Perry Robinson (1938-2018)

[clifford_thornton]

Sad to hear that the great clarinetist Perry Robinson has passed on. 

 

Perry stayed at the house I shared with my then-girlfriend when he came through Austin with Burton Greene about ten years ago. It was a gas staying up into the night with him talking about the music and his many travels. He and Burton performed two concerts as a duo and had local musicians sit in as well; I also did an interview that was filmed, though I don't know whatever happened to it (I'd interviewed Burton years before, separately). Saw Perry again a few times since relocating east, the last with Michael Marcus a few months ago -- and at that time Perry was looking quite frail, though he could still play with that magic tone of his. 

 

The autobiography he co-wrote with Florence Wetzel, The Traveler, is a great read. Been spending a lot of time with it again lately. 

[JSngry]

Now THAT was a voice! I had heard the name before the playing, and was kind of shocked to seem him on on/with a Brubeck Family concert on PBS. What a mindblower that was!

RIP, and many smiles from the memories.

[clifford_thornton]

Funk Dumpling is one of my favorite jazz albums, period.

The Traveler has some great bits about the Brubeck collaborations.

[felser]

9 minutes ago, clifford_thornton said:

Funk Dumpling is one of my favorite jazz albums, period.

The Traveler has some great bits about the Brubeck collaborations.

I also really like Funk Dumpling.  I am not aware of any other albums as leader or sideman for him from that era.  Am I correct, and if so, do we know why?

[clifford_thornton]

yeah, that was his first as a leader. Perry was also working as a sideman with Bill Dixon, Archie Shepp, the Jazz Composers' Guild Orchestra, and others during this period. 

He did have a cooperative trio with Bill Folwell and Tom Price called the Uni Trio, which started in Panama (where they were all in military service) and continued back in New York. There will be recordings from that band appearing in the coming year on Triple Point. Another variant had David Izenzon and Randy Kaye, and I've also heard a little of that group. 

I think it was hard to get record companies interested, but he was certainly making music with people at that time.

[mjazzg]

Sorry to hear this.

Very fond of the tremendous IAI LP (name escapes me at the moment) and his contributions to many Hampel recordings. 

'Funk Dumpling' has evaded me at a reasonable cost (the BYG version tends to be pressed off-centre on the evidence of three copies I've come into contact with).  I'm intrigued by the Triple Point release (will have to start saving now if it's at their usual price point)

[jlhoots]

Bobby Naughton / Wadada / Perry Robinson: The Haunt - recently reissued on NoBusiness

R.I.P.

[mjzee]

Funk Dumpling is a very nice record; I had it on a Savoy cassette.  RIP.

[clifford_thornton]

53 minutes ago, mjazzg said:

'Funk Dumpling' has evaded me at a reasonable cost (the BYG version tends to be pressed off-centre on the evidence of three copies I've come into contact with).  I'm intrigued by the Triple Point release (will have to start saving now if it's at their usual price point)

yes, all BYG copies are off center from my experience.

[sidewinder]

Very sad news, RIP. This has been an absolute bummer of a year for jazz passings.

[Milestones]

To me the biggest jazz passing, by far, was Randy Weston.  Who else have we lost this year?

 

[sgcim]

Very sad to hear. He used to be a regular guest on Radio Unnameable with Bob Fass on WBAI, playing unaccompanied improvisational clarinet into the night.

With his passing, NY just goes from bad to worse. RIP.

[optatio]

He was here so often in Göttingen to play with Gunter Hampel ... R.I.P.

[felser]

1 hour ago, Milestones said:

To me the biggest jazz passing, by far, was Randy Weston.  Who else have we lost this year?

 

Cecil Taylor, Nathan Davis, Hugh Masekeka, Roy Hargrove, Tomasz Stanko...

[clifford_thornton]

2 hours ago, Milestones said:

To me the biggest jazz passing, by far, was Randy Weston.  Who else have we lost this year?

 

let's keep this thread for Perry and if you want to start another thread for additional departures, feel free.

[clifford_thornton]

9 hours ago, felser said:

I also really like Funk Dumpling.  I am not aware of any other albums as leader or sideman for him from that era.  Am I correct, and if so, do we know why?

okay, I got a little turned around in chronology here -- after Funk Dumpling (early '62) and the World Youth Festival, Perry went into in the Army, where he formed the Uni Trio. He returned to NYC in 1965 and resumed performing and recording at that time. So that explains the break in recording dates for about a year and a half.

[cliffpeterson]

Like Clifford_Thornton, I caught Perry playing with Michael Marcus this summer.   great concert.  Also saw him in Amherst as part of William Parker's Bobs Cadillac trio.  Also very nice. He will be missed

[felser]

1 hour ago, clifford_thornton said:

okay, I got a little turned around in chronology here -- after Funk Dumpling (early '62) and the World Youth Festival, Perry went into in the Army, where he formed the Uni Trio. He returned to NYC in 1965 and resumed performing and recording at that time. So that explains the break in recording dates for about a year and a half.

I'm not aware of any Robinson dates (leader or noteworthy solo work as a sideman) from the mid-late 60's or early 70's either.  Can you fill in any details for me?

[clifford_thornton]

Henry Grimes "The Call" on ESP, 1965

Archie Shepp, "Mama Too Tight" on Impulse, 1966

Charlie Haden "Liberation Music Orchestra" on Impulse, 1970

Gunter Hampel, "Spirits" on Birth, 1971

Gunter Hampel, "Out Of New York" on MPS, 1971

Annette Peacock, "Revenge" on Polydor, 1971

Bobby Naughton, "Understanding" on Otic, 1972

Jeanne Lee, "Conspiracy" on Seeds/Earthforms, 1974

 

also, was just made aware of this, which is awesome:

 

[felser]

Thanks.  I own the Shepp and the Haden, don't remember any Robinson solos from them, but will check.  And will check out some of the other titles, some of which (Peacock, Naughton) I am totally unfamiliar with.

[Utevsky]

A great loss.  Perry frequently came to Seattle -- to visit relatives, I think.  I met Perry on a few of his visits, heard him jam with various local musicians, and had some chances to visit with him.  A fiery improviser and a sweet character, he will be missed by all who knew him.

 

[Joe]

Thanks for the music Mr. Robinson. His recent-ish set of duets with Burton Greene -- TWO VOICES IN THE DESERT -- is quite lovely.

[optatio]

22 hours ago, clifford_thornton said:

"Perry ... came ... with Burton Greene about ten years ago ... He and Burton performed two concerts as a duo and had local musicians sit in as well; ..."

 

 

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Although Robinson's genre is outside my usual comfort zone, I once saw him play at the old Boston Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) location on Boylston Street as part of William Parker's Bob's Pink Cadillac band and he was the highlight of the night. I actually went specifically to see William Parker, as I had been really digging "O'Neil's Porch". Instead, I left really appreciating Bob's Pink Cadillac, with Robinson being my main source of enjoyment. He was on fire.

Sadly, I never got to see him perform again. I don't think the ICA kept that venue going for very long.

Actually, googling this, I seem to remember Bob's Pink Cadillac opening for one of Parker's bands. It may have been the band with Kidd Jordan: https://www.discogs.com/Allen-Drake-Jordan-Parker-Silva-The-All-Star-Game/release/1046478. I also saw Parker a year later at the ICA with his Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra, so Bob's Pink Cadillac may have opened for either of these shows.

[clifford_thornton]

2 hours ago, optatio said:

 

I see my head, bottom left. Boy I was skinny then!