-FM WWOZ-FM BlackJazz Radio
S h o p p i n g
JazzFirstBooks VinylReVinyl
R e s o u r c e s
Jazz Corner Jazz Foundation Planet Bret Videos JazzBeatorg All About Jazz
Blog powered by TypePadMember since 072007
JazzWax March 2009
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imagine that well be able todownload Caribbean and European travel experiences withoutleaving home
Back to jazz You dont have to be a Facebook founder to knowthat the CDs days arenumbered and that live musicis under fire Lets face itgoing out to clubs isnt aseasy as it used to be Youhave to get it together arriveearly to win a favorable seatpay a fortune for admissionfork over more for smalldrinks and then travel homeearly before your chin hitsyour chest Personally I dontknow how people wentclubbing all week long in the
1940s and 1950s Didnt they have to get up early for work thenext day Or hadnt jobs been invented yet [Photo by Dave EScherman 1942 for Life]
Its anyones guess how many clubs and festivals will exist five orten years from now or how many musicians will be able to affordto play jazz at a high enough level to leave an impression Letsassume the number will be less than nowAfter all the trend is clear and its entirelypossible that live jazz will go the way of themanual transmission and TV antennas Thechallenge for jazz producers club ownersand musicians will be to find a way to makemoney using the Web to keep live jazzticking Newspapers stubbornly ignored the digital trend for yearsand learned a terrible lesson the hard way
Paul Slaughter Ive long been a fan of photographer PaulSlaughters work Over the past yearPaul has graciously allowed me touse his photos (with credit ofcourse) to illustrate JazzWax postsPaul has captured a large number ofthe jazz greats So I asked if he
JazzWax March 2009
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would select one of his favoriteimages and tell JazzWax readers alittle about how the photo came tobe
The Saturday afternoon before Sonnys Sunday night concert in Santa Fe inJuly of 2007 ABSpellman a retiredDeputy Chair of NationalEndowment of the Artsinterviewed Sonnybefore an audience atthe Lensic Theater anold movie houserenovated into abeautiful legit theaterAB got the JazzMasters Program goingat NEA and Sonny hadreceived an NEA JazzMasters Award in 1983
After ABs interview I gave Sonny a photo I took of him in1971 at the Monterey Jazz Festival
The next day I was hoping for a dressing room photo ofSonny so I brought him photos of his interview with ABUpon arrival at the Lensic I heard Sonny playing his horn inhis dressing room When there was a lull in Sonnys playing Iknocked on his door He said Come in There was Sonnydressed in a red shirt blue pants wearing a process capand holding his tenor sax What a terrific image I thought
I gave Sonny the photos I had brought with me He politelythanked me I asked if I could take his photo with his hornHe replied I always think part my soul is being captured
JazzWax March 2009
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when I am photographed I replied No Sonny this willmerely be a reflection of your soul He smiled warmly andallowed me to take one photograph The split-second resultis the image you see above
You can learn more about Paul at his site here His currentexhibition People of Our Times featuring celebrities and jazzgreats is at the Verve Gallery of Photography in Santa Fe NMuntil May 2
Doug Ramsey Last week author jazz critic and Rifftidesblogger DougRamsey featured twowonderful YouTube clips featuring singerSue Raney [pictured] One is of Raneysinging Henry Mancinis Dreamsville in2008 The other is a campy Scopitone fromthe mid-1960s of Raney singing Before theRain Scopitone was an early video jukeboxfeaturng 16mm film loops and soundtracks
Carol Sloane After viewing Bret Primacksvideo interview of me legendary singer Carol Sloane sent alongthe following e-mail
Like you I too listened faithfully to Al Jazzbo Collins[pictured] when the signal fromWNEW-NY became crystalclear as soon as other FMstations in Rhode Island shutdown for the night I found himand Harrison [the TasmanianOwl] in The Purple Grotto quiteby accident one night when Iwas spinning the dial and
should have been asleep
Of course I was hooked I even sent a fan letter written onthe diagonal (to be arty and to insure he would be obliged toread it) in purple ink Well hell I was 13 or 14 years old atthe time Never mind it worked One night I turned on theprogram and he was reading my letter on the air
Fortunately I had the opportunity to tell him many years
JazzWax March 2009
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later how thrilling that moment had been for me and that Irecorded My One And Only Love with him in mind because itwas his theme song
For more on Al Jazzbo Collins go here To view Carols blogSloanView go here
CD discovery of the week Back in 2006 Swiss trumpeter PeterScharli and Brazilian vocalistIthamara Koorax came together inZurich to record a beautiful albumcalled Obrigado Dom Um RomaoThe result is a tender tribute toBrazilian percussionist Dom UmRomao (Obrigado is Portuguesefor thank you)
Romao had introduced Scharli to Ithamara who became soexcited by the sound of Scharlis trumpet that she agreed torecord and tour Europe with both artists But before the tourbegan Romao died at age 82 So Scharli and Ithamara decidedto dedicate the CD to him
On the album Scharli [pictured] and Ithamara perform a series ofduets with Ithamara singing inPortuguese on 8 of the 10 tracks Ontwo tracks (Love for Sale and I Fall inLove Too Easily) Ithamara sings inEnglish But perhaps the mostfascinating songs feature Ithamarasinging vocalese in Portuguese OnVocaliste and Miniature IV she uses
Swingle Single-like tones to match Scharlis trumpet tones notefor note The result is quite fascinating as the pair come togetheror joust in counterpoint
Ithamaras voice throughout is passionate and her phrasing issoft and caressing Scharlis trumpet ispinpoint sharp without being too strong orloud Joining Ithamara [pictured] and Scharliare Markus Stalder on guitar and ThomasDurst on bass Romao plays berimbao onone track Manha de Carnaval
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March 27 2009
You can sample tracks here where youllalso find the imported CD
Oddball album cover of the week Released in 1959 on CubRecords and arrangedby Sammy Lowe TakeOff in Sound wassinger Marla Smithsonly known recordingIts unclear why Smithis pictured with anAmerican Airlines 707jet since the songsare rather land-locked(Speak Low Boy onthe Beach Wild Fireetc) Whats evenmore puzzling is the art direction Here Smith is depicted eitheras a ghost serenading mid-flight passengers Or she just
detached herself from the tailand is singing while trying tofly Either way Smiths up at35000 feet surfing theheavens in an evening gownAnd even though Smithseems to have only a cloudfor support she had the goodfashion sense to extend herleft leg for the photographer(who must have broken free
from the tail moments before her)
Posted by Marc Myers at 0815 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
JazzWax March 2009
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Interview Lisa Simone
One of the most exciting new singers Ive heard in some time isLisa Simone daughter of oneof Americas mostimpassioned vocalists NinaSimone Known simply asSimone the 46-year-old artisthas just released her first full-length album a stunningtribute to her mother Ratherthan simply mimic Ninas styleand outrage Simone hasproduced an updatedinterpretation of her motherscatalog complete with vocalpower range and tendernessSimones album Simone onSimone is earthy and gutsybut its also unmistakably adaughters message to her late mother
From the albums opening duet Music for Lovers which Lisa sangwith Nina live in Ireland to thealbums closing song Feeling Goodthis 14-track CD is packed withgospel belters big band swingersand soulful ballads Thearrangements for the 19-piece bandwere nimbly handled by Ken Moyerand they support Lisas all-in vocalstyle perfectly without being
overbearing or tissue-thin
A Broadway veteran since the mid-1990s Simone has sustainingchops that allow her voice to hit the farthest corners of any roomShe also has full command of her mothers challenging materialwhich twists and turns in places while vocals are delivered at fullthrottle
Classic Nina Simone songs on this CD include Gal From JoesGo to Hell Keeper of the Flame and a rousing version of BillyTaylors I Wish I Knew How It WouldFeel to Be Free One of my favorites
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is I Hold No Grudge which Ninarecorded in 1966 with a hugeorchestra and chorus arranged andconducted by Hal Mooney Moyersexpansive chart for Lisa is just assoft and dramatic What makes thistrack so special is Simones poetictelling of the songs lyric building to a final rousing held note
When I received a copy of Simone on Simone a couple of weeksago I put it on with some trepidation An ardent fan of NinaSimone I was fearful that Simone would either go too far or notfar enough in her tribute Instead I was blown away Simone hasre-energized her mothers material with loving sensitivity and afresh uplifting spirit
After listening to the album several times I gave Simone a call tochat about the album and her experience growing up as NinaSimones daughter
JazzWax How did it feel to have a mother who was sodeeply committed to music Lisa Simone It was normal for me My mother was alreadycommitted to music and social issues before I was born She
often had to struggle to split herlove equally between art andme which wasnt always easyOur relationship certainly hadits challenges But now that Irsquomolder and can reflect back onthose days I realize Iwitnessed a lot of history I canlook back and appreciate my
time with her whether standing in the wings watching her onstage or watching her write To Be Young Gifted and Black in1969
JW Were you always tugging at herLS I never felt I had enough of my mom I just had to dealwith it You take what you can get Now when I look back Ihave a finer understanding of my mom And Im able to get
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that extra piece I missed out on
JW Were you and your mom closeLS Yes but at times the world got in the way
JW Were you close with your father Andy StroudLS I am now When my parents were together up until1972 thatrsquos when I sawmy dad a lot When myparents divorced my lifechanged It flippedcompletely Therewerenrsquot a lot of terms inthose days to describewhat kids went throughwhen parents divorced I didnrsquot see a lot of my dad after thatyear My parents didnrsquot really get along after their splitWhen they did see each other they didnrsquot get a whole lotaccomplished [Pictured Nina Simone and husband AndyStroud]
JW What do you miss most about your momLS I miss her hand rubbing my head I miss her touch
JW Did you study singingLS No The most instruction Irsquove had was just before
appearing on stage in theBroadway production of Aida in2001 When I saw what theshow demanded I realized Ineeded a vocal coach Mycoach taught me a great dealprimarily that singing didnrsquothave to hurt I had been singingthrough my throat My coachtaught me to sing through mydiaphragm which shifts thepower source and prevents youfrom damaging your voice or
burning out
JW Youve been in few other major Broadway productionsLS Yes I was in the original cast of Rent in 1996 Then I
JazzWax March 2009
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toured with the production for a year and a half Before RentI was in a touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar
JW What did your mother teach you about singingLS All she said to me was ldquoHoney you donrsquot have to workso hardrdquo
JW What did she meanLS At the time my mother had come to a few of my showsin Los Angeles when I wasperforming at various clubsthere Her style and mine werevery different
JW How soLS Irsquom the one who jumpsaround the room like DaffyDuck I get so energizedWhereas Mommy because of all the years of practicing and
rehearsing and performing shehad already settled into singingon cruise control She wantedme to know that I could be justas effective as a singer oncruise control By urging me torelax and pace myperformances my mother felt Iwould avoid wearing myselfout Of course I learned all ofthat before I was on BroadwayAnd I learned even more whenI did eight performances a
week on stage
JW What did your mother teach you about life Or wereyou sheltered in her shadowLS [Laughs] You didnt wilt in Ninarsquos presence You neverwould have recovered from that A lot of what I learned wasby watching and listening Itrsquos amazing what children pick upthat way I didnrsquot wilt in her presence but I did learn how tofeel the air shift around me and about timingmdashwhen tospeak and when not to
JazzWax March 2009
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JW Were you honest with your mother LS I learned later on in our relationship that I needed toclearly communicate what Ineeded from her so I could getpositive reinforcement duringour conversations and visitsMy mom was so commandingand so accustomed to beingthe one dictating theconversation that to have someone like me come aroundand not want anything from her just her love was almostalien to her
JW Did she adjust to meet those needsLS It was hard for her For mom to make that shift was like
the grinding of gears Ihad to let her know in nouncertain terms that Iloved her very much butthat it hurt when shesaid certain things anddid certain things I alsosaid that I would
appreciate her taking certain things like my needs intoconsideration [Pictured Lisa Simone playing for motherNina]
JW What happenedLS She started to do that and our relationship was at awonderful point when she passed away in 2003
JW As a child understanding your mothers needs andhonoring them required enormous maturityLS I was grown up before I was an adult When yoursquore anonly child and yoursquoreglobetrotting all over the placewith your mother you findyourself growing in ways thatyou wouldnt have in othercircumstances
JW Was it tough traveling somuch
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LS You make the best of yourenvironment Books for mebecame my world
JW I Hold No Grudge has been wonderfully updatedLS Thank you Theyrsquore all special My mother said we were
both griots which are WestAfrican storytellers She saidwe both had an ability to makeour audiences feel what wersquoresinging about Itrsquos justsomething that I seem to haveand I have no idea where itcame from Irsquove found thatsinging for me is also a way of
getting certain emotions out Most people know that whenIrsquove had a bad day theyrsquore going to get an even better showsince Irsquom going to take any blow up and turn it intosomething beautiful
JW Is this album a message to your mom LS I like that question Yes it is Now that Irsquovebeen traveling on tour Itend to talk more aboutmy life with my motherIt has been a celebrationof my legacy and mymotherrsquosaccomplishments hermessage and her musicNot only have I learned to face this part of my life but Irsquoveembraced it This is not only about my mother but also myway of presenting myself to the world
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JW What do you think Ninawould say about your albumLS I think there would be a bigsmile on her face and shersquodlisten to it over and over again
JazzWax tracks Simone onSimone is available as adownload at iTunes and
Amazon or as a CD here For Simones tour information and tohear clips from her new album you can visit her site here
JazzWax clips Heres a YouTube clip interview with Simone onher new CD
Once you hear Simones new version of I Hold No Grudge listento Ninas original version from 1966
>
>
JazzWax March 2009
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March 26 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0803 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Andy Stroud Lisa Simone Nina Simone Simone
Bill Evans at Town Hall
Of pianist Bill Evans many live albums At Town Hall Vol 1 hasalways been among his mostdelicate and elegant Evansplaying is taut and gracefulwith lovely longimprovisational lines and asnappy fluid attack on thekeyboard The mix ofstandards and two originalsmdashone was a suite in memory ofhis father who died just threedays earliermdashalso were neatlyselected and assembled
For those who share my love of this album heresa list of little-known facts about the recording takenfrom Peter Pettingers How My Heart Sings a BillEvans discography and quotes from sources Ispoke to yesterday afternoon I also have a raretreat for you at the bottom
Despite playing New York club dates for 10 years the TownHall recording on February 21 1966 was Evans first NewYork concert appearance
Evans played the first half of the Town Hall concert with justbassist Chuck Israels and drummer Arnie Wise and thesecond half with an orchestra
According to Tom Lords Jazz Discography the orchestrasegment was arranged and conducted by Al Cohn [pictured]and featured Ernie Royal ClarkTerry and Bill Berry (trumpets)
JazzWax March 2009
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Bob Brookmeyer QuentinJackson and Bill Watrous(trombone) Bob Northern(French horn) Jerry DodgionGeorge Marge Eddie DanielsFrank Petrovsky and MarvinHolladay (reeds) Evans(piano) Chuck Israels (bass)and Grady Tate (drums)
The orchestra performed four Al Cohn-arranged tunesWillow Weep for Me and What Kind of Fool Am I as well asEvans originals Funkallero and Waltz for Debby
Verve never released Volume 2 which was to have featuredthe orchestral material and three trio tracks that didnt fit onthe first LP Yesterday I asked Jan Stevens of The BillEvans Web Pages what became of the band tracks Jansays Evans was intensely displeased with the result
Al Cohn did a strange thing The orchestral materialwas set up so the band played one of Cohnsarrangements followed by Bill playing a solo interludebetween songs In this regard the four songs were
meant to be a kind ofsuite with Bills pianobridging the gaps ButHelen Keane told me inthe early 1980s that Billwas extremely unhappywith the result She saidthe tracks would nevercome out no matter
what So far theyve never been commercially issuedWhats more they have never appeared on a bootlegwhich leads me to think Verve may have purged themasters immediately on Keanes or Evans insistence[Photo of Helen Keane and Bill Evans by Phil Braycourtesy of BillEvansnl in the Netherlands]
Although Creed Taylors name and signature were used byVerve on the LP jacket Creed told me yesterday that Helenalone produced the concert and that he wasnt there and
JazzWax March 2009
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had nothing to do with the event or the albums production
Gene Lees the legendary jazz writer and close friend ofEvans said yesterday he couldnt remember the concert anddidnt know specifically why the orchestral material wasntissued or what happened to the tracks
The concert was Chuck Israels last recorded appearance asa regular member of the Bill Evans Trio
Note-for-note piano transcriptions of the six songs recordedat Town Hall were recently issued as Bill Evans at TownHall Piano Transcriptions and Performance Notes by PascalWetzel Youll find it here
And now for the treat I promised you above Thanks to thegenerosity of JazzWax reader Kurt Kolstad who attended theTown Hall concert in 1966 heres the program sheet front andback including Gene Lees tribute essay Kurt says the songselections did not appear in the program and were announcedfrom the stage (click on the image to enlarge)
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
JazzWax March 2009
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Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
JazzWax March 2009
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Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
JazzWax March 2009
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In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
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March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
JazzWax March 2009
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written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
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Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
>
JazzWax March 2009
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March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
JazzWax March 2009
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March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
>
JazzWax March 2009
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
JazzWax March 2009
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What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
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youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
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1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
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music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
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Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
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imagine that well be able todownload Caribbean and European travel experiences withoutleaving home
Back to jazz You dont have to be a Facebook founder to knowthat the CDs days arenumbered and that live musicis under fire Lets face itgoing out to clubs isnt aseasy as it used to be Youhave to get it together arriveearly to win a favorable seatpay a fortune for admissionfork over more for smalldrinks and then travel homeearly before your chin hitsyour chest Personally I dontknow how people wentclubbing all week long in the
1940s and 1950s Didnt they have to get up early for work thenext day Or hadnt jobs been invented yet [Photo by Dave EScherman 1942 for Life]
Its anyones guess how many clubs and festivals will exist five orten years from now or how many musicians will be able to affordto play jazz at a high enough level to leave an impression Letsassume the number will be less than nowAfter all the trend is clear and its entirelypossible that live jazz will go the way of themanual transmission and TV antennas Thechallenge for jazz producers club ownersand musicians will be to find a way to makemoney using the Web to keep live jazzticking Newspapers stubbornly ignored the digital trend for yearsand learned a terrible lesson the hard way
Paul Slaughter Ive long been a fan of photographer PaulSlaughters work Over the past yearPaul has graciously allowed me touse his photos (with credit ofcourse) to illustrate JazzWax postsPaul has captured a large number ofthe jazz greats So I asked if he
JazzWax March 2009
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would select one of his favoriteimages and tell JazzWax readers alittle about how the photo came tobe
The Saturday afternoon before Sonnys Sunday night concert in Santa Fe inJuly of 2007 ABSpellman a retiredDeputy Chair of NationalEndowment of the Artsinterviewed Sonnybefore an audience atthe Lensic Theater anold movie houserenovated into abeautiful legit theaterAB got the JazzMasters Program goingat NEA and Sonny hadreceived an NEA JazzMasters Award in 1983
After ABs interview I gave Sonny a photo I took of him in1971 at the Monterey Jazz Festival
The next day I was hoping for a dressing room photo ofSonny so I brought him photos of his interview with ABUpon arrival at the Lensic I heard Sonny playing his horn inhis dressing room When there was a lull in Sonnys playing Iknocked on his door He said Come in There was Sonnydressed in a red shirt blue pants wearing a process capand holding his tenor sax What a terrific image I thought
I gave Sonny the photos I had brought with me He politelythanked me I asked if I could take his photo with his hornHe replied I always think part my soul is being captured
JazzWax March 2009
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when I am photographed I replied No Sonny this willmerely be a reflection of your soul He smiled warmly andallowed me to take one photograph The split-second resultis the image you see above
You can learn more about Paul at his site here His currentexhibition People of Our Times featuring celebrities and jazzgreats is at the Verve Gallery of Photography in Santa Fe NMuntil May 2
Doug Ramsey Last week author jazz critic and Rifftidesblogger DougRamsey featured twowonderful YouTube clips featuring singerSue Raney [pictured] One is of Raneysinging Henry Mancinis Dreamsville in2008 The other is a campy Scopitone fromthe mid-1960s of Raney singing Before theRain Scopitone was an early video jukeboxfeaturng 16mm film loops and soundtracks
Carol Sloane After viewing Bret Primacksvideo interview of me legendary singer Carol Sloane sent alongthe following e-mail
Like you I too listened faithfully to Al Jazzbo Collins[pictured] when the signal fromWNEW-NY became crystalclear as soon as other FMstations in Rhode Island shutdown for the night I found himand Harrison [the TasmanianOwl] in The Purple Grotto quiteby accident one night when Iwas spinning the dial and
should have been asleep
Of course I was hooked I even sent a fan letter written onthe diagonal (to be arty and to insure he would be obliged toread it) in purple ink Well hell I was 13 or 14 years old atthe time Never mind it worked One night I turned on theprogram and he was reading my letter on the air
Fortunately I had the opportunity to tell him many years
JazzWax March 2009
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later how thrilling that moment had been for me and that Irecorded My One And Only Love with him in mind because itwas his theme song
For more on Al Jazzbo Collins go here To view Carols blogSloanView go here
CD discovery of the week Back in 2006 Swiss trumpeter PeterScharli and Brazilian vocalistIthamara Koorax came together inZurich to record a beautiful albumcalled Obrigado Dom Um RomaoThe result is a tender tribute toBrazilian percussionist Dom UmRomao (Obrigado is Portuguesefor thank you)
Romao had introduced Scharli to Ithamara who became soexcited by the sound of Scharlis trumpet that she agreed torecord and tour Europe with both artists But before the tourbegan Romao died at age 82 So Scharli and Ithamara decidedto dedicate the CD to him
On the album Scharli [pictured] and Ithamara perform a series ofduets with Ithamara singing inPortuguese on 8 of the 10 tracks Ontwo tracks (Love for Sale and I Fall inLove Too Easily) Ithamara sings inEnglish But perhaps the mostfascinating songs feature Ithamarasinging vocalese in Portuguese OnVocaliste and Miniature IV she uses
Swingle Single-like tones to match Scharlis trumpet tones notefor note The result is quite fascinating as the pair come togetheror joust in counterpoint
Ithamaras voice throughout is passionate and her phrasing issoft and caressing Scharlis trumpet ispinpoint sharp without being too strong orloud Joining Ithamara [pictured] and Scharliare Markus Stalder on guitar and ThomasDurst on bass Romao plays berimbao onone track Manha de Carnaval
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March 27 2009
You can sample tracks here where youllalso find the imported CD
Oddball album cover of the week Released in 1959 on CubRecords and arrangedby Sammy Lowe TakeOff in Sound wassinger Marla Smithsonly known recordingIts unclear why Smithis pictured with anAmerican Airlines 707jet since the songsare rather land-locked(Speak Low Boy onthe Beach Wild Fireetc) Whats evenmore puzzling is the art direction Here Smith is depicted eitheras a ghost serenading mid-flight passengers Or she just
detached herself from the tailand is singing while trying tofly Either way Smiths up at35000 feet surfing theheavens in an evening gownAnd even though Smithseems to have only a cloudfor support she had the goodfashion sense to extend herleft leg for the photographer(who must have broken free
from the tail moments before her)
Posted by Marc Myers at 0815 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Interview Lisa Simone
One of the most exciting new singers Ive heard in some time isLisa Simone daughter of oneof Americas mostimpassioned vocalists NinaSimone Known simply asSimone the 46-year-old artisthas just released her first full-length album a stunningtribute to her mother Ratherthan simply mimic Ninas styleand outrage Simone hasproduced an updatedinterpretation of her motherscatalog complete with vocalpower range and tendernessSimones album Simone onSimone is earthy and gutsybut its also unmistakably adaughters message to her late mother
