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VIDEO (+ New CD Release)- Don Wilkerson Stretching Out -1980s Houston


JSngry

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Yeah, this is pretty amazing footage, in different ways, for different reasons...the first set is totally "local", the band is very "local" (Don plays his ass off anyway), but the glimpse of the house and the crowd....you just don't see much video documentation of jazz-as-purely-social-music (from every angle) to this...blatant of an extent!

Then you have the latter two sets, obviously a different scene altogether, more "jazz", not nearly as "social", and Don plays his ass off there too.

The thing is this - what made Don Wilkerson (and so many others) who they were was getting plenty of seasoning in both types of environments. I wish there was casual footage like this documenting some of the Dallas clubs of the day...imagine a setting like that first place, some small joint populated by people there for a good time that doesn't involve sitting still and quiet and "listening" to the music, but sure as hell does involve having the music in the air at all times, and if you didn't want that kind of music, you wouldn't be THERE, dig?, only with a Marchel Ivery/Red Garland group...and then in walks James Clay to cheers, whoops, and whistles...and then it's ON,,,that world doesn't exist any more.

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When did home camcorders become commonish? Mid-80s? Not late 70s, so let's start at the mid-80s.

Also, that first clip, I was wondering where the drummer with good time but zero variety was on that stage, then it hit me - it was a drum loop! I don't think that would have been allowed in the late 70s, so money was already squeezing stuff out. Otherwise, there would have been a drummer crowded in somewhere. That would have been sometimes in the early mid-80s.

Then again, I don't know, this was Houston. Different scene there than here. Not totally, but...some.

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What a find & 30min treat

Home Cookin' !!

he passed away in 1986 so it's likely early to mid 80's


just found the original posting on youtube

Published on Jan 15, 2014

This video is from a series of recordings by the late master saxophonist Don Wilkerson including The original Ritzy, Pizzaz, and Lott's EMPORIUM. Onxe every blue moon we got blessed by Arnett Cobb.I was blessed to be instructed by him while playing in my bands. Equal regards go out to the late Charles " Spooky " Dancey. Spookey served in the NAVY and would have had wider recognition had he stayed in. All of the Pizzaz footage was possible because of the underwriting by Tulie Evans and the direction under Conrad Johnson the PROF with Joe Nettles and Kenny Andrews contributing. All of the video was done by pea-squared and is a Peters' PRODUCTION.

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Found this on a Houston Jazz forum, posted by pianist Joe LoCascio:

To my utter surprise I received in the mail a CD entitled Live at Lotts Emporium, The Carl Lott Trio with Texas Tenors Arnett Cobb and Don Wilkerson. The CD is a labor of love from Carl Lott who has painstakingly been editing and compiling (with the help of Digital Crosstrax Studio and Powerhouse Music Studio) performances recorded at his nightclub Lotts Emporium circa 1982. The CD features Carl Lott on drums, Bill Murry on bass, Joe LoCascio on piano and of course, Arnett and Don on Tenor Sax. Arnett is featured on 5 tracks and Don on an additional 5.


Some of you may remember the Emporium. It was one of the greatest jazz clubs Houston has ever seen and in its brief run (1982-1983) featured, in addition to Don and Arnett, artists such as Pharoah Sanders, Hank Crawford, G.T. Hogan, Woody Shaw, Leon Spencer Jr., Conrad Johnson, Tony Campise, Mildred Jones and Charles Patterson. Bill Murry and I were privileged to be members of the house band, led by Carl, during the entire run. It was an intense education, to say the least.

Edited by Dave Fish
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