Day Three - Groovin’ Hard with the Los Angeles Jazz Institute

© -Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.

The four-day Groovin’ Hard: Celebrating the Big Band Renaissance event concluded it’s third day yesterday, Saturday, October 11, 2012 under the auspices of the Los Angeles Jazz Institute and its Director, Ken Poston.

Gordon Sapsed, a regular attendee at LAJI events, develops an overview of each day’s proceedings and thanks to his generosity, the editorial staff at JazzProfiles is privileged to bring you his daily annotations as noted below.

Our apologies for failing to note previously that the illustrations we have been using to populate these features are drawn from the event brochure as designed by Kurt Reichenbach.

For more information on the Los Angeles Jazz Institute including ticket ordering for Groovin’ Hard, please visit www.lajazzinstitute.org

© -Gordon Sapsed.  Used with the author’s permission; copyright protected; all rights reserved.

 "Saturday morning at LAJI began with a clip of the Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabackin Big Band from the 1970s (perhaps at Monterey?). Last time here we saw them in person but this time it was nice to see them 35 or so years ago and hear the music again.

Ken Poston puts a lot of work into these film shows and it's good to see audiences of 100 plus supporting them at 9 am. After that band we saw BIll Watrous from the 1970's - with that same hair style - although yesterday's live version might be grayer - the movie was in black and white. Bill guested on that occasion in the movie with somebody else's band (Tonight Show?). Then, with clothes and hair and time signatures all screaming "1970's" we saw clips of Maynard Ferguson's UK Band - with Peter King and Danny Moss, Woody's Band with Sal Nistico, Buddy Rich playing Weather Report's  "Birdland" (on a curious kit which seemed to have silver cymbals). We also saw the Don Ellis Band, when Art Pepper was with him - or said to be - the clip showed only dancers.

Next up was a panel 'Remembering Buddy Rich,’ which was a lot of fun. Bobby Shew, Chuck Findley and Carl Saunders shared the lead and all improvised beautifully, with Richie Cole, Ernie Watts, Charles Owens and Greg Smith all competing to see who had most-often been fired by Buddy. Bobby won - as he does so often on panels.. Comments included ' anything he could do on a snare drum he could also do on the bass drum with one foot', 'He couldn't read a note, but play it through twice and he could beat out every part for every instrument' … 'that anger gave him an energy rush and was often for just that reason'. All recalled their stay on that band as a great learning experience and often as a major highlight of all their career, despite the occasional grief and pain.

Then to the delight of fresh air and sunshine lovers - out to the Pool, where the very first outdoor session involved the Saddleback College 'Wednesday Night Community Big Band' ( a title distinguishing it from eight other Jazz bands at the College). Whilst the players might give the impression that the G.I. Bill is still strong down in Miision Viejo, it turned out that older members, who often have pro or semi-pro experience or Berklee credentials, are allowed in. Scheduled to play Gil Evans' 'Svengali' Charts the band had to settle for items from Sun Ra's book, when the Evans Estate refused LAJI use of the charts. Sun Ra was, however, rendered beautifully, as were some charts by Saddleback student arrangers. Full disclosure demands I report that the band also sang - a chant from Sun Ra's 'We are Space Travellers'. Joey Sellers directed the band. 

Then back indoors for that 70's sound of the biting alto sax of Tom Scott leading his 'California Express'. Gilbert Castellanos on trumpet- who impresses more with every hearing, was alongside him and I was delighted to see young drummer Dan Schelle - who often leads all-youngster groups at the Lighthouse and Quinn Johnson at the piano. This was their 'audition' with Tom Scott - who said they passed - after two numbers! Trey Henry on bass needed no audition. The band played favourites of Tom Scott and some of his originals ( you can do that when you're leader). Titles included Victor Feldman's 'The Chant', LeGrand's 'His Eyes, Her Eyes', Tom's Original 'Way Back When'  and Billie Jo MacAlastair's sad tale ...  A great swinging set - showing that the 70's were not all odd time signatures, or noisy,  musically.

The next three hours were 'Dream Time' for fans of, and former players with, The Don Ellis Band.

We opened with an hour of "Panel Discussion', when eight former members of the band gathered and told their stories of the band - mostly in terms of what versions of the band they played in. Unfortunately the sound system in that room - described earlier by Carl Saunders as 'worse than most train stations' had a bad afternoon . Despite eight microphones there was a problem at any given time in hearing the person speaking until perhaps halfway through their comment. The sound person was perhaps trying to guess who was speaking - or may not have actually been in the room most of the time .....

Musically things looked up as we assembled for the Don Ellis concert which, scheduled for an hour -overran by close to thirty minutes. However, in that time the 21 piece band wove their way through a dozen or so complex compositions bringing 5 trumpets, 4 reeds, two trombones, two violins, a viola, cello, horn, tuba, two percussion , bass and drums together under two directors Ann Patterson and Nick de Scala  About half the players were Don Ellis Alumni and others were session musicians from the LA area. The musicians included Ted Nash, saxes and flute, Alan Kaplan and Rich Bullock trombones, Jimbo Ross, who Leonard Feather described as perhaps the world's greatest jazz viola player, Alan Steinberger at the piano, with Brad Dutz and Pete Korpela on percussion and Dave Crigger, and alumnus of several Don Ellis bands, on drums.

The Don Ellis role was played, very convincingly, throughout, by John Daversa. 

