Mark Stryker

Chewy means Christian McBride. Here's full social media post from Christian. I was not aware that Hesseman was such a fan of the music. "Sadly, it’s time to say goodbye to another friend. Howard Hesseman was not only one of America’s most beloved actors, but he was a HARDCORE jazz fan. I first met Howard in the early 90’s when he came to Catalina Bar and Grill in LA to hear Benny Green’s Trio. He and his dear wife, the great Caroline Ducrocq, became instant friends. For the next 30 years, Howard and Caroline rarely missed a gig I ever played in LA or Paris. Hearing his old stories about being a bartender in San Francisco, the comedy troupe he was in called The Committee, WKRP in Cincinnati, Doctor Detroit, Head of the Class, his days at Nickelodeon, he really became a true friend. Between him and Caroline, they really exemplified how these wonderful and varied disciplines of the arts make the world a much better place. My heart goes out to Caroline and all who knew and loved him. I hope there’s a Pinot Noir waiting for you at the pearly gates, my man."

Yes, thanks for pointing this out. I misspoke. It would have been Hackensack. Still assume the photo was shot in the vicinity of the house/studio.

Though Hesseman was of course best known for his TV roles, his roots were as an improvisational actor with the San Francisco-based troupe The Committee. A lot of overlapping cultural currents funnel through this 1969 scene played with the great Mel Stewart. Interesting to meditate on what holds up and what doesn’t in a racially charged piece that was on-the-edge 53 years ago. Lots of interesting details. Trajectory of the ending, including racial epithets, echoes the escalating conflict of the famous Richard Pryor/Chevy Chase interview sketch about six years later on SNL (written by Paul Mooney). The "white man's walk" and "Black Like Me" premise became comedic tropes. On Twitter, a commentator noted that Hesseman at one point calls Stewart "fellow baby," which would morph into the Johnny Fever catch phrase "fellow babies" on WKRP. Coda: Stewart recorded with Mingus. He's the narrator on "Scenes from the City" (the text is by Lonnie Lee Elder and Langston Hughes). I think Stewart also grew up as a jazz musician playing alto saxophone.

I always assumed that photo was taken in suburban Englewood Cliff's on a street somewhere near Rudy's studio. The Tom Lord discography list 354 separate recording sessions (not individual LPs) for Chambers. The vast majority of them -- more than 300 -- come between 1954 and the end of 1962. There are only 45 or so listings between 1962 and November 1968. He died in January 1969. The cumulative impact of drugs (early) and alcohol (later) caught up to him and his body gave out. He died of tuberculous. He was 33.

Actually, Trane solos on both tracks. Milestones is mistaken. He plays first on "Just for the Love," and on "Nita" he plays third, after the trumpet and guitar solos.

FWIW, there's a discussion of Trane's compositions "Nita" and "Just for the Love" on pages 115-117 in Lewis Porter's Coltrane biography. Both are unique songs -- the former has an unusual f3-bar form A-A-A-B, with some key centers shifting in 3rds that suggest a step toward "Giant Steps." That later is a 12-bar blues form with harmonically rich substitute changes. Donald Byrd plays his ass on on that date, especially on "Omicron" -- "Woody n You" changes, 6/8 intro and coda.

Apparently, the longtime jazz writer Don Heckman (and saxophonist) died more than year ago at age 89, though it's only now been confirmed. https://news.jazzjournalists.org/2022/01/rip-don-heckman-belatedly/

Yeah, a little conflicted about whether this qualifies -- because the music was originally written for the play and because the recording was released in 1960, a full year before the film premiered. Musically, of course, it's a masterpiece, but I also wrote about it in depth in my inaugural Chronology column last summer.

Excellent, thanks. Keep 'em coming folks ...

Don't need to be a member to lurk: https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/tone-poet-jazz-reissue-series.795822/page-1099#post-28749615

Gang -- For an upcoming "Jazz and Film" issue of Jazz Times magazine, I'm going to devote my Chronology column to the best jazz recordings related to a film. I'm not looking for the best jazz soundtracks or the best use of jazz in a film. I'm looking for records that in some way come out of or are related to a film but stand with the best recordings an artist or band ever made. Records that truly stand alone outside of their film context: For example: Sonny Rollins, "Alfie" John Lewis/MJQ, "Odds Against Tomorrow" (or "Patterns" as the recording was known domestically) Duke Ellington, "Anatomy of a Murder." Miles Davis, "Jack Johnson" I thought I'd throw open the floor to nominations to generate a bigger pool to consider than I might come up with on my own. So, any thoughts?

