RJ Spangler

R.J. SPANGLER’S BLUE FOUR: You Know I Can’t Refuse – The Bill Heid Sessions Eastlawn Records ELD-019 (46:13) Ninety Nine/ Red Cherries/ Baby Let’s Go Down To The Wood/ Too Much Jelly Roll/ Failing By Degrees/ Boogie For Mr. B/ Piney Brown Blues/ Times Getting Tougher Than Tough/ I’m Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town/ You Know I Can’t Refuse/ Meet Me Baby The is the first CD from Detroit-based drummer Spangler's Blue Four, in collaboration with keyboardist Bill Heid it mixes r&b, swing, and blues. In addition to Spangler on drums and Heid on keys, the quartet includes Pat Prouty on string bass and Keith Kaminski on sax. Trumpet and baritone sax are added on several cuts and Detroit guitarist Johnnie Bassett is featured on three tracks. Pianist/singer Bill Heid and drummer R.J. Spangler are veteran blues/jazz musicians; they’ve been playing music together for about 25 years, all over the USA and Europe. Bill Heid grew up digging jazz, blues, and doo wop in his native Pittsburgh, while Spangler hails from Detroit. Except for Heid’s composition ‘Boogie For Mr. B’, all of the songs are covers of numbers that R.J. and Bill perform regularly on gigs. Standout cut for me has to be their cover of Sonny Boy Williamson’s ‘Ninety Nine’; with Heid really digging in on piano, a super chorus from Bassett and fine stickwork from R.J., it really is a belter! There is a brace of Floyd Dixon compositions, ‘Red Cherries’ and ‘Baby Let’s Go Down To The Wood’. Hinting at early Ray Charles, ‘Red Cherries’ is a funny, slightly risqué number, while ‘Baby Let’s Go Down To The Wood’ is a wee hours of the morning slowie. There is also two Jimmy Witherspoon compositions on board, ‘Failing By Degrees’ is in the same vein as ‘Going Down Slow’: ‘Well I’m failing by degrees and I know my time ain’t long, well my breath is getting shorter and my strength is almost gone’ – I know the feeling partner! ‘Times Getting Tougher Than Tough’ is probably one of Witherspoon’s best-known compositions, and so relevant today. The instrumental ‘Boogie For Mr. B’ is a showcase for Heid’s top notch piano playing. Also recommended are a lazy take on Pete Johnson/Joe Turner’s ‘Piney Brown Blues’, with bluesy sax from Kaminski and growly trumpet from James O’Donnell, and a bouncy ‘You Know I Can’t Refuse’ (with Bassett reprising his guitar part from the original release by the Five Dollars [Fortune 826]). Ending with a swaggering, bouncy run through Rudy Green’s Chance waxing ‘Meet Me Baby’, with a bluesy, boppish chorus from Kaminski. Throughout R.J. displays his perfect time keeping, without resorting to theatrics, and Heid is a truly superb piano player and pretty decent singer. This is a release worth investigation. <http://eastlawnrecords.com/> Phil Wight Blues & Rhythm Magazine (UK)

My CD is starting to get some air-play! WHFR, WEMU, WRCJ & WCMU here in Michigan are are all giving us some love. Looking toward the west: KMFB, KTDE, KMEC, KTEP, KHUM, KCSM & KRVM. Midwest to the eastcoast: WHDD, WNTI, WVBR, WRTB & WPKN. Not a bad start!

Chuck, I am fairly new around here -- how does onepurchase Vonski Speaks? I did a web-search and didn't find a Nessa web-site. I used to have a Roscoe Mitchell LP that I was on your label that I bought in the 70's, also Lester Bowie Numbers 1 & 2. I bought them in Ann Arbor I think? I'd still have it but my crib burned down.

I read the Jazztimes cover story on Matt and apparently Andrew D'Angelo is on several of Matt's CDs and they are old friends and yes, he is dealing with a serious illness.

I was in the audience for that concert as well. I remember Steve Wood was also in the sax section, maybe Dan McAllister on bone, after that, its foggy. Swain of course was on bari. Do you remember the woman vocalist, who came out to sing "I'm Beginning to See The Light", but was overcome with stage fright? No, but I could ask Swain.

I was in the audience for that concert as well. I remember Steve Wood was also in the sax section, maybe Dan McAllister on bone, after that, its foggy. Swain of course was on bari. I was in the audience for that concert as well. I remember Steve Wood was also in the sax section, maybe Dan McAllister on bone, after that, its foggy. Swain of course was on bari.

