Lonesome Thing: Anaïs Reno Sings Ellington & Strayhorn

Anaïs Reno - Lonesome Thing: Anaïs Reno Sings Ellington & Strayhorn - Harbinger Records

Listening to this debut album by Anaïs Reno, one is astonished that she was 16 years old. Yet, she sounds as if she was much older. At 16, she has received acclaim for her dedication to jazz and the Great American songbook, having won several awards previously and having performed at Birdland Jazz Club, the Friar's Club, Carnegie Hall, and other locations. This is pretty heady, but she comes from a musical family, her father being a former opera singer (who helped develop her vocal technique), and her mother is a concert violinist. 

Pianist Emmet Cohen leads the backing trio with Russell Hall on bass and Kyle Poole on drums. Tivon Pennicott adds tenor sax to several tracks, and her mother plays on two selections. Cohen and Reno did the musical arrangements. The songs include some of the most familiar songs of the Ellington-Strayhorn songbook. With the Cohen trio providing exquisite support, Reno displays a supple, honey voice, as well as having a wonderful sense of time, clarity of her phrasing, and dynamics. This can be heard from the opening moments of "Caravan" with a delightful Pennicott tenor sax solo to the rousing closing of "Take the 'A' Train," again with more splendid tenor sax as well as Cohen's sublime piano. 

Other songs that stand out include a captivating rendition of "Mood Indigo," where her mother contributes a violin solo that evokes Stephan Grappelli. Reno captures the meaning of the lyrics, such as the longingness expressed in a rendition of "Daydream" and the bluesy feel she provides singing "I'm Just a Lucky So and So." This latter number is one of several showcasing her horn-like scatting. Cohen's accompaniment and solo are particularly gripping, and the preciousness of her performance of "Lush Life." There is also a stunning mashup of "Chelsea Bridge" and " A Flower is a Lonesome Thing." She delivers "Chelsea Bridge" as a wordless vocal" before singing "A Flower" with a touch of gentle melancholy. 

As Will Friedwald writes in liner notes, "At 16, Anaïs achieved what precious few adults accomplish: namely, to actually enhance our appreciation and enjoyment of the Ellington-Strayhorn canon." There is little one could add to Friedwald's concise appreciation of this superb recording. 

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here Anaïs Reno sings "A Flower Is a Lonesome Thing."

Mulgrew Miller & Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen The Duo - Duke Ellington 100

 

The Duo - Duke Ellington 100
 Mulgrew Miller & Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
 Storyville
 
 This release on the Danish Storyville label is the first release of a 1999 session that Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen and Mulgrew Miller together to pay tribute to Duke Ellington on the 100th anniversary of his birth. The two were initially brought together by Bang & Olufsen to celebrate Ellington and his partnership with bassist Jimmy Blanton. NHØP was approached to take part and tapped Mulgrew Miller to tackle a series of Ellington's classic themes and a couple of their own. It was the beginning of the musical and personal partnership between the two.
 
The songs are all from Ellington except for one original from each. The two display marvelous musical chemistry, whether lightly swinging "C Jam Blues", develop the lyricism of "Sophisticated Lady," and playfully perform "Pitter Patter Panther." There is the lovely "Mood Indigo" and the driving piano rendition of "Caravan." Mulgrew's interpretations take us from stride to the post-bop, post-Bud Powell piano tradition that he was such an important representative of. Thanks to Storyville for rescuing this lost gem from two decades ago. It is available at https://storyvillerecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-duo-duke-ellington-100.

I purchased a download from the Bandcamp site listed above. Here the two perform "Caravan."

Take 5 With Barney Bigard

New Orleans clarinetist Barney Bigard is best known for his tenure with Duke Elllington, and later with Louis Armstrong. Today’s Take 5 will showcase several gems of his silky bluesy clarinet style.

First we have him in a small Ellington group with the original recording of “Caravan.”

Next is another recording from his Ellington days, “Clarinet Lament.”

Here is Bigard leading a group on the swing era classic, “Rose Room.”

With pianist Art Hodes he recorded “Hesitating Blues.”