"I don’t get a lot of my information from music anymore. It comes from dance. It comes from theater. It comes from film. It comes from literature. It comes from painting. It comes from photography. I only listen to music for enjoyment. I’ve been looking at Albert Oehlen’s paintings, studying them for days, looking at their rhythmic possibilities. When I’m looking at a photograph, I’m looking at the light, at the background and middle ground and foreground. I can’t even think about that in terms of most music, you know."

The YouTube clip is dated and sourced Oslo, October 22nd 1970, While these references are often wrong on YouTube, the clip is stamped with NRK, which in fact is the moniker of the Norwegian Broadcast Company. Given all that, any reason to doubt that this is in fact from Norway?

My latest Chronology column in Jazz Times has been posted. It explores the unique musicianship of pianist, vibraphonist, and composer Buddy Montgomery, little brother to Wes and Monk. https://jazztimes.com/features/profiles/buddy-montgomery-little-brother-like-no-other/

New York Daily News, April 34, 1967 (two days after the night of the recording). So Tete was playing opposite Blossom Dearie and did good enough business that he was held over.

Closing the circle, Cameron Brown confirms that both the Tokyo and Berlin releases are bootlegs.

Aware of the Horo dates, thanks. Those predate the band with Cameron Brown, however, and I'm really focused on the 1979-88 band with Adams, Pullen, Brown, and Richmond. Related topic: Anyone know who Frank Dean is -- the guy listed as co-composer with Pullen of the band's 5/4 anthem "Saturday Nite in the Cosmos?"

