Christiern

The problem (well, one of them) is that RIAA--working on behalf of major record companies--admonishing young people has a hollow ring when one considers how the industry has robbed its artists for decades. I'll grant you that RIAA Rosen was a disaster, and that something definitely needs to be done about illegal downloading, but--based on the organization's history, RIAA is not the answer.

Let me see...I believe it was a day before I had dinner with Toshiko and Lew. BTW Deep is not working for an organization that rips off artists and the record-buying public. He is, in fact, a fine drummer who, undoubtedly, also is one of the RIAA's many victims. Any other questions?

Weizy, don't forget that we are often known by the company we keep!

The RIAA is, in many respects, the bane of the U.S. recording industry--a greedy organization that protects the corporate sector and largely fucks the artists.

I agree, Rooster, SNL has a history of giving mediocrity a chance.

Have Leslie Gourse do them (notice, I didn't say write) and you'll end up with a text collage that is sure to include the work of at least one of your favorite writers.

Before they even think of charging a dime, they had better spend a year or two correcting the hundreds of ridiculous errors and conflicts that make the site useless for serious research. The problem is that their database is automated--its the same sort of thing that, on Amazon, suggests that readers of my Bessie Smith biography might also be interested in Bessey Clamps from Rockler Woodworking!

The photos in the Grauer book are definitely worth having, the reproduction is not the best, however, especially on the soft cover edition. Then there is Black Beauty, White Heat: A Pictorial History of Classic Jazz, 1920-1950, compiled by Harry Lewine and Frank Driggs, published by William Morrow & Co. in 1982. Here the reproductions are better:

Jazztone was part of something called the American Recording Society. The late John Simon had a lot to do with it, I believe. I also seem to recall that the LPs were sold on some kind of a subscription basis. They once put out an album by "The Jazztone Mystery Band," which was really Harry Arnold's band, but Swedes were not supposed to have the ability to create such a big band sound--hence the "mystery." Another Jazztone album was The Discovery of Buck Hammer, which also was supposed to stump us. The liner notes were a detailed account of Mr. Hammer's life and death in undeserved obscurity, and, of course, the amazing discovery of the performances within. It was actually Steve Allen playing a lot of notes courtesy of over-dubbing. As a guest on Allen's show, Cannonball had made a remark about jazz critics being a joke. Steve decided to put them to the test, and only one caught on: Nat Hentoff, who noted that Mr. Hammer had the distinct advantage of having been born with three hands.

Jimmy Yancey -- you don't get any deeper into blues than that, and he could play them so slow that they almost ground to a halt--almost. Another one is Sammy Price--not a very nice person, but he could do the blues justice. While we're at it, how about Leroy Carr? Jelly Roll Morton's General recording of "Mamie's Blues" is also one of my favorite performances. Simply beautiful.

So, AAJ now has Heaney, Conan and Greg! That does not bode well for the otherwise excellent BBS.

It's a practical choice: A slim figure is acoustically less of a problem when one seeks a haunting sound from inside an ancient pyramid. Sizeable bellies deflect sound

Sometimes the line between must-have collecting and investment is a thin one.

It's been decades since he began the beguine, but Artie Shaw is still around, and, at 93, feisty as ever. He just received the Smithson Bicentennial Medal, which prompted the LA Times to interview him. It's an interesting interview, for example: LA Times: "What's the difference between you and Benny Goodman?" Shaw: "Well, I'm alive."

Nice interview, and good of you to bring up Chubby Jackson.

