Three Wishes
G. T. Hogan was asked by Pannonica what his three wishes were and he said:- “Health.”
- “Wealth.”
- “The thing that comes naturally.”
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Three Wishes
J. C. Heard told the Baroness his answers to her three questions were:
- “Not to have to worry about when the next gig’s coming up.”
- “To have enough money to be sure that my family would be able to live in comfort all the rest of their days.”
- “To always be remembered for my contribution to jazz, just the way Bird is today.”
*Excerpt from Three Wishes: An Intimate Look at Jazz Greats – Complied and Photographed by Pannonica de Koenigswarter
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Joe Harris was born on December 23, 1926 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, growing up in the Manchester neighborhood. He learned to play the drums by taking lessons at an early age from Pittsburgh’s Bill Hammond, who taught his the rudiments of drumming. His musical education included symphonic percussion such as tympani and xylophone and by age 18 he was playing in big bands and touring the country.
As a young man in 1946 he moved to New York City, where he played with Dizzy Gillespie over the next two years, helped pioneer Latin jazz, and anchored the house band at the famed Apollo Theater. Balancing jazz with the heavier R&B sounds of tenor saxophonist Arnett Cobb in the late ’40s, Harris gigged with singer Billy Eckstine in 1950, and worked with Erroll Garner, Jimmy Heath, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz, Billie Holiday and James Moody.
Following a decade as one of the early bebop drummers, Joe took off for Sweden with his first tour in the summer of 1956 with trumpeter Rolf Ericson. His subsequent expatriate status put him in the company of other transplanted instrumentalists including trumpeter Benny Bailey, with whom he recorded from 1957 – 59, and pianist Freddie Redd. He taught himself to speak Swedish fluently and learned a fair amount of German and Japanese, eventually moved to Sweden, married and had a daughter before living in Germany and Japan for a time.
Harris eventually returned to the States for TV work in Los Angeles, California among other things. The drummer would later study music in the Far East, Egypt, Africa and Latin America prior to settling back in his native Manchester, scaling back his performance schedule with local musicians. He continued to practice daily, mentor students and teaching jazz history and drums for years at the University of Pittsburgh until his death on January 27, 2016 at age 89.
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Requisites
2-3-4 is an album by drummer Shelly Manne features performances that were recorded in 1962 for the Impulse! Label. The name of the album is derived from its inclusion of a duet (“2”), two trio performances (“3”), and three tunes played by a quartet (“4”). Unusually, the standards “Take the “A” Train” and “Cherokee” were played in two tempos simultaneously, with Manne playing in double time consistently throughout “Cherokee”.
Not a typical album for the drummer, then primarily associated with West Coast jazz, he flew from Los Angeles to New York City on February 5, 1962, arranged by producer Bob Thiele. He was reunited with pioneering tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins and pianist Hank Jones, both of whom he had recorded with at different times in the 1940s.
The recording sessions took place at the Fine Recording Ballroom Studio A recording tracks 1, 3, 5, 6 & 8 on February 5 and tracks 2, 4 & 7 on February 8, 1962. In an unusual session lasting through the wee hours of the morning, he ended by recording one tune as a duet with Hawkins, who for the first time in his career was recorded also playing the piano.
The album also includes a second recording session at the same studio a few days later. Bassist George Duvivier stayed on with Manne, and they were joined by rising star Eddie Costa for two trio tracks. “The Sicks of Us” has Costa on vibes for a largely spontaneous trio number; on “Lean on Me”, Costa switches to piano.
The tracks on the original release are: Take the “A” Train, The Sicks of Us, Slowly, Lean on Me, Cherokee, and Me and Some Drums.
A fourth tune recorded by the quartet at the first session, “Avalon“, was released at first only in the Impulse! collection The Definitive Jazz Scene, Volume 1. Some thirty years later, it was included along with an alternative version of Lean On Me on the first CD reissue of 2-3-4 as bonus tracks.
Personnel: tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins on tracks 1, 3, 5, 6 & 8, pianist Hank Jones on tracks 1, 3, 5 & 8, pianist and vibraphonist Eddie Costa on tracks 2, 4 & 7, bassist George Duvivier on tracks 1–5, 7 & 8 and drummer Shelly Manne.
The cover design was created by Robert Flynn and the photograph was taken by Bob Gomel.
