Henry Grimes on WFIU today

[ghost of miles]

Hey all,

Henry Grimes will be a guest today on Joe Bourne's Just You and Me from 3:30 to 5, and I'll be helping with the interview. More details to follow in a few minutes... gotta run right now.

David

[ghost of miles]

We'll also have Andrew Lamb and Avreeayl Ra on the show--they're performing with Henry Friday night at the Madame Walker Theater in Indianapolis (one of the only remaining venues on Indy's famed Indiana Avenue).

WFIU listen live link here.

[rostasi]

Thanks David for the interview.

Sounded like it was a "difficult"

kind of interview - Henry having seen some better days

(and worse, of course!).

Lots of recording excerpts made it extra enjoyable too!

Thanks again!

Rod

[Chuck Nessa]

Have not heard the interview but have spent some "recent" time with Mr Grimes. The memory is gone. He only seems to remember things told to him recently.

We can all be thankful he's here and working.

[ghost of miles]

I did a half-hour one-on-one interview with Henry for a future Night Lights show right before he went on Joe's program, and I think that went pretty well. Also got to do the last 10 minutes of Joe's show, though my voice was shot (I'm fighting a bad cold). Then we went out to dinner at my friend's restaurant (the place that sponsors Night Lights) and went over to my old radio station, WFHB, for a live performance. I'd called up my GM buddy in the middle of the day, and we managed to run down a serviceable bass and drum kit for the trio. Two extended improv pieces that went on for about an hour total, and I got to sit right in the middle of it.

Sheldonm was instrumental in making it all happen--one of the most amazing days of my life, at least as a jazz fan. About 10 years ago an improv musician friend of mine made me a tape and titled it, Henry Grimes, Where Are You? Never dreamed I'd be hanging out with him for the day. He's really a beautiful person. And btw, much warmth was expressed from both him and Margaret when I mentioned the names of Messrs. Vega and Fitzgerald.

Edited October 28, 2005 by ghost of miles

[sheldonm]

...very cool time indeed (other than my parking ticket at IU)!!! Henry and the band sounded great and were a blast to talk with. While David interviewed Henry for a future installment of his show, I spoke with Andrew Lamb in another part of the studio...very cordial, informative and a very fine player as well.

When David finished his interview, we went into another studio for Joe's interview with Henry and Andrew; fun to sit in and make a few photographs.

Next was a trip to a nice cafe for some yummy burritos and then onto the other station for a live broadcast of the band.

I had met percussionist Avreeayl Ra several times before in Chicago....very bad (as in good!!!) drummer!!! While he punished his borrowed drums, Aaron Ibn Pori Pitts did some spoken word which was cool while Andrew played several instruments including the tenor sax, clarinet, flute and some little wooden doo-dads (not really called doo-dads), more along the line of a whistle....Henry was Henry, just killin'!!! While David did his on-air interview and the band played, I roamed the room with camera in hand to take it all in. After David left, I stuck around with the band for another 30-45 minutes to chat before the drive back home.

Heading to the sound check at the Madame Walker Theatre in a bit and then to the show later this evening!

I'll post some images on Saturday~

m~

Edited October 29, 2005 by sheldonm

[Guest]

Have not heard the interview but have spent some "recent" time with Mr Grimes. The memory is gone.  He only seems to remember things told to him recently.

We can all be thankful he's here and working.

←

Dear wonderful Chuck,

I think the last time you spent time with Henry Grimes was almost a year ago. When Henry first returned to the music world in 2OO2-3, his memory was indeed almost nonexistent, due to a very long period of terrible deprivation and isolation. When he first came to New York in 2OO3, I was worried that he might have Alzheimer's Disease, so I took him to some doctors, and that was ruled out. (Of course, what you describe as only remembering recent things would be the opposite of Alzheimer's, as those patients forget the most recent things first.) A year ago Henry was doing a lot better in the memory department than the year before that, and he was beginning to open up to his new life, and I'm happy to say that as time has gone by and Henry has been able to play his bass and enjoy the welcome and recognition and respect he'd never had before, his mind has cleared greatly and his spirit is wonderfully uplifted. Of course it's very hard for any of us to remember places and names and details of 3O or 4O years ago such as people are always asking Henry about, and at times when he's tired or distracted, his replies may be less complete than when he's in top form. But I think it's a testament to the man's amazing courage and strength that he has recovered so well and is playing so brilliantly. It's an honor, a revelation, and a joy to be around him.