Finally he lead a group, with singer Etta Jones, performing Dinah Washington’s hit “Blow Top Blues.”

Take 5 With Clark Terry

December 14, 2020, is the centennial of the birth of the late Clark Terry. Terry was one of the premier jazz trumpeters of the post bebop era who played and recorded with so many giants. how many folks had substantial stints with Count Basie and Duke Ellington? Also, he was with Thelonious Monk for a period, led a group with Bob Brookmeyer as well as led his own Big Bad Band. And he had an irrepressible personality. Today we have a short playlist of him.

First up, we feature him with Quincy Jones, who was a good friend of Clark. Clark is on fluegelhorn for "Moanin'."

Next up is Clark and his Big Band Live in 1974.

Here is Clark with Duke Ellington along with Ray Nance, Shorty Baker, and Cat Anderson.

Next up is "Stardust," from a Jazz at the Philharmonic concert.

Finally, we close with Clark's classic blues, "Mumbles."

Take 5 With Some Jazzy Holiday Music

Yesterday we had a brief playlist of Blues Holiday Music. Today with have a brief selection of Jazz Holiday Music. We open with a Christmas 1948 radio broadcast of Charlie Parker from the Royal Roost playing "White Christmas."

Next up is Louis Armstrong with 'Christmas in New Orleans."

I wonder if the same folks who claim "Die Hard" isn't a Christmas movie, would argue "Good Morning Blues" by Count Basie isn't a Christmas song, even though Jimmy Rushing wants to see Santa Claus.

Here is Duke Ellington with "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen."

  Finally, we have Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra performing "Jingle Bells."

Rabbit's Blues: The Life and Music of Johnny Hodges

Rabbit's Blues: The Life and Music of Johnny Hodges
Con Chapman
Oxford University Press
New York: Oxford University Press: 232 pages

Nearly fifty years after he passed away, we finally have a full biography of Johnny Hodges. Hodges was arguably the premier alto saxophonist before Charlie Parker. Perhaps it was his close association with Duke Ellington that underscored the absence of a full biography. After all, his musical career was so intertwined with that of Ellington. Also, he was a taciturn person who sought to keep his private life private and was also a person of few words. With this background, we can appreciate Con Chapman's efforts to detail Hodges' life and music.

Chapman has written a straightforward account of the great saxophonists life and his music as he straightens out some facts about his life. In the Prologue, he notes that the first name by which he is known does not appear on his birth certificate and his given name does not appear on his death certificate. While his birth year is cited as 1906, his birth certificate shows he was born in 1907, and he provides several cases where wrong information is given about him. Other misconceptions are corrected here as well as telling Hodges story.

Chapman first examines Hodges roots, tracing his parents back to Virginia before they moved to the Boston area. His family was a musical one, but his attraction to the saxophone was because he found this one soprano saxophone in a store window "looked so pretty." He details Hodges education on the saxophone that included a few lessons from teachers and other players. Sidney Bechet was a significant influence whom he met when Bechet was in a show in Boston. Also, he learned from listening to records, and he gained experience playing with local artists in Boston as well as travel to New York.

In New York, he scuffled playing in dance clubs and jam sessions, before playing with Bechet at a club the New Orleans artist-owned. Eventually, Willie 'The Lion' Smith took over the band, and at some point, he joined Chick Webb's band, which became established at the new Savoy Ballroom. At some point, Otto Hardwick, who played alto, soprano and baritone saxophones with Duke, was injured in a taxicab accident and Ellington sought Hodges to replace him. Ellington has twice before asked Hodges but was rebuffed, but it was Webb who convinced Hodges this time, telling him it would be better for him in the long-time. So began an association that would last, with one significant interruption, until Hodge's death.

A good portion of the book, of course, is concerned with Hodges' time with Duke. This includes discussing some of the recordings, and live performances Hodges had while with the Duke. There is also discussion of small group recordings Hodges made with members of the Ellington Orchestra, and with non-Ellington small groups including accompanying vocalists such as Billie Holiday and Mildred Bailey. There is also the relationship he had with Billy Strayhorn and other members of the Orchestra including his fellow Bostonian, Harry Carney, and tenor saxophonist Ben Webster who was influenced by Hodges sound and approach to ballads, blues and more.

