Marcus Belgrave, R.I.P (1936-2015)

[rockefeller center]

https://soundcloud.com/spiritualjazz/marcus-belgrave-space-odyssey

[bluesoul]

Marcus Belgrave Memorial Broadcast

In remembrance of the great Marcus Belgrave who passed away today, May 24, WKCR is dedicating our jazz programming to the music of the trumpet legend Marcus Belgrave on May 26. We do this in both memory and celebration of the life of this ingenious musician.

[JohnS]

Sad news.

[Peter Friedman]

A very good example of the playing of Marcus is on the CD he co-led with fellow Detroiter Kirk Lighsey on the Criss Cross label.

Not being home I can't give the specific album title. If I recall correctly, lightsey's name may be listed first on the cover.

[mikeweil]

[clifford_thornton]

Very sad news. RIP.

[paul secor]

A good friend of mine does a blues radio show and he's planning to feature Marcus Belgrave on some bluesy/r&b sides - w. Ray Charles, Percy Mayfield, & David "Fathead" Newman tomorrow night.

[Rooster_Ties]

I have most (maybe all?) of Belgrave's Tribe-related recordings -- but I'm wondering what of his sideman work specifically from the 60's and 70's is most important, in terms of space he gets to solo.

I think the only other thing I have in that regard is the Curtis Amy side (literally one side) on Pacific (on the Select, and as bonus tracks on Katanga!). But other than that, I've never taken the plunge on anything else. I do seem to remember seeing his name come up on some obscure releases on the Dusty Groove site -- including some things that I'd never seen listed on-line in any of his other credits (i.e. All Music, or other on-line discographies). Did he ever record under a pseudonym? - I seem to remember super-vaguely a piece of Dusty Groove prose that suggested something like that.

Anyway, outside of what he did on/for Tribe, what's the most significant Belgrave to pick up in terms of his 60's and 70's sideman work? (Thanks!)

[Rooster_Ties]

http://kresge.org/sites/default/files/Belgrave_Monograph.pdf

Don't know if this has already been posted, but this is quite a nice document.

[clifford_thornton]

Charlie Persip on Bethlehem is another, although Belgrave is only on one track IIRC.

[Clunky]

I should also note Marcus' two best recordings under his own name were made for his own label in the 1990s and while they were not widely distributed, you can find them with a little searching: "Marcus Belgrave with Detroit's Jazz Piano Legacy, Vol. 1" and "Working Together." I can't recommend these highly enough, especially the former, which includes performances with the Tommy Flanagan Trio and other tracks with Geri Allen and Gary Schunk (a terrific pianist and local hero not many know about outside of Michigan).

http://www.freep.com/…/marcus-belgrave-recordings…/27885363/

Thanks for this recommendation, Jazz piano legacy is on Spotify, I enjoyed it so much I picked up the CD.

[Mark Stryker]

I have most (maybe all?) of Belgrave's Tribe-related recordings -- but I'm wondering what of his sideman work specifically from the 60's and 70's is most important, in terms of space he gets to solo.

I think the only other thing I have in that regard is the Curtis Amy side (literally one side) on Pacific (on the Select, and as bonus tracks on Katanga!). But other than that, I've never taken the plunge on anything else. I do seem to remember seeing his name come up on some obscure releases on the Dusty Groove site -- including some things that I'd never seen listed on-line in any of his other credits (i.e. All Music, or other on-line discographies). Did he ever record under a pseudonym? - I seem to remember super-vaguely a piece of Dusty Groove prose that suggested something like that.

Anyway, outside of what he did on/for Tribe, what's the most significant Belgrave to pick up in terms of his 60's and 70's sideman work? (Thanks!)

Suggest starting with Roland Alexander's "Pleasure Bent" (1961) -- Marcus gets featured billing on that. He gets nice space on Fathead Newman's debut: "Fathead, Ray Charles Presents David 'Fathead' Newman" -- check out "Willow Weep for Me." He's also on about half of "Fathead Comes On." An under-the-radar disc from much later where he gets lots of space is Horace Tapscott's "Aiee! The Phantom" (Arabesque) from 1995. He's on three tunes on Lenny White's Freddie Hubbard tribute, "Hub Art" (1996 on Hip Bop) -- "Crisis," "Pensativa," "Little Sunflower." He's all over the ensemble on McCoy's "La Leyenda de la Hora" (1981) but plays only one solo -- a good one on "Walk Spirit, Talk Spirit." Otherwise, let me repeat what I said above: HIs best records as a leader are "Marcus Belgrave with Detroit's Jazz Piano Legacy, Vol. 1" and "Working Together." Definitely look for those if you haven't heard them.

Edited May 29, 2015 by Mark Stryker

[Mark Stryker]

Coda: Not long after arriving in Detroit, Marcus led a recording date for Motown that was to be part of a short-lived jazz subsidiary. There were 8 tunes recorded over two days in June 1963. The personnel is Marcus on trumpet, Bennie Maupin (tenor), Pepper Adams (bari), George Bohanon and Paul Riser (trombones), Cecil McBee (bass) and George Goldsmith (drums). The record was never issued, but it is almost certain that the tapes exist in the Universal vaults. No one I know has ever heard any of this. I'm trying to run some connections ...

Edited May 29, 2015 by Mark Stryker

[Mark Stryker]

The funeral service was today. Here's a full report.

http://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/music/2015/05/30/marcus-belgrave-funeral-detroit/28232601/

[johnblitweiler]

My interview may have been the first Down Beat published about Marcus Belgrave (Nov. 7, 1974). I may have heard him at the South Bend Armory with Ray Charles in 1960. The band opened with an hour of "Moanin," "Sister Sadie," such, with I believe Hank Crawford playing piano, before Ray & Raylettes came onstage and sang for over an hour. Quite a happy night.

[sgcim]

That reminds me of one of Ray Charles' bands that went over to Europe in the 70s with Marcus and bob harris playing second keyboard for Ray.

Harris was most influenced by the Detroit jazz musicians, and Marcus was probably his only contact with the real thing. I wonder if they ever recorded together?

[JSngry]

My interview may have been the first Down Beat published about Marcus Belgrave (Nov. 7, 1974).

Here t'is:

[Mark Stryker]

Very important document. Thanks, John, for the prescience to write it, and thanks to Jim for posting.

[JSngry]

From the same issue:

[kh1958]

I saw him live once, in 2005--paired with Roy Hargrove for a two trumpet front line, at the Jazz Gallery. Rather good, I recall.

[johnblitweiler]

Thanks, Jim. Where do you find these Down Beat articles?

[JSngry]

In my closet.

Seriously.

[Mark Stryker]

I've got 40+ years of Down Beat in my closet too -- subscriber for decades since '76, now single copy buyer, bought various collections and single issues over the years to fill in gaps so pretty complete back to 1972 or so, sporadic before that, but lots and lots in 1959-61.

Fun for the whole family! Well, maybe just me. But invaluable for research purposes and opening a window on various eras.

[Homefromtheforest]

I have a huge box jammed with Coda magazines ranging from 1966 to 1995 or so...almost complete starting from 1970/71. Tons of great stuff in those...

Thanks for posting that Belgrave DB article!

[Rooster_Ties]

I've got almost 25 years of DB's, inherited from my uncle - complete, from April 1965 to about 1990. I fondly remember thumbing through them regularly when I was in college (late 80's), and was thrilled to have gotten them when he passed a few years ago.