Too Cool - The Mastersounds Play Horace Silver [From the Archives]

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

“Speaking as a composer, it’s a great thrill to listen to another artist or group of artists interpret your compositions. Every artist will give them a new and different concept.

I am especially thrilled that The Mastersounds have chosen to do an album of my compositions because I have long admired the group.

I’ve listened to them at Birdland and at The Newport Jazz Festival, and they are a well-rehearsed, well arranged (but not overly arranged), swingin’, blowin’ group.

I’m sure that everyone who hears this album will be pleased with the interpretations given my compositions as I am, and equally pleased by the solos.”

- Horace Silver

I’ve always consider the sound of vibes or, more properly, the vibraphone, to be the ultimate sonic expression of “Cool.”

Mallets on metal with the struck sound oscillating through inverted organ-like tubes has always been my ideal of the Jazz textural equivalent of Cool.

Interestingly, Cal Tjader, Victor Feldman and Larry Bunker, three drummers that had a tremendous influence on my perceptions of modern Jazz, all made the switch to vibes early in their careers.

And although I studied drums with Victor and Larry, I never took up vibes, per se, but I did pick up the ability to play some mallets in concert orchestra settings when such gigs came my way.

In my opinion, Cal, Victor and Larry were extremely underrated as vibraphonists and each played the instrument using a very “Cool” style [see Ted Gioia’s description below for a definition]. I mean, Victor even wrote a tune that he entitled Too Cool [a 12 bar blues that appears on his Contemporary CD, The Arrival of Victor Feldman]. How cool is that!

For a drummer, the vibraphone can be an easy instrument to mess with, but a “dangerous” one, too.

As Ted Gioia explains:

“The vibraphone invites overplaying almost by its very nature. … Unlike a horn player, the vibraphonist is unable to sustain notes for very long, even with the help of vibrato and pedal. The vibes invite overplaying to compensate for such limitations. Added to these difficulties is the fact that … [they are played with] a hitting motion powered by the wrists. With the mastery of a steady drum roll, the aspiring vibraphonist is already capable of flinging out a flurry of notes and, given the repetitive motions used to build up drum technique, the vibes player is tempted to lock into a ‘steady stream’… [of notes]. [West Coast Jazz: Modern Jazz in California, 1945-1960, p.103].

Ted goes on to offer this description of Cal’s playing which I think could also be applied to Victor and Larry and may also explain what I heard in the instrument that made it sound so “Cool” to my ears.

“Tjader’s playing, however, was nothing like this. Although he was a drummer and percussionist by background, he seemed to draw on the instincts of a horn player in shaping his improvised lines. They did breathe. ..."

Cal always maintained that his two main influences on vibes were Lionel Hampton and Milt [“Bags’] Jackson. “Hamp” was a banger and “Bags” was a bopper and a blues player without equal. How in the world did Cal fuse such dissimilar styles?

“These disparate strains in his playing came out most clearly in his Jazz work. Where Tjader melded them into a melodic, often introspective style that was very much his own. Even when playing more high-energy Latin numbers Tjader kept a low-key demeanor, building off the intensity of the rhythm section rather than trying to supplant it. For the most part, he came across as an introvert on an instrument meant for extroverts.” [Ibid, pp.103-104].

Although he came to the vibes from the piano and not the drum chair, one of my all-time favorite vibraphonist was Buddy Montgomery who also impressed me as a Cool player because he, too, relied on a “ … melodic, often introspective style [with a] ...  low-key demeanor, building off the intensity of the rhythm section.”

Victor Feldman and Cal Tjader basically never returned to the drum chair in the later years of their career and Buddy Montgomery rarely ever played vibes again after doing so for about three years with The Mastersounds.

The Mastersounds were only in existence for about three years - 1957-1960 - but  I thought they had a Cool sound built around Buddy’s vibes so I collected all of their records on Pacific Jazz and Fantasy and heard them as often as I could in clubs and concerts.

