Take 5 With Elvin Jones

I still remember seeing Elvin Jones at the Tralfamdore Cafe in Buffalo. It was an amazing weekend of music. The only member of the band I remember was guitarist Ryo Kawasaki. It was great to watch Elvin behind the drums with the energy and joy he displayed while playing.

Today we sample a few of the recordings he played on starting with one with the classic John Coltrane Quartet. Here is "Chasin' The Trane" that for parts is a duet.

Here is Elvin with saxophonist Joe Farrell and bassist Jimmy garrison from 1968 performing "Ginger Bread Boy."

One of Elvin's first recordings was with Sonny Rollins at the Village Vanguard. When Sonny signed with Impulse Records, Elvin and Jimmy Garrison were on some of the sessions including "East Broadway Run Down."

Elvin made a few recordings with his brothers Thad and Hank. here they perform "Three and One."

Our final selection is with Pat LaBarbera on sax, David Williams on bass and Ryo Kawasaki on guitar, playing "Three Card Molly" a few years after I saw Elvin in Buffalo.

Take 5 With Body & Soul

Last week we had a number of renditions of "Body and Soul" that predate the legendary Coleman Hawkins recording. Today our focus changes to the Hawkins recording and select interpretations by other tenor saxophonists.

First up is Hawkins' 1939 recording which became the model for most renditions that came later.

From 1956, we hear from Sonny Stitt with Jimmy Jones on piano.

From 1958, Sonny Rollins performing it as a saxophone solo for the MGM label.

John Coltrane recorded this for Atlantic Records with McCoy Tyner on piano, Steve Davis on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums.

Finally, one of several versions by long tall Dexter Gordon.

John Coltrane Trane 90

John Coltrane
Trane 90
Acrobat

Issued to coinide with the 90th Anniversary of the birth of John Coltrane, Acrobat's public domain 4-CD small box "Trane 90," provides a brief survey of the bulk of John Coltrane's astonishing musical career. It doesn't fully cover Coltrane's career because of changes in copyright law in Europe made the original studio recording of "My Favorite Things" (issued in the UK 1964), along with "A Love Supreme" and his last (free jazz) recordings including "Interstellar Space," unavailable.

I trust most of those reading this will be aware of a fair amount of Coltrane's recordings, so a brief summary describing each disc will probably be most helpful. Disc 1 is subtitled "Stablemates - Coltrane the Sideman" and includes Coltrane as a member of assorted Miles Davis groups along with a couple of performances with Thelonious Monk. Included in the selections on this disc includes "Stablemates," the composition by Coltrane's close friend Benny Golson, with Miles and other selections with Miles include Stan Getz's "Dear Old Stockholm," Monk's "Straight No Chaser," "So What" from "Kind of Blue," and a live performance of "On Green Dolphin Street," along with "Monk's Mood" and "Trinkle Tinkle" with Monk himself.

Disc 2 is titled "Straight Street - Coltrane the Leader" and opens with "Straight Street" from an early Prestige date, followed by "Moment's Notice" from his Blue Note album "Blue Train" with a terrific band that included Lee Morgan, Curtis Fuller, Kenny Drew, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones. Other noteworthy tracks include "Giant Steps,""Naima," and "Blues For Bechet," in which we see the evolution of Coltrane's quartet (except Steve Davis is on bass on this last number). This disc concludes with the lengthy "Africa" with the classic quartet with orchestra and the spectacular live "Chasin' the Trane" that is almost a duet with drummer Jones.

Disc 3 is "Just Friends - Coltrane Collaborations" and opens with his guest appearance on Sonny Rollins' "Tenor Madness." Noteworthy here is Tadd Dameron's "Soultrane" from a Dameron led prestige date, "Two Bass Hit" from a Red Garland recording, his participation in a George Russell Orchestra date that produced "Manhattan," playing on a Cecil Taylor date for "Just Friends," A session with Milt Jackson that produced "Bags & Trane," and his own "Grand Central," from a Cannonball Adderly session with Miles Davis' then rhythm section.

