Requisites

A Tribute To Cannonball – Don Byas and Bud Powell | By Eddie Carter

This next album from the library was recorded in 1961 but remained shelved until its release in 1979, four years after the death of the musician it honors. A Tribute To Cannonball (Columbia Contemporary Master Series JC 35755) brings together Don Byas on tenor sax and Bud Powell on piano for a program of standards and two original tunes. Completing the ensemble are Idrees Sulieman (tracks: A5, B1, B2, B4) on trumpet, Pierre Michelot on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums. My copy used in this report is the 1979 US Stereo album.

The quartet begins Side One with the Cole Porter classic, Just One of Those Things that made its debut in the 1935 musical comedy, Jubilee. The trio opens with a scintillating conversation in the opening chorus. Don adds some fierce dialogue on the second verse, then continues traveling at breakneck speed on the first solo. Bud’s nimble fingers fly over the keys at a brisk pace on the finale towards the quartet’s enthusiastic ending.

Jackie My Little Cat is a pretty ballad by Pierre Michelot that slows the tone to a softer tempo. From the first phrase of the elegantly tranquil theme, the quartet creates a warmly affectionate atmosphere for Byas who infuses the lead statement with tasteful subtlety. Powell also produces a reading of extraordinary tenderness that compliments the rhythm section’s graceful groundwork into a sensuous finale.  Cherokee, also known as Indian Love Song, was written in 1938 by Ray Noble as the first movement of his five-part Indian Suite. It became a hit for bandleader Charlie Barnet in 1939 and a jazz standard after Charlie Parker’s blistering rendition in 1941 with The Kansas City Band.  The song begins with a brisk duet by Don and Pierre on the introduction, then proceeds with a lightning-fast melody. Byas begins his first solo with a sizzling performance, then Powell flexes his muscles with incredible virility. The saxophonist is completely energized on the closer with fiery intensity before the out-chorus.

I Remember Clifford by Benny Golson is a 1957 jazz standard honoring Clifford Brown who perished in an auto accident the year before with pianist Richie Powell and his wife Nancy. It became a huge hit for Golson after appearing on the albums, Jazz Lab and Lee Morgan, Volume 3 (1957), and Jon Hendricks wrote lyrics for it the same year. The quartet is beautifully disciplined on the melody, and Don taps a well of serenity, bringing out the most intimate feelings in every note of the lead solo.  Bud closes with a warmly affectionate reading leading to a tender finale. Good Bait is by Tadd Dameron and Count Basie and was written in 1944.  It became a significant part of Basie’s repertoire and Idrees Sulieman makes his first appearance.  Kenny’s drums make the introduction, and the front line leads the quintet to establish the melody.  Don starts the solos with long, flowing tenor phrases.  Idrees follows with a fierce flow of notes from his trumpet.  Bud comes next with a deliciously spry statement.  Pierre makes a brief reading with an unrestrained flow of bass lines in between a few final remarks by both horns.

Side Two starts with the 1960 jazz standard, Jeannine by Duke Pearson. A brief workout by Clarke introduces the tune, segueing into the ensemble’s medium-fast melody. Don digs into the lead statement with a smoldering groove of vibrant verses. Idrees’ sentimental choruses on the second solo are tightly voiced and executed smoothly.  Bud flies high on the third reading with a muscular drive. Kenny delivers a satisfying finale before the horns return to drive Jeannine home. All The Things You Are by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II was originally written in 1939 for the unsuccessful Broadway musical Very Warm For May that year. The song survived, becoming one of Kern’s most cherished and recorded compositions. Byas and Sulieman exchange a peppy dialogue with the trio on the melody. Idrees says something special with a firm tone on the first solo. Don delivers the next message confidently in an authoritative manner. Bud also displays his virtuosity in an invigorating reading. Both horns split the next few choruses and Clarke provides a passionate showcase on a brief statement ahead of the coda.