During their brief existence, The Mastersounds were particularly welcomed at The Jazz Workshop in San Francisco which was located on Broadway between Columbus and Montgomery and was within walking distance of Sugar Hill, Basin Street West, El Matador and the El Cid, a club that I worked.

In celebration of their warm reception as artists-in-residence at their beloved North Beach San Francisco bistro, The Jazz Workshop, at the end of 1958, World Pacific released  The Mastersounds Play Compositions of Horace Silver at the Jazz Workshop [WP-1282].

I don’t know about you, but I think there is a certain irony in a group that features the Cool sound of vibes playing the hot, hard bop compositions of Horace Silver, but we'll save that anomaly for another time.

With their unique interpretations of Horace’s Ecaroh, Enchantment, Nica’s Dream, Doodlin’, [the-all-too-rarely-heard] Moonrays and Buhania, as Richard Bock points out in his liner notes:

“The music of Horace Silver provides a perfect vehicle for the Mastersounds to project their very earthy concept yet sophisticated jazz conception. The group has never been recorded in better form. …

The Mastersounds have reached a jazz maturity that has developed from over three years of playing together. This collection of the music of Horace Silver, one of Jazz’s greatest new composer-arrangers, represents a high point in the Mastersounds’ career.”

With the cool sound of Buddy Montgomery’s vibes complemented by Richie Crabtree on piano [Richie’s playing reminds me of that of Russ Freeman’s], Monk Montgomery on Fender electric bass and Benny Barth on drums [a dynamic drummer who has obviously listened closely to Art Blakey], The Mastersounds Play Compositions of Horace Silver at the Jazz Workshop [WP-1282] has always been among my favorite albums.

Over the years using various themes for video montages and uploading these to YouTube with each of the six tracks on the original album, I have managed to replicate the entire LP in an audio-video format.

I thought it might be fun to feature the cool sound of Buddy’s vibes with the wonderful musicianship of Richie, Monk and Benny on these pages as a tribute to The Mastersounds:

The videos are posted in the original track order of the LP:

1. Ecaroh
2. Enchantment
3. Nica’s Dream
4. Doodlin’
5. Moonrays
6. Buhania

Tubby Hayes - "England's Late Jazz Great"

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

"I'm basically an evangelist," Vic Hall told The Tampa Tribune in 1993.

"I'm trying to spread the word about jazz, but it's in a gentle way."

Hall was host of the National Public Radio station's "Sound of Jazz,"

an eclectic show that first aired in 1968. Each week, Hall queued up

the big bands, giants of bebop and West Coast school, always tapping

into his enormous collection of 78s, LPs, open reel tapes and CDs. His

final show aired in 2005.

"And he was a volunteer the entire time," said Bob Seymour, jazz

director at the station, who lived next door to Hall in Seminole

Heights. "Vic always used to say that jazz was the one abiding passion

through his life, and he shared that love with such a commitment and

for so long."

The title of this piece comes from a compilation of Tubby’s recordings by the International Association of Jazz Record Collectors [IAJRC] which was issued as a CD in 2005 [IAJRC CD-1019] along with insert notes written by Vic Hall.

Sadly, both the IAJRC and Vic Hall are no longer with us.

Like Tubby, Vic was an Englishman. Both Tubby and Vic visited the USA from time-to-time, but unlike Tubby who died in London in 1973, Vic took up permanent residence in south Florida in 1968 and was for many years the co-host with Susan Giles Wantuck of “The Sound of Jazz,” an NPR radio program which aired on WUSF, 89.7 FM. Born in England in 1925, Hall bought his first jazz record when he was 13 [1938; the year that Tubby Hayes was born.]

Vic passed away on November 20, 2006 and one of his last achievements was in helping the IAJRC produce - Tubby Hayes: "England's Late Jazz Great" [IAJRC CD-1019] - which was to serve as his loving tribute to Tubby whom Vic considered to be “England’s greatest Jazz musician.”

There are 42 recordings by Tubby Hayes in my collection and I would venture to say that more than half of these arrived over the years as gifts from Vic with little Post-It-Notes attached to their jewel cases on which Vic had scribbled - “You gotta check this out,” or “Boy, are you in for a treat,” or “I think this one will blow you away.”

