Mark Stryker

Whalum swings his ass off in a Stanley Turrentine mold on the title track of "Work to Do," the latest record by the Carl Allen & Rodney Whitaker Project (Mack Ave.) Here's a taste, though it cuts off just as the solo really gets going.

A strong second from my quarter -- tremendous playing. Tete, Niels-Henning, Tootie Heath. The double-time, "Coltrane Changes" version of "Body and Soul" is the highlight for me. This clip merges parts of "Giant Steps," "Body and Soul" and "Hot House" from the record: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTTRxczyCMM The other record I return to is a fantastic duo side with George Coleman -- especially for an epic version of "Sophisticated Lady." http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001H4N3S4/ref=dm_mu_dp_trk6 I'm also a big fan of his solo playing, including a lovely recording of Catalan Folk Songs. Otherwise, I would note that I've heard any number of his records in which he sounded on automatic pilot. He always sounds good but not necessarily inspired, at least to my ears. But those listed above are dynamite.

Worth remembering that Perkinson was born in 1932 -- 37 years after Still -- and had the fortune, as others of his generation, to inherit Still's legacy as a birthright. Not saying that Perkinson (or others) didn't ultimately perhaps write more profound music in their day than Still did in his, only that being first was not easy, and the opposition Still faced as a black composer of classical music was fierce from both whites and blacks. As far as the music goes, the Symphony No. 1 is both charming and quite affecting: an important work. Still's vocal music is strong too. The early more avant-garde Still pieces from the 20s are not heard much; the composer actually withdrew some of them and more or less turned his back on his early work -- I'd like to check them out more, since I don't really know them. Varese was a key figure for him, both as a teacher and, crucially, as an entree into the white concert world of conductors, orchestras, promoters, audiences, etc. The whole arena of black classical composers is extraordinarily rich both musically and culturally -- Still, Dawson, Perkinson, Howard Swanson, George Walker, Ulysses Kay, Hale Smith, Olly Wilson, Carman Moore, David Baker (in classical mode), T.J. Anderson, Noel Da Costa, Wendell Logan, Adolphus Hailstork, Alvin Singleton, William Banfield, the young James Lee III and many, many others, not to mention folks coming originally from an avant-garde jazz orientation like Anthony Braxton, Cecil Taylor, Roscoe Mitchell, Anthony Davis, James Newton, etc. who draw on European and classical influences in various ways at various times. Lines get blurry in a hurry and reductive cultural assumptions and stereotypes fall apart just as fast.

Haven't heard the Naxos recording, but I did hear a live performance of the obscure Fourth (1947) in 2004 by the Detroit Symphony led by then resident conductor Thomas Wilkins. This was part of the orchestra's annual Classical Roots program, subscription concerts that celebrate black composers (and performers). Here's what I wrote about the piece in the review: "The four-movement, 28-minute Fourth carries the subtitle "Autochthonous" and the composer said it portrays the spirit of "the American people" (note he didn't specify race). The music is typical Still -- folksy interpolations of blue notes and jaunty syncopation into an aesthetic defined by simple classical forms and Dvorak-inspired romantic expression. The piece lacks the overall impact of the First Symphony, but two slow movements sigh with urban melancholy, piquant wind scoring and arching string melodies."

Don't really have time to post at length about relative merits of Still and Dawson but wanted to note quickly that the Detroit Symphony Orchestra's great recording of Dawson's "Negro Folk Symphony" conducted by Neeme Jarvi is available in two incarnations, one coupled with Still's Second Symphony and Duke Ellington's "Harlem" and one couple with just Ellington ("Harlem," "The River" (suite) and "Solitude." http://www.amazon.com/Still-Symphony-Dawson-Ellington-Harlem/dp/B000000ATE/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1291755478&sr=1-2 http://www.amazon.com/Dawson-Negro-Symphony-Ellington-Solitude/dp/B00005B1DB/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1291755478&sr=1-3 Jarvi and the DSO's equally fabulous recording of Still's First Symphony ("Afro-American") is coupled with Ellington's "The River" http://www.amazon.com/Still-Symphony-Ellington-Suite-River/dp/B000000ARJ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1291755829&sr=1-1 Jarvi programmed music by black composers constantly during his 15-year tenure here and in 1998 took the Still First Symphony to Europe with the DSO -- I was privileged to accompany the orchestra on part of that tour and saw some really interesting reactions to the the piece in Vienna and elsewhere. That music was WAY off the radar for European audiences and and the blues-form of the opening movement and the banjo in the third movement seemed to both shock and mesmerize listeners.

