Daily Dose Of Jazz…

John Daniel LaPorta was born on April 13, 1920 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and started playing clarinet at the age of nine. He studied at the Mastbaum School in Philadelphia, alongside classmate Buddy DeFranco. As a teenager he played in local bands with Charlie Ventura and Bill Harris, and studied classically with Joseph Gigliotti of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Leon Russianoff at the Manhattan School of Music.

1942 saw him as a member of the Bob Chester big band for two years, then spent the following two years with the Woody Herman Orchestra. Beginning in 1947, he studied with Lennie Tristano, and with Teo Macero and Charles Mingus he was a member of the Jazz Composers Workshop, trying to combine jazz with classical music. Classically, he worked with Boston Pops, Leonard Bernstein, Leopold Stokowski, and Igor Stravinsky. In jazz he worked with Kenny Clarke, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Buddy Rich, and Lester Young.

In 1956, La Porta played the first jazz concert in Venezuela at Caracas National Theater, where a selection of the repertoire performed was released under the title South American Brothers by Fantasy Records, becoming the first jazz recording in Venezuela.

As an educator he taught at Parkway Music School, then at public schools on Long Island, followed by the Manhattan School of Music and the Berklee College of Music. With guitarist Jack Petersen, he pioneered the use of Greek modes for teaching chord-scales.

In the 1990s, he retired to Sarasota, Florida, where he performed at the Sarasota Jazz Club and as a guest with the Fred Williams Trio. His autobiography is titled Playing It by Ear. Clarinetist and composer John LaPorta transitioned from complications of a stroke on May 12, 2004 in Sarasota.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Anthony Tillmon Williams was born of African, Portuguese, and Chinese descent on December 12, 1945 in Chicago, Illinois and grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. He studied with drummer Alan Dawson at an early age, and began playing professionally at the age of 13 with saxophonist Sam Rivers. Saxophonist Jackie McLean hired Williams when he was 16.

At 17 Williams gained attention when he joined Miles Davis in what was later dubbed Davis’s Second Great Quintet. A vital element of the group, his playing helped redefine the role of the jazz rhythm section through the use of polyrhythms and metric modulation.

He recorded his first two albums as leader at nineteen for the Blue Note label, Life Time in 1964) and Spring in 1965.. He also recorded as a sideman for the label including, in 1964, Out to Lunch! with Eric Dolphy and Point of Departure with Andrew Hill.

By 1969, he had formed his trio, the Tony Williams Lifetime, with John McLaughlin on guitar and Larry Young on organ. Lifetime was a pioneering band of the fusion movement. Disbanding the group, in 1975 he put together a band he called The New Tony Williams Lifetime, featuring bassist Tony Newton, pianist Alan Pasqua, and English guitarist Allan Holdsworth, which recorded two albums for Columbia Records.^.

In mid-1976, Tony reunited with Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Wayne Shorter. Freddie Hubbard replaced Miles Davis who was in the midst of a six-year hiatus. The resulting record was later released as V.S.O.P. and the group toured for several years and produced a series of live albums released under the name V.S.O.P. or V.S.O.P.: The Quintet.

1979 saw  Williams, McLaughlin and bassist Jaco Pastorius united for a one-time performance at the Havana Jazz Festival. This trio came to be known as the Trio of Doom. In 1985, returning to Blue Note he released six albums through 1993, playing his compositions almost exclusively ubtil he left Blue Note for the final time.

He lived and taught in the San Francisco Bay Area, was one of the pioneers of jazz fusion, and was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1986. On February 20, 1997 he checked into Seton Medical Center in Daly City, California, suffering from stomach pain. Three days later, while recuperating from gallbladder surgery, drummer Tony Williams passed away of a heart attack at 51 on February 23, 1997.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Philip L. Bodner was born June 13, 1917 in Waterbury, Connecticut and played in the Forties and 1950s as a sideman for studio recordings in New York City. He played on jazz sessions with Benny Goodman, with Miles Davis and Gil Evans in 1958.