In an ongoing conversation with Vic, I always maintained that vibraphonist/pianist Victor Feldman was the best Jazz musician England ever produced and away the argument would go.

I think that Vic Hall and I were old enough to know better about labeling or ranking musicians, but it was fun to argue the point mainly because Vic was so passionate about it.

Before Victor Feldman emigrated to the USA in the fall of 1956, he worked and recorded often with Tubby and they continued playing together when Victor returned to London or Tubby came to The States to play at Shelly’s Manne Hole in Hollywood in the 1960s.

Victor Feldman and Tubby Hayes had the highest regard for one another’s abilities and I always thought the world of Vic Hall as a patient mentor and a generous friend.

I wanted to remember Vic on these pages with the following excerpts from his insert notes to Tubby Hayes: "England's Late Jazz Great" [IAJRC CD-1019] after which you’ll find a video tribute to Tubby featuring none other than Victor Feldman on piano.

“The man whose music is contained on this compact disc may, arguably, be the best, all around jazz talent that Britain ever produced, Had his lifestyle been as pure as his musical convictions, he might still be with us today, instead dead at age 38, in 1973, another victim of the tragically misguided belief that drugs enhance the creative process, During his all too brief lifetime, however, Edward Brian "Tubby" Hayes produced some of the most brilliant and exciting jazz music ever spawned by the British modern jazz scene,

Tubbs, as he was also called, was, undeniably, a virtuoso on the tenor, saxophone, and more than merely competent on flute and vibes, These instrumental talents, together with his composing and arranging skills portray the complete modern jazz artist, a man who was able to create and perform memorable music within the framework of both the small group and big, with equal facility.

Born in London, England on January 30, 1935, Tubby started out on violin at the age of 8, switching to tenor sax four years later. At the age of 15 he became a professional musician, ultimately playing with the bands of Kenny Baker, Vic Lewis, Ambrose and Jack Parnell,

The first recording sessions under his own name were produced in 1955 and 1956 for Tony Hall's Tempo label, in octet, quintet and quartet formats, Most of these rarities have now been compiled by noted British jazz writer Brian Davis, then released on compact disc on the British Jasmine label. Also some of the Fontana sessions were re-released on LP on the Mole jazz label. The year 1957 saw the formation of the Jazz Couriers which was co-led by Tubby and Ronnie Scott, two men who shared the same musical concept, and who developed a remarkable musical affinity during the period the group was in existence. The group, a quintet consisting of two tenors plus rhythm, toured and recorded for a little over two years, finally disbanding in August 1959,

For the next couple of years, Tubbs led his own quartet with Terry Shannon on piano, Jeff Clyne bass and Phil Seamen drums, later to be replaced with Bill Eydon. In 1961, Tubby was selected to be temporarily traded for Zoot Sims In an unusual transAtlantic exchange, an arrangement that created a breakthrough against the British musicians union's staunch resistance to the booking of American jazz musicians to work in England. American jazz fans and musicians alike were simply knocked out by" the playing of this chubby 26-year-old, who tore around on the tenor like Charlie Parker did on alto, Understandable when you consider that. Tubbs cited Bird as his primary influence, Hayes made three return visits to the U,S, during the early sixties, recording with the likes of James Moody, Roland Kirk, Clark Terry and Eddie Costa, among others. These sessions were released on the Epic and Smash labels in the U.S. and one of them on Montana m England, Some of the

material was re-released on CBS and Columbia,

During this period several other important musician influences came into Tubby’s life. Victor Feldman, who ultimately emigrated to the States, encouraged him to take up the vibes and to study theory, harmony and composition. Jimmy Deuchar, a highly underrated Scottish trumpet player, who rivaled Hayes in technique and intensity of expression, was, according to Tubby, a profound stimulus on Hayes' playing during the period in which he was the other horn in a quintet that was together for about two and a half years and which disbanded in 1964.  Hayes credited Deuchar and Harry South, who played piano in Tubby's early quartet, and was an accomplished composer and arranger, for the guidance and help they gave him in his studies of jazz composition and orchestration,

In 1961, Tubby decided that the time had come to test his burgeoning skills as a jazz writer/composer so he formed his big band, his stature in English jas circles enabling him to bring together the very best musicians available, During the period 1961 through 1966 big bands under Hayes' leadership recorded several sessions for the Fontana label, featuring a number of Hubby's original compositions and arrangements.

