fasstrack

Decided to use the blog to write short, to-the-point sketches of musicians I've know and what made them special as people and players. I'll try to add more about Chris once I figure out how to edit the damn thing. Meanwhile, enjoy. http://thereflectingmusician.blogspot.com/2012/01/chris-anderson-remembered.html

A great one-day read: The World in a Phrase (John Geary). It's about aphorisms, with great sample one-liners and informative bios of their authors (from the Confucians to modern times). I really recommend this. In the past several months also read and loved: Pete Hamill's Flesh and Blood; Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye. For any songwriters or lovers of song, do yourselves a favor and grab anything by Sheila Davis. She's a foremost thinker on the subject IMO.

Pat desewrves his own thread. Great player, great guy. I used to jam with him and Eddie Diehl. He was a hell of a tenor player (not well known) and doubled on Fender bass.

I think you mean MJT+3, led by Walter Perkins. It was indeed Chicago-based. Personnel of the original group: Paul Serrano (trumpet), Nicky Hill (tenor saxophone), Muhal Richard Abrams (piano), Bob Cranshaw (bass) and Walter Perkins (leader, drums). They recorded for Argo in 1957; the album was released on CD in Japan and recently reissued with Paul Serrano's album Blues Holiday on a "2LPs-on-1CD" by Fresh Sound. Later MJT+3 personnel: Willie Thomas (trumpet), Frank Strozier (alto saxophone), Harold Mabern (piano), Bob Cranshaw (bass) and Walter Perkins (leader, drums). They recorded for VeeJay in 1959-1960; those recordings were reissued on CD by Koch. That's it! Thanks. Pianist Burt Eckoff played it for me and it knocked me out. In fact, he first played Long Night for me, also Chris Anderson's Inverted Image. He was tight with Chris. (Later Chris and I became friends too---through Barry Harris's Jazz Cultural Theater---and I played with him a few times, including--I'm proud to say---at his request. I remain a huge admirer, especially of his rubato ballad playing. On Long Night, and generally back then he played with more groups). On reflection I would put Long Night, the players on it, and especially the material into a category of jazz Romanticism: a very lyrical approach to playing that still swung. I saw him during that period and thought it was one of the best sets I'd ever heard. Made me realize that a lot of great jazz men were not well known but could still knock you out. Clarence C. Sharpe was another one---and personally beloved by all us NY musicians. He was special, a passionate player.

I think the original title was Fantastic! I remember Wynton Kelly and, if I'm not mistaken, Booker Little being on it. There was a title with 'robin' or some other bird in it---one of his tunes. Very nice stuff. BTW, supposedly Cannonball Adderley either brought Strozier to Riverside or championed him in some other way. He knew what he was doing, b/c Frank Strozier was playing as much alto as anyone in jazz in the early '60s. There was another group, Chicago-based, I believe, that he was in. Some acronym+a number was the name. (It had J for jazz in it.) That was a hell of a group, too. I think Walter Perkins was in that, too---maybe. I remember calling Strozier's home in Yonkers once to tell him how much I liked Long Night. I'm sure he was playing only piano by then and not gigging out except on that instrument. His wife or lady answered and seemed touched, saying he'd be glad to hear it, so she apparently told him---and I felt good that she did.

Does anyone know this? It came out around '62 on, I believe, Jazzland. Besides Strozier in great form there's: Chris Anderson, Bill Lee, George Coleman, Pat Patrick, Walter Perkins. Highlights IMO: the ballads Happiness is Just a Thng Called Joe, The Man That Got Away---also Chris Anderson's chord solo on Strozier's The Need for Love---used to give me chills. One criticism: the terrific program could have been even better if Strozier had a better handle on arranging. His tunes are very nice, but a bit marred by inexperienced 3 saxophone writing (too high and shrill sounding on the title cut, a blues. The same effect would've been had in a lower key and eadier on the ears). It's a great recording, though, with some of my favorite people. Strozier and cast play their collective ass off.

You're welcome. I'll add more as time allows. Maybe I'll put some stories about Bill and others on a blog.