Let me stop for a moment to describe this next tune.  On the Side Two label, track three is listed as Jackie by pianist Hampton Hawes.  It isn’t Hawes’ tune at all, it’s actually an alternate take of Pierre Michelot’s Jackie My Little Cat.  Like the song on Side One, it’s a quartet piece with Byas and Powell as the featured soloists. After a beautiful theme statement, Don delivers an absolutely gorgeous opening solo. Bud follows with a haunting melodic interpretation ahead of the compassionate climax. The album ends with the second original by bassist Michelot, Myth is a cheery little tune full of fun and good spirits as evident by the sprightly introduction by the trio, ahead of the front line’s opening chorus. Byas starts the solos with a compelling performance that holds your attention from start to finish. Sulieman follows with a beautifully articulated presentation. Powell swings with exhilarating verses on the closing statement that bounces happily to the superb foundation by Michelot and Clarke.

A Tribute To Cannonball was produced by Cannonball Adderley and the engineer was Russ Payne who worked on many other Columbia LP’s. The music is excellent, and the sound quality is superb with the musicians surrounding your sweet spot providing some amazing jazz. The only issue I have with this album has nothing to do with the music, but the cover design. To read the liner notes by Gary Giddins, you need a high wattage light bulb or a well-lighted room because the words are small and dark blue on a red background. This is particularly notable on the back cover where the picture of Bud Powell is. Whoever thought this was a good idea, I hope they’ve never been allowed to design another record cover. That issue aside, I hope you’ll seek out A Tribute To Cannonball by Don Byas & Bud Powell on your next vinyl hunt. If you’re a fan of Hard-Bop, it’s an overlooked jewel that’s worthy of your consideration for a spot on your shelf!

~ Jazz Lab (Columbia CL 988); Lee Morgan, Volume 3 (Blue Note BLP 1557) – Source: Discogs.com

~ Cherokee, Indian Love Song, I Remember Clifford, All The Things You Are – Source: JazzStandards.com

~ Just One of Those Things – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Gg0Md1geMw ~ Jackie My Little Cat – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JmZCGKjrc0 © 2020 by Edward Thomas Carter

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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

The pandemic has given me time to indulge in listening to a variety of music but for this post, Soul Finger is the album I’ve chosen for this week’s edition of The Quarantined Jazz Voyager. The album was recorded by drummer Art Blakey And The Jazz Messengers recorded on May 12 & 13, 1965 in New York City and its original release date was in August of the same year on the Limelight label. The sessions were produced by Jack Tracy.

On the 2009 CD edition, Gary Bartz, whose recording debut this was, was left off the credits – he is the alto saxophonist for 5 of the 6 cuts. Lucky Thompson is only on one cut, playing soprano saxophone on Spot Session with the quartet of Blakey, John Hicks, and Victor Sproles.

A sixth cut from the Bartz sessions was used on the later Hold On, I’m Coming album. This recording was trumpeter Lee Morgan’s last recording with Art Blakey after a seven-year association; Freddie Hubbard would return to tour with Blakey’s group again in the 1980s.

Track Listing | 36:42

1. Soul Finger (Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan) ~ 3:17
2. Buh’s Bossa (Morgan) ~ 5:33
3. Spot Session (Lucky Thompson) ~ 7:21
4. Freedom Monday (Art Blakey) ~ 6:15
5. A Quiet Thing (Fred Ebb, John Kander) ~ 6:56
6. The Hub (Hubbard) ~ 7:20

Personnel 

• Art Blakey ~ drums
• Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan ~ trumpet (except on “Spot Session”)
• Gary Bartz – alto saxophone (except on “Spot Session”)
• Lucky Thompson – soprano sax (on “Spot Session”)
• John Hicks – piano
• Victor Sproles – bass

As you listen I hope you enjoy this great addition to the jazz catalog. Continue your vigilance of social distancing, wear your masks, and stay healthy. During this sabbatical from flying and investigating jazz around the globe, this Quarantined Jazz Voyager is looking forward to listening to this lineup of talented musicians and enjoy the listen and know that the world and I will be back.

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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

POWER TO THE PEOPLE 11.12.20

As I sit socially distanced from the rest of the world ever vigilant of this pandemic, the next choice from the library is Power To The People by jazz saxophonist Joe Henderson. The album was recorded on May 23 and May 29, 1969 at Plaza Sound Studios in New York City and released on Milestone Records the same year.