Disc 4, the final disc is titled "Impressions - Coltrane broadcasts and private tapes," has some fascinating selections starting with Trane with Dizzy Gillespie and Johnny Hodges, then a performance with Miles that was on the Tonight show hosted by Steve Allen in 1955 and another with Miles in 1956 from Philadelphia. The disc and the music closes with classic Coltrane performances of "My Favorite Things" from Newport, "Impressions" from Finland and "Body and Soul," from Birdland in 1962.

As an be seen, there is a generous amount of Coltrane, including some material that most may not be familiar with (thinking about the early live performances on Disc 4). In addition to the four hours and 45 minutes of music, the set comes with a booklet with a fascinating essay by Simon Spillett that discusses Coltrane's legacy, the controversies his music generated and the veneration he still hold over us today. This is very reasonably priced and likely would make a wonderful gift (or stocking stuffer) for a novice jazz listener.

I received from Clint Weiler at MVD Entertainment and this was published in the 2016 Jazz & Blues Report Megal Gift Guide that can be found at jazz-blues.com.

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.

 

Whisper Not: The Autobiography of Benny Golson

Whisper Not: The Autobiography of Benny Golson
Benny Golson and Jim Merod
Philadelphia:Temple University Press:
2016; 336+xvi pp.

Anyone who has had the pleasure of seeing the marvelous saxophonist and composer Benny Golson, has been treated to not simply marvelous music but also his storytelling in introducing the tunes performed, whether recollections about growing up with John Coltrane, or the origins of some of his classic compositions such as "Along Came Betty," "I Remember Clifford," "Stablemates," and so many more. Now, Benny has put some of these stories and more in this new volume that was written with Jim Merod.

This is not a usual autobiography where the person provides a chronicle of his life. Instead the book is more of a systematic organization of vignettes of the manner he would tell in performance, except perhaps he gets into more depth about some and a number of them are matters that would not normally come up unless he was being interviewed.

The book is organized into eight parts and it would give an overview of the contents to describe each of the parts and some of the contents of that part. After Merod's preface, which provides an overview of Golson's life and contribution, while his own introduction is an indication of the positive, as opposed to negative, messages he hopes to provide in detailing his story.

Part 1 is entitled John Coltrane and in its three chapters discusses his interactions with Coltrane including John and him meeting Bird and Diz and then being the musical dynamo. Part II is entitled "The 'Hood' and Youthful Reckonings" and includes some of his early musical adventures as well as his Uncle Robert and Benny's first visit to Minton's, early musical experiences and then hard times. Part 111, entitled "Great P People," takes us to his experiences with the likes of Bull Moose Jackson and Earl Bostic, Art Blakey, Tadd Dameron, Clifford Brown and Fats Navarro, Jimmy and Percy Heath, Betty Carter, Art Farmer, and others. as well as discussing going to Howard University and further matters. Part IV, "Hollywood," was a revelation for me as I was unaware he had left the jazz world to spend several years scoring for film and TV. Included are his recollections of what was musically involved along with his three years with the show, "M*A*S*H."

Part V, "Amazing Friendships," has his recollections of Quincy Jones, Harry 'Sweets' Edison, Dizzy Gillespie, Philly Joe Jones (who he went back with to his youth), Thelonious Monk, Max Roach, Dinah Washington and Curtis Fuller as well as tells the story of The Jazztet that he and Art Farmer co-led. Part VI, "Music and Writing," includes his discussion of how his approach to writing music developed along with discussions of "Stablemates," his first recorded song, "Along Came Betty," and "I Remember Clifford." He was (and still is) not happy with changes Miles Davis made in his composition in the first recording of "Stablemates" (which included John Coltrane in Davis' Band). Elsewhere he recalls very sad circumstances of learning of Clifford Brown's passing that led to one of his most famous compositions. The last chapter in this part, "The Ballad and 'Weight,'" is one of the most thought provoking, as Golson considers playing of ballads such a great factor in the music's art and the import of the ballad as almost a genre in itself while in playing ballads, emphasis is on the weight given to each specific note played.