In addition to recording sessions and live appearances, Hayes was also featured in a number of radio broadcasts and television programs, as leader of both small groups and big bands, and as a sideman with other leaders.

No attempt has been made to comment on the music contained herein, as it speaks far more eloquently for itse!f. Tubby is heard on tenor saxophone flute and vibes on the various tracks, anti thanks to Jack Towers' wizardry, some recordings of highly questionable quality have been made listenable. Further re-mastering by Gary Baldassari has created the optimum sound on this compact disc.

Recording dates, personnel and composer/arranger credits for the original recordings have been annotated where known, Educated guesses have been ventured for the undocumented material,

If these recordings represent your first encounter with the playing of this British musician, you may be struck with the similarity in style and phrasing between that of Tubby Hayes and American tenor man johnny Griffin. They shared other similarities, as both were short in physical stature, and both were referred to as "The Little Giant", Griffin was known as the fastest horn in the East and this appellation could well have been applied to Hayes also, it would have been a High Noon shoot-out had these two diminutive giants faced off across a stage, horns a-blazin’. Unfortunately we will never know what the outcome of such a confrontation would have been, even though johnny Griffin is still alive, and playing as well as ever, we only have recordings such as are preserved on this disc, to remind us of the remarkable creative force in British jazz, that was Edward Brian “Tubby” Hayes.”

Vic Hall

The Sound of Jazz

WUSF 89.7 FM

Tampa, FL

John Fedchock's New York Big Band - "Like It Is"

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

"Cheerful syncopation, served with spit-and-polish precision."

— The New York Times

"John Fedchock's New York Big Band commands your attention and holds it."

— DownBeat

"An unabashed celebration of the large band format."

— The Chicago Tribune

"Tantalizing big-band Jazz, served New York-style."

— Cadence

“Big band music has made some dramatic changes over the years, and even though many embrace this evolution, there seem to be plenty of folks who'd prefer everything just remain like it was. But truth be told, some of the best things in music have come from combining the "like it was" with the "like it is", melding the greatness of the past with a fresh perspective using today's ears, approaching each piece like a drawing of familiar images sketched in an abstract form. ….

Over these past many years, I like to think the band has evolved in many ways. Those changes may not have been dramatic, but I do believe we've always done what we could to honor both the "like it was" and the "like it is". I hope you enjoy this recording. We had a great time making it for you.”

- John Fedchock

Ann Braithwaite and her fine team at Braithwaite & Katz do a lot of nice things for Jazz, not the least of which is to own and operate a media relations firm that distributes sample music and detailed press information on behalf of Jazz artists who are releasing new CDs.

Every so often I try to return the favor by posting her narratives to JazzProfiles.

Such is the case with the following annotation which Ann sent out to accompany the August 7, 2015 release of Like It Is,  trombonist John Fedcock’s New York Big Band’s latest CD on the MAMA Foundation [MAA 1048].

You can be find out more about John and his big band at www.johnfedcock.com and sample the tracks from his new CD at www.summitrecords.com.

Order information is available through most online retailers.

If you are into big band Jazz, give yourself a treat as John’s latest effort is a corker. He is a major force in Jazz orchestration today and an arranger and composer who interposes elements of his own innovations into the Jazz tradition thereby keeping it alive and robust while at the same time helping to move it forward. Somewhere the spirits of Fletcher Henderson, Don Redman and Benny Carter are sure to be smiling and no doubt wishing him well.

© -  Ann Braithwaite, copyright protected; all rights reserved.