[Chuck Nessa]

I certainly meant no disrespect and have sung HG's praises and defended you personally many times. I'm more than pleased to hear of the "recovery" he's experienced since I spent time with you.

All the best to the two of you and thanks for the "Dear, wonderful Chuck", that felt good.

[ghost of miles]

HG seemed to me to be in a good state indeed, and I was struck by how comfortable I felt hanging out with someone whom I'd idolized and all but mythologized for so long... as jazz-freak-fans like myself are wont to do.

Hey, good to see you posting here, Margaret. Something I meant to ask: is the current group going to record? Or release live recordings? A friend of mine at the Indy concert, a former jazz director and jock who knows his improv, said he certainly hopes so... he & I were both impressed by the trio's chemistry.

And if ever there were a man on the side of the musicians, it would be Mr. Nessa. He deserves much praise and salutations--and/or at least enough cash to re-issue the rest of his label's catalogue.

Edited November 2, 2005 by ghost of miles

[sheldonm]

It's an honor, a revelation, and a joy to be around him.

←

[Guest]

I certainly meant no disrespect and have sung HG's praises and defended you personally many times... [etc.].

←

Thanks, Chuck, and don't worry, we weren't offended by anything you wrote, and we have the greatest respect and admiration for you and Ann.

And thanks for defending me personally, as you wrote, though I've no idea why there is any need for that, and I don't bother with it myself. I have a strong history as a musicians' advocate in New York City through the years, and I feel good about this and other things I've done and continue to do with my life, and I only feel sorry for the few resentful sad sacks out here who go into attack mode after a few beers or because they're alone or they don't like women or whatever their problems may be.

[Guest]

HG seemed to me to be in a good state indeed, and I was struck by how comfortable I felt hanging out with someone whom I'd idolized and all but mythologized for so long...  as jazz-freak-fans like myself are wont to do. 

Hey, good to see you posting here, Margaret.  Something I meant to ask:  is the current group going to record?  Or release live recordings?  ... [etc.].

←

<< >< >< >< > <> > >

Ghost, your question about a recording of the Henry Grimes Trio who played at Indianapolis is a bit of a conundrum, because the Henry Grimes Trio with Andrew Lamb usually has Newman Taylor Baker on drums, but Newman had to return to New York before this last tour was over (he's doing something at Lincoln Center with Billy Bang and a dance company later this month, and there was a rehearsal he couldn't miss), so in Indianapolis the trio had wonderful Avreeayl Ra on drums. Meanwhile, Avreeayl Ra has been playing drums in Henry Grimes's Spaceship on the Highway Quartet, which also includes Fred Anderson and Marshall Allen (but not Andrew Lamb).

We do have a Henry Grimes Trio concert CD for sale with Andrew Lamb and with Newman Taylor Baker playing drums, though I have to order some more from the plant because we've sold them all. It's called "Sublime Communication," and it was recorded at WKCR-FM, New York on July 16, 'O4, and this trio was designated "Best Jazz Trio" by "NYPress" that year.

And meanwhile, we now have a few recordings from the just-completed Midwest tour, so we'll have to see how they came out and what the musicians want to do with them... or (dare I think it?) what a record company wants to do with them -- if there are any alive and cognizant, that is.

[sal]

I'd love to hear a recording of that jam with Henry, Fred Anderson and Hamid Drake that took place at the Velvet Lounge's fundraiser event. That was absolutely mind-melting.

