Three Wishes
Pannonica asked Les Spann if he was given three wishes what they would be his answer:
- “That the people of the world would understand each other.”
- “That I could look forward to consistent growth of perception till I die.”
- “That I could eat chicken as often as I want.”
*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…
Steve Jordan was born on January 15, 1919 in New York City and studied with Allan Reuss early in life while Reuss was Benny Goodman’s guitarist. He worked in the Will Bradley Orchestra from 1939 to 1941, then moved to Artie Shaw’s band until 1942. The same year he worked briefly with Teddy Powell before he enlisted in the U.S. Navy.
Following his discharge from the service he played with Bob Chester, Freddie Slack, Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra, Stan Kenton, Jimmy Dorsey, and Boyd Raeburn.
He became a studio musician for NBC and worked often as a freelance sideman after the big band era was over. He worked with Gene Krupa, Mel Powell, Vic Dickenson, Charles Thompson, Buck Clayton, Ruby Braff, Benny Goodman, Wild Bill Davison, Clancy Hayes, Buddy Tate, Helen Ward, and Ed Polcer. He held a regular gig in Washington, D.C. with Tommy Gwaltney from 1965 to 1972, and was offered the opportunity to succeed Freddie Green in the Count Basie Orchestra but turned it down.
Jordan recorded two sessions as a leader, Here Comes Mr. Jordan and Fat Cat’s Jazz, the latter appearing to be out of print. He published a memoir titled Rhythm Man in 1991. Guitarist Steve Jordan passed away on September 13, 1993 at the age of 74 in Alexandria, Virginia.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Olu Dara was born Charles Jones III on January 12, 1941 in Natchez, Mississippi. After moving to New York City In 1963, he changed his name to Olu Dara, which means “God Is Good” in the Yoruba language. In the Seventies and Eighties, he played alongside David Murray, Henry Threadgill, Hamiet Bluiett, Don Pullen, Charles Brackeen, James Blood Ulmer, and Cassandra Wilson. He formed two bands, the Okra Orchestra and the Natchezsippi Dance Band.
His first album, In the World: From Natchez to New York, released in 1998, revealed another aspect of his musical personality: the leader and singer of a band immersed in African-American tradition, playing an eclectic mix of blues, jazz, and storytelling, with tinges of funk, African popular music, and reggae. His second album Neighborhoods, with guest appearances by Dr. John and Cassandra Wilson, followed in a similar vein.
Dara played on the 1994 album Illmatic, on the song Dance, and he sang on the 2004 song Bridging the Gap, all by his son, rapper Nas. Besides recording two albums as a leader, cornetist, guitarist and singer Olu Dara has recorded fifty-four as a sideman with the likes of Doug Carn, Oliver Lake, Julius Hemphill, Nona Hendryx, The Be Good Tanyas, Rickie Lee Jones, Terumasa Hino, Jack McDuff, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and James Newton, among others.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Donald Ray Payne was born on January 7, 1933 in Wellington, Texas but was raised in California, He initially played trumpet before switching to double bass in high school. His first major gigs came in the mid-1950s and he worked in the second half of the decade with Georgie Auld, Ornette Coleman, Maynard Ferguson, Calvin Jackson, Joe Maini, and Art Pepper.
1958 saw Don relocating to New York City, where he played with Tony Bennett, Chris Connor, and Mundell Lowe. He then joined Herbie Mann and Astrud Gilberto for international tours and also worked with Stan Getz around this time. He led his own ensemble with a rotating cast of sidemen, including Mike Abene, Joe Beck, and Gene Bertoncini.
Payne began playing bass guitar in 1964 and worked in popular and rock idioms as well as in jazz as a session musician for New York studio recordings. He played on releases by Loudon Wainwright III, Judy Collins, Roy Buchanan, Leonard Cohen (New Skin for the Old Ceremony, 1974), Janis Ian, Luiz Henrique, Harry Chapin, and Melanie Safka. His later jazz associations included Bobby Hackett, Jackie Cain, and Roy Kral.
Double bassist and bass guitarist Don Payne passed away on February 25, 2017 in Plantation, Florida. He was 84.
Requisites
White Rabbit is the 1972 CTI Records album recorded by George Benson on November 23, 24 & 30, 1971. The title track is a cover of the famous Great Society/Jefferson Airplane song by Grace Slick. The album was produced by Creed Taylor, arranged by Don Sebesky and engineered by Rudy Van Gelder at his studios in Englewood, New Jersey. The album was designed by Bob Ciano and the photograph used on the cover was of a South African Pondo tribes woman was taken by Pete Turner in 1970.
This album was the recording debut of guitarist Earl Klugh featured on El Mar, was only seventeen years old then. White Rabbit was the first Grammy Award nomination to George Benson in 1972 for Best Jazz Performance by a Group.
Tracks
- White Rabbit ( Grace Slick)
- The From Summer of ‘42 (Michel Legrand)
- Little Train (from Bachianas Brasileiras No. 2) (Heitor Villa-Lobos)
- California Dreaming (John Phillips)
- El Mar (The Sea) (George Benson)
- George Benson – guitar
- Jay Berliner – Spanish guitar
- Earl Klugh – acoustic guitar (only on 5)
- Ron Carter – double bass, electric bass (on 1 and 3)
- Herbie Hancock – electric piano
- Billy Cobham – drums
- Airto Moreira – percussion, vocals
- Phil Kraus – vibes, percussion
- Gloria Agostini – harp
- Phil Bodner – flute, alto flute, oboe, English horn
- Hubert Laws – flute, alto flute, piccolo. (Flute solo on 1)
- George Marge – flute, alto flute, clarinet, oboe, English horn
- Romeo Penque – English horn, oboe, alto flute, clarinet, bass clarinet
- Jane Taylor – bassoon
- Wayne Andre – trombone, baritone horn
- Jim Buffington – French horn
- John Frosk – trumpet, flugelhorn. (Trumpet solo on 1 and 5)
- Alan Rubin – trumpet, flugelhorn
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