The John Fedchock New York Big Band's Like It Is - to be released by MAMA Records on August 7, 2015 - is the fifth album for the 16-piece ensemble and Fedchock's eighth as leader. This pristinely recorded studio session showcases Fedchock's compelling compositions and arrangements as well as the band's exceptional musicianship. The group, which has been together for over two decades and recorded four previous releases on Reservoir, sets the standard for modern, post-swing large ensembles and has brought Fedchock to the GRAMMY finals for his notable arranging skills. Like It Is features five Fedchock originals and five arrangements of jazz and American classics.

Having first made a name for himself in the 1980s as chief arranger for the legendary Woody Herman, Fedchock has continued to develop his writing style over his 35-year career, and this recording shows his inventive flair in meshing the old with the new. His comments regarding the evolution of the genre explain the album's title: "Even though many embrace the big band's evolution, there seem to be plenty of folks who'd prefer everything just remain like it was. But truth be told, some of the best things in music have come from combining the 'like it was' with the 'like it is', melding the greatness of the past with a fresh perspective using today's ears." He backs up his words with what might be his most ambitious work to date, expertly melding fresh new colors with iconic traditional elements and skillfully interweaving those sounds to underscore the progressive solo voices within the band.

There are plenty of chances to hear the band's profusion of solo talent. Eleven different soloists grace this recording, and all are New York City stalwarts. Saxophonists Mark Vinci, Charles Pillow, Rich Perry, Walt Weiskopf, Gary Smulyan and Scott Robinson; trumpeters Scott Wendholt and Barry Ries, pianist Allen Farnham, bassist Dick Sarpola and drummer Dave Ratajczak all contribute contrasting solo statements perfectly complementing the music. Bobby Sanabria's Latin percussion joins the band on three tracks, lending a strong dose of excitement.

Fedchock's multifaceted trombone playing is also showcased on six tracks, all displaying a different side of his abilities. From speedy and aggressive runs on "You And The Night And The Music" and "Ten Thirty 30," to medium-tempo post-bop forays on "Just Sayin'" and "Hair Of The Dog," to more mellow and soulful statements on the ballad "Never Let Me Go" and in his Cuban bolero original "Havana," Fedchock thoroughly covers the stylistic gamut. Through it all, flawless technique, a melodic approach, and a warm, lush tone remain the trademarks of his improvisational style. Coming on the heels of his critically acclaimed 2015 Summit Records quartet release Fluidity, about which Kirk Silsbee of DownBeat magazine wrote, "one wonders how the trombonist would have sounded next to Clifford Brown.” Fedchock confirms his status as an A-list horn stylist.

The material Fedchock chose to arrange on Like It Is represents a special balance of familiar themes and fresh, original works. The opening track, "You And The Night And The Music" embodies Fedchock's thought process in blending past and present. "My goal was to mask the original structure of the age-old classic while keeping things familiar enough to flex into a more standard context for the soloists/' the bandleader explains. Other classics that receive Fedchock's updated look include Cedar Walton's "Ojos de Rojo" as a full-fledged Latin flag-waver, a tongue-in-cheek version of the Gaines/Ellington classic "Just Squeeze Me" and a pair of lush ballads from the American Songbook: "Never Let Me Go" and "For Heaven's Sake."

Also included in this outing are five Fedchock originals.

The title track harkens back to the sound of 1960s boogaloo and funky cha-cha but is approached from a modernist's perspective, and the quirky blues, "Hair Of The Dog" creates a somewhat programmatic journey. "Havana" transports the listener to a warm Cuban evening; the jaunty "Just Sayin'" shows off an impressive brass section; and "Ten Thirty 30," commissioned for the Clifford Brown Symposium, displays thematic material drawn exclusively from Brown's music and solos updated into a compelling closer. The title comes from the simple abbreviation of Clifford's October 30,1930 birthdate.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Fedchock began his career in 1980 as a jazz trombonist with the legendary Woody Herman Orchestra, serving as featured soloist, musical director and chief arranger for Herman's last two Grammy nominated albums. Herman said of Fedchock, "He's my right hand man. Everything I ask of John he accomplishes, and I ask a lot. He's a major talent." Fedchock has also toured with Gerry Mulligan, T.S. Monk, Louie Bellson, and the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, and has performed as a featured soloist, composer and conductor around the world.

