Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Jeffrey Ovid Clyne was born on January 29, 1937 in London, England and taught himself double bass from the age of 17. He played in the 3rd Hussars military band during his national service from 1955 to 1957, and on demobilisation found himself at the cutting edge of the British modern-jazz and bebop movement.
Clyne worked with Tubby Hayes and Ronnie Scott in their group the Jazz Couriers for a year from 1958, and was part of the group of musicians who opened Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in November 1959. He was a regular member of Hayes’ groups from 1961. He accompanied Blossom Dearie, Stan Tracey on his Jazz Suite Inspired by Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood album, Ian Carr, and Gordon Beck on Experiments With Pops, with John McLaughlin.
Jeff would go on to perform with Dudley Moore, Zoot Sims, Norma Winstone, John Burch and Marion Montgomery. He was a member of Nucleus, Isotope, Gilgamesh, Giles Farnaby’s Dream Band and Turning Point during the 1970s. He often worked with drummer Trevor Tomkins.
Bass guitar and double bassist Jeff Clyne died on November 16, 2009 from a heart attack at the age of 72.
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Requisites
A few nights ago, I spent the evening listening to records by Howard McGhee, Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw and was still in the mood to hear another trumpet player, so I picked one of my favorite albums by Lee Morgan. This morning’s record submitted for your approval is Leeway (Blue Note BLP 4034/BST 84034), an excellent 1961 quintet session. I’ve always loved Lee’s tone, articulation, energy, and imagination since first hearing him on A Night In Tunisia, Blue Train, Candy, Houseparty, Introducing Wayne Shorter, The Cooker and The Sermon. An exceptional supporting cast backs Lee on this date: Jackie McLean on alto sax, Bobby Timmons on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Art Blakey on drums. My copy is the 2016 Music Matters Stereo audiophile reissue (MMBST-84034).
These Are Soulful Days by Cal Massey opens Side One at an easy pace for the quintet’s bluesy