Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Malcolm Mitchell was born in London, England on November 9, 1926 and was originally taught by Ivor Mairants. In 1947 he was teaching jazz guitar when he formed The Trio with pianist Johnny Pearson and bassist Lennie Bush. At the BBC Maida Vale studios the trio would broadcast live on a Saturday morning.

1948 saw Mitchell become the first British musician to play with Duke Ellington and earn money for doing so.  In 1933 the Duke of Windsor had insisted on sitting in on drums with the Ellington Band when it visited Britain but he didn’t get paid for it. Mitchell’s debut with Ellington was equally eccentric in its way.

Throughout the 40s and into the 50s the brutish Musicians’ Union, in tandem with the all-powerful fraternity, Ministry of Works, had a rule which banned American musicians from playing in England. In 1948 the Dizzy Gillespie and Spike Jones Orchestras had to cancel projected tours and the only way Ellington was able to work there was as a variety act without his band.  He played piano at the London Palladium and music halls in nine other cities with his trumpeter Ray Nance, allowed in as a dancer and thus “Showbiz”, and his singer Kay Davis weren’t banned. The Union presumably didn’t regard them as musicians.

While the Union Ban was in place the Mitchell Trio, now with Johnnie Valmore Pearson on piano and Teddy Broughton on bass, accompanied other bewildered Americans variety artists including Hoagy Carmichael and Maxine Sullivan when they toured England. During those years he toured eight weeks in Sweden with Stephane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt.

His Mitchell Trio, with pianist Johnny Pearson and Teddy Broughton on bass, became well known supporting U.S. jazzmen and singers touring in the UK. Guitarist, bandleader and educator Malcolm MItchell passed away in Bognor Regis, England on March 9, 1998.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Warren Battiste was born on November 8, 1925 in New Orleans, Louisiana and was taught guitar by his father who played the banjo at Preservation Hall. Completing four year of study at Gruenwald Music School in his hometown, he became proficient not only on that instrument but also bass, banjo, and piano.

He first played with Fats Domino before heading off to New York City for Illinois Jacquet’s band. This gave him a very broad understanding from classic blues to R&B and jazz. Back in New Orleans he played thebest clubs on Bourbon Street, from Preservation Hall and Snug Harbor to the Matador and others.

He appeared in the film Shy People with movie stars Jill Clayburgh and Barbara Hershey. Warren has performed with George Benson, Jimmy McGriff, The Platters and The Inkspots. He went on to teach music at Wequachie High School, Essex County College and the Newark Art Center in New Jersey. He has released three albums as a leader ~ Street Jazz, Just Friends and Quiet Storm In New Orleans, the latter recorded in his 80s.

Guitarist Warren Battiste, who has been recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award In Jazz from the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, continues to perform.

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Steve Lane was born on November 7, 1921 in London, England where his father was a concertina player who recorded with the Rio Grande Tango Orchestra in the 1920s. Having heard his first jazz in the Rhythm Clubs of the late 1930s, his first choice of instrument was guitar, but, following wartime service, he switched to the cornet on which he soon developed a jazz style based on the hot trumpeters of the 1920s he so much admired, with particular emphasis on his role leading the collective ensemble.

A gifted composer of vocal and instrumental pieces, he deftly incorporated female vocalists as an integral part of the band, thus presenting a range of songs carefully chosen to showcase the singer, and the supporting musicians strictly trained in the art of accompaniment. A taskmaster offering little compensation and weekly rehearsals, his personnel changed often but allowed him the ability to discover young talent such as pianists Martin Litton and Bruce Boardman and trombonist Bob Hunt.

Steve led his own Southern Stompers jazz band in the early 1950, and also led and recorded with his Red Hot Peppers and the VJM Washboard Band for over 50 years. In 1952 he established the Ealing Jazz Club, and in the Sixties establishe the West End Jazz Club and was a founding partner of VJM Records.

Cornetist, guitarist, composer, arranger and bandleader Steve Lane, who was a traditional jazz player, passed awya on August 22, 2015 at age 93.

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Cosimo Di Ceglie was born October 21, 1913 in Andria, Italy and played with local bands in Andria before joining Herb Flemming’s group in the mid-1930s. He recorded with Piero Rizza and the Orchestra del Circolo Jazz Hot di Milano, as well as under his own name, in the period 1936-1938.

He went on to work with Enzo Ceragioli and Gorni Kramer around 1940. Active during World War II on radio, playing with a six-piece ensemble, he made further recordings under his own name in the late 1940s and into the 1950s. He also played with Adriano Celentano, Kai Hyttinen, and others later in his career.

Guitarist Cosimo Di Ceglie passed away in 1980 in Milan, Italy.