Chapman explains the factors causing Hodges to leave Ellington Orchestra, going out on as a leader and featured star performing and recording. Chapman details Hodges participation with Jazz at the Philharmonic and an association with Lawrence Welk. Chapman also notes the circumstances leading to Hodges return to the Ellington orchestra with whom he would remain with for the rest of his life. There are also chapters devoted to Hodges' very distinctive 'Tone,' his rivalry with other alto saxophonists, especially Benny Carter, "The Blues" which was always a significant part of his sound and repertoire, and finally a consideration of Johnny Hodges' legacy in Jazz.

In discussing Hodges music, Chapman does not employ technical musical examples in discussing Hodges playing, but his descriptions help bring his music to life in words as best as one can. A biography of Johnny Hodges has been long overdue and Chapman, not merely has filled a hole in the jazz literature, but provided a thoroughly researched, literate, and engaging biography. In addition to telling Johnny Hodges story, it details Hodges legacy and accomplishments as one of the most influential saxophonists in the history of Jazz.  I note that my advance copy did not include photos or an index. These will be in the actual published book.

I received my copy from a publicist. Tomorrow I will post a short Johnny Hodges playlist.

St. Louis Blues considered

Arguably W.C. Handy's most famous song might be "St. Louis Blues." I recall the founder of the Blues Foundation, Joe Savarin claimed that it was the most recorded song in the US history. Whatever the truth of this statement, it has been recorded and performed numerous times. Here are simply some of the many recordings of it starting with a 1914 recording from W.C. Handy's Band.

One of the most celebrated versions is by Bessie Smith with Louis Armstrong on cornet.

Louis Armstrong recorded his first version in 1930. I once heard someone suggest the difference between blues and jazz can be heard in the recordings by Bessie Smith and Armstrong.

Here is a more recent rendition from Catherine Russell from the Allen Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Mark Shane is the pianist and Jon-Erik Kellso plays the muted trumpet.

Here is the New Orleans clarinetist George Lewis.

Here Nat King Cole sings this classic

Earl 'Fatha' Hines did his "Boogie Woogie on Saint Louis Blues."

Albert Ammons also did a boogie-woogie interpretation.

Here is the legendary Billie Holiday.

One of my favorite versions by a bluesman is the late Johnny Copeland. It was on his first Rounder album "Copeland Special" that included jazz saxophonists Arthur Blythe, Byard Armstrong, and George Adams.

Then there is the great Furry Lewis

And the duo of Sylvester Weaver and Walter Beasley recorded this instrumental version in 1927.

Finally an early version from Duke Ellington with Bing Crosby singing.

There are so many more, but I hope you found these enjoyable.

Have a Jazzy Christmas

On Christmas Eve, some Jazzy Christmas music.

First up is a couple of Louis Armstrong gems. Initially it is Christmas in New Orleans.

Next the classic Winter Wonderland.

Now Duke Ellington with Lena Horne singing A Christmas Surprise.

Classic Charlie Parker air check from the Royal Roost of White Christmas, recorded on Christmas night in 1948.

Dave Brubeck on Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.

In lieu of Nat King Cole's recording, Ella Fitgzerald singing The Christmas Song.

A medley of Christmas songs (but not The Christmas Song) by Mel Torme.

In lieu of the familar classic, here is Nat King Cole singing Silent Night.

Bob Dorough with Miles Davis doing Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern).

Fats Waller Swingin' Then Jingle Bells.

Gene Ammons is Swingin' For Christmas.

Dexter Gordon behind Tony Bennett on White Christmas

I could not forget Jimmy Rushing with Count Basie Good Morning Blues. "Babe it is Christmas Time and I Want to See Santa Claus."

And there are countless more performances I could have chosen, but we close with Hank Jones' Dear Mister Santa Claus.