Gang -- I'm doing prep work for a column about the Adams-Pullen Quartet. I'd like to know how many "official" records the group made. The Lord discography lists 14 recordings (pasted below). However, it looks like two of them -- "Live in Tokyo '84" (Flock) and "Jazzbuhne Berlin '88, Vol. 17" (Repertoire) -- appear to be bootlegged live recordings rather than official releases. Having said that, I think the two early live records on Palcoscenico are legit releases. Can anyone confirm this reading of the discography for me or tell me if they know of anything that's missing here? [A754]Add George Adams All That Funk : George Adams/Don Pullen Quartet : George Adams (ts) Don Pullen (p) Cameron Brown (b) Dannie Richmond (d) Live "CIAK", Milan, Italy, November 2, 1979 Dee Arr Palcoscenico (It)PAL-15002 Alfie - Intentions - Big Alice - [A755] Add George Adams Don't Lose Control : George Adams/Don Pullen Quartet : same except George Adams (ts,fl,vcl) Milan, Italy, November 2 & 3, 1979 Autumn song Soul Note (It)SN1004, 121004-2 [CD] Don't lose control (ga vcl) - - Remember - - Double arc Jake - - Places and faces - - [A756] Add George Adams More Funk : George Adams/Don Pullen Quartet : same except George Adams (ts,fl,vcl) Live "CIAK", Milan, Italy, November 3, 1979 Metamorphosis for Charles Mingus Palcoscenico (It)PAL-15003 So nice - God bless the child - Devil blues - [A758]Add George Adams Earth Beams : George Adams/Don Pullen Quartet : George Adams (ts,fl,vcl) Don Pullen (p) Cameron Brown (b) Dannie Richmond (d) Loenen aan de Vecht, The Netherlands, August 3-5, 1980 Earth beams Timeless (Du)SPJ147, CDSPJ147 [CD] Magnetic love field - - Dionysus - - Saturday nite in the cosmos - - More flowers - - Sophisticated Alice - - Note: Timeless (Du)CDSPJ147 [CD] titled "Earth Beams". All above titles also on Timeless (Jap)RJL-8100. [A759] Add George Adams Life Line : same pers. Loenen aan de Vecht, The Netherlands, August 3-5, 1980 The great escape, or run John Henry run Timeless (Du)SJP154 Seriously speaking - Soft seas - Nature's child - Protection - Newcomer, seven years later - Note: All above titles also on Timeless (Jap)RJL8061. [A762]Add George Adams City Gates : George Adams (ts,fl-1) Don Pullen (p) Cameron Brown (b) Dannie Richmond (d) Monster, Holland, March 27 & 28, 1983 Mingus metamorphosis Timeless (Du)SJP181 Samba for now (1) - Thank you very much Mr. Monk - Nobody knows the trouble I've seen - City gates - [A763]Add George Adams Live At The Village Vanguard : George Adams/Don Pullen Quartet : George Adams (ts) Don Pullen (p) Cameron Brown (b) Dannie Richmond (d) Live "Village Vanguard", New York, August 19, 1983 The Necessary Blues [Thank you very much, Mr.Monk] Soul Note (It)SN1094, 121094-2 [CD] Solitude - - Intentions - - Diane - - [A764]Add George Adams Live At The Village Vanguard, Vol.2 : George Adams/Don Pullen Quartet : George Adams (ts,fl) Don Pullen (p) Cameron Brown (b) Dannie Richmond (d) Live "Village Vanguard", New York, August 19, 1983 Saturday night in the Cosmos Soul Note (It)SN1144, 121144-2 [CD] City gates - - The great escape - - Big Alice - - [A765]Add George Adams Decisions : George Adams/Don Pullen Quartet : George Adams (ts,vcl) Don Pullen (p) Cameron Brown (b) Dannie Richmond (d) Holland, February 3 & 4, 1984 Decisions Timeless (Du)SJP205, CDSJP205 [CD] Triple over time - - Trees and grass and thangs - - Message urgent - - I could really for you - - His eye is on the sparrow - - [A766.10]Add George Adams Live In Tokyo 1984 : George Adams-Don Pullen Quartet : George Adams (ts,fl,vcl) Don Pullen (p) Cameron Brown (b) Dannie Richmond (d) Live "Ginza Yamaha Hall", Tokyo, Japan City gates Flock FLK-32019 [CD] Duke Ellington's sound of love - Seriously speaking - Note: All above titles also on Flock (Sp)55701 [CD] titled "Live in Tokyo 1984". [A767]Add George Adams Live At Montmartre : George Adams/Don Pullen Quartet : George Adams (ts,fl) Don Pullen (p) John Scofield (el-g) Cameron Brown (b) Dannie Richmond (d) Live "Montmartre", Copenhagen, Denmark, April 4 & 5, 1985 I.J. Timeless (Du)SJP219 Flame game - Well , I guess we'll never know - Forever lovers - Song everlasting - [P6919]Add Don Pullen Breakthrough : Don Pullen/George Adams Quartet : George Adams (ts) Don Pullen (p) Cameron Brown (b) Dannie Richmond (d) New York, April 30, 1986 Mr. Smoothie Blue Note BT85122, CDP7-46314-2 [CD] Just foolin' around - - Song from the old country (*) - - , CDP-92474-2 [CD] We've been here all the time - - A time for sobriety - - The necessary blues [Or thank you very much Mr. Monk] - Note: "The necessary blues" is not listed on the CD brochure but is listed and plays on the CD. (*) This title also on Blue Note 8-23513-2 [CD] titled "The Best of Don Pullen". Blue Note CDP-92474-2 [CD] titled "Blue Note 50th anniversary collection Vol. 4"; rest of CD by others. All above titles also on Mosaic Select MS-013 [CD] titled "Mosaic Select : Don Pullen"; see various flwg sessions to March 23, 1990 for rest of this 3 CD set. [P6920]Add Don Pullen Song Everlasting : Don Pullen/George Adams Quartet : George Adams (ts,fl) Don Pullen (p) Cameron Brown (b) Dannie Richmond (d) New York, April 21, 1987 Sun watchers Blue Note B1-46907, CDP7-46907-2 [CD] Serenade to Sariah - - 1529 Gunn Street (For Johnny Holloway) - - Warm up - - Sing me a song everlasting (For EBU and Hamiet Bluiett) - - , Blue Note 8-23513-2 [CD] Another reason to celebrate - Note: All titles from Blue Note B1-46907 also on Blue Note (Jap)BNJ-91034. All above titles also on (Jap)CP32-5447 [CD], Mosaic Select MS-013 [CD]. [A770]Add George Adams Jazzbuhne Berlin '88, Vol. 17 : George Adams/Don Pullen Quartet : George Adams (ts) Don Pullen (p) Cameron Brown (b) Lewis Nash (d) Friedrichstadtpalast, Berlin, June 3, 1988 Serenade for Sariah Repertoire REP4917-WZ [CD] Mr. Smoothie - Thank you, Mr. Monk