The music included charts from the Star Wars album, Monterey and Montreux, with titles such as 'Desire', 'Loneliness' ( my top-rated tune), Sporting Dance and 9/2 a spectacular closer. The band also played a 'join in and sing' encore.

It was said, in the panel, that jazz fans either love or hate Don Ellis' music. It could certainly not be faulted in terms of enthusiasm or even precision in playing on this occasion - delighting the 'pro' lobby.

Some attendees at the Festival stayed away (about 280 attended by my count) and one jazz-west-coast alumnus said afterwards that he regretted not bringing his 'I survived Don Ellis' tee-shirt. However it was a memorable occasion and demonstrated yet again what LAJI exists for ....  

The two evening sessions had nearly full houses.

First up was a band of Alumni from bands led by Louie Bellson titled "Louie Bellson Explosion Revisited" .

Several of the players had participated in the Panel discussion yesterday, with Director Bill Yeager - a one-time trombonist who established the LA Jazz Workshop bands some years ago and now is a music educator.

For this set he had Jeff Hamilton in the Louie Bellson drum chair - but using his own kit and playing, I thought, in his own Jeff Hamilton big band style - but what a style. He had said yesterday that the role would have him 'sitting further forward and a bit higher' and he certainly sounded on top form.

Soloists included all the saxes Ted Nash, Andy Mackintosh , Rickey Woodard, Albert Alva and Bruce Johnstone, trumpets Bobby Shew Jim Oatts and Don Rader. trombones Jack Redmond, John Fedchock and Paul Young, pianist David Witham and Chuck Berghofer on bass. Also on hand were Mike Wimberly playing bass trombone and trumpeter John Thomas. Guitarist Grant Geissman unfortunately had to cancel at the last minute.

Charts played included originals by Louie Bellson (once described, apparently by Duke Ellington as 'the finest musician ever to play in my band') and several charts from Don Menza. Especially well-received solos came from Ted Nash, Rickey Woodard, Don Rader, Bruce Johnstone and Jeff Hamilton the hero of the set.

"Drummers Dream Night" continued when Peter Erskine, the only non-alumnus for the "Buddy Rich Alumni" - and what a band . How's this for a trumpet section : Bobby Shew , Chuck Findley, Carl Saunders and, to represent Buddy's last band, Kevin Richardson. Trombones Alan Kaplan, John Fedchock ( from Buddy's New York Band) and Mike Wimberly - who was in that ground-breaking 1966 band.

"A sax section to die for" comprised Kim Richmond, Richie Cole, dueling tenors Ernie Watts and Charles Owens, and, from the 1980's band - and the later leader of the horns for the Eagles- Greg Smith. Rich Eames was at the piano and Dave Stone on bass. Peter Erskine's drumming style was 'Peter Erskine Big Band' style and none-the-worse for that - BRILLIANT ! He seemed to be reveling in the role and had the crowd applauding and cheering loudly.

Up front Bobby Shew had made his 'don't clap the solos' speech - 'you might miss something - save it to the end'. I was reminded that Bobby, like many other musicians at this Festival a frequent listener in the audience, was clapping solos enthusiastically in other sets ! The audience couldn't always resist clapping and cheering. I had Gene Cipriano sitting behind me cheering , clapping and laughing .... (such as when Chuck Berghofer did his inevitable 'Boots' walk to end a solo in the Louie Bellson set)

Bobby Shew, as leader in the absence of Buddy Rich, did the introductions from his seat in the trumpets and had put together a set list which included charts from Bill Holman, Don Peistrup, Bill Potts, Don Menza and many others. All the favorites were there as well as some I'll have to go home and dig out again. Bobby did apologize for having left 'Love for Sale' on the table at home ....

Buddy Rich, had he been there would, I'm sure, have fired the drummer - but only to get that seat and be back among it. Otherwise it could go on tour today as the Peter Erskine Band.

This may be seen by some as 'nostalgia' - but what we heard was livin', breathin' , vigorous and enthusiastic nostalgia, with fresh new solos!

- and one more day to go -opening with the Tonight Show Band for brunch ...

(again a reminder that these reports are being saved on Steve Cerra's blog, together with the illustrations from Kurt Reichenbach's LAJI color brochure at http://www.jazzprofiles.blogspot.com/)

Gordon Sapsed”

Day Two - Groovin’ Hard with the Los Angeles Jazz Institute

© -Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.

The four-day Groovin’ Hard: Celebrating the Big Band Renaissance event continued into it’s second day yesterday, Friday, October 10, 2012 under the auspices of the Los Angeles Jazz Institute and its Director, Ken Poston.

Gordon Sapsed, a regular attendee at LAJI events, continues his write-ups of each day’s proceedings and thanks to his generosity, the editorial staff at JazzProfiles is privileged to bring you his daily commentaries as noted below.

For more information on the Los Angeles Jazz Institute including ticket ordering for Groovin’ Hard, please visit www.lajazzinstitute.org

© -Gordon Sapsed.  Used with the author’s permission; copyright protected; all rights reserved.

“Continuing the overall theme of 'The Big Band Renaissance in the 1970s' the day opened with film clips - mostly from TV shows. Represented were Buddy Rich - including a somewhat jokey interview in a very 1970's studio setting laid out as a club - lots of long hair, beards and moustaches, flares, tight dresses and such and the body-swaying dancing of the day.

Also 'of the day' were the sitar in Don Ellis' Orchestra, very odd time signatures and Kenton in a concert from the Dorchester in London playing ‘Space Odyssey Revisited’ ( a.k.a. 'Also Sprach Zarathustra'), in fancy uniforms.