With the release of Like It Is, the next chapter has been written for the John Fedchock New York Big Band. As with his previous recordings, this project showcases Fedchock as an artist who will continue to have a hand in guiding and shaping the direction of big band music for years to come.

The following video features John’s exquisite orchestral shadings on the ballad For Heaven’s Sake featuring Barry Ries on flugelhorn.

Blues for Pablo

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

Say the name “Pablo” in the context of 20th century Arts and Letters and the name “Pablo Picasso” springs to mind. It did for me as you will no doubt see when you view the video montage that closes this piece.

But as Stephanie Stein Crease explains in the following excerpt from her definitive Gil Evans: Out of the Cool - His Life in Music, Gil Evans had a different “Pablo” in his thoughts when he composed Blues for Pablo, the theme for the music that accompanies the video.  

"Blues for Pablo," written in tribute to a fallen fighter in the Spanish Civil War, successfully uses alternating themes and rhythmic feels — in this case, Spanish bolero and swing — a practice that would become more common in jazz as the 1950s progressed. The composition juxtaposes a Spanish-inflected minor theme and an extended major blues, swinging loosely from a half-time feel to straight 4/4 and back. The opening theme, complete with tremolo, derives from the opening measures of [Manuel de] Falla's Three-Cornered Hat (this theme also appears, somewhat altered, in the ending of Evans's arrangement of "La Paloma"). A Mexican folk song inspired the other main theme. To Gil's astonishment, the musicians found the quirky rhythm difficult for improvisation. "Now, the kind of rhythmic changes that tune went through are very common in jazz. But at that time, I remember bringing in a number in 3/4 and someone said, 'I couldn't improvise in three'—my goodness!" [The quotation is drawn from Gil’s interviews with Stephanie].

To the best of my knowledge, Blues for Pablo first appeared on Miles Ahead which was also released as Miles Davis + 19 [Columbia CL 1041; CK 40784], although with the work of Ryan Truesdell which seems to continue to “unearth” troves of Gil Evans’ earlier manuscripts, who knows, there may still be an earlier version hidden away out there. Blues for Pablo encapsulates much of what I find intriguing about Gil Evans’ writing, especially the melancholy feelings it seems to evoke.

Gil discusses his penchant for pensive sadness and other aspects of his arranging style in the following excerpts from a 1986 interview that aired on Ben Sidran’s NPR radio program [Ben’s interview with Gil along with 42 others are available both in book form an on CD as Talking Jazz: An Oral History]:

“[I joined Claude Thornhill’s band in 1946]. It was a wonderful workshop for me.

It had three trumpets and two trombones and two french horns and two altos, two tenors, baritone and a separate flute section, right? Three flute players, didn't play anything but flutes. And a tuba. So it was a big nut for him, and he finally had to give it up.

Ben: Was it Claude's idea to include the french horns and the tuba, initially?

Gil: The french horns were his idea, yeah. But the tuba, I got that in there. And the flutes. But the french horns he had quite a while. He had them before the war, too, you know.

But the band sounded like horns anyway, even before he got them. It was one of the first bands that played without a vibrato, you know. Because the vibrato had been "in" all the time in jazz, ever since, well, Louis Armstrong, you know, that vibrato. But then Claude's band played with no vibrato and that’s what made it compatible with bebop. Because the bebop players were playing with no vibrato. And they were interested in the impressionistic harmony [French composers Debussy, Ravel, et al], you know, that I had used with Claude. The minor ninths and all that.

That's how we got together, really. That's the reason we got together. Because of the fact that there was no vibrato plus the harmonic development. Because up until that time, with the swing bands, mostly the harmony had been from Fletcher Henderson, really. Where you harmonize everything with the major sixth chords and passing tones with a diminished chord, you know. So that was how things changed with bebop.

Ben: Also, the addition of the french horns and the tuba got the arrangements out of the more traditional "sections" — brass section, woodwind section — and made it more of a continuous palette for you.

