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The Village Vanguard turns 70 in February


Hardbopjazz

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has anyone here been shushed by lorraine gordon besides kevin b. and me?

obviously, illinois jacquet didn't like it one bit! :lol:

LJacquet+LorraineGordon_Backstage_Vanguard_1988_31a.jpg

p.s. i won't make it to the anniversary celebration, but i will be going the following week to see the jeremy pelt quintet. long live the vanguard!

Edited by jazzshrink
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The first time I went to New York City, which I think was around 1984, the Village Vanguard was where I wanted to go the most--I saw George Coleman there the first time.

Since then, I've tried to go there most of the times I've been in the city--the two most treasured performances I've heard there are the Mal Waldron Trio (with Reggie Workman and Andrew Cyrille) and Don Cherry (with Carlos Ward, Ed Blackwell, and a tuba player whose name is escaping me).

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I havn't seen all that many posts regarding their expierences there.

When I used to go there a lot during the 70's, it had a nice friendly vibe. No hassles from the staff to buy drinks and the crowd could express themselves as they felt as long as it was coming from the right place and they wern't a drag to others. The schedule was much more progressive then than it is now, IMHO.

I think I saw Max Gordon there EVERY time I was there; sometimes with his head down on his chest at a middle or back table, listenning...nodding. Very mellow. I NEVER saw Lorraine Gordon there; I think they were sepatated for a long time before his death, although I can't say it is a fact. Recently, I've heard her say some rather lame/uncool things to some muscians.

But the place is still great. How often can you sit in a room with so much history?

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When I was on the road during the 80s the band would frequently go to NY (we stayed at the Paramount on 46th/B'way- that place is a LOT different now!). We would always go to the Village and hit as many places as time and cash permitted.

Heard Mel Lewis and the band at the VV many times, but my favorite memory is hearing Joe Henderson w/Ron Carter and Al Foster. This was right around the "State of the Tenor" era. Got there early, sat right up front. It was so happening we came back the next night. Joe at the peak of his powers.

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My first visit to the VV was in 1965 during my first stay to New York. Went there on a Monday night when Tony Scott was holding an open jam session. Jeremy Steig and Victor Sproles where among the musicians taking part in the proceedings. The place was packed and lot of musicians were queuing for a chance to take part. Also ran into Prince Lasha that night!

Had left town when John Coltrane played there :angry:

Went back to the club whenever I happened to be in New York. Spent quite a number of incredible evenings there. Caught the Bill Evans trio, Zoot Sims with Jimmy Rowles; Also the Gil Evans big band.

The atmosphere was more than congenial! Nobody was pushing you to buy and drink more than what you felt like having!

Those were during Max Gordon's days!

Last time I went to the club was in 1994 to hear the Joshua Redman quartet with Pat Metheny, Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins. Max Gordon was gone. Somehow the club's atmosphere had changed too much by then.

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Had left town when John Coltrane played there  :angry:

You almost got to see Coltrane!

Too bad your plane didn't have engine problems when you left. You could have stayed an extra night or two and saw him.

I didn't catch Coltrane at the VV but had seen and heard him when his quartet played in Paris in 1962.

Could not attend the Juan les Pins 1965 festival when Coltrane and his men played 'A Love Supreme' but nothing could have prevented me from attending the next day concert at the Salle Pleyel. One of the best concert I ever heard!

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I didn't catch Coltrane at the VV but had seen and heard him when his quartet played in Paris in 1962.

Could not attend the Juan les Pins 1965 festival when Coltrane and his men played 'A Love Supreme' but nothing could have prevented me from attending the next day concert at the Salle Pleyel. One of the best concert I ever heard!

The mind boggles Brownie. I've heard a recording of this concert. You're a lucky bastard! :)

Guy

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I think the club is still great. Compared to the other big name clubs, its relatively inexpensive. As a traveler who is usually going to the club alone, they treat me well and let me sit right up front. I don't find that they bother you to buy drinks there. If anything it's the oppposite.

I love the sound in that club, how everything is clear and balanced.

If I get to the VV a couple of times a year, it's been a good year (2004: Tom Harrell and Roy Hargrove).

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I didn't catch Coltrane at the VV but had seen and heard him when his quartet played in Paris in 1962.

Could not attend the Juan les Pins 1965 festival when Coltrane and his men played 'A Love Supreme' but nothing could have prevented me from attending the next day concert at the Salle Pleyel. One of the best concert I ever heard!

The mind boggles Brownie. I've heard a recording of this concert. You're a lucky bastard! :)

Guy

I think I have that concert also--on that great series France's Concert.

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I didn't catch Coltrane at the VV but had seen and heard him when his quartet played in Paris in 1962.

Could not attend the Juan les Pins 1965 festival when Coltrane and his men played 'A Love Supreme' but nothing could have prevented me from attending the next day concert at the Salle Pleyel. One of the best concert I ever heard!

The mind boggles Brownie. I've heard a recording of this concert. You're a lucky bastard! :)

Guy

I think I have that concert also--on that great series France's Concert.

Two tunes ('Impressions' and 'Afro Blue') from the Paris concert were released on the unauthorized France's Concert FCD disc 'John Coltrane, Live In Antibes, 1965' back in 1988 shortly before the label was ordered to shut down. The CD also had three additional tunes from the Antibes-Juan les Pins concert.

I took a number of photos at the concert. Coltrane and his men played in tuxedos in the July heat! The concert was hot! Elvin Jones was a monster that night!

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well, Lorraine is a character. I got to know her a little bit when she was managing Jabbo Smith. I have one story about her which is absolutely hilarious, but I won't tell it unless someone can guarantee that she doesn't read this site -

I guarantee that she doesn't read this site!

^_^

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well, here goes - moderators please delete if this will cause problems - I knew the bass player Curley Russell in the middle-late 1970s - he was telling me, one time, about what an incredibly nice guy the owner of Bluenote records was. "Man," Curley said, "he was so nice that he once caught his wife giving a ****job to Monk in his car, and he didn't even say a thing to her!" Well, a few years go by. I 'm sitting at a table with a bunch of people, including Lorraine Gordon, at the West End Cafe. Conversation goes around. Somebody says, "hey, did you know Lorraine used to be married to the guy who owned Bluenote Records?" I had to to leave the table until I could stop giggling. It was hard to look at her in the same way after that -

Edited by AllenLowe
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