Organizing The Brass Ring, a group modeled after Herb Alpert, in the mid-1960s they had popular success. Bodner also played with Oliver Nelson and J.J. Johnson during that decade. His associations in the 1970s included Oscar Peterson, Yusef Lateef, Peanuts Hucko, Wild Bill Davison, Ralph Sutton and he also played the signature piccolo part on the disco hit The Hustle by Van McCoy. Other work in the 1970s included playing with Ralph Sutton and Johnny Varro, working with Mingus Epitaph, and arranging Louie Bellson’s tribute to Duke Ellington’s Black, Brown and Beige.

The 1980s saw him working in a swing style with Marty Napoleon, Mel Lewis, George Duvivier, Maxine Sullivan, and Barbara Carroll. He released an album under his own name, Jammin’ at Phil’s Place, on Jazzmania Records in 1990, with Milt Hinton, Bobby Rosengarden, and Derek Smith as sidemen.

Multi-instrumentalist and studio musician Philip Bodner, active in jazz and popular music idioms. Best known as a reedist, he played clarinet, saxophone, oboe, English horn, piccolo, flute, conductor and arranger passed away on February 24, 2008 at age 90 in New York City.

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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

The Quarantined Jazz Voyager is pulling down from the shelves a timeless classic that has been a part of my collection since 1971. Maiden Voyage is the fifth album led by jazz musician Herbie Hancock and was recorded by Rudy Van Gelder on March 17, 1965, for Blue Note Records.

It is a concept album combining modal and hard bop modes aimed at creating an oceanic atmosphere. Many of the track titles refer to marine biology or the sea, and the musicians develop the concept through their use of space. The album was presented with the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1999.

The five compositions that comprise the album are Maiden Voyage, The Eye Of The Hurricane, Little One, Survival Of The Fittest and Dolphin Dance. The personnel on the date are pianist Herbie Hancock, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, tenor saxophonist George Coleman, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Tony Williams.

Stay diligent my fellow voyagers in being healthy, continue to practice social distancing, and don’t be so anxious to rush back to the new normal. It has been said that music soothes the savage beast, so listen to great music. I share that music to give you a little insight into the choices this voyager has made over the years during this sabbatical from jet setting investigations of jazz around the globe.

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Requisites

Today and Tomorrow is the fourth album by jazz pianist McCoy Tyner. It was produced by Bob Thiele and recorded for the Impulse! label in 1963 and 1964.

Tracks | 38:44 ~ All compositions by McCoy Tyner except where noted

1. Contemporary Focus ~ 8:28
2. A Night in Tunisia (Gillespie) ~ 5:07
3. T ‘N A Blues (Jones) ~ 4:05
4. Autumn Leaves (Kosma) ~ 6:10
5. Three Flowers ~ 10:12
6. When Sunny Gets Blue (Marvin Fisher, Segal) ~ 4:42

• McCoy Tyner ~ piano
• Jimmy Garrison ~ bass (4-9)
• Albert Heath ~ drums (4-9)
• John Gilmore ~ tenor saxophone (1-3)
• Thad Jones ~ trumpet (1-3)
• Frank Strozier ~ alto saxophone (1-3)
• Butch Warren ~ bass (1-3)
• Elvin Jones ~ drums (1-3)

I was in the mood to hear some piano jazz a few nights ago when I came across a title I’d not listen to for a while. I’ve never heard anything by pianist McCoy Tyner that I didn’t like and the album up for discussion before learning of his passing on March 7, 2020, is no exception. I placed the record on my Dual 1246 turntable, dropped the stylus and became immersed in the music of this gifted musician.  Today and Tomorrow (Impulse! A-63) was recorded and released in 1964 while McCoy (only twenty-five years old at the time) was still a member of The John Coltrane Quartet.  Here, he’s featured in three sextet and trio settings each leading an all-star group of Thad Jones on trumpet; Frank Strozier on alto sax; John Gilmore on tenor sax; Butch Warren on bass; Elvin Jones on drums (tracks: A1, A3, B2); Jimmy Garrison on bass; Tootie Heath on drums (tracks: A2, B1, B3).  My copy used in this report is the 1972 Stereo reissue (Impulse!-ABC Records AS-63), the fourth US pressing.