From the albums opening duet Music for Lovers which Lisa sangwith Nina live in Ireland to thealbums closing song Feeling Goodthis 14-track CD is packed withgospel belters big band swingersand soulful ballads Thearrangements for the 19-piece bandwere nimbly handled by Ken Moyerand they support Lisas all-in vocalstyle perfectly without being
overbearing or tissue-thin
A Broadway veteran since the mid-1990s Simone has sustainingchops that allow her voice to hit the farthest corners of any roomShe also has full command of her mothers challenging materialwhich twists and turns in places while vocals are delivered at fullthrottle
Classic Nina Simone songs on this CD include Gal From JoesGo to Hell Keeper of the Flame and a rousing version of BillyTaylors I Wish I Knew How It WouldFeel to Be Free One of my favorites
JazzWax March 2009
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is I Hold No Grudge which Ninarecorded in 1966 with a hugeorchestra and chorus arranged andconducted by Hal Mooney Moyersexpansive chart for Lisa is just assoft and dramatic What makes thistrack so special is Simones poetictelling of the songs lyric building to a final rousing held note
When I received a copy of Simone on Simone a couple of weeksago I put it on with some trepidation An ardent fan of NinaSimone I was fearful that Simone would either go too far or notfar enough in her tribute Instead I was blown away Simone hasre-energized her mothers material with loving sensitivity and afresh uplifting spirit
After listening to the album several times I gave Simone a call tochat about the album and her experience growing up as NinaSimones daughter
JazzWax How did it feel to have a mother who was sodeeply committed to music Lisa Simone It was normal for me My mother was alreadycommitted to music and social issues before I was born She
often had to struggle to split herlove equally between art andme which wasnt always easyOur relationship certainly hadits challenges But now that Irsquomolder and can reflect back onthose days I realize Iwitnessed a lot of history I canlook back and appreciate my
time with her whether standing in the wings watching her onstage or watching her write To Be Young Gifted and Black in1969
JW Were you always tugging at herLS I never felt I had enough of my mom I just had to dealwith it You take what you can get Now when I look back Ihave a finer understanding of my mom And Im able to get
JazzWax March 2009
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that extra piece I missed out on
JW Were you and your mom closeLS Yes but at times the world got in the way
JW Were you close with your father Andy StroudLS I am now When my parents were together up until1972 thatrsquos when I sawmy dad a lot When myparents divorced my lifechanged It flippedcompletely Therewerenrsquot a lot of terms inthose days to describewhat kids went throughwhen parents divorced I didnrsquot see a lot of my dad after thatyear My parents didnrsquot really get along after their splitWhen they did see each other they didnrsquot get a whole lotaccomplished [Pictured Nina Simone and husband AndyStroud]
JW What do you miss most about your momLS I miss her hand rubbing my head I miss her touch
JW Did you study singingLS No The most instruction Irsquove had was just before
appearing on stage in theBroadway production of Aida in2001 When I saw what theshow demanded I realized Ineeded a vocal coach Mycoach taught me a great dealprimarily that singing didnrsquothave to hurt I had been singingthrough my throat My coachtaught me to sing through mydiaphragm which shifts thepower source and prevents youfrom damaging your voice or
burning out
JW Youve been in few other major Broadway productionsLS Yes I was in the original cast of Rent in 1996 Then I
JazzWax March 2009
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toured with the production for a year and a half Before RentI was in a touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar
JW What did your mother teach you about singingLS All she said to me was ldquoHoney you donrsquot have to workso hardrdquo
JW What did she meanLS At the time my mother had come to a few of my showsin Los Angeles when I wasperforming at various clubsthere Her style and mine werevery different
JW How soLS Irsquom the one who jumpsaround the room like DaffyDuck I get so energizedWhereas Mommy because of all the years of practicing and
rehearsing and performing shehad already settled into singingon cruise control She wantedme to know that I could be justas effective as a singer oncruise control By urging me torelax and pace myperformances my mother felt Iwould avoid wearing myselfout Of course I learned all ofthat before I was on BroadwayAnd I learned even more whenI did eight performances a
week on stage
JW What did your mother teach you about life Or wereyou sheltered in her shadowLS [Laughs] You didnt wilt in Ninarsquos presence You neverwould have recovered from that A lot of what I learned wasby watching and listening Itrsquos amazing what children pick upthat way I didnrsquot wilt in her presence but I did learn how tofeel the air shift around me and about timingmdashwhen tospeak and when not to
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JW Were you honest with your mother LS I learned later on in our relationship that I needed toclearly communicate what Ineeded from her so I could getpositive reinforcement duringour conversations and visitsMy mom was so commandingand so accustomed to beingthe one dictating theconversation that to have someone like me come aroundand not want anything from her just her love was almostalien to her
JW Did she adjust to meet those needsLS It was hard for her For mom to make that shift was like
the grinding of gears Ihad to let her know in nouncertain terms that Iloved her very much butthat it hurt when shesaid certain things anddid certain things I alsosaid that I would
appreciate her taking certain things like my needs intoconsideration [Pictured Lisa Simone playing for motherNina]
JW What happenedLS She started to do that and our relationship was at awonderful point when she passed away in 2003
JW As a child understanding your mothers needs andhonoring them required enormous maturityLS I was grown up before I was an adult When yoursquore anonly child and yoursquoreglobetrotting all over the placewith your mother you findyourself growing in ways thatyou wouldnt have in othercircumstances
JW Was it tough traveling somuch
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LS You make the best of yourenvironment Books for mebecame my world
JW I Hold No Grudge has been wonderfully updatedLS Thank you Theyrsquore all special My mother said we were
both griots which are WestAfrican storytellers She saidwe both had an ability to makeour audiences feel what wersquoresinging about Itrsquos justsomething that I seem to haveand I have no idea where itcame from Irsquove found thatsinging for me is also a way of
getting certain emotions out Most people know that whenIrsquove had a bad day theyrsquore going to get an even better showsince Irsquom going to take any blow up and turn it intosomething beautiful
JW Is this album a message to your mom LS I like that question Yes it is Now that Irsquovebeen traveling on tour Itend to talk more aboutmy life with my motherIt has been a celebrationof my legacy and mymotherrsquosaccomplishments hermessage and her musicNot only have I learned to face this part of my life but Irsquoveembraced it This is not only about my mother but also myway of presenting myself to the world
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JW What do you think Ninawould say about your albumLS I think there would be a bigsmile on her face and shersquodlisten to it over and over again
JazzWax tracks Simone onSimone is available as adownload at iTunes and
Amazon or as a CD here For Simones tour information and tohear clips from her new album you can visit her site here
JazzWax clips Heres a YouTube clip interview with Simone onher new CD
Once you hear Simones new version of I Hold No Grudge listento Ninas original version from 1966
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 26 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0803 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Andy Stroud Lisa Simone Nina Simone Simone
Bill Evans at Town Hall
Of pianist Bill Evans many live albums At Town Hall Vol 1 hasalways been among his mostdelicate and elegant Evansplaying is taut and gracefulwith lovely longimprovisational lines and asnappy fluid attack on thekeyboard The mix ofstandards and two originalsmdashone was a suite in memory ofhis father who died just threedays earliermdashalso were neatlyselected and assembled
For those who share my love of this album heresa list of little-known facts about the recording takenfrom Peter Pettingers How My Heart Sings a BillEvans discography and quotes from sources Ispoke to yesterday afternoon I also have a raretreat for you at the bottom
Despite playing New York club dates for 10 years the TownHall recording on February 21 1966 was Evans first NewYork concert appearance
Evans played the first half of the Town Hall concert with justbassist Chuck Israels and drummer Arnie Wise and thesecond half with an orchestra
According to Tom Lords Jazz Discography the orchestrasegment was arranged and conducted by Al Cohn [pictured]and featured Ernie Royal ClarkTerry and Bill Berry (trumpets)
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Bob Brookmeyer QuentinJackson and Bill Watrous(trombone) Bob Northern(French horn) Jerry DodgionGeorge Marge Eddie DanielsFrank Petrovsky and MarvinHolladay (reeds) Evans(piano) Chuck Israels (bass)and Grady Tate (drums)
The orchestra performed four Al Cohn-arranged tunesWillow Weep for Me and What Kind of Fool Am I as well asEvans originals Funkallero and Waltz for Debby
Verve never released Volume 2 which was to have featuredthe orchestral material and three trio tracks that didnt fit onthe first LP Yesterday I asked Jan Stevens of The BillEvans Web Pages what became of the band tracks Jansays Evans was intensely displeased with the result
Al Cohn did a strange thing The orchestral materialwas set up so the band played one of Cohnsarrangements followed by Bill playing a solo interludebetween songs In this regard the four songs were
meant to be a kind ofsuite with Bills pianobridging the gaps ButHelen Keane told me inthe early 1980s that Billwas extremely unhappywith the result She saidthe tracks would nevercome out no matter
what So far theyve never been commercially issuedWhats more they have never appeared on a bootlegwhich leads me to think Verve may have purged themasters immediately on Keanes or Evans insistence[Photo of Helen Keane and Bill Evans by Phil Braycourtesy of BillEvansnl in the Netherlands]
Although Creed Taylors name and signature were used byVerve on the LP jacket Creed told me yesterday that Helenalone produced the concert and that he wasnt there and
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had nothing to do with the event or the albums production
Gene Lees the legendary jazz writer and close friend ofEvans said yesterday he couldnt remember the concert anddidnt know specifically why the orchestral material wasntissued or what happened to the tracks
The concert was Chuck Israels last recorded appearance asa regular member of the Bill Evans Trio
Note-for-note piano transcriptions of the six songs recordedat Town Hall were recently issued as Bill Evans at TownHall Piano Transcriptions and Performance Notes by PascalWetzel Youll find it here
And now for the treat I promised you above Thanks to thegenerosity of JazzWax reader Kurt Kolstad who attended theTown Hall concert in 1966 heres the program sheet front andback including Gene Lees tribute essay Kurt says the songselections did not appear in the program and were announcedfrom the stage (click on the image to enlarge)
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
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Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
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Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
JazzWax March 2009
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In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
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March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
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written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
JazzWax March 2009
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Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
JazzWax March 2009
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March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
JazzWax March 2009
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What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
JazzWax March 2009
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
JazzWax March 2009
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youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
JazzWax March 2009
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
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1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
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music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
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Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
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NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
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would select one of his favoriteimages and tell JazzWax readers alittle about how the photo came tobe
The Saturday afternoon before Sonnys Sunday night concert in Santa Fe inJuly of 2007 ABSpellman a retiredDeputy Chair of NationalEndowment of the Artsinterviewed Sonnybefore an audience atthe Lensic Theater anold movie houserenovated into abeautiful legit theaterAB got the JazzMasters Program goingat NEA and Sonny hadreceived an NEA JazzMasters Award in 1983
After ABs interview I gave Sonny a photo I took of him in1971 at the Monterey Jazz Festival
The next day I was hoping for a dressing room photo ofSonny so I brought him photos of his interview with ABUpon arrival at the Lensic I heard Sonny playing his horn inhis dressing room When there was a lull in Sonnys playing Iknocked on his door He said Come in There was Sonnydressed in a red shirt blue pants wearing a process capand holding his tenor sax What a terrific image I thought
I gave Sonny the photos I had brought with me He politelythanked me I asked if I could take his photo with his hornHe replied I always think part my soul is being captured
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when I am photographed I replied No Sonny this willmerely be a reflection of your soul He smiled warmly andallowed me to take one photograph The split-second resultis the image you see above
You can learn more about Paul at his site here His currentexhibition People of Our Times featuring celebrities and jazzgreats is at the Verve Gallery of Photography in Santa Fe NMuntil May 2
Doug Ramsey Last week author jazz critic and Rifftidesblogger DougRamsey featured twowonderful YouTube clips featuring singerSue Raney [pictured] One is of Raneysinging Henry Mancinis Dreamsville in2008 The other is a campy Scopitone fromthe mid-1960s of Raney singing Before theRain Scopitone was an early video jukeboxfeaturng 16mm film loops and soundtracks
Carol Sloane After viewing Bret Primacksvideo interview of me legendary singer Carol Sloane sent alongthe following e-mail
Like you I too listened faithfully to Al Jazzbo Collins[pictured] when the signal fromWNEW-NY became crystalclear as soon as other FMstations in Rhode Island shutdown for the night I found himand Harrison [the TasmanianOwl] in The Purple Grotto quiteby accident one night when Iwas spinning the dial and
should have been asleep
Of course I was hooked I even sent a fan letter written onthe diagonal (to be arty and to insure he would be obliged toread it) in purple ink Well hell I was 13 or 14 years old atthe time Never mind it worked One night I turned on theprogram and he was reading my letter on the air
Fortunately I had the opportunity to tell him many years
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later how thrilling that moment had been for me and that Irecorded My One And Only Love with him in mind because itwas his theme song
For more on Al Jazzbo Collins go here To view Carols blogSloanView go here
CD discovery of the week Back in 2006 Swiss trumpeter PeterScharli and Brazilian vocalistIthamara Koorax came together inZurich to record a beautiful albumcalled Obrigado Dom Um RomaoThe result is a tender tribute toBrazilian percussionist Dom UmRomao (Obrigado is Portuguesefor thank you)
Romao had introduced Scharli to Ithamara who became soexcited by the sound of Scharlis trumpet that she agreed torecord and tour Europe with both artists But before the tourbegan Romao died at age 82 So Scharli and Ithamara decidedto dedicate the CD to him
On the album Scharli [pictured] and Ithamara perform a series ofduets with Ithamara singing inPortuguese on 8 of the 10 tracks Ontwo tracks (Love for Sale and I Fall inLove Too Easily) Ithamara sings inEnglish But perhaps the mostfascinating songs feature Ithamarasinging vocalese in Portuguese OnVocaliste and Miniature IV she uses
Swingle Single-like tones to match Scharlis trumpet tones notefor note The result is quite fascinating as the pair come togetheror joust in counterpoint
Ithamaras voice throughout is passionate and her phrasing issoft and caressing Scharlis trumpet ispinpoint sharp without being too strong orloud Joining Ithamara [pictured] and Scharliare Markus Stalder on guitar and ThomasDurst on bass Romao plays berimbao onone track Manha de Carnaval
JazzWax March 2009
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March 27 2009
You can sample tracks here where youllalso find the imported CD
Oddball album cover of the week Released in 1959 on CubRecords and arrangedby Sammy Lowe TakeOff in Sound wassinger Marla Smithsonly known recordingIts unclear why Smithis pictured with anAmerican Airlines 707jet since the songsare rather land-locked(Speak Low Boy onthe Beach Wild Fireetc) Whats evenmore puzzling is the art direction Here Smith is depicted eitheras a ghost serenading mid-flight passengers Or she just
detached herself from the tailand is singing while trying tofly Either way Smiths up at35000 feet surfing theheavens in an evening gownAnd even though Smithseems to have only a cloudfor support she had the goodfashion sense to extend herleft leg for the photographer(who must have broken free
from the tail moments before her)
Posted by Marc Myers at 0815 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
JazzWax March 2009
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Interview Lisa Simone
One of the most exciting new singers Ive heard in some time isLisa Simone daughter of oneof Americas mostimpassioned vocalists NinaSimone Known simply asSimone the 46-year-old artisthas just released her first full-length album a stunningtribute to her mother Ratherthan simply mimic Ninas styleand outrage Simone hasproduced an updatedinterpretation of her motherscatalog complete with vocalpower range and tendernessSimones album Simone onSimone is earthy and gutsybut its also unmistakably adaughters message to her late mother
From the albums opening duet Music for Lovers which Lisa sangwith Nina live in Ireland to thealbums closing song Feeling Goodthis 14-track CD is packed withgospel belters big band swingersand soulful ballads Thearrangements for the 19-piece bandwere nimbly handled by Ken Moyerand they support Lisas all-in vocalstyle perfectly without being
overbearing or tissue-thin
A Broadway veteran since the mid-1990s Simone has sustainingchops that allow her voice to hit the farthest corners of any roomShe also has full command of her mothers challenging materialwhich twists and turns in places while vocals are delivered at fullthrottle
Classic Nina Simone songs on this CD include Gal From JoesGo to Hell Keeper of the Flame and a rousing version of BillyTaylors I Wish I Knew How It WouldFeel to Be Free One of my favorites
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is I Hold No Grudge which Ninarecorded in 1966 with a hugeorchestra and chorus arranged andconducted by Hal Mooney Moyersexpansive chart for Lisa is just assoft and dramatic What makes thistrack so special is Simones poetictelling of the songs lyric building to a final rousing held note
When I received a copy of Simone on Simone a couple of weeksago I put it on with some trepidation An ardent fan of NinaSimone I was fearful that Simone would either go too far or notfar enough in her tribute Instead I was blown away Simone hasre-energized her mothers material with loving sensitivity and afresh uplifting spirit
After listening to the album several times I gave Simone a call tochat about the album and her experience growing up as NinaSimones daughter
JazzWax How did it feel to have a mother who was sodeeply committed to music Lisa Simone It was normal for me My mother was alreadycommitted to music and social issues before I was born She
often had to struggle to split herlove equally between art andme which wasnt always easyOur relationship certainly hadits challenges But now that Irsquomolder and can reflect back onthose days I realize Iwitnessed a lot of history I canlook back and appreciate my
time with her whether standing in the wings watching her onstage or watching her write To Be Young Gifted and Black in1969
JW Were you always tugging at herLS I never felt I had enough of my mom I just had to dealwith it You take what you can get Now when I look back Ihave a finer understanding of my mom And Im able to get
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that extra piece I missed out on
JW Were you and your mom closeLS Yes but at times the world got in the way
JW Were you close with your father Andy StroudLS I am now When my parents were together up until1972 thatrsquos when I sawmy dad a lot When myparents divorced my lifechanged It flippedcompletely Therewerenrsquot a lot of terms inthose days to describewhat kids went throughwhen parents divorced I didnrsquot see a lot of my dad after thatyear My parents didnrsquot really get along after their splitWhen they did see each other they didnrsquot get a whole lotaccomplished [Pictured Nina Simone and husband AndyStroud]
JW What do you miss most about your momLS I miss her hand rubbing my head I miss her touch
JW Did you study singingLS No The most instruction Irsquove had was just before
appearing on stage in theBroadway production of Aida in2001 When I saw what theshow demanded I realized Ineeded a vocal coach Mycoach taught me a great dealprimarily that singing didnrsquothave to hurt I had been singingthrough my throat My coachtaught me to sing through mydiaphragm which shifts thepower source and prevents youfrom damaging your voice or
burning out
JW Youve been in few other major Broadway productionsLS Yes I was in the original cast of Rent in 1996 Then I
JazzWax March 2009
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toured with the production for a year and a half Before RentI was in a touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar
JW What did your mother teach you about singingLS All she said to me was ldquoHoney you donrsquot have to workso hardrdquo
JW What did she meanLS At the time my mother had come to a few of my showsin Los Angeles when I wasperforming at various clubsthere Her style and mine werevery different
JW How soLS Irsquom the one who jumpsaround the room like DaffyDuck I get so energizedWhereas Mommy because of all the years of practicing and
rehearsing and performing shehad already settled into singingon cruise control She wantedme to know that I could be justas effective as a singer oncruise control By urging me torelax and pace myperformances my mother felt Iwould avoid wearing myselfout Of course I learned all ofthat before I was on BroadwayAnd I learned even more whenI did eight performances a
week on stage
JW What did your mother teach you about life Or wereyou sheltered in her shadowLS [Laughs] You didnt wilt in Ninarsquos presence You neverwould have recovered from that A lot of what I learned wasby watching and listening Itrsquos amazing what children pick upthat way I didnrsquot wilt in her presence but I did learn how tofeel the air shift around me and about timingmdashwhen tospeak and when not to
JazzWax March 2009
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JW Were you honest with your mother LS I learned later on in our relationship that I needed toclearly communicate what Ineeded from her so I could getpositive reinforcement duringour conversations and visitsMy mom was so commandingand so accustomed to beingthe one dictating theconversation that to have someone like me come aroundand not want anything from her just her love was almostalien to her
JW Did she adjust to meet those needsLS It was hard for her For mom to make that shift was like
the grinding of gears Ihad to let her know in nouncertain terms that Iloved her very much butthat it hurt when shesaid certain things anddid certain things I alsosaid that I would
appreciate her taking certain things like my needs intoconsideration [Pictured Lisa Simone playing for motherNina]
JW What happenedLS She started to do that and our relationship was at awonderful point when she passed away in 2003
JW As a child understanding your mothers needs andhonoring them required enormous maturityLS I was grown up before I was an adult When yoursquore anonly child and yoursquoreglobetrotting all over the placewith your mother you findyourself growing in ways thatyou wouldnt have in othercircumstances
JW Was it tough traveling somuch
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LS You make the best of yourenvironment Books for mebecame my world
JW I Hold No Grudge has been wonderfully updatedLS Thank you Theyrsquore all special My mother said we were
both griots which are WestAfrican storytellers She saidwe both had an ability to makeour audiences feel what wersquoresinging about Itrsquos justsomething that I seem to haveand I have no idea where itcame from Irsquove found thatsinging for me is also a way of
getting certain emotions out Most people know that whenIrsquove had a bad day theyrsquore going to get an even better showsince Irsquom going to take any blow up and turn it intosomething beautiful
JW Is this album a message to your mom LS I like that question Yes it is Now that Irsquovebeen traveling on tour Itend to talk more aboutmy life with my motherIt has been a celebrationof my legacy and mymotherrsquosaccomplishments hermessage and her musicNot only have I learned to face this part of my life but Irsquoveembraced it This is not only about my mother but also myway of presenting myself to the world
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JW What do you think Ninawould say about your albumLS I think there would be a bigsmile on her face and shersquodlisten to it over and over again
JazzWax tracks Simone onSimone is available as adownload at iTunes and
Amazon or as a CD here For Simones tour information and tohear clips from her new album you can visit her site here
JazzWax clips Heres a YouTube clip interview with Simone onher new CD
Once you hear Simones new version of I Hold No Grudge listento Ninas original version from 1966
>
>
JazzWax March 2009
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March 26 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0803 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Andy Stroud Lisa Simone Nina Simone Simone
Bill Evans at Town Hall
Of pianist Bill Evans many live albums At Town Hall Vol 1 hasalways been among his mostdelicate and elegant Evansplaying is taut and gracefulwith lovely longimprovisational lines and asnappy fluid attack on thekeyboard The mix ofstandards and two originalsmdashone was a suite in memory ofhis father who died just threedays earliermdashalso were neatlyselected and assembled
