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Phil Schaap R.I.P.


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7 hours ago, Dan Gould said:

I am told this is an unplanned outage and that it will be looked into. So I would expect the College of Jazz Knowledge to be back up pretty soon.

It’s back now, fortunately. I was worried it was gone for good. 

Edited by Brad
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From Sid Gribetz:

            To honor and preserve the memory of the career of Phil Schaap, WKCR presents a 126 hour long marathon radio tribute broadcast, beginning 6 PM Tuesday February 1st, then running continuously for five more full days through midnight, Sunday February 6.

            Phil passed away on September 7, 2021 at the age of 70.  For over 50 years he was the guiding light and spiritual leader of jazz programming at our radio station.  His death affected us all dearly, but we have gathered ourselves to honor him the way he taught us to do for all jazz luminaries, with a long running in depth radio broadcast.

            The Tribute will touch on all aspects of Phil’s career, but especially his radio broadcasts.  As the cornerstone of the Tribute, we will be playing Phil’s shows from the WKCR archives, such as Traditions In Swing, Birthday Broadcasts, Phil’s interviews with jazz legends, Bird Flights, and excerpts from our Festivals.  The program will also focus on some of Phil’s contributions to other aspects of the jazz community, as an educator, record producer, sound engineer, record vault researcher, concert producer at the West End Cafe, and so much more.  We will play representative musical selections to acknowledge these many activities.

            Furthermore, the program will allow us to reminisce in tempo to include interviews with figures from the jazz world, panel discussions with WKCR colleagues from across the decades, and other features.

            That’s WKCR, 89.9 on the FM radio dial in New York City, and available around the world over the internet at www.wckr.org and on various mobile apps.

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I heard Phil the very first time I visited NYC in January of 1993. Dizzy Gillespie had just died and WKCR was playing all of his music. I remember being captivated by Phil's depth of knowledge and listened to him a lot after moving to NYC permanently later that year.

 

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4 minutes ago, Dan Gould said:

Yes - I am surprised a regular member such as yourself hasn't seen any prior mentions especially last year.

Hope you like it, how did you come across it?

I'd say I'm more sporadic, than regular. I perused the website when google-browsing a couple of weeks ago, when you mentioned him in your BFT. Page comes up on Google, along with Percy, a town in France. Is there a connection between his name and the town? I had a tough time reading the text on my phone; his white sports jacket is in the way. Just some feedback, no criticism. Keep doing the great work!

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2 minutes ago, Dmitry said:

I'd say I'm more sporadic, than regular. I perused the website when google-browsing a couple of weeks ago, when you mentioned him in your BFT. Page comes up on Google, along with Percy, a town in France. Is there a connection between his name and the town? I had a tough time reading the text on my phone; his white sports jacket is in the way. Just some feedback, no criticism. Keep doing the great work!

The website cannot be optimized for phones. It really has to be seen on a laptop/tablet/PC. I hope you'll take the time to do that.

There is no connection between his name and the city in France other than the fact that it makes web searches and in particular newspaper archive searches a bit more messy. Especially since that town had some role in WWII because a lot of obits of veterans mention "Percy, France".

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Details of WKCR Schaap Tribute posted. (I've bolded what is most important to me, I am desperately hoping for a Percy France show but anything from the West End is likely to be memorable.)

 

PHIL SCHAAP TRIBUTE BROADCAST FEBRUARY 1ST - FEBRUARY 6TH 2022

 
phil schaap
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2022 - 6:00PM TO SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2022 - 11:59PM

WKCR presents a 126-hour long Phil Schaap tribute broadcast, beginning 6pm Tuesday February 1st and running continuously for five full days through midnight, Sunday February 6.

Phil passed away on September 7, 2021 at the age of 70. For over 50 years he was the guiding light and spiritual leader of jazz programming at our radio station. His death affected us all dearly, but we have gathered ourselves to honor him the way he taught us to do for all jazz luminaries, with a long running in depth radio broadcast.

The Tribute will touch on all aspects of Phil’s career, but especially his radio broadcasts. As the cornerstone of the Tribute, we will be playing Phil’s most popular shows from the WKCR archives, such as Traditions In Swing, Birthday Broadcasts, Phil’s interviews with jazz legends, Bird Flight, Out To Lunch, and excerpts from our Festivals. The program will also feature some of Phil’s contributions to other aspects of the jazz community, as an educator, record producer, sound engineer, record vault researcher, concert producer at the West End Cafe, and so much more. We will play representative musical selections to acknowledge these many activities. Furthermore, the program will allow us to reminisce in tempo to include interviews with figures from the jazz world, panel discussions with WKCR colleagues from across the decades, testimonials from listeners, and other features.