THE WATCHFUL EYE

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Requisites

The Wes Montgomery Trio | By Eddie Carter

“It wouldn’t be easy,” I thought to myself. Other reviewers have been crafty, cunning, and just as resourceful when writing about Wes Montgomery. “What could I say, that hasn’t already been said about one of the true innovators on the guitar?” Staring at the blank page and flashing pointer on the computer screen, I anxiously awaited an answer that never came. I took one of my favorite albums down from the shelf to listen to after writing a review, placed the record on the turntable, and began to listen. The Wes Montgomery Trio (Riverside RLP 12-310/RLP 1156) was recorded and released during that magical year of 1959 shortly after he relocated from Indianapolis, Indiana to New York City. The other members of his trio are Melvin Rhyme on guitar and Paul Parker on drums. My copy used in this report is the 1975 Riverside Original Recording Series Japanese Stereo reissue (SMJ-6080) by Victor Musical Industries, Inc.

Side One opens with one of the greatest jazz standards ever recorded, ‘Round Midnight by Thelonious Monk, Cootie Williams, and Bernie Hanighen. The trio begins with an elegantly tender introduction by Wes that flows softly into a graceful theme with Melvin and Paul trailing him ever so gently. Montgomery is the only soloist and gives a mesmerizing interpretation with the delicacy of fine porcelain figurines preceding the ensemble’s heartwarming finale. Yesterdays by Jerome Kern and Otto Harbach was an instant hit after the Broadway musical, Roberta (1933), and remains an enduring standard to this day. The trio starts with a beautifully constructed, bluesy melody. The guitarist takes the reins again for the song’s only interpretation and unfolds an infectious performance that’ll have the listener snapping their fingers and tapping their toes.

The End of a Love Affair is from the pen of Edward C. Redding and was written in 1950. It’s a marvelous song that hasn’t been over-recorded. Wes would revisit it a few years later on Goin’ Out of My Head (1966) backed by The Oliver Nelson Orchestra. The group’s rendition is uptempo with Wes in front on the melody, then making use of his octaves and chords for an effervescent first solo. Melvin dances over the pedals on the next reading leading to the exit. Benny Golson wrote Whisper Not in 1956 while he was with The Dizzy Gillespie Big Band. It’s one of his most recorded compositions and the trio starts with a warm and mellow theme. Wes starts the soloing at a low glow and Melvin adds a modest comment before the close. Ecorah by Horace Silver is also taken at midtempo, and one can’t help but marvel at the trio’s collective improvisation during the first and final choruses.

The inspiration for Satin Doll by Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, and Johnny Mercer comes from a famous black stripper who used the song’s title as her stage name. The trio pays homage to the standard with a happy theme and closing chorus that’s sure to put a smile on your face with its catchy beat. Melvin shows off a wonderful articulation on the first reading, followed by Wes who keeps things swinging with some relaxed cooking on the closer. Missle Blues, the first of two tunes by Montgomery, is named after the Indianapolis club he played in. This mid-tempo original begins with a compelling swing that the ensemble states proficiently in the melody. Melvin and Wes are the featured soloists and the organist opens with a velvety smooth interpretation. Wes strolls into the closing performance at a casual flow punctuated by Paul’s brushwork.

Too Late Now by Burton Lane and Alan Jay Lerner is a very lovely standard beginning with a collective, wistful opening chorus. Montgomery refreshes this chestnut with a breathtaking lead solo tinged with melancholy. Melvin expresses a remorseful answer to the guitarist ahead of the trio’s elegant closing thoughts culminating with a delicate climax. Wes’ Jingles ends the album allowing each member solo space beginning with Rhyme who cruises happily on the melody and first solo. Wes gets into a swinging groove on the second statement, and Paul has a quick exchange with Melvin and Wes leading to the reprise and finale. Jack Higgins engineered the original recording and Victor’s remastering of the tapes is nearly perfect. The sound quality is excellent, but on Jingles, both the guitar and organ are miked too strongly and there’s a bit of harshness on both solos and the out-chorus.

In fairness to Victor, I think this miking error may have happened during the original recording. That issue aside, the rest of the album’s sound is superb and worth auditioning for a spot in your jazz library. Wes Montgomery influenced countless guitarists with his creativity, innovation, and outstanding technique. Many have paid homage to him with original songs and tribute albums and whether working with big bands, small groups, or strings, his playing showed he could converse musically in any setting. He passed away from a heart attack on June 15, 1968. If you’re a fan of Wes Montgomery and enjoy jazz guitar, The Wes Montgomery Trio is a great album for any enthusiast and perfect for listening any time of the day or night!

~ Dizzy Gillespie and His Orchestra (Fanfare N 46 146); Goin’ Out of My Head (Verve Records V-8642/V6-8642) – Source: Discogs.com ~ Dizzy Gillespie and His Orchestra – Source: JazzDisco.org ~ ‘Round Midnight, Yesterdays, The End of a Love Affair, Whisper Not, Satin Doll, Too Late Now – Source: JazzStandards.com ~ Wes Montgomery – Source: Wikipedia.org © 2021 by Edward Thomas Carter

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