For those who share my love of this album heresa list of little-known facts about the recording takenfrom Peter Pettingers How My Heart Sings a BillEvans discography and quotes from sources Ispoke to yesterday afternoon I also have a raretreat for you at the bottom
Despite playing New York club dates for 10 years the TownHall recording on February 21 1966 was Evans first NewYork concert appearance
Evans played the first half of the Town Hall concert with justbassist Chuck Israels and drummer Arnie Wise and thesecond half with an orchestra
According to Tom Lords Jazz Discography the orchestrasegment was arranged and conducted by Al Cohn [pictured]and featured Ernie Royal ClarkTerry and Bill Berry (trumpets)
JazzWax March 2009
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Bob Brookmeyer QuentinJackson and Bill Watrous(trombone) Bob Northern(French horn) Jerry DodgionGeorge Marge Eddie DanielsFrank Petrovsky and MarvinHolladay (reeds) Evans(piano) Chuck Israels (bass)and Grady Tate (drums)
The orchestra performed four Al Cohn-arranged tunesWillow Weep for Me and What Kind of Fool Am I as well asEvans originals Funkallero and Waltz for Debby
Verve never released Volume 2 which was to have featuredthe orchestral material and three trio tracks that didnt fit onthe first LP Yesterday I asked Jan Stevens of The BillEvans Web Pages what became of the band tracks Jansays Evans was intensely displeased with the result
Al Cohn did a strange thing The orchestral materialwas set up so the band played one of Cohnsarrangements followed by Bill playing a solo interludebetween songs In this regard the four songs were
meant to be a kind ofsuite with Bills pianobridging the gaps ButHelen Keane told me inthe early 1980s that Billwas extremely unhappywith the result She saidthe tracks would nevercome out no matter
what So far theyve never been commercially issuedWhats more they have never appeared on a bootlegwhich leads me to think Verve may have purged themasters immediately on Keanes or Evans insistence[Photo of Helen Keane and Bill Evans by Phil Braycourtesy of BillEvansnl in the Netherlands]
Although Creed Taylors name and signature were used byVerve on the LP jacket Creed told me yesterday that Helenalone produced the concert and that he wasnt there and
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had nothing to do with the event or the albums production
Gene Lees the legendary jazz writer and close friend ofEvans said yesterday he couldnt remember the concert anddidnt know specifically why the orchestral material wasntissued or what happened to the tracks
The concert was Chuck Israels last recorded appearance asa regular member of the Bill Evans Trio
Note-for-note piano transcriptions of the six songs recordedat Town Hall were recently issued as Bill Evans at TownHall Piano Transcriptions and Performance Notes by PascalWetzel Youll find it here
And now for the treat I promised you above Thanks to thegenerosity of JazzWax reader Kurt Kolstad who attended theTown Hall concert in 1966 heres the program sheet front andback including Gene Lees tribute essay Kurt says the songselections did not appear in the program and were announcedfrom the stage (click on the image to enlarge)
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
JazzWax March 2009
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Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
JazzWax March 2009
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Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
JazzWax March 2009
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In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
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March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
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written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
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Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
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March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
JazzWax March 2009
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What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
JazzWax March 2009
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
JazzWax March 2009
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
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youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
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1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
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music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
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Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
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when I am photographed I replied No Sonny this willmerely be a reflection of your soul He smiled warmly andallowed me to take one photograph The split-second resultis the image you see above
You can learn more about Paul at his site here His currentexhibition People of Our Times featuring celebrities and jazzgreats is at the Verve Gallery of Photography in Santa Fe NMuntil May 2
Doug Ramsey Last week author jazz critic and Rifftidesblogger DougRamsey featured twowonderful YouTube clips featuring singerSue Raney [pictured] One is of Raneysinging Henry Mancinis Dreamsville in2008 The other is a campy Scopitone fromthe mid-1960s of Raney singing Before theRain Scopitone was an early video jukeboxfeaturng 16mm film loops and soundtracks
Carol Sloane After viewing Bret Primacksvideo interview of me legendary singer Carol Sloane sent alongthe following e-mail
Like you I too listened faithfully to Al Jazzbo Collins[pictured] when the signal fromWNEW-NY became crystalclear as soon as other FMstations in Rhode Island shutdown for the night I found himand Harrison [the TasmanianOwl] in The Purple Grotto quiteby accident one night when Iwas spinning the dial and
should have been asleep
Of course I was hooked I even sent a fan letter written onthe diagonal (to be arty and to insure he would be obliged toread it) in purple ink Well hell I was 13 or 14 years old atthe time Never mind it worked One night I turned on theprogram and he was reading my letter on the air
Fortunately I had the opportunity to tell him many years
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later how thrilling that moment had been for me and that Irecorded My One And Only Love with him in mind because itwas his theme song
For more on Al Jazzbo Collins go here To view Carols blogSloanView go here
CD discovery of the week Back in 2006 Swiss trumpeter PeterScharli and Brazilian vocalistIthamara Koorax came together inZurich to record a beautiful albumcalled Obrigado Dom Um RomaoThe result is a tender tribute toBrazilian percussionist Dom UmRomao (Obrigado is Portuguesefor thank you)
Romao had introduced Scharli to Ithamara who became soexcited by the sound of Scharlis trumpet that she agreed torecord and tour Europe with both artists But before the tourbegan Romao died at age 82 So Scharli and Ithamara decidedto dedicate the CD to him
On the album Scharli [pictured] and Ithamara perform a series ofduets with Ithamara singing inPortuguese on 8 of the 10 tracks Ontwo tracks (Love for Sale and I Fall inLove Too Easily) Ithamara sings inEnglish But perhaps the mostfascinating songs feature Ithamarasinging vocalese in Portuguese OnVocaliste and Miniature IV she uses
Swingle Single-like tones to match Scharlis trumpet tones notefor note The result is quite fascinating as the pair come togetheror joust in counterpoint
Ithamaras voice throughout is passionate and her phrasing issoft and caressing Scharlis trumpet ispinpoint sharp without being too strong orloud Joining Ithamara [pictured] and Scharliare Markus Stalder on guitar and ThomasDurst on bass Romao plays berimbao onone track Manha de Carnaval
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March 27 2009
You can sample tracks here where youllalso find the imported CD
Oddball album cover of the week Released in 1959 on CubRecords and arrangedby Sammy Lowe TakeOff in Sound wassinger Marla Smithsonly known recordingIts unclear why Smithis pictured with anAmerican Airlines 707jet since the songsare rather land-locked(Speak Low Boy onthe Beach Wild Fireetc) Whats evenmore puzzling is the art direction Here Smith is depicted eitheras a ghost serenading mid-flight passengers Or she just
detached herself from the tailand is singing while trying tofly Either way Smiths up at35000 feet surfing theheavens in an evening gownAnd even though Smithseems to have only a cloudfor support she had the goodfashion sense to extend herleft leg for the photographer(who must have broken free
from the tail moments before her)
Posted by Marc Myers at 0815 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
JazzWax March 2009
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Interview Lisa Simone
One of the most exciting new singers Ive heard in some time isLisa Simone daughter of oneof Americas mostimpassioned vocalists NinaSimone Known simply asSimone the 46-year-old artisthas just released her first full-length album a stunningtribute to her mother Ratherthan simply mimic Ninas styleand outrage Simone hasproduced an updatedinterpretation of her motherscatalog complete with vocalpower range and tendernessSimones album Simone onSimone is earthy and gutsybut its also unmistakably adaughters message to her late mother
From the albums opening duet Music for Lovers which Lisa sangwith Nina live in Ireland to thealbums closing song Feeling Goodthis 14-track CD is packed withgospel belters big band swingersand soulful ballads Thearrangements for the 19-piece bandwere nimbly handled by Ken Moyerand they support Lisas all-in vocalstyle perfectly without being
overbearing or tissue-thin
A Broadway veteran since the mid-1990s Simone has sustainingchops that allow her voice to hit the farthest corners of any roomShe also has full command of her mothers challenging materialwhich twists and turns in places while vocals are delivered at fullthrottle
Classic Nina Simone songs on this CD include Gal From JoesGo to Hell Keeper of the Flame and a rousing version of BillyTaylors I Wish I Knew How It WouldFeel to Be Free One of my favorites
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is I Hold No Grudge which Ninarecorded in 1966 with a hugeorchestra and chorus arranged andconducted by Hal Mooney Moyersexpansive chart for Lisa is just assoft and dramatic What makes thistrack so special is Simones poetictelling of the songs lyric building to a final rousing held note
When I received a copy of Simone on Simone a couple of weeksago I put it on with some trepidation An ardent fan of NinaSimone I was fearful that Simone would either go too far or notfar enough in her tribute Instead I was blown away Simone hasre-energized her mothers material with loving sensitivity and afresh uplifting spirit
After listening to the album several times I gave Simone a call tochat about the album and her experience growing up as NinaSimones daughter
JazzWax How did it feel to have a mother who was sodeeply committed to music Lisa Simone It was normal for me My mother was alreadycommitted to music and social issues before I was born She
often had to struggle to split herlove equally between art andme which wasnt always easyOur relationship certainly hadits challenges But now that Irsquomolder and can reflect back onthose days I realize Iwitnessed a lot of history I canlook back and appreciate my
time with her whether standing in the wings watching her onstage or watching her write To Be Young Gifted and Black in1969
JW Were you always tugging at herLS I never felt I had enough of my mom I just had to dealwith it You take what you can get Now when I look back Ihave a finer understanding of my mom And Im able to get
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that extra piece I missed out on
JW Were you and your mom closeLS Yes but at times the world got in the way
JW Were you close with your father Andy StroudLS I am now When my parents were together up until1972 thatrsquos when I sawmy dad a lot When myparents divorced my lifechanged It flippedcompletely Therewerenrsquot a lot of terms inthose days to describewhat kids went throughwhen parents divorced I didnrsquot see a lot of my dad after thatyear My parents didnrsquot really get along after their splitWhen they did see each other they didnrsquot get a whole lotaccomplished [Pictured Nina Simone and husband AndyStroud]
JW What do you miss most about your momLS I miss her hand rubbing my head I miss her touch
JW Did you study singingLS No The most instruction Irsquove had was just before
appearing on stage in theBroadway production of Aida in2001 When I saw what theshow demanded I realized Ineeded a vocal coach Mycoach taught me a great dealprimarily that singing didnrsquothave to hurt I had been singingthrough my throat My coachtaught me to sing through mydiaphragm which shifts thepower source and prevents youfrom damaging your voice or
burning out
JW Youve been in few other major Broadway productionsLS Yes I was in the original cast of Rent in 1996 Then I
JazzWax March 2009
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toured with the production for a year and a half Before RentI was in a touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar
JW What did your mother teach you about singingLS All she said to me was ldquoHoney you donrsquot have to workso hardrdquo
JW What did she meanLS At the time my mother had come to a few of my showsin Los Angeles when I wasperforming at various clubsthere Her style and mine werevery different
JW How soLS Irsquom the one who jumpsaround the room like DaffyDuck I get so energizedWhereas Mommy because of all the years of practicing and
rehearsing and performing shehad already settled into singingon cruise control She wantedme to know that I could be justas effective as a singer oncruise control By urging me torelax and pace myperformances my mother felt Iwould avoid wearing myselfout Of course I learned all ofthat before I was on BroadwayAnd I learned even more whenI did eight performances a
week on stage
JW What did your mother teach you about life Or wereyou sheltered in her shadowLS [Laughs] You didnt wilt in Ninarsquos presence You neverwould have recovered from that A lot of what I learned wasby watching and listening Itrsquos amazing what children pick upthat way I didnrsquot wilt in her presence but I did learn how tofeel the air shift around me and about timingmdashwhen tospeak and when not to
JazzWax March 2009
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JW Were you honest with your mother LS I learned later on in our relationship that I needed toclearly communicate what Ineeded from her so I could getpositive reinforcement duringour conversations and visitsMy mom was so commandingand so accustomed to beingthe one dictating theconversation that to have someone like me come aroundand not want anything from her just her love was almostalien to her
JW Did she adjust to meet those needsLS It was hard for her For mom to make that shift was like
the grinding of gears Ihad to let her know in nouncertain terms that Iloved her very much butthat it hurt when shesaid certain things anddid certain things I alsosaid that I would
appreciate her taking certain things like my needs intoconsideration [Pictured Lisa Simone playing for motherNina]
JW What happenedLS She started to do that and our relationship was at awonderful point when she passed away in 2003
JW As a child understanding your mothers needs andhonoring them required enormous maturityLS I was grown up before I was an adult When yoursquore anonly child and yoursquoreglobetrotting all over the placewith your mother you findyourself growing in ways thatyou wouldnt have in othercircumstances
JW Was it tough traveling somuch
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LS You make the best of yourenvironment Books for mebecame my world
JW I Hold No Grudge has been wonderfully updatedLS Thank you Theyrsquore all special My mother said we were
both griots which are WestAfrican storytellers She saidwe both had an ability to makeour audiences feel what wersquoresinging about Itrsquos justsomething that I seem to haveand I have no idea where itcame from Irsquove found thatsinging for me is also a way of
getting certain emotions out Most people know that whenIrsquove had a bad day theyrsquore going to get an even better showsince Irsquom going to take any blow up and turn it intosomething beautiful
JW Is this album a message to your mom LS I like that question Yes it is Now that Irsquovebeen traveling on tour Itend to talk more aboutmy life with my motherIt has been a celebrationof my legacy and mymotherrsquosaccomplishments hermessage and her musicNot only have I learned to face this part of my life but Irsquoveembraced it This is not only about my mother but also myway of presenting myself to the world
JazzWax March 2009
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JW What do you think Ninawould say about your albumLS I think there would be a bigsmile on her face and shersquodlisten to it over and over again
JazzWax tracks Simone onSimone is available as adownload at iTunes and
Amazon or as a CD here For Simones tour information and tohear clips from her new album you can visit her site here
JazzWax clips Heres a YouTube clip interview with Simone onher new CD
Once you hear Simones new version of I Hold No Grudge listento Ninas original version from 1966
>
>
JazzWax March 2009
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March 26 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0803 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Andy Stroud Lisa Simone Nina Simone Simone
Bill Evans at Town Hall
Of pianist Bill Evans many live albums At Town Hall Vol 1 hasalways been among his mostdelicate and elegant Evansplaying is taut and gracefulwith lovely longimprovisational lines and asnappy fluid attack on thekeyboard The mix ofstandards and two originalsmdashone was a suite in memory ofhis father who died just threedays earliermdashalso were neatlyselected and assembled
For those who share my love of this album heresa list of little-known facts about the recording takenfrom Peter Pettingers How My Heart Sings a BillEvans discography and quotes from sources Ispoke to yesterday afternoon I also have a raretreat for you at the bottom
Despite playing New York club dates for 10 years the TownHall recording on February 21 1966 was Evans first NewYork concert appearance
Evans played the first half of the Town Hall concert with justbassist Chuck Israels and drummer Arnie Wise and thesecond half with an orchestra
According to Tom Lords Jazz Discography the orchestrasegment was arranged and conducted by Al Cohn [pictured]and featured Ernie Royal ClarkTerry and Bill Berry (trumpets)
JazzWax March 2009
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Bob Brookmeyer QuentinJackson and Bill Watrous(trombone) Bob Northern(French horn) Jerry DodgionGeorge Marge Eddie DanielsFrank Petrovsky and MarvinHolladay (reeds) Evans(piano) Chuck Israels (bass)and Grady Tate (drums)
The orchestra performed four Al Cohn-arranged tunesWillow Weep for Me and What Kind of Fool Am I as well asEvans originals Funkallero and Waltz for Debby
Verve never released Volume 2 which was to have featuredthe orchestral material and three trio tracks that didnt fit onthe first LP Yesterday I asked Jan Stevens of The BillEvans Web Pages what became of the band tracks Jansays Evans was intensely displeased with the result
Al Cohn did a strange thing The orchestral materialwas set up so the band played one of Cohnsarrangements followed by Bill playing a solo interludebetween songs In this regard the four songs were
meant to be a kind ofsuite with Bills pianobridging the gaps ButHelen Keane told me inthe early 1980s that Billwas extremely unhappywith the result She saidthe tracks would nevercome out no matter
what So far theyve never been commercially issuedWhats more they have never appeared on a bootlegwhich leads me to think Verve may have purged themasters immediately on Keanes or Evans insistence[Photo of Helen Keane and Bill Evans by Phil Braycourtesy of BillEvansnl in the Netherlands]
Although Creed Taylors name and signature were used byVerve on the LP jacket Creed told me yesterday that Helenalone produced the concert and that he wasnt there and
JazzWax March 2009
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had nothing to do with the event or the albums production
Gene Lees the legendary jazz writer and close friend ofEvans said yesterday he couldnt remember the concert anddidnt know specifically why the orchestral material wasntissued or what happened to the tracks
The concert was Chuck Israels last recorded appearance asa regular member of the Bill Evans Trio
Note-for-note piano transcriptions of the six songs recordedat Town Hall were recently issued as Bill Evans at TownHall Piano Transcriptions and Performance Notes by PascalWetzel Youll find it here
And now for the treat I promised you above Thanks to thegenerosity of JazzWax reader Kurt Kolstad who attended theTown Hall concert in 1966 heres the program sheet front andback including Gene Lees tribute essay Kurt says the songselections did not appear in the program and were announcedfrom the stage (click on the image to enlarge)
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
JazzWax March 2009
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Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
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Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
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In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
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March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
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written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
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Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
>
JazzWax March 2009
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March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
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March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
>
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
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What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
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youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
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1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
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music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
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Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
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later how thrilling that moment had been for me and that Irecorded My One And Only Love with him in mind because itwas his theme song
For more on Al Jazzbo Collins go here To view Carols blogSloanView go here
CD discovery of the week Back in 2006 Swiss trumpeter PeterScharli and Brazilian vocalistIthamara Koorax came together inZurich to record a beautiful albumcalled Obrigado Dom Um RomaoThe result is a tender tribute toBrazilian percussionist Dom UmRomao (Obrigado is Portuguesefor thank you)
Romao had introduced Scharli to Ithamara who became soexcited by the sound of Scharlis trumpet that she agreed torecord and tour Europe with both artists But before the tourbegan Romao died at age 82 So Scharli and Ithamara decidedto dedicate the CD to him
On the album Scharli [pictured] and Ithamara perform a series ofduets with Ithamara singing inPortuguese on 8 of the 10 tracks Ontwo tracks (Love for Sale and I Fall inLove Too Easily) Ithamara sings inEnglish But perhaps the mostfascinating songs feature Ithamarasinging vocalese in Portuguese OnVocaliste and Miniature IV she uses
Swingle Single-like tones to match Scharlis trumpet tones notefor note The result is quite fascinating as the pair come togetheror joust in counterpoint
Ithamaras voice throughout is passionate and her phrasing issoft and caressing Scharlis trumpet ispinpoint sharp without being too strong orloud Joining Ithamara [pictured] and Scharliare Markus Stalder on guitar and ThomasDurst on bass Romao plays berimbao onone track Manha de Carnaval
JazzWax March 2009
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March 27 2009
You can sample tracks here where youllalso find the imported CD
Oddball album cover of the week Released in 1959 on CubRecords and arrangedby Sammy Lowe TakeOff in Sound wassinger Marla Smithsonly known recordingIts unclear why Smithis pictured with anAmerican Airlines 707jet since the songsare rather land-locked(Speak Low Boy onthe Beach Wild Fireetc) Whats evenmore puzzling is the art direction Here Smith is depicted eitheras a ghost serenading mid-flight passengers Or she just
detached herself from the tailand is singing while trying tofly Either way Smiths up at35000 feet surfing theheavens in an evening gownAnd even though Smithseems to have only a cloudfor support she had the goodfashion sense to extend herleft leg for the photographer(who must have broken free
from the tail moments before her)
Posted by Marc Myers at 0815 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
JazzWax March 2009
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Interview Lisa Simone
One of the most exciting new singers Ive heard in some time isLisa Simone daughter of oneof Americas mostimpassioned vocalists NinaSimone Known simply asSimone the 46-year-old artisthas just released her first full-length album a stunningtribute to her mother Ratherthan simply mimic Ninas styleand outrage Simone hasproduced an updatedinterpretation of her motherscatalog complete with vocalpower range and tendernessSimones album Simone onSimone is earthy and gutsybut its also unmistakably adaughters message to her late mother
From the albums opening duet Music for Lovers which Lisa sangwith Nina live in Ireland to thealbums closing song Feeling Goodthis 14-track CD is packed withgospel belters big band swingersand soulful ballads Thearrangements for the 19-piece bandwere nimbly handled by Ken Moyerand they support Lisas all-in vocalstyle perfectly without being
overbearing or tissue-thin
A Broadway veteran since the mid-1990s Simone has sustainingchops that allow her voice to hit the farthest corners of any roomShe also has full command of her mothers challenging materialwhich twists and turns in places while vocals are delivered at fullthrottle
Classic Nina Simone songs on this CD include Gal From JoesGo to Hell Keeper of the Flame and a rousing version of BillyTaylors I Wish I Knew How It WouldFeel to Be Free One of my favorites
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is I Hold No Grudge which Ninarecorded in 1966 with a hugeorchestra and chorus arranged andconducted by Hal Mooney Moyersexpansive chart for Lisa is just assoft and dramatic What makes thistrack so special is Simones poetictelling of the songs lyric building to a final rousing held note
When I received a copy of Simone on Simone a couple of weeksago I put it on with some trepidation An ardent fan of NinaSimone I was fearful that Simone would either go too far or notfar enough in her tribute Instead I was blown away Simone hasre-energized her mothers material with loving sensitivity and afresh uplifting spirit
After listening to the album several times I gave Simone a call tochat about the album and her experience growing up as NinaSimones daughter
JazzWax How did it feel to have a mother who was sodeeply committed to music Lisa Simone It was normal for me My mother was alreadycommitted to music and social issues before I was born She
often had to struggle to split herlove equally between art andme which wasnt always easyOur relationship certainly hadits challenges But now that Irsquomolder and can reflect back onthose days I realize Iwitnessed a lot of history I canlook back and appreciate my
time with her whether standing in the wings watching her onstage or watching her write To Be Young Gifted and Black in1969
JW Were you always tugging at herLS I never felt I had enough of my mom I just had to dealwith it You take what you can get Now when I look back Ihave a finer understanding of my mom And Im able to get