Part VII, "Icons," has his recollections of persons he had met that stand apart from simply great musicians. Included is his recollections of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, and performing in the film, "The Terminal." There are also recollections of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, Coleman Hawkins, Art Blakey, Kenny Dorham, Lee Morgan, Peggy Lee, Diana Ross, Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, Milt Jackson, Charles Mingus, Benny Goodman, Gigi Gryce, Larry Young, Mickey Rooney, Redd Foxx, Jersey Joe Walcott, and Muhammad Ali amongst those disccussed. Part VIII, "Verses And A Coda," includes how he resumed his musical performing career after his Hollywood hiatus, the centrality of the blues and the Coda which is a brief discussion of his becoming a Jehovah Witness.

The text is clean and readily accessible as a Golson melody and a photo album includes a number of memorable images. Golson is such a positive person, and that is conveyed throughout his graceful telling of his story. This is an important addition to the body of jazz biographies and autobiographies.

I purchased this. Here is Benny talking about John Coltrane.

The Complete Jazz Casual Series
EFOR Films

Many of you may be aware of the legendary public TV show, Jazz Casual, that was hosted by the late music critic Ralph Gleason. Shows from this series featured a number of jazz legends including John Coltrane, Count Basie, Sonny Rollins, Louis Armstrong, Art Farmer, Jimmy Witherspoon with Ben Webster, the Modern Jazz Quartet, Earl Fatha Hines, Art Pepper, Art Farmer, Charles Lloyd Quartet (with Keith Jarrett and Jack DeJohnette), Joe Sullivan, Mel Torme and others. A number of these performances have been available on VHS tapes and DVD. EFOR Films has issued a box with 8 DVD's containing the complete series of performances mixed with Gleason's cogent interviews of these artists. Also included is a booklet with an overview of the series and the artists included.

I purchased this video box set. This is one of a number of short reviews I have written for the 2015 Holiday Guft Guide edition of Jazz & Blues Report.  Here is John Coltrane performing "Alabama," from his performance on this show.

Concord Issues Miles Davis on Prestige Retrospective

Concord Records is issuing this week a two-disc retrospective of Miles Davis’ recordings for Prestige Records,The Definitive Miles Davis on Prestige.” The two discs bring together over two hours of music in the twenty four performances selected and cover the period between 1951 and 1956. These are when Davis established his reputation, but prior to his time with Columbia Records with whom he would produce his most famous body of work. The Prestige catalog of Miles has been mined and reissued extensively over the years, and there are of course CD box sets of his recordings for that label. This two disc compilation serves as an overview of some of Davis better known recordings for the label. Ashley Kahn provides a discussion of the specific recordings and their context in MIles’ life and career at this time.

The first of the two discs covers Davis’ recordings from 1951-1954. The opening Morpheous and George Russell’s Ezz-Thetic (from a Lee Konitz album) carry forth echoes of The Birth of the Cool. There are such famous numbers as Dig and Four as well as Compulsion, with Sonny Rollins and Charlie Parker both on tenor (one of Bird’s few tenor recordings). Davis’ distinctive range, most often when he employs a mute is becoming evident especially iconic ballads like I’ll Remember April, as well as on Richie Carpenter’s Walkin’. There’s the first recording of the Sonny Rollins’ gem Airegin, as well as a lively Bag’s Groove with Jackson and Thelonious Monk. It is instructive how Monk lays out during Miles’ solo, an illustration of Miles’ distaste for Monk’s accompaniments.

Disc 2 is devoted to the 1955-1956 recordings by Miles quintet with the great rhythm section of pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Jo Jones, along with John Coltrane on tenor sax. Trane sits out three of the twelve selections on this disc. The twelve selections include Surrey With The Fringe On Top, If I Were A Bell, Round Midnight, Rollins’ Oleo, My Funny Valentine (sans Coltrane), and The Theme. Some of these tunes became part of Miles’ repertoire for the next several years after he had changed labels, going to Columbia, and a good number likely are familiar to many of you. It completes this nice retrospective of Davis’ early recordings as a leader.


