Requisites

The Great Jazz Trio At The Village Vanguard | By Eddie Carter

This morning’s subject submitted for your consideration is a recent addition to the library by one of the quintessential small groups in jazz. The Great Jazz Trio At The Village Vanguard (East Wind EW-8053) is the first of three live albums by Hank Jones on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums recorded over two nights at the venue in 1977. My copy used in this report is the 1978 US Stereo release (Inner City Records IC 6013).

Side One starts the set with a speedy rendition of Moose The Mooche by Charlie Parker. The trio takes off on a lively opening chorus, succeeded by Hank who accelerates quickly on the first solo. Tony takes over for the closing statement with a fierce attack of intense heat preceding the trio’s swift climax.

Up next is Naima, John Coltrane’s beautiful ballad named for his first wife. The trio’s rendition begins with a delicately graceful piano introduction segueing into a breathtaking collective theme. Jones opens the first solo luxuriously, gaining momentum into an enticing ending. Carter displays his abundant skills on a delightful finale complemented by Williams’ gentle brushwork leading to a warm, expressive exit.

Side Two gets underway with a pretty tune by Claus Ogerman, Favors. The ensemble begins with an easygoing midtempo opening chorus. Hank is up first and lets his ideas unfold at a leisurely pace. Ron follows with a relaxing message on the second solo, then Hank and Tony share a carefree conversation leading to the ensemble’s theme reprise and soft close.

The set closes with a blues by Ron Carter, 12 + 12. After the ensemble’s happy melody, Jones kicks off the solos with an utterly joyful performance. Carter also says plenty on an impressively buoyant statement, followed by Williams who speaks last in an exchange with Jones into the theme’s reprise and Tony’s introductions of the group. The album was produced by Kiyoshi Itoh and Yasohachi Itoh. Co-Producer David Baker also was the recording engineer. He’s done a phenomenal job because the sound quality is splendid with an exquisite soundstage placing the listener’s sweet spot in the crowd as the trio’s performing. The only issue is a small typo appearing on the back cover and the Side Two record label of both the Japanese and US releases, Claus Ogerman’s name is mispronounced.

Hank Jones was regarded by critics and fans alike as one of the most gifted musicians in jazz with an extensive discography and a career lasting sixty-six years including thirty-six as a member of The Great Jazz Trio. He passed away on May 16, 2010, at age ninety-one. Ron Carter is a living legend and the most recorded jazz bassist in history. He also plays the cello, is still performing and recording, and just celebrated his eighty-fifth birthday. Tony Williams was one of the best drummers in jazz and for five years provided the power behind The Miles Davis Quintet. He passed away at age fifty-one on February 23, 1997; but leaves a lasting legacy of music as a leader and sideman. If you enjoy live jazz and are a fan of these great musicians, I invite you to check out The Great Jazz Trio At The Village Vanguard. It’s a terrific jazz album with superb performances that is sure to please novice and seasoned jazz fans alike!

~ The Great Jazz Trio At The Village Vanguard, Volume 2 (East Wind EW-8055), ~ The Great Jazz Trio At The Village Vanguard Again (East Wind UCCJ-4001) – Source: Discogs.com ~ Naima – Source: JazzStandards.com ~ Moose The Mooche – Source: Wikipedia.org © 2022 by Edward Thomas Carter

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Thomas Bryant was born May 21, 1930 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and grew up in a musical family. His mother was a choir director, his brother Ray was a pianist, and another brother, Len Bryant, is a vocalist and drummer. He began playing bass at the age of 12 and played in many local outfits.

The late Forties saw Bryant join Elmer Snowden’s band, staying there until 1952, when he took a tour of duty during the Korean War. In 1956 he returned and formed his own trio, though he never recorded as a leader, he recorded seventeen albums as a sideman.

He is better known for his work with his brother Ray, as well as Jo Jones, Charlie Shavers, Roy Eldridge, Dizzy Gillespie, Barney Wilen, Benny Golson, Big Joe Turner, Hank Mobley, Curtis Fuller, Lee Morgan, Billy Root and Coleman Hawkins.

In the last ten years of his life he played in the follow-up band to The Ink Spots. Double bassist Tommy Bryant, who also recorded with Mahalia Jackson under the name Tom Bryant, transitioned on January 3, 1982.

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Three Wishes

Carl Pruitt had three simple answer to the question of three wishes posed by Pannonica: 

1. 1. “Health.”

   2. “Wealth.”

   3. “Power.

*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…

Nenad Vasilic was born on May 8, 1975 in Niš, Serbia and started playing piano at the age of 5. By twelve he received his first bass guitar and at the age of 15 he enrolled in the Secondary Music School in Niš. When he was 19 he studied contrabass and bass guitar at the Jazz Academy in Graz, Austria.

