sgcim

Don't know the facts about Hersch's supposedly extremely wealthy family background (though the Do the Math interview has him playing on some expensive pianos as a boy), but as for him never having "had to work a day in his life," fact is he has quite literally worked a great deal over the years, i.e. been paid for playing music in public for people that AFAIK were not being paid off by Hersch in return for hiring him. Is your point then that, as someone who supposedly came from a very wealthy background, he should have played all those gigs for free? Also, the account of Hersch's life circumstances that he gives in passing in that interview hardly suggests that as an adult he has been living a life of great material ease, although I suppose he could have been playing things close to the vest financially in order to preserve the size of his supposed golden nest egg. But again, what do you want him to have done? Not play professionally at all? Further, if one feels as I do that Hersch on a good day is an interesting player, why should his supposed affluence make one think less of him as musician? I was just remarking on the fact that I had a conversation with a NYC musician last week who told me that FH came from a very wealthy family. He was bemoaning the fact that he didn't have the luxury that a guy like FH had, of being able to practice all day without having to be concerned with things like making the rent, eating, etc... I was careful to make no value judgements about FH, but some of you seem to think I was inferring something about him. I was surprised that EI made no reference to the fact that FH is the heir to some great fortune as my friend said, so maybe it isn't even true. However, if you read between the lines of that interview, there does seem to be some evidence that FH must have a substantial amount of money from some source other than music. I was a little surprised of the two pianists' dismissal of a giant like Oscar Peterson, while FH seemed to proclaim many times that he himself was the most swinging pianist around today. If you're going to proclaim that about yourself, and then dismiss OP- that seems a little odd... I just did some searching on the net, and his father is Henry Hersch, an attorney.

'You do the math.'

One thing I didn't hear mentioned was something someone mentioned to me about FH recently. He comes from an extremely wealthy family, and never had to work a day in his life. This might explain his ability to book gigs for $200, and pay famous musicians $100 each, while he got nothing.

Great sound on the Berigan record. When I was in HS, I played in a kid band organized by BB's clarinet/alto player Joe Dixon, and later did many gigs and recorded with him. He was interviewed on Phil Schaap's radio show, and they played one of the recordings we made, and Phil mentioned my name on air Joe was featured with Tommy Dorsey's Clambake Seven, and was a world class clarinetist. That picture of him on the link freaks me out...

I found this book in the NYPL after searching everywhere for it. AK gives his account of his time with Dylan, The Blues Project and founding BS&T, in addition to the music scene of NYC in the 60s. The highlight is a detailed account of the first BS&T LP, "CIFTTM", and how the band decided to oust AK as he tried to oust Steve Katz. According to Kooper, they didn't think he was a good enough singer/leader, and Bobby Colomby seemed to have really despised Kooper. Some other interesting little tidbits: AK wrote "Flute Thing" for the Blues Project based on a cadenza by Kenny Burrell on "some jazz tune". He did a session for the Simon Sisters (early Carly Simon LP) with gary McFarland arranging. Jerry Weiss (whom a friend of mine tells me was seriously mentally ill, and punched him out on the stand once) told Kooper "Go fuck yourself" onstage during the encore of their last show at the Garrick Theater, and Kooper resigned after that. "The Modern Adventures of Plato, Diogenes and Freud" was about a shrink AK knew of, who was an admirer of Timothy Leary, and used drugs in his sessions, while having sex with all his female patients. "Schoolteachers, junkies, real old dudes, pimps and winos" turned up at the open audition for the horn section in BS&T.

I don't have any more info, but very sad to hear...

The strangest record GM ever made was "Butterscotch Rum" on Buddah, with Peter Smith on vocals. I was at my local used records store, and the owner is a GM freak, and he played it in the shop. I asked him, "Who the hell is this?" He said, "Gary McFarland" I said, "What???" I bought it immediately.

Thanks for the link. I'm definitely picking this one up. We could do a whole thread on jazz interpretations of folk music Jim Hall did a fantastic LP with clarinetist Bill Smith, with Shelly Manne on folk themes. John Benson Brooks also did a nice one, though I liked his "Alabama Concerto" more. Scgim, you might be interested in this Night Lights show I did several years ago: http://indianapublicmedia.org/nightlights/jazz-goes-folk/ Thanks for the link- another great Night Lights show. Keep it up!

