Hindustani Jazz Sextet

[Dmitry]

Hindustani Jazz Sextet was formed by Don Ellis and Emil Richards in the mid to late 60s. I'm very curious to hear their recordings [if any are available, that is].

Anybody heard of this band?

[Dmitry]

[JSngry]

Heard of them, yes. No released recordings that I know of. But you gotta think that there's some "documentation" of some sort out there somewhere.

[Chalupa]

If they played w/ the Dead they were probably recorded. Bear, the Dead's sound engineer back in the 60's/early 70's regularly recorded the other acts on the bill. Now whether a tape survives is another question....

You could try emailing Wolfgang's Vault. They bought the entire collection of the Bill Graham Archives a few years ago.

http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/

[Dmitry]

Well, I'm not assertive enough to go looking through archives, but here's what I googled -

UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive

DON ELLIS COLLECTION

7-INCH REELS

Hindustani Jazz Sextet #1

¨ Bombay tk #3

¨ Pete's Seven, tk. #7 & 16

Hindustani Jazz Sextet #2

¨ Shelly's Jacquebo

¨ Blues for Hari

¨ Deja vu

Hindustani Jazz Sextet, 8-2-1964, Lighthouse Café

¨ Sweet 19

¨ Bombay Bossa Nova

¨ Free Four

Hindustani Jazz Sextet, 3-24-1966

¨ Night in Tunisia

¨ Bombay Bossa Nova

¨ Demonstration in 19

¨ Sweet 19

¨ Blues for Hari

¨ Turks Works

Hindustani Quintet #1, Icehouse, Pasadena -- 9-13-1965

Hindustani Sextet, demo tape

Hindustani #1

¨ Once There Were Nine Teens

¨ Nineteen times Seven

¨ Mount Olive

¨ Turks Works

Hindustani #2

Hindustani #3

¨ Frank St. Peter

¨ Tabla Solo

¨ All Blue, excerpt

[Dmitry]

While at UCLA, Ellis met Hari Har Rao, a disciple of Ravi Shankar, and began studying Indian rhythms. Together, Ellis and Rao wrote "An Introduction to Indian Music for the Jazz Musician" for a 1965 issue of the journal Jazz. "Indian classical music," said Ellis, "possesses the most highly developed, subtle and complex system of organised rhythm in the world. The best and most technically advanced jazz drummer that has ever lived is a rank novice compared to a good Indian drummer when it comes to command of rhythms." (Jazz, 1965, p. 20.)

In 1965 Ellis organized the Hindustani Jazz Sextet, which included Ellis on trumpet, Rao on sitar, tabla, and dholak drums, as well as performers on piano, bass, drums, and sax. They performed regularly at the Club Havana on Sunset Boulevard. In February 1966 the Sextet performed at the Los Angeles Music Center with the Los Angeles Neophonic Orchestra under the direction of Stan Kenton. In a Los Angeles Times review, critic Leonard Feather wrote, "Don Ellis grasped the entire mighty Los Angeles Neophonic Orchestra, stuffed it in his hip pocket, and ran off with the show." Ellis gave an introduction to his composition "Synthesis," and Rao outlined the two basic ragas used in the piece. "This was no mere musical wedding," said Feather, "it was outright polygamy. Indian ragas and rhythms, European classical concepts, American sounds and African touches were all fused in a work that built to a wild, searing climax—in fact, two or three wild, searing climaxes." (Feb. 9, 1966, pt. IV, p. 10.)

According to other sources Roger Kellaway and Bill Plummer were in the band also.

[JSngry]

So many of the names mentioned here - Ellis, Plummer, Richards, & Kellaway, were recording in various capacities for Pacific Jazz around the time. Not sure about Rao, but World Pacfic, remember, was the US label for a buttload full of Ravi Shankar sides as well as some other albums of Indian classical music. You gotta wonder if any of the items in the UCLA archives might have been originally done under the PJ/WP aegis, especially the items listed w/take #s.

[Dmitry]

I emailed Bill Plummer for some info. Let's see if he responds....

[Tony Pusey]

A missing piece of the jig-saw,for both jazz but also fans of Bay area/ SF Sound! I would love for this to appear!

[Adam]

Maybe I can check it out next time I'm at UCLA.

[clifford_thornton]

Yeah, this does sound really interesting. Thanks!

[Dmitry]

I got a brief but a very informative email from Bill Plummer early this morning. Will post the contents when I'm home.

Teaser - there are some surprises.

