Mark Stryker

Byrd certainly had his influences -- who does not? -- but he was not a copycat. One recognized his voice as his from the first. That Blue Note book was a piece of trash in my opinion. Picked up a copy at the library the other day after this mention. Skimming through, my favorite gem so far is Cook's saying that Curtis Fuller's solo on the title track of "Blue Train" is "dyspeptic." As someone used to say, "word salad." That may be the most stone-eared description I've ever seen of practically any piece of music. Dyspeptic? Curtis' solo bursts with exuberance. It's an amazing, swinging, bluesy ride, strutting with confidence, lickety-split technique and soulful expression -- one of the great trombone solos of the era and a definitive example of his style that shows you why he zoomed to the front of the line when he arrived in NY. I'm dissecting that solo in some detail in my piece about Curtis for my book. In fact, it's the lede.

Thanks -- but no luck. I checked that particular issue. Still searching ...

I'm trying to track down the original source for a quote that's widely attributed to Elvin Jones: "Playing is not something I do at night. It's my function in life." Anybody know where in print (or broadcast) Elvin said this? Thanks ....

No, can't identify the naked women (smile). But Thompson -- a really fascinating figure and great artist. He was part of a group of figurative expressionists in the late '50s and early '60s who continued to paint the human form but favored loose, gestural brushwork that pushed toward abstraction, which was, of course, the dominant mode in American art in those days. Other figurative expressionists that Thompson is often grouped with are Lester Johnson, Larry Rivers, Jan Muller and others, including De Kooning when working in a figurative idiom. Thompson was especially interesting for employing myth and allegory and the way he riffed on old-master paintings the way jazz musicians improvise on standard songs, using vibrant color, abstracted forms and rhythmic repetition to give his paintings a real syncopated pop. He was quite the bohemian --heroin, the whole bit. He kept a set of drums in his studio and and was close with a lot of jazz musicians, including Charlie Haden and Jackie McLean. He died in Rome from drugs at the ridiculously young age of 28 in 1966. There's a great long essay about Thompson in Stanley Crouch's book "Notes of a Hanging Judge" that's called "Meteor in a Black Hat." In the big Thompson monograph published in conjunction with a show at the Whitney in the late '90s there's some background on "Garden of Music" in the essay by Judith Wilson: "One day while Charlie Haden sat watching him work,Thompson announced, 'I'm painting my favorite musicians, the ones who inpsire me!' A few days later he phoned and told Haden, 'I'm putting you in the painting.' Haden went to the artists' loft and spent an afternoon watching his portrait emerge. ... The painting shows the figure representing Haden staring at a giant bass fiddle that he holds aloft by its stem. When he asked why Thompson showed him addressing his instrument in this impossible way, Thompson said that was how he played. Recognizing the accuracy of the painter's insight, Haden explains that he was extremely dissatisfied with his playing at the time. ... 'There are certain people in different art forms that you feel more akin to than others people,' Haden observes. 'Bob felt a closeness to the way we felt about what we were expressing about life. He really painted sound. A lot of people felt very excited about what we were playing at the Five Spot, but not to the extent that Bob did -- in terms of a realization of it in his work. It struck something in him where he felt, 'Yeah, I'm not alone.'" (BTW, that's also Ed Blackwell in the middle of the painting, seating behnd a drum, holding a knife. Thompson was apparently fascinated by the way Blackwell whittled his own sticks.) Some years ago I went to see some of Thompson's work at the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery in New York and at one point Rosenfeld pulled out a box of drawings that had come from the artist's widow. There were a number of interesting black-and-white pen sketches of musicians that I was told were done on site at various jazz clubs including the Five Spot. I think some had enigmatic markings as to who they were and I remember that I was able to help identify some of them for Rosenfeld, including John Ore (may have been a Monk gig.) I was also able to point out that several of the drawings were surely done in the studio because they were recognizable images of Trane and Cannonball that were clearly taken from Prestige and Riverside LP covers. There was, however, a dazzling drawing of Sonny Rollins done with all these swirling concentric circles around him. Somewhere I have a photo of it and if I can locate it, I'll post it. In the end, however, I thought it was overpriced and couldn't afford it. My wife and I did eventually acquire a small Thompson oil on paper done in Europe in 1963 with great color and some quintessential Thompson bird-like figures and mythological creatures. There is a small painting on canvas that it relates to -- some of the figures are repeated exactly. That painting, "The Search," is in the Whitney monograph -- figure 96 on page 120. Sorry to ramble. Thompson is a real passion of mine.