FWIW, here's my list that I submitted to the Annual Jazz Critics Poll: 2021, organized by Tom Hull and Francis Davis and hosted this year for the first time by The Arts Fuse (Boston). To the extent that this annual poll, now in its 16th year, represents critical consensus -- 156 folks voted this time -- I'm typically out of step with most of the fraternity. In short, I favor music more rooted in the core African American values of blues and swing than most of my colleagues. My aesthetic certainly allows for free jazz and its offshoots -- my top 10 this year includes recordings by James Brandon Lewis, Henry Threadgill, and Tim Berne, and I voted for Julius Hemphill in the reissue/archival category. But I still lean toward music with, to me, a more palpable connection to the jazz tradition. I realize of course that the idea of "the jazz tradition" is layered and complex, but I think my ballot itself defines how and where I draw the lines. In any case, here's a link to the results and Francis Davis' introductory essay. Note that the first list you see is Francis' own ballot and the overall results appear below, so you have to scroll to see it. There are also links to all 156 individual ballots. https://artsfuse.org/.../the-2021-jazz-critics-poll-only.../ Footnote: We are prevented from voting for any recording that we wrote liner notes for or otherwise participated in the promotion. That meant I couldn't vote for Roy Brooks' "Understanding" in the reissues/archival category because I wrote the main essay for the package. NEW RELEASES 1. Johnathan Blake, "Homeward Bound" (Blue Note) 2. The Cookers, "Look Out!" (Gearbox) 3. Miguel Zenón & Luis Perdomo, "El Arte Del Bolero" (Miel Music) 4. Bill Charlap Trio, "Street of Dreams" (Blue Note) 5. Renee Rosnes, "Kinds of Love" (Smoke Sessions) 6. James Brandon Lewis Red Lily Quintet, "Jesup Wagon" (Tao Forms) 7. Carlos Henriquez, "The South Bronx Story" (Tiger Turn) 8. Henry Threadgill "Zooid," Poof (Pi) 9. Houston Person, "Live in Paris" (HighNote) 10. Tim Berne-Chris Speed-Reid Anderson-Dave King, "Broken Shadows" (Intakt) RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL) 1. John Coltrane, "A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle" (1965, Impulse!) 2. Hasaan Ibn Ali, "Metaphysics: The Lost Atlantic Album" (1965, Omnivore) 3. Julius Hemphill, "The Boyé Multi-National Crusade for Harmony" (1977-2007, New World) VOCAL Samara Joy, "Samara Joy" (Whirlwind) DEBUT Kazemde George, "I Insist" (Greenleaf Music) LATIN Carlos Henriquez, "The South Bronx Story" (Tiger Turn)

My experience, however, tracks with this story by John Mulaney. (Much) different music but similar impact.

The 45 rpm single/radio edit was much shorter -- just one chorus of swinging melody, plus the tag from the out chorus. This was on a jukebox at a place in Urbana where I used to hang out in college and we played it to death. One night, we cued it up about a dozen times in a row and after after eight or nine straight plays, the manager came roaring out of the kitchen and yelled, "Enough!!!" and unplugged the jukebox.

No need to revive the discussion/disagreements in this thread, but I came across these words from Joe Zawinul that fill out the details about his relationship with Barry Harris and emphasize how much respect and love he had for him. I thought it would be good to enter them into the record here. From 1984: “Barry and I used to rehearse together a lot at that time. It was kind of a one-sided relationship in one respect, though. I got a lot from him. Coming to jazz when and where I did, I missed the bebop thing, and that was the style of piano playing I wanted to learn. To my mind, Barry was about the closest there was to the pure bebop style—after Bud Powell, that is. Barry has got that down beautifully; he’s a superb musician. We used to spend all our time at Riverside Records’ studios, rehearsing. As I say, he gave me a great deal, and I will never forget it or be able to replay him for it.”

FWIW, "Merry-Go-Round" is my favorite of all Elvin's Blue Note LPs, and it's one of the three records I recommend at the of the chapter about him in my book -- the other two are Trane's A Love Surpreme" and Wayne's "Ju Ju."

This is an amazing piece from the frontlines by Peter Keepnews published in 1979 in Jazz Magazine. https://jazzmf.com/why-big-record-companies-let-jazz-down-2/

For folks interested, I created an annotated Barry Harris playlist. https://ethaniverson.com/2021/12/10/mark-strykers-barry-harris-playlist/