Produced by Orrin Keepnews, all songs are written by Henderson except Opus One-Point-Five and Lazy Afternoon. It was his first to feature an electric instrument with Hancock playing the electric piano. This Quarantined Jazz Voyager is looking forward to listening to this lineup of talented musicians.

Track Listing | 42:27

1. Black Narcissus ~ 4:50
2. Afro-Centric ~ 7:00
3. Opus One-Point-Five (Ron Carter) ~ 4:56
4. Isotope ~ 4:53
5. Power to the People ~ 8:42
6. Lazy Afternoon (Moross, Latouche) ~ 4:33
7. Foresight and Afterthought (An Impromptu Suite in Three Movements) ~ 7:33

Personnel 

• Joe Henderson — tenor saxophone
• Mike Lawrence — trumpet (2, 5)
• Herbie Hancock — piano (3, 4, 6), electric piano (1, 2, 5)
• Ron Carter — bass
• Jack DeJohnette — drums

As you listen I hope you enjoy this great addition to the jazz catalog. Continue your social distancing, wear your masks and stay healthy. During this sabbatical from flying and investigating jazz around the globe, enjoy the listen and know that the world and I will be back.

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Requisites

The Sixth Sense ~ Lee Morgan | By Eddie Carter

Mention trumpeter Lee Morgan during his years at Blue Note and one of seven albums usually comes to mind. Blue Train (1957), Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers (1958), Leeway (1961), The Sidewinder and Search For The New Land (1964), Cornbread (1967), and The Gigolo (1968). All are considered choice selections for any library featuring the talented bandleader and composer. Lee was the youngest musician in Dizzy Gillespie’s orchestra, joining the band at age eighteen and further honed his skills with The Jazz Messengers from 1958 to 1961.

Drug addiction temporarily derailed his career from 1961 to 1963, but he emerged stronger and got his life back on track, recording prolifically as a leader and sideman. The Sidewinder became his biggest-selling album and greatest success, changing all Blue Note releases that followed. The Sixth Sense (Blue Note BST 84335) hit the stores in 1969 featuring one of his best groups. Jackie McLean on alto sax, Frank Mitchell on tenor sax, Cedar Walton on piano, Victor Sproles on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums complete the ensemble.  My copy used in this report is the 1969 Liberty Records Stereo album.

The Sixth Sense, the first of four tunes by the leader kicks off Side One with a relaxing drum introduction by Billy, segueing into an intriguing Bossa Nova styled melody led by the front line. Lee solos first, pacing himself at an easy swing with plenty of feeling. Frank displays his inventive ability with a passionately frisky tone next, then Jackie takes flight on a solo full of tasty grooves. Cedar comes next, conveying an abundance of youthful energy, and Billy exchanges a spirited conversation with Lee leading to the ensemble’s closing chorus and fadeout.

Short Count, the second Morgan tune takes an aggressive uptempo approach to the melody vigorously. McLean charges out of the gate, almost stealing the show with incandescent intensity anchored by Lee and Frank on his final verse.  Morgan raises the temperature a few more degrees to a level of feisty assertiveness on the next reading. Mitchell applies some high voltage to the third interpretation.  Walton delivers the final enthralling statement before the quintet takes the song out.

Morgan’s Psychedelic will set your body in motion and have you dancing from the rhythm section’s leisurely flowing introduction to the infectious theme. Lee establishes the relaxing atmosphere on the opening chorus with bluesy lines. Frank shows some improvisational creativity on the next performance. Jackie takes over for some fine blowing and Cedar keeps things interesting with nimble fingers until the ensemble’s fadeout.

Afreaka is Cedar Walton’s contribution to the album, starting Side Two with an Afrobeat flavor possessing a very interesting rhythm that’s also danceable.  Morgan, McLean, Mitchell, and Walton are the principal soloists providing plenty of musical inspiration. Anti-Climax, the final tune from the trumpeter’s pen begins with a brief bass introduction by Victor preceding the sextet’s upbeat theme treatment.  Lee opens the first solo with inspired agility, then Jackie charges into the second statement with a dazzling improvisation.  Frank infuses the next presentation with strong-lined lyricism, and Cedar finishes with an aggressive reading preceding the ending.