My review copy was supplied by the record company.

Roy Haynes. Still Hip After All These Years

Roy Haynes is of course one of the greatest drummers in the history of jazz who has about played with everyone the past 60 odd years. In the March 2008 issue of Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 302) I reviewed the Dreyfus Jazz Box Set, A Life in Time: The Roy Haynes Story.  This fabulous set is still available.  My review, from three years ago, follows.

This writer can still remember that weekend in late fall 1976 in Buffalo when this publication’s editor brought Roy Haynes & the Hip Ensemble in to the original Tralfamadore Cafe, a basement jazz room that featured fine local talent as well as brought in a variety of jazz greats of the time. Haynes led a terrific band that included Marcus Fiorello on electric guitar and Hannibal Marvin Peterson on trumpet. What sticks out in my memory over three decades later was not only the sheer joyfulness of the music, but the joyfulness that Haynes played with. I have remarked over the years that if I were a young boy who had been at the gig with my parents, I would have wanted a drum kit the next day.


Dreyfus Jazz, Haynes label for the past 15 years, has just issued this box set with 37 performances (over 3 and 1/2 hours) over three discs with a bonus DVD of interview and performance. Starting with 1949 recordings with Lester Young and Bud Powell, the music on the box takes us up through his contemporary recordings with his Fountain of Youth quartets in 2006. One wonders if even a decade ago one company would have found other recording companies cooperating and licensing the material for this set. Through the musical journey we find him with nearly every major jazz performer of the past six decades including Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Sarah Vaughan, Cannonball and Nat Adderley, Jack DeJohnette, Stan Getz, Roland Kirk, Eric Dolphy, Chick Corea and Andrew Hill; as well as see him nurse such young talents as Hannibal Marvin Peterson, George Cables, Donald Harrison, and Christian McBride. It perhaps should not be surprising that when Rollins wanted a drummer to help him celebrate the 50th Anniversary of his Carnegie Hall Debut, he called on Haynes to fill that chair; or that he was John Coltrane’s drummer of choice when Elvin Jones was unavailable.


As for the music, what can one say listening to his sizzling cymbal work behind Lester Young on the opening Ding Dong, or his crisp work on the classic Bouncin’ with Bud, and the call and response type playing behind Coltrane in Newport on My Favorite Things. And while that track, like Monk’s Rhythm-A-Ning from Monk’s Live at the Five Spot (with Johnny Griffin on tenor sax), and Oliver Nelson’s Stolen Moments from The Blues and the Abstract Truth will be familiar to many, there are sure to be surprises like the marvelous 1997 reunion with Gary Burton (and Dave Holland and Chick Corea) Question and Answer, or the support behind vocalists Sarah Vaughan (How High the Moon) and Etta Jones (her original Don’t Go the Strangers). The more recent recordings include a remarkable rendition of Greensleeves by his Fountain of Youth Ensemble. The DVD includes a video from an Ashley Kahn interview of Haynes who talks about his drum sound, playing with Coltrane and other matters of interest followed by a marvelous video of Haynes and his Fountain of Youth Ensemble in performance followed by Haynes doing a drum solo from a 1973 Highlights of Jazz Concert.


Ashley Kahn provides succinct and astute commentary in the accompanying booklet. Perhaps the only negative may be the folding digipak for the CDs which feels a little flimsy, but otherwise this collection provides us with an overview of one of the premiere drummers of the past several decades and is highly recommended.

I received a review copy either from Jazz & Blues Report or a publicist for the record label.