With Claude Black on piano! I used to drive to Toledo to catch Claude Black with bassist Clifford Murphy at Murphy's Place, which closed after Murphy's life/business partner passed away. Claude Black mentioned growing up and being friends with Donald Byrd, but I didn't know about this record. Black is a fine pianist, and has been fighting some health problems. You may not be aware but Black died last month in Toledo. Like Byrd, he was 80.

I would definitely recommend this show based on the checklist of works and what I've read about it. For what it's worth, one of Bob Thompson's great paintings is in the show, "Garden of Music," which pictures Ornette, Don Cherry, Trane, Sonny Rollins and, way in the back, Charlie Haden. http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://sites.moca.org/thecurve/files/2012/11/blues_thompson.jpg&imgrefurl=http://sites.moca.org/thecurve/2012/08/29/blues-for-smoke/&h=342&w=615&sz=86&tbnid=1zUJqYAgUiANnM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=162&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dgarden%2Bof%2Bmusic%2Band%2Bbob%2Bthompson%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=garden+of+music+and+bob+thompson&usg=__0kYKM_Sd6JkMnG14CVCfz9q5l9A=&docid=UnXVmzcqSLH5dM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=a2YZUeKeNKOOyAGp8IHYDA&ved=0CEwQ9QEwBQ&dur=132

Some interesting background: Robert (Bobby) Barnes is the uncle of saxophonist Allan Barnes (b. 1949) who was a student of Byrd's at Howard and a member of the Blackbyrds. I believe Bobby is still alive living in Las Vegas but I'm not positive. Allan lives here in Detroit. Assuming Byrd was 17 here, perhaps just 16, he sounds great -- he's got the vocabulary. Fats and Dizzy.

The funeral home in metro Detroit that's handling service posted an obituary today. Services private. Still no word from family. Short story here: http://tinyurl.com/clwzlro (includes a link back to our obituary from last last week.) The NYT has also posted an obit this afternoon.

Herbie has also said (to me and many others) that it was Donald who told him at a certain point: "It's time for you make a record." Byrd arranged a private audition/meeting with Alfred Lion for Herbie and helped him prepare by telling him to bring in three compositions for the company and three for himself, meaning three tunes that that Lion could relate to (one was "Watermelon Man") and then the others could be more personal, esoteric, etc. I seem to recall Herbie saying that he played the three tunes for the company and then told Lion he could do three standards, but then Alfred insisted he play more originals. All the songs on "Takin' Off" are originals -- highly unusual for a debut in those days.

Here's our obituary in the Detroit Free Press. A very difficult deadline situation tonight meant a very short window to write, so it's not as expansive as I would have liked, but the basics are here. RIP. http://www.freep.com/article/20130207/NEWS08/130207102/Donald-Byrd-legendary-Detroit-jazz-man-dead-at-80?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

http://www.sfgate.com/music/article/Singer-Rick-Stevens-embraces-2nd-chance-4229673.php#page-1 As someone who never followed the band I was not aware of this backstory ... drugs, murder conviction, death sentence, overturned, parole 36 years later ...

Ah, was hoping Brownie would weigh in -- nice calls.

Think the Manne Clarinet Concerto/Combo included here: http://www.amazon.com/Volume-2-Shelly-Manne/dp/B00000FXOC

Heath's "Picture Of Heath" has been out on CD a couple of times, with the latest being on a Prevue CD issued in 1998. Thanks for the clarification.

Don't think the Juilliard String Quartet's early 1960s LPs on RCA of Beethoven's Op. 131 (frenzied intensity) or the compelling performances of the Ravel/Debussy quartets have made it to CD. Also, Air's "80 Degrees below 82," Jimmy Heath's "Picture of Heath" and Henry Threadgill's "When Was That?"