Conversations In Jazz; The Ralph Gleason Interviews

Conversations In Jazz; The Ralph Gleason Interviews
Edited by Toby Gleason
Foreword and Introductory Notes by Ted Gioia
New Haven: Yale University Press
2016:276 + xvi pages

It has been several decades since Ralph Gleason passed away. Gleason was a pioneering jazz and music journalist, host of a legendary television show "Jazz Casual," and one of the founders of "Rolling Stone" magazine. "Conversations In Jazz; The Ralph Gleason Interviews" brings together interviews Gleason conducted in the early 1960s, the time he was producing the "Jazz Casual" series, although these interviews were conducted at home, separate from the conversations he had with performers on that show, with the exception of the one with Duke Ellington.

As Ted Gioia observes in his Foreword, these interviews take place at a most interesting period of time as 1959 saw the release of so many classic jazz recordings. John Coltrane is interviewed at the time he is stepping forth as a leader, while Sonny Rollins was interviewed a few weeks before he took his sabbatical from playing while Philly Joe Jones is interviewed during the most productive time of his career and the conversation with Bill Evans was less than a year after "Kind of Blue" and when he was working with his most influential trio.

These conversations are quite fascinating. For example Coltrane notes he had only played in three big bands as of 1961 (Dizzy Gillespie, King Kolax and Jimmy Heath), that one thing he likes about being the only horn in his own group is that he likes to play long, that he plays different tempos with different horns, how he went about writing tunes, and various thoughts relating to playing in clubs or concerts. His interview with Quincy Jones opens with Gleason asking why can't they record a big band so it sounds like the big band does live, before getting into the issues with running a big band, contrasting what he will be doing with Count Basie and other points such as touring Europe. With Dizzy Gillespie, Gleason explores at first how Dizzy first heard jazz and his development as a musician.

Gleason interviewed all four members of the Modern Jazz Quartet opening with John Lewis who provided a history of the MJQ along with some of the lessons learned as they developed their 'quiet' mode of jazz. Milt Jackson recalled his experiences as well a discussed challenges playing with the MJQ as opposed to other settings while discussing some of his other recording projects. Percy Heath tells about growing up with other musicians in the family, not adopting the bass until after coming back from the Service is own while Connie Kay recalls playing with Lester Young replacing Roy Haynes and then starting with the MJQ when Kenny Clarke left the group. A couple common threads are in the four interviews here such as how the nature of the MJQ restricted what they played. It is fascinating to read the thoughts of all four (and their acknowledgement of their common ties to Dizzy Gillespie).

Other chapters are devoted to Sonny Rollins, Philly 'Joe; Jones, Bill Evans, Horace Silver, Duke Ellington, Les McCann and Jon Hendricks. The discussions of how they started, influences, what motivates what they play and like, made for intriguing conversations and fascinating reading. This is an invaluable addition to the jazz literature. There is no index which is the only flaw in this wonderful volume.

I purchased this. Here is a video clip from "Jazz Casual" of Ralph Gleason speaking.

 

The Late Clark Terry Kept On Keepin' On

"Keep On Keepin' On" is a remarkable documentary about the late Clark Terry and his relationship with a young blind pianist, Justin Kauflin. The documentary captures Terry, who was suffering severe health issues related to diabetes and young Kauflin, in several different episodes interspersed with clips of Terry from throughout his legendary musical career. Also caught are some moments with the late Quincy Jones, who Terry mentored when Jones was a teenager and who takes Justin on the road with him towards the film's end. Interspersed are clips of Terry playing with Duke Ellington, Oscar Peterson, and various big bands along with Justin performing at the Monk competition and later being featured with Quincy Jones in Europe where he performs his composition dedicated to Terry, "For Clark."

Ashley Kahn notes that the soundtrack is not simply an encapsulation of the film, but an overview of Terry's career interspersed with dialog by Terry, Kauflin and Quincy Jones, and some solo performances from young Kauflin. There are some excerpts of Terry's playing although there are full performances with Duke Ellington (a very fresh take on "Harlem Air Shaft"), Oscar Peterson (including "Mumbles"); a terrific "Stardust" with his Quintet as part of jazz at the Philharmonic; Count Basie (a blistering "Blee Blop Blues"); a marvelous orchestral rendition of "Misty;" and "I Remember Clifford" with Quincy Jones." Young Kauflin displays his wonderful touch and imagination on his solo piano that is heard under Terry's narration of "Letter to Justin #1," and the closing "For Clark" that closes this soundtrack.