Contemporary Focus, the first of three tunes by McCoy opens this six-song journey with a rousing collective midtempo theme treatment led by Thad who wails strongly on the lead solo. John and Frank demonstrate their strengths with vibrant enthusiasm for the next two readings.  McCoy follows with a briskly swinging interpretation, then Butch and Elvin make the most of two brief juicy opportunities ahead of the closing chorus and fadeout.

A Night In Tunisia by Dizzy Gillespie and Frank Paparelli is a jazz standard from 1942 with many notable vocal and instrumental recordings to its credit. Jimmy Garrison and Tootie Heath provide the musical backing for this uptempo trio rendition beginning with an exhilarating theme treatment in unison. The pianist begins the opening statement at a very high temperature of molten intensity, then Tootie responds with a riveting performance that has lots of fireworks ahead of the pianist’s exuberant finale.

T’N A Blues, also by Tyner strolls in next to end the first side at midtempo with a relaxed attitude by the sextet on the opening chorus. Gilmore and Tyner are the featured soloists and John goes to work first with an infectiously happy groove. McCoy provides the summation on a leisurely paced performance that’s very danceable leading to the ensemble reassembling for the coda.

Side Two opens with the 1945 popular jazz standard Autumn Leaves by Joseph Kosma, Jacques Prévert who wrote the French lyrics for the song’s original title, Les Feuilles Mortes (The Dead Leaves), and Johnny Mercer who created the English lyrics. The trio exhibits their infectious chemistry on a lively intro that evolves into the sprightly opening chorus. McCoy kicks off the solos with a dazzling display of finger dexterity with a spirited performance of effortless spontaneity. Jimmy steps in next, walking his bass with bristling vitality and tastefulness, then Tyner communicates a few final choruses of brisk dialogue preceding the effervescent reprise and climax.

Three Flowers is the leader’s longest composition on the album, a mid-tempo waltz offering substantial solo space to himself, Thad, Frank, and John. The sextet opens with a delightfully charming melody and Tyner starts the soloing with an engaging reading possessing incredible beauty and enchantment. Thad follows with a beautifully phrased, vivaciously soulful presentation that’s lyrically pleasant. Frank keeps the ingredients stirring on the next solo with inherent high spirits, and buoyant lyricism.  John takes the last spot with an exquisite solo that swings with a swagger into the melody reprise and coda.

The 1956 jazz standard, When Sunny Gets Blue by Marvin Fisher and Jack Segal brings the album to a close with a thoughtfully tranquil theme treatment led by Tyner. McCoy has the solo showcase to himself and gives an enchanting reading of elegant tenderness bringing the listener home with a gentle closing chorus and culmination.

The recording by Rudy Van Gelder is splendid with an excellent soundstage throughout the treble, midrange, and bass spectrum. Each instrument emerges from your speakers to your listening chair as if you’re in the studio with the musicians as they’re recording, producing a gorgeous sound reminiscent of his Blue Note recordings of the period. I had the pleasure of seeing McCoy Tyner three times live, twice here in Atlanta where I got to meet him and once at The Village Vanguard in New York City. He was an incredible musician and wonderful man who was never too busy to meet and chat with his fans, yours truly among them. If you’re a fan of piano jazz or are looking for a terrific album of Modal Jazz and Post-Bop that’s subdued, subtle, and also energetic, I offer for your consideration, Today and Tomorrow by McCoy Tyner. An extremely skilled musician who whether in performance or on record always brought out the absolute best in each of his bandmates.

Autumn Leaves, Night In Tunisia – Source: JazzStandards.com When Sunny Gets Blue – Source: Wikipedia.org © 2020 by Edward Thomas Carter

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