Michael Fitzgerald

The speaker was just mentioned within a couple of days in the "white altos" thread. Mike

Someone help me out with this one - page 87: The youthful performances of Wayne and Lee stirred up a special fever of excitement among Japanese girls, which must have struck a deep chord in the musicians: Both soon married Japanese-American women. The entire band left the country in tears. On July 28, 1961, Wayne married Irene Nakagami, a Japanese-American woman born in Chicago. [...] "We met, and before I knew it I was married; it was the fast lane." They had a daughter, Miyako, on August 8, 1961. ----------- OK, now I know this is the fast lane, but babies still take nine months, right? So, from Japanese tour - last known concert is January 11, 1961 - to birth of Miyako is less than seven months. Which would mean that Shorter would have had to have met Irene *before* the Japanese tour. Which means that this "fever of excitement" and "deep chord" is all a lot of unsubstantiated - nay, clearly false - nonsense. Or am I overlooking something? This book (and I don't mean to imply it's the only one) could have used a competent editor. Another gaffe - anyone who's been to Newark, NJ knows route 21 is *McCarter* Highway, not "MacArthur Highway" as the book has it more than once. Mike

Pastorius is very present on Footprints, in fact he solos at the end of the track just before the final melody. He is not credited on the LP. Mike

Here's the Down Beat review (7/82 p.56-57) by A. James Liska: ================== An all-star lineup of some of America's best known and most proficient jazzmen was assembled for this unique concert. The concert, created by San Francisco jazz writer Conrad Silvert, was to help Silvert defray some expenses incurred as the result of a recent illness. The artist roster, impressive from any viewpoint, was composer of pianists Herbie Hancock, Toshiko Akiyoshi, and Denny Zeitlin; bassists Jaco Pastorius and Charlie Haden; saxophonists Lew Tabackin, Sonny Rollins, and Wayne Shorter; trumpeter Wynton Marsalis; guitarist Pat Metheny; vibist Bobby Hutcherson; and drummer Tony Williams. Unannounced instrumentalists included guitarist Carlos Devadip Santana and saxophonist Kermit Scott. The idea was for a variety of instrumental ensembles to be created from the stable of skillful players. No musician would be permitted to play with his regular outfit. As is so often the case, things looked better on paper than they came off. During the course of the marathon concert - just shy of five hours - the audience learned why many of the artists don't keep regular musical company with each other. The flip side of the coin, however, showed musical moments so magical that one wonders why that company isn't kept more often. Herbie Hancock, who acted as emcee and provided the primary impetus of the evening's events, made his first introduction of pianist/psychiatrist Denny Zeitlin. Unaccompanied on the acoustic grand, Zeitlin offered a delicate Cascade before being joined by bassist Charlie Haden in a quietly moving lethargy of secret title. In retrospect, the duet was a concert highlight, though anticipation of what might come lessened the effect. The duo was expanded to a quartet with the addition of Metheny and Williams, and a bop standard, All The Things You Are, became a workable vehicle for the rather mismatched foursome. The economy of Haden was in stark contrast to the superfluous style of Metheny, as Zeitlin and Williams were left to hold down the fort. A faltering quartet moment created a magnificent rhythmic oneness from the drummer and pianist Next up was the duo of Toshiko Akiyoshi and Lew Tabackin. Though a duo in the broadest sense, as a twosome their sound is a rarity. Akiyoshi's solo outing was a pleasant reminder of her pianistic abilities, which are often overlooked by those most interested in her compositions Tabackin joined in for a flute venture which offered more evidence of his reigning predominance on that instrument. A closing A Bit Byas'd revealed bebop roots and modern vision, with Tabackin showing himself a powerful tenor saxophonist. During the Akiyoshi/Tabackin set, Haden, Metheny, and Williams changed musical hats. Their re-entrance was as a harmolodic trio with Ornette Coleman's music as stylistic common ground. Though deafening volume obscured much of their music, the short set was an appropriate deviation from the mainstream norm. Inappropriate, however, was the addition of Jaco Pastorius who, as seems the case of late, dominated with his stylized electric bass. More alluring was the re-appearance of Hancock with vibist Bobby Hutcherson. Though the two have recorded together, their strictly duet performance was a brand new bag. The delightful musical exchanges on Hutcherson's Little B's Poem and Hancock's Maiden Voyage were the most magical moments of the first half of the concert. Act One of the evening ended with a 12-minute a capella venture by tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins. Though his sound was powerful and distinct, the same could not be said for his material. The self-indulgent foray was chops-busting, but ultimately unsatisfying. The second half began with Hancock and Zeitlin's two-piano venture into Thelonious Monk's thematic material. Bits and pieces of Straight, No Chaser fell oddly into place before their quasi-prepared rendition of 'Round Midnight surfaced. Next up, an impressive grouping of Wynton Marsalis, Wayne Shorter, Hancock, Hutcherson, Williams, Pastorius, and Haden played Shorter's Footprints, and the 3/4-time riff-based tune provided several successful moments. The composer, on tenor sax, was in brilliant form, dishing out healthy helpings of inspired improvisation with Marsalis following suit. Unfortunately, much of the young trumpeter's work was stepped on by Pastorius' cliched rumblings. The basic quintet of Shorter, Marsalis, Hancock, Haden, and Williams was subsequently joined by the other players for a variety of musical outings. Particularly memorable were Williams' Sister Cheryl and Shorter's Silence. Bebop was furiously attacked with the changes from I Got Rhythm. Shorter's Paraphernalia, reminiscent of Miles Davis Nefertiti era, was a quote-laden piece with Metheny lending guitar definition. Pastorius' Twins was the intended closer. Missing only Akiyoshi and Rollins from the roster, the jam session to end all jam sessions stumbled its way through an embarassingly immature r&b tune that sounded more like a break song than a finale. Pastorius' singing was both pointless and ridiculous, as were most of the instrumental offerings. Kermit Scott, a local tenor player who wandered onto the stage, at least provided an honest r&b feel. At the audience's insistence, more music was delivered by Shorter and Hancock in an understated encore of ‘Round Midnight. The whole concert was taped by CBS and should be released in the spring, sans Rollins who is under contract elsewhere. =========== Mike P.S. - while I'm in nit-picking mode (as if I'm ever not....), Silence is not by Wayne Shorter, but rather by Charlie Haden.