In 1998 he formed his own band Vasilić Nenad Balkan Band and 1999 saw him in Austria recording his debut album as a leader titled Jugobasija. Since that first outing he has produced albums as a band leader, double bass player and composer, collaborating with jazz singers Mark Murphy and Sheila Jordan, as well as Ritchie Beirah, Peter Ralchev, Vlatko Stefanovski, Wolfgang Puschnig, Bojan Zulfikarpasic, John Hollenbeck, Martin Lubenov, Stjepko Gut, Bilja Krstić, Tamara Obrovac, Lori Antonioli, Amira Medunjanin and others.

Bassist, composer and bandleader Nenad Vasilic continues to explore the possibilities of his music creativity.

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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

Contrary to the announcement that the pandemic is over and the unmasking the country has clearly exhibited, a variant is still present and this Jazz Voyager is getting out remains distant from crowds and enclosed spaces. So we will continue to listen to great music.

My selection this week is the Complete Studio Recordings, a two compact disc set whose songs were recorded between 1956 and 1958 by the Curtis Counce Quintet composed of Counce, Jack Sheldon, Harold Land, Carl Perkins and Frank Butler went into the studio of Contemporary Records and recorded twenty-four songs. Though the group was short~lived, their impact produced a powerhouse two-disc set of music comprising the main recordings on the Contemporary label.

The group’s expressed purpose was to develop a West Coast answer to the soulful, hard-bop East Coast sound. Each of the musicians was among the most gifted on his instrument, yet the focus was always on a collaborative result that would reflect undiscovered possibilities within a familiar post-bop idiom. Seldom does a group of musicians come together and play so seamlessly that they sound like one voice speaking. The contribution of each of the five principals, therefore, invites close scrutiny.

The beauty of the recorded disc is that it is a lasting tribute to the musicians who performed on this recording. Lester Koenig at Contemporary Records was known for extremely high audio standards and turned out some of the best-sounding records of the day thanks to the expertise of engineer Roy DuNann. The audio on these Contemporary dates is rich in depth and detailing, allowing the listener to pick out each of the subordinate motifs and subtle moving harmonies. The engineering created a naturally ambient soundscape inviting the listener to partake of the worthy.

The caveat is that this music appeared on previously released albums by Curtis Counce and this is an opportunity to pick up the excellence of 24 tracks of music in a one~stop shop. This represents African-American indigenous art of the highest order. Released by Gambit Records in 2007 and definitely one for the collector.

Track Listing | 150:00+

1. Landslide (Harold Land) ~ 8:37
2. Time After Time (Sammy Cahn/Jule Styne) ~ 6:32
3. Mia (Carl Perkins) ~ 4:55
4. Sarah (Jack Sheldon) ~ 11:38
5. Fifth For Frank (Gerald Wiggins/Cal Tjader) ~ 7:14
6. Big Foot (Charlie Parker) ~ 9:07
7. Sonar (Kenny Clarke/Gerald Wiggins) ~ 7:28
8. Stranger In Paradise (Robert Wright/George Forrest) ~ 7:04
9. Woody’n You (Dizzy Gillespie) ~ 6:18
10. Pink Lady (Jack Sheldon) ~ 4:41
11. Councelation (Curtis Counce) ~ 6:05

1. Love Walked In (George Gershwin/Ira Gershwin) ~ 4:56
2. Too Close For Comfort (Larry Holofcener) ~ 5:38
3. How Deep Is The Ocean (Irving Berlin) ~ 6:37
4. Complete (Curtis Counce) ~ 5:52
5. Nica’s Dream (Horace Silver) ~ 8:00
6. How Long Has This Been Going On (George Gershwin/Ira Gerswin) ~ 3:18
7. Mean To Me (Fred E. Ahlert/Roy Turk) ~ 4:31
8. I Can’t Get Started (Vernon Duke/Ira Gershwin) ~ 8:01
9. Larue (Clifford Brown) ~ 5:04
10. Carl’s Blues (Carl Perkins) ~ 5:54
11. Night In Tunisia (Dizzy Gillespie/Frank Paparelli) ~ 8:17
12. Love Walked In (George Gershwin/Ira Gershwin) ~ 2:55
13. Sophisticated Lady (Duke Ellington) ~ 4:10
14. Fifth For Frank (Gerald Wiggins/Cal Tjader) ~ 1:56
15. The Butler Did It (Frank Butler) ~ 4:39

Personnel

• Jack Sheldon ~ trumpet
• Harold Land ~ tenor saxophone
• Carl Perkins ~ piano
• Curtis Counce ~ bass
• Frank Butler ~ drums
• Gerald Wilson ~ trumpet (replaces Sheldon on three tracks of disc 2)

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