Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Billy Mackel was born John William Mackel on December 28, 1912 in Baltimore, Maryland and played banjo early in his career, but like many banjoists of his time he switched to guitar.
He led a band early in the 1940s, then joined Lionel Hampton in 1944 and spent the next thirty years with him. In the 1940s he also recorded with Milt Buckner, Arnett Cobb, Herbie Fields, and others, and worked with Billy Williams in the 1960s.
Guitarist Billy Mackel, who played left~handed and recorded as a leader, passed away on May 5, 1986.
More Posts: bandleader,guitar,history,instrumental,jazz,music
Requisites
‘More’ Live ~ The Phil Woods Quartet | By Eddie Carter
Alto saxophonist Phil Woods was one of the unsung heroes of jazz, he was equally adept at Cool Jazz, and Hard-Bop with a gorgeous tone, and speed of execution that never failed to please his fans. ‘More’ Live (Adelphi Records Inc. AD 5010) is the second live session that The Phil Woods Quartet performed at The Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin, Texas during 1978 and 1979. It hit the stores in 1981, following their 1980 album, The Phil Woods Quartet Live, Volume One, featuring Mike Melillo on acoustic piano, Steve Gilmore on acoustic bass, and Bill Goodwin on drums. My copy used in this report is the 1981 US Stereo album.
Side One opens with Miles Davis’ Milestones. Phil is excellent on the lead solo, backed only at first by Steve and Bill. Mike joins them, then takes over on the second interpretation. Steve’s bass dances brightly on the third reading and Bill has the last word in an exchange with Phil and Mike before the reprise and close. Eiderdown by Steve Swallow kicks off with a five-minute performance by Gilmore who solos impressively. Woods launches into the next statement with inspired exuberance and Melillo takes care of business on the closing chorus.
Horace Silver’s Strollin’ begins Side Two in a relaxed vein for the ensemble’s theme. Mike kicks off the solos with a vivaciously spirited interpretation. Phil moves into the spotlight next with a soulful tone and agility that builds to a compelling conclusion. Steve shines on the closing statement with a quiet intensity ahead of the foursome taking the song out. Mike Melillo’s See Hunt and Liddy begins with a lovely introduction by the pianist developing into the quartet’s sprightly mood on the melody. Melillo lays down a solid groove on the opening statement that delivers the goods. Gilmore’s bass takes a brisk trip through the next reading, and Woods turns up the heat with a vigorous, energetic closing chorus culminating with the group’s climax. The engineers for See Hunt and Liddy are Jim Finney, Mark LeBaron, and Hank Allrich. The men behind the dials of the remaining tracks are Cliff Carter, Fletcher Clark, and LeBaron. The ensemble is tight, the music is terrific, the album has an exceptionally good soundstage, and I’m very impressed with the sound quality.
In addition to playing the alto sax, Phil Woods was also proficient on the clarinet. Woods was married to Chan Parker for seventeen years, and Stepdad to her daughter, Kim. His discography is extensive with sixty records as a leader and many others as a sideman performing with some elite jazz musicians and pop vocalists. His final live performance was a tribute to Charlie Parker with Strings on September 4, 2015. He passed away from emphysema twenty-five days later on September 29 at the age of eighty-three. Now that I’ve found this one, I’ll certainly be on the lookout for its companion album. If you’re in the mood for some Post-Bop and are a fan of any LP’s by Phil Woods, I offer for your consideration, ‘More’ Live by The Phil Woods Quartet. An album of sumptuous jazz that’s sure to satisfy almost any jazz appetite!
~ The Phil Woods Quartet Live, Volume One (Clean Cuts CC 702) – Source: Discogs.com
~ Milestones – Source: JazzStandards.com
© 2020 by Edward Thomas Carter
More Posts: choice,classic,collectible,collector,history,instrumental,jazz,music,saxophone
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
William Orval Crow was born December 27, 1927 in Othello, Washington but spent his childhood growing up in Kirkland, Washington, taking up the trumpet in fourth grade. When he joined the Army in 1946, he started to play brass instruments, remaining in the army until 1949. After leaving the Army, he played drums and trombone while a student at the University of Washington.
In 1950, Bill moved to New York City and within two years as a double bassist, he played with Teddy Charles and was with Stan Getz from October 1952 to the following April. He was part of Gerry Mulligan’s groups during the mid to late 1950s.
Crow joined the house band at Eddie Condon’s club in 1965 and then played with Walter Norris’s small group, which was one of the house bands at the Playboy Club in New York City in the mid~Sixties to early Seventies. From 1975 into the late 1990s he worked in theater orchestras on Broadway, where he sometimes played the tuba.
He authored a book called Jazz Anecdotes that was published by Oxford University Press in 1991. His autobiography, From Birdland to Broadway, was released by the same publisher two years later. Both were also the titles of his two albums as a leader.
As a sideman, he recorded 70 albums with Gerry Mulligan, Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, Bob Brookmeyer, Al Cohn, Clark Terry, Marian McPartland, J. J. Johnson, Al Haig, Jimmy Cleveland, Milt Jackson, Benny Goodman, Mose Allison, Jimmy Raney, Sal Salvador, Don Elliott, Teddy Charles, Manny Albam, Joe Morello, Bob Wilber, Eddie Bert, Jay McShann, Bob Dorough, Barbara Lea, Dick Sudhalter, Phil Woods, Dick Sudhalter, Ronnell Bright, Art Simmons, Rich Pearle, Spike Robinson, Claude Williamson, and Michelle Leblanc. Bassist Bill Crow continues to perform at the age of 92.
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Frank de la Rosa was born on December 26, 1933 in El Paso, Texas. At age twenty he served in the US Army during the Korean War from 1953-1955, earning three medals and the GI Bill. After his discharge he attended the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music and Fine Arts, and began playing the bass at the age of 23.
Despite his late start in music education, Frank built an extraordinary career across the globe and performances with Sarah Vaughan, Nat King Cole, Chubby Checker, Harry “Sweets” Edison, and Don Ellis, to name a few.
He was also a part of the Don Menza & His ’80s Big Band, the Don Menza Sextet, Raoul Romero And His Jazz Stars Orchestra, René Bloch And His Big Latin Band, and the Don Ellis Orchestra.
Touring with Ella Fitzgerald, de la Rosa was a member of the Tommy Flanagan Trio from 1968 to 1972. He retired as a professional musician in 2003, however, the deer, dogs, and dandelions across his five acres of land enjoyed the daily melodies from his piano, bass, and/or cello until the summer of 2019 when bassist Frank de la Rosa passed away on July 5, at his home in Washougal, Washington. He was 85.
More Posts: bass,history,instrumental,jazz,music
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Wayman Carver was born on December 25, 1905 in Portsmouth, Virginia and was one of the earliest flute soloists to perform jazz. He was one of very few jazz flautists active in the swing era and his first professional experience was with J. Neal Montgomery.
After he moved to New York City in 1931, he recorded in the early Thirties with Dave Nelson, and played with Elmer Snowden, Benny Carter, and Spike Hughes.
From 1934 to 1939 he played with Chick Webb on both alto saxophone and flute. After Webb died he continued in the orchestra during its period of leadership under Ella Fitzgerald until 1941.
>After leaving the jazz scene he became a professor of music at Clark College, where he taught saxophonists George Adams and Marion Brown, among others. Flutist and alto saxophonist Wayman Carver passed away on May 6, 1967 in Atlanta, Georgia.