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that extra piece I missed out on
JW Were you and your mom closeLS Yes but at times the world got in the way
JW Were you close with your father Andy StroudLS I am now When my parents were together up until1972 thatrsquos when I sawmy dad a lot When myparents divorced my lifechanged It flippedcompletely Therewerenrsquot a lot of terms inthose days to describewhat kids went throughwhen parents divorced I didnrsquot see a lot of my dad after thatyear My parents didnrsquot really get along after their splitWhen they did see each other they didnrsquot get a whole lotaccomplished [Pictured Nina Simone and husband AndyStroud]
JW What do you miss most about your momLS I miss her hand rubbing my head I miss her touch
JW Did you study singingLS No The most instruction Irsquove had was just before
appearing on stage in theBroadway production of Aida in2001 When I saw what theshow demanded I realized Ineeded a vocal coach Mycoach taught me a great dealprimarily that singing didnrsquothave to hurt I had been singingthrough my throat My coachtaught me to sing through mydiaphragm which shifts thepower source and prevents youfrom damaging your voice or
burning out
JW Youve been in few other major Broadway productionsLS Yes I was in the original cast of Rent in 1996 Then I
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toured with the production for a year and a half Before RentI was in a touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar
JW What did your mother teach you about singingLS All she said to me was ldquoHoney you donrsquot have to workso hardrdquo
JW What did she meanLS At the time my mother had come to a few of my showsin Los Angeles when I wasperforming at various clubsthere Her style and mine werevery different
JW How soLS Irsquom the one who jumpsaround the room like DaffyDuck I get so energizedWhereas Mommy because of all the years of practicing and
rehearsing and performing shehad already settled into singingon cruise control She wantedme to know that I could be justas effective as a singer oncruise control By urging me torelax and pace myperformances my mother felt Iwould avoid wearing myselfout Of course I learned all ofthat before I was on BroadwayAnd I learned even more whenI did eight performances a
week on stage
JW What did your mother teach you about life Or wereyou sheltered in her shadowLS [Laughs] You didnt wilt in Ninarsquos presence You neverwould have recovered from that A lot of what I learned wasby watching and listening Itrsquos amazing what children pick upthat way I didnrsquot wilt in her presence but I did learn how tofeel the air shift around me and about timingmdashwhen tospeak and when not to
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JW Were you honest with your mother LS I learned later on in our relationship that I needed toclearly communicate what Ineeded from her so I could getpositive reinforcement duringour conversations and visitsMy mom was so commandingand so accustomed to beingthe one dictating theconversation that to have someone like me come aroundand not want anything from her just her love was almostalien to her
JW Did she adjust to meet those needsLS It was hard for her For mom to make that shift was like
the grinding of gears Ihad to let her know in nouncertain terms that Iloved her very much butthat it hurt when shesaid certain things anddid certain things I alsosaid that I would
appreciate her taking certain things like my needs intoconsideration [Pictured Lisa Simone playing for motherNina]
JW What happenedLS She started to do that and our relationship was at awonderful point when she passed away in 2003
JW As a child understanding your mothers needs andhonoring them required enormous maturityLS I was grown up before I was an adult When yoursquore anonly child and yoursquoreglobetrotting all over the placewith your mother you findyourself growing in ways thatyou wouldnt have in othercircumstances
JW Was it tough traveling somuch
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LS You make the best of yourenvironment Books for mebecame my world
JW I Hold No Grudge has been wonderfully updatedLS Thank you Theyrsquore all special My mother said we were
both griots which are WestAfrican storytellers She saidwe both had an ability to makeour audiences feel what wersquoresinging about Itrsquos justsomething that I seem to haveand I have no idea where itcame from Irsquove found thatsinging for me is also a way of
getting certain emotions out Most people know that whenIrsquove had a bad day theyrsquore going to get an even better showsince Irsquom going to take any blow up and turn it intosomething beautiful
JW Is this album a message to your mom LS I like that question Yes it is Now that Irsquovebeen traveling on tour Itend to talk more aboutmy life with my motherIt has been a celebrationof my legacy and mymotherrsquosaccomplishments hermessage and her musicNot only have I learned to face this part of my life but Irsquoveembraced it This is not only about my mother but also myway of presenting myself to the world
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JW What do you think Ninawould say about your albumLS I think there would be a bigsmile on her face and shersquodlisten to it over and over again
JazzWax tracks Simone onSimone is available as adownload at iTunes and
Amazon or as a CD here For Simones tour information and tohear clips from her new album you can visit her site here
JazzWax clips Heres a YouTube clip interview with Simone onher new CD
Once you hear Simones new version of I Hold No Grudge listento Ninas original version from 1966
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>
JazzWax March 2009
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March 26 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0803 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Andy Stroud Lisa Simone Nina Simone Simone
Bill Evans at Town Hall
Of pianist Bill Evans many live albums At Town Hall Vol 1 hasalways been among his mostdelicate and elegant Evansplaying is taut and gracefulwith lovely longimprovisational lines and asnappy fluid attack on thekeyboard The mix ofstandards and two originalsmdashone was a suite in memory ofhis father who died just threedays earliermdashalso were neatlyselected and assembled
For those who share my love of this album heresa list of little-known facts about the recording takenfrom Peter Pettingers How My Heart Sings a BillEvans discography and quotes from sources Ispoke to yesterday afternoon I also have a raretreat for you at the bottom
Despite playing New York club dates for 10 years the TownHall recording on February 21 1966 was Evans first NewYork concert appearance
Evans played the first half of the Town Hall concert with justbassist Chuck Israels and drummer Arnie Wise and thesecond half with an orchestra
According to Tom Lords Jazz Discography the orchestrasegment was arranged and conducted by Al Cohn [pictured]and featured Ernie Royal ClarkTerry and Bill Berry (trumpets)
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Bob Brookmeyer QuentinJackson and Bill Watrous(trombone) Bob Northern(French horn) Jerry DodgionGeorge Marge Eddie DanielsFrank Petrovsky and MarvinHolladay (reeds) Evans(piano) Chuck Israels (bass)and Grady Tate (drums)
The orchestra performed four Al Cohn-arranged tunesWillow Weep for Me and What Kind of Fool Am I as well asEvans originals Funkallero and Waltz for Debby
Verve never released Volume 2 which was to have featuredthe orchestral material and three trio tracks that didnt fit onthe first LP Yesterday I asked Jan Stevens of The BillEvans Web Pages what became of the band tracks Jansays Evans was intensely displeased with the result
Al Cohn did a strange thing The orchestral materialwas set up so the band played one of Cohnsarrangements followed by Bill playing a solo interludebetween songs In this regard the four songs were
meant to be a kind ofsuite with Bills pianobridging the gaps ButHelen Keane told me inthe early 1980s that Billwas extremely unhappywith the result She saidthe tracks would nevercome out no matter
what So far theyve never been commercially issuedWhats more they have never appeared on a bootlegwhich leads me to think Verve may have purged themasters immediately on Keanes or Evans insistence[Photo of Helen Keane and Bill Evans by Phil Braycourtesy of BillEvansnl in the Netherlands]
Although Creed Taylors name and signature were used byVerve on the LP jacket Creed told me yesterday that Helenalone produced the concert and that he wasnt there and
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had nothing to do with the event or the albums production
Gene Lees the legendary jazz writer and close friend ofEvans said yesterday he couldnt remember the concert anddidnt know specifically why the orchestral material wasntissued or what happened to the tracks
The concert was Chuck Israels last recorded appearance asa regular member of the Bill Evans Trio
Note-for-note piano transcriptions of the six songs recordedat Town Hall were recently issued as Bill Evans at TownHall Piano Transcriptions and Performance Notes by PascalWetzel Youll find it here
And now for the treat I promised you above Thanks to thegenerosity of JazzWax reader Kurt Kolstad who attended theTown Hall concert in 1966 heres the program sheet front andback including Gene Lees tribute essay Kurt says the songselections did not appear in the program and were announcedfrom the stage (click on the image to enlarge)
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
JazzWax March 2009
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Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
JazzWax March 2009
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Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
JazzWax March 2009
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In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
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March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
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written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
JazzWax March 2009
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Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
JazzWax March 2009
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March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
JazzWax March 2009
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What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
JazzWax March 2009
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
JazzWax March 2009
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
JazzWax March 2009
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youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
JazzWax March 2009
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
JazzWax March 2009
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
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1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
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music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
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Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
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q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
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email
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March 27 2009
You can sample tracks here where youllalso find the imported CD
Oddball album cover of the week Released in 1959 on CubRecords and arrangedby Sammy Lowe TakeOff in Sound wassinger Marla Smithsonly known recordingIts unclear why Smithis pictured with anAmerican Airlines 707jet since the songsare rather land-locked(Speak Low Boy onthe Beach Wild Fireetc) Whats evenmore puzzling is the art direction Here Smith is depicted eitheras a ghost serenading mid-flight passengers Or she just
detached herself from the tailand is singing while trying tofly Either way Smiths up at35000 feet surfing theheavens in an evening gownAnd even though Smithseems to have only a cloudfor support she had the goodfashion sense to extend herleft leg for the photographer(who must have broken free
from the tail moments before her)
Posted by Marc Myers at 0815 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
JazzWax March 2009
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Interview Lisa Simone
One of the most exciting new singers Ive heard in some time isLisa Simone daughter of oneof Americas mostimpassioned vocalists NinaSimone Known simply asSimone the 46-year-old artisthas just released her first full-length album a stunningtribute to her mother Ratherthan simply mimic Ninas styleand outrage Simone hasproduced an updatedinterpretation of her motherscatalog complete with vocalpower range and tendernessSimones album Simone onSimone is earthy and gutsybut its also unmistakably adaughters message to her late mother
From the albums opening duet Music for Lovers which Lisa sangwith Nina live in Ireland to thealbums closing song Feeling Goodthis 14-track CD is packed withgospel belters big band swingersand soulful ballads Thearrangements for the 19-piece bandwere nimbly handled by Ken Moyerand they support Lisas all-in vocalstyle perfectly without being
overbearing or tissue-thin
A Broadway veteran since the mid-1990s Simone has sustainingchops that allow her voice to hit the farthest corners of any roomShe also has full command of her mothers challenging materialwhich twists and turns in places while vocals are delivered at fullthrottle
Classic Nina Simone songs on this CD include Gal From JoesGo to Hell Keeper of the Flame and a rousing version of BillyTaylors I Wish I Knew How It WouldFeel to Be Free One of my favorites
JazzWax March 2009
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is I Hold No Grudge which Ninarecorded in 1966 with a hugeorchestra and chorus arranged andconducted by Hal Mooney Moyersexpansive chart for Lisa is just assoft and dramatic What makes thistrack so special is Simones poetictelling of the songs lyric building to a final rousing held note
When I received a copy of Simone on Simone a couple of weeksago I put it on with some trepidation An ardent fan of NinaSimone I was fearful that Simone would either go too far or notfar enough in her tribute Instead I was blown away Simone hasre-energized her mothers material with loving sensitivity and afresh uplifting spirit
After listening to the album several times I gave Simone a call tochat about the album and her experience growing up as NinaSimones daughter
JazzWax How did it feel to have a mother who was sodeeply committed to music Lisa Simone It was normal for me My mother was alreadycommitted to music and social issues before I was born She
often had to struggle to split herlove equally between art andme which wasnt always easyOur relationship certainly hadits challenges But now that Irsquomolder and can reflect back onthose days I realize Iwitnessed a lot of history I canlook back and appreciate my
time with her whether standing in the wings watching her onstage or watching her write To Be Young Gifted and Black in1969
JW Were you always tugging at herLS I never felt I had enough of my mom I just had to dealwith it You take what you can get Now when I look back Ihave a finer understanding of my mom And Im able to get
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that extra piece I missed out on
JW Were you and your mom closeLS Yes but at times the world got in the way
JW Were you close with your father Andy StroudLS I am now When my parents were together up until1972 thatrsquos when I sawmy dad a lot When myparents divorced my lifechanged It flippedcompletely Therewerenrsquot a lot of terms inthose days to describewhat kids went throughwhen parents divorced I didnrsquot see a lot of my dad after thatyear My parents didnrsquot really get along after their splitWhen they did see each other they didnrsquot get a whole lotaccomplished [Pictured Nina Simone and husband AndyStroud]
JW What do you miss most about your momLS I miss her hand rubbing my head I miss her touch
JW Did you study singingLS No The most instruction Irsquove had was just before
appearing on stage in theBroadway production of Aida in2001 When I saw what theshow demanded I realized Ineeded a vocal coach Mycoach taught me a great dealprimarily that singing didnrsquothave to hurt I had been singingthrough my throat My coachtaught me to sing through mydiaphragm which shifts thepower source and prevents youfrom damaging your voice or
burning out
JW Youve been in few other major Broadway productionsLS Yes I was in the original cast of Rent in 1996 Then I
JazzWax March 2009
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toured with the production for a year and a half Before RentI was in a touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar
JW What did your mother teach you about singingLS All she said to me was ldquoHoney you donrsquot have to workso hardrdquo
JW What did she meanLS At the time my mother had come to a few of my showsin Los Angeles when I wasperforming at various clubsthere Her style and mine werevery different
JW How soLS Irsquom the one who jumpsaround the room like DaffyDuck I get so energizedWhereas Mommy because of all the years of practicing and
rehearsing and performing shehad already settled into singingon cruise control She wantedme to know that I could be justas effective as a singer oncruise control By urging me torelax and pace myperformances my mother felt Iwould avoid wearing myselfout Of course I learned all ofthat before I was on BroadwayAnd I learned even more whenI did eight performances a
week on stage
JW What did your mother teach you about life Or wereyou sheltered in her shadowLS [Laughs] You didnt wilt in Ninarsquos presence You neverwould have recovered from that A lot of what I learned wasby watching and listening Itrsquos amazing what children pick upthat way I didnrsquot wilt in her presence but I did learn how tofeel the air shift around me and about timingmdashwhen tospeak and when not to
JazzWax March 2009
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JW Were you honest with your mother LS I learned later on in our relationship that I needed toclearly communicate what Ineeded from her so I could getpositive reinforcement duringour conversations and visitsMy mom was so commandingand so accustomed to beingthe one dictating theconversation that to have someone like me come aroundand not want anything from her just her love was almostalien to her
JW Did she adjust to meet those needsLS It was hard for her For mom to make that shift was like
the grinding of gears Ihad to let her know in nouncertain terms that Iloved her very much butthat it hurt when shesaid certain things anddid certain things I alsosaid that I would
appreciate her taking certain things like my needs intoconsideration [Pictured Lisa Simone playing for motherNina]
JW What happenedLS She started to do that and our relationship was at awonderful point when she passed away in 2003
JW As a child understanding your mothers needs andhonoring them required enormous maturityLS I was grown up before I was an adult When yoursquore anonly child and yoursquoreglobetrotting all over the placewith your mother you findyourself growing in ways thatyou wouldnt have in othercircumstances
JW Was it tough traveling somuch
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LS You make the best of yourenvironment Books for mebecame my world
JW I Hold No Grudge has been wonderfully updatedLS Thank you Theyrsquore all special My mother said we were
both griots which are WestAfrican storytellers She saidwe both had an ability to makeour audiences feel what wersquoresinging about Itrsquos justsomething that I seem to haveand I have no idea where itcame from Irsquove found thatsinging for me is also a way of
getting certain emotions out Most people know that whenIrsquove had a bad day theyrsquore going to get an even better showsince Irsquom going to take any blow up and turn it intosomething beautiful
JW Is this album a message to your mom LS I like that question Yes it is Now that Irsquovebeen traveling on tour Itend to talk more aboutmy life with my motherIt has been a celebrationof my legacy and mymotherrsquosaccomplishments hermessage and her musicNot only have I learned to face this part of my life but Irsquoveembraced it This is not only about my mother but also myway of presenting myself to the world
JazzWax March 2009
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JW What do you think Ninawould say about your albumLS I think there would be a bigsmile on her face and shersquodlisten to it over and over again
JazzWax tracks Simone onSimone is available as adownload at iTunes and
Amazon or as a CD here For Simones tour information and tohear clips from her new album you can visit her site here
JazzWax clips Heres a YouTube clip interview with Simone onher new CD
Once you hear Simones new version of I Hold No Grudge listento Ninas original version from 1966
>
>
JazzWax March 2009
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March 26 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0803 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Andy Stroud Lisa Simone Nina Simone Simone
Bill Evans at Town Hall
Of pianist Bill Evans many live albums At Town Hall Vol 1 hasalways been among his mostdelicate and elegant Evansplaying is taut and gracefulwith lovely longimprovisational lines and asnappy fluid attack on thekeyboard The mix ofstandards and two originalsmdashone was a suite in memory ofhis father who died just threedays earliermdashalso were neatlyselected and assembled
For those who share my love of this album heresa list of little-known facts about the recording takenfrom Peter Pettingers How My Heart Sings a BillEvans discography and quotes from sources Ispoke to yesterday afternoon I also have a raretreat for you at the bottom
Despite playing New York club dates for 10 years the TownHall recording on February 21 1966 was Evans first NewYork concert appearance
Evans played the first half of the Town Hall concert with justbassist Chuck Israels and drummer Arnie Wise and thesecond half with an orchestra
According to Tom Lords Jazz Discography the orchestrasegment was arranged and conducted by Al Cohn [pictured]and featured Ernie Royal ClarkTerry and Bill Berry (trumpets)
JazzWax March 2009
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Bob Brookmeyer QuentinJackson and Bill Watrous(trombone) Bob Northern(French horn) Jerry DodgionGeorge Marge Eddie DanielsFrank Petrovsky and MarvinHolladay (reeds) Evans(piano) Chuck Israels (bass)and Grady Tate (drums)
The orchestra performed four Al Cohn-arranged tunesWillow Weep for Me and What Kind of Fool Am I as well asEvans originals Funkallero and Waltz for Debby
Verve never released Volume 2 which was to have featuredthe orchestral material and three trio tracks that didnt fit onthe first LP Yesterday I asked Jan Stevens of The BillEvans Web Pages what became of the band tracks Jansays Evans was intensely displeased with the result
Al Cohn did a strange thing The orchestral materialwas set up so the band played one of Cohnsarrangements followed by Bill playing a solo interludebetween songs In this regard the four songs were
meant to be a kind ofsuite with Bills pianobridging the gaps ButHelen Keane told me inthe early 1980s that Billwas extremely unhappywith the result She saidthe tracks would nevercome out no matter
what So far theyve never been commercially issuedWhats more they have never appeared on a bootlegwhich leads me to think Verve may have purged themasters immediately on Keanes or Evans insistence[Photo of Helen Keane and Bill Evans by Phil Braycourtesy of BillEvansnl in the Netherlands]
Although Creed Taylors name and signature were used byVerve on the LP jacket Creed told me yesterday that Helenalone produced the concert and that he wasnt there and
JazzWax March 2009
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had nothing to do with the event or the albums production
Gene Lees the legendary jazz writer and close friend ofEvans said yesterday he couldnt remember the concert anddidnt know specifically why the orchestral material wasntissued or what happened to the tracks
The concert was Chuck Israels last recorded appearance asa regular member of the Bill Evans Trio
Note-for-note piano transcriptions of the six songs recordedat Town Hall were recently issued as Bill Evans at TownHall Piano Transcriptions and Performance Notes by PascalWetzel Youll find it here
And now for the treat I promised you above Thanks to thegenerosity of JazzWax reader Kurt Kolstad who attended theTown Hall concert in 1966 heres the program sheet front andback including Gene Lees tribute essay Kurt says the songselections did not appear in the program and were announcedfrom the stage (click on the image to enlarge)
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
JazzWax March 2009
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Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
JazzWax March 2009
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Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
JazzWax March 2009
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In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
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March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
JazzWax March 2009
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written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
JazzWax March 2009
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Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
JazzWax March 2009
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March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
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JazzWax March 2009
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
JazzWax March 2009
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What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
JazzWax March 2009
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
JazzWax March 2009
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
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youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
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1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
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music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
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Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
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q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
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Interview Lisa Simone
One of the most exciting new singers Ive heard in some time isLisa Simone daughter of oneof Americas mostimpassioned vocalists NinaSimone Known simply asSimone the 46-year-old artisthas just released her first full-length album a stunningtribute to her mother Ratherthan simply mimic Ninas styleand outrage Simone hasproduced an updatedinterpretation of her motherscatalog complete with vocalpower range and tendernessSimones album Simone onSimone is earthy and gutsybut its also unmistakably adaughters message to her late mother
From the albums opening duet Music for Lovers which Lisa sangwith Nina live in Ireland to thealbums closing song Feeling Goodthis 14-track CD is packed withgospel belters big band swingersand soulful ballads Thearrangements for the 19-piece bandwere nimbly handled by Ken Moyerand they support Lisas all-in vocalstyle perfectly without being
overbearing or tissue-thin
A Broadway veteran since the mid-1990s Simone has sustainingchops that allow her voice to hit the farthest corners of any roomShe also has full command of her mothers challenging materialwhich twists and turns in places while vocals are delivered at fullthrottle
Classic Nina Simone songs on this CD include Gal From JoesGo to Hell Keeper of the Flame and a rousing version of BillyTaylors I Wish I Knew How It WouldFeel to Be Free One of my favorites
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is I Hold No Grudge which Ninarecorded in 1966 with a hugeorchestra and chorus arranged andconducted by Hal Mooney Moyersexpansive chart for Lisa is just assoft and dramatic What makes thistrack so special is Simones poetictelling of the songs lyric building to a final rousing held note
