Fred Hersch/Mingus (NYT)

[Mark Stryker]

Among the many interesting details here is that Hersch got $100 a night at Bradley's in 1978, which he says was a lot of money in those days. He's right. That's equivalent to nearly $400 in 2017 dollars, or $2,400 for the 6-night gig. At the time, however, Hersch's rent was just a little more than $100 a month. One night paid a month's rent. Now think about the economics of NY today. Also, how many gigs are still paying $100 per night 40 years later?  

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/10/24/arts/music/fred-hersch-the-first-time-i-played-for-charles-mingus.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0&referer=http://m.facebook.com

 

[Gheorghe]

Really a moving story about the fatally ill Mingus trying to keep in touch with the music. It always almost makes me cry because he must have suffered so much having that terrible desease, not being able to play music, not even piano.

I have heard that Mingus was a regular at Bradley, I think even is short collaboration with Jimmy Rowles just for a few bars on "Three or Four" shades comes from that place. And I think Bradley Cunningham himself plays some percussion on Cumbia. So in the last years of his life, Bradleys was quite an important place for him.

Edited October 27, 2017 by Gheorghe

[HutchFan]

Thanks for sharing that, Mark!  

[Dmitry]

12 hours ago, Gheorghe said:

Really a moving story about the fatally ill Mingus trying to keep in touch with the music. It always almost makes me cry because he must have suffered so much having that terrible desease, not being able to play music, not even piano.

I have heard that Mingus was a regular at Bradley, I think even is short collaboration with Jimmy Rowles just for a few bars on "Three or Four" shades comes from that place. And I think Bob Cunningham himself plays some percussion on Cumbia. So in the last years of his life, Bradleys was quite an important place for him.

For waht it's worth, from reading the linked material, I got an impression that Mingus came to Bradley's in his dying days just to hear Fred Hersch play.