Requisites
The Phantom is the twelfth album by American pianist and arranger Duke Pearson featuring performances recorded in 1968 and released on the Blue Note label.
Two separate sessions recorded the six tunes for a little over a half hour of music totalling thirty-eight minutes and thirty-six seconds, considered your average length in those days. The compositions are The Phantom, Blues for Alvina, Bunda Amerela (Little Yellow Streetcar), Los Ojos Alegres (The Happy Eyes), Say You’re Mine and The Moana Surf.
All compositions were composed by Pearson except #2 by Willie Wilson and #6 by Jerry Dodgion. Track #3 was recorded on June 24, 1968 and on September 11, 1968 they laid down the other five tunes.
Along with Pearson on the sessions were Jerry Dodgion – flute, alto flute, Bobby Hutcherson – vibes, Sam Brown and Al Gafa – guitar, Bob Cranshaw – bass, Mickey Roker – drums, Victor Pantoja – congas and Carlos ‘Patato’ Valdés – conga, güiro.
The recording session was produced by Francis Wolff at the Van Gelder Studios in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Wolff is credited for the cover photography as well and the design was by Florenza Venosa Associates.
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The Jazz Voyager
Jazz Café Alto is in The Netherlands and is the next jump off for this Jazz Voyager where the New Year will be celebrated. Located in the heart of the city at Korte Leidsedwarsstraat 115, 1017 PX Amsterdam, it’s a mere 30 second crawl from the Leidseplein. You’ll know you’ve arrived when you see a large saxophone high upon the façade. The club, whose doors open at 8:00pm and stay open until 3:00am weekdays, 4 on weekends, hosts live performance beginning at 9:00pm by young and upcoming jazz musicians as well as the top experienced.
Never a cover charge for this intimate, dark and dusty little venue that attracts jazz enthusiasts from all over the world to the city. Dutch saxophonist Hans Dulfer, sometimes accompanied by his daughter Candy, performs here every Wednesday. On this visit the Jazz Voyager is going to be enjoying the talents of Bop This! during this relaxing holiday sojourn in the land of the tulips.
The club remains the only walk-in bar to offer live jazz every night of the week in the city and if you get there early, you might be able to score a table close to the stage. For more information +31 20 6263249.
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Three Wishes
The Baroness asked Clifford Jordan of his three wishes and he said:- “I think I’d like to be you asking me that question.”
- “I wish I was on intermission.”
- “I wish to be a success.”
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Requisites
Pianist Phineas Newborn Jr. gathered an elite group of players in 1961 to comprise two distinct trios rendering two distinct sounds for two recording sessions. Bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones came into the Contemporary studio and recorded tracks 1–4 on October 16th, while on November 21st bassist Sam Jones and drummer Louis Hayes laid down tracks 5–8.
The album, A World of Piano! was released in 1962 by Contemporary Records and had a total of eight compositions for a total playing time of 39:34. Featured on Side 1 was Cheryl, Manteca, Lush Life and Daahoud and on Side 2 – Oleo, Juicy Lucy, For Carl and Cabu.
The cover was designed by George Kershawn and Robert Guidi who utilized bold, luminously colored fonts to create a distinctive style to the jazz covers of the Los Angeles based label. What Tri-Arts succeeded in doing time and time again as to create a distinguishable yet highly complimentary design to an often lush photograph, in this case provided by the inimitable William Claxton. Below is the complete album with separate Side 1 & 2 for your listening pleasure.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Joe Harris was born on December 23, 1926 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, growing up in the Manchester neighborhood. He learned to play the drums by taking lessons at an early age from Pittsburgh’s Bill Hammond, who taught his the rudiments of drumming. His musical education included symphonic percussion such as tympani and xylophone and by age 18 he was playing in big bands and touring the country.
As a young man in 1946 he moved to New York City, where he played with Dizzy Gillespie over the next two years, helped pioneer Latin jazz, and anchored the house band at the famed Apollo Theater. Balancing jazz with the heavier R&B sounds of tenor saxophonist Arnett Cobb in the late ’40s, Harris gigged with singer Billy Eckstine in 1950, and worked with Erroll Garner, Jimmy Heath, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz, Billie Holiday and James Moody.
Following a decade as one of the early bebop drummers, Joe took off for Sweden with his first tour in the summer of 1956 with trumpeter Rolf Ericson. His subsequent expatriate status put him in the company of other transplanted instrumentalists including trumpeter Benny Bailey, with whom he recorded from 1957 – 59, and pianist Freddie Redd. He taught himself to speak Swedish fluently and learned a fair amount of German and Japanese, eventually moved to Sweden, married and had a daughter before living in Germany and Japan for a time.
Harris eventually returned to the States for TV work in Los Angeles, California among other things. The drummer would later study music in the Far East, Egypt, Africa and Latin America prior to settling back in his native Manchester, scaling back his performance schedule with local musicians. He continued to practice daily, mentor students and teaching jazz history and drums for years at the University of Pittsburgh until his death on January 27, 2016 at age 89.
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