"Mike´s Blues" or: Remembering the jazz club scene in the 70´s

[Gheorghe]

Hello Friends !

After reading the „George Wein Allstars“ line up with Jimmy Woode on bass, and remembering Jimmy Woode, I decided to write a little story about the „scene“ back then.

I think every fan or musician of my generation has great memories about certain jazz clubs they frequented, to listen to music or play or spend the evening discussing with other musicians and check out the scene and possible gigs or jamsessions...

In my case it was the legendary „Jazz by Freddy“, run by it´s owner, the DJ and ocasionally bassist Alfred Kobler.

There was a lot of live music, not only locals, but also international stars like Johnny Griffin, Hannibal Marvin Peterson, most time with the great trio of Fritz Pauer (piano), Jimmy Woode (bass) and Tony Inzalaco (drums) and also a great chance for youngsters to get on stage and do their first gigs in public.

On nights when there was no live music, Freddy was the DJ and we listened to all them great records. Usually the records that were more interesting for me, were spinned maybe until 1 o clock.

Later, in the small hours he spinned more „danceable stuff“ at a quite loud volume, it was things like „Hamp´s Boogie“ or some „JATP“ and a lot of people of the night came in and danced and shouted. Ironically somewhere was written „Tanzen verboten“. But it seems that the purpose was swing- and boogie dancing.

I must admit, during that period, at the beginning maybe I was still underage but „covered“ my youth with really long hair, leather jacked and maybe the first growing of a „moustage“ , and dancing was not my thing, and it was quite strange characters around. People you wouldn´t see during daylight.

I remember one of them, maybe the most dominant of them was an almost white-blonde guy in his 40´s, always dressed in black and a bit lookin´like a pimp. Some said he is a cab driver.

Anyway, his nick was „Mike“.

And one evening when the great Fritz Pauer was playing with his trio or other soloists added, he announced he will play a new composition, dedicated to „Mike“, and it´s titled „Mike´s Blues“. This was a swingin´ very danceable blues in Db. Mike shouted with enthusiasm, but naive as I was, I had thought that a tune „Mike´s Blues“ allready existed and that Fritz might have stolen the title (not the tune), because around that time there were cheap LPs (maybe Bootlegs) from Italy, seria „Kings of Jazz“ , and I had one red Miles Davis album from that series „Here is Miles Davis at his rare of all rarest performances“, with no liner notes. Actually it was the 1951 Birdland Gig with Jay Jay Johnson, Sonny Rollins, Kenny Drew, Tommy Potter and Art Blakey and the second tune was mistitled „Mike´s Blues“, while the correct title is „Down“. But we kids liked the tune and knew it as „Mike´s Blues“ and hummed it always and among us, that album was just called „The Red Miles Davis album“.

So I really believed, that Fritz might have stolen the title „Mike´s Blues“.

Once, the famous Viennese songwriter, pianist, acordeonist and Radio/Television moderator Karl Hodina came to the club while Fritz Pauer played „Mike´s Blues“. Pauer shouted to Hodina to come on stage and take over at the piano chair, but Hodina refused, but Pauer insisted and finally he modulated the Db key into F, so it might be easier to play, and Hodina sat in and played a second solo, just in F. I remember I was a bit pissed off since I, still a „kid“ could play Db like any other key but was too shy to prove it.

The greatest thing is, that „Jazz Freddy“ (Alfred Kobler) trusted us youngsters and helped us a lot: He said during day time we can rehearse at the club, we just had to ask for the key at a near coffee house and in we went and rehearsed ! The piano was there, a set of drums was there, s

But few weeks after that I had the courage to talk to Fritz Pauer during intermission and I told him about me learing all them bop tunes and playing them with fellow youngsters, and really, once when there was really fast company, Allen Praskin on alto and Karl Ratzer on guitar, Fritz Pauer asked me to sit in for the first tune of the 2nd set. Oh Boy, Heaven on Earth……

And many many years later, „Jazz Freddie“, who was also a part time bass player, asked me to play with him and a bunch of guys on a special occasion, it was the opening evening for a new Newspaper. I don´t remember what we played, but it was a big party with lot of champagne and we had to be neatly dressed for the event. Anyway, this was no extraordinary gig, but the best paid gig I ever had…...

I´m glad I had such a great time during the high school years, school was okay, many nights I hung around the clubs and got to know name musicians and got the occasion to learn and play some music….

Photos: The legendary „Red Miles Davis Album“, and the great Fritz Pauer Trio with Jimmy Woode and Tony Inzalaco.

[soulpope]

❤❤❤ ....

[mikeweil]

Tony Inzalaco was one of the swinginest European drummers.

[HutchFan]

Thanks for sharing those great memories, Gheorghe!  

 

[JSngry]

8 hours ago, mikeweil said:

Tony Inzalaco was one of the swinginest European drummers.

Wasn't he from upstate New York or someplace? Played in Maynard's "Ronnie Cuber" band. Or did he get there from Europe and then went back?

[mikeweil]

7 hours ago, JSngry said:

Wasn't he from upstate New York or someplace? Played in Maynard's "Ronnie Cuber" band. Or did he get there from Europe and then went back?

You're right! He was born in Passaic, New Jersey in 1938 and stayed in Europe from 1968 to 1978. That's when I saw him play with  George Coleman. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Inzalaco

Edited February 24, 2022 by mikeweil

[JSngry]

Hella good player, regardless of origin!

[Gheorghe]

11 hours ago, mikeweil said:

You're right! He was born in Passaic, New Jersey in 1938 and stayed in Europe from 1968 to 1978. That's when I saw him play with  George Coleman. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Inzalaco

Yeah, I think that´s why I didn´t see him anymore after 78. Very fine drummer and anyway, I was and still am a piano player who maybe was born into some drummers mind or how you say things like that, I´m not spirituistic......, anyway. The first person I look for if I have to organize a band is the drummer, and studio records where the producer reduce the volume of the drums because they consider the drummer is just a time keeper, annoys me. 

I´m no Gordon completist, but didn´t  Inzalaco  make a Steeplechase record with Dex ? 

But, by the way:  any more reminiscences about clubs like the one I described in my very personal story ????? I think my story is not strictly Vienna bound, clubs, musicians and audiences and bizarre personalities might have existed everywhere where jazz was played. 

[mikeweil]

5 hours ago, Gheorghe said:

I´m no Gordon completist, but didn´t  Inzalaco  make a Steeplechase record with Dex ? 

 

[soulpope]

58 minutes ago, mikeweil said:

That's a great platter ....

[Gheorghe]

Yes, Stablemate was the album, I think it was with Horace Parlan...., as I said I lost the trace, I have some of the 1964 Montmatre (Cheese Cake or something), and from the 70´s I have that Dexter-McLean at Montmatre 1973 which is really fine. 

If you like Dexter. He played in Viena Jazzland in 1976 I think, it must have been before his return to the States. But I never understood, why Axel (the club owner), who wrote such great memories about musicians who played there, didn´t write a story about Dexter. It´s interesting that he had a story about Ben Webster, but no Dexter. 

On the other hand, Axel or Freddy, each of them had their own artists. 

Griffin played only at Freddy´s place,  and Axel had "his" Art Farmer. But both clubs also booked locals, I played in both clubs, I think there were more too: After Freddy had closed, they had Opus One also in Vienna, they had "Jazz Gittie", all of those are places where we could play.....

If you like my writing, I would suggest to write a story in the "Musicians Forum" about strange or even scary circumstances at gigs, because I had some...., is that okay for you ?