I can think of at least four versions of "Guys and Dolls." Harry Allen-Joe Cohn: http://www.amazon.com/Music-Guys-Dolls-Harry-Allen/dp/B000RPHCNG Eddie Costa: http://www.amazon.com/Guys-Dolls-Vibes-Eddie-Costa/dp/B000059QAK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1291751232&sr=1-1 Manhattan Jazz All Stars (Woods, Brookmeyer, Charles, etc): http://www.amazon.com/SWINGING-GUYS-AND-DOLLS/dp/B0019RU2E2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1291751451&sr=1-2 Michael Hashim (with Mike LeDonne, Peter Washington, Kenny Washington): http://www.amazon.com/Guys-Dolls-Jazz-Michael-Hashim/dp/B000006KPB/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1291751663&sr=1-2

The liner notes were written and submitted several years ago, before checking a calendar proved that the date is actually in January. Blumenthal told me that the date on the copy he was provided was handwritten, and was unclear whether it said Jan or Jun. It was later nailed down, but the notes were not revised. Knowing that the date was in January, we now know that this is the earliest Joe Henderson we have on record. Thanks for the details. Great playing from KD and Joe on this record -- amazing on many levels, not least of which is Joe's maturity. No wonder he so quickly became a leader on the scene.

Speaking of the new Flamboyan disc, does anyone have a definitive answer to the disconect between the Jan. 15, 1963 date listed on the back and Blumenthal's reference in the notes to a June recording date? My instinct says the earlier date makes more sense, because "Una Mas" appears here under the title of "My Injun from Brazil." If this gig was in the summer, several months after "Una Mas" was recorded, then it would be more logical for Dorham to have been using "Una Mas" as the title by then. In anycase, anybody know the correct details?

As it happens, one of the producers of the new Fisk Jubilee Quartet set is a metro Detroit record collector named Ken Flaherty whom I profile today. He brought the rare 1911 Edison cylinders to the table -- well seven of the nine; two ended up coming from other sources. Anyway, thought folks here might be interested in the story, though it's less about the music per se than about a particular collector's passions. Also look for the link in the right-hand rail to the related story in which he talks about some of the gems in his collection. There are some sound clips in the rail too. Main story here: http://www.freep.com/article/20101205/ENT04/12050358/Detroiter-collects-early-20th-Century-African-American-spirituals

From Detroit: Jack Brokensha (vibes, Australian Jazz Quartet, Motown) Steve Richko (gifted young pianist in his early 30s) Brazeal Dennard (founder of Brazeal Dennard Chorale, fantastic African American choir and expert in African-American spirituals.)

Are you referring to this? http://www.amazon.com/Head-Hunters-Making-Platinum-Perspectives/dp/0472114174/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1291066433&sr=1-6

