Junior Cook

[Peter Friedman]

Saw him live with the band he co-led with Bill Hardman - great, and very nice person.

Was that in the fall of 1986 perhaps?

I caught that group In New York at the Mark Morganelli club on 23rd Street. Must have been in the early '80s.

Walter Bishop was on piano, Leroy Williams on drums. Can't remember who was on bass! Very nice band.

The Hardman-Cook group were regulars at the place!

And I was privileged to enjoy the brand new Horace Silver group with Cook, Blue Mitchell and a very young Louis Hayes when they played at the Club Saint-Germain in 1959.

Cook and the Silver bandmates were really cookin'...

Interesting coincidence Brownie. As best I can recall I saw Junior Cook twice, and they were almost identical to the two situations you mentioned above. I caught the Horace Silver Quintet with Junior Cook and Blue Mitchell at the Sutherland Lounge in Chicago in 1957.

I saw the very same Cook/Hardman Quintet in NYC that had Leroy Williams and Walter Bishop,Jr in the group. The bass player may have been Paul Brown?

The night I saw them Bill Hardman was especially impressive!

Junior Cook was a very good tenor player. I can't think of any recordings with him that are less than enjoyable.

Edited April 19, 2007 by Peter Friedman

[Dan Gould]

Brain cramp, Jim?

We're talking about Muse albums and you've posted his Steeplechase covers.

What brain?

Wow.

Well, at least you didn't post this one:

That's at the bottom of the AMG discography, after You Leave Me Breathless.

[Dan Gould]

One nice but hard to find sideman date pairs two former Blue Note artists together - Kenny Drew with Junior, backed by Jimmy Cobb and Sam Jones. All The Things You Are, originally issued on the Japanese LOB label, AMG shows it with a different cover and label (TDK):

Very nice.

[Tom 1960]

Thanks to all for the many great recommendations. At the very least I'll purchase "Junior's Cookin' ". I'm definitely interested in purchasing "Cup Bearers" w/Blue Mitchell since I'm a big fan of his. The Steeplechase recordings look interesting also.

Brownie, you're killing me! You saw Silver, Mitchell, Cook and Hayes back in '59? Damn, that must have been one hell of a show!

[Chuck Nessa]

Thanks to all for the many great recommendations. At the very least I'll purchase "Junior's Cookin' ". I'm definitely interested in purchasing "Cup Bearers" w/Blue Mitchell since I'm a big fan of his. The Steeplechase recordings look interesting also.

Brownie, you're killing me! You saw Silver, Mitchell, Cook and Hayes back in '59? Damn, that must have been one hell of a show!

Yup, Brownie is the man!

My Cookin' started with the mid '60s Silver band at the Plugged Nickel. Next around '70 with Hubbard. Next with Hardman in mid '70s NYC. Last in a band I put together for Jimmy Smith for the Chicago Jazz Festival in the early '80s - forget the year. The band included Cook, Hardman, Sweet Papa Lou and Ray Crawford. If anyone has a recording of the broadcast, please send it to me.

[montg]

I'd recommend Junior's Cookin from the Fantasy label. Really cookin' cd (no pun intended). Wasn't terribly crazy about the Steeple Chase ones but You Leave Me Breathless with Valery Ponomarev is really top notch.

Junior's Cookin' =

I like this one with Horace Silver as well.

I agree, Junior really shines on the Village Gate recording.

[Michael Weiss]

I cut my teeth in NY with Junior Cook, working with him in a quartet from 1982 and then as a member of the Junior Cook/Bill Hardman Quintet up until I joined Johnny Griffin in 1987. We played regularly at the Star Café, Barry Harris' Jazz Cultural Theater, the Flamingo Lounge (and other short lived spots) in Brooklyn, Jazzmobile concerts in the summer, the Village Gate, a couple of spots in NJ and we made a ballbusting tour of Europe in September/October of 1986 with Walter Booker and Leroy Williams. My last gig with Junior, a few months before he died, was at Scullers in Boston in October, 1991 which was recorded and broadcast on NPR's Jazzset.

Coincidentally, Blowing the Blues Away was my very first jazz record.

Junior lived to play and was a great inspiration to all the young players who gravitated to him.

He was always interested in playing the obscure standard, Monk or Kenny Dorham tune.

He was also a great pun-master like many of his contemporaries such as Cedar Walton and Curtis Fuller.

Edited April 20, 2007 by Michael Weiss

[Larry Kart]

Last in a band I put together for Jimmy Smith for the Chicago Jazz Festival in the early '80s - forget the year. The band included Cook, Hardman, Sweet Papa Lou and Ray Crawford. If anyone has a recording of the broadcast, please send it to me.

IIRC that set was at least as fine as any Blue Note Smith jam session recording.

[ValerieB]

I cut my teeth in NY with Junior Cook, working with him in a quartet from 1982 and then as a member of the Junior Cook/Bill Hardman Quintet up until I joined Johnny Griffin in 1987. We played regularly at the Star Café, Barry Harris' Jazz Cultural Theater, the Flamingo Lounge (and other short lived spots) in Brooklyn, Jazzmobile concerts in the summer, the Village Gate, a couple of spots in NJ and we made a ballbusting tour of Europe in September/October of 1986 with Walter Booker and Leroy Williams. My last gig with Junior, a few months before he died, was at Scullers in Boston in October, 1991 which was recorded and broadcast on NPR's Jazzset.