[AllenLowe]

"I only feel sorry for the few resentful sad sacks out here who go into attack mode after a few beers or because they're alone or they don't like women or whatever their problems may be."

please spare us the gratuitous attacks on un-named figures, as this is exactly the kind of thing you are complaining about relative to your own relationship with Mr. Grimes. I'm sure you're doing a great job, but there are lots of examples of jazz mismanagement and lots of legitimate questions about the state of jazz employment -

[wigwise]

Is there an on-line archive where one can listen to these interviews?

[ghost of miles]

Is there an on-line archive where one can listen to these interviews?

←

Wigwise,

I'll be doing a Night Lights program on Grimes that will air in early or mid-December--it will use excerpts from the one-on-one interview that I did with him, and it will be archived on the Night Lights website.

[Guest]

I'd love to hear a recording of that jam with Henry, Fred Anderson and Hamid Drake that took place at the Velvet Lounge's fundraiser event.  That was absolutely mind-melting.

←

Dear melted Sal, it's mix and match again! Henry does have a trio CD with David Murray and Hamid Drake on Ayler Records (#ayl028, www.ayler.com, available in stores), and Henry also leads the on-going group Spaceship on the Highway (or Runway when the group goes overseas) with Marshall Allen, Fred Anderson, and Avreeayl Ra. Henry's played with Fred a lot, mostly in Chicago, and has toured and played with Hamid many times, mostly overseas. So we'll see what the future holds! I do think rather wistfully of the old days when a trio would stay together for years and years... quite rare now, especially in "avant-jazz," it seems.

[wigwise]

Is there an on-line archive where one can listen to these interviews?

←

Wigwise,

I'll be doing a Night Lights program on Grimes that will air in early or mid-December--it will use excerpts from the one-on-one interview that I did with him, and it will be archived on the Night Lights website.

←

Thanks. I'll look forward to that.

[AllenLowe]

I just want to add that my previous post was in no way a criticism of Margaret's management of Henry Grimes, and I don't want it to be interpreted as such; I just felt that one nice thing about criticisms made in these forums is that they are usually direct, honest, and heart felt - and that they should be countered in specific, not general terms.

[sheldonm]

Margaret,

I posted a dozen images to my gallery page; please take a look; sent email as well. Keep up the great work!

[sheldonm]

...and one more!

[Spontooneous]

That's not Olive Oyl, is it?

[sheldonm]

That's not Olive Oyl, is it?

←

No, Henry will no longer travel with Olive Oyl unless the entire tour can be driven. Since part of this tour involved air travel, he left her behind. On a recent trip to Paris, Olive Oyl was damaged not once, but twice by the airlines .

This is a bass belongs to local (Indianapolis) bassist Frank Smith. I guess they are tough to come by on Friday nights!!! In Henry's hands, it sounded beautiful!!!

m~

Edited November 3, 2005 by sheldonm

[ghost of miles]

Margaret,

I posted a dozen images to my gallery page; please take a look; sent email as well.  Keep up the great work!

←

Mark,

I don't see them on the gallery page--can you post a link to where they're posted?

[sal]

I'd love to hear a recording of that jam with Henry, Fred Anderson and Hamid Drake that took place at the Velvet Lounge's fundraiser event.  That was absolutely mind-melting.

←

Dear melted Sal, it's mix and match again! Henry does have a trio CD with David Murray and Hamid Drake on Ayler Records (#ayl028, www.ayler.com, available in stores), and Henry also leads the on-going group Spaceship on the Highway (or Runway when the group goes overseas) with Marshall Allen, Fred Anderson, and Avreeayl Ra. Henry's played with Fred a lot, mostly in Chicago, and has toured and played with Hamid many times, mostly overseas. So we'll see what the future holds! I do think rather wistfully of the old days when a trio would stay together for years and years... quite rare now, especially in "avant-jazz," it seems.

←

Have the CD with Murray and Drake, and I love it! Thanks for the reply Margaret.