Tune into 89.9 FM NY and stream on wkcr.org to join us in the celebration.

Programming Schedule: (Please note all times are approximate)

TUESDAY 2/1

6:00 PM: Jazz Alternatives with Sharif Abdus-Salaam from 9/16/2021, where Phil Schaap is interviewed by Sharif Abdus-Salaam

9:00 PM: Jazz Profiles 50th Anniversary, originally broadcast 2/2/2020

WEDNESDAY 2/2

12:00 AM: Bird Flight from 12/7/2017, Phil explores Charlie Parker's first issued records, the Decca singles of Jay McShann and His Orchestra.

1:15 AM: Bird Flight from 8/2/2018, Phil explores the recordings of the June 22, 1945 Town Hall concert that featured Diz and Bird.

2:45 AM: WKCR DJ Sam Seliger plays selected recordings produced by Phil Schaap

5:00 AM: Bird Flight from 3/27/2018, this show begins a series focusing on Charlie Parker's working band, the Golden Era BeBop 5, and the recordings of their broadcasts from the Royal Roost in 1948 and 1949.

6:20 AM: Bird Flight from 4/3/2018, this show continues a series focusing on Charlie Parker's working band, the Golden Era BeBop 5, and the recordings of their broadcasts from the Royal Roost in 1948 and 1949.

7:40 AM: Bird Flight from 12/1/2014, part one of a Bird Flight pair focusing on the relationship between Bird and fellow Bop alto saxophonist Sonny Criss. Their performance of "Liza" recorded June 16, 1952, at The Tradewinds, Inglewood,C.A., is explored.

9:00 AM: Bird Flight from 12/3/2014, part two of a Bird Flight pair focusing on the relationship between Bird and fellow Bop alto saxophonist Sonny Criss. Their performance of "Liza" recorded June 16, 1952, at The Tradewinds, Inglewood,C.A., is explored.

10:30 AM: Matthew Rivera interviews Phil Schaap, intermixed with some recordings Phil produced

12:00 PM: Out to Lunch from 1/21/2013, Phil celebrates Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by playing the earliest integrated Jazz records.

3:30 PM: Festival Archival featuring Howard McGhee

5:00 PM: Festival Archival featuring Earle Warren

6:00 PM: Festival Archival featuring Roy Eldridge

6:30 PM: Traditions in Swing from 10/28/2017, the first in a 16 part series of shows covering the complete recorded works of tenor saxophonist Leon "Chu" Berry, with the solos excerpted and recordings played in best sound.

9:30 PM: Matthew Rivera interviews bandleader and bassist Vince Giordano.

10:30 PM: Phil Schaap, a retrospective: Part 1. Join WKCR alumni Sharif Abdus-Salaam, Elliot Bratton, Mitch Goldman, William Goldberg, Sid Gribetz, Eddie Karp, Jamie Katz, Cliff Preiss, and Ed Scarvalone for a conversation reflecting on the life and work of Phil Schaap.

THURSDAY 2/3

12:30 AM: WKCR DJ Maria Shaughnessy plays selected recordings produced by Phil Schaap

3:00 AM: Bird Flight from 11/17/2010, the first of a six part series on the Norman Granz record date of early spring 1949 which produced recordings of "Cardboard" and "Visa".

4:20 AM: Bird Flight from 11/18/2010, the second of a six part series on the Norman Granz record date of early spring 1949 which produced recordings of "Cardboard" and "Visa".

5:40 AM: Bird Flight from 11/19/2010, the third of a six part series on the Norman Granz record date of early spring 1949 which produced recordings of "Cardboard" and "Visa".

7:00 AM: Bird Flight from 11/23/2010, the fourth of a six part series on the Norman Granz record date of early spring 1949 which produced recordings of "Cardboard" and "Visa".

8:20 AM: Bird Flight from 11/24/2010, the fifth of a six part series on the Norman Granz record date of early spring 1949 which produced recordings of "Cardboard" and "Visa".

9:40 AM: Bird Flight from 11/29/2010, the last of a six part series on the Norman Granz record date of early spring 1949 which produced recordings of "Cardboard" and "Visa".

11:00 AM: Selected listener and alumni tributes to Phil, intermixed with recordings produced by Phil

11:30 AM: Out to Lunch from 2/29/2016, Phil presents a show on soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy's earliest record dates as a leader.