LAJI events, for me, always turn up unlikely 'hit' sessions which almost justify the weekend ticket price for that single event ! One such was the hour-long 'Discussion' between Patrick Williams and Kirk Silsbee. This proved revealing and fascinating. I had not known of Patrick Williams early life as a child in Missouri and NYC followed by Duke University, where he became an arranger while still in his teens and rapidly got interesting jobs in New York. His tales of those boom years there also revealed some of his own likes and dislikes ( e.g. Thad Jones - 'big band genius - I still don't understand how he achieved some of those marvelous things'). Later in the hour he talked of the behind the scenes activity in making Sinatra's Duets and his own Sinatraland album as well as talking about his NYC and LA Big Band music and film/TV scores. An interesting topic worth much more discussion was the notion, after writing music for a film or album, of 'casting' the musicians, much as a play or film might cast actors - to achieve something greater than the written work. (This discussion/interview attracted a full house of 200 plus). Some of his favorites are in the band tonight.

Kirk Silsbee, through diligent preparation, nudged the discussion in interesting directions.

The CSU Long Beach Jazz Concert Orchestra had been scheduled to play by the pool, but Californian terror on sighting a cloud drove the whole thing indoors, where they delivered a tremendously talented big band hour playing charts by Bob Mintzer, Alf Clausen (whose credits include 20 years of the Simpsons) and many others. John Fedchock, a long-standing (and tall-standing) friend of the band joined them to play some of his arrangements.

Then it was time for another flashback to the 70's - with the appearance, from Chicago, of Richie Cole to lead his Alto Madness Orchestra through a 60 minute set. The flavor being Bebop who better to stand alongside him than Carl Saunders and also Doug Webb and trombonist Dave Ryan.

At the piano Lou Forestiere, bass Jim de Julio and Dave Tull at the drums.

They played Bop standards as well as Richie Cole originals. Dave Tull was effective with the Western-styled 'Cowboy Story' and was rewarded by being allowed to sing his own ' I just Wanna Get Paid' - which may be the only vocal this whole weekend

(if you exclude the Kenton musicians in chorus for ‘MacArthur Park’!).

Eddie Jefferson's 'Last Time I Saw Janine' was offered without the lyric and the audience were awarded a unique premiere 'The LA Jazz Festival Blues'. Altogether a thoroughly enjoyable set which will surely deserves Richie an invitation back for a future event.

It is noticeable, by the way, that some of the biggest applause has been for the smaller bands in this big band event.

Then followed a panel discussion ' Remembering Louie Bellson', moderated again by Kirk Silsbee.

The panelists were Jeff Hamilton - who is taking Louie's role in a concert tomorrow and former members of the band or associates Bobby Shew, Ted Nash, Andy Mackintosh and Bill Yeager.

The universal view echoed an old adage ' the nicest guy in show business' - although several panelists cited exceptions that proved the rule! Interesting points were Louie's dislike of cymbals that didn't 'shimmer' - with Bobby inviting offers for a large collection of Louie's 'reject' cymbals, Bill revealing that, as Louie changed from sticks to brushes he always whispered 'Jo Jones' as the brushes hit the snare drum (only the trombonist sitting alongside ever heard that).

Somebody observed that Louie , like Buddy Rich and many other top drummers had a history as a tap dancer, and there was an observation that Louie always took breaths at the end of natural phrases in the music. Discussion could have gone on all night on Bobby's proposition that any music that can be completely described on a written chart is a polka (e.g.: ‘Beethoven's 4^th) - whereas music that cannot be totally described on a chart is jazz..... These panel discussions are a lot of fun and VERY educational.

Last up for the afternoon was Bill Watrous, with his big band 'Manhattan Wildlife Refuge Revisited'.

This band, which Bill presents in a unique style alternating the music with totally unrelated jokes, serves principally, in my view, as a vehicle for Bill's own solos - although there are solos by other band members in every number. The charts are by current composer/arrangers, including Phil Kelly, Gordon Goodwin and others. Numbers played included Phil's ‘Sweet Georgia Brown’, ‘Limehouse Blues’ and ‘Zipcode 2008,’ mostly played at breakneck pace, although alternated with ballads such as 'Gentle Rain'. For my personal taste this was an exercise in perfect musicianship, with little lasting memory.

The evening event however will, for me, be long remembered and, I am sure, the same will apply to many of the nearly-full house. Ken Poston, afterwards, was not arguing with those who said 'That was the best concert you have EVER organized'.

Billed as " An Evening with Patrick Williams "Threshold Revisited and Aurora", it comprised a single set just a few minutes short of 2 hours.

The link with the 1970's theme of the Festival was the big band album "Threshold", released by Capitol in 1973, but put together on a shoestring budget using techniques like Buddy Childers as a multi-tracked trumpet section. Williams was, at that time, beginning to make his name in TV and films and the jazz album was an indulgence, but proved influential. It was, for many years, a 'collectors item' until it reappeared as Threshold Revisited on CD a few years ago when interest was building in Williams' new project for big band "Aurora", which saw daylight as an Artist Share project. 

For this concert the set-list consisted of eight songs from the 2008 album "Aurora" and two from the 1970's album. Patrick Williams in introducing those items said "It is more than 30 years since I have heard those songs played and this time by a real live band.”

