garthsj

Maybe some of these guys where playing when you where there. Cecil Ricca, a great drummer, another guy called Merton Barrows (not sure of the spelling) on vibes, and a great jazz guitarist from Jo-burg Johny Fourie came down to jam with the guys, in jazz terms it was "the good old days"

Well UBU, since you asked .... I had just turned 18, and was trying to stay alive with a day job while I pursued the futility of trying to be a professional actor ... an irony which may be lost on anyone who did not live in Cape Town in 1958. I was lucky enough to work in the only professional theatre in the city at the time, doing the usual kinds of parts that apprentice actors do ... but the was not enough to keep me alive. George Kussel, one of the real pioneers in Cape Town jazz, and the first real "beat" I had ever encountered, (he was way ahead of his time, affected dark glasses, and played a fine bass), managed the musical instrument department at Bothners, a large music and appliance store. When George heard that I was in need of work, he offered me a job selling instruments. As a budding alto and clarinet player, this was a natural for me, so I jumped at the chance the earn the money to "escape" South Africa. In the six months I was there I sold reeds, sheet music, music stands, saxophone slings, and every now and then, a major instrument. (Bothners were the Selmer representative in Cape Town, and I took advantage of my employment there to acquire a Selmer Mark VI alto at an employees discount). I had met Hugh Masekela when he first arrived in Cape Town, and he was just a year older than I was. He hung around the budding jazz scene, and was encouraged to "sit-in" whenever the chance presented itself. His technique was still pretty raw, and his grasp of harmony was rudimentary, but clearly, in a natural Chet Baker kind of way, this was a talent waiting to spring forth. I have forgotten the precise details, but his instrument at the time was a rather beaten up school model which he had brought from Johannesburg with him. George Kussel, ever the encourager of impoverished black musicians, told Hugh to come and see him about a new instrument. George and I worked out a great deal for Hugh in advance, and I did all of the paperwork for the "installment purchase". I will never forget the look at Hugh's beaming face when he walked out with a shiny new trumpet. Hugh went to England a year later on a scholarship to the Guildhall School of Music. The rest, as they say is history, and I often wondered as I followed the development of his career how long he kept that instrument. (My ex-wife got tired of hearing me tell this story every time his name was mentioned, which it was frequently in those days....) The story had an interesting positive twist for me. I left for England a few weeks later, and one of my great surprises as I struggled financially in London was to receive an unexpected check for my six months of commission earned at Bothners, including that for Hugh's trumpet ... allowing me to survive for another few months ... I had better get off the nostalgia wagon for the rest of the day ... this can be emotionally draining... I just missed Bud Shank's visit by a few months ... but I do have my Tony Scott stories ...

This is a story I have kept to myself for more than forty years.. because no one would be really interested, except maybe now this astute group. I grew up in Cape Town, and became an ardent jazz fan by the mid fifties ... when there really wasn't that much jazz around, but the scene began to bloom, and many a grand night was spent at Dave's Jazz Club on the weekends. I found it hard to understand why my parents were so reluctant to let me as a 15 year old stay out until 2 a.m. when the music just started grooving.. but that is another story..). Between 1955 and 1958, even though there was very little jazz on the radio, small groups of us began to share those rare import albums that we purchased at great expense, and these "listening groups" helped to spread the interest in jazz. Local musicians with jazz talent began to emerge, and by 1957-58 the scene was in full swing in Cape Town. However, this being the heygay of apartheid, most of the music was still played by segregated groups ..in public. But the "private" scene was something else ... and that is where I encountered some of the great South African musicians featured on the two volumes of "Jazz In Africa" ... however, Kippie Moeketse, who was notoriously shy, never ever made it to Cape Town from Johannesburg before I left in 1958. I was lucky enough to hear him just once, in a private after hours session in Johannesburg in 1957, and he was.. well... different from what I had been listening to .. that is Art Pepper, Paul Desmond, Bud Shank, etc. and was much more in the Jackie McLean mold, blowing just hard enough to be out of tune, but in the African musical tradition that was not a crime. If you listen closely to the two Jazz in Africa albums you can hear the strong African "kwela" influence in his playing .. more notes than one would expect; little frills and embellishments, and playing around with the rhythm constantly .. I love it, and for me it is still a very moving experience to listen to this music that is an essential part of who I am. Even as a white South African, who left there in 1958, I still carry this music with me.... Later I may tell you the story of how I sold Hugh Masekela his first professional trumpet.. Garth, Houston.

UBU, I have the Mosaic box myself, because I like those Norgran sides Ventura and Phillips did (I once owned a 10" Collates" Norgran for both artists), but given that these Proper Boxes can be purchased for anywhere from $16-$21, I would highly recommend it ... and the other Proper Boxes too as either primary or as "automobile" albums .. .. The one thing wonderful about the Proper set is that it exposed me lots of new things I had never heard before, like his sides for National and Black & White. I love "discovering" stuff like this, featuring then young lions like Charlie Kennedy, Red Rodney, Tony Scott, Billy Bauer, Clyde Lombardi, Bill De Arango, Bill Harris, Ralph Burns, Kai Winding, Shelly Manne, etc. etc. .. a whole pantheon of modern jazz's "up-and-comers.." So .. for less than $20 a wonderful trip down forgotten byways during that fascinating era on the cusp of bop.. 1945-47. My advice -- go for it! While there is some overlap with the Mosaic set, it is less than one CD's worth, and the final disk has the complete Pasadena 1949 concert in one place for the very first time .... Joop Visser's excellent notes in the Proper Box note that "Charlie was hyped by the jazz critics as a true apostle of bebop, while in fact Charlie was a swing musician with a big sound and great technical skill, who in reality was the odd one out in his own Bop For The People combo." A realistic assessment I would suggest .... Garth, Houston.