I just ordered Pee Wee Erwin's autobiography "This Horn For Hire" used from Amazon as well as "Thirty Years With the Big Bands" ~ thanks for pulling my coat! I finished the Kaminsky book, which I found an easy read. His perspective concerning the boppers coming along after the swing era was quite interesting.

I listened to a bit of "Ms. Garvey, Ms. Garvey" on Jason's myspace -- yeah, groovy is right. Nice.

http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RJSpanglersBlueFour <~ now available as a down-load.

Is Vincent Chandler on trombone?

Very odd looking covers to say the least.

I did the pledge-drive thing for WEMU and Mike Jewett played "Clpa Yo Hands" as I was leaving Ann Arbor, heading back to the funky D on Thursday (Oct 22).

Duke was set up by two Memphis DJs - Bill Fitzgerald & James Mattis - in 1952. They recorded Johnny Ace, Rosco Gordon, Bobby Bland and Earl Forrest. But they ran into cashflow problems within ten months when their distributors sat on the invoices for Ace's "Our song". Bill Fitzgerald took a runout powder and Don Robey bought the firm from Mattis in 1953. But in that short a time, they made some terrific records with future giants. MG That is right! For more, read "The Late Great Johnny Ace: the transistion from r&b to rock 'n' roll"" by James M. Salem (University of Illinois Press).

Gene Nobles was the DJ that Johnnie Bassett often mentioned -- thanks!

Yeah, that is set I have -- I'd like to get the one on Bear Fam. I have their Louis Jordan box and their Buddy Johnson box -- both must have's!

I am hip to that box set -- I have the two CD set with a similar name and content. Johnnie Bassett, a great Detroit blues guitar master has mentioned Randy's Record Shop, but it was the sponsor of an R&B show he'd listen to on the radio -- right now the name of the DJ escapes me. Was there also a radio program named after his record shop? Johnnie told me that he often sent away for records from Randy.

Thanks for the heads up -- I just ordered "Drew Page's: Drew's Blues: A Sideman's Life with the Big Bands" from Amazon -- $5.77 including shipping! I'll be interested to hear what you think of it. Like I said, hardly an essential jazz classic, but interesting reading. gregmo I find many of the lesser known cats to be very interesting! I finished the Mike Zwerin book and started Max Kaminky's book yesterday.

Thanks for sharing that Mark

Sounds interesting. I've never heard of it either. But if Chuck Nessa is listening to it, that's a good recomendation to say the least! I saw Phillip Wilson a number of times with Braxton -- he was always so swingin' -- very earthy. What a vibe. We always thought it must be that St Louis grit. I just found this disco: http://www.discogs.com/artist/Phillip+Wilson The late Johnny Dyani, another great loss. He made some beautiful records: http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&a...0ifexqt5ld0e~T1

Thanks for the heads up -- I just ordered "Drew Page's: Drew's Blues: A Sideman's Life with the Big Bands" from Amazon -- $5.77 including shipping!

I found the Strayhorn book very informative.

<~ here is a clip of us recording the CD. This is Bill Heid Playing "Alfredo" -- a track that wasn't used on the CD.

Steve -- you've certainly read some interesting books! I totally agree about not just reading biographies. Over the years I've read books like "Honker's & Shouters" by Arnold Shaw, the ultimate reference to jump style jazz & blues, as well as "Rhythm & Blues" by John Broven, "Central Ave Sounds" -- the best introduction to Central Ave jazz, blues and R&B in LA plus several books about Kansas City & New Orleans jazz. Last year I read George Lewis's giant book about the AACM. My interests are broad to say the least! I am particularly fond of the more obscure biographies by maybe lesser known cats (Doc Cheatham, W.O. Smith, Clyde Bernhardt, Louis Smith, Danny Barker, Cousin Joe, etc). Swing era guys seem to my favorites but not exclusively. Currently I am reading "The Parisian Jazz Chronicles" by Mike Zwerin (Yale University Press).

Do any of you read about the lives of jazz artists? I have been into this for many years (like 30 or so a year). I just finished "Hot Man: The Life Of Art Hodes" by Art & Chadwick Hansen (University of Illinois Press). I learned a lot about very early jazz & blues. Right now I am reading a book by Mike Zwerin (Yale Press), which is quite different from the previous book. So what are you reading these days?