It must suffice in this short review to say that the concert was absolutely magical - an all-star big band playing original compositions with brilliant ensemble work and creative solos. The band's lineup had 4 trumpets ( led by Wayne Bergeron), with Bob Summers taking most of the solos, four trombones, particularly featuring Alex Iles and Bob McChesney, four French horns, five saxes - with most of the solos from Sal Lozano, Terry Harrington and Jeff Driskill. At the piano was Alan Steinberg, Chuck Berghofer on bass and Peter Erskine at the drums. There was also Jim Fox on guitar and Brad Dutz with Mark Converse adding percussion. At least ten of the band members contributed solos.

Between songs, Patrick Williams talked about the music and also about his big band philosophy and where it fits in the history of big bands - from Fletcher Henderson and the 1930's through to today. After a standing ovation and continuous applause the band played an encore which was described as ' a medley of my hit' - the theme from 'The Streets of San Francisco'.

Many of those present then waited in line to buy CDs and have them autographed to memorialize the occasion.”

- Gordon Sapsed

Day One - Groovin’ Hard with the Los Angeles Jazz Institute

© -Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.

The four-day Groovin’ Hard: Celebrating the Big Band Renaissance event commenced yesterday, Thursday, October 10, 2012 under the auspices of the Los Angeles Jazz Institute and its Director, Ken Poston.

Gordon Sapsed, a regular attendee at LAJI events, continues his write-ups of each day’s proceedings and thanks to his generosity, the editorial staff at JazzProfiles is once able to once again bring you these daily commentaries as noted below.

For more information on the Los Angeles Jazz Institute including ticket ordering for Groovin’ Hard, please visit www.lajazzinstitute.org

© -Gordon Sapsed.  Used with the author’s permission; copyright protected; all rights reserved.

“The first 'proper' day of the latest LA Jazz Institute event started with Ken Poston introducing a set of film clips to set the scene for the 'Big Band Renaissance' theme. 

The first clips showed the Buddy Rich band soon after its rebirth in the late 1960's with a Pacific Jazz recording contract and a line-up of new young players and the Thad Jones - Mel Lewis band, which had come into being just previously with a New York residency. Both bands were shown in chat-show clips and Ken spoke of the amazing prime time 18-minute exposure that Buddy Rich had on the Tonight Show with 'West Side Story Suite'.

Other clips showed the bands into the 70's, as well as clips of the Kenton Band at that time and, from Europe, the Clark-Boland Band.  Woody Herman's Band, like others had younger players, more exotic uniforms and longer hair styles as well as exciting new music.

The 300 or so attendees at the event then had an hour-long concert of Thad Jones Mel Lewis music delivered by the highly-talented California State University Northridge 'A' Band, directed by John Daversa. The performance was, by any test, outstanding - with perfect ensemble playing and interesting solo work. It was no surprise that it ended with the crowd on their feet and a standing ovation. Originally planned as an outdoor concert, it had been moved indoors following an overnight forecast of impending rain. Although there was no rain the venue change brought the benefit of better sound which the music certainly warranted.

The concert that followed was by an 11-piece band comprising top LA studio players, making its first LAJI appearance. The Pete Christlieb-Linda Small 'Tall & Small' Band has a 'four reeds' frontline - plus the leader making five, backed by co-leader Linda on trombone and two trumpets plus a rhythm section.

Again, the music was outstanding - much of it being from the pen of Bill Holman and appearing on the first 'Tall and Small' album. The record sleeve describes the music as 'Contemporary', but most readers here will know it as interesting tightly-written ensembles, with a linear writing style - very 'Bill Holman'  and following a West-Coast tradition, with a great deal of variety in the voicing and ample solo space.

Unusually, Pete Christlieb on this occasion played baritone on about half the numbers - such as Mulligan's 'I know but I don't know how' and 'Young Blood'. Other titles included 'Everything I Love', 'Ballade' and a delightful feature for the joint leaders on 'The Meaning of the Blues'.

The other players were Gary Foster, Terry Harrington, Alex Budman and Lee Secard who played all saxes or  all clarinets, or with two baritone saxes or two bass clarinets, or including sopranos, as required.

The two trumpet parts were played by Bob Summers and Jeff Bunnell, with Geoff Stradling (p), Jim Hughart (b) and Steve Schaeffer (d). 

The band is about to record a second album - while the first, with those Bill Holman arrangements, is available now as a CD or as a download from various sites.

Then - off to the smaller room, where Larry Hathaway moderated what he described as the '257th LAJI Kenton Panel discussion'. Kentonian alumni present this time were from that 1970's era - Mike Vax, Jay Sollenberger, Al Yankee, Greg Smith and Jim Oatts.

They recalled a string of experiences most of which centered around Stan Kenton himself - from an era when most of the band were newly out of music college and the leader was several decades older. The stories were of unrelenting one-nighters interleaved with a lot of jazz education camps and college dates and life on a bus.

The evening gave an opportunity to hear those same players and a dozen others offering 'The Creative World of Stan Kenton' in two one-hour sets.

Described as an 'All Star Band featuring Stan Kenton alumni', the orchestra was an 18-piece aggregation, led by Mike Vax, who gave a commentary on all of the music - selected primarily from the Kenton repertoire as offered in the 1970's. That did not, of course, preclude music that originated earlier - indeed the most spectacular item was ‘Peanut Vendor,’ which closed the first set and involved the trumpets roaming the body of the hall. The opener had been 'Also Sprach Zarathustra'  which was, on this occasion long-time Woody Herman trombonist John Fedchock's introduction to the Kenton book - but he had Kenton veterans Eric Jorgensen, Roy Weigand and Kenny Shroyer alongside him and Craig Gosnell handing the baritone and tuba parts. Saxes Alex Budman, Roger Neumann and Doug Webb had Al Yankee and Greg Smith alongside them - their showpieces included Kenton's first-ever arrangement for the band 'Reed Rapture'.

