Three Wishes

When the Baroness inquired of Spanky De Brest what, if granted, his three wishes would be he answered her with:

1. “I want my whole salary from Birdland!”
2. “To be situated in New York, happily with my family.”
3. “Play my bass as well as God can allow me to.”

*Excerpt from Three Wishes: An Intimate Look at Jazz Greats ~ Compiled and Photographed by Pannonica de Koenigswarter

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Marc McDonald was born in London, England on  February 8, 1961 and lived there for six years before his parents moved to Princeton, New Jersey, where he grew up. Since the 1980s he has led groups in the New York City metropolitan areas as well as Honolulu, London and Athens. Releasing his debut CD as a leader, It Doesn’t End Here, it features his own compositions and the inventive arrangements of standards, drawing from mainstream jazz, Brazilian, and New Orleans R&B  influences.

He has been equally active as a sideman and has been a member of award-winning composer Jamie Begian’s big band since 1998, appearing as a featured soloist on the band’s CD Trance.

In 1990, McDonald was among ten jazz composers invited to the ASCAP/Louis Armstrong Jazz Composers Workshop at New York’s Lincoln Center. Always the student, he attended the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop in New York for several years. Between 1991 and 1996 he was invited to premiere works for jazz chamber ensemble, solo saxophone, and saxophone quartet.

As an educator he has held a position for five years as a member of the artist faculty at a private music school in Princeton, and is currently in private teaching practice. Saxophonist and composer Marc McDonald continues to explore the world of jazz.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Raymond Colignon was born on February 7, 1907 in Liège, Belgium. He initially was active as an accompanist for silent films, then went on to tour Switzerland, France and Algeria. In the early 1930s, he joined the Lucien Hirsch and His Orchestra who made the first recordings for Columbia Records. Between 1931 and 1934 he worked in a nightclub in his native town. From 1935 to 1940 he played and wrote big band arrangements with Fud Candrix.

As a soloist, he recorded under his own name for the Brussels Jazz Club record label. In 1939 he recorded Honeysuckle Rose for Telefunken and Swinging Through the Style, accompanied by bassist Camille Marchand and drummer Armand Dralandts. The early Forties saw him playing in Brussels, Belgium with Jack Lowens and His Swing Quartet, in Berlin, Germany with Kurt Widmann and his dance orchestra, and in Adolf Steimel ‘s Organum dance orchestra.

In 1941/42 further recordings were made in Brussels under his own name, with trumpeter and singer Billy West recording I Hear A Rhapsody and with Tony Jongenelen Gute Nacht, Mutter (Good NIght , Mother) sung in German. In the post World War II period he worked mainly as an organist in the genre of dance and entertainment music, recording Surprise Party – Calling All Dancers or Come Dance with Me for Philips.

Pianist, organist and arranger Coco Colignon, who was involved in 53 jazz recording sessions between 1931 and 1961, transitioned on February 10, 1987 in Wavre, Belgium.

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Requisites

In ‘n Out ~ Joe Henderson | By Eddie Carter

This morning’s choice from the library is a 1964 album by tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson. I’ve been a fan of his for years and first heard him live at The 1992 Atlanta Jazz Festival. His performance that night was brilliant and a stellar highlight that blew everyone away in attendance. In ‘n Out (Blue Note BLP 4166/BST 84166) is his third release and finds him leading a first-class quintet, Kenny Dorham on trumpet, McCoy Tyner on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. My copy used in this report is the 1983 Pathé Marconi-EMI French Stereo reissue sharing the original catalog number.

Side One gets underway with the first of three tunes from Henderson’s pen, In ‘n Out swings from the start of the quintet’s brisk melody. Joe takes off first with a ferocious opening statement. McCoy makes his mark in rapid succession on the second solo. Kenny is up next with a vigorous performance, then Joe returns for a few more aggressive notes ahead of the ensemble’s ending theme. Henderson’s Punjab slows the pace to medium tempo for the ensemble’s bluesy opening chorus. Joe begins the first solo at a comfortable and friendly pace, then Kenny follows with a leisurely stroll on the second reading. McCoy steps in next with an easy-flowing interpretation. Joe adds a delightfully laid-back finale into the quintet’s carefree summation.

