Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Christopher Brubeck was born on March 19, 1952 in Los Angeles, California to pianist and composer Dave Brubeck. By the age of twenty he was joining his father and brothers Darius and Daniel in The New Brubeck Quartet.
Having toured for about 30 years in a group called Triple Play, he joined with guitarist Joel Brown and singer and harmonica virtuoso Peter Madcat Ruth, and swung jazz Louisiana style. He was a member of New Heavenly Blue, Chris also participated and recorded as a keyboardist/trombonist/guitarist in 1970’s Educated Homegrown.
In 1999, Chris and his brother Daniel joined with other musicians to form The Brubeck Brothers Quartet, having previously partnered with Andy LaVerne and released a 1972 album, The Brubeck-LaVerne Trio. He has performed with Mike DeMicco and Chuck Lamb.
In 2003, Chris played his first Concerto for Bass Trombone and Orchestra with the Czech national Symphony Orchestra in Prague, Czech Republic. A year later, he composed his own concerto titled, The Prague Concerto for Bass Trombone and Orchestra. Many of his classical compositions still contain strong hints of the jazz influence of his father.
Grammy nominated electric bassist, bass trombonist and pianist Chris Brubeck continues to pursue his musical explorations.
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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager
Remaining hesitant to be in crowds of people without a mask, more and more people are unmasking while we are still in the pandemic. Legislators are speaking unmask rhetoric and otherwise responsible people are listening. This Jazz Voyager is listening to my conscience and protecting myself and those around me.
This week I have chosen another quartet recording by the New York Jazz Quartet, founded by pianist Roland Hanna. The first iteration of the group consisted of flautist Hubert Laws, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Billy Cobham. In 1974 the lineup changed to Frank Wess, bassist George Mraz, and drummer Ben Riley. Drummers Richie Pratt and Grady Tate also were enlisted to contribute their talents to the group at different times through the decade the band was together. The group recorded for the Inner City, Enja, Salvation and Sonet Records from 1972 to 1982
This album is the group’s fourth release, Blues For Sarka, recorded live on May 17, 1978 at The Domicile in Munich, West Germany. It was produced by Horst Weber and Matthias Winckelmann, recorded by Carlos Albrecht and released the same year on Enja Records. The cover photography was taken by Josef Werkmeister and the cover design was by Weber & Winckelmann
Track List | 45:11 All compositions by Roland Hanna except as indicated- All Blues (Miles Davis) ~ 15:29
- Rodney Round Robin ~ 5:44
- I’ll Tell You Tonite (George Mraz) ~ 7:14
- Blues for Sarka (George Mraz) ~ 7:11
- Smelly Jelly Belly ~ 9:33
- Frank Wess ~ flute, tenor saxophone
- Roland Hanna ~ piano
- George Mraz ~ bass
- Grady Tate ~ drums
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
George Sylvester “Red“ Callender was born on March 6, 1916 in Haynesville, Virginia. He made his recording debut at 19 with Louis Armstrong’s band. In the early 1940s, he played in the Lester and Lee Young band, and then formed his own trio. Through the 1940s, he recorded with Nat King Cole, Erroll Garner, Charlie Parker, Wardell Gray, Dexter Gordon, Uffe Baadh and many others.
After a period spent leading a trio in Hawaii, Callender returned to the mainland, settling in Los Angeles, California. He became one of the first black musicians to work regularly in the commercial studios, including backing singer Linda Hayes on two singles. He would later turn down offers to work with Duke Ellington’s Orchestra and the Louis Armstrong All-Stars.
On his 1957 Crown LP Speaks Low, Callender was one of the earliest modern jazz tuba soloists. Keeping busy up until his death, some of the highlights of the bassist’s later career include recording with Art Tatum and Jo Jones, playing with Charles Mingus at the 1964 Monterey Jazz Festival, working with James Newton’s avant-garde woodwind quintet on tuba, and performing as a regular member of the Cheatham’s Sweet Baby Blues Band.
He reached the top of the British pop charts as a member of B. Bumble and the Stingers. In 1964, he was introduced and highlighted in performance with entertainer Danny Kaye on his television variety show, in a duet on the George and Ira Gershwin song, Slap That Bass.
He worked with an array of pop, rock and vocal acts as a member of The Wrecking Crew, a group of first-call session musicians in Los Angeles, California. Double bassist Red Callender, who also plays tuba, transitioned from thyroid cancer at his home in Saugus, California on March 8, 1992.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Clotilde Rullaud was born March 1, 1978 in Reims, France and was immersed in the performing arts of music, theatre and dance from early childhood. At five, she began studying flute and singing at the conservatoire, before going on to complete her studies in jazz and improvised music at IACP in Paris, France and EDIM in Cachan, France. She explored opera singing with the tenor singer, Peterson Cowan.
Her musical identity developed through her travels through the Balkans, Ireland, Lebanon, the United States. Clotilde’s study of vocal techniques, inspired by Meredith Monk, fado, tango, Romani music, Turkish music, Persian music, Inuit throat singing and Bulgarian voices were also great influences.
She has recorded three albums as a vocalist and flutist, her 2007 debut with Hugo Lippi, Live au 7 Lézards She has also directed and produced a short film, and written and directed a multidisciplinary performance. With a repertoire spanning jazz, free improvisation and folk music, her career as a musician has led her to perform in France, Germany, Australia, Burkina Faso, China, South Korea, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Since 2007, Rullaud has taught at Martina A. Catella’s school, Les Glotte-Trotters in Paris, and conducted workshops for the festival Les Suds in Arles and for the Ateliers d’ethnomusicologie (ADEM) in Geneva, Switzerland. Moving to New York City in 2017 she collaborated with American pianist Chris McCarthy, producing Pieces of a Song, a repertoire of dark and beautiful pieces based on the writings of Diane di Prima, poetess of the Beat Generation.
She has performed with Olivier Hutman, Dano Haider, Antoine Paganotti, Tristan Macé, Albin Lebossé, Emmanuel Bex, Yann Cléry, Laurent Salzard, Gautier Garrigue, and Alexandre Saada, the latter collaboration produced A Woman’s Journey, a homage to American female protest songstresses.
She has received numerous awards for her work in both jazz and film. Vocalist, flutist and composer Clotilde Rulllaud, who is also an artistic director, filmmaker, producer and facilitator, continues to pursue the limits of her creativity.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Harold “Money” Johnson was born in Tyler, Texas on February 23, 1918 and didn’t start playing trumpet until he was fifteen. Moving to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1936, he jammed with Charlie Christian and Henry Bridges before joining Nat Towles’s band.
He played with Horace Henderson and Bob Dorsey before returning to Towles’s band in 1944 in Chicago, Illinois. He also played with Count Basie, Cootie Williams, Lucky Millinder, and Bull Moose Jackson during the decade.
In the 1950s Money’s associations included Louis Jordan, Lucky Thompson, Sy Oliver, Buddy Johnson, Cozy Cole, Mercer Ellington, Little Esther, and Panama Francis.
The Sixties saw Johnson played in the house band at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, and recorded with King Curtis in 1962. He toured the USSR with Earl Hines in 1966. From 1968 he played in the Duke Ellington Orchestra and also worked again with Hines and Oliver.
He recorded with Buck Clayton, Pearl Bailey, Red Prysock, Barbara Lews, Jack McDuff, Houston Person, and Jesse Stone. Trumpeter Money Johnson, whose last performance was on the night before, transitioned from a heart attack on March 28, 1978 in New York City.
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