Although Mike Vax did not have his current alumni associates alongside him, he did have 1970's bandmates Jay Sollenberger and Jim Oatts as well as Carl Saunders and Steve Huffsteter. They all negotiated their way through some of the multi-rhythm Hank Levy charts which saw their origin in the 70's as well as items from the Lennie Niehaus 'dance' book.

Keeping the whole thing together, with great verve and enthusiasm was Peter Erskine at the drums and Dave Stone's authoritative bass. Pianist Geoff Stradling had a night off from leading his own big band to take the piano chair. 

Other music heard during these two sets included 'Chelsea Bridge', 'Here Comes That Rainy Day', Gene Roland's 'Blues Story' and Willie Maiden's ‘Little Minor Blues’ ( or 'Booze', as first titled, apparently).

Throughout the evening Mike Vax, whether up the back with the trumpets, or down the front, ran his commentary on the music and Kentonian times in the 70's. One feature for him was the 'Love Theme from Hair', which he set out to play 'dirtier' than Jack Sheldon !

Unlike Mike's Alumni Band, this evening WAS an exercise in Kentonian nostalgia, but the audience, which included Joanne Kenton, Howard Rumsey and many other members of the LA jazz elite as well as Kentonians from across the nation and abroad, were on their feet to give a standing ovation when it ended with Bill Holman's 'Malaguena'.” 

Gordon Sapsed

(Kentonia subscribers who missed yesterday's 'Woody Herman' report can find it on Steve Cerra's Cerrajazz blog : http://www.jazzprofiles.blogspot.com/)

Groovin’ Hard with the Los Angeles Jazz Institute

© -Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.

In May and October of each year, the Los Angeles Jazz Institute [LAJI] presents a four-day Jazz Festival largely made-up of concerts, discussion panels and the showings of rare film footage.

Under the leadership of Ken Poston, its Director, the LAJI commemorates some aspect of Jazz by reaching into its vast repository of collections and using these materials to revisit iJazz history.

This year’s LAJI theme is: Groovin’ Hard: Celebrating the Big Band Renaissance.

Taking place at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel from October 10-14, 2012, “Groovin’ Hard celebrates the Big Band Renaissance that began in the mid-1960s with the emergence of the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra, Buddy Rich and Don Ellis among others. Many of the young musicians who had benefited from Stan Kenton’s Jazz Education efforts were beginning to come of age and a whole new era of Big band Jazz was born. Groovin’ Hard gathers an incredible array of star soloists and arrangers who all played significant roles in the Big band Renaissance. …

Concert highlights include the Woody Herman Orchestra directed by Frank Tiberi, the Tonight Show Reunion Band, the Buddy Rich Alumni Band, the Louie Bellson Big Band Explosion Reunion, Richie Cole’s Alto Madness Orchestra, the Don Ellis Reunion Band, Bill Watrous Manhattan Wildlife Refuge Revisited, Tom Scott and The California Express, Chase Revisited, The Creative World of Stan Kenton, Patrick Williams Threshold Revisited, The Ernie Watts Quartet, MF Horn: The Maynard Ferguson Alumni Band, and Pete Christlieb and Linda Small: Tall and Small Band.

Also participating will be the following Jazz All-Stars: Alan Broadbent, Peter Erskine, Bobby Shew, Chick Findley, Bob Mintzer, Jeff Hamilton, Andy Mackintosh, Don Rader, Carl Saunders, Bruce Johnstone, Gary Anderson, Bob Summers, Nick Brignola, Grant Geissman, John Fedchock, Mike Vax, Eric Miyashiro and Ted Nash.”

An optional, bonus event at Groovin’ Hard took place last night, Wednesday, October 10, 2012, in honor of the 100^th anniversary of the birth of clarinetist and big band leader, Woody Herman.

Gordon Sapsed, a regular attendee at LAJI events, generally does a write-up of each day’s proceedings and shares it with members of an internet chat group devoted to West Coast Jazz.

Thanks to Gordon’s generosity, the editorial staff at JazzProfiles will be able to bring you these daily commentaries on Groovin’ Hard: Celebrating the Big Band Renaissance.

For more information on the Los Angeles Jazz Institute including ticket ordering for Groovin’ Hard, please visit www.lajazzinstitute.org

© -Gordon Sapsed.  Used with the author’s permission; copyright protected; all rights reserved.

“The 'bonus day' for this LAJI event is a 'Woody Herman Centennial Celebration', which opened today (Wednesday October 10th 2012) with a 'Herdsmen' Panel of Bill Trujillo, Frank Tiberi, Alan Broadbent, Bruce Johnstone and Ron Stout and moderated by Woody Herman Biography author Bill Clancey.