Yes, as nice as it would be to hear OC and DC improvise in a simple, folk-based idiom, this piece was way beyond their abilities. The name of the Bill Smith LP is "Folk Jazz" with fabulous work by Smith, Hall, Shelly Manne and Monty Budwig, originally on the Contemporary Records label. I loaned it to a world-class clarinetist, and he was astounded by it.

Thanks for the link. I'm definitely picking this one up. We could do a whole thread on jazz interpretations of folk music Jim Hall did a fantastic LP with clarinetist Bill Smith, with Shelly Manne on folk themes. John Benson Brooks also did a nice one, though I liked his "Alabama Concerto" more.

I just got fined two points on TGP for writing the quote: "I don't play jazz, because it's old antiquated music that is not creative." Al Dimedouchebag (Al DiMeola). Sure, I was wrong, but it was worth it!

TTK- I heard a film score by the great Ennio Morricone the other day that had some TZJ in it. It was the Italian 'Giallo' "What Have They Done To Solange?"(1972) Every time you see the culprit's car, Morricone writes this psychotic theme that features two electric bass players walking a bass line composed of harmonically dissonant intervals, and then he sprinkles some 'out' piano and winds on top of it. Priceless...

Wow, Billy Bean and the 'other' Johnny Williams on piano! Thanks, Brownie- you da man!!

GM did a whole slew of EL LPs in the 60s, most of them with his fellow druggie Sam Brown on guitar. I know nothing about the other guys in the group (Donald McDonald? -drums), but when I found out GM's fellow recording artist Gabor Szabo was a junkie, I knew something was funny about that GM group on the Skye label. Sure, GM might have been poisoned in that bar, but would you take drugs that you found in a bag left behind by someone in a bar?

I thought I posted this already, but FK is worth a double post. He even appeared in my fave movie of all-time, "The Sweet Smell of Success", and wrote some of the tunes the Chico Hamilton Quintet played. That folk song LP is great- does anyone know the personnel? RIP, Fred.

KCR just played a live performance SR did with Soskin, Cranshaw and Al Foster on drums. I don't know if it was ever released, but I hope not. Maybe he had a bad reed...

I'll take the Giants every week up to the superbowl, which of course they'll win also.

While we're on the topic of Herbie Mann's sidemen, I once saw a Live album he did with Joe Puma on guitar in a record store. In the liner notes, which Herbie wrote, he wonders whatever became of Puma. Does anyone have any idea which LP this was?

I think the world became a far better place when Lou Mecca decided to become a chiropractor and put down his guitar... "Guitar Sounds From Lenny Breau" "The Jazz Guitar of Joe Puma" Joe Puma- "Shining Hour" "Intermodulation" Jim Hall and Bill Evans

I was surprised to find the Eddie Costa Quintet LP now listed under either Art Farmer or Phil Woods' name.

I grew up with the TS in HIFI LP. One side was a live recording where they play their asses off, but the sound was bad. Still, there's primo blowing by TS, Dick Katz, Milt Hinton and Osie Johnson.Katz plays a very swinging chorus on "Yesterdays" using as few notes as possible. The other side was an excellent studio session, with Scott doing his Ben Webster thing on ballads ("Waterfront", "Goodbye")., and that 'liquid' sound he got on legato passages. He and Katz were a perfect match. TS was at his peak back then. It was all downhill after that...

Oops, I was off by a decade. RIP EM...

As a result of that lameass NYPL record sale a few weeks ago (well, I did score an Ellie Seigmeister Flute and Clarinet Concerto LP for a buck), I wound up getting a NYPL card, and scored a slew of Jazz Icon DVDs that are incredible. Among them was Jimmy Smith Live in '69 with Eddie McFadden on guitar. Sadly, I learned that EM passed in 2002 at age 65 in Philly. Did he ever get a chance to make any records as a leader?

How could you not respect a woman whose very name mentioned (AG) would cause Frankie Dunlop to exclaim, "The golden showers- the golden showers!