Gil: Well, when Miles and I got together to do the Capitol record [Birth of the Cool] we just had to figure out how few instruments, and which ones, we could use to cover the harmonic needs of Claude Thornhill's band, you know. Naturally with a big band like that, you have a lot of doubles. But we just trimmed it down to the six horns. Six horns and three rhythm, and those six horns covered all the harmonic needs that we had. ...

We talked a lot about harmony. How to get a “sound” out of harmony. Because the harmony has a lot to do with what the music is going to “sound” like. The instruments have their “wave” form and all that, but the harmony means that you're putting together a group of instruments, and they're going to get their own independent waveform, right? You can't get it any other way except as an ensemble together. So Miles and I talked about that lots of times. And played chords on the piano. And that's how it happened.

Ben: The "sound" that you did come up with so perfectly suited Miles' sound that it almost seemed like one gesture.

Gil: That's right... 

Ben: You talk about the extension of the Thornhill sound. You once said about the Thornhill band that "the band was a reduction to inactivity, a stillness..."

Gil: Oh, it was. That's right.

Ben: And "the sound would hang like a cloud." Gil: That's right. Oh yeah. ...

Ben: When you finally went in to record Miles Ahead in 1957, again the arrangements were "seamless," and they were almost a translation of Miles' "sound" into orchestral terms. At the same time, I remember some little things that you did that were very distinctive. For example, at the end of the song "Miles Ahead," there's an ensemble trumpet figure that's used almost as an acoustic guitar, a Spanish guitar. There were a lot of things like that in your writing that were very unusual, very deceptive.

Gil: Right. People used to think there were strings in those albums. Even somebody as knowledgeable as Gordon Jenkins. Now you know he wrote for strings all the time. He called me up to tell me how he liked it, and he thought there were strings. And I thought, "Gee, that's funny. Imagine him thinking there are strings." Because he wrote for strings, wow, I've seen him. And he had such a feeling for those things. He'd have a big string section, and they'd all be playing an ensemble that he'd write for them with Louis Armstrong in mind, you know?

Ben: You said that in the interim, from 1949 to 1957, you were waiting for Miles...

Gil: I was waiting for Miles, basically, I was.

Ben: It's so romantic. It sounds like a love affair when you say that.

Gil: I know.

Ben: Much has been made in the past about how Duke Ellington would write for an individual, as opposed to just bringing different people to his notes. Is this in that tradition?

Gil: You know, I never knew Duke. But one day, he called me, you know. To tell me that I was his favorite jazz orchestrator. It was really nice. It really made me feel good. But we got some very bad reviews on that album too, you know. The Miles Ahead album, when it first came out. Wow. They called it the "anti-jazz" album. Stuff like that.

Ben: Well the Birth of the Cool sessions got the same sort of reaction too, didn't it? Critics said it was "devoid of emotion."

Gil: Yeah. We're all victims of the terrible habit of convenience, right? And when you are used to hearing a certain type of music or a certain “sound” of music, and it changes, and you are not with it, or don’t follow it any more, you’re home and you stop going out to clubs and all that … we all suffer from an overdose of convenience at the expense of passion, right?” …

Ben: … with your charts, I have to say, they don't sound dated. Whether we hear one that was done in the '40s or one that was done in the '80s, there's a continuity that relates more to the man than to the historical era.

Gil: Yeah. They're all melancholy. That's one of my characteristics.

Ben: Perhaps that's at the heart of your great compatibility with Miles. Miles is, the voice of melancholy.

Gil: That's how we got together, basically. Really. The "sound," you know. The "sound" is the thing that put us together immediately, and it's always been like that. It's still the same way today. Even if we don't see each other very often, we're still life-time friends. On account of the "sound."”

The following video features Henk Meutgeert’s treatment of Gil’s Blues for Pablo as performed in 2009 by the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw at The Bimhuis in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Wim Both does the honors on trumpet. Henk reorchestrated Gil’s original arrangement because the JOC’s instrumentation was different than that used on the original 1957 Miles Ahead recording.

It is no less delightful.