Ashley Kahn notes that is the first collection of Terry's music although it  only provides a sample of his remarkable legacy It is a document of more than simply Clark Terry's music with the dialogue and advice presented here. One cannot recommend the movie "Keep On Keepin' On" highly enough as well as this soundtrack. While probably enjoyed most by those who have seen the movie, it certainly stands up well on its own. Recommended, and perhaps may we get a fuller career retrospective on CD of Clark Terry's music.

I received a download from a  publicist. Here is the movie trailer for "Keep On Keepin' On."

The Story of Ellington at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival

The last few years have seen a spate of books centered around a record album, telling the story about the artists and how the specific album came about and its impact. For example, Ashley Kahn has provided wonderful volumes devoted to Kind of Blue and A Love Supreme. John Fass Morton’s new book, Backstory in Blue: Ellington at Newport ‘56 (Rutgers University Press), on one level is the story of the classic live recording by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra, but it goes even deeper into social history to examine not simply how the recording happened but also discuss the impact of the Festival performance.

The performance at Newport is recognized as helping revive Ellington’s prominence in the American music scene and Morton provides a valuable and concise sketch of Ellington’s career including his emergence in New York during the twenties, the prominent part he played in the Swing era, and how he was affected by the decline of the big bands and shift in the direction of popular music and the recording career including Ellington’s aspirations which related to the writing and performance/recording of longer compositions, yet no longer enjoying the financial success allowing him to maintain the same level of a band. 

By 1955, Ellington had to accept a six week stint at the Aquacades in Flushing Meadows, site of the 1939 World’s Fair which also led to him having to replace several band members lacking a local union card. At the same time Ellington was frustrated with the record companies. While Columbia, which was popularizing the new lp form, enabled Ellington to record extended works including the now highly regarded Masterpieces, and Ellington Uptown, they were not commercial successes. and frustrated with the two major labels, Victor and Columbia, he signed with Capital but again met little success. Ellington was an emcee at the 1955 Newport Jazz Festival, foreshadowing his performance the next year and by then had resigned with Columbia where he was reunited with George Avakian who had produced Masterpieces and had also produced successful recordings by Dave Brubeck and Louis Armstrong, and was behind the recording of Ellington and others in 1956.

Morton weaves together Avakian’s biography along with that of the members of the 1956 Ellington Band, the most interesting of which was tenor saxophonist Paul Gonsalves (of Cape Verdean descent), the birth and early history of the Newport Jazz Festivals and Elaine Anderson, the blonde lady whose dance during Paul Gonsalves legendary tenor solo that was part of the legend of that July 1956 evening. It is fascinating to learn that Elaine Lorillard, wife of an heir of a tobacco fortune, helped establish the festival in the most unlikely setting, a high society community. Then she helped sustain the festival against local opposition until riots in the mid-sixties suspended the Newport Festivals (which had grown to include Folk as well as Jazz. This is where George Wein first started producing festivals, and there were a number of interesting tidbits in the story including the fact that Wein created what we know as the photographer’s pit for the first Newport Jazz Festival, something many working press at festivals take for granted.

We get to the magic evening and the performance of Ellington and others on the bill that night. Ellington’s long-extended original work, Newport Jazz Festival Suite had received lukewarm applause, and recognizing this he launched into Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue, with an interval where he would play piano before calling forth Gonsalves who launched into one of the most celebrated tenor saxophone blues solos of all time, which launched the audience as the band was spurred on by Jo Jones of a rolled newspaper to push them on. All the while the audience's enthusiasm kept growing.