[JSngry]

If it's the same tune, "Blues For Hari" was composed by Tom Scott (who studied with Rao) & was recorded by a quartet consisting of Scott, Kellaway, Chuck Domanico, & John Guerin on Kellaway's 1967 live PJ lp Spirit Feel (PJ-10122). Also on that album is a Richards piece, "Ten To Five". Kellaway makes mention in the liners of playing in Ellis' big band, but no mention ismade of the HJS.

"Blues For Hari" & "Turks Works" (composed by Arif Mardin!) both show up on the recent Ellis issue on Wounded Bird, Pieces Of Eight, a 1967 concert by an Ellis Octet at UCLA. Both Ellis & Rao were on faculty at UCLA then, and the liners wonder why Ellis assembled an octet for this concert rather than "reassemble" the HJS. That is the extent of the mention the group gets.

[Dmitry]

Both Ellis & Rao were on faculty at UCLA then, and the liners wonder why Ellis assembled an octet for this concert rather than "reassemble" the HJS.

There's a reason for that. It's in Bill Plummer's email. Heh.

[JSngry]

Hmmmm....

!

[rostasi]

So many of the names mentioned here - Ellis, Plummer, Richards, & Kellaway, were recording in various capacities for Pacific Jazz around the time. Not sure about Rao, but World Pacfic, remember, was the US label for a buttload full of Ravi Shankar sides as well as some other albums of Indian classical music. You gotta wonder if any of the items in the UCLA archives might have been originally done under the PJ/WP aegis, especially the items listed w/take #s.

Well, the late Richard Bock basically changed the label Pacific Jazz to World Pacific

in the late 50's if I remember correctly and later started a cassette-only label called

Ravi Shankar Music Circle that not only featured Shankar, but also a wonderful eclectic group of

both Hindustani and Carnatic musicians. I believe some of the titles are now available as CDs.

I bought this whole series in the 80's. Here's a sample:

Edited August 14, 2006 by rostasi

[JSngry]

Well, the late Richard Bock basically changed the label Pacific Jazz to World Pacific

in the late 50's if I remember correctly...

Don't think that WP replaced PJ, just that it ran concurrently with it.

[7/4]

So many of the names mentioned here - Ellis, Plummer, Richards, & Kellaway, were recording in various capacities for Pacific Jazz around the time. Not sure about Rao, but World Pacfic, remember, was the US label for a buttload full of Ravi Shankar sides as well as some other albums of Indian classical music. You gotta wonder if any of the items in the UCLA archives might have been originally done under the PJ/WP aegis, especially the items listed w/take #s.

Well, the late Richard Bock basically changed the label Pacific Jazz to World Pacific

in the late 50's if I remember correctly and later started a cassette-only label called

Ravi Shankar Music Circle that not only featured Shankar, but also a wonderful eclectic group of

both Hindustani and Carnatic musicians. I believe some of the titles are now available as CDs.

I bought this whole series in the 80's. Here's a sample:

Hey, it's Ira Landgarten from from Raga records. It's a great label and I used to see him at raga concerts recording the event.

Edited August 14, 2006 by 7/4

[rostasi]

Yup! Those Banerjee titles are stupendous!

[rostasi]

Well, the late Richard Bock basically changed the label Pacific Jazz to World Pacific

in the late 50's if I remember correctly...

Don't think that WP replaced PJ, just that it ran concurrently with it.

Yeah, I think you're right...those dates when everything changed and sold to Liberty, etc

are kinda jumbled in my mind. It's been quite a few years!

[7/4]

Everything I've heard on that label have sounded amazing.

I have a friend who studied with Don. I wonder if Don was using the quarter tone trp at this point. I still haven't heard him yet, any suggestions folks?

[Dmitry]

Email from Bill Plummer -

Hi Dmitry,

The originator of the band was Emil Richards. He and Hari Har were conferring for some time before Don came into the picture. Recordings with Emil, "Stones and New Time Rhythms" (Uni Records). I believe Chuck Stevens was the drummer. That is not for sure though. Its been a while. Dick Bock *world Pacific) recorded some songs, I don't think they were ever released. Don and Emil had a disagreement in the studio about Don throwing some fifty caliber machine gun shells into a waste basket for an effect.

Dave McKay also played piano in the band.

Best

BP

[mikeweil]

Email from Bill Plummer -

Hi Dmitry,

...... Don and Emil had a disagreement in the studio about Don throwing some fifty caliber machine gun shells into a waste basket for an effect.

- must have been a giant waste basket!

That aside, there was a drummer in Emil Richards' Microtonal Blues Band named Mark Stevens - I can't remember any "Chuck" Stevens on the California scene.

[flat5]

The Don Ellis 7 inch reels

http://www.ethnomusi...te/ellis7in.htm

Edited February 17, 2013 by flat5