Coincidentally, Blowing the Blues Away was my very first jazz record.

Junior lived to play and was a great inspiration to all the young players who gravitated to him.

He was always interested in playing the obscure standard, Monk or Kenny Dorham tune.

He was also a great pun-master like many of his contemporaries such as Cedar Walton and Curtis Fuller.

was walter bishop on that european tour, michael? he is remembered by many as a chronic pun-master as well. some good examples of that are his jazz poems about those bugs like max the roach!

[brownie]

Brownie, you're killing me! You saw Silver, Mitchell, Cook and Hayes back in '59? Damn, that must have been one hell of a show!

I was still a teenager at the time -_- and doing some writings for the monthly Jazz Magazine. I did interviews with all the Horace Silver Quintet members which were published at the time. They were residing at the Hotel Crystal that was (and still exists) opposite the Club Saint-Germain. All five could not be nicer and more cooperative.

Horace Silver played for a week (at least) at the Club and I managed to be there twice!

There was a very active scene at the Club in those days and I was delighted to be able to catch live performances from greats like Miles Davis, Bud Powell, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. The club manager Marcel Romano was a very good friend and allowed me open admission. Which was not the case at the Blue Note on the Right Bank where my pocket money allowance did not permit attendance. Can't kick myself enough for missing Lester Young's final club appearance there in early 1959.

[Michael Weiss]

 

was walter bishop on that european tour, michael?

Hi Valerie,

No, I was.

 

 

he is remembered by many as a chronic pun-master as well. some good examples of that are his jazz poems about those bugs like max the roach!

I remember Bish's poems quite well!

Edited July 12, 2015 by Michael Weiss

[ValerieB]

was walter bishop on that european tour, michael?

Hi Valerie,

No, I was.

a thousand pardons for the faux pas. Duh!!

he is remembered by many as a chronic pun-master as well. some good examples of that are his jazz poems about those bugs like max the roach!

I remember Bish's poem's quite well!

i'm glad to say that i have a bunch of them which i treasure!

[Michael Weiss]

From personal experience and word from other folks working with him - he was a soloist with little or no ideas about presenting himself or his music. Absolutely nothing wrong with that (in fact I admire it). The Silver records and the later Muse stuff is a great monument to his life.

Just came across your comments and would beg to differ. From someone who worked with Junior for years as a sideman, I can tell you he was very conscientious about how the music was presented to his audience:

His repertoire was a wide-ranging mix of under-played standards to many negleted gems of Monk, Tadd Dameron and others. The structure of his sets were always well balanced. He made sure every tune had introductions, codas and solo backgrounds. He announced the names of every piece and maintained the momentum – as he used to say, "No lulls!"

You could say that Junior was not one who seeked the limelight and he may not have been a great business man when it came to promoting himself. But when it came to playing and performing, he was all business.

Edited April 26, 2007 by Michael Weiss

[Chuck Nessa]

From personal experience and word from other folks working with him - he was a soloist with little or no ideas about presenting himself or his music. Absolutely nothing wrong with that (in fact I admire it). The Silver records and the later Muse stuff is a great monument to his life.

Just came across your comments and would beg to differ. From someone who worked with Junior for years as a sideman, I can tell you he was very conciencious about how the music was presented to his audience:

His repertoire was a wide-ranging mix of under-played standards to many negleted gems of Monk, Tadd Dameron and others. The structure of his sets were always well balanced. He made sure every tune had introductions, codas and solo backgrounds. He announced the names of every piece and maintained the momentum – as he used to say, "No lulls!"

You could say that Junior was not one who seeked the limelight and he may not have been a great business man when it came to promoting himself. But when it came to playing and performing, he was all business.

I think we are saying the same things from different perspectives.

[Soul Stream]

His repertoire was a wide-ranging mix of under-played standards to many negleted gems of Monk, Tadd Dameron and others.

Michael, could you talk specifically about the tunes you played with Junior, especially the ones he loved the most. Even what you might recall as a typical set list from the time you played with him. I'm always fascinated with the particular repertoire of players. Thanks!

[Michael Weiss]

Here's a collection of tunes I remember playing with Junior, many of which I have on cassette from various gigs –

Monk: Round Midnight, Gallop's Gallop, Off Minor, Brake's Sake, Eronel, Well You Needn't

Trane: Lazy Bird, Moment's Notice, Take the Coltrane, Crescent, Naima

Standards Trane recorded: You Leave Me Breathless, If There is Someone Lovelier Than You, I'm a Dreamer Aren't We All, You Say You Care, Rise and Shine, The Night Has a Thousand Eyes, Time Was

Other standards: It Could Happen to You, Bye Bye Blackbird, By Myself, Like Someone in Love, When Sunny Gets Blue, Girl Talk, Old Folks, Moment to Moment, Detour Ahead, End of a Love Affair, Make the Man Love Me (Dinah Washington), Once I Loved, Over the Rainbow, Wave, What's New, Without a Song

Tadd: Mating Call, Gnid, On a Misty Night

KD: La Mesha, Una Mas

Donald Byrd: Fly Little Bird Fly

Bird: She Rote

J.J.: Enigma (from BN Miles)

Cedar: Firm Roots

We used to play Conception as a hybrid of Miles' and Bud's arrangements.