Coltrane on Coltrane Is Invaluable Book on the Jazz Legend

Coltrane on Coltrane: The John Coltrane Interviews
Edited by Chris DeVito
2010: A Capella Books - Chicago Review Press

The lead author of The John Coltrane Reference, Chris DeVito has provided an invaluable new volume that includes practically all of the published interviews about John Coltrane although with articles, album liner notes (including Coltrane’s notes and poem for “A Love Supreme”) and similar pieces which have material where Coltrane talking about himself and his music. Also included are lengthy interviews with a child hood friend from Coltrane’s native high point, NC, and a music teacher in Philadelphia. while some of the material may be familiar to some, there are a number of pieces that most will be aware of. That said, it should be noted that the overwhelming majority of the interviews and articles will be new to the reader. Also it does not include the full text of Ralph Gleason’s interview with Coltrane (only an excerpt is provided) as the entire interview will be published in a book of Gleason’s interviews that is coming out. Also, where the source tape is available, DeVito makes corrections and changes based on the tape such as on Frank Kofsky’s interview, the lengthiest of the interviews with Coltrane published here.

The earliest piece here is a 1952 Baltimore Afro-American account of a 1952 performance by Coltrane and Specs Wright followed by a previously unpublished interview by August Blume in 1958 when Coltrane was in Baltimore with the then new Miles Davis Quintet. The informality of the discussion, which was recorded without Coltrane’s knowledge at the end is fascinating as he discusses music, philosophy, religion and other performers. Coltrane’s straight-forwardness comes across her and throughout the latter interviews. His humility and the fact he was constantly striving to improve himself as a musician and searching in his music is something repeated in various latter interviews and so many of the interviews not the contrast between the apparently ‘angry’ music and the calm and thoughtful responses of him, whether discussing how he tries to relate to audiences, reactions to him and Eric Dolphy being called anti-jazz (an infamous DownBeat article), how playing the soprano saxophone was affecting his playing of the tenor saxophone, and thoughts on members of his band and musicians he admired.

Interestingly, many of the interviews from the sixties after the famous DownBeat article where Coltrane and Dolphy respond to their critics, come from European publications and we get a sense of audience reactions to a live performance of “A Love Supreme,” from some of the introductions and questions. Then there are concerns (and restraints) about playing in clubs and the quality of PA systems as opposed to concerts. While the issue of politics and the issue of racial discrimination do come up, the interview with Kofsky is perhaps the one in which he discusses points at length. Also included is an invaluable remembrance of Coltrane with Babatunde Olantunji with whom Coltrane was a friend and eventually a collaborator, and Coltrane helped open the Olantunji Olantunji Center of African Culture, which was the site of one of Coltrane’s last performances and notes that Coltrane was withdrawing from certain performance venues because of a desire to have more self-determination over his music. Also included is a remembrance of Hod O’Brien that remembers Coltrane as an extremely generous man, who allowed O’Brien to take a break when O’Brien had not had a break for several hours and needed to use the facilities.

Chris DeVito has provided an invaluable service in bring all this material together, despite some repetition of themes between some of the interviews. They do help provide a sense of this gentleman who was not simply one of the most significant musicians of the 20th Century, but a man to be admired on so many other levels.


For purposes of FTC regulations I received a review copy from the publisher or a publicist for the publisher.

Derek Trucks Band's Multi-Genre and Multi-Cultural "Roadsongs" Excels

Derek Trucks is one of music’s most interesting bands and their recordings always appeal to many. They are even better as a live band and this is their most recent live recording. This review is several months old and appeared in Jazz & Blues Report and I made a few minor stylistic changes.

As good as their studio recordings have been, The Derek Trucks Band is an even better live band that is unquestionably a reason for the groups popularity. Vocalist Mike Mattison in the booklet for this states it simply, “This was a multi-generational, multi-cultural, and above all, live band.” (emphasis in original). They have previously issued “Live at the Georgia Theater” on the band’s own, and a Live DVD was issued after the “Songlines” album, that have displayed this. “Roadsongs” has been issued by Sony legacy and is a two CD release (106 minutes of music and priced as a single CD) that is the Trucks’ Band first live CD issued by a major label. It was recorded in April, 2010 at The Park West in Chicago with the DTB of Mike Mattison on vocals; Todd Smallie on bass & vocals; Yonrico Scott on drums and vocals; Kofi Burbridge, keyboards, flute and vocals and Count M’Butu on percussion on vocals augmented by a three piece horn section that provide added color to the performances in their arrangements.

