Coltrane on WBAI-FM

[GregK]

Chris, forgive me if this is common knowledge or if it's been talked about a lot, but I know nothing about it. I've been reading Lewis Porter's excellent book on Coltrane and in the Chronology section at the back he mentions that Coltrane was on WBAI in 1965 at your invitation, but no tape exists. What did he play? And why isn't there a tape of it? I know very little about the radio business-I'm assuming it's not a common practice to record what is being broadcast, but wouldn't Coltrane being on prompt someone to keep a copy of it?

[Christiern]

• Greg, I don't think it's common knowledge, so don't feel bad. When I became general manager of WBAI, I decided to give jazz as much exposure as reasonably possible. One of the things I did was to set aside two hours each Saturday afternoon and hand it over to a guest host who then could utilize it in any way he or she wished. Some gave live performances, some played records and talked (sometimes with other guests whom they had brought with them), and it was always live/ I did record quite a few of these shows, but we were a struggling station, so blank tape was not always readily available. I may well have some of the tapes in my overstuffed pack-rat closet. You ask if Coltrane being on would not prompt someone to kee a copy of the tape. Remember that the legend surrounding Coltrane today had not taken form forty years ago. Also, at a station like WBAI, at that time, it was not at all uncommon to bump into famous people while making one's way down the narrow hallways of our brownstone. Ayn Rand did a weekly show, and often spent an hour afterwards in discussion with people (including our janitor, who did not share many of her throughts); Bob Dylan would drop by and do an anonymous station break from time to time, James Mason, Tony Randall, Malcolm X, Gunther Schuller (who did a weekly show), and so on. Then there were the unknowns who later would make it, like John Corigliano, our Music Director, who went on to win one or two Oscars, and his file clerk, a very shy young Asian lady named Yoko Ono. John once begged me to fire him so that he could draw unemployment and write a piano concerto--I did, and he sent me an LP of it when it was released a couple of years later.
  
  I don't recall what Coltane did with his two hours, but I will always remember that Bill Dixon spent his complaining about the station not having enough avant garde music. George Wettling brought Eddie Condon and, as I recall, Pee Wee Russell. Anyway, it was a great way to use air time. Here are a few listings I picked up from 1965-66 program guides:
  
  
  
• October 30, 1965 - Jimmy Rushing (he brought Buddy Tate with him)
  
• November 6, 1965 - Max Roach moderated a discussion with a panel comprising Jo Jones, Freddie Hubbard, and bassist Richard Davis
  
• November 13, 1965 - Toshiko Mariano (Akiyoshi)
  
• November 20. 1965 - J.J. Johnson
  
• January 8, 1966 - Blue Mitchell
  
• January 15, 1966 - Zoot Sims
  
• March 19, 1966 - Ted Curson
  
• March 26, 1966 - Quentin "Butter" Jackson
  
• April 2, 1966 - Bobby Timmons
  
• April 9, 1966 - Al Hibbler
  
  Besides this show, there were weekly ones conducted by Dan Morgenstern, Martin Williams, Ira Gitler, Nat Hentoff, Don Heckman, Don Schlitten, and myself. Dave Lambert had a 1-hour show each Friday until his tragic death (on the highway, enroute to NYC with a tape). And, of course, this is where Marian McPartland started her radio career--when I suggested a weekly show to her, she wasn't sure if she could do something like that....well?
  
  For a while we also had a weekly late evening hour devoted to live avant garde jazz, the regular participants (who often performed in a dark studio) included Archie Shepp, Roswell Rudd, and Clifford Thornton--I think Joe McPhee also came aboard. I'll have him refresh my memory.
  
  The jazz community really gave us incredible support, just look at some of the artists who showed up and performed on December 27th, 1965, when we held a jazz benefit at the Village Gate--so many people bought tickets that we had to open the Top of the Gate room as well, and each performed twice, first downstairs, then upstairs. The artists included: Jimmy Rushing, Thelonious Monk, Jim Hall, King Curtis, Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, Charles Davis, Bobby Brookmeyer, Sonny Rollins, Clark Terry, Randy Weston, Betty Carter, Joe Williams, Dave Lambert, Roland Kirk, and Kenny Dorham. The hosts were Ira Gitler, Dan Morgenstern, Don Schlitten, and yours truly.
  
  The music was continuous from 9 PM to 4 AM and the ticket price was $4, which subscribers could deduct from their $15 annual renewal fee!
  
  So you see, there was a lot of jazz on this notorious left-leaning station!
  

[GregK]

Chris, that is fascinating stuff to read, now, in 2004. I couldn't imagine turning on my local NPR, for instance, and hearing names like that guest-hosting or performing (well, it's not like there are many contemporary names that rival any of those). Ayn Rand??? Must have been some great discussions with the janitor!! Thanks for the memories. I could listen to or read stories like this all day. Now I doubly regret missing the talk you gave in Ann Arbor last year.

Dylan?? He's always turning up in odd places isn't he

[Guest ariceffron]

yea that all made sense... except one point...your file cleark was YOKO??!? 1965 you say? so this must of been at the same time she was making b-movies-- that same year she was in a rape film that shown at lower grade movie houses...the name of it alludes me right now

[Chuck Nessa]

Thanks for the really fine "portrait of the time". It was wonderful. I hope you are really working on a book (or 2).

I have one minor quibble. Coltrane WAS a big thing in 1965 - lines down the street at the Plugged Nickel in Chicago, etc. He was at the Nickel 'cause he'd outgrown the South Side clubs.

[GregK]

Thanks for the really fine "portrait of the time". It was wonderful. I hope you are really working on a book (or 2).

I have one minor quibble. Coltrane WAS a big thing in 1965 - lines down the street at the Plugged Nickel in Chicago, etc. He was at the Nickel 'cause he'd outgrown the South Side clubs.

Chuck, did you know him? You must have seen him at the Nickel, no?

[Christiern]

Agreed, Chuck, Coltrane was big, but not "legendary." I mean, there was no special reason to tape his show above others--at least we didn't think so. Besides, he may just have talked and played records--can't recall.

As for Yoko, I did not say that she was there in 1965, but I believe that she was. She was married to a man named Cox, an American poet, and she was truly so withdrawn that I was amazed when she came to me during our first fund-raising marathon and volunteered to go on the air. I do still have the tape of that one--she sang Japanese children's songs in a most excruciating way!

Edited November 29, 2004 by Christiern

[Chuck Nessa]

Chuck, did you know him? You must have seen him at the Nickel, no?

I saw Trane at the Plugged Nickel with the original quartet and with the band with Pharoah, Alice, Jimmy and Ali. I also saw the "quartet" + Archie Shepp at the DownBeat festival.

I spoke to him at the Nickel for a whille and on the phone (from the DB office) when I discovered the 2nd version of Ascension. He was in the hospital at the time.

[Gary]

and on the phone (from the DB office) when I discovered the 2nd version of Ascension. He was in the hospital at the time.

That sounds very interesting Chuck, would you be kind enough to let us know how that came about ?