That's as much as I can remember for now.

Edited October 19, 2012 by Michael Weiss

[Soul Stream]

Here's a collection of tunes I remember playing with Junior, many of which I have on cassette from various gigs –

Monk: Round Midnight, Gallop's Gallop, Off Minor, Brake's Sake, Eronel, Well You Needn't

Trane: Lazy Bird, Moment's Notice, Take the Coltrane, Crescent, Naima

Standards Trane recorded: You Leave Me Breathless, If There is Someone Lovelier Than You, I'm a Dreamer Aren't We All, You Say You Care, Rise and Shine, The Night Has a Thousand Eyes

Other standards: It Could Happen to You, Bye Bye Blackbird, By Myself, Like Someone in Love, When Sunny Gets Blue, Girl Talk, Old Folks, Moment to Moment, Detour Ahead, End of a Love Affair, Make the Man Love Me (Dinah Washington), Once I Loved, Over the Rainbow, Wave, What's New, Without a Song

Tadd: Mating Call, Gnid, On a Misty Night

KD: La Mesha, Una Mas

Donald Byrd: Fly Little Bird Fly

Bird: She Rote

J.J.: Enigma (from BN Miles)

Cedar: Firm Roots

We used to play Conception as a hybrid of Miles' and Bud's arrangements.

That's as much as I can remember for now.

Thanks Michael! He must have been an ardent admirer of Tranes' from his rep., but you wouldn't know it from his playing (although I'm not much familiar with his work outside of Horace's group). Also, I find many old-timers love "Over The Rainbow" which just seems to be thought of as corney by younger people, although I love it myself. Especially when played by someone like Lou Donaldson, or I'm sure Junior Cook. Also, would love to hear Junior on "On A Misty Night." Thanks again for sharing.

...oh...and Girl Talk...love that song and is a little surprise that I wouldn't have thought of...

Edited April 27, 2007 by Soul Stream

[sidewinder]

Great thread ! Just recalling something that happened many years ago - around 1976/77. At that time I was a regular reader of Melody Maker and one week there was a review of a Ronnie Scotts gig by the Louis Hayes/Junior Cook Quintet featuring Woody Shaw. The gig was curtailed I think because of a major on-stage clash (or clashes) between Junior and Woody - can't recall the exact details. Wish I'd cut out the review.

[Dan Gould]

I find many old-timers love "Over The Rainbow" which just seems to be thought of as corney by younger people, although I love it myself. Especially when played by someone like Lou Donaldson, or I'm sure Junior Cook. Also, would love to hear Junior on "On A Misty Night."

You can. Its the title track to one of his Steeplechase releases with Mickey Tucker on piano. That one also has a nice version of Cannonball's "Wabash". The Place to Be features Tad's "Gnid" plus "Over the Rainbow" as well as "Are You Real".

My only criticism of those Steeplechase releases is a tendency to jam a little long. If I'd been the producer, I'd have cut back on the solo space to concentrate everyone's mind and then taken the extra time to record another classic composition or two. But that's just my two cents.

Edited April 27, 2007 by Dan Gould

[Michael Weiss]

Junior's arrangements on tunes like Over the Rainbow and Once I Loved had some nice harmonic substitutions to keep things interesting.

Trane's influence in Junior certainly showed itself at least as early as the 1970's with Freddie Hubbard (Hot Horn on Everest is a great example).

[BruceH]

Well, I've never met Junior Cook, but I've got to recommend the Blue Mitchell album The Cup Bearers. Hasn't the BN album The Thing To Do been re-released? Cook is on that too.

[kh1958]

Junior's arrangements on tunes like Over the Rainbow and Once I Loved had some nice harmonic substitutions to keep things interesting.

Trane's influence in Junior certainly showed itself at least as early as the 1970's with Freddie Hubbard (Hot Horn on Everest is a great example).

Hot Horn on Everest? Is that a Freddie Hubbard or Junior Cook record? Never heard of it.

[Michael Weiss]

Lots of info in this thread

[Dan Gould]

Junior's arrangements on tunes like Over the Rainbow and Once I Loved had some nice harmonic substitutions to keep things interesting.

Trane's influence in Junior certainly showed itself at least as early as the 1970's with Freddie Hubbard (Hot Horn on Everest is a great example).

Hot Horn on Everest? Is that a Freddie Hubbard or Junior Cook record? Never heard of it.

Lots of info in this thread

thanks, Michael - that thread inspired me to go looking for the two LPs that capture the Hubbard-Cook group. One was available via Buy-it-now, the other one I just snagged. Total of about $20 including shipping.

[Bright Moments]

really enjoying the place to be atm