The Derek Trucks Band is centered around the phenomenal playing of Mr. Trucks whose highly vocalized playing brings elements of the blues slide guitar tradition, the blues-based style of Duane Allman as well as the sacred steel guitarists with whom Trucks has often shared the stage with. He constructs horn-like lines with his keen, whining tone conjuring up the human voice as the band rocks solidly behind him. Yonrico Scott is a terrific and responsive, jazz-rooted drummer, while Smallie keeps the groove steady and Burbridge is a strong keyboard player as well as accomplished flautist while M’Butu adds his distinctive rhythmic accent. Mattison is a soulful singer that brings a convincing voice to the blues, reggae, rock and other material represented here.

The music ranges from the bluesy “I’ll Find My Way,” and “Down in the Flood,” from Bob Dylan’s songbook; reggae with a gospel tinge on “Sailin’ On,” as a homage to John Coltrane on the Mongo Santamaria classic “Afro-Blues,” with Burbridge on flute stating the them e in unison with Trucks blistering guitar. “Get What You Deserve,” is built upon a familiar blues riff with a terrific slide solo. “Days Is Almost Gone,” is a soul ballad (with gospel roots), more splendid singing and stinging guitar. Bob Marley’s “Rastaman Chant,” is another extended instrumental jam for with Trucks incorporating a French Children’s song as part of his melodic development. A very strong rendition“Key to the Highway,” some terrific piano from Burbridge under Trucks driving solo. This disc certainly stands as a souvenir for fans of The Derek Trucks Band, but more importantly it is a superb recording by one of the most interesting and electrifying bands of any genre today.


For FTC purposes, the review copy was sent by either the record label or a firm handling publicity for this release.

Rashied Ali, RIP

The drummer, best known for his time playing with John Coltrane passed away this past Wednesday, August 12, of a heart attack at the age of 76 according to the NY Times obituary which ran on Friday the 14th.

Here is the review I did of the Rashied Ali Quintet, Judgment Day Volume 2 on Survical records for the September 2008 (issue 308) Jazz & Blues Report.

"Its been four decades since Rashied Ali was a part of John Coltrane's band after having spent time working with the likes of Archie Shepp, Don Cherry and Albert Ayler. He was added for Trane's experiments with a two-drummer format and was with Trane for his final performances and recording.

Four decades later, this Philadelphia native still goes strong, leading a quintet of trumpeter Jumaane Smith; tenor saxophonist Lawrence Clark; pianist Greg Murphy; and bassist Joris Teepe who are heard on this latest release on Ali's Survival records label. While Ali is known for his work as a free drummer, much of this is quite inside, akin to the hot freebop sounds of classic sixties and seventies pioneered by Blue Note and carried forward by the bands of Louis Hayes and Woody Shaw as well as Roy Haynes Hip Ensemble. This is evident on pianist Murphy's opening Skane's Refrain. Saxophonist Clark displays a Coltrane influence on the nice rendition of Billy Strayhorn's Lush Life and James Ulmer's Thing For Joe, with the playing of the whole band being freer and high energy.

Clark's own original, Judgment Day, is another energetic Blue Note style freebop burner with strong tenor, hot trumpet from Smith who takes things into the stratosphere, Tyner-ish piano from Murphy and a bass tour de force from Teepe before Ali takes the spotlight. Ali is terrific throughout, pushing the groove but staying in the pocket. Flight #643, [co-]written by Teepe, has a funky blues flavor, while Smith's trumpet sets the tone with his solo for a strong rendition of Monk's Round Midnight. Judgment Day Volume 2 is an impressive achievement and one suspects Volume 1 might be just as compelling."

His last interview can be accessed at the All About Jazz website.

