The Magnificent Goldberg

Seems to have picked up this morning. MG

I bought "You better believe it", "On stage" and "Feelin' kinda blues" between '65 and '67 and I've loved that stuff ever since. I STILL don't think there are better examples of organ/big band than the first two of those LPs. And Teddy Edwards playing! I hadn't heard him until I heard these LPs and I became an immediate fan; he's so extremely funky and meaty and wailing - even on the ballads. And I'm still sorry that Mosaic didn't include the LP Gerald made with Les McCann. That's another example of pure fun. No one need be surprised at how well Gerald was orchestrating these pop songs. The first time I encountered his name was backing singers like Sam Cooke - if you never heard Sam sing "Cool train" with the GW orch wailing behind him (Sam could sing the blues very, very, poignantly) you're missing a great sound. Unfortunately, so am I 'cos I got rid of the single in the '60s (I think the A side was "Frankie & Johnny" also with GW). My memory insists, perhaps foolishly, that GW also arranged "Little red rooster" for Sam. He also, I think, backed up Lou Rawls and Nancy Wilson, as well as others. MG

I've just found, on Ray Bryant's "Soul", a really classic piece of offal, by someone called Rick Willard. "Ray Bryant attacks a piano like a boll weevil attacks cotton, softly with love but firmly with compassion." It's bloody heartbreaking. MG

You mean like, causes hurricanes in Iraq? MG

I don't know - one was enough for me. MG

I did that once - in 1966 - too exhilarating for now. (I had a VERY tolerant girl friend in those days.) MG

That's quite a list. Viagra? On the instalment plan! MG

Don't you mean "Fried buzzard"? Or is this a rare release with Dex guesting? MG

Oh, and I forgot Ike Quebec - Blue and sentimental Coleman Hawkins - At ease Arnett Cobb - Ballads by Cobb San "The Man" Taylor - The bad and the beautiful Hint - it is important not to allow your fingers to trace out the solos on your lady's shoulder, back or bottom. MG

Nothing can beat a big fat-sounding tenor player playing ballads and slow blues. Stan Turrentine - Blue hour Stan Turrentine - The look of love Sil Austin - Honey sax (a favourite of my wife and I many years ago) Sil Austin plays pretty for the people Houston Person - My romance Houston Person - Soft lights Houston Person - In a sentmental mood Houston Person - Blue velvet Houston Person - Sentimental journey Willis Jackson - In my solitude Gene Ammons - Nice and cool Gene Ammons - The soulful moods of Gene Ammons Illinois Jacquet - Bosses of the ballad Except The fat organ sound (!) of Milt Buckner and colleagues (Wild Bill Davis & Bill Doggett) on Midnight slows vols 1 - 10 MG

The second Ursula Rucker in three days. Number three coming in about a week, they say. These albums are the real answer to what Kenny Drew Jr was saying. To listen to these is to realise what beauty there can be in Rap and, therefore, by how much most Rap is falling short. MG

I suppose you didn't just let your glance flash down to the bottom to see who was responsible for that trot, did you? MG Sorry, I should've given credit to the authors for the very unique assemblage of words. It was written by Philippe Carles (Jazz Magazine), English translation by Gerard Rouy. Ah, good tactics: if you can't evade responsibility - share it. MG

Thornell Wilde Butch Thornell MG

I suppose you didn't just let your glance flash down to the bottom to see who was responsible for that trot, did you? MG

Well, the postman’s just come with two more bundles of goodies. The first lot, from CD Universe, contained: Melvin Sparks’ new one – Groove on up Big Jay McNeely – Live at Cisco’s – my old copy of this is unplayable so I’m really glad it’s been reissued (Pooh, only poxy little pix of this on the web.) Tiny Grimes & Coleman Hawkins – Blues groove And from an Amazon UK seller My first Ursula Rucker – Supa Sista Looking forward mucho to hearing this: Rap plus beautiful music. MG

It was Eddie McFadden at Smalls. I've always thought Thornel was a lot better than Eddie. I think Jimmy had Thornel along with him because they'd worked together, for Don Gardner, when Jimmy was woodshedding. That would give Thornel a natural advantage; he was part of the process. Which isn't to say that better players didn't come along after him. MG

I ought to get that album; it's the only PR Dex I haven't got, I think. I remember the notes from reading them in the shop when the album came out in the late '60s (in Britain). Extremely odd. Terribly well written odd. MG

There's no distinction made in the discographies between the two bands on this LP. What there is, is this: JIMMY SMITH (ORG), ERIC GALE (G), RON CARTER (B), GRADY TATE (D), OR JIMMY SMITH (ORG), THORNEL SCHWARTZ (G), BOB BUSHNELL (B), BERNARD PURDIE (D) NYC, 2 & 14 JUN 67 MERCY, MERCY, MERCY V/V6/8705 FUNKY BROADWAY VK10536, V/V6/8705 UNKNOWN TITLE UNISSUED GET OUT OF MY LIFE WOMAN V/V6/8705 MICKEY MOUSE VK10561 RESPECT VK10536, V/V6/8705 T-BONE STEAK VK10561, V/V6/8705 I wish they'd reissue this - I haven't got one. MG

She plays on James "Blood" Ullmer's "Blue blood" - Innerhythmic INR005. A great album and Amina's playing is right there. No recording date but the CD is dated 2001. MG

Phil Upchurch Combo - You can't sit down pts 1 & 2 - with Bubba Brooks on tenor and Cornell Muldrow on organ. Was this the first post-Smith jazz organ hit single? MG