About 150 attendees came along (not an exact count) to the panel and heard tales from various eras of the Herman Herds. Most of the far-back reminiscences came from the audience rather than the musicians, but Bill Trujillo was keen to correct any lack of awareness of the 50's era - which had been prejudiced by the recording ban having denied any lasting musical legacy. Tales that I made a note of included Alan Broadbent's tale of 'first time in Japan' when he ended in hospital after falling down a trap-door hole in the revolving stage. The Japanese doctor following an examination declared his condition 'just the blues'. There was some interesting philosophizing about what makes bands work - with Woody emerging in everybody's memory as 'the greatest leader' and Frank saying how bands are, inevitably ' a mesh of personalities', with Woody having a flair for mixing them and, essentially, letting them loose. Frank is, incidentally now a Professor at Berklee to his own amazement !

Then followed the Premiere of Graham Carter's (Jazzed media) new film "Woody Herman, Blue Flame, Portrait of a Jazz Legend". This film is a superbly constructed mix of footage from six decades of Woody Herman bands, interleaved with live interviews with people important in the Herman Legacy. It is in a similar style to the award-winning Kenton film from the same source and will surely win awards when released later this year. … Graham has done an amazing job bringing together archival footage and good quality TV footage, with his new material. Not to be missed. 

First music up was a collection of eight Herman alumni being given a chance to blow ahead of more formal performance later. Bobby Shew boasted how they had no rehearsal and were deciding what to play as they went through their hour. Broadbent, Johnstone and Trujillo were joined by Don Rader, Roger Neumann, Paul Kreibich and Kevin Axt, together and in several different smaller groups for a blowing session that included Green Dolphin Street (piano and two tenors), 'Alone Together' (a delightful two-trumpet feature) and Oleo - as a total group.

That session was followed by a 'reception' on the hotel patio, with a chance to meet and chat with musicians and friends.

The main live event of the day was two hour-long sets with a 16 piece alumni band and all those listed earlier added as guests.

The concerts were led by Frank Tiberi who, on this occasion, had former Herdsmen from five decades of 'Herdsmanship'. The format was to use a 16 piece band and add the guests for specific numbers. The 'core band' included Roger Neumann, Mike Brignola, John Fedchock, Mark Lewis and Ron Stout, who have appeared on several occasions with Herman alumni bands at LAJI plus Jerry Pinter and Rob Lockhart on saxes, Bob McChesney and Rich Bullock on trombones and Bobby Shew plus Jay Sollenberger and Jim Oatts on trumpets. Alan Broadbent was at the piano, with Kevin Axt on bass and driving the whole ensemble with incredible verve and enthusiasm - Jeff Hamilton.  Guests Bill Trujillo, Don Rader and Bruce Johnstone bobbed to and fro as required.

Sitting down front cheering the whole event on was veteran Arno Marsh, who was, unfortunately not well enough to play on this occasion but offered his support.

The repertoire for the evening included all the classic from 'Woodchoppers Ball' (rec. 1939) onwards to much favorites from decades later such as ‘Fanfare for the Common Man.’

Of course, that four brothers sound snuck in from time to time and Bruce Johnstone even sang one of Woody's vocal offerings 'I've Got News for You'.

It was also an opportunity to hear some of the less-often heard arrangements such as Bill Holman's 'After You've Gone', various Neal Hefti arrangements, several Ellington’s, Alan Broadbent's beautiful 'Sugar Loaf Mountain - with Alan conducting as well as playing piano.

I was struck by the breadth of instrumentation - a full flute section, bass clarinet, pocket trumpet, frequent use of flugelhorn, Latin percussion - and all in a Woody Herman environment.

Woody's preference for changing with the times was amply evident in these concerts as in Graham Carter's movie.

The highlight of the day for me was the laughing, smiling and sheer joy among the musicians, especially Jeff Hamilton and Alan Broadbent. …."

1950's Jazz LP Covers - A Retrospective of Jazz in Denmark

The following video affords a look back at the vibrant mid-20th century Jazz scene in Denmark courtesy of a montage of LP covers. The music is provided by trumpeter Jorgen Ryg's quartet with Jorgen Lausen on piano, Erik Moseholm on bass and William Schiopffe on drums. The tune is I Didn't Know. Moseholm and Schiopffe would go on to become the rhythm section of choice for many ex-patriot American Jazz musicians who lived and worked in Denmark in the 1960s and beyond including Dexter Gordon, Kenny Drew, Duke Jordan and Brew Moore. Quite remarkably given how well he plays the instrument, Jazz trumpet was only a side-line for Jorgen Ryg who was best known in Denmark as a comedian and as an actor. He appeared in 37 films before his death in 1981 at the age of 54.

David Hazeltine, William Claxton and “Cry Me A River”

© -Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.

Written in 1953, Arthur Hamilton’s Cry Me a River is usually associated with vocalists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Barbara Streisand, Joe Cocker and Michael Bublé. Julie London sang it as a torch song and made it into a million-selling record in 1955.

Why in the world pianist David Hazeltine’s version of it evoked the images of Memphis, New Orleans and the greater Mississippi Delta taken by the great photographer William Claxton during his 1960 trek across the U.S.A. is beyond me.

But as you can see from the following video montage – they did.

Maybe it was the way in which David arranged the tune with its additional chords formed into a rolling vamp that gave rise in my mind to the image of the Mississippi’s steady flow to the sea.

Or maybe it was his use of a loping bossa nova beat as emphasized by bassist Dwayne Burno and drummer Joe Farnsworth that conjured up Clax’s down-home and beautifully honest photographs of life and music in the place where Jazz began.

Perhaps the relationship had something to do with tenor saxophonist’s Eric Alexander’s inventions and virtuosity as he spins out some foot-stomping and blues-drenched choruses over the tune’s insistent beat.