When I received a copy of Simone on Simone a couple of weeksago I put it on with some trepidation An ardent fan of NinaSimone I was fearful that Simone would either go too far or notfar enough in her tribute Instead I was blown away Simone hasre-energized her mothers material with loving sensitivity and afresh uplifting spirit
After listening to the album several times I gave Simone a call tochat about the album and her experience growing up as NinaSimones daughter
JazzWax How did it feel to have a mother who was sodeeply committed to music Lisa Simone It was normal for me My mother was alreadycommitted to music and social issues before I was born She
often had to struggle to split herlove equally between art andme which wasnt always easyOur relationship certainly hadits challenges But now that Irsquomolder and can reflect back onthose days I realize Iwitnessed a lot of history I canlook back and appreciate my
time with her whether standing in the wings watching her onstage or watching her write To Be Young Gifted and Black in1969
JW Were you always tugging at herLS I never felt I had enough of my mom I just had to dealwith it You take what you can get Now when I look back Ihave a finer understanding of my mom And Im able to get
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that extra piece I missed out on
JW Were you and your mom closeLS Yes but at times the world got in the way
JW Were you close with your father Andy StroudLS I am now When my parents were together up until1972 thatrsquos when I sawmy dad a lot When myparents divorced my lifechanged It flippedcompletely Therewerenrsquot a lot of terms inthose days to describewhat kids went throughwhen parents divorced I didnrsquot see a lot of my dad after thatyear My parents didnrsquot really get along after their splitWhen they did see each other they didnrsquot get a whole lotaccomplished [Pictured Nina Simone and husband AndyStroud]
JW What do you miss most about your momLS I miss her hand rubbing my head I miss her touch
JW Did you study singingLS No The most instruction Irsquove had was just before
appearing on stage in theBroadway production of Aida in2001 When I saw what theshow demanded I realized Ineeded a vocal coach Mycoach taught me a great dealprimarily that singing didnrsquothave to hurt I had been singingthrough my throat My coachtaught me to sing through mydiaphragm which shifts thepower source and prevents youfrom damaging your voice or
burning out
JW Youve been in few other major Broadway productionsLS Yes I was in the original cast of Rent in 1996 Then I
JazzWax March 2009
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toured with the production for a year and a half Before RentI was in a touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar
JW What did your mother teach you about singingLS All she said to me was ldquoHoney you donrsquot have to workso hardrdquo
JW What did she meanLS At the time my mother had come to a few of my showsin Los Angeles when I wasperforming at various clubsthere Her style and mine werevery different
JW How soLS Irsquom the one who jumpsaround the room like DaffyDuck I get so energizedWhereas Mommy because of all the years of practicing and
rehearsing and performing shehad already settled into singingon cruise control She wantedme to know that I could be justas effective as a singer oncruise control By urging me torelax and pace myperformances my mother felt Iwould avoid wearing myselfout Of course I learned all ofthat before I was on BroadwayAnd I learned even more whenI did eight performances a
week on stage
JW What did your mother teach you about life Or wereyou sheltered in her shadowLS [Laughs] You didnt wilt in Ninarsquos presence You neverwould have recovered from that A lot of what I learned wasby watching and listening Itrsquos amazing what children pick upthat way I didnrsquot wilt in her presence but I did learn how tofeel the air shift around me and about timingmdashwhen tospeak and when not to
JazzWax March 2009
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JW Were you honest with your mother LS I learned later on in our relationship that I needed toclearly communicate what Ineeded from her so I could getpositive reinforcement duringour conversations and visitsMy mom was so commandingand so accustomed to beingthe one dictating theconversation that to have someone like me come aroundand not want anything from her just her love was almostalien to her
JW Did she adjust to meet those needsLS It was hard for her For mom to make that shift was like
the grinding of gears Ihad to let her know in nouncertain terms that Iloved her very much butthat it hurt when shesaid certain things anddid certain things I alsosaid that I would
appreciate her taking certain things like my needs intoconsideration [Pictured Lisa Simone playing for motherNina]
JW What happenedLS She started to do that and our relationship was at awonderful point when she passed away in 2003
JW As a child understanding your mothers needs andhonoring them required enormous maturityLS I was grown up before I was an adult When yoursquore anonly child and yoursquoreglobetrotting all over the placewith your mother you findyourself growing in ways thatyou wouldnt have in othercircumstances
JW Was it tough traveling somuch
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LS You make the best of yourenvironment Books for mebecame my world
JW I Hold No Grudge has been wonderfully updatedLS Thank you Theyrsquore all special My mother said we were
both griots which are WestAfrican storytellers She saidwe both had an ability to makeour audiences feel what wersquoresinging about Itrsquos justsomething that I seem to haveand I have no idea where itcame from Irsquove found thatsinging for me is also a way of
getting certain emotions out Most people know that whenIrsquove had a bad day theyrsquore going to get an even better showsince Irsquom going to take any blow up and turn it intosomething beautiful
JW Is this album a message to your mom LS I like that question Yes it is Now that Irsquovebeen traveling on tour Itend to talk more aboutmy life with my motherIt has been a celebrationof my legacy and mymotherrsquosaccomplishments hermessage and her musicNot only have I learned to face this part of my life but Irsquoveembraced it This is not only about my mother but also myway of presenting myself to the world
JazzWax March 2009
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JW What do you think Ninawould say about your albumLS I think there would be a bigsmile on her face and shersquodlisten to it over and over again
JazzWax tracks Simone onSimone is available as adownload at iTunes and
Amazon or as a CD here For Simones tour information and tohear clips from her new album you can visit her site here
JazzWax clips Heres a YouTube clip interview with Simone onher new CD
Once you hear Simones new version of I Hold No Grudge listento Ninas original version from 1966
>
>
JazzWax March 2009
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March 26 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0803 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Andy Stroud Lisa Simone Nina Simone Simone
Bill Evans at Town Hall
Of pianist Bill Evans many live albums At Town Hall Vol 1 hasalways been among his mostdelicate and elegant Evansplaying is taut and gracefulwith lovely longimprovisational lines and asnappy fluid attack on thekeyboard The mix ofstandards and two originalsmdashone was a suite in memory ofhis father who died just threedays earliermdashalso were neatlyselected and assembled
For those who share my love of this album heresa list of little-known facts about the recording takenfrom Peter Pettingers How My Heart Sings a BillEvans discography and quotes from sources Ispoke to yesterday afternoon I also have a raretreat for you at the bottom
Despite playing New York club dates for 10 years the TownHall recording on February 21 1966 was Evans first NewYork concert appearance
Evans played the first half of the Town Hall concert with justbassist Chuck Israels and drummer Arnie Wise and thesecond half with an orchestra
According to Tom Lords Jazz Discography the orchestrasegment was arranged and conducted by Al Cohn [pictured]and featured Ernie Royal ClarkTerry and Bill Berry (trumpets)
JazzWax March 2009
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Bob Brookmeyer QuentinJackson and Bill Watrous(trombone) Bob Northern(French horn) Jerry DodgionGeorge Marge Eddie DanielsFrank Petrovsky and MarvinHolladay (reeds) Evans(piano) Chuck Israels (bass)and Grady Tate (drums)
The orchestra performed four Al Cohn-arranged tunesWillow Weep for Me and What Kind of Fool Am I as well asEvans originals Funkallero and Waltz for Debby
Verve never released Volume 2 which was to have featuredthe orchestral material and three trio tracks that didnt fit onthe first LP Yesterday I asked Jan Stevens of The BillEvans Web Pages what became of the band tracks Jansays Evans was intensely displeased with the result
Al Cohn did a strange thing The orchestral materialwas set up so the band played one of Cohnsarrangements followed by Bill playing a solo interludebetween songs In this regard the four songs were
meant to be a kind ofsuite with Bills pianobridging the gaps ButHelen Keane told me inthe early 1980s that Billwas extremely unhappywith the result She saidthe tracks would nevercome out no matter
what So far theyve never been commercially issuedWhats more they have never appeared on a bootlegwhich leads me to think Verve may have purged themasters immediately on Keanes or Evans insistence[Photo of Helen Keane and Bill Evans by Phil Braycourtesy of BillEvansnl in the Netherlands]
Although Creed Taylors name and signature were used byVerve on the LP jacket Creed told me yesterday that Helenalone produced the concert and that he wasnt there and
JazzWax March 2009
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had nothing to do with the event or the albums production
Gene Lees the legendary jazz writer and close friend ofEvans said yesterday he couldnt remember the concert anddidnt know specifically why the orchestral material wasntissued or what happened to the tracks
The concert was Chuck Israels last recorded appearance asa regular member of the Bill Evans Trio
Note-for-note piano transcriptions of the six songs recordedat Town Hall were recently issued as Bill Evans at TownHall Piano Transcriptions and Performance Notes by PascalWetzel Youll find it here
And now for the treat I promised you above Thanks to thegenerosity of JazzWax reader Kurt Kolstad who attended theTown Hall concert in 1966 heres the program sheet front andback including Gene Lees tribute essay Kurt says the songselections did not appear in the program and were announcedfrom the stage (click on the image to enlarge)
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
JazzWax March 2009
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Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
JazzWax March 2009
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Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
JazzWax March 2009
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In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
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March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
JazzWax March 2009
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written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
JazzWax March 2009
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Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
>
JazzWax March 2009
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March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
JazzWax March 2009
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March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
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JazzWax March 2009
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
JazzWax March 2009
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What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
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youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
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1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
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music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
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Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
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is I Hold No Grudge which Ninarecorded in 1966 with a hugeorchestra and chorus arranged andconducted by Hal Mooney Moyersexpansive chart for Lisa is just assoft and dramatic What makes thistrack so special is Simones poetictelling of the songs lyric building to a final rousing held note
When I received a copy of Simone on Simone a couple of weeksago I put it on with some trepidation An ardent fan of NinaSimone I was fearful that Simone would either go too far or notfar enough in her tribute Instead I was blown away Simone hasre-energized her mothers material with loving sensitivity and afresh uplifting spirit
After listening to the album several times I gave Simone a call tochat about the album and her experience growing up as NinaSimones daughter
JazzWax How did it feel to have a mother who was sodeeply committed to music Lisa Simone It was normal for me My mother was alreadycommitted to music and social issues before I was born She
often had to struggle to split herlove equally between art andme which wasnt always easyOur relationship certainly hadits challenges But now that Irsquomolder and can reflect back onthose days I realize Iwitnessed a lot of history I canlook back and appreciate my
time with her whether standing in the wings watching her onstage or watching her write To Be Young Gifted and Black in1969
JW Were you always tugging at herLS I never felt I had enough of my mom I just had to dealwith it You take what you can get Now when I look back Ihave a finer understanding of my mom And Im able to get
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that extra piece I missed out on
JW Were you and your mom closeLS Yes but at times the world got in the way
JW Were you close with your father Andy StroudLS I am now When my parents were together up until1972 thatrsquos when I sawmy dad a lot When myparents divorced my lifechanged It flippedcompletely Therewerenrsquot a lot of terms inthose days to describewhat kids went throughwhen parents divorced I didnrsquot see a lot of my dad after thatyear My parents didnrsquot really get along after their splitWhen they did see each other they didnrsquot get a whole lotaccomplished [Pictured Nina Simone and husband AndyStroud]
JW What do you miss most about your momLS I miss her hand rubbing my head I miss her touch
JW Did you study singingLS No The most instruction Irsquove had was just before
appearing on stage in theBroadway production of Aida in2001 When I saw what theshow demanded I realized Ineeded a vocal coach Mycoach taught me a great dealprimarily that singing didnrsquothave to hurt I had been singingthrough my throat My coachtaught me to sing through mydiaphragm which shifts thepower source and prevents youfrom damaging your voice or
burning out
JW Youve been in few other major Broadway productionsLS Yes I was in the original cast of Rent in 1996 Then I
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toured with the production for a year and a half Before RentI was in a touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar
JW What did your mother teach you about singingLS All she said to me was ldquoHoney you donrsquot have to workso hardrdquo
JW What did she meanLS At the time my mother had come to a few of my showsin Los Angeles when I wasperforming at various clubsthere Her style and mine werevery different
JW How soLS Irsquom the one who jumpsaround the room like DaffyDuck I get so energizedWhereas Mommy because of all the years of practicing and
rehearsing and performing shehad already settled into singingon cruise control She wantedme to know that I could be justas effective as a singer oncruise control By urging me torelax and pace myperformances my mother felt Iwould avoid wearing myselfout Of course I learned all ofthat before I was on BroadwayAnd I learned even more whenI did eight performances a
week on stage
JW What did your mother teach you about life Or wereyou sheltered in her shadowLS [Laughs] You didnt wilt in Ninarsquos presence You neverwould have recovered from that A lot of what I learned wasby watching and listening Itrsquos amazing what children pick upthat way I didnrsquot wilt in her presence but I did learn how tofeel the air shift around me and about timingmdashwhen tospeak and when not to
JazzWax March 2009
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JW Were you honest with your mother LS I learned later on in our relationship that I needed toclearly communicate what Ineeded from her so I could getpositive reinforcement duringour conversations and visitsMy mom was so commandingand so accustomed to beingthe one dictating theconversation that to have someone like me come aroundand not want anything from her just her love was almostalien to her
JW Did she adjust to meet those needsLS It was hard for her For mom to make that shift was like
the grinding of gears Ihad to let her know in nouncertain terms that Iloved her very much butthat it hurt when shesaid certain things anddid certain things I alsosaid that I would
appreciate her taking certain things like my needs intoconsideration [Pictured Lisa Simone playing for motherNina]
JW What happenedLS She started to do that and our relationship was at awonderful point when she passed away in 2003
JW As a child understanding your mothers needs andhonoring them required enormous maturityLS I was grown up before I was an adult When yoursquore anonly child and yoursquoreglobetrotting all over the placewith your mother you findyourself growing in ways thatyou wouldnt have in othercircumstances
JW Was it tough traveling somuch
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LS You make the best of yourenvironment Books for mebecame my world
JW I Hold No Grudge has been wonderfully updatedLS Thank you Theyrsquore all special My mother said we were
both griots which are WestAfrican storytellers She saidwe both had an ability to makeour audiences feel what wersquoresinging about Itrsquos justsomething that I seem to haveand I have no idea where itcame from Irsquove found thatsinging for me is also a way of
getting certain emotions out Most people know that whenIrsquove had a bad day theyrsquore going to get an even better showsince Irsquom going to take any blow up and turn it intosomething beautiful
JW Is this album a message to your mom LS I like that question Yes it is Now that Irsquovebeen traveling on tour Itend to talk more aboutmy life with my motherIt has been a celebrationof my legacy and mymotherrsquosaccomplishments hermessage and her musicNot only have I learned to face this part of my life but Irsquoveembraced it This is not only about my mother but also myway of presenting myself to the world
JazzWax March 2009
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JW What do you think Ninawould say about your albumLS I think there would be a bigsmile on her face and shersquodlisten to it over and over again
JazzWax tracks Simone onSimone is available as adownload at iTunes and
Amazon or as a CD here For Simones tour information and tohear clips from her new album you can visit her site here
JazzWax clips Heres a YouTube clip interview with Simone onher new CD
Once you hear Simones new version of I Hold No Grudge listento Ninas original version from 1966
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 26 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0803 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Andy Stroud Lisa Simone Nina Simone Simone
Bill Evans at Town Hall
Of pianist Bill Evans many live albums At Town Hall Vol 1 hasalways been among his mostdelicate and elegant Evansplaying is taut and gracefulwith lovely longimprovisational lines and asnappy fluid attack on thekeyboard The mix ofstandards and two originalsmdashone was a suite in memory ofhis father who died just threedays earliermdashalso were neatlyselected and assembled
For those who share my love of this album heresa list of little-known facts about the recording takenfrom Peter Pettingers How My Heart Sings a BillEvans discography and quotes from sources Ispoke to yesterday afternoon I also have a raretreat for you at the bottom
Despite playing New York club dates for 10 years the TownHall recording on February 21 1966 was Evans first NewYork concert appearance
Evans played the first half of the Town Hall concert with justbassist Chuck Israels and drummer Arnie Wise and thesecond half with an orchestra
According to Tom Lords Jazz Discography the orchestrasegment was arranged and conducted by Al Cohn [pictured]and featured Ernie Royal ClarkTerry and Bill Berry (trumpets)
JazzWax March 2009
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Bob Brookmeyer QuentinJackson and Bill Watrous(trombone) Bob Northern(French horn) Jerry DodgionGeorge Marge Eddie DanielsFrank Petrovsky and MarvinHolladay (reeds) Evans(piano) Chuck Israels (bass)and Grady Tate (drums)
The orchestra performed four Al Cohn-arranged tunesWillow Weep for Me and What Kind of Fool Am I as well asEvans originals Funkallero and Waltz for Debby
Verve never released Volume 2 which was to have featuredthe orchestral material and three trio tracks that didnt fit onthe first LP Yesterday I asked Jan Stevens of The BillEvans Web Pages what became of the band tracks Jansays Evans was intensely displeased with the result
Al Cohn did a strange thing The orchestral materialwas set up so the band played one of Cohnsarrangements followed by Bill playing a solo interludebetween songs In this regard the four songs were
meant to be a kind ofsuite with Bills pianobridging the gaps ButHelen Keane told me inthe early 1980s that Billwas extremely unhappywith the result She saidthe tracks would nevercome out no matter
what So far theyve never been commercially issuedWhats more they have never appeared on a bootlegwhich leads me to think Verve may have purged themasters immediately on Keanes or Evans insistence[Photo of Helen Keane and Bill Evans by Phil Braycourtesy of BillEvansnl in the Netherlands]
Although Creed Taylors name and signature were used byVerve on the LP jacket Creed told me yesterday that Helenalone produced the concert and that he wasnt there and
JazzWax March 2009
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had nothing to do with the event or the albums production
Gene Lees the legendary jazz writer and close friend ofEvans said yesterday he couldnt remember the concert anddidnt know specifically why the orchestral material wasntissued or what happened to the tracks
The concert was Chuck Israels last recorded appearance asa regular member of the Bill Evans Trio
Note-for-note piano transcriptions of the six songs recordedat Town Hall were recently issued as Bill Evans at TownHall Piano Transcriptions and Performance Notes by PascalWetzel Youll find it here
And now for the treat I promised you above Thanks to thegenerosity of JazzWax reader Kurt Kolstad who attended theTown Hall concert in 1966 heres the program sheet front andback including Gene Lees tribute essay Kurt says the songselections did not appear in the program and were announcedfrom the stage (click on the image to enlarge)
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
JazzWax March 2009
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Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
JazzWax March 2009
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Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
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In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
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March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
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written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
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Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
>
JazzWax March 2009
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March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
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March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
>
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
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What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
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youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
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1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
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music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
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Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
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that extra piece I missed out on
JW Were you and your mom closeLS Yes but at times the world got in the way
JW Were you close with your father Andy StroudLS I am now When my parents were together up until1972 thatrsquos when I sawmy dad a lot When myparents divorced my lifechanged It flippedcompletely Therewerenrsquot a lot of terms inthose days to describewhat kids went throughwhen parents divorced I didnrsquot see a lot of my dad after thatyear My parents didnrsquot really get along after their splitWhen they did see each other they didnrsquot get a whole lotaccomplished [Pictured Nina Simone and husband AndyStroud]
JW What do you miss most about your momLS I miss her hand rubbing my head I miss her touch
JW Did you study singingLS No The most instruction Irsquove had was just before
appearing on stage in theBroadway production of Aida in2001 When I saw what theshow demanded I realized Ineeded a vocal coach Mycoach taught me a great dealprimarily that singing didnrsquothave to hurt I had been singingthrough my throat My coachtaught me to sing through mydiaphragm which shifts thepower source and prevents youfrom damaging your voice or
burning out
JW Youve been in few other major Broadway productionsLS Yes I was in the original cast of Rent in 1996 Then I
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toured with the production for a year and a half Before RentI was in a touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar
JW What did your mother teach you about singingLS All she said to me was ldquoHoney you donrsquot have to workso hardrdquo
JW What did she meanLS At the time my mother had come to a few of my showsin Los Angeles when I wasperforming at various clubsthere Her style and mine werevery different
JW How soLS Irsquom the one who jumpsaround the room like DaffyDuck I get so energizedWhereas Mommy because of all the years of practicing and
rehearsing and performing shehad already settled into singingon cruise control She wantedme to know that I could be justas effective as a singer oncruise control By urging me torelax and pace myperformances my mother felt Iwould avoid wearing myselfout Of course I learned all ofthat before I was on BroadwayAnd I learned even more whenI did eight performances a
week on stage
JW What did your mother teach you about life Or wereyou sheltered in her shadowLS [Laughs] You didnt wilt in Ninarsquos presence You neverwould have recovered from that A lot of what I learned wasby watching and listening Itrsquos amazing what children pick upthat way I didnrsquot wilt in her presence but I did learn how tofeel the air shift around me and about timingmdashwhen tospeak and when not to
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JW Were you honest with your mother LS I learned later on in our relationship that I needed toclearly communicate what Ineeded from her so I could getpositive reinforcement duringour conversations and visitsMy mom was so commandingand so accustomed to beingthe one dictating theconversation that to have someone like me come aroundand not want anything from her just her love was almostalien to her