Elaine Anderson had started dancing in the aisle near the stage while Gonsalves kept preaching the blues. Her dance was captured by the photographers in the photo pit and were included in coverage of the event as well as on the album cover when the album Ellington at Newport ‘56 was issued. At the time her identity was not known, but Morton was able to uncover her story of a one-time Hollywood hopeful starlet who had settled into the somewhat frustrating live of a wife and mother. 

And while all this is going on, Avakian and others are dealing with the fact Gonsalves is not playing directly into the mike being used to record his performance (but fortunately into a microphone used by Voice of America for foreign broadcast and the recording of which years later would be used in some later reissues of the album). Morton then tells about the performances aftermath, including the release of the live recording, the impact of its release and press coverage of Ellington’s Newport performance that led to the revitalization of his big band. He then tells what happened subsequently to the participants.

Given the rich historical tapestry, there are places one might feel bogged down in detail, but one be hard-pressed to find anything material to be excised.  Reading this the story seems to take over and the reader settles in for the ride. Washington post book critic Jonathan Yardley authored the book’s introduction and he notes that “I have been blessed in many ways, probably more than I deserve, with a richly rewarding private life and a small but gratifying public one, but that night in Newport stands alone and apart.” It is to Morton’s credit that he is able to convey some sense of what made that night so unique and memorable. This book will make those having the album, listen to it a new, and for others hopefully lead them to discover that one magical evening in Newport, Rhode Island. 

I was provided an advance copy of the book from a publicist. My review originally appeared in the April 2009 jazz & Blues Report (Issue 315) to which I have made some stylistic edits.

Duke Ellington and Orchestra in Zurich with Special Guest Don Byas

TCOB Music calls itself The Montreux Jazz Label ™ and has several different series which can be distinguished by the color of the CD spine. Red is devoted to bebop, hardbop and postbop, green is devoted to the Swiss Radio Days Jazz Series and has vintage jazz concerts recorded by Swiss radio (I have heard an excellent live Art Blakey set), while blue is devoted to the music of the forties and fifties in general. One of the recent productions in the blue series presents vintage Duke Ellington & Orchestra.

Live in Zurich, Switzerland presents a May 1950 performance by Ellington in Zurich that certainly will be welcomed by fans of the Duke Ellington. The Ellington Orchestra that day included trumpeters Harold Baker, Ernie Royal and Ray Nance; trombonists Lawrence Brown and Quentin Jackson; saxophonists Jimmy Hamilton, Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney, Jimmy Hamilton and special guest Don Byas; the Duke and Billy Strayhorn sharing the piano chair, Wendell Marshall on bass, and Butch Ballard sharing the drums with Sonny Greer.

In addition to Don Byas’ appearance here, the program is quite fresh opening with Suddenly It Jumped, before going into Ring Them Bells. Creole Love Call features Kay Davis’ remarkable vocalizing while Harry Carney gets to showcase his baritone on Paradise. Air Conditioned Jungle showcases Jimmy Hamilton’s clarinet, while Byas shines on How High the Moon, which opens as a ballad for two or so minutes before the band kicks up the tempo first moderately, then ratchets it up into hyperdrive before Byas slows it down for its ending.

The Tattooed Bride, which was then a relatively recent composition of the Duke, is the lengthiest performance here with Lawrence Brown’s trombone and Jimmy Hamilton’s clarinet prominent Billy Strayhorn takes the piano chair for the band’s his classic, Take the A Train, while Frankie and Johnny features a healthy does of rollicking stride piano from the Duke, some violin from Ray Nance and more clarinet from Hamilton.

More piano is heard in the introductory portion of Rockin’ in Rhythm. Johnny Hodges’ alto is featured on the tone poem, Violet Blue, and the hot blues, Jeep is Jumping. It likely is Ray Nance handling the vocal on W.C. Handy’s St. Louis Blues, while trumpeter Ernie Royal is showcased on S’Wonderful, opening first using a mute before launching into his bop-inflected saxophone. This is a very welcome addition to the Ellington discography with its interesting personnel and the very interesting selection of material. The sound of this live recording sounds pretty good as well.

This review appeared in slightly different form in the April 2008 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 303). I believe I received my review copy from that publication. This is still available including as mp3s.