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Review: Henry Conerway III | With Pride For Dignity
Smile is what you do when hearing a compelling sound. That is exactly what I did when the first notes of the opening track filled the room. It takes a bassist to arrange a bassist’s composition and make it fresh.
Hailing from the Motor City, Henry Conerway honed his skills in the hallowed halls and practice rooms of Morehouse College as well as the stages of Atlanta clubs. This adroit but ever humble practitioner enlists two of the city’s finest jazz purveyors to accompany him on this sojourn through time – pianist Kenny Banks Jr. and bassist Kevin Smith. His musical acumen is steeped in the history and tradition of jazz, making his choice of compositions from the pantheon not so startling as he ventures through three generations of jazz masters and contemporaries – Ray Brown, Phineas Newborn, Duke Ellington, Jimmy Heath, Marcus Printup and Kenny Banks, Jr..
It is a well known fact that one should not take on a classic if one can bring nothing new to the canon and Ray Brown’s Slippery is one such composition. Conjuring up a myriad of thoughts as to what he may have been thinking when he composed this song, the trio puts its own spin while taking each listener on a personal sojourn with a new arrangement by Smith, raising the tempo ever so slightly to give it a fresh sound. The title track, With Pride For Dignity, composed by Banks begins quietly with a piano solo, that immediately put me in the revered mood of Danny Boy then quickly sent me to the equally reverent first line of New Orleans before stealthily moves through a series of jazz periods, giving one a sense of the pride and dignity of this recording session. Newborn’s composition Sugar Ray elicits thoughts of the great pugilist named Robinson, illustrating the grace and style with which he fought. Of course, with later generation the song could have meaning for Leonard or even Richard Pryor’s role in Harlem NIghts depending on perspective. His choice of the 1940 Ellington composition Cottontail, written for orchestra, deftly translates the emotion into a trio setting with all the tempo and panache a big band would express. Smith quickly walks the bass as he paces the music leading into the brush work of Conerway. I could have been in the Savoy Ballroom testifying to this performance as Jitterbuggers or Lindyhoppers paraded the floor.
Hopscotch by composer and irrepressible trumpeter Printup is not the stuff of school girls tossing stones and jumping in chalk-lined squares but exhibits a similar humor of adults reminiscing those sidewalks as the trio swings this one. Heath’s Gingerbread Boy proves that jazz is never easy and placing it among such revered company is the epitome of this talented threesome true to their character. Banks follows this with another of his compositions The Feel Goods with a short overture that leads into a hip swing that best exemplifies the best times of our lives. Conerway closes with Carvin’s Agreement, an original composition he penned to pay tribute to one of his teachers, Michael Carvin, showing us just what drums can do.
Conerway’s svelte delivery as a leader keeps him in stride with his compatriots who swing equally gentle or sassy when called upon. An inventive drummer, he carries each song with equal parts to his companions, never overshadowing the others. Having witnessed the growth of these young men over the years, they were satisfied on many an occasion to sit unnoticed in the audience while gleaning pointers from the masters, a practice few young musicians find a need to do in this day and age. Like all great musicians they also realize there is still much to learn, more growth to take place. So it is no surprise their evolution into this cohesive unit affords them the facility to ply their trade as well as they do. They are more than musicians, they are friends who can start, carry and finish each other’s musical conversation when required. However, I beseech you to not overlook the liner notes so eloquently written by esteemed saxophonist and professor Dwight Andrews. Also do not dismiss the cover photography of any album because there is always a story, one deeper that you may surmise. This photograph was decidedly taken upon Henry’s request during a visit to the home of Langston Hughes. Historic on many levels.
Much more cannot be said of this album other than this is not a quick listen to see if you like it. You will. So take note music directors and programmers, it is radio friendly. You don’t need to skip tracks without listening to each one fully. If you must skip tracks it is my hope that you have a favorite song on this project and anticipation of getting to it is unbearable to see the trio’s approach. Whatever you do, this album speaks for itself and is a testament to the volumes of knowledge these industry-respected practitioners have about the music they have given their lives to enjoy performing. This is with pride for dignity and well worth the nod from their peers and a well-deserved Grammy nomination from the Recording Academy. Listen. You will be pleased.
carl anthony | notorious jazz | november 17, 2018
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