JW Did she adjust to meet those needsLS It was hard for her For mom to make that shift was like
the grinding of gears Ihad to let her know in nouncertain terms that Iloved her very much butthat it hurt when shesaid certain things anddid certain things I alsosaid that I would
appreciate her taking certain things like my needs intoconsideration [Pictured Lisa Simone playing for motherNina]
JW What happenedLS She started to do that and our relationship was at awonderful point when she passed away in 2003
JW As a child understanding your mothers needs andhonoring them required enormous maturityLS I was grown up before I was an adult When yoursquore anonly child and yoursquoreglobetrotting all over the placewith your mother you findyourself growing in ways thatyou wouldnt have in othercircumstances
JW Was it tough traveling somuch
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LS You make the best of yourenvironment Books for mebecame my world
JW I Hold No Grudge has been wonderfully updatedLS Thank you Theyrsquore all special My mother said we were
both griots which are WestAfrican storytellers She saidwe both had an ability to makeour audiences feel what wersquoresinging about Itrsquos justsomething that I seem to haveand I have no idea where itcame from Irsquove found thatsinging for me is also a way of
getting certain emotions out Most people know that whenIrsquove had a bad day theyrsquore going to get an even better showsince Irsquom going to take any blow up and turn it intosomething beautiful
JW Is this album a message to your mom LS I like that question Yes it is Now that Irsquovebeen traveling on tour Itend to talk more aboutmy life with my motherIt has been a celebrationof my legacy and mymotherrsquosaccomplishments hermessage and her musicNot only have I learned to face this part of my life but Irsquoveembraced it This is not only about my mother but also myway of presenting myself to the world
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JW What do you think Ninawould say about your albumLS I think there would be a bigsmile on her face and shersquodlisten to it over and over again
JazzWax tracks Simone onSimone is available as adownload at iTunes and
Amazon or as a CD here For Simones tour information and tohear clips from her new album you can visit her site here
JazzWax clips Heres a YouTube clip interview with Simone onher new CD
Once you hear Simones new version of I Hold No Grudge listento Ninas original version from 1966
>
>
JazzWax March 2009
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March 26 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0803 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Andy Stroud Lisa Simone Nina Simone Simone
Bill Evans at Town Hall
Of pianist Bill Evans many live albums At Town Hall Vol 1 hasalways been among his mostdelicate and elegant Evansplaying is taut and gracefulwith lovely longimprovisational lines and asnappy fluid attack on thekeyboard The mix ofstandards and two originalsmdashone was a suite in memory ofhis father who died just threedays earliermdashalso were neatlyselected and assembled
For those who share my love of this album heresa list of little-known facts about the recording takenfrom Peter Pettingers How My Heart Sings a BillEvans discography and quotes from sources Ispoke to yesterday afternoon I also have a raretreat for you at the bottom
Despite playing New York club dates for 10 years the TownHall recording on February 21 1966 was Evans first NewYork concert appearance
Evans played the first half of the Town Hall concert with justbassist Chuck Israels and drummer Arnie Wise and thesecond half with an orchestra
According to Tom Lords Jazz Discography the orchestrasegment was arranged and conducted by Al Cohn [pictured]and featured Ernie Royal ClarkTerry and Bill Berry (trumpets)
JazzWax March 2009
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Bob Brookmeyer QuentinJackson and Bill Watrous(trombone) Bob Northern(French horn) Jerry DodgionGeorge Marge Eddie DanielsFrank Petrovsky and MarvinHolladay (reeds) Evans(piano) Chuck Israels (bass)and Grady Tate (drums)
The orchestra performed four Al Cohn-arranged tunesWillow Weep for Me and What Kind of Fool Am I as well asEvans originals Funkallero and Waltz for Debby
Verve never released Volume 2 which was to have featuredthe orchestral material and three trio tracks that didnt fit onthe first LP Yesterday I asked Jan Stevens of The BillEvans Web Pages what became of the band tracks Jansays Evans was intensely displeased with the result
Al Cohn did a strange thing The orchestral materialwas set up so the band played one of Cohnsarrangements followed by Bill playing a solo interludebetween songs In this regard the four songs were
meant to be a kind ofsuite with Bills pianobridging the gaps ButHelen Keane told me inthe early 1980s that Billwas extremely unhappywith the result She saidthe tracks would nevercome out no matter
what So far theyve never been commercially issuedWhats more they have never appeared on a bootlegwhich leads me to think Verve may have purged themasters immediately on Keanes or Evans insistence[Photo of Helen Keane and Bill Evans by Phil Braycourtesy of BillEvansnl in the Netherlands]
Although Creed Taylors name and signature were used byVerve on the LP jacket Creed told me yesterday that Helenalone produced the concert and that he wasnt there and
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had nothing to do with the event or the albums production
Gene Lees the legendary jazz writer and close friend ofEvans said yesterday he couldnt remember the concert anddidnt know specifically why the orchestral material wasntissued or what happened to the tracks
The concert was Chuck Israels last recorded appearance asa regular member of the Bill Evans Trio
Note-for-note piano transcriptions of the six songs recordedat Town Hall were recently issued as Bill Evans at TownHall Piano Transcriptions and Performance Notes by PascalWetzel Youll find it here
And now for the treat I promised you above Thanks to thegenerosity of JazzWax reader Kurt Kolstad who attended theTown Hall concert in 1966 heres the program sheet front andback including Gene Lees tribute essay Kurt says the songselections did not appear in the program and were announcedfrom the stage (click on the image to enlarge)
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
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Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
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Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
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In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
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March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
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written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
JazzWax March 2009
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Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
>
JazzWax March 2009
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March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
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March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
>
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
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What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
JazzWax March 2009
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
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youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
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1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
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music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
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Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
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toured with the production for a year and a half Before RentI was in a touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar
JW What did your mother teach you about singingLS All she said to me was ldquoHoney you donrsquot have to workso hardrdquo
JW What did she meanLS At the time my mother had come to a few of my showsin Los Angeles when I wasperforming at various clubsthere Her style and mine werevery different
JW How soLS Irsquom the one who jumpsaround the room like DaffyDuck I get so energizedWhereas Mommy because of all the years of practicing and
rehearsing and performing shehad already settled into singingon cruise control She wantedme to know that I could be justas effective as a singer oncruise control By urging me torelax and pace myperformances my mother felt Iwould avoid wearing myselfout Of course I learned all ofthat before I was on BroadwayAnd I learned even more whenI did eight performances a
week on stage
JW What did your mother teach you about life Or wereyou sheltered in her shadowLS [Laughs] You didnt wilt in Ninarsquos presence You neverwould have recovered from that A lot of what I learned wasby watching and listening Itrsquos amazing what children pick upthat way I didnrsquot wilt in her presence but I did learn how tofeel the air shift around me and about timingmdashwhen tospeak and when not to
JazzWax March 2009
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JW Were you honest with your mother LS I learned later on in our relationship that I needed toclearly communicate what Ineeded from her so I could getpositive reinforcement duringour conversations and visitsMy mom was so commandingand so accustomed to beingthe one dictating theconversation that to have someone like me come aroundand not want anything from her just her love was almostalien to her
JW Did she adjust to meet those needsLS It was hard for her For mom to make that shift was like
the grinding of gears Ihad to let her know in nouncertain terms that Iloved her very much butthat it hurt when shesaid certain things anddid certain things I alsosaid that I would
appreciate her taking certain things like my needs intoconsideration [Pictured Lisa Simone playing for motherNina]
JW What happenedLS She started to do that and our relationship was at awonderful point when she passed away in 2003
JW As a child understanding your mothers needs andhonoring them required enormous maturityLS I was grown up before I was an adult When yoursquore anonly child and yoursquoreglobetrotting all over the placewith your mother you findyourself growing in ways thatyou wouldnt have in othercircumstances
JW Was it tough traveling somuch
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LS You make the best of yourenvironment Books for mebecame my world
JW I Hold No Grudge has been wonderfully updatedLS Thank you Theyrsquore all special My mother said we were
both griots which are WestAfrican storytellers She saidwe both had an ability to makeour audiences feel what wersquoresinging about Itrsquos justsomething that I seem to haveand I have no idea where itcame from Irsquove found thatsinging for me is also a way of
getting certain emotions out Most people know that whenIrsquove had a bad day theyrsquore going to get an even better showsince Irsquom going to take any blow up and turn it intosomething beautiful
JW Is this album a message to your mom LS I like that question Yes it is Now that Irsquovebeen traveling on tour Itend to talk more aboutmy life with my motherIt has been a celebrationof my legacy and mymotherrsquosaccomplishments hermessage and her musicNot only have I learned to face this part of my life but Irsquoveembraced it This is not only about my mother but also myway of presenting myself to the world
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JW What do you think Ninawould say about your albumLS I think there would be a bigsmile on her face and shersquodlisten to it over and over again
JazzWax tracks Simone onSimone is available as adownload at iTunes and
Amazon or as a CD here For Simones tour information and tohear clips from her new album you can visit her site here
JazzWax clips Heres a YouTube clip interview with Simone onher new CD
Once you hear Simones new version of I Hold No Grudge listento Ninas original version from 1966
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 26 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0803 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Andy Stroud Lisa Simone Nina Simone Simone
Bill Evans at Town Hall
Of pianist Bill Evans many live albums At Town Hall Vol 1 hasalways been among his mostdelicate and elegant Evansplaying is taut and gracefulwith lovely longimprovisational lines and asnappy fluid attack on thekeyboard The mix ofstandards and two originalsmdashone was a suite in memory ofhis father who died just threedays earliermdashalso were neatlyselected and assembled
For those who share my love of this album heresa list of little-known facts about the recording takenfrom Peter Pettingers How My Heart Sings a BillEvans discography and quotes from sources Ispoke to yesterday afternoon I also have a raretreat for you at the bottom
Despite playing New York club dates for 10 years the TownHall recording on February 21 1966 was Evans first NewYork concert appearance
Evans played the first half of the Town Hall concert with justbassist Chuck Israels and drummer Arnie Wise and thesecond half with an orchestra
According to Tom Lords Jazz Discography the orchestrasegment was arranged and conducted by Al Cohn [pictured]and featured Ernie Royal ClarkTerry and Bill Berry (trumpets)
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Bob Brookmeyer QuentinJackson and Bill Watrous(trombone) Bob Northern(French horn) Jerry DodgionGeorge Marge Eddie DanielsFrank Petrovsky and MarvinHolladay (reeds) Evans(piano) Chuck Israels (bass)and Grady Tate (drums)
The orchestra performed four Al Cohn-arranged tunesWillow Weep for Me and What Kind of Fool Am I as well asEvans originals Funkallero and Waltz for Debby
Verve never released Volume 2 which was to have featuredthe orchestral material and three trio tracks that didnt fit onthe first LP Yesterday I asked Jan Stevens of The BillEvans Web Pages what became of the band tracks Jansays Evans was intensely displeased with the result
Al Cohn did a strange thing The orchestral materialwas set up so the band played one of Cohnsarrangements followed by Bill playing a solo interludebetween songs In this regard the four songs were
meant to be a kind ofsuite with Bills pianobridging the gaps ButHelen Keane told me inthe early 1980s that Billwas extremely unhappywith the result She saidthe tracks would nevercome out no matter
what So far theyve never been commercially issuedWhats more they have never appeared on a bootlegwhich leads me to think Verve may have purged themasters immediately on Keanes or Evans insistence[Photo of Helen Keane and Bill Evans by Phil Braycourtesy of BillEvansnl in the Netherlands]
Although Creed Taylors name and signature were used byVerve on the LP jacket Creed told me yesterday that Helenalone produced the concert and that he wasnt there and
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had nothing to do with the event or the albums production
Gene Lees the legendary jazz writer and close friend ofEvans said yesterday he couldnt remember the concert anddidnt know specifically why the orchestral material wasntissued or what happened to the tracks
The concert was Chuck Israels last recorded appearance asa regular member of the Bill Evans Trio
Note-for-note piano transcriptions of the six songs recordedat Town Hall were recently issued as Bill Evans at TownHall Piano Transcriptions and Performance Notes by PascalWetzel Youll find it here
And now for the treat I promised you above Thanks to thegenerosity of JazzWax reader Kurt Kolstad who attended theTown Hall concert in 1966 heres the program sheet front andback including Gene Lees tribute essay Kurt says the songselections did not appear in the program and were announcedfrom the stage (click on the image to enlarge)
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
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Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
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Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
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In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
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March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
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written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
JazzWax March 2009
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Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
JazzWax March 2009
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March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
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What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
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youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
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1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
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music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
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Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
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JW Were you honest with your mother LS I learned later on in our relationship that I needed toclearly communicate what Ineeded from her so I could getpositive reinforcement duringour conversations and visitsMy mom was so commandingand so accustomed to beingthe one dictating theconversation that to have someone like me come aroundand not want anything from her just her love was almostalien to her
JW Did she adjust to meet those needsLS It was hard for her For mom to make that shift was like
the grinding of gears Ihad to let her know in nouncertain terms that Iloved her very much butthat it hurt when shesaid certain things anddid certain things I alsosaid that I would
appreciate her taking certain things like my needs intoconsideration [Pictured Lisa Simone playing for motherNina]
JW What happenedLS She started to do that and our relationship was at awonderful point when she passed away in 2003
JW As a child understanding your mothers needs andhonoring them required enormous maturityLS I was grown up before I was an adult When yoursquore anonly child and yoursquoreglobetrotting all over the placewith your mother you findyourself growing in ways thatyou wouldnt have in othercircumstances
JW Was it tough traveling somuch
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LS You make the best of yourenvironment Books for mebecame my world
JW I Hold No Grudge has been wonderfully updatedLS Thank you Theyrsquore all special My mother said we were
both griots which are WestAfrican storytellers She saidwe both had an ability to makeour audiences feel what wersquoresinging about Itrsquos justsomething that I seem to haveand I have no idea where itcame from Irsquove found thatsinging for me is also a way of
getting certain emotions out Most people know that whenIrsquove had a bad day theyrsquore going to get an even better showsince Irsquom going to take any blow up and turn it intosomething beautiful
JW Is this album a message to your mom LS I like that question Yes it is Now that Irsquovebeen traveling on tour Itend to talk more aboutmy life with my motherIt has been a celebrationof my legacy and mymotherrsquosaccomplishments hermessage and her musicNot only have I learned to face this part of my life but Irsquoveembraced it This is not only about my mother but also myway of presenting myself to the world
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JW What do you think Ninawould say about your albumLS I think there would be a bigsmile on her face and shersquodlisten to it over and over again
JazzWax tracks Simone onSimone is available as adownload at iTunes and
Amazon or as a CD here For Simones tour information and tohear clips from her new album you can visit her site here
JazzWax clips Heres a YouTube clip interview with Simone onher new CD
Once you hear Simones new version of I Hold No Grudge listento Ninas original version from 1966
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 26 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0803 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Andy Stroud Lisa Simone Nina Simone Simone
Bill Evans at Town Hall
Of pianist Bill Evans many live albums At Town Hall Vol 1 hasalways been among his mostdelicate and elegant Evansplaying is taut and gracefulwith lovely longimprovisational lines and asnappy fluid attack on thekeyboard The mix ofstandards and two originalsmdashone was a suite in memory ofhis father who died just threedays earliermdashalso were neatlyselected and assembled
For those who share my love of this album heresa list of little-known facts about the recording takenfrom Peter Pettingers How My Heart Sings a BillEvans discography and quotes from sources Ispoke to yesterday afternoon I also have a raretreat for you at the bottom
Despite playing New York club dates for 10 years the TownHall recording on February 21 1966 was Evans first NewYork concert appearance
Evans played the first half of the Town Hall concert with justbassist Chuck Israels and drummer Arnie Wise and thesecond half with an orchestra
According to Tom Lords Jazz Discography the orchestrasegment was arranged and conducted by Al Cohn [pictured]and featured Ernie Royal ClarkTerry and Bill Berry (trumpets)
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Bob Brookmeyer QuentinJackson and Bill Watrous(trombone) Bob Northern(French horn) Jerry DodgionGeorge Marge Eddie DanielsFrank Petrovsky and MarvinHolladay (reeds) Evans(piano) Chuck Israels (bass)and Grady Tate (drums)
The orchestra performed four Al Cohn-arranged tunesWillow Weep for Me and What Kind of Fool Am I as well asEvans originals Funkallero and Waltz for Debby
Verve never released Volume 2 which was to have featuredthe orchestral material and three trio tracks that didnt fit onthe first LP Yesterday I asked Jan Stevens of The BillEvans Web Pages what became of the band tracks Jansays Evans was intensely displeased with the result
Al Cohn did a strange thing The orchestral materialwas set up so the band played one of Cohnsarrangements followed by Bill playing a solo interludebetween songs In this regard the four songs were
meant to be a kind ofsuite with Bills pianobridging the gaps ButHelen Keane told me inthe early 1980s that Billwas extremely unhappywith the result She saidthe tracks would nevercome out no matter
what So far theyve never been commercially issuedWhats more they have never appeared on a bootlegwhich leads me to think Verve may have purged themasters immediately on Keanes or Evans insistence[Photo of Helen Keane and Bill Evans by Phil Braycourtesy of BillEvansnl in the Netherlands]
Although Creed Taylors name and signature were used byVerve on the LP jacket Creed told me yesterday that Helenalone produced the concert and that he wasnt there and
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had nothing to do with the event or the albums production
Gene Lees the legendary jazz writer and close friend ofEvans said yesterday he couldnt remember the concert anddidnt know specifically why the orchestral material wasntissued or what happened to the tracks
The concert was Chuck Israels last recorded appearance asa regular member of the Bill Evans Trio
Note-for-note piano transcriptions of the six songs recordedat Town Hall were recently issued as Bill Evans at TownHall Piano Transcriptions and Performance Notes by PascalWetzel Youll find it here
And now for the treat I promised you above Thanks to thegenerosity of JazzWax reader Kurt Kolstad who attended theTown Hall concert in 1966 heres the program sheet front andback including Gene Lees tribute essay Kurt says the songselections did not appear in the program and were announcedfrom the stage (click on the image to enlarge)
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
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Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
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Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
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In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
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March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
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written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
JazzWax March 2009
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Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
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March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
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What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
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youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
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1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
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music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
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Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
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JazzWax March 2009
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form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
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LS You make the best of yourenvironment Books for mebecame my world
JW I Hold No Grudge has been wonderfully updatedLS Thank you Theyrsquore all special My mother said we were
both griots which are WestAfrican storytellers She saidwe both had an ability to makeour audiences feel what wersquoresinging about Itrsquos justsomething that I seem to haveand I have no idea where itcame from Irsquove found thatsinging for me is also a way of
getting certain emotions out Most people know that whenIrsquove had a bad day theyrsquore going to get an even better showsince Irsquom going to take any blow up and turn it intosomething beautiful
JW Is this album a message to your mom LS I like that question Yes it is Now that Irsquovebeen traveling on tour Itend to talk more aboutmy life with my motherIt has been a celebrationof my legacy and mymotherrsquosaccomplishments hermessage and her musicNot only have I learned to face this part of my life but Irsquoveembraced it This is not only about my mother but also myway of presenting myself to the world
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JW What do you think Ninawould say about your albumLS I think there would be a bigsmile on her face and shersquodlisten to it over and over again
JazzWax tracks Simone onSimone is available as adownload at iTunes and
Amazon or as a CD here For Simones tour information and tohear clips from her new album you can visit her site here
JazzWax clips Heres a YouTube clip interview with Simone onher new CD
Once you hear Simones new version of I Hold No Grudge listento Ninas original version from 1966
>
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 26 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0803 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Andy Stroud Lisa Simone Nina Simone Simone
Bill Evans at Town Hall
Of pianist Bill Evans many live albums At Town Hall Vol 1 hasalways been among his mostdelicate and elegant Evansplaying is taut and gracefulwith lovely longimprovisational lines and asnappy fluid attack on thekeyboard The mix ofstandards and two originalsmdashone was a suite in memory ofhis father who died just threedays earliermdashalso were neatlyselected and assembled
For those who share my love of this album heresa list of little-known facts about the recording takenfrom Peter Pettingers How My Heart Sings a BillEvans discography and quotes from sources Ispoke to yesterday afternoon I also have a raretreat for you at the bottom
Despite playing New York club dates for 10 years the TownHall recording on February 21 1966 was Evans first NewYork concert appearance
Evans played the first half of the Town Hall concert with justbassist Chuck Israels and drummer Arnie Wise and thesecond half with an orchestra