When Queen Elizabeth visited Denmark, a few years back, the government very carefully checked any elevator she would be using, taping over a sign (usually a blinking one) indicating that the elevator is "in motion." In Danish, the sign reads I FART

I posted this on AAJ earlier, but thought it might be of interest here since this is a dedicated Cannon thread. __________________________________________________ In a interview at the Plaza Hotel, NYC, November 14, 1969, I mentioned to Cannonball Adderley: Miles told me that he doesn’t like the term, “Jazz”—he thinks it’s derogatory. Cannon replied: Well, he must have been upset that day. I do think that, under certain circumstances, that term is limiting to certain music and, in other instances, it is not altogether accurate. For instance, you have been a jazz enthusiast, a collector, and a research person for many years. Well, you have a concept of what jazz is. Similarly, I have been a jazz musician for many years, and I have a concept of what jazz is—we can all stretch a point, it’s hard for me to take the Ebony Concerto as jazz, even though it was performed by Woody Herman, and at the same time, some of the records that have been released, I think, are masquerading as jazz. So, you take a jazz artist and give him a rock tune and let him make his so-called “jazz version” of the rock tune, and that’s jazz. Like years ago we came up with This Here, it’s Bobby Timmons’ tune, we played it as jazz in every respect, we have never covered any rock tunes. Every tune we have recorded that became popular started out the same as every other tune does: somebody brings in a tune and, if the band likes it, we play it, we’ve had a lot of material from guys in the band that we ddon’t play, some things that are obvious attempts to make money. Nevertheless, I do resent the concept of somebody saying if you play a tune and it becomes popular—whether it’s Worksong or This Here or Sack O’Woe, or whatever—that you have compromised in some way, because that way my compromise would be to play something far out…it’s like trying to get justification for what you do, and all we’ve ever done is play what we’ve enjoyed. We’ve had a helluva lot more misses than we’ve had connections, you know. There was a story about black music in Ebony magazine, which was…made mention of musicians, but not the music—really. Whoever the writer was, he said “The Cannonball Adderley Quintet is a great group, though they play a lot of popular songs.” I said, I wonder which song he’s talking about, Worksong or This Here, because, if it’s popular, it’s because we made it popular—see what I mean?

No, I didn't know him. I might have met him briefly when Benny assembled a band to take to Moscow (I was working for Benny backthen), but I'm not sure. Three days ago, I heard from musician friends that he had but a few days left. I am always amazed and saddened by thge fact that people like Wayne Andre can dedicate their life to the music and contribute mightily, yet remain relatively unknown--even among jazz fans. That's why I posted the sadnews of his passing. There are other like Wayne Andre--we should make it a point to pay them attention while they are still around.

WAYNE ANDRE, trombone, composer; born Manchester, CT, 11/17/31; died in NYC 08/26/03. Studied with private teacher in Hartford, CT, 1946. Attended Hartt School of Music '48-9; Schillinger House '49-50. P1ayed first professional gigs in Hart-ford with Al Lepak and William Cully. P1ayed with Charlie Spivak '50-I, then with air force band in Korean War. Upon discharge, p1ayed with Sauter-Finegan Orchestra '55; Woody Herman '56. Made recording debut with Kai Winding September '56. Attended Manhattan School of Music '58--62. Original mem-ber of Gerry Mulligan Concert Jazz Band '61. Mem-ber of CBS Staff Orchestra '61-4. Very active as freelancer. Played with Benny Goodman '61-2; Quincy Jones '62; also many recording sessions with such vocalists as Frank Sinatra; Peggy Lee; Dinah Washington; Sarah Vaughan. Toured USSR with Goodman '62. Played with Thad Jones-Mel Lewis '67; Clark Terry big band '67-8. Returned to Goodman Orchestra '78-9; also recorded with rock group Steely Dan in '70s. With Jaco Pastorious '84. Formed own group in September '84. Toured USA and Europe with Mingus "Epitaph" Orchestra '91. Taught trombone at Mannes School of Music. In recent years, Andre had become more involved in composing and arranging. In May '91 he premiered an extended work for trombone and symphony orchestra in Oslo, Norway. Favored: Urbie Green, J.J. Johnson, Slide Hampton. Polls: NARAS Most Valued Studio Player '82, '86. Festivals: many, in UK, Norway, France, Greece, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland. TV: Ed Sullivan Show w. Pearl Bailey '68. CDs: w. George Benson (A&M; CTI); Lockjaw Davis (RCA); Maynard Ferguson (Main.); Benny Good-man (London); Dexter Gordon (Columbia).; Freddie Hub-bard (CTI); Gerry Mulligan (Verve); Wes Montgomery (Verve).