Thanks for this. Bill was my friend, teacher, and one of three great men I was able to interact with and study in my own life. I think Bill, like many idealists, wanted the world---and music business particularly---to be the way he wanted it to (meaning real art and people to be appreciated and creative people renumerated fairly). That's rarely the case and Bill had a bit of a problem with that perhaps. He wasn't bitter---he was the warmest of guys---but he, at least privately---spoke his mind about shallow, stupid music, certain arrangers he didn't have much respect for, and especially what he felt to be the idiotic values of the nation ('a nation of barbarians' he once called us), and (with special relish) then president George W. Bush. When he did respect someone he would voice that just as strongly. The composers (outside of classical music) he raved to me about most often were Billy Strayhorn and Alec Wilder. Players were Bob Brookmeyer (he liked his writing too), Jim Hall, Jimmy Raney, Joe Puma---and naturally all the Sauter-Finegan crew. Sauter-Finegan lost a lot of money and had to stay on the road to pay back advances from various agents and promoters. They also had to create a dance book on the fly---literally in hotel rooms in strange cities) because the big-band audience (what was left of it) mostly wanted to dance, not hear brilliant and often hilarious orchestrations that sometimes featured glockenspiels and kazoos. But they could write so quickly and well they did create a dance book---although it never really got them out of debt, just perhaps more palatable to the public. One interesting reflection I could put forward from a conversation between us speaks volumes about not only Bill's regard for Sauter, but also his modesty: I asked him who wrote what (because I was a student of their styles, especially his, and wanted to know), Bill, with no further elaboration, simply said 'We wrote them together'. (edited for grammar. JF)

I THINK THAT LINK IS TROUBLESOME. GO TO WWW.BLOGSPOT.COM AND PUNCH IN 'THE REFLECTING MUSICIAN'.

I dunno. There's good Kenton and bad (pompous) Kenton. The fact that he would record something as career-suicide fodder as Bob Graettinger's City of Glass shows something. Not sure what that is, though. Cojunes? Probably. But no one else was running after Graettinger, that's a given. And Kenton always had top musicians. My reservation personally would be all that bombast and noise---sound and fury. Compare Kenton to, say, Thornhill---never bombastic, in his own writing, and certainly not in that of Bill Borden or Gil Evans. With Kenton the trumpets were always twice as loud as the reeds. Kenton obviously wanted that, you can't blame the writers---they were aces, too. He also seemed to want to prove that swing didn't matter all that much. But, at least according to Art Pepper's Straight Life, when Kenton left early the band would bring out all the really swinging charts---perhaps partly in rebellion. There just was too much talent, too much good music made by great players and writers in the tremendous volume of work left behind to say Kenton doesn't deserve a place in music history. He wasn't hiding, had to have something to do with that---probably a lot. He definitely earned his place in that history.

His was a great life. I loved the characters in The Bass Saxophone (which appeared in other works), and his calling out the hipocracy of the Czech regime before and after the Prague Spring was courageous. It also 'earned' him exile to Canada. He kept his gadfly voice alive for many years, commenting often on human rights---and lack thereof. One can read his writings on his still-active homepage: www.josefskvorecky.com A unique voice has been stilled.

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fthereflectingmusician.blogspot.com%2Fb%2Fpost-preview%3Ftoken%3DtEnW-TQBAAA.O2DF9frUxV9g_YwusuamPA.NMFY7F-QhlPp_I7pWtxVvg%26postId%3D7945856239356015664%26type%3DPOST&h=XAQE_znP5AQEqSVhXPrI7ksuZvroF1kDgISaEDC8gugH6kA It's free so why the hell not. I started with a short 'chorus' and hope to dig deep as I go and get people thinking, feeling, reacting. You can comment there, here, or email me. Or pass on it altogether

Did Phil Schaap's dad work on a translation of one of Delaunay's works, or some other project? In one of Schaap's blathering sessions officialy called Bird Flight I remember coming out of my Schaap talk-induced stupor when he mentioned that dad had something to do w/promoting a Charlie Parker event in France and also acting as translator. Anyone know

Serious question: What became of son guitarist Shuggie Otis? He got some play years ago, then the press seemed to drop him like he had a disease. Anyone know his doings? He seemed pretty talented.

I know about that guy. Thank G-d I'm better looking. Maybe his face is fat from eating good, though. There's also a Joel Fass who's head of, I believe, the Cemetary Committee of a wealthy synagogue on L.I. I guess some names, like some guys, have all the luck...

I got the CCRB notification of my case today. It refers to the 'Office of the Chief of the Department' then abbreviates it---honest injun'---OCD. It mispelled my name as Sass, (could that be more ironic if you've followed this?) but did get the gist of my complaint right. So we'll see..........

I could have handled it better for sure, Valerie. I said that a few times here. I feel your pain. I just did a door gig....