Do tell! It's my understanding that Jaco wasn't allowed to play (or was it just to be on the record) because having him and Wayne together would be a breach of a Weather Report contract stipulation. I don't recall ever hearing anything of a private tape of this circulating, which is a little surprising given the incredible line-up and the fairly late date. Mike

I think this book will only be worth anything because of the interviews that Mercer did. Quite a few things will receive some attention that never got any before. The problem is that if Mercer can't get the basic things correct (names, dates, tunes, etc.) that *have* been known, will the reader feel confident about the new information that is being presented? As I said, those basic things should be a *given*. I certainly don't want that to be the point at which the book stops. I never said that I did. I want all the wonderful insights into Wayne's mind and spirit, I want informed musical analysis of his compositions and improvisations. Unfortunately, the musical analysis which is supposed to be included (the dustjacket says "Filled with musical analysis by Mercer" and the notes say "My musical analysis is based on study of Wayne's original scores whenever possible"), won't be found here. Then there is the thorough coverage of a very significant chunk of a career with this (p.105): During their break from Miles's quintet, his sidemen recorded some of their finest work for Blue Note: There was Herbie's Maiden Voyage and Tony's Spring, on which Wayne served as a sideman. Wayne also played on his former Messengers' bandmate Lee Morgan's The Gigolo. And between March and October 1965, Wayne made three records of his own as a leader, The Soothsayer, Etcetera, and The All Seeing Eye, which brought his total Blue Note output to six records in eighteen months. ----- A little follows on Alan Shorter, some quotes from Freddie Hubbard (saying that he had to practice Wayne's music) and Joe Chambers (discussing how Duke Pearson acted as a buffer between Lion and Wolff and the musicians and mentioning how Adam's Apple was somewhat commercial sounding), then a paraphrase of the Nat Hentoff/Shorter liner notes from All Seeing Eye. Night Dreamer and JuJu are both glossed over in the space of a single page (p. 93). So, that's six albums - seven, because Speak No Evil is NEVER discussed, just mentioned in passing (once in the Hubbard quote, where it along with All Seeing Eye are called 'some of his best records') and once related to a 1973 section (p. 154) dealing with "cause and effect" and philosophy. Eight albums, because Schizophrenia is NEVER even mentioned at all. The entirety of the Moto Grosso Feio album reference is as "Wayne's Blue Note recording from 1970 that also was released in 1974." Odyssey Of Iska gets half a page (p.139). Super Nova does get some coverage (pp. 131-133, 140, 164, 253). But come on, this is a book ON WAYNE SHORTER - is it too much to expect discussion of the records that got him his status as a great musician? Hubbard says those records are some of his [Wayne's] best records - WHY are they his best? What's good about them? There isn't a discography, not even a list of his albums included in the book. Eric Dolphy get this solitary mention: "Of course, there was a lot of experimental music around; artists like Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, and Eric Dolphy were reshaping jazz into entirely new forms." (p. 111) That's it. I was hoping to find discussion (at least *mention*) of the Freddie Hubbard album that Wayne wrote the arrangements for in 1963 - where he used a big band, a string orchestra, and a septet (Dolphy is in all three ensembles), but nope, nothing. I wasn't really counting on any discussion of the other time Shorter and Dolphy recorded together (the Benny Golson: Jazz + Pop thing). And no, Bertrand, there is NOTHING on Blakey's Golden Boy album, since I know you were wondering. Sorry folks, this is an appallingly shallow book. It may be of use to a serious biographer who can find some quotes from the original interviews. Mike