Lil Greenwood, Former Ellington Vocalist Passed Away At 86.

Lil Greenwood at 2009 Ponderosa Stomp. House of Blues, New Orleans
Photo © Ron Weinstock

Lil Greenwood, who once sang with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, as well as recorded for the Modern and Federal labels, died on Tuesday, July 19, 2011 at the age of 86 in her native Alabama. She had suffered a stroke in Fall 2010 and had been in declining health since then.


A preacher's daughter from Pritchard, Alabama, who moved to the San Francisco Bay area where she found work as a nightclub singer and entertainer. In the early fifties, she spent three years with Roy Milton and His Solid Senders and her sessions for Modern Records were cut with this band with her first release being the June 1950 issued blues belter "Heart Full Of Pain," that was coupled with the up-tempo "Boogie All Night Long," that featured Jackie Kelso on alto sax and Camille Howard on piano. The Modern sides also included a live pair of songs recorded at Gene Norman's "Blues Jubilee."


She then recorded for Federal Records, a subsidiary of the Cincinnati based King Records. Her sessions were recorded in Los Angeles under the direction of legendary producer Ralph Bass (who produced among other things James Brown's first recordings. These sides were often with vocal backing by the likes of the Four Jacks or Thurston Harris and the Lamplighters along with "Monday Morning Blues," a vocal duet with Little Willie Littlefield.

All of the Modern and Federal recordings were issued on a wonderful English Ace reissue, "Walking and Singing the Blues." After these recordings she returned to the San Francisco area returning to nightclubs and where her manager got Duke Ellington to listen to her. Ellington was quoted, in the April 1960 Ebony Magazine, about her, “This girl has a voice that’s a mixture of Marian Anderson, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington and Mahalia Jackson; and I don’t know but what she’s better on spirituals than when she’s walking and singing the blues." It led her to singing with the Ellington Orchestra from 1956 to the early sixties.


Eventually she returned to Alabama to take care of relatives and dropped from public view. Her career enjoyed a renaissance after 2000 as she received awards, had her early recordings reissued and recorded a new album, "Back to My Roots" with composer David Amram and others. She was much beloved and there was a concert in her honor this past Sunday which she was unable to attend.

I had the pleasure to see her as part of the Ponderosa Stomp in late April 2009 and she was terrific. Still a singer of great style and feeling, she brought perhaps a more uptown sheen to her performances than most of those that night. There is an you tube video of her singing "Summertime" from that performance. It was my only opportunity to see her perform but a memorable one. Her legacy is perhaps not as known as it should have been, but she touched many over the years.


In drafting this blog entry, I have drawn heavily on (and paraphrased) material from her website, http://www.lilgreenwood.net/, along with the Ace Records website entry on her reissue, http://www.acerecords.co.uk/content.php?page_id=59&release=813, and the Press-Register blog on her passing, http://blog.al.com/entertainment-press-register/2011/07/memorial_services_thursday_fri.html.

Jack Towers RIP- Recorded Legendary Ellington Band at Fargo ND

Word has spread slowly that Jack Towers passed away December 23, 2010 at the age of 96. He had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease.

Towers was known as one of the premiere restorers of musical recordings in the United States. This reputation was based on recordings he and a friend Dick Burris made of the Duke Ellington Orchestra playing a dance at the Crystal Ballroom in Fargo, North Dakota, on November 7, 1940 where they had hauled a bulky Presto-S disc cutter to record the Ellington Orchestra playing before around 600 young people. 


The evening’s music was captured on 16-inch aluminum discs coated with acetate that enabled the recording of approximately 15 minutes per side, as opposed to the roughly 3 minutes that fit on an average 78 rpm recording. And while Towers, friends and some insiders (such as some members of the Ellington Band) knew about these recordings, the release of a double vinyl album in 1980 was a revelation to jazz and music historians capturing a wide ranging repertoire of the Ellington Band in an informal setting.