An email from a friend prompts this question: What are the greatest records to never make it to CD? (If there's a previous thread on this topic I apologize -- I looked but didn't see one.) My buddy suggests "Big George" (Affinity) by the George Coleman Octet -- a great one to be sure.

Hefty story in today's paper about Detroit-born drummer Karriem Riggins, a special musician with significant profiles in jazz and hip-hop. Nice portrait photo at top of page, too. http://www.freep.com/article/20130120/ENT04/301200061/Detroit-drummer-Karriem-Riggins-makes-his-mark-in-jazz-hip-hop

A little more show biz here but still ... (probably 1967/68) The "Choreography" tune was Danny Kaye's number in "White Christmas"

Arrangement by Marty Paich -- that's Mel Lewis on drums (1960) Duet with Mundell Lowe (1958) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hm_XkKUGxU

Very complicated subject, but what we think of as his clowndown really comes into force after 1970. Much different before that, though there are aspects. But, as Jim says, the skills were really deep. I mean REALLY DEEP. What he did with them and the reasons why, including the identity issues, personal demons, cultural baggage, race and are irrelevant questions. But, again, skills. Sure at his worst, it's awful and clownish. But at its best: greatness. Dig:

Here's something of a related clip. I put this up on Facebook a couple of weeks ago but don't think I posted here -- if so, I apologize. But my point is that they really don't make TV shows like they used to, that Sammy Davis was remarkable, that the studio work like this that used to support musicians has basically all disappeared. The band on the following clip just plays the shit out of this number. The joke here, which is perhaps lost to the shifting sands of cultural history, is that Sammy Davis Jr. was slumming. "Hullabaloo," which featured the pop music of the day and was aimed at a young demo, had a different guest host each week, usually a Frankie Avalon or Paul Anka type. Contemporary audiences would have seen Davis as a curio in this context: The opening bit, with him doing all the au currant dances accompanied by music that shifts between his own idiom (swing) and the rock 'n' roll beat of the day, reinforces the disconnect, while casting Davis in the role of the unusually hip uncle. Having said that, he sings and dances the hell out of the number --amazing talent. When his taste antannae were engaged, especially in the '60s, he was a force -- he could swing, sing a ballad, hoof, impressions, play drums, vibes, trumpet, piano, good comedic actor. Born to show business. Coda 1: The male Asian dancer is Patrick Adiarte, who later played Ho-Jon in the early episodes of "Mash." Coda 2: Other dancers on the show include Michael Bennett and Donna McKechnie, who both had major Broadway careers, especially Bennett who choreographed and directed "A Chorus Line," etc. McKechnie won a Tony as "Cassie" in "A Chorus Line" and apparently also appeared on "Dark Shadows," which I never watched because it scared the shit out of me when I was 7. Pretty sure the other male dancer here is Bennett, but I am not gay enough to be able to identify McKechnie. (Hold your letters -- it's a joke.) Coda 3: "Hullabaloo" was on in 65-66, NBC's answer to ABC's "Shinding!" where one of the dancer, btw, was a young Teri Garr. Coda 4: The number, of course, is "This Could Be the Start of Something Big," which Steve Allen wrote, though the lyrics here were new for the show. Coda 5: Jesus Christ, the Internet is a time suck.

That's not Pepper. Might indeed be Ernie Royal. The others I don't know. Definitely the Elliott Lawernce Orchestra.

You sure that's Mel? I thought it was a very young Eddie Daniels too, but Bill Kirchner said he didn't think so. Cliff Heather is playing bass trombone. Wayne Andre is also in the trombone section.

Dig the well-known soloist at 2:05 mark. Also, lead trumpet appears to clam a couple times, which evokes some smiles from the podium. I won't identify any of the players to make it more fun.

Speaking of abstract trumpet players, in the first magazine story about Thad Jones in Down Beat in November 1955, Thad mentions KD in the list of trumpeters he admires. The quote is kinda funny: "Kenny has changed his style. He used to often just play technique, He plays some weird things."