P.S. - I'm gonna SCREAM! The photos (16 pages, most very nice) include the sleeve from the "Jazz At The Opera House" LP on Columbia. Here's the caption: "At critic Conrad Silvert's farewell fiesta concert in 1982, recorded as Jazz at the Opera House. Pictured (left to right) are Charlie Haden (between two unidentified men), Tony Williams, Wynton Marsalis, Conrad Silvert, Lew Tabackin, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Pat Metheny, Carlos Santana, Bobby Hutcherson, Wayne, and Herbie Hancock. The painting behind the group was collectively created by the musicians after the show." Jesus Christ - firstly, Lew Tabackin is the first of the "unidentified men" - the other is Jaco Pastorius - then the man incorrectly identified as Tabackin is pianist Denny Zeitlin. How hard can this be?!? Here's what you do: you get the damn record (CBS 38430) and you pull out the sleeve, you look at the exact same photo and you then look at the bottom of the sleeve where it correctly identifies EVERYONE and talks about the painting. BTW, there's no discussion of this concert or album, not even the mention that this "farewell fiesta" was produced by Silvert as a going-away present to/from himself because he was dying of cancer (he died about three weeks after). There's even a WONDERFUL Shorter description of the concert, from an interview when he compares it with a 1991 meeting with Miles Davis towards the end of Miles's life (which actually is mentioned at the very start of the book): From http://www.lebjazz.net/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=244 I had once experienced something similar before. There was a writer I knew, he gave a big party for himself because he knew he only had about a month to live: he had cancer. His name was Conrad Silvert and he was a very sensitive art and music critic and he died at the age of 34. He gave a big sort of "bash" and invited musicians like Sonny Rollins, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Lew Tabackin, Wynton Marsalis, Herbie Hancock, myself, Tony Williams and Sheila was there with her father and uncle. There were a lot of people there at the Opera House in San Francisco. Also some people walked on the stage when we were playing. Carlos Santana walked in and played. And this gentleman, Conrad Silvert, had a similar type of glow which came from within. After that -- I will call it like a "fiesta" he gave for himself and the others. Maybe about three weeks later he died. ========== Could have been included in the book, but alas, the opportunity was missed.

The kinds of mistakes I pointed out are things that stick out - because they're black or white. Not gray. Getting those things right is the bare minimum. If you can't be bothered to do that, I have doubts about the bigger things. If someone is going to the effort to write a book on Wayne Shorter and only Wayne Shorter, that book should be unimpeachable in terms of facts of his life. If someone wants to know when Wayne did something, that book should supply the answer. This book fails on that. The album "Africaine" (which issued Shorter's first session with Blakey) is treated as if it had been issued at the time (1959). In fact, the album didn't come out for two decades. There is no composition index. The endnotes, such as they are, only deal with quoted material, not with the sources of factual information. The index is pathetic, listing some mentioned tunes, not listing others which are mentioned in the text. Larry Kart does get a mention! But nowhere does it tell us that Mama G is the same tune as Nellie Bly, even though "both" tunes are mentioned in the text. There is some info on Alan Shorter. Haven't yet determined how much. Certainly more than in any other book. Yes, Zawinul made that comment, but how it's placed and the importance it's given is the responsibility of the author. Some context needs to be given. Describing Gulda only as "the obscure twentieth-century Viennese composer" is quite innacurate and it gives ME the impression that the author doesn't know enough about Gulda. Mike