The release of the Ellington Fargo Recordings was awarded a Grammy in 1980 for best Big Band Recording. It included some fragments of songs as well as extended performances of others known only from shorter studio recordings. It was also recorded with arguably the finest edition of the Ellington Orchestra which included Jimmy Blanton on bass and Ben Webster on tenor saxophone, along with such Ellington stalwarts as Barney Bigard on clarinet, Johnny Hodges on alto saxophone, Rex Stewart on trumpet, Harry Carney on baritone sax, Tricky ‘Sam’ Nanton and Juan Tizol on trombone and Sonny Greer on drums. Ray Nance had just joined the band, replacing the recently departed Cootie Williams.

Original CD release of the Ellington Fargo Recordings

And the band sounds great on any number of features. There is the great half valve playing on Stewart on “Boy Meets Horn,” the fiery “Harlem Air Shaft,” the exuberant “Koko,” and so much more. While the opening of “Stardust” is missing, Ben Webster is reported to have carried a disc with his performance for the rest of his life, and it was a performance that he would return to many times after leaving Ellington. The sound is very good except the vocal microphone (from which the Duke announced some tunes) is off the recording mike so that Ivy Anderson’s vocals are low in the mix.


In the CD era, the Fargo Recordings have been issued on CD including some segments of performances that previously were not issued on the original 2-LP release. There are some criticisms about the release of the complete material even half minute fragments, but the current CD release is of an historic document. In any event, today, folks can upload to their computer and edit our those selections they do not wish to listen to. It is currently available from the Storyville label from Europe both on “The Duke At Fargo 1940 Special 60th Anniversary Edition” and as part of the 8-CD “The Duke Box,” a collection of radio air-checks and concert recordings. These are recordings I have listened to many times and will do so many more.

While this is the centerpiece for Jack Towers, he was a radio broadcaster for many years, working for the USDA and became head of radio broadcasting. After he retired from the USDA in 1974, he devoted himself to remastering rare recordings, primarily of jazz groups including the legendary Dean Benedetti recordings of Charlie Parker, and rare works by Count Basie, Benny Goodman and other greats. His legacy is great among Jazz collectors and enthusiasts of which I am one of many.

Some material for this blog was based on Harvey Siders’ JazzTimes review, http://jazztimes.com/articles/12323-the-duke-at-fargo-1940-special-60th-anniversary-edition-duke-ellington-and-his-famous-orchestra and from Matt Schudel’s December 28, 2010 Washington Post obituary,http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/28/AR2010122804198.html.

Van Der Elksen's Jazz Has Vintage Jazz Performance Photos

I have a penchant for books on music (especially blues and jazz) and photography. Books of photographs of blues and jazz musicians have a specific place in my heart, so when I saw on amazon the description of “Jazz” by Ed Van Der Elsken, I added it to my shopping cart but it wasn’t only until recently that I purchased the book. It is published in Amsterdam and it does include some introductory text which I am unable to understand since I do not read Dutch, but it contains a number of black and white photos from the fifties that look like they were taken during European tours by touring American Jazz Masters.

If the technical information on camera equipment and such matter is provided, it must be in portions of the text that I cannot decipher. In addition to the covers, there are 79 pages of photographs in this 7.2 x 6.8 x 0.6 inches hardback that weighs just under 15 ounces. I give the physical dimensions because most of my recent photo book acquisitions are not easily transportable, and despite being a hard cover, this is readily transportable. Their are audience pictures showing some showing unbridled enthusiasm and others more restrained. Notable groups include the Modern Jazz Quartet, Oscar peterson, Duke Ellington (one picture has him jubilant as he conducts the Orchestra) , Art Blakey with Lee Morgan, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong and the All Stars, Miles Davis on stage with Lester Young and with a big smile as Lester plays in one picture and Jimmy Rushing with Benny Goodman. Of course there is more here, but this gives some sense of who is included here. There is a grittiness in part from the grainy reproduction of many of these wonderful shots and there is a nice range of views including some from above like a two-page spread of Armstrong & the All Stars with the concert hall audience clearly visible. Van Der Elsken marvelously captures much of the flavor of the music in his images here. I have no regrets about purchasing this book and suspect lovers of vintage jazz photography will share my enthusiasm for this.