The Cry Of My People by trumpeter Cal Massey ends the album with a gorgeous quartet number by Morgan and the trio.  Lee begins the melody with a hauntingly elegant-muted performance, picking up the pace gradually for his exceptionally pretty opening statement.  Cedar gets a brief moment to share his thoughts with evocative softness, then Lee returns with so much sensitivity and feeling, it’ll bring tears to your eyes.  The sound quality on The Sixth Sense is superb with all six instruments full of body, presence, and a vibrantly, clear sound.

Lee Morgan was an exceptional composer and musician who possessed an exciting, relentless drive.  He recorded twenty-five albums for Blue Note as a leader and appeared as a sideman on countless others, elevating each record to something special.  But changes were on the way as AllMusic.com reviewer Michael G. Nastos describes.  “The appropriate title Sixth Sense presents a transition between one of the most intriguing sextets during the last years of post-bop and Morgan’s final ensembles that saw him reaching higher and higher before, like Icarus, falling from grace”.

Lee would die tragically from a gunshot wound by his common-law wife Helen Morgan on February 19, 1972, after an altercation while performing at jazz club Slug’s Saloon in New York City.  He left an incredible body of music also recording for Savoy, Vee-Jay, and Jazzland that still amazes and thrills fans around the world.  At just over thirty-nine minutes, The Sixth Sense by Lee Morgan is an excellent album that you’ll play again and again, and a must-have for any Hard-Bop fan’s library!

~ Quote by Michael G. Nastos – Source: AllMusic.com

~ Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers (Blue Note BLP 4003/BST 84003); Blue Train (BLP 1577/BST 81577); Cornbread (BLP 4222/BST 84222); Leeway (BLP 4034/BST 84034); Search For The New Land (BLP 4169/BST 84169); The Gigolo (BLP 4214/BST 84214); The Sidewinder (Blue Note BLP 4157/BST84157) – Source: Discogs.com

~ Lee Morgan, Helen Morgan – Source: Wikipedia.org © 2020 by Edward Thomas Carter

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Mark Walker was born on October 16, 1961 in Chicago, Illinois and began playing drums at age ten. He played his first professional club, concert, and recording gigs barely out of high school. After studying with Roy C. Knapp, he gained valuable experience performing a wide range of styles in the Chicago, area and later became a first-call session drummer and percussionist, playing on film scores, jingles, and record dates.

Moving to New York in 1995, he easily entered the jazz culture and performed and recorded extensively with Michel Camilo, Dave Samuels, Andy Narell, WDR Big Band, NDR Big Band, Grace Kelly, Eliane Elias, Lyle Mays, Dave Liebman, Regina Carter, Joao Bosco, Dianne Reeves, Cesar Camargo Mariano, and Rosa Passos, among numerous others. He has been earned several Grammy nominations and in 2008 he was nominated for a Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition.

Walker has worked on Grammy~winning albums with Oregon, Donato Poveda, Paquito D’Rivera, the Caribbean Jazz Project and has also earned Indy and Jazz awards. He appeared on Late Night with David Letterman, The Rosie O’Donnell Show, PBS Presents, BET On Jazz, and with Paquito D’Rivera in Fernando Trueba’s Latin jazz documentary Calle 54.

As an educator, Mark is a professor in the Percussion Department at Berklee College of Music where he has taught drummers, percussionists, and ensembles since 2001. He has served on the faculty at New York City’s Drummers Collective and has conducted master classes, clinics, and workshops in South America, North America, and Europe. He has published two books, World Jazz Drumming and Killer Grooves, an instructional drum set book.

Grammy Award-winning drummer, percussionist, author, and educator Mark Walker continues to tour with Oregon and Paquito D’Rivera. He writes for and leads Rhythm of the Américas, a jazz octet incorporating Caribbean and South American rhythms.

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