Great Working Bands That Never Recorded (Officially)

[Pete C]

Same thing with Billy Eckstine: Only the Airshots issued by Spotlite, but there might be much more recorded material where you really hear what the Band could play....

Weren't there some studio recordings of the orchestra on Savoy, albeit without the biggest "superstars"?. There's also the soundtrack for the film Rhythm in a Riff. You can find clips on YouTube.

Here's a very thorough description of the film and its production:

http://www.jazz-on-film.com/eckstine.htm

[A Lark Ascending]

Probably only lasted a few gigs but one of the best concerts I ever attended was a version of Spirits' Rejoice made up of Keith Tippett, Evan Parker, Paul Rutherford, Jason Yarde, Louis Moholo and Paul Rogers. If only they had made it to a studio.

[Gheorghe]

Same thing with Billy Eckstine: Only the Airshots issued by Spotlite, but there might be much more recorded material where you really hear what the Band could play....

Weren't there some studio recordings of the orchestra on Savoy, albeit without the biggest "superstars"?. There's also the soundtrack for the film Rhythm in a Riff. You can find clips on YouTube.

Here's a very thorough description of the film and its production:

http://www.jazz-on-film.com/eckstine.htm

Yes, of course I have all the Savoy Studio Recordings plus the soundtrack. But as I said, there could be more, especially live material. Once, when Mister B was still alive I read he told he still has a lot of tapes of that fantastic band.

[Alexander Hawkins]

Probably only lasted a few gigs but one of the best concerts I ever attended was a version of Spirits' Rejoice made up of Keith Tippett, Evan Parker, Paul Rutherford, Jason Yarde, Louis Moholo and Paul Rogers. If only they had made it to a studio.

Oooooooh...fwiw (although I guess it's the week after half term, rather than the week of the break!) - we're doing this in London a few days before the Milan gig listed here...hopefully some of the Spirits Rejoice era tunes!!!

[A Lark Ascending]

Probably only lasted a few gigs but one of the best concerts I ever attended was a version of Spirits' Rejoice made up of Keith Tippett, Evan Parker, Paul Rutherford, Jason Yarde, Louis Moholo and Paul Rogers. If only they had made it to a studio.

Oooooooh...fwiw (although I guess it's the week after half term, rather than the week of the break!) - we're doing this in London a few days before the Milan gig listed here...hopefully some of the Spirits Rejoice era tunes!!!

That looks wonderful! Sadly, a bit out of reach for me.

Sheffield Crucible is a nice venue!

[JSngry]

This talk about the Eckstine band...how about the Earl Hines band w/Bird & Sarah Vaughn? Everybody, even the most experty experts, says no recording exist. Period.

[DMP]

Guy is correct on the Miles group with J.J. - he was added to the quintet with Mobley and Kelly. Remember reading a review in Downbeat. Miles might have gone into the studio around then, but think it was that odd group with Shorter, Bob Dorough and percussion that got the call. (Could be way off on this, but should be easy to check out.)

Don't think Freddie Hubbard/Joe Henderson's "Jazz Communicators" recorded, although they made plenty of records together. In their Crawford Grill appearance here they had Kenny Barron, Herbie lewis and Louis Hayes. It's been awhile, but in the set I heard they played "Pensativa" and "Backlash." This might have been the fall of 1967.

And, speaking of Henderson, what about anything from his tenure with Blood, Sweat & Tears?

[Pete C]

And, speaking of Henderson, what about anything from his tenure with Blood, Sweat & Tears?

From Wikipedia:

Fred Lipsius left and was replaced by jazz legend Joe Henderson (who did not stay long enough to record), before Lou Marini settled into the new lineup

[JSngry]

It's my understanding that Joe didn't make it out of the rehearsal stage w/BS&T.

[jeffcrom]

This talk about the Eckstine band...how about the Earl Hines band w/Bird & Sarah Vaughn? Everybody, even the most experty experts, says no recording exist. Period.

You're behind the times, dude - see post #2.

And why aren't you doing my current blindfold test?!? I hate you so much!

It's my understanding that Joe didn't make it out of the rehearsal stage w/BS&T.

But he got a bunch of new Selmer horns out of the deal.

[Chuck Nessa]

Guy is correct on the Miles group with J.J. - he was added to the quintet with Mobley and Kelly. Remember reading a review in Downbeat. Miles might have gone into the studio around then, but think it was that odd group with Shorter, Bob Dorough and percussion that got the call. (Could be way off on this, but should be easy to check out.)

IIRC, after Mobley left Miles led a sextet with Stitt and JJ. Have a photo somewhere.

[Rooster_Ties]

Not to be a cliché of myself, but did Andrew Hill ever really have any "working bands" back in the 60's?

[Chuck Nessa]

The band I started my company to record.

[JSngry]

And why aren't you doing my current blindfold test?!? I hate you so much!

Sorry, haven't been paying attention to much lately. Send me a link, please, and I'm in!

[jeffcrom]

And why aren't you doing my current blindfold test?!? I hate you so much!