My memory might be bad, but I think that Turney was functioning as the third trombonist? On 70th Birthday Concert, there's only two trombonists on the band instead of the usual three. Turney once told me that when he was sitting with the trombones (playing alto) he sometimes transposed the second trombone part and sometimes made up his own part. I can't recall if he said anything more specific about exactly what he meant by "making up his own part." Turney originally came on the band to sub for two weeks for an ailing Hodges in 1969. When Hodges came back, Duke kept him on and he shifted to the trombone section until Hodges died, and then he moved to the lead alto chair. Turney also said that at first Duke was reluctant to have him play saxophone solos for fear people would compare him to Hodges, so his first regular solo was on flute: "I was practicing the flute all the time then, so he (Duke) called me in and started playing some stuff on the piano in D-flat and he said, 'Here, play behind this,' so I played behind it, and that turned into a thing called 'Fife.' That was my first solo." The quotes come from a 1995 story I did about Turney when I was still working in Dayton, Ohio; Turney, who was born in the area, had moved back around 1990. I'd post the story if I could find it, but for some reason it's not in the Nexis data base. I just tracked down the hard copy in my files. He was a sweet man, as was his wife Marilee, but also a tough interview. Staccato sentences, veiled emotions, a bit taciturn. Over dinner, he described at various times Billy Eckstine, Fats Navarro and John Coltrane all with the same eight words: "He was a nice guy. I liked him." He did say this about his time in the Ellington band, however: "Duke had the greatest musicians in the world. When that band was really together, man, they really played. Such a sound you never heard before. I was in there. ... I'd be in that band with all the beautiful sounds floating around you -- there was just nothing like it. I can't explain it. It was the greatest experience of my life."

I listened to this at Marty's suggestion and my reading is very different. They have a nice rapport, lots of laughing, and while Jarrett's ego and self-importance are certainly on display (when are they not?) I don't find him the least bit disrespectful or condescending to McPartland. Also, he does not refuse to duet with her. In the course of conversation, Alec Wilder's tune "Blackberry Winter" comes up and McPartland asks Jarrett if he will play it for her, at which point he declines, saying "I don't know it well enough right now" and then, picking up an earlier thread in their conversation, he makes a lighthearted joke about not only not being able to remember his own material but other peoples' as well. McPartland then asks playfully he would be annoyed if she played it. He says "No, no, no. Why would I be annoyed?" The exchange sounds completely innocent to me, almost charming. I certainly wouldn't defend Jarrett's jerkier moments, but this show hardly qualifies.

I saw trumpeter John McNeil once in a small club in Urbana in 1985. In between tunes he noticed a stray Real Book on the piano. "Hey, there's a Real Book!" he said. "Now we can play a whole bunch of wrong changes."

I agree but this can be a little slippery. Monk recorded "Straight No Chaser" in B-flat I believe, but F has become the standard key because that's where Miles played it on "Milestones." In a related issue, you've got the tunes where the changes have been altered -- Miles' versions of "Well You Needn't" and "Round Midnight" compared to Monk's, and I'm sure there are other examples. Coda: I recall a story from Robin Kelley's Monk bio in which Miles comes off the bandstand and complains to George Wein that Monk was playing the wrong changes to Round Midnight.(!)

At the risk of getting too arcane, are you sure that it's a Rhodes electric piano at that point and not the Wurlitzer (or any other model)? Or were you using Rhodes as the generic for "electric piano" such as Kleenex for "tissue" or Scotch Tape for "cellophane tape"?

"Beatrice" and "Ask Me Now" are the two non-Henderson originals here that remained part of his active repertoire in the last 15 years of his life.

Well, there's no bigger Joe Henderson fan than I am, but I remember being distinctly disappointed when the first volume of these recordings was released on LP, mostly because Al Foster was so deep in the mix there were times it sounded like a tenor-bass duet record; but also because the playing felt oddly inhibited at times. The hand of the producers was too heavy for me, both in the selection of specific material and the fact that the tunes are kept relatively short to presumably allow for more variety in the tracks; but I think Joe was more comfortable and played better when he knew he could really stretch out. I recall the second volume on LP being slightly better in terms of the sound and livelier performances, but I wouldn't swear to it at this point. While I don't own the double CD, I heard parts of it at one point and recall thinking that the sound was much improved. Can anyone confirm this? I have not heard this music in a long time, so perhaps it is time to revisit. Frankly, the record from the same period exploring the same aesthetic but with much greater abandon and inspiration is "An Evening with Joe Henderson," with Charlie Haden and Foster, taped at a concert in Italy and released on Red. It may lack the Blue Note pedigree and hype, but the music is way more killin'.