Got the biography today. Just paging through it, my impression is that this is not a serious heavy-duty researched book. For example: Joe [Zawinul] and Wayne did manage to speak the international language of music. For Joe, their friendship was sealed when he discovered Wayne's comprehensive familiarity with classical music, even the obscure twentieth-century Viennese composer Friedrich Gulda. "Wayne and I talked about Schubert, and he could sing the lines," Joe said. "I was amazed. And then all of a sudden I began to talk about Gulda and Wayne knew about Gulda, and Wayne is younger than me! I thought, Damn, man, this guy really knows!" (p.61) ---- OK - so, I'm just not getting this. Gulda was not particularly old - he was born in 1930. So was Zawinul. Wayne was born in 1933. He wasn't particularly obscure, particularly considering that we're dealing with the jazz field, in which Gulda was dabbling - he recorded a live album at Birdland in 1956 and was quite well publicized in the jazz press. The period of time being discussed is 1958-59. What's the point here? Does the author not know about Gulda? Dates don't seem to be a priority - Shorter worked with Horace Silver in 1957, not 1958. Typos - "Benny Golsen" and errors - photo of "pianist Jymie Merritt". I believe that my Art Blakey chronology was consulted for some things - but I find no mention in the acknowledgments nor the bibliography. In other areas, it *wasn't* consulted, so we have Lee Morgan rejoining the Messengers in "late April 1964" when this happened in mid-March at the latest. BTW, if you were expecting ANY mention of Shorter-Blakey activity in 1962 or 1963, you're out of luck. We go straight from October 1961 (Mosaic) to April 1964 (Indestructible). A disappointment so far. I'm hoping it doesn't get much worse, but I remain skeptical. Shorter's involvement is certainly valuable, but I think I'm going to wish that a qualified historian were involved with this project. Mike

OK, so I'm late to the party on this, but I got it today. It's as good as everyone has said. Who's the fourth trumpeter? Credits only list Beener, Burrows, Guilbeau. Mike

I have the original magazines if the need arises. Mike

Yes - there are things missing because I don't own them and others haven't yet supplied the details. If it's not listed and you've got it, please do jump in. The Dodgion title is listed as No Trumps in the BMI database, apparently recorded under that title first with Marian McPartland (1979). I'll adjust it but I will want to ask him. OK - the Moore from December 1985 (Round Trip) was an Uptown, but what about the Ponomarev from April 1985 (Means Of Identification)? The Peter Leitch from November 1985 (Red Zone)? When was the great divide - 1987? Latest draft now online. Many thanks! Mike

I'll leave it to Larry Kart to address that since he was writing under DM's editorship - I'm looking now at a 3-page piece on "Notes And Memories Of The New Music" from the Music '69 Yearbook. It's also reprinted as the opening selection in Larry's own book. In my view, down beat had excellent coverage of the avant garde. Reviews, interviews, profiles, etc. A lot were written by people *other* than DM and I think that there's nothing wrong with that. Morgenstern's book has his own reviews of Ornette - one ends with this phrase: "What is perhaps more important is that the music of Ornette Coleman is often beautiful. It is a pity that some ears remain closed to that." (1961 - true, before he was editor of db) and there's also the review of the "Titans Of The Tenor Sax" show with Coltrane, Ayler, Rollins, Lateef, Pharoah, Zoot, Hawkins - which is not positive at all. (1966, again pre-editor). I think the bigger issue during his period as db editor might be the introduction of rock into the down beat world. Here's a response to that: Well, what kind of reaction to Newport's rock groups do you expect when you send Ira Gitler and Dan Morgenstern, Down Beat's Dixieland and Duke Ellington aficionados, to cover them? I wasn't there to draw my own conclusions, but I received no idea whatever from their typically myopic viewpoint. It became obvious from the first attack on amplifiers and from the inevitable jazz guitarist who could 'give the rockers a lesson' that neither was capable of giving an objective opinion because neither enjoyed rock for its own sake. They both tried to disguise this fact, however, with tokenism: Gitler thought that John Mayall, a commercialized tripe vendor, was 'quite pleasant,' and Morgenstern liked the Mothers of Invention, not because they were music but because they were 'satire.' Your reporters' attitude was summed up perfectly when they referred to the attending rock fans as 'human litter.' 'Leave rock where it belongs: in the circus or the kindergarten.' This is the kind of garbage that nostalgia-oriented music critics have been producing for centuries, and those of us that want to live in the present have no time for it. I hate to see an excellent music magazine blemish itself with articles such as this and Gitler's insulting review of Monterey Pop. If Down Beat is going to have anything to do with rock, it should choose its participating personnel more intelligently, or else admit that this is not its bag and pull out. Gary Milliken San Jose, Calif. -- I've been called many things, but never before a 'Dixieland Aficianado.' Ira Gitler digs Ellington, to be sure, but anyone who knows him knows that bebop is his true love. Yet we both try to be objective though we can't live up to reader Milliken's standards of objective opinion, exemplified by the lovely phrase 'commercialized tripe vendor.' If that's objective, I *am* a Dixieland nut. As for 'human litter,' I applied that non-objective opinion not to 'attending rock fans' but to the non-attending, non-anything fans milling about outside the festival, destroying property, preventing ticket-holders from access to the field, and in general making a bloody mess of things. (They succeeded, of course, in having rock barred from Newport - something Ira's and my own mild criticism could never have accomplished. With such 'fans', all no doubt, living in the present, rock needs no enemies.) And what I said about the Mothers was '*musical* satire.' We shall continue to call the shots as we hear them. - Ed. [DM] Mike