Sorry, haven't been paying attention to much lately. Send me a link, please, and I'm in!

"The member JSngry cannot receive any messages." God, I hate you so much!

So there.

[JSngry]

Got it. Thanks!

[Rooster_Ties]

It's my understanding that Joe didn't make it out of the rehearsal stage w/BS&T.

I've heard the same thing time and time again, but there's this which I posted a couple years ago (here)...

=====

Well, gosh golly, maybe there IS some evidence of BS&T with Joe Henderson...

http://www.rdrop.com/users/rickert/fielder.html

Jim Fielder Interview (by David Callow 10/99)

Jim was one of the founding members of Blood, Sweat, and Tears, playing on the first six BS&T albums. Since then he has played with a large number of groups and has appeared on a variety of different recordings.

Q: How were Joe Henderson and Bobby Doyle recruited?

A: Bobby Colomby introduced Joe, he probably knew him from his early jazz connections. We did not know Bobby Doyle at all, but we had caught his album, and loved what we heard. We invited him to audition.

Q: Why did they not remain ?

A: With Joe, it was musical differences. With Bobby Doyle, he was best suited for smaller, more intimate audiences. The partings were amicable, though.

Q: Had the Doyle, Halligan, Henderson line-up continued, in what ways do you think the music would have differed compared to "New Blood" and “No Sweat” ?

A: That line-up could have originated more of its own repertoire. Who knows, maybe that creativity might have persuaded Dick Halligan to remain.

Q: Besides “Salty Tears” were there any other tracks recorded which also featured Doyle, Halligan, and Henderson?

A: Maybe about three. Two were Henderson originals, “No Me Esqueca” (meaning “Don’t Forget Me”), and possibly one other. There was also a song titled “Harbor Lady”. I do not know the composer, but Bobby Doyle brought it along. We actually got as far as rehearsing these.

Now, the questioner says "recorded" and also mentions "Salty Tears" (as if it's been released, and implying that Joe's on that one). But then Jim Fielder only says "rehearsed" (implying that everything in his answer was rehearsed, but NOT recorded -- although the beginning of his answer implies that all three were recorded).

I'm afraid I don't know squat about BS&T -- is "Salty Tears" something that has been released from this era??

Also, FWIW, I'm pretty darn sure that "No Me Esqueca" (Don't Forget Me) is a later alternate title for one of Joe's very best known tunes, "Recorda Me", from his very first BN album (and damn near a jazz standard, by most measures).

[Gheorghe]

This talk about the Eckstine band...how about the Earl Hines band w/Bird & Sarah Vaughn? Everybody, even the most experty experts, says no recording exist. Period.

Yeah, I also wondered how it might sound. Has something to do with one of those recording bans during 1943...

[Tom Storer]

Olu Dara's original Okra Orchestra in the 80's had a front line of Dara, Threadgill and Craig Harris, with Jean-Paul Bourelly on guitar (I think), can't remember the bassist, and Coster Massamba on drums. That was a beautiful band. Later he made it a louder, funkier band with more musicians, and that was also great. Neither version recorded, and I've never even seen any audience recordings torrented. A shame.

[Alexander Hawkins]

Probably only lasted a few gigs but one of the best concerts I ever attended was a version of Spirits' Rejoice made up of Keith Tippett, Evan Parker, Paul Rutherford, Jason Yarde, Louis Moholo and Paul Rogers. If only they had made it to a studio.

Oooooooh...fwiw (although I guess it's the week after half term, rather than the week of the break!) - we're doing this in London a few days before the Milan gig listed here...hopefully some of the Spirits Rejoice era tunes!!!

That looks wonderful! Sadly, a bit out of reach for me.

Sheffield Crucible is a nice venue!

Absolutely - I hope we can take the band out a bit more...it should be fun!

[Swinging Swede]

I keep hoping some airchecks will show up of the 1943 Earl Hines big band, when both Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker were on board. Damn recording ban!

Yes, that is the most obvious one.

And of course, Buddy Bolden's band...

[bigtiny]

Sometime around 1979-80 I saw a concert and clinic by a quartet led by Jimmy Owens.

Personnel (if I remember correctly) was

Owens - trumpet and flugel

Kenny Barron - piano

Buster Williams - bass

Billy Hart -drums

I seem to remember it having really kicked ass!

bigtiny

[Mark Stryker]

Sometime around 1979-80 I saw a concert and clinic by a quartet led by Jimmy Owens.

Personnel (if I remember correctly) was

Owens - trumpet and flugel

Kenny Barron - piano

Buster Williams - bass

Billy Hart -drums

I seem to remember it having really kicked ass!

bigtiny

That rhythm section certainly recorded frequently. LPs by Buck Hill, Nathan Page, Charles Sullivan, John McNeil/Tom Harrell, Nathan Page and Williams himself come immediately to mind. Gotta be others.

Edited 9 Apr 2012 by Mark Stryker

[clifford_thornton]

Not to be a cliché of myself, but did Andrew Hill ever really have any "working bands" back in the 60's?

The band I started my company to record.

Edited 10 Apr 2012 by clifford_thornton