Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Musa Kaleem was born Orlando Wright on January 3, 1921 in Wheeling, West Virginia. He bought a clarinet in 1937, and by 1939 was touring as a saxophonist with the El Rodgers Mystics of Rhythm, featuring Eddie Jefferson on lead vocals.
In the early 1940s he began using the name Gonga Musa, and then Musa Kaleem, the name by which he is best known. He played often in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the Fortiess, gigging with Erroll Garner, Mary Lou Williams, and Art Blakey.
In the middle of the decade he toured with Fletcher Henderson, then relocated to New York City and played with Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Jimmie Lunceford, and the Savoy Sultans by the end of the 1940s. The 1950s saw Kaleem playing on cruise ships, however, upon his return in the 1960s he played with James Moody, Coleman Hawkins, Tiny Grimes, and rejoined Jefferson.
Saxophonist and flautist Musa Kaleem passed away on March 26, 1988 in Los Angeles, California.
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Brian Ernest Austin Brown was born on December 29, 1933 in Melbourne, Australia and was a self-taught player and emerged in the 1950s, a leading figure in Australia. He performed as a soloist and with his own ensembles since the mid-1950s throughout Australia and in Scandinavia, United States, Japan, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Brunei and Germany.
In early 1956 Brown returned to Melbourne from Europe and formed the Brian Brown Quintet with drummer Stewie Speer, trumpeter Keith Hounslow, schoolboy pianist Dave Martin and bassist Barry Buckley. The new hard bop band was a regular from 1955 to 1960 at Horst Liepolt’s Jazz Centre 44 in St Kilda, Victoria, Australia. They introduced bop to Melburnians, a musical style largely unheard in Australia.
He made eight albums over an 18-year period heading various groups. Touring Europe with his Australian Jazz Ensemble in 1978, Brian also led groups doing experimental and original classical pieces from 1980 to 1986.
As an educator, he founded the Improvisation Studies course at the Victorian College of the Arts, where he taught from 1978 until his retirement in 1998. He appeared at the World Saxophone Congress in Tokyo in 1988, with Tony Gould. In June 1993 he was awarded the Order of Australia for service to the performing arts.
Soprano and tenor saxophonist, flutist, synthesizer, panpiper, leather bowhorn, composer, and educator Brian Brown passed away on January 28, 2013.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Wayman Carver was born on December 25, 1905 in Portsmouth, Virginia and was one of the earliest flute soloists to perform jazz. He was one of very few jazz flautists active in the swing era and his first professional experience was with J. Neal Montgomery.
After he moved to New York City in 1931, he recorded in the early Thirties with Dave Nelson, and played with Elmer Snowden, Benny Carter, and Spike Hughes.
From 1934 to 1939 he played with Chick Webb on both alto saxophone and flute. After Webb died he continued in the orchestra during its period of leadership under Ella Fitzgerald until 1941.
>After leaving the jazz scene he became a professor of music at Clark College, where he taught saxophonists George Adams and Marion Brown, among others. Flutist and alto saxophonist Wayman Carver passed away on May 6, 1967 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Requisites
I begin this morning’s discussion with a 1963 reissue of an album originally released in 1957 titled After Hours (Prestige 7118), one of the label’s excellent jam session records. Steamin’ (Prestige PRST 7278) features an all-star group led by Frank Wess on flute, tenor sax, and Kenny Burrell on guitar. Joining them are Thad Jones on trumpet, Mal Waldron on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Waldron composed all four tunes on the album, and my copy used for this report is the 1963 Mono reissue (Prestige PRLP 7278).
Steamin’ begins Side One with a swinging introduction by Art. Both horns present the melody in unison with Thad on the muted trumpet. Frank opens with an aggressive performance, then Kenny takes over for a hard-swinging reading. Thad creates a volcanic eruption on the third interpretation, and Frank takes a second solo, this time on flute and at breakneck speed. Wess and Jones take a few spirited riffs before Walton zips through the next reading. Taylor punctuates the final statement with a stinging bite in a momentary spotlight before the ensemble takes the song out quickly.
Blue Jelly begins at a laid-back pace, gradually ascending to midtempo as the sextet states the opening chorus. Jones solos first, his ideas flowing freely to a slowly unfolding beat. Thad, Kenny, and Frank (on flute) exchange short riffs, then Burrell settles into a comfortable tempo for the second solo. The three instruments repeat, then Wess serves up a stylish dish of blues. Walton follows the next exchange with a very satisfying statement. Chambers speaks easily on the finale with great skill ahead of the close. Count One opens Side Two and the sextet gets right to work with a lightly swinging introduction by Cedar. Thad and Frank wail on the melody and everyone gets solo space except Art who keeps things in check with a driving backbeat. Frank begins the opening statement with skillful dexterity, and Thad soars on the second solo with a riveting presence. Kenny engages the ear delightfully on the next reading, then Cedar continues the bopping beat with an insistent swing. Paul accentuates the final interpretation with two short verses that are flawless.
The album closes with a trip down an Empty Street at a slow, easy tempo opening with a wistful introduction in unison. Jones leads the opening march on the muted trumpet, and the first solo by Burrell is superbly interpreted with a soothing timbre and sensitivity. Wess follows on flute with a thoughtfully pleasant reading that’s one of the most beautiful moments on the album. Jones sounds each note of the next performance tenderly and with the utmost clarity. Walton comes in next with a dreamlike, poignant presentation of sensual beauty, and Chambers wraps up the record with a rather beautiful and deeply moving interpretation before the sextet reassembles for the reprise and coda. Although, Steamin’ is credited to Frank Wess and Kenny Burrell, this album and its original title After Hours should have been released under Mal Waldron’s name in my opinion. His spirit pervades these four tunes with incredible passion and perfect pacing in his playing, complemented by the rhythmic energy and consummate musicianship of his bandmates.
That issue aside, Steamin’ serves as an excellent starting point for those who are just discovering the music of Mal Waldron or the other albums by the group who was also known as The Prestige All-Stars. The album has a brilliant soundstage across the highs, midrange, and low end that places you in the studio alongside the musicians as they’re playing. If you’re a fan of Hard-Bop and enjoy a good jam session, I invite you to audition Steamin’ by Frank Wess with Kenny Burrell or After Hours by The Prestige All-Stars. Either version should make a welcome addition to any fan’s library!
© 2020 by Edward Thomas Carter
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Dick Johnson was born Richard Brown Johnson on December 1, 1925 in Brockton, Massachusetts. His primary instrument was clarinet, however, he also played the alto saxophone and flute.
He began his professional career as a musician while serving in the U.S. Navy in 1944-1946 and played with the navy band on the USS Pasadena during World War II. He often credited his stint in the Navy for kicking off his career in jazz. After the war, Johnson toured with the big bands of Charlie Spivak and Buddy Morrow.
Eventually, after several years on the road, he settled in his hometown of Brockton, Mass. It was there in Brockton where he and his close friend, Lou Colombo formed a jazz sextet. The group lasted 10 years, but the friendship and musical kinship lasted for the rest of his life. In addition, Dick formed his septet, Swing Shift, which was a staple on the Boston music scene for many years.
Like Herb Pomeroy, Johnson managed a double career as a performer and an educator, teaching jazz at nearby Berklee School of Music, where he mentored many younger jazz musicians.
Between 1956 and 2006 he recorded ten albums as a leader. He worked with Frank Sinatra, the Swing Shift Orchestra, Dizzy Gillespie, and Tony Bennett.
Clarinetist, alto saxophonist, and flutist Dick Johnson, who also played in the free jazz genre, passed away on January 10, 2010 in Boston, Massachusetts after a short illness, aged 84.
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