According to Tom Lords Jazz Discography the orchestrasegment was arranged and conducted by Al Cohn [pictured]and featured Ernie Royal ClarkTerry and Bill Berry (trumpets)
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Bob Brookmeyer QuentinJackson and Bill Watrous(trombone) Bob Northern(French horn) Jerry DodgionGeorge Marge Eddie DanielsFrank Petrovsky and MarvinHolladay (reeds) Evans(piano) Chuck Israels (bass)and Grady Tate (drums)
The orchestra performed four Al Cohn-arranged tunesWillow Weep for Me and What Kind of Fool Am I as well asEvans originals Funkallero and Waltz for Debby
Verve never released Volume 2 which was to have featuredthe orchestral material and three trio tracks that didnt fit onthe first LP Yesterday I asked Jan Stevens of The BillEvans Web Pages what became of the band tracks Jansays Evans was intensely displeased with the result
Al Cohn did a strange thing The orchestral materialwas set up so the band played one of Cohnsarrangements followed by Bill playing a solo interludebetween songs In this regard the four songs were
meant to be a kind ofsuite with Bills pianobridging the gaps ButHelen Keane told me inthe early 1980s that Billwas extremely unhappywith the result She saidthe tracks would nevercome out no matter
what So far theyve never been commercially issuedWhats more they have never appeared on a bootlegwhich leads me to think Verve may have purged themasters immediately on Keanes or Evans insistence[Photo of Helen Keane and Bill Evans by Phil Braycourtesy of BillEvansnl in the Netherlands]
Although Creed Taylors name and signature were used byVerve on the LP jacket Creed told me yesterday that Helenalone produced the concert and that he wasnt there and
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had nothing to do with the event or the albums production
Gene Lees the legendary jazz writer and close friend ofEvans said yesterday he couldnt remember the concert anddidnt know specifically why the orchestral material wasntissued or what happened to the tracks
The concert was Chuck Israels last recorded appearance asa regular member of the Bill Evans Trio
Note-for-note piano transcriptions of the six songs recordedat Town Hall were recently issued as Bill Evans at TownHall Piano Transcriptions and Performance Notes by PascalWetzel Youll find it here
And now for the treat I promised you above Thanks to thegenerosity of JazzWax reader Kurt Kolstad who attended theTown Hall concert in 1966 heres the program sheet front andback including Gene Lees tribute essay Kurt says the songselections did not appear in the program and were announcedfrom the stage (click on the image to enlarge)
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
JazzWax March 2009
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Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
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Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
JazzWax March 2009
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In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
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March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
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written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
JazzWax March 2009
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Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
JazzWax March 2009
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March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
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JazzWax March 2009
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
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What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
JazzWax March 2009
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
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youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
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1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
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music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
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Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
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q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
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JW What do you think Ninawould say about your albumLS I think there would be a bigsmile on her face and shersquodlisten to it over and over again
JazzWax tracks Simone onSimone is available as adownload at iTunes and
Amazon or as a CD here For Simones tour information and tohear clips from her new album you can visit her site here
JazzWax clips Heres a YouTube clip interview with Simone onher new CD
Once you hear Simones new version of I Hold No Grudge listento Ninas original version from 1966
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 26 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0803 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Andy Stroud Lisa Simone Nina Simone Simone
Bill Evans at Town Hall
Of pianist Bill Evans many live albums At Town Hall Vol 1 hasalways been among his mostdelicate and elegant Evansplaying is taut and gracefulwith lovely longimprovisational lines and asnappy fluid attack on thekeyboard The mix ofstandards and two originalsmdashone was a suite in memory ofhis father who died just threedays earliermdashalso were neatlyselected and assembled
For those who share my love of this album heresa list of little-known facts about the recording takenfrom Peter Pettingers How My Heart Sings a BillEvans discography and quotes from sources Ispoke to yesterday afternoon I also have a raretreat for you at the bottom
Despite playing New York club dates for 10 years the TownHall recording on February 21 1966 was Evans first NewYork concert appearance
Evans played the first half of the Town Hall concert with justbassist Chuck Israels and drummer Arnie Wise and thesecond half with an orchestra
According to Tom Lords Jazz Discography the orchestrasegment was arranged and conducted by Al Cohn [pictured]and featured Ernie Royal ClarkTerry and Bill Berry (trumpets)
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Bob Brookmeyer QuentinJackson and Bill Watrous(trombone) Bob Northern(French horn) Jerry DodgionGeorge Marge Eddie DanielsFrank Petrovsky and MarvinHolladay (reeds) Evans(piano) Chuck Israels (bass)and Grady Tate (drums)
The orchestra performed four Al Cohn-arranged tunesWillow Weep for Me and What Kind of Fool Am I as well asEvans originals Funkallero and Waltz for Debby
Verve never released Volume 2 which was to have featuredthe orchestral material and three trio tracks that didnt fit onthe first LP Yesterday I asked Jan Stevens of The BillEvans Web Pages what became of the band tracks Jansays Evans was intensely displeased with the result
Al Cohn did a strange thing The orchestral materialwas set up so the band played one of Cohnsarrangements followed by Bill playing a solo interludebetween songs In this regard the four songs were
meant to be a kind ofsuite with Bills pianobridging the gaps ButHelen Keane told me inthe early 1980s that Billwas extremely unhappywith the result She saidthe tracks would nevercome out no matter
what So far theyve never been commercially issuedWhats more they have never appeared on a bootlegwhich leads me to think Verve may have purged themasters immediately on Keanes or Evans insistence[Photo of Helen Keane and Bill Evans by Phil Braycourtesy of BillEvansnl in the Netherlands]
Although Creed Taylors name and signature were used byVerve on the LP jacket Creed told me yesterday that Helenalone produced the concert and that he wasnt there and
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had nothing to do with the event or the albums production
Gene Lees the legendary jazz writer and close friend ofEvans said yesterday he couldnt remember the concert anddidnt know specifically why the orchestral material wasntissued or what happened to the tracks
The concert was Chuck Israels last recorded appearance asa regular member of the Bill Evans Trio
Note-for-note piano transcriptions of the six songs recordedat Town Hall were recently issued as Bill Evans at TownHall Piano Transcriptions and Performance Notes by PascalWetzel Youll find it here
And now for the treat I promised you above Thanks to thegenerosity of JazzWax reader Kurt Kolstad who attended theTown Hall concert in 1966 heres the program sheet front andback including Gene Lees tribute essay Kurt says the songselections did not appear in the program and were announcedfrom the stage (click on the image to enlarge)
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
JazzWax March 2009
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Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
JazzWax March 2009
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Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
JazzWax March 2009
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In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
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March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
JazzWax March 2009
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written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
JazzWax March 2009
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Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
JazzWax March 2009
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March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
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JazzWax March 2009
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
JazzWax March 2009
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What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
JazzWax March 2009
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
JazzWax March 2009
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
JazzWax March 2009
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youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
JazzWax March 2009
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
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1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
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music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
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Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 26 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0803 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Andy Stroud Lisa Simone Nina Simone Simone
Bill Evans at Town Hall
Of pianist Bill Evans many live albums At Town Hall Vol 1 hasalways been among his mostdelicate and elegant Evansplaying is taut and gracefulwith lovely longimprovisational lines and asnappy fluid attack on thekeyboard The mix ofstandards and two originalsmdashone was a suite in memory ofhis father who died just threedays earliermdashalso were neatlyselected and assembled
For those who share my love of this album heresa list of little-known facts about the recording takenfrom Peter Pettingers How My Heart Sings a BillEvans discography and quotes from sources Ispoke to yesterday afternoon I also have a raretreat for you at the bottom
Despite playing New York club dates for 10 years the TownHall recording on February 21 1966 was Evans first NewYork concert appearance
Evans played the first half of the Town Hall concert with justbassist Chuck Israels and drummer Arnie Wise and thesecond half with an orchestra
According to Tom Lords Jazz Discography the orchestrasegment was arranged and conducted by Al Cohn [pictured]and featured Ernie Royal ClarkTerry and Bill Berry (trumpets)
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Bob Brookmeyer QuentinJackson and Bill Watrous(trombone) Bob Northern(French horn) Jerry DodgionGeorge Marge Eddie DanielsFrank Petrovsky and MarvinHolladay (reeds) Evans(piano) Chuck Israels (bass)and Grady Tate (drums)
The orchestra performed four Al Cohn-arranged tunesWillow Weep for Me and What Kind of Fool Am I as well asEvans originals Funkallero and Waltz for Debby
Verve never released Volume 2 which was to have featuredthe orchestral material and three trio tracks that didnt fit onthe first LP Yesterday I asked Jan Stevens of The BillEvans Web Pages what became of the band tracks Jansays Evans was intensely displeased with the result
Al Cohn did a strange thing The orchestral materialwas set up so the band played one of Cohnsarrangements followed by Bill playing a solo interludebetween songs In this regard the four songs were
meant to be a kind ofsuite with Bills pianobridging the gaps ButHelen Keane told me inthe early 1980s that Billwas extremely unhappywith the result She saidthe tracks would nevercome out no matter
what So far theyve never been commercially issuedWhats more they have never appeared on a bootlegwhich leads me to think Verve may have purged themasters immediately on Keanes or Evans insistence[Photo of Helen Keane and Bill Evans by Phil Braycourtesy of BillEvansnl in the Netherlands]
Although Creed Taylors name and signature were used byVerve on the LP jacket Creed told me yesterday that Helenalone produced the concert and that he wasnt there and
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had nothing to do with the event or the albums production
Gene Lees the legendary jazz writer and close friend ofEvans said yesterday he couldnt remember the concert anddidnt know specifically why the orchestral material wasntissued or what happened to the tracks
The concert was Chuck Israels last recorded appearance asa regular member of the Bill Evans Trio
Note-for-note piano transcriptions of the six songs recordedat Town Hall were recently issued as Bill Evans at TownHall Piano Transcriptions and Performance Notes by PascalWetzel Youll find it here
And now for the treat I promised you above Thanks to thegenerosity of JazzWax reader Kurt Kolstad who attended theTown Hall concert in 1966 heres the program sheet front andback including Gene Lees tribute essay Kurt says the songselections did not appear in the program and were announcedfrom the stage (click on the image to enlarge)
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JazzWax March 2009
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March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
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Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
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Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
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In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
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March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
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written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
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Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
>
JazzWax March 2009
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March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
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March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
>
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
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What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
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youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
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1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
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music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
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Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
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JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
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Bob Brookmeyer QuentinJackson and Bill Watrous(trombone) Bob Northern(French horn) Jerry DodgionGeorge Marge Eddie DanielsFrank Petrovsky and MarvinHolladay (reeds) Evans(piano) Chuck Israels (bass)and Grady Tate (drums)
The orchestra performed four Al Cohn-arranged tunesWillow Weep for Me and What Kind of Fool Am I as well asEvans originals Funkallero and Waltz for Debby
Verve never released Volume 2 which was to have featuredthe orchestral material and three trio tracks that didnt fit onthe first LP Yesterday I asked Jan Stevens of The BillEvans Web Pages what became of the band tracks Jansays Evans was intensely displeased with the result
Al Cohn did a strange thing The orchestral materialwas set up so the band played one of Cohnsarrangements followed by Bill playing a solo interludebetween songs In this regard the four songs were
meant to be a kind ofsuite with Bills pianobridging the gaps ButHelen Keane told me inthe early 1980s that Billwas extremely unhappywith the result She saidthe tracks would nevercome out no matter
what So far theyve never been commercially issuedWhats more they have never appeared on a bootlegwhich leads me to think Verve may have purged themasters immediately on Keanes or Evans insistence[Photo of Helen Keane and Bill Evans by Phil Braycourtesy of BillEvansnl in the Netherlands]
Although Creed Taylors name and signature were used byVerve on the LP jacket Creed told me yesterday that Helenalone produced the concert and that he wasnt there and
JazzWax March 2009
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had nothing to do with the event or the albums production
Gene Lees the legendary jazz writer and close friend ofEvans said yesterday he couldnt remember the concert anddidnt know specifically why the orchestral material wasntissued or what happened to the tracks
The concert was Chuck Israels last recorded appearance asa regular member of the Bill Evans Trio
Note-for-note piano transcriptions of the six songs recordedat Town Hall were recently issued as Bill Evans at TownHall Piano Transcriptions and Performance Notes by PascalWetzel Youll find it here
And now for the treat I promised you above Thanks to thegenerosity of JazzWax reader Kurt Kolstad who attended theTown Hall concert in 1966 heres the program sheet front andback including Gene Lees tribute essay Kurt says the songselections did not appear in the program and were announcedfrom the stage (click on the image to enlarge)
JazzWax March 2009
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JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
JazzWax March 2009
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Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
JazzWax March 2009
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Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
JazzWax March 2009
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In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
JazzWax March 2009
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written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
JazzWax March 2009
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Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
>
JazzWax March 2009
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March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
JazzWax March 2009
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March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
>
JazzWax March 2009
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
JazzWax March 2009
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What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
JazzWax March 2009
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
JazzWax March 2009
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
JazzWax March 2009
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youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
JazzWax March 2009
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
JazzWax March 2009
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
JazzWax March 2009
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
JazzWax March 2009
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1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
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music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
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Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
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had nothing to do with the event or the albums production
Gene Lees the legendary jazz writer and close friend ofEvans said yesterday he couldnt remember the concert anddidnt know specifically why the orchestral material wasntissued or what happened to the tracks
The concert was Chuck Israels last recorded appearance asa regular member of the Bill Evans Trio
Note-for-note piano transcriptions of the six songs recordedat Town Hall were recently issued as Bill Evans at TownHall Piano Transcriptions and Performance Notes by PascalWetzel Youll find it here
And now for the treat I promised you above Thanks to thegenerosity of JazzWax reader Kurt Kolstad who attended theTown Hall concert in 1966 heres the program sheet front andback including Gene Lees tribute essay Kurt says the songselections did not appear in the program and were announcedfrom the stage (click on the image to enlarge)
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
>
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
>
JazzWax March 2009
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
JazzWax March 2009
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What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
JazzWax March 2009
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
JazzWax March 2009
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
JazzWax March 2009
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youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
JazzWax March 2009
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
JazzWax March 2009
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
JazzWax March 2009
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
JazzWax March 2009
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1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
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music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
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JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
JazzWax March 2009
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In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
>
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
>
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 25 2009
Posted by Marc Myers at 0750 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Al Cohn Bill Evans Creed Taylor Gene Lees Helen Keane Jan Stevens
Artie Shaws Last Dance Band
By mid-1945 Artie Shaw was facing two creative crises With thesudden proliferation ofsmall record labelsRCA began pressuringthe bandleader forFrenesi-sized hits
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
>
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
>
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
JazzWax March 2009
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youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
JazzWax March 2009
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
JazzWax March 2009
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
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1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
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music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
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Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
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Then Roy Eldridge thebands jazz trumpeterwanted out Frustratedin his role as a meresection playerEldridge sought moresolo time and foundShaws band tediousand stifling Even Shaw could read the writing on the wall theband he had assembled in the fall of 1944 was likely reaching itspeak and nearing an end
But the bands final months were its most exciting By mid-Augustbookings for the band were drying up on the West Coast and littlewas lined up for the fall Then at months end Shaw was askedby the military to appear at several bases and hospitals in
Southern CaliforniaSponsored by Coca-Cola Shawsperformances wererecorded by the ArmedForces Radio Serviceas part of its SpotlightBand Show for airplayat military installations
overseas Between September and November 1945 Shaws 17-piece band performed at six different facilities
All of these recordings have just been issued on Artie Shaw TheComplete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts (Hep Records) Thedouble-CD set is quite remarkablefor several reasons Up until nowthere hasnt been a comprehensivepackage of Spotlight appearances bythis Shaw band And even thoughEldridge is heard soloing only onLittle Jazz and two of this sets
JazzWax March 2009
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Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
JazzWax March 2009
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In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
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March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
JazzWax March 2009
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written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
JazzWax March 2009
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Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
>
JazzWax March 2009
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March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
JazzWax March 2009
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March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
>
JazzWax March 2009
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
JazzWax March 2009
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What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
JazzWax March 2009
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
JazzWax March 2009
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
JazzWax March 2009
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sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
JazzWax March 2009
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ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
JazzWax March 2009
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to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Gramercy Five tracks you still get quite an earful from apowerhouse trumpet section comprised of Stan Fishelson GeorgeSchwartz Bernie Glow and Eldridge When Eldridge left the bandin mid-September 1945 to form his own band he was replaced byRay Linn who was no slouch Though this band was primarilyShaws last ensemble dance band there were standouts amongits ranks including tenor saxophonist Herbie Steward pianistDodo Marmarosa and a 22-year-old Barney Kessel
The fidelity of this Spotlight set is marvelous and somewhatmiraculous All of the tracks are clean and bright No matter howhigh I cranked up the volume on my system Shaw kept soundingbetter and better In addition theres virtually no surface noiseThe more I listened to the set the more I realized how great thisshort period was for the clarinetist His playing was fluid andwarm and his flare for musical tension and release on thesetracks was superb
Among the must-hear tracks is apunchy reworking of Lennie Haytons[pictured] arrangement of I Cant GetStarted featuring a fine solo bytrumpeter Linn Cant You ReadBetween the Lines features an ice-blue Shaw solo at medium tempoTheres also a hopping SWonderfularranged by Ray Conniff with terrificsolos by Shaw and Steward Best ofall though is a stunning reed-heavyNight and Day and a rip-roaring LetsWalk
The 1944-45 Shaw band was something of a swing-era holdoutBy this point more muscular andadventurous bands led by StanKenton Woody Herman and BoydRaeburn were gaining groundDespite clinging to the past Shaws1945 band was a well-oiled groupthat Leonard Feather said exhibiteda refreshing lack of bad taste andbombast