Whatever the subconscious associations, the editorial staff at JazzProfiles had fun coupling some poster art from past New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festivals with Clax’s images and making them into a video using the David’s rendition of Cry Me A River from David Hazeltine’s Blues Quartet Vol. 1 Criss Cross CD [1188] as the audio track.

Clax’s great art is enhanced by viewing the video at full screen which you can do by clicking on the directional arrows in the lower right hand corner of the control bar.

Lucas van Merwijk - Genius at Work

Stay with this one if you can - open up you ears - you won't believe your eyes. Lucas makes it all look so easy!

Sonny Clark’s “Conception”

© -Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.

“Sonny Clark approached music with joyous abandon. … Note perfect, rhythmically bouncy and always ready with a quirky idea, he was the ideal group-player ….

Appearing as it did in the shadow of Cool Struttin’ [… an immaculately tasteful Jazz album and one of the key documents of hard bop] the March 1959 My Conception sessions never gained the reputation of its wonderful predecessor. This is unfortunate, for here again Clark showcases a wonderful set of originals The result is an immaculately tasteful and sophisticated modern Jazz record.. .”

- Richard Cook and Brian Morton, The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD, 6^th Ed.

“And don’t forget, Sonny Clark.”

This gentle reminder was offered by a friend during a group conversation on the subject of Jazz musicians who were often overlooked in terms of the body of work they composed.

Also referenced during the course of the chat were pianists Elmo Hope, Russ Freeman and Cedar Walton, trumpeters Clifford Brown and Donald Byrd, trombonists Curtis Fuller and J.J. Johnson, alto saxophonists Art Pepper and Gigi Gryce and tenor saxophonists Hank Mobley and John Coltrane.

Remember, it’s all in a point-of-view with regard to how opinions are formed.

Some in the group seriously objected to Gigi’s Gryce’s inclusion in the obscure composer listing arguing that Gigi was better known as a composer than a player while others strongly agreed that the compositional body of work that Hank Mobley, Clifford Brown and even John Coltrane had put together during their careers was overshadowed by the acclaim they received as instrumentalists.

But when pianist Sonny Clark’s name was mentioned, it was met by a universal acknowledgement that his writing was deserving of much wider recognition and respect.

One person likened Sonny’s obscurity as a composer to that of fellow pianist Elmo Hope while also remarking that “… the consistency and the of quality of his writing puts him right up there with Horace Silver” [the legendary small group leader and pianist turned out such iconic Jazz tunes as The Preacher, Doodlin’ and Senor Blues].

Following this get-together, I went searching through my collection of Sonny Clark recordings and pleasantly rediscovered a number of his terrific tunes, all of which was made even more amazing when one considers that he was a victim of the heroin scourge that gripped the Jazz world from around 1945-1965 and died in 1963 at the age of 32.

Sonny’s all-too-brief career is wonderfully encapsulated and memorialized in Michael Cuscuna’s insert notes to Sonny’s Blue Note recording – My Conception[7243 5 22674 2 2]. We wrote to Michael and he graciously granted his permission to reproduce these notes on JazzProfiles.  

© -Michael Cuscuna: used with the author’s permission, copyright protected, all rights reserved.

“SONNY CLARK is not a name that appears with any frequency in documents of jazz history. He has never been proclaimed a major original pianist. Yet Clark's major influence seems to have been his own creativity. His style was full and rich, yet carried a bright, irresistible swing that swept away the musician and listener alike. He was, to these ears, the realization of the perfect post-bop pianist. By all accounts, the musicians that worked with him regarded him as a source of joy and inspiration. And any listener who stops and really hears his work will be hooked forever.

After spending the first 20 years of his life in and around Pittsburgh mastering the piano and playing vibes and bass as well, Clark ventured out to the West Coast in 1951 with his older brother. He worked the Los Angeles area with Wardell Gray, Art Farmer, Dexter Gordon, Shelly Manne and a score of others. In 1953, Oscar Pettiford came to Los Angeles, formed a band that included Clark and went up to San Francisco. There Sonny met Buddy DeFranco who was leading a quartet with Art Blakey and Kenny Drew. Blakey and Drew left, and Sonny was asked to join. During the next two and a half years, Clark appeared on three DeFranco recordings and toured Europe, the American Midwest and Hawaii with the clarinetist.

In January of 1956, Clark settled into a more stationary life, joining Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All Stars. During that year, he recorded in a quartet setting under the leadership of Serge Chaloff with Philly Joe Jones on drums (EMI Capitol) and with drummer Lawrence Marable's quartet which featured tenor saxophonist James Clay (Jazz West). On that album Sonny was not only featured as a player, but also contributed three compositions.

In February 1957, he joined Dinah Washington in order to work his way back East. Referring to West Coast music, he said, "I did have sort of a hard time trying to be comfortable in my playing, the fellows on the West Coast have a different sort of feeling, a different approach to jazz. They swing in their own way....The Eastern musicians play with so much fire.” On another occasion, he was quoted as saying, "Jazz is jazz wherever it's played. The whole thing has to do with the individual and his conception toward jazz. The thing is that my playing is different from the way most of the fellows out West play. I'd rather work in the East because what is played here is closer to the traditional meaning of jazz. They're getting away from the tradition out West — combining jazz with classical music and playing chamber music-type jazz. What they play is really very good, but it's just not the way I want to play. That's why I came back East." And come back he did in April 1957 at the end of the Dinah Washington tour.

