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Henry Grimes RIP


ep1str0phy

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Sorry everyone for, like, everything (including my second post of this nature in a couple of days), but I'm hearing that the great Henry Grimes is gone. (Not confirmed by any official outlets, but I'm hearing the word "confirmed" from other musicians on social media, including Stephen Haynes) 

I was just confronting the monumental task of unraveling what I have of Lee Konitz's discography when I got this news. Henry's 60s work is of course legendary, but it's also valuable to note that he's one of only a handful of greats from the heyday of free jazz who managed a true second act. I, for one, will return to epochal sideman appearances like Out of the Afternoon or Where is Brooklyn--and/or Henry's own The Call--to memorialize his contribution to this music. There's so much to hear for those of us now left. 

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Those of us with a certain spiritual training (currently accepted or otherwise) might be starting to feel like this is a "Rapture"-like event going on amongst our ranks. Perhaps we knew this day was coming, but were not sure in what form, or when.

There are implications to this.

But - RIP to a true giant, not just of music, but of lifejourneying.

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I saw him once in his comeback phase at Hot House in Chicago in 2005.  He was playing as the Henry Grimes Quartet with Marshall Allen and Fred Anderson!  Mark Sheldon was also there and took some photos of the memorable night:

hg56_anderson.jpg

I did get one of the autographed CDRs he was selling, which was Nile Suite (Dennis Gonzalez Inspiration Band with special guest Henry Grimes).  I actually saw this in the basement the other day, so I still have it, but it will probably take a while to dig out (now that I am looking for it).  I have a fairly low quality rip I did back then, but as soon as it turns up, I'll have to archive this a bit better!

Thanks for the inspiring music. RIP

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RIP, yet more dreadful news. Such great playing and some wonderful recordings.

I saw Henry after his comeback one year at the Cheltenham Festival. Caught his BBC interview with Alyn Shipton and then the performance with Paul Dunmall and Andrew Cyrille, which was something else. Something of a miracle comeback.

Edited by sidewinder
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6 hours ago, sidewinder said:

RIP, yet more dreadful news. Such great playing and some wonderful recordings.

I saw Henry after his comeback one year at the Cheltenham Festival. Caught his BBC interview with Alyn Shipton and then the performance with Paul Dunmall and Andrew Cyrille, which was something else. Something of a miracle comeback.

Profound Sound Trio, that was well worth the drive to Cheltenham.

I saw Grimes with Ribot at Oto as well, magic evening

Edited by mjazzg
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‘Profound Sound Trio’ - that’s the one. Done at a time when Cheltenham were still doing reasonable priced all-weekend tickets.

The BBC interview was done as part of their ‘Jazz Legends’ series, recorded the afternoon before the performance. Dave Liebman was also recorded that weekend.

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Tribute here https://thebluemoment.com/2020/04/18/henry-grimes-1935-2020/

as always from this writer, nicely written and pitched

1 hour ago, sidewinder said:

The BBC interview was done as part of their ‘Jazz Legends’ series, recorded the afternoon before the performance. 

I wonder whether that's on BBC Sounds,I'll have a look

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28 minutes ago, mjazzg said:

 

I wonder whether that's on BBC Sounds,I'll have a look

I recall that he was there with his wife. Shipton’s interview covered much of his career, from the Rollins period onwards. The bonus for me was that it was free admission !

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Steven Isoardi posted a link on Facebook to his 2010 Current Research In Jazz essay about Grimes' re-emergence in Los Angeles after the Signal to Noise article:

 

There are many layers to this story. Certainly the return of a great artist is the most prominent and is story enough. But there is also the re-emerging elder giant meeting the young neophyte, also with a difficult past. And the role played by the three young students contributed significantly to this special event in the spring of 2003. All of them grew enormously as artists and as people. As this story was unfolding, Oakwood’s headmaster, James Astman, observed, “Nick has done something remarkable and wonderfully humane.” [24] And much was done by Henry for Nick, for all of those who contributed to make this a success, and for fans of good music everywhere. Henry’s life was changed and his career re-launched, and perhaps Nick has found his direction in life...

It is also a story of supportive communities—musicians, poets, journalists, researchers and archivists, students and a school administration, cultural space organizers, from East L.A., North Hollywood, and South Central L.A., as well as from the East Coast—all pooling their talents and energies to support Henry. It was an inspiring aligning of forces, something that in many other locations and contexts might not have happened. Fortunately, this was different and resulted in a special, unique experience with no down side. Everyone won.

The Return Of Henry Grimes

 

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