A hard decision, but if it were me, I'd go for Showcase # 4 MG

And because I think he's important and overshadowed. If you want to revolutionise jazz organ playing, be sure you have an innovative guitarist alongside. Jimmy Smith revolutionised jazz organ playing, all right. And he was fortunate enough to have a very innovative guitarist alongside; Thornel Schwartz, who was born on 29 May 1927, in Philadelphia. Listen to Jimmy Smith’s February 1956 recording of “The champ”, and try to forget Smith for eight minutes and just concentrate on what Thornel is doing. Much of the time, he is producing a stream of prodding chords that amounts to a second solo behind and in support of Smith’s playing. If you try that on the live session recorded a few months later at Club Baby Grand, you get a fuller picture of the rapport between two musicians who TOGETHER revolutionised the jazz organ. Thornel studied at the Landis School of Music and made his professional debut at the age of 23 with Ernest Deaton. He later joined Chris Powell’s R&B group, then Don Gardner (for whom Smith also played at the time). He worked with Freddie Cole from 1952 to 1955, before joining Jimmy Smith. After those initial masterpieces, Thornel left Jimmy Smith and was replaced by Eddie McFadden. Sometime in the following three years he began to work with Johnny “Hammond” Smith and played on Hammond’s first two LPs “All Soul” and “That good feeling’”, recorded in 1959. Then in 1960, he was on to yet another revolutionary organist; Larry Young. OK, at the time Thornel was playing with him, Larry had not yet begun to revolutionise the jazz organ in the way he was to do a few years later at Blue Note. But all the signs were there. Between 1960 and 1962, Thornel played on Larry’s first three albums: “Testifyin’”; “Young blues”; and “Groove street”, which also featured Bill Leslie on tenor. He also played on Jimmy Forrest’s first LP for New Jazz, “Forrest fire”. He also played on Bill Leslie’s only album as a leader “Diggin’ the chicks” (with Tommy Flanagan on piano), and made his sole album as a leader “Soul cookin’”, again for Argo, on which Larry appeared under the imperfectly opaque pseudonym “Lawrence Olds”. The cover reveals Thornel as a pipe smoker, unusual among jazz musicians. And 1964 finds him working with Jimmy McGriff! He worked with McGriff from 1964 to 1966, appearing on several of his LPs, then rejoined Johnny “Hammond” Smith in 1967 for several more albums. Late 1967 found him back with Jimmy Smith, playing on Jimmy’s great album “Respect”. Next we find Thornel with Reuben Wilson, in the band Reuben called “The Wildare Express”, before Reuben got his contract with Blue Note. Yeah, and then he went back to McGriff and played on his hit album “The worm”. Then it was off to the West Coast and work with Richard “Groove” Holmes, appearing at The Lighthouse with him and on the LP recorded there, “X77”. Is there a major organist this guy didn’t work for? Yes, but not many; his next gig was with Milt Buckner! “Rockin’ again” was recorded in 1972. Sometime in the ‘70s, he made an obscure record with pianist Joe Johnson, one of only three appearances on disc without an organist (the third was with Big Joe Turner in 1967). And that was the last we hear of Thornel Schwartz. He died on 30 December 1977, aged only 50. But what a career! What an indelible contribution to Soul Jazz this man made! Here’s a list of Thornel’s post-Gardner appearances on LP. Jimmy Smith – A new sound a new star vol 1 – Blue Note BLP1512 Jimmy Smith – A new sound a new star vol 2 – Blue Note BLP1514 Jimmy Smith – The incredible Jimmy Smith vol 3 – Blue Note BLP1525 Jimmy Smith – At Club Baby Grand vols 1 & 2 – Blue Note BLP1528 & 1529 Johnny “Hammond” Smith – All soul – New Jazz 8221 Johnny “Hammond” Smith – That good feelin’ – New Jazz 8229 Larry Young – Testifyin’ – New Jazz 8249 Jimmy Forrest – Forrest fire – New Jazz 8250 Larry Young – Young blues – New Jazz 8264 Larry Young – Groove Street – Prestige 7237 Thornel Schwartz – Soul Cookin’ – Argo 704 Bill Leslie – Diggin’ the chicks – Argo 710 Jimmy McGriff – The Christmas album – Jell 1888 Jimmy McGriff – Live where the action’s at – Veep 13515/16515 Jimmy McGriff and the big band – Solid State 17001/18001 Jimmy McGriff – Let’s stay together – Groove Merchant 506 Jimmy McGriff – A bag full of soul – Solid State 17002/18002 Johnny “Hammond” Smith – Ebb tide – Prestige 7494 Big Joe Turner – Singing the blues – Bluesway 6006 Sylvia Syms (with Johnny “Hammond” Smith) – For once in my life – Prestige 7489 Byrdie Green (with Johnny “Hammond” Smith) – I got it bad – Prestige 7509 Jimmy Smith – Respect – Verve 8705 Jimmy McGriff – I got a new woman – Solid State 18030 Wildare Express – Walk on by – Brunswick 754162 Jimmy McGriff – The worm – Solid State 18045 Richard “Groove” Holmes – X77 – Pacific Jazz 20163 Milt Buckner – Rockin’ again – Black & Blue 33043 Joe Johnson – Jazz in Jersey – Darien 1723 MG

Just ordered all three of her albums. Crossing fingers. Cheapo copies from Amazon UK, so should be here next week some time. MG

And where was it I read "Flyin' home" referred to as "Flying house"? MG

Which reminds me that some Black & Blue bilingual sleeve notes used the same method; you have to read the French to understand what they're saying. MG