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
>
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
>
JazzWax March 2009
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
JazzWax March 2009
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March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
JazzWax March 2009
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generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
In October 1945 Shaw married AvaGardner and about a month laterfolded the band He also decided not to renew his RCA Victorcontract Newlywed Shaw wanted a break but the honeymoondidnt last long By early 1946 Shaw was assembling andrehearsing a 40-piece orchestra complete with woodwinds and
strings He soon signed withMusicraft Records and byApril finally was able toachieve his vision of amoodier more Impressionisticsound He also tapped intothe arranging skills of LennieHayton Sonny Burke andDick Jones Joined on tracks
by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones Shaw in 1946 would lead oneof his most ambitious and romantic bands
But just prior to this supersized venture Shaw fronted his finaldance band and the results as evidenced by this Spotlight setcontinue to hold up well [Photo of Ava Gardner and Artie Shaw in1945 Corbis]
JazzWax tracks Artie Shaw The Complete 1945 Spotlight BandBroadcasts is available as a download atiTunes or on CD here The album includesfine detailed notes by Alastair Robertsonowner of Hep Records
Posted by Marc Myers at 0831 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Alastair Robertson Artie Shaw Ava Gardner Roy Eldgridge
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
>
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
>
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 24 2009
Sittin in with Bill Kirchner
Early yesterday morning I took the subway down to 14th Streetand walked east to thecampus of the New SchoolUniversity I was on my wayto sit in on Bill Kirchners JazzHistory class Some weeksago Bill had invited me toattend whenever I wishedand I specifically chose tohear him talk about MilesDavis
In addition to being a terrificteacher (his students adorehim) Bill is a renownedsaxophonist and arranger journalist and author He recorded five
albums as a leader plus others as asideman including one with singerChris Connor He edited the OxfordCompanion to Jazz and A MilesDavis Reader Bill also is a prolificwriter of album liner notes co-winning the 1996 Best AlbumNotes Grammy for Miles Davis andGil Evans The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings (CD boxSony)
Bills two-hour class took his 40 students through Miles Davis bioand recordings complete with 13 prime audio examples Thesound system in the NewSchools fifth floorperformance space issensational Each digitalrecording was vivid andexciting and rich with warmsonic detail In betweentracks Bill filled in the blankswith authoritative notes
Walkin is credited to Richard Carpenter but it was really
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
>
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
>
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
written by Jimmy Mundy and first appeared as Gravy byGene Ammons in 1950 I had an opportunity to study theoriginal score for Porgy and Bess and was surprised to seethat arranger Gil Evans used three bass clarinets OnPorgy and Bess trumpeter Ernie Royal was able to hit onlya double high B-flat rather than the double high D that Gilhad written for him But as they say thats good enough forjazz
Bill also employed one of the shrewdest techniques forextinguishing rare instances of classroom chatter Rather than sayshhh or Come on folks he simply turned up the music lettingMiles do the schoolmarming Pretty effective trick
Best of all Bill handed out a song sheet complete with personnelfor the Miles Davis tracks he played Ive listed the songs belowalong with the albums on which they appear For me the highpoints were Walkin If I Were a Bell (it was great to hear thoseclassics with eyes closed in front of a big sound system) and alive version of Human Nature All are available at iTunes andAmazon
1 Milestones (1947) mdash Classic Years of Miles Davis
2 Israel (1949) mdash Complete Birth of theCool
3 Rifftide (1949) mdash live in Paris From Coolto Bop
4 Walkin (1954) mdash Miles Davis All Stars
5 If I Were a Bell (1956) mdash Relaxin withthe Miles Davis Quintet
6 Milestones (1958) mdash Milestones
7 Theres a Boat Thats Leaving Soon forNew York (1958) mdash
Porgy and Bess
8 Flamenco Sketches (1959) mdash Kind of
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
>
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
>
JazzWax March 2009
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JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
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q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Blue
9 Oleo (1961) mdash In Person Friday andSaturday Nights at the Black Hawk
10 My Funny Valentine (1964) mdash MilesDavis in Concert My Funny Valentine
11 Masqualero (1967) mdash Sorcerer
12 Directions (1969) mdash Festival de JuanPins
13 Human Nature (1988) mdash Live Aroundthe World
JazzWax clip Heres Miles in 1985performing Human Nature in Montreal Aswith If I Were a Bell and Someday My Prince Will Come Davistook this 1982 Michael Jackson pop hit (written by Steve Porcaroand John Bettis) and turned into a funky metallic work of art
Posted by Marc Myers at 0758 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bill Kirchner Miles Davis
>
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
>
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 23 2009
Bret Primack Interviews Mr JazzWax
I frequently receive e-mails from curious readers asking what Ilook like In some casesthese e-mails have comefrom the jazz legends Iveinterviewed by phone Up untilnow Ive avoided posting myphoto or focusing on me Ivesaid from the start that thisblog is about the music andthe legends I interview notabout me No one caresabout the messenger andrightly so
Bret Primack had a slightly different take
Bretmdashalso known as the Jazz Video Guymdashis a pioneer of the jazzvideo interview An NYU FilmSchool graduate and formerDown Beat editor and writerBrets series ofgroundbreaking interviewslast year with producer OrrinKeepnews for Concord
Records continue to captivate thousands of viewers daily Thesame goes for his on-camera conversations with jazz legendssuch as Sonny Rollins and his work in support of CD releases byMosaic and Blue Note Bret works hard and is a cutting edgeplayer in the jazz history and communication space online
Bret also has been one of JazzWaxs biggest fans from this blogsearliest days While Bret has viewedmy passion for anonymity as noblehe also has insisted that JazzWaxreaders have earned the right to seeand hear from the person who hasbeen posting six days a week overthe past year and a half I gave in
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
>
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 22 2009
So recently I met Bret during one ofhis swings through New York Bret had setup his video equipment at a friendsapartment uptown and was interviewing jazzlegends in a marathon session over severaldays In between one of these sets Brethad an hour or so and asked if he couldinterview me on-camera Since Im a bigbeliever in exposing yourself to the sameprocess you inflict on others I had to agreeA taste of my own interview medicine so to
speak
Bret posted the result today at his blog and on YouTube I hopeyou enjoy it Now excuse me while I retreat back into my shell
Posted by Marc Myers at 0736 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Bret Primack Marc Myers
Sunday Wax Bits
>
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
JazzWax with Marc Myers Tonight at 10 pm (EDT) Ill be onthe air again with the last of my threeradio shows on JazzFM91Canadas leading jazz radio stationWhat to do Simply return here at 10pm tonight and click the squareListen Live button in the right-handcolumn If that doesnt work go towwwJazzfm and click on listenlive at the top of the stations homepage Try to stay up even for a smallpiece of it The show is going to behot and rare
Carol Sloane Thank you readers for all of your lovely e-mailsregarding my interview series last week with singer Carol Sloane
The beauty of Carol in addition toher warm honey-roasted voice isher blunt honesty Ever-gracefulCarol was completely open with meduring our conversations touchingon subjects that many of us wouldhave papered over So thank youCarol for being so candid and forsharing all sides of your career boththe ups and the downs
Honesty allows readers and listeners to fully understand jazzartists and the struggles they endure to create the music we loveso much Artists are by definition enigmas Only through suchconversations can we gain an inkling of what makes them tickWhen I thanked Carol last week for her openness she said intypical Carol Sloane fashion Of course Thats me I dont knowany other way I for one am wildly grateful
CD discovery of the week Released late last year RestlessSpirits is a highly addictive big bandrecording featuring the music ofRoberto Magris The album wasrecorded by the Big Band RitmoSinfonica Citta di Verona under thedirection of Marco Pasetto
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
What makes Restless Spirits soexciting are the Pasettoarrangements that frame the soloists rather than compete withthem The distinctly European orchestral sound on this CD worksbeautifully behind the cool tenderness of Roberto on FenderRhodes electric piano and fire of solo trumpeter Massimo Greco
This isnt your typical contemporary big band album Theorchestra has a sultry marching band sound in places whichkeeps your foot moving Best of all the score never stops workingto catch your attention gently shaking your shoulder rather thanpoking you in the chest or cracking you across the face
Restless Sprits tracks flow effortlessly from one to the next Youput on the CD and you listen fromstart to finish Each composition hasa different mood and each has itsown rhythmic hook Roberto Magris[pictured] is a strong writer andplayer from Trieste Italy His robustcompositions transfer neatly to asupersized canvas and never losetheir personality His attack on theelectric piano is both collaborativeand lone wolf as he weaves in andout of these standout orchestrations
For more on the Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Cittagrave di Verona gohere Youll find Restless Spirits on CD here at a European site(Im not sure why its unavailable at Amazon or other major USretailers) To read my interview with Roberto last year go here
Oddball album cover of the week I have not heardHere ComesCarole Creveling which isavailable on CD only fromJapan The LP was recorded
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
March 20 2009
in Los Angeles in 1956 andfeatured vocalist Creveling onher sole album releasebacked by the Bill BakerQuartet Im not quite surehow the record companylanded on this design but asyou can see there must havebeen a team of five or morefrantic art directors And the exchanges among them must havegone something like this Have her walk along the beach No toostaticmdashhave her stroll on the boardwalk No nomdashput her in thesurf Good good in the surf Perfect But waitmdashmake it look likeshe just walked in from the deep so it works with the title Waitmdashthe record buyer wont be able to see her face with the blue tintwere using Dont worry just create a white circle around herhead like a spotlight That should do it
Posted by Marc Myers at 0743 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Carol Sloane Carole Crevelling Roberto Magris
Interview Carol Sloane (Part 5)
Few jazz singers had as tough a time coming up throughthe ranks as Carol SloaneMost singers who are top ofmind emerged when jazz wasAmericas pop music andplenty of opportunities existedfor vocalists to record andconnect with the public Butjust as Carols career beganto flower in the early 1960sjazz singing as a genresuffered several devastatingblows By 1965 jazz wasrapidly being replaced by newforms of popular music andfemale jazz vocalists found themselves dwarfed by a new
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
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q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
generation of female rock vocalists [Photo by Eric StephenJacobs]
Thats where Carols pain comes from When she sings onalbums especially on ballads youhear sorrow depth and meaningUnlike many jazz vocalists Carolsdues and blues originate in thecreative setbacks she suffered at thehands of shifting music tastes clubclosings self-doubt watching rockacts succeed beyond their wildestdreams dysfunctional personal
relationships and a haunted sense of purpose
In Part 5 of my interview with Carol the legendary singer talksabout learning to become an interpreter of songs meeting EllaFitzgerald for the first time struggling with stage fright the tenorsaxophonists who have her sound and why record companieswere in such a hurry to throw jazz under the bus in the early1960s
JazzWax So pianist Jimmy Rowles through his playingtaught you a great deal about your voiceCarol Sloane Yes thats right And I didnrsquot even realize it atthe time I had always admired Jimmyrsquos playing but the moreI listened to him play behindme the more it became clearthat having a beautiful voicewasnrsquot the top priority BlossomDearie [pictured] is a perfectexample She had a tiny voiceLady Day didnrsquot have abeautiful voice toward the endof her life But it wasextraordinary Shersquod sing andyoursquod be so moved Yoursquod listen to her and start to crySarah also had a wonderful instrument
JW Did you ever meet SarahCS I never did and I hated that I missed meeting her inperson We spoke on the phone once My mother liked tocrochet She made hundreds of these bootie things that
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
youd put over socks in the winter to stay warm I had atleast 50 pairs Jimmy had given a pair to Sarah and whenshe called to thank me we spoke about them and otherthings She was lovely
JW Did you meet EllaCS Yes in the early 1960s Ella was always accused of notbeing able to read a lyric Well bull-lone-y I went to seeher and she could go very deep on a song Irsquoll never forgetit I was in Washington DC in the early 1960s to hear hersing Oscar Peterson suggested I go Everyone was thereOscar was there with his trio Ella had her trio And the DukeEllington Orchestra was there That was the concert
JW Where were youCS I was sitting in a small area for the musicians Notbackstage but in an area off to the side
JW Who was thereCS I was sitting with Johnny Hodges [pictured] and some of
the guys from the Ellingtonband They had all come outfrom behind the stage to hearElla That impressed meterribly Musicians when I wascoming up had a certaindisdain for singers and jazzsingers Phil Woods was a
champion but he hated girl singers And I totally understandwhy
JW Why did jazz musicians feel this wayCS Too many singers thought they were so hip and coolBut in truth they were such bores mostly because theywere all style and technique rather than emotionalcommitment Many vocalists couldnt make it even thoughthey thought they could
JW So yoursquore sitting with the Ellington bandCS Yes Here were these great musicians who could havebeen backstage havinga smoke or drinking apop Instead they were
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
sitting out front listeningto a singer Ella sangHow Long Has ThisBeen Going On By thetime she finished wewere all weeping Thatsbecause she was interpreting not just singing
JW Did you get to meet EllaCS Yes Afterward Oscar introduced me to her backstage
She said to me [imitating Ellarsquosspeaking voice perfectly]ldquoOhhh Irsquove heard of youYoursquore the one they say soundslike merdquo [laughs] Holy cow Ialmost fainted
JW What did you say to herCS I said Well they tell me
that but I donrsquot think I do Ella smiled looked at me for amoment and said ldquoThatrsquos OK Irsquom gladrdquo She was so sweetEventually I got to travel with her when Jimmy [Rowles]played piano for her
JW Ella had terrible stage fright didnrsquot sheCS Yes most singers do Ella had her demons The firstnight Jimmy [Rowles]played for her was inAtlantic City I wentdown and wasbackstage with her Thiswas a big jazz concertwith Dizzy [Gillespie]and others She waspacing back and forth Iwas standing beside her as she prepared to be introducedto go on stage
JW What was she doingCS She was pacing and wringing her hands and saying
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
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email
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JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
ldquoIrsquom so nervous Irsquom so nervousrdquo I said ldquoGod Ella donrsquotworry Jimmy will never let you down Yoursquove got nothing toworry aboutrdquo She said ldquoI knowrdquo She had had Tommy[Flanagan] playing for her for over 15 years So all of asudden she had a new guy at the keyboard They hadrehearsed together but she still was behaving as though theworld was going to come to an end
JW Are singers nervous because theyre afraid of forgettingthe words to songsCS No but that happens too Its mostly stage fright As forforgetting words it happens to everyone even Ella Shefamously forgot the words to Mack the Knifemdashbut who canremember the words to that thing anyway
JW How do you remember all those lyricsCS Itrsquos very simple my dear When wersquore singing a songitrsquos the only song in the world There are no other songsThatrsquos the only song there is By thinking that way itrsquos veryhard to forget the words because yoursquove blocked everythingelse out
JW Thatrsquos itCS You choose songs because you love them Have Iforgotten lyrics Of course Maybe yoursquore tired or distractedby something or someone in the audience
JW What do you when you forget lyricsCS If yoursquore lucky it happens at the very top of a song In
which case you can stop andstart again Carmen did it onceat a concert being recorded livein Japan She stoppedeverybody and said Donrsquot putthat on the tape I actuallyhave that tape The album thatwas issued of course doesnrsquothave that glitch where she lost
her way at the beginning of a verse
JW Does it happen with youCS Every now and again It shouldnt happen often thoughIf it does you either have to refocus your brain and get back
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
to where yoursquore supposed to be and concentrate and doyour jobmdashor you give yourself a cheat sheet I donrsquot everrecord without all of the lyrics in front of me even if itrsquos asong that I know
JW In the past were you nervous before going out onstage CS Always Are you kidding To the point of being ill Notany more No
JW Most people donrsquot realize how much pressureperformers and entertainersare under and the stageanxiety they sufferCS Its awful I used to haveperformance anxiety dreamsId go to sleep and havenightmares about having to goout and sing It cant be helpedIts something deep in yourbrain
JW What do you do to deal with itCS You smile straighten up your posture and even ifyoure terrified you tell yourself that yoursquoll eventually calmdown and relax a bit And you domdashonce you start singing
JW Which jazz musician comes closest to capturing yoursoundCS Thatrsquos an interesting question Itrsquos always a saxophone
that I feel most compatible withI think players like Frank Wess[pictured] or Eric Alexander Ilove the tenor I feel mostcomfortable with it Thatrsquoswhere my voice is When Iwarm up I put on LucianoPavarotti records and sing withhim Thatrsquos my range
JW If you close your eyeswhich song means the most to youCS Little Girl Blue That a cappella moment at Newport in
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
1961 was amazing Also its a song that Ive been singingfor a long time Gildo [Mahones the pianist] said in a hushedvoice to me on stage that afternoon I donrsquot know theverse I said ldquoThatrsquos OK Just give me a chord and Irsquoll singit Yoursquoll know when I get to the chorusrdquo I was just a dumbkid [laughs] I did that just because I did it I wasnrsquot showingoff
JW But thatrsquos still pretty gutsy stuff to do on stageCS It wasnrsquot gutsy to me you see I said to myself ldquoIrsquoll beOK as long as I can hear my own voice Irsquoll use my ownvoice to keep me in tune
JW Whatrsquos coming next from Carol SloaneCS Irsquom working on the theme for a new album becauseDearest Duke [pictured] turnedout to be such a pleasure Itrsquossuch a lovely album I hadserious thoughts about doingDearest Bing But the more Iget into the material the moredisappointed I am
JW WhyCS It doesnrsquot have a lot of muscle I like songs with musclemdashlike Spring Is Here Autumn in New York and so on Alsomany of Bings songs were meant for a man to sing to awoman which is another obstacle for me Irsquom now turning toanother theme which isnt a tribute to anybody I wish Icould tell you about it but if I did and you printed it all thesingers would jump on it
JW When you were coming up did you ever wish you hadbeen born five years earlierCS I sure did Many times Irsquove wondered about that Chris
[Connor] June [Christypictured] Anita [ODay]mdashall ofthe women who came out ofthe bands were establishedand set career-wise by thetime the 1960s rolled aroundJust when I was making apositive impression on the
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
music world the whole scenechanged
JW What was the biginhibitorCS The Beatles They changed everything for me andothers Not them personally but how their instant successchanged the marketplace and record companies and tastes
JW What was the groups staggering success like from yourperspective at the timeCS They couldnrsquot get arrested When Brian Epsteintheirmanagercame over to theUS and tried tosell them all therecordcompanies saidldquoBeatles Whatsa Beatlerdquo Theyall passed Brianhad to beg AlanLivingston the president of Capitol Records three timesFinally Alan gave them a shot Then they became huge sofast that they scared all of the other record executives todeath The top guys all realized they had made a terribleterrible mistake not signing them
JW So the American record industrys oversight had abacklashCS Enormous All the top executives told their aampr guysldquoSign up any act that walks through the door and looks likethe Beatles Most of these executives had no clue aboutwhy kids were responding to this music the way they wereAll they knew is that they missed the boat and had to make
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
jazzwaxcom
JazzWax March 2009
NvbS8yMDA5LzAzL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwA
form1
q
sitesearch wwwjazzwaxcom
btnG
email
input7
JazzWax March 2009
httpwwwjazzwaxcom200903indexhtml[13012010 132137]
Next raquo
up for lost time
JW How did this affect jazzCS The big impact was that the American songbook as wehad known it went into limbo and no longer had the samevalue
JW Yoursquove been an amazing survivor over time CS My career has slowed down somewhat lately Itrsquos
wonderful to listen to the youngwomen today who are gettingthe work and recognition Itrsquosinteresting to see what directiontheyrsquore going to go in Themusic business is so differenttoday than when I was coming
up Itrsquos also interesting to see what record companies aretelling us are jazz singers Itrsquos a far cry from what I thought ajazz singer was
JW Why is thatCS Because most record companies donrsquot know what jazzis anymore Theyrsquore all run by kids who donrsquot know
JW Whatrsquos your favorite Carol Sloane album CS I have two One is Loveyou Madly [pictured] with ArtFarmer and Clifford Jordan SirRichard Rodney Bennettsarrangements are abovesuperb But I screwed up onthere mistakes only I can hear[laughs] I think I was trying toohard And Dearest Duke ofcourse Which has the fewest mistakes
Posted by Marc Myers at 0818 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Technorati Tags Anita ODay Blossom Dearie Carol Sloane Chris Connor Duke EllingtonElla Fitzgerald June Christy Sarah Vaughan
![Page 1: JazzWax: March 2009 - Big-Band Ritmo-Sinfonica "Città di ... Spirits/JazzWax_ March 2009.pdf · Miles said he wished I could swing like Wynton [Kelly]. I looked at him and said,](https://reader042.vdocuments.mx/reader042/viewer/2022030603/5ad117157f8b9a71028ea086/html5/page/1.jpg)
![Page 2: JazzWax: March 2009 - Big-Band Ritmo-Sinfonica "Città di ... Spirits/JazzWax_ March 2009.pdf · Miles said he wished I could swing like Wynton [Kelly]. I looked at him and said,](https://reader042.vdocuments.mx/reader042/viewer/2022030603/5ad117157f8b9a71028ea086/html5/page/2.jpg)
![Page 3: JazzWax: March 2009 - Big-Band Ritmo-Sinfonica "Città di ... Spirits/JazzWax_ March 2009.pdf · Miles said he wished I could swing like Wynton [Kelly]. I looked at him and said,](https://reader042.vdocuments.mx/reader042/viewer/2022030603/5ad117157f8b9a71028ea086/html5/page/3.jpg)
![Page 4: JazzWax: March 2009 - Big-Band Ritmo-Sinfonica "Città di ... Spirits/JazzWax_ March 2009.pdf · Miles said he wished I could swing like Wynton [Kelly]. I looked at him and said,](https://reader042.vdocuments.mx/reader042/viewer/2022030603/5ad117157f8b9a71028ea086/html5/page/4.jpg)
![Page 5: JazzWax: March 2009 - Big-Band Ritmo-Sinfonica "Città di ... Spirits/JazzWax_ March 2009.pdf · Miles said he wished I could swing like Wynton [Kelly]. I looked at him and said,](https://reader042.vdocuments.mx/reader042/viewer/2022030603/5ad117157f8b9a71028ea086/html5/page/5.jpg)
![Page 6: JazzWax: March 2009 - Big-Band Ritmo-Sinfonica "Città di ... Spirits/JazzWax_ March 2009.pdf · Miles said he wished I could swing like Wynton [Kelly]. I looked at him and said,](https://reader042.vdocuments.mx/reader042/viewer/2022030603/5ad117157f8b9a71028ea086/html5/page/6.jpg)
![Page 7: JazzWax: March 2009 - Big-Band Ritmo-Sinfonica "Città di ... Spirits/JazzWax_ March 2009.pdf · Miles said he wished I could swing like Wynton [Kelly]. I looked at him and said,](https://reader042.vdocuments.mx/reader042/viewer/2022030603/5ad117157f8b9a71028ea086/html5/page/7.jpg)
![Page 8: JazzWax: March 2009 - Big-Band Ritmo-Sinfonica "Città di ... Spirits/JazzWax_ March 2009.pdf · Miles said he wished I could swing like Wynton [Kelly]. I looked at him and said,](https://reader042.vdocuments.mx/reader042/viewer/2022030603/5ad117157f8b9a71028ea086/html5/page/8.jpg)
![Page 9: JazzWax: March 2009 - Big-Band Ritmo-Sinfonica "Città di ... Spirits/JazzWax_ March 2009.pdf · Miles said he wished I could swing like Wynton [Kelly]. I looked at him and said,](https://reader042.vdocuments.mx/reader042/viewer/2022030603/5ad117157f8b9a71028ea086/html5/page/9.jpg)
![Page 10: JazzWax: March 2009 - Big-Band Ritmo-Sinfonica "Città di ... Spirits/JazzWax_ March 2009.pdf · Miles said he wished I could swing like Wynton [Kelly]. I looked at him and said,](https://reader042.vdocuments.mx/reader042/viewer/2022030603/5ad117157f8b9a71028ea086/html5/page/10.jpg)
![Page 11: JazzWax: March 2009 - Big-Band Ritmo-Sinfonica "Città di ... Spirits/JazzWax_ March 2009.pdf · Miles said he wished I could swing like Wynton [Kelly]. I looked at him and said,](https://reader042.vdocuments.mx/reader042/viewer/2022030603/5ad117157f8b9a71028ea086/html5/page/11.jpg)
![Page 12: JazzWax: March 2009 - Big-Band Ritmo-Sinfonica "Città di ... Spirits/JazzWax_ March 2009.pdf · Miles said he wished I could swing like Wynton [Kelly]. I looked at him and said,](https://reader042.vdocuments.mx/reader042/viewer/2022030603/5ad117157f8b9a71028ea086/html5/page/12.jpg)
![Page 13: JazzWax: March 2009 - Big-Band Ritmo-Sinfonica "Città di ... Spirits/JazzWax_ March 2009.pdf · Miles said he wished I could swing like Wynton [Kelly]. I looked at him and said,](https://reader042.vdocuments.mx/reader042/viewer/2022030603/5ad117157f8b9a71028ea086/html5/page/13.jpg)
![Page 14: JazzWax: March 2009 - Big-Band Ritmo-Sinfonica "Città di ... Spirits/JazzWax_ March 2009.pdf · Miles said he wished I could swing like Wynton [Kelly]. I looked at him and said,](https://reader042.vdocuments.mx/reader042/viewer/2022030603/5ad117157f8b9a71028ea086/html5/page/14.jpg)
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