2:45 PM: Festival Archival, in anticipation of the Billie Holiday Centennial Broadcast, Phil explores the early recordings of one of her most important influences, Ethel Waters.

6:00 PM: Traditions in Swing from 5/6/2017, the first of a five part series on the complete recordings of Herschel Evans, tenor saxophonist in the original Count Basie Orchestra, with a focus on the items on which he is featured.

9:10 PM: Sid Gribetz interviews drummer Kenny Washington

10:10 PM: Phil Schaap, a retrospective: Part 2. Join WKCR alumni Paul Burkey, Mitch Goldman, Charles Iselin, Cliff Preiss, Matthew Rivera, and Stephen Seliger for a conversation reflecting on the life and work of Phil Schaap.

FRIDAY 2/4

12:00 AM: WKCR DJ Schuyler Rabbin-Birnbaum plays recordings produced by Phil Schaap, Schuyler will be playing two Duke Ellington Reissues: “Ellington at Newport 1956” and “Such Sweet Thunder.”

3:00 AM: WKCR DJ Matthew Rivera plays selected recordings produced by Phil Schaap

6:00 AM: WKCR DJ Ed Scarvalone plays selected recordings produced by Phil Schaap

9:00 AM: WKCR DJ Paul Burkey plays selected recordings produced by Phil Schaap, Paul will be playing Benny Goodman at Carnegie Hall and the 9/18/49 Jazz at the Philharmonic concert

12:00 PM: WKCR DJ Charles Iselin plays selected recordings produced by Phil Schaap, Charles will be playing Louis Armstrong Hot fives and sevens recordings.

3:00 PM: WKCR DJ Sid Gribetz plays selected recordings produced by Phil Schaap, Sid will be presenting the Benny Carter Verve reissues, Jimmy Rushing, and "Bird at the Roost."

6:00 PM: WKCR DJ Cliff Preiss plays selected recordings produced by Phil Schaap, Cliff will be playing the reissues of Flip Phillips and Machito and his Orchestra, Miles Davis, Stan Getz, Lester Young With The Oscar Peterson Trio, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington & His Orchestra, Johnny Hodges, and Kenny Kersey.

9:00 PM: “Live from The West End” - WKCR DJ Josh Kazali plays selected recordings produced by Phil Schaap including Benny Waters, Earle Warren and the Count’s Men, plus Phil produced “Jazz Session 45s”

SATURDAY 2/5

12:00 AM: WKCR Alumnus and guest DJ Louise Dubin shares stories about Phil Schaap and plays four Charlie Parker tracks produced by Phil.

12:25 AM: TBA

1:40 AM: WKCR DJ Schuyler Rabbin-Birnbaum plays selected recordings produced by Phil Schaap

5:00 AM: Bird Flight from 7/08/2011, the first of a four part series on the first edition of Charlie Parker with Strings and its influences.

6:10 AM: Bird Flight from 7/15/2011, the second of a four part series on the first edition of Charlie Parker with Strings and its influences.

7:30 AM: Bird Flight from 7/20/2011, the third of a four part series on the first edition of Charlie Parker with Strings and its influences.

8:50 AM: Bird Flight from 7/21/2011, the last of a four part series on the first edition of Charlie Parker with Strings and its influences.

10:10 AM: Selected listener and alumni tributes to Phil, intermixed with recordings produced by Phil

11:00 AM: Phil Schaap, a retrospective: Part 3. Join WKCR alumni Kevin Costa, Martin Johnson, and Loren Schoenberg for a conversation reflecting on the life and work of Phil Schaap.

12:00 PM: Out to Lunch from 1/2/2017, for the first Out To Lunch of 2017, Phil celebrates the music of pianist and composer Herbie Nichols on the day before his 98th birthday.

3:15 PM: Festival Archival from 3/9/2019, on this edition of the Birthday Broadcast, Phil presents the earliest live and studio recordings of Ornette Coleman.

6:45 PM: Traditions in Swing 6/30/2018, Phil explores the innovative and great early arrangements for the saxophone section by Benny Carter on record.

10:00 PM: Traditions in Swing from 11/3/2018, Phil pays tribute to the pioneering bassist Jimmie Blanton on the 79th anniversary of his joining Duke Ellington's orchestra and a few weeks after his centennial.