Mose is celebrating his birthday by performing in metro Detroit this week, including tonight, at this restaurant/jazz club: http://www.metroalive.com/Michigan/grossepointe/dirtydog/ It's owned by Gretchen Valade, an heir to the Carhartt Clothing fortune, owner of Mack Avenue Records and the woman who saved the Detroit International Jazz Festival from extinction by endowing the foundation that now produces it.

You haven't read the notes to Unit Structures, have you... Favorite off-the-wall liner note moment: I have a Spanish bootleg LP of Pete LaRoca's "Turkish Women at the Bath" on what appears to be the Dial Disco, S.A. label, though it's released under Chick Corea's name and the title of "Extasis." The notes are credited to J.M. Costa, with a translated-into-English credit to one Nahuel Cerrutti. I can't vouch for Mr. Cerrutti's Spanish, but his English leaves quite a bit to be desired: Here's the best part (all spellings and grammar sic): "Armando Anthony Corea was borned in Chelsea, Massachusets (July 12, 1941), son of a trumpeter, he started with the piano at the age of four and when he was nineteen he decides to go to New York probably to find better airs. There he blew up himself hearing Coltrane or Miles Davis in company with wome people that shortly after would give grounds for criticism as drummer Philly Joe Jones or reedman Joe Farrell." I've always assumed that "blew up himself" was a literal stab at translating the idiom "blew his mind" ...

I have often wondered about Nora Kelly and how she came to write the notes for those albums, and I have always meant to ask Herbie about this directly. Alas, the last time I had the chance, I forgot to bring it up. I'll remember next time. (Also, I'll try and get some clarity on the Tristano debate discussed elsewhere on the board.) But back to Kelly. Could this be the same Nora Kelly who writes highly regarded mysteries (I haven't read them) and now appears to live in Vancouver? This Nora Kelly was born in 1945, so it's possible, though that would be some pretty precocious writing for someone at age 19 and 20. I have always assumed that if it was not Herbie's idea to have her write the notes it was with his blessing. And if her participation in "Empyrean Isles" came a surprise to him, then he must have dug it because otherwise she surely would not have contributed to "Maiden Voyage." I've always loved these notes -- part of the total atmosphere of those albums, at least as they were experienced on LP. And, not so incidentally, "Empyrean Isles" is a desert island record for me -- some of the greatest playing by all four of those musicians, but especially Freddie and Herbie, who never sounded better.

Haven't had time to listen but some interesting looking new performances posted from 1967: John Handy Quintet with Bobby Hutcherson, Pat Martino (just 21), Albert Stinson, Douglas Sides. Earl Hines Quartet. Abbreviated set including Budd Johnson, Bill Pemberton, Oliver Jackson Gabor Szabo Quintet with Jimmy Stewart, Louis Kabok, Hal Gordon, Bill Goodwin

Anyone know who the slick announcer is on the "California Concert" reissue? I assume it's a West Coast DJ, but no credit is given. I must say, for myself, I can only think of a handful of CTI Records that I find rewarding enough to return to on a regular basis. Did any artist record his best work for the label? I will say that killin' exceptions -- records that are fantastic front to back -- would include: The first two Joe Farrell dates, "Joe Farrell Quartet" and "Outback." (Ghost: Did you know that Michael Bourne used to use "Follow Your Heart" from Farrell's first date as his theme at end of his show when he was on WFIU?) Bill Evans' "Montreux II" Freddie's "Red Clay" and "Straight Life" (not as good as the former, but still strong.) Now, I certainly don't know the entire catalog as well as others surely do, so what would folks rank as the label's unqualified best records? With some recommendations, I'll look for used LPs -- clearly the CD reissues are a hornet's nest when it comes to sonics.

In case folks didn't know, Bert Myrick passed away this past summer at the age of 80.