He worked at Birdland under the leadership of J.R. Monterose and Stan Getz and gigged briefly with Anita O'Day and Charles Mingus. In early June, he recorded with Sonny Rollins (Riverside). On June 23, he recorded as a sideman for Blue Note on a Hank Mobley session. A month later, he made his first album as a leader for Blue Note. Thus began a long and fruitful association wherein Clark appeared regularly on Blue Note dates with a variety of artists.

In fact, between June 1957 and March 1959, he was in the studio eight times as a leader and another 15 times as a sideman with Mobley, John Jenkins, Curtis Fuller, Johnny Griffin, Clifford Jordan, Lou Donaldson, Lee Morgan, Louis Smith, Tina Brooks, Bennie Green and Jackie McLean.

Then for some strange reason, Sonny was totally absent from Blue Note for the next two and a half years. In 1960 he recorded a trio album and appeared on albums by Bennie Green and Stanley Turrentine, all for Time Records and all very much Blue Note in style and personnel. That two and a half years of relative inactivity is usually credited to his bouts with drug addiction.

In October 1961, he reentered the Blue Note fold on a Jackie McLean date and during the next 12 months appeared on 13 sessions under the leadership of McLean, Don Wilkerson, Dexter Gordon, Stanley Turrentine and Grant Green as well as making his last album as a leader, Leapin' And Lopin', in November 1961. After his final session in October 1962 (Stanley Turrentine's Jubilee Shout), Clark suffered a heart attack. He was released from the hospital in January 1963. He played two nights at a New York club called Junior's and, in the early morning hours, died of an overdose. To preserve the club's image and liquor license, his body was moved to a private apartment before the police were called in. Thus, a short ten years after his first record dates with Teddy Charles and Buddy DeFranco, his career and his life came to an end with the most tragic cliché in the jazz life.

It is through recorded documents such as this one that Sonny Clark continues to live and enrich our lives. This album, made on March 29, 1959, closed the first of Clark's two tenures at Blue Note.

What is most unique and most delightful is the presence of Art Blakey on drums. It is surprising that these two Blue Note regulars only recorded together three times — on this date and on still unissued Tina Brooks and Grant Green sessions. [Note: These sessions have since been released by Blue Note as Tina Brooks Minor Move and Grant Green Nigeria.] The great Blakey is typically superb here in his drive, pacing and taste. Listen to how he literally conducts the flow and dynamics of the music from the drum stool. His shadings and his power pace and inspire each soloist perfectly. And when given the opportunity to trade fours with the horns, as on "Junka" and "Some Clark Bars” he positively erupts.

With the exception of Sonny's first Blue Note album and a trio session of standards issued on 45 singles, bassist Paul Chambers was present on every date that the pianist led at Blue Note. And they were, of course, brought together on many sessions by other Blue Note artists. Clark once said, ‘I met Paul in Detroit in 1954. He was very young and nobody outside the city knew much about him, but I dug him right then. He's very consistent and has superior conception, choice of notes and ability to construct lines. He plays with intelligence and he always keeps it interesting.’ Aside from his typically superb support, Chambers gets off an effective and to-the-point arco solo on "Junka.”

Donald Byrd appeared on Clark's second album Sonny's Crib in October 1957. Two months later, both men contributed admirably to Lou Donaldson's Lou Takes Off. They were reunited in January 1959 on a Jackie McLean date that produced half of the Jackie's Bag album. That reunion undoubtedly led to Byrd’s presence on this session.

Encounters between the pianist and Hank Mobley were all too rare. Clark made his Blue Note debut, as mentioned earlier, on one of Mobley’s sextet albums (BLP 1568) on June 23, 1957. Mobley then participated in Sonny's first album Dial S For Sonny a month later. Clark appeared a month later on a still unissued Mobley album. They did not record together again until this album. Clark once said, ‘I never heard Hank Mobley in person until I came to New York but I listened to his records with the Jazz Messengers and dug him very much. [He] plays in my style and I was very happy working with [him] and very satisfied with the results.’

That is certainly an understatement. If "post-bop" ever spawned two underappreciated figures who were suited to each other's playing, it was Clark and Mobley. Both have a bright, propelling and very individual sense of swing. And both can burn hard with surprising lightness and grace. In the general format of hard bop that can mask the less inventive player, Clark and Mobley always gave their all with subtle, self-assured brilliance. Check out Mobley's astonishing solos on "Junka" and "Royal Flush" and his beautiful reading of the theme of "My Conception." They made quite a team!

"Some Clark Bars" is the only tune on this album that pops up nowhere else in Sonny Clark's discography. "Minor Meeting," the oldest composition, first appears on the Lawrence Marable-James Clay album of 1956, then on a December 1957 Blue Note session (that was issued in Japan on the album Quintets in 1977) and finally on the pianist's trio date for Time Records. "Royal Flush," from the January 1958 session that produced the Cool Struttin' album, was also issued in 1977 on the Quintets album. The version heard here eliminates the introduction used on the earlier date. "Junka," "Blues Blue" and "My Conception" were all given trio treatments on the aforementioned Time album from 1960.

Despite an occasional rough edge in the arrangements or a minor trumpet fluff, this newly unearthed album is a welcome and valuable edition to the legacy of Sonny Clark. Perhaps through such releases the magnitude of Sonny Clark's brilliance will be recognized by the world audience where it has only been truly appreciated by the musicians themselves and the Japanese jazz audience. Sonny Clark's music will long endure.

—MICHAEL CUSCUNA, 1980”