Joe’s Serenity opens Side Two at mid-tempo with the ensemble sustaining a mellow timbre on the opening chorus. Kenny takes the first spot and gives a relaxing interpretation. Joe continues grooving on a spirited reading that’s an ear-pleaser. McCoy draws us into the next solo with pure pleasure on the keys, and Richard makes an articulate statement on the closer before the group’s reprise and climax. Dorham tells a Short Story on the first of two originals by the trumpeter. The rhythm section sets the basis for swinging on the introduction segueing into the ensemble’s collective melody. Dorham, Henderson, and Tyner make the first three solos come alive with plenty of positive energy, and Elvin has an amazing exchange with the front line preceding the closing chorus.

The quintet closes with a trip to Brown’s Town. Henderson is heard on the opening and closing melody only, Dorham, Tyner, and Davis are the featured soloists. Kenny paints an enchanting portrait on the opening statement, then McCoy possesses a great amount of warmth and joy on the second solo. Richard sparkles on the finale with some strong walking into the ensemble’s tender climax. Joe Henderson released four other albums for Blue Note during the decade, Page One (1963), Our Thing (1964), Inner Urge, and Mode For Joe (1966). He also appeared as a sideman on many of the landmark LPs for the label. His career lasted over forty years recording for CTI Records, Elektra Musician, Fantasy, Milestone, Red Records, and Verve Records.

He was a consummate composer and one of the most respected musicians in jazz, performing in concerts and festivals around the world. I was lucky enough to see him live twice, the second time was a 1994 performance at Spivey Hall. After a long battle with emphysema, Joe passed away from heart failure at age sixty-four on June 30, 2001. In ‘n Out was produced by Alfred Lion and Pathé Marconi-EMI did a superb job remastering the original tapes of Rudy Van Gelder. The vinyl is quiet with an impressive soundstage placing the musicians in your listening room. Kenny, McCoy, and Richard are heard on the left, and Joe and Elvin are heard on the right. If you enjoy the tenor sax, I invite you to treat yourself to In ‘n Out by Joe Henderson. It’s a wonderful album that gets better with repeated listening!

~ Page One (Blue Note BLP 4140/BST 84140); Our Thing (Blue Note BLP 4152/BST 84152); Inner Urge (Blue Note BLP 4189/BST 84189), and Mode For Joe (Blue Note BLP 4227/BST 84227) – Source: Discogs.com © 2022 by Edward Thomas Carter

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Haven Gillespie was born James Lamont Gillespie on February 6, 1888 in Covington, Kentucky, one of nine children of Anna (Reilley and William F. Gillespie. The family was poor and he dropped out of school in grade four to unsuccessfully find a job. His older sister, Lillian, who had married a printer in Chicago, Illinois offered him a job and in 1902 left home for the bustling city life.

A few years later, corresponding with a childhood sweetheart back in Covington, a forthcoming proposal led to marriage in 1909. With sixteen dollarsbetween the two of them, Gillespie soon landed a job as a typesetter for the Cincinnati Times-Star, ultimately maintaining his membership in the International Typographic Union until his death. He found work as a “plug” man, entertaining audiences at local vaudeville shows by playing and singing songs he had written.

His first break came in 1911 when he met Roy Steventon, performing with Mildred Lovejoy in a dancing act and teaming up they composed three songs for the act, You’re Just The Girl I’ve Met In My Dreams, When I Am Gone, and Winter Time Is Coming Around Too Soon. Though Haven was paid one and a half cents for each piece of sheet music sold, royalties only amounted to a few dollars over the next several years.

While touring to promote his songwriting, Gillespie began drinking heavily and would struggle with alcohol addiction most of his life. At age 23 and after a long night of drinking, he met Joe Ford, a printer with the Cincinnati Tribune. Ford took Haven home to sober up and the two men eventually developed a lifelong friendship.

Gillespie’s first major hit came in early 1925 with Drifting and Dreaming. He left for New York and became a journalist and composer of songs for vaudeville shows. He first gained notice in 1925 with collaborators Egbert Van Alstyne, Ervin R. Schmidt, and Loyal Curtis on Breezin Along With The Breeze, which was recorded by Josephine Baker, among numerous others.

He successfully collaborated with J. Fred Coots, Mitchell Parish, Henry Marshall, Henry and Charles Tobias, Neil Moret, Peter DeRose, Victor Young, Jack Little, Richard Whiting, Rudy Vallée, and Beasley Smith, to name a few. His Louisiana Fairy Tale, recorded by Fats Waller, was used as the first theme song in the PBS Production of This Old House.

Tin Pan Alley composer and lyricist Haven Gillespie, whose songs You Go To My Head, Beautiful Love and Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town have become jazz standards, transitioned on March 14, 1975 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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