Sorry to report that trombonist Wayne Andre passed last night, after a serious illness from which there was no hope of recovery. He was 71.

The funny thing is that the album was indeed titled Blue Train originally!

Most of us have favorite artists and/or genres about which we can become quite passionate. It is when that passion takes on a collector's must-have-all-of-this-or-that nature that passion is replaced by obsession. I have met collectors who probably began as genuine jazz fans but whose focus has shifted and narrowed. Some seemed more interested in obtaining a rare matrix number than in the music it identified. I guess that sort of priority shift is found among collectors in any creative arts field. Years ago, before I replaced my LP collection with CDs, a dealer from California used to pay me regular visits. He wanted Prestige albums on which the label bore a NYC address (i.e. early releases) and Riversides, Blue Notes, and other labels whose labels did not reflect some subsequent change. I told him that I was interested in the music, and nothing else, so I would only let him have albums that he could replace with a better pressing of same. He gave me Japanese releases (usually same cover and notes, but better audio) plus $30 - 50 for each. The exchange made sense to me, the reason for it didn't. As for a general decline in pop music, I think that has happened. It's easy to assume that the perceived decline is more reflective of a generation gap (and that certainly does come into play), but I really believe that audiences have become less discriminating and that their enthusiasm for certain artists is based more on non-musical considerations like heavy promotion and exposure. In other words, I think the media--with once unimagined electronic communications tools at its disposal--has a proven ability to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Some 30 years ago, I saw Wilson Pickett booed off the stage by an Apollo Theatre audience that found his performance lacking. I don't think that could happen today. Just look at Showtime at the Apollo, or its copycat equivalent, I think you will agree. Another very important factor, I think, is that record companies have changed their focus. They no longer sign and develop and artist, and those who do the signing are--for the most part--no longer people who are in it for the music. In fact, many record company decision-makers are unable to make a valid music-based choice--listen to some of the "hot" singers of today, they really can't sing! Then listen to what they are singing--it's often crap that wouldn't have gotten much beyond the reception area of a record company a few years back. But it sells, and my contention is that music has very little to do with that fact. After all, we know that pet rocks and bottles of NYC tap water have been marketable, so why not? To return to the original question, Do narrower musical tastes equal greater passion? (I presume that means passion for the music), I would say that perhaps that is the case, but I know many people whose passion takes it all in, people who are passionate about good music. The collector's mentality is a roadblock when it comes to appreciation , for it demands that one gather indiscriminately. Few artists have not made at least one or two eminently forgettable recordings--adding their failures to one's collection is makes little sense to me unless one has in mind using them for scholarly study or reference. Finally, I think the Benedetti Tapes release was the ultimate idiocy. Phil Schaap--who will let no cough or sneeze drop to the editing room floor--took collectors' mania to the max. He include eight- and ten-second snippets (Bird droppings, if you will) of no musical or historical value. Of one such snipped he wrote something like "possibly 'Lover Man'." Utterly ludicrous. That was an expensive box, but it need not have been if Schaap had assembled the material more prudently. Without the snippets and, as I recall, a passing train (is that where Ken Burns got the idea?), the box would have contained fewer discs, and the price would have been more reasonable. It would also have been a better release. The Benedetti box release was designed to appeal to the wrong kind of passion, IMHO. My 2¢ (guess I know how to stretch a penny )

I don't think one can ignore blues while listening to jazz--it's there, whether you hear it or not. As Pia Zadora once came close to saying: "Remove blues from jazz and you are removing the yolk from the egg."

I have not listeed to the CD yet, but Toshiko showed me a video of what I presume to be the same performance. It was very moving and I give it my highest (albeit somewhat biased ) recommendation.