The photo is by Bogdan Dimitriu and accompanies the Wikipedia biography of Ali.

Three Wishes is a Marvelous Look at Jazz

Today, I was at Barnes & Noble, in downtown Washington DC, and browsing the jazz and blues books section when I come across a book, Three Wishes: An Intimate Look at Jazz Greats. I pick it up skim through it and then purchased it. It is published by Abrams Image and the credits have it compiled and photographed by Pannonica de Koenigswarter with a forward by Gary Giddins and an Introduction by Nadine de Koenigswarter, granddaughter of Pannonica. Pannonica is better known as Nica, the Baronness who befriended so many jazz musicians for such a long period of time. She was the person in whose apartment Charlie Parker died. Later, when she purchased a house in New Jersey, many jazz musicians visited or stayed with her. In 1957, she helped Thelonious Monk regain his caabaret license and also campaigned for its elimination which occurred when John Lindsay was elected Mayor. Monk had encouraged her to buy a house and she did ,which was named the Cathouse, and Monk himself moved there with his family in 1973, staying there until he passed. Others moved in or stayed for a period.

What the book compiles is the answers of about 300 jazz musicians to what three wishes in life they had. The text consists of their answers. Included are countless photographs of jazz legends from Monk, Barry Harris, Sonny Rollins, Coleman Hawkins, Art Blakey, Bud Powell, Sonny Clark John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Mary Lou Williams, Count Basie, Duke Ellington and countless others. Most of her photos were taken with a Polaroid camera, and several of the images are from worn photos, but the pictures, like their words, speak to us decades later. Some of informal, intimate images of them at the house, others sghow them perforing at the Cathouse. This is a book one can easily get lost with for days and hopefully should be available at your better book store or from the large internet retailers.

Stop Smiling Turns Spotlight on Jazz

I was at a local Borders today and browsed through the magazines, coming across the new issue (#34) of a publication, Stop Smiling, which is subtitled The Magazine for High-Minded Lowlifes. Actually all I could figure out from the issue from reading it was that the issue was The Jazz Issue and that it was issued with three different covers using three different Francis Wolf images (of Ornette Coleman, Bobby Hutchinson and Eric Dolphy, my copy had the Coleman image).

Included are book excerpts (including Ben Ratliff's book on John Coltrane and John Corbett's forthcoming biography of free jazz saxophone legend Peter Brotzmann) short interviews and articles ranging from Louis Armstrong in Los Angeles; a story on the Village Vanguard; A tribute to Eric Dolphy with recollections by Sonny Rollins, Ted Curson, Bobby Hutchinson, Richard Davis and Gary Giddins; interviews with Ornette Coleman, Joe Chambers, Olu Dara, and Ron Carter; an article on Sun Ra and Moondog; and an interview with noted Jazz photographer William Claxton. A pretty varied article list with plenty of wonderful photographs throughout.

Try looking for this at Borders (and probably Barnes and Noble) in the magazine section. stop Smiling's website is www.stopsmiling.online

Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane & Carnegie Hall

Just a heads-up about the latest video podcast by Bret Primark that can be found at Sonny Rollins website, www.sonnyrollins.com. Like Sonny can be downloaded to play on your video ipod or similar device. Sonny talks about his relationship with John Coltrane along with observations from fellow saxophonists Paul Jeffrey and Percy Heath. Mixing audio clips, video clips and photographic images, their mutual admiration of each other is recounted and their times together remembered. Unfortunately the two only recorded one number, Tenor Madness, together.

Coltrane's Carnegie Hall Concert with Thelonious Monk was well-received. That concert also marked Sonny Rollins first appearance at that legendary venue which he will celebrate September 18 with drummer Roy Haynes and bassist Christian McBride playing the same songs Sonny performed back then in 1957. There will also be a set by his regular band and the material will be issued on CD along with Sonny's performance from 1957. Pretty neat way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the great concert event.

Sonny's website has information on this show and how to order tickets, purchase merchandise as well as a link to the video podcast. Its well worth a visit.