SUNDAY 2/6

1:15 AM: WKCR DJ Amiri Tulloch plays selected recordings produced by Phil Schaap

4:00 AM: Bird Flight from 1/4/2016, the first of a six part series on the famed concert at Massey Hall given May 15, 1953. This show provides an overview of the concert.

5:10 AM: Bird Flight from 1/8/2016, the second of a six part series on the famed concert at Massey Hall given May 15, 1953. This show provides an overview of the concert.

6:10 AM: Bird Flight from 1/13/2016, the third of a six part series on the famed concert at Massey Hall given May 15, 1953. This show provides an overview of the concert.

7:30 AM: Bird Flight from 1/15/2016, the fourth of a six part series on the famed concert at Massey Hall given May 15, 1953. This show provides an overview of the concert.

8:50 AM: Bird Flight from 1/19/2016, the fifth of a six part series on the famed concert at Massey Hall given May 15, 1953. This show provides an overview of the concert.

10:05 AM: Bird Flight from 1/22/2016, the last of a six part series on the famed concert at Massey Hall given May 15, 1953. This show provides an overview of the concert.

11:25 AM: Eddie Karp interviews Jim Eigo

12:00 PM: Out to Lunch from 6/20/2011, Phil on Bill Challis

2:40 PM: Out to Lunch from 2/15/2016, in an annual tradition, Phil plays the music of The President on President's Day, this time presenting the evolution of Lester Young's style over his recorded career.

5:50 PM: Traditions in Swing from 9/6/2017, in the first in a series of shows focusing on the early dawn of recorded Jazz, Phil features the music of the King Oliver Creole Jazz Band.

9:05 PM: To close out the Phil Schaap Tribute Broadcast, listen to tracks selected by our alumni which celebrate the life of Phil Schaap.

Edited by Dan Gould
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Some great stuff! Benny Carter w.strings and the Oscar Peterson Quartet. Never heard BC sound more bop-like. OP more restrained than his own recordings, Herb Ellis on top of things. Jimmy Rushing fine as usual.

Bird live at the Royal Roost- great except annoying Symphony Sid, but at least Sid Gribetz is doing the live broadcasting instead of you-know-who....

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Can't wait to roll "tape" just before 9 pm and then find out what was broadcast from the West End first thing tomorrow.  These are club concerts not heard ever except by the broadcast audience and the patrons "live" at the club (I'm assuming).  I'd give my left nut for a complete Percy France show. (I'll give your left nut for one Percy tune).

 

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What a nearly complete waste of air time.  

One highlight: They had a single solitary show broadcast from the West End, from 1985, a quartet led by Ruby Braff.

Among the lowlights:

An announcer who didn't know her ass from her elbow, going by one name, presumably for plausible deniability that she was ever on the air. 

My favorite mispronunciation: "We just heard "TOOK-see-doh Junction ..."

Completely unprepared to talk with any authority about the West End or Phil's role there, when there are articles about it easily findable on the web (well, I just looked and the articles are a bit crowded out by his obits but still ... she had a subject for her broadcast and barely did anything to prepare for it.)

And the real disappointment is only having a single, 35 minute tape from an actual broadcast from the club. Was this due to an inability to search the archive properly due to Covid restrictions or because of all the tapes they found, Braff's was the only one judged to be worthy of broadcast due to tape degradation? 

 

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Among the numerous great memories and revelations heard doing this week's Phil Schaap Memorial Broadcast is

* asked to drive Cecil Taylor home from Morningside Heights to Brooklyn, Cecil demanded Phil play his CT's (then) favorite Duke record - "Conga Brava" - so Phil quickly made a cassette they could listen to in the car -- this was recalled third hand by another DJ, I think Cliff Preiss, but it sounded like the late 1970s.

* Phil was a teenage Hendrix fanatic, seeing Jimi open for the Monkees at Forest Hills and in Greenwich Village 1967; going to Woodstock (but leaving before Jimi played) and seeing the Band of Gypsies three times at the Fillmore East.

* also in rock, Phil was super into Quicksilver Messenger Service thanks for the brilliance of John Cippolina

* Schaap was super into baseball and had a similar command of its history / stats as he did with jazz dates. For some reason he was a youthful fan of the Baltimore Orioles though it's unclear if that was in addition to the Mets, which instead of after Walter O'Malley took the Dodgers to Los Angeles and Chavez Ravine.

* Phil was also a Coasters fanatic, among other heroes of early rock roll.