OK - latest draft-in-progress now online. Thanks to all. Mike

I gotta toss out one that I read last night on an album sleeve: "I think the eighties are going to be a fantastic period for music," says [name deleted], "and I think I'm going to be in the center of it." No, not who you're thinking. FWIW, this artist appeared on exactly 2 albums both from the summer of 1981 and NOTHING else in the 1980s (or since, I believe). Still around and playing, though. Mike

I hope you're just overlooking the July 25 session and Ruppli doesn't omit that, but even so Ruppli does have some things confused - It's A Great Day and Great Day - probably the same tune. My thought at this point is that this is the Tom McIntosh tune "Great Day" also recorded around this time by James Moody, but there are other possibilities. No mention of the issue of Loads of Love - which is very strange since people with original issues say it's on them. But that's one criticism of Ruppli's work - that he deals with the company files and doesn't check the actual records. Sadly, it could be we will never hear the unissued stuff due to the Atlantic fire. But we live in hope. Mike

Try starting here: http://www.jazzhouse.org/gone/index.php3 Mike

No one? OK - another Farmer-related question. Does the CD issue of Duke Jordan's "Duke's Artistry" on Steeplechase really omit the tune "Thinking Of You" which was on the LP version? It's the one track that Farmer doesn't play on. Discographies say it's on there but amazon, allmusic, etc. say no. Mike

Yes please - Mike

Yes! I have been living with Int'l Records News spread out in front of me for the past few days - it was a WONDERFUL publication and it remains very useful - most of their label discographies included timings and composers! I'm pretty sure I've got the whole run - only 7 issues. So the Farmer discography never got finished. Thanks to Jürgen Bliedtner, I now have a scan of a Japanese CD of Interaction that has 7 tracks (30XD-1039). Raben mentions this issue as equivalent to 1412, but does not have Loads Of Love on it, which is an error. Jürgen also included a scan of the "Art Worker" album which purports to be recorded in Frankfurt in 1968 with personnel of AF, Ernie Royal, Jimmy Cleveland, Oscar Estelle (playing as, ts, bar), Harold Mabern, Jimmy Woode, Roy McCurdy. This seems incorrect to me - for one, Estelle last recorded in 1957, last with Farmer in 1953, never on anything but baritone. Compositions have connections to record dates from 1970. I figure, while we're here - anyone know more on this? Lord and Bruyninckx swallow the whole thing, Raben mentions that Farmer may not appear on one or more tracks. Mike

Is the location and/or engineer given for this? Mike

Now that's an unexpected response. So now we're saying that "My Kind Of Love" is not on either mono or stereo original issues? I would love to hear from more owners on this - and I'd still like to know about that Atlantic Jazz: Mainstream issue. Mike

At best, Lord is just incomplete. Information was copied straight out of Bruyninckx. Now, Erik Raben has the same info for SD 1412, but different info for the Atlantic Jazz compilation, listing the SAME version of Embraceable You as on Interaction. Raben also lists the existence of the Japanese item that Marty owns. But I'm wondering whether the stereo and mono versions of 1412 were identical and find it curious that Loads Of Love would end up on a Japanese CD if it was not issued previously. Mike

OK - this is good info. Doesn't straighten things out at ALL, but it gets us on the road: Here's what's listed on the first half of the Collectables CD: Days Of Wine And Roses [6:47] By Myself [7:06] My Little Suede Shoes [5:01] Embraceable You [7:02] Loads Of Love [4:52] Sometime Ago [6:22] So what's the exact tracklist for the Japanese issue (with times, if you can)? I'm thinking that you don't have Loads Of Love on there. Correct? Next question - can anyone confirm that the version of Embraceable You that was included on the "Atlantic Jazz: Mainstream" CD 81704 is NOT the version from the Interaction album? Mike

To those who own the LP of Interaction (Atlantic 1412) - does the tune My Kind Of Love appear on it? All the discographies say yes, but it's not included nor mentioned on the Collectables 2-fer CD I own. And *if* indeed the tune is on the LP, who is the listed composer? There's a rare chance that this could be a stereo/mono issue, so please let me know which you own. Mike

Disc 2