I first encountered Charlie Ventura when I was a teenager and heard him on the JATP sides, especially with the Krupa Trio. One of the very first 12"LPs I ever bought was his 1949 Live Concert recording.. the famous Pasadena Concert, and this sold me on Charlie, as well as Conte Candoli, Boots Mussulli, Benny Green, and Jackie and Roy! I am surprised that no-one has mentioned this recording, because it is IMHO one of the most enjoyable of all live concert recordings in the history of modern jazz .. "BOP FOR THE PEOPLE," indeed! It holds up amazingly well today, and the genuine excitement in the audience is quite palpable. And now through the generosity of the Proper Box people, both halves of the concert are available in one place ... still essential listening. For the price, I would recommend the 4-CD Proper Box set as a great way to appreciate Ventura in all of his facets.. he has been vastly neglected in the evolution of modern jazz. Garth, Houston.

I am pleased to see that others agree with me about DeFranco's playing.. especially on "The Bright One".... To answer some questions.. YES, I have the new DeFranco biography (how could I, as his "greatest living fan" not get it?); it is a great read, and beautifully put together. Is it worth the money? .. Well, one of my own books currently sells for $45 new, and it is just a textbook, so how can I be objective. It costs money to publish specialized books .... And, second, the Defranco "Jazz of Giants" CD from Italy is a wonderful compilation which serves as my current "automobile" Defranco source. I am in a dilemma ... I own the DeFranco and Shorty Rogers Mosaic sets, both of which go for BIG $$$'s ... but my sets are LP sets, and I have essentially liquidated my entire collection of about 7,000 LPs (my albums currently being sold/auctioned by Euclid Records in St. Louis). Is there anyone out there who is still an avid vinyl freak would like a straight-up exchange for these two sets on CD? I refuse to sell them until I can assure myself of having them available on CD. I may have to resort to having someone make great quality CD-R's for me, and high quality Xerox copies of the booklets. ...AAAH! The joys of being a collector ...... see Harvey Pekar's take on this ..... Garth, Houston.

As Buddy DeFranco's greatest living fan (I purchased my first DeFranco 78 when I was 11!!), I just want to point out that the cut of "The Bright One" contains probably the best "bop" clarinet playing ever! DeFranco reels off chorus after chorus of the most amazing clarinet playing you have ever heard ... together with "Titoro" this reveals DeFranco's advanced harmonic concepts, way ahead of most other contemporary bop musicians. Unfortunately he has never received his due in the regard, although Charlie Parker did recognize this aspect of DeFranco's playing. DeFranco is a true JAZZ GIANT! ..... and he continues to amaze even today ... Garth, Houston.

I want to warn all of the folks on here that the Buddy DeFranco/SonnyClark set on Mosiac is one of the worst they ever put out. Under no circumstances should any of you even bother to bid for this set...a total waste of your money .. Garth, Houston.

These wish lists always interest me. First because I have so many of my own "wishes"; and second, because so many of these dream sets have already been granted, but people still want them all neatly collected in some convenient way. For example, most, if not all, of Art Farmer's work on Prestige is available as individual CDs. (BTW, any Milt Jackson/Lucky Thompson set would have to include the sides from the Atlantic release, "Plenty, Plenty Soul," .. a vastly underappreciated album.) My own wish list: 1.Mike Fitzgerald would appreciate that there is still a great deal of Buddy DeFranco material from Verve that is worthy of several boxes..... and now that Verve also owns MGM, how about all those fugitive 78's Buddy did for them in the late 40s and early 50s ... with the Blakey/Drew quartet, and the very elusive big band sets?) 2. I would to have, once again, John Lewis's "Orchestra U.S.A." material? What a great "select" this would make. 3. .. a "guilty pleasure" .. the complete "Jazz Studio" series on Decca... with the "Jazz Lab" series thrown in to complete all of the John Graas sides ... ... there is just too much to list everything I would like to have on CD... Garth, Houston.

Thanks P.D. Ah Yes!... Ben Webster is the tenor on "Sweets" .... I wonder why this terrific album has not been reissued? ... it is the best of the Verve Edison's IMHO. Giuffre's playing on "Ellis in Wonderland" includes several clarinet takes as I do recall .. and another prime candidate in the reissue stakes. Garth.

All of my books and discographies are packed up while I am going through a major renovation, so I can't provide the essential details... but as I recall Giuffre had two lovely appearances on albums by Harry "Sweets" Edison ("Sweets"), and Herb Ellis ("Ellis in Wonderland") on Verve, neither of which have been reissued on CD, in this country at least. Anyone out there confirm this information? I may be wrong on my titles ... it has been some time since I sold all of my LPs... Garth.

One Mosaic box that I have been dreaming about for a long time is "The Complete Orchestra U.S.A. Recordings". Such a box would require cooperation from several different labels, but should be quite feasible. John Lewis's efforts deserve to be preserved and honored.