* Phil was furious when a planned Jimmy Blanton Centennial Celebration was pre-empted in October 2018 for reasons not explicitly stated but likely had to do with WKCR's intermittent flare-ups with sports, as there have been some years when football, and women's & men's basketball knocked out nearly all other programming. One year it was so bad, one of the birthday broadcasts -- Clifford Brown, I think -- was interrupted in the middle for some goddamn game. I believe this madness was resolved in favor of MUSIC beccause it's not happened since.

***

Sidenote: it's pleasing to hear the great impact Schaap had upon generations of listeners, WKCR djs, musicians etc. This stands in sharp contrast to the embittered, jealous mewling of one late Organissimo member whose own legacy -- while not, at its best, insignificant -- left few similarly warm tributes & inspired acolytes.

Oh, but Schaap messed up the "Such Sweet Thunder" cd!!! Who cares about an eight second Dean Benedetti fragment... blah blah.

PHIL LIVES!!

Radio (philschaapjazz.com)

Edited by MomsMobley
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8 hours ago, MomsMobley said:

 

Sidenote: it's pleasing to hear the great impact Schaap had upon generations of listeners, WKCR djs, musicians etc. This stands in sharp contrast to the embittered, jealous mewling of one late Organissimo member whose own legacy -- while not, at its best, insignificant -- left few similarly warm tributes & inspired acolytes.

Oh, but Schaap messed up the "Such Sweet Thunder" cd!!! Who cares about an eight second Dean Benedetti fragment... blah blah.

PHIL LIVES!!

Radio (philschaapjazz.com)

Well put. Phil affected my jazz life in immeasurable ways. I had the privilege of listening to him for years as I drove to work.

It is indeed fortunate that we still have his website to get needed fixes of Birdflight. 

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schaap-2.jpg

4 hours ago, JSngry said:

Yeah, well, that was a big one and slack should not be given for it.

Nobody's perfect.

No doubt. That subject never came up that I heard but I believe Schaap addressed it somewhere -- one of the academic jazz journals? Whether it was his mistake, others or a combination of factors... the fact that he'd successfully shepherded much larger and more complicated projects (Verve Bird & Billie Holiday boxes; Benedetti; Miles / Gil Sony), as well as many smaller ones (so many Verve discs) strongly suggests it was an anomaly.

That does remind me that Schaap and Sony had some dispute over the Hot 5s & 7s set; no details were offered but before the sets original release, Schaap would play what he called "his" remastering, which I took to mean that, following the Goodman Carnegie "controversy," someone kiboshed his "purist" approach to noise reduction-- though Schaap is still credited on that set.

Dan, are you aware that Phil helped run a short lived (1977- ?? perhaps only summer-autumn 1977) post-West End club called the Third Phase?

 

 

 

Edited by MomsMobley
disorder at the border
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1 hour ago, MomsMobley said:

schaap-2.jpg

 

Dan, are you aware that Phil helped run a short lived (1977- ?? perhaps only summer-autumn 1977) post-West End club called the Third Phase?

 

 

 

I did hear of the Third Phase in my newspaper searching, but not sure why you are calling it a post-West End club in that time frame?  I had a Schaap profile putting him in charge of booking the West End from something like 1973 to late 80s at least, maybe into 1990 with the West End Gate.  And all thru those years WKCR was doing Friday night broadcasts from the West End.

BTW that Jazz Session graphic was for Phil's record label - I got the whole set of 45s from Phil's website about a year and a half ago. Like the West End, many recordings by swing guys who weren't getting many opportunities.  WKCR tried to play some of those 45s Friday night, some were in really rough shape.

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1 hour ago, MomsMobley said:

That's interesting, did not know his booking career got interrupted.  Obviously the West End brought him back in fairly short order. I really wish I could find the article I saw that went into depth about both the West End and the steadiness of the WKCR broadcasts from the club.  Thanks.

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Can anyone help me out by going to this page:

https://www.wnyc.org/story/phil-schaaps-50-year-career-the-raconteur-raised-on-jazz/

and trying to "listen" to the broadcast? I am not sure if its a technical problem on my end or that this show is not available for streaming, but I would really like to hear the two George Kelly and the Jazz Sultans tunes that were played.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

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16 hours ago, Dan Gould said:

Can anyone help me out by going to this page:

https://www.wnyc.org/story/phil-schaaps-50-year-career-the-raconteur-raised-on-jazz/

and trying to "listen" to the broadcast? I am not sure if its a technical problem on my end or that this show is not available for streaming, but I would really like to hear the two George Kelly and the Jazz Sultans tunes that were played.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Nobody can help me out?

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