He'd never miss another opportunity to break balls. Anyway, I'm getting ready for my music to be presented at 4 at Smalls, and want to think better thoughts. Check in with y'all later.........

My feelings now are inbetween Allen's and Leeway's. Like the little angel on one side of a guy's head and the little devil on the other--in those old movies. With perspective I'm getting closer to Lee's view, though. It is disconcerting the low general quality of those charged with protecting the indigent. That's not theory, but based on actual everyday incidents and I don't care to go into more detail. It cuts the other way, too: there are a lot of bad people in a bad way, working the system to get over while being lowlife predatory thugs at every opportunity. A lot of bigger fish out to devour smaller ones, and the innocent poor need protection too. So the issue of who's watching the store and what they're about is a huge one.

If I would have been more like them and kept my salty mouth shut and went along with the guy (made him feel in control, which is what he wanted) it never would have happened. Not to excuse him, but there are certain bulls you don't wave red flags at. There used to be this really cool therapist guy named Albert Ellis. He wrote a series of very useful books on getting along with neurotic/crazy people. You pretend, he opined, to agree and go along with them and do what you have to in the process. I think that very wise and it's easy to make the leap of faith into this situation. I did one public session with the guy and he was really an amazing character. I think I'll get his books now and pay attention. The 'Ragin' Cajun' (I forget his name now---CRS---)also spoke of 'kissing ass' to get what you want. My brother is always amazed at how I always get traffic tickets and he always gets out of it by kissing the cops' asses. I get worked up, and that can get you killed, or at least more tickets. Also, having been through extreme poverty for some time I have learned that at times you need services provided by that safety net and you are glad it's there for you until you get on your feet. The guardians at the doors, however, are not always good people or members of MENSA. But they have power and can hurt you. I was a lot stupider than I needed to be, though what the guy did was way wronger, and really scary. And Allen, not having met you, I wonder, frankly, if you maybe have a mouth like I do---not my most endearing attribute ,as I'm saying here. Maybe I'm wrong, like I said we haven't yet met. But I've come to that realization for myself at least. My buddy James Chirillo always said 'it's always a good time to keep your mouth shut'.

Agreed. Enough tsuris.

I'd very much like to pursue that. So far no no will do this pro bono. I think the fact that I was merely cuffed and shaken up but not beaten makes it less 'sexy' for someone trying to make a name. Maybe a class action suit with others who were mistreated? Civil rights charges? I thought publicity would be a good way to go also. So far no word from a prominent member of the left press who said he was very interested and to fax him the story (I did). My other contact, an actual famous journalist friend---not flavor of the week here if you want to guess who, and that's as far as I'll go b/c I did not ask permission to use his name---did call his editor at the number one NY tabloid. No response. This kind of stuff happens every day---and way worse. Aside from me being pissed off and feeling violated (revenge is a lame motive) my thought in taking legal action is so guys like this will think twice and maybe i can spare someone else the ordeal. That's a tall order, though. If interested and qualified parties sign on that's one thing. I think it's more realistic to show up in court, beat the charges (they are less than misdemeanors anyway) and move on. This asshole already has, bet on that. Life is what it is, it is not fair. Who needs the aggravation?

Thank you, I would add intelligence and purpose to those descriptors, b/c not only was he a composer and master of the orchestra, but his playing was compositional, much like that of the man whose shoes he stepped into leading what's now the Vanguard Orchestra, Thad Jones. Adaptable indeed! Everything from piano duos with Bill Evans to scoring for, and playing valve trombone with, big bands. Absolutely ! To me he was the epitome of the ideal 'mainstream' musician - along with Clark Terry. The Verve albums are definitely worth checking out - 'Gloomy Sunday' and '7xWilder', which I will put on the system a bit later. Crazy that that one has never been reissued on CD ! Also try (I think it's called) the Dual Role of Bob Brookmeyer, where he plays bone and piano. The other featured performer is the great Jimmy Raney. There's also Street Swingers (also called Hot Buttered Noodling) also doubling on piano and valve bone. With Raney, Jim Hall, Osie Johnson, and Bill Crow. Both wonderful.

As it happens I'm a Jew......Done!

My feeling now is nothing will be done about this. I'll have to go to court, probably be reprimanded and fined for my 'crimes'. The guy will still smirk and laughingly do it again, maybe this time with a gun. My attempts to get coverage got nowhere so far and I have no money for lawyers. It's my word against his and I have no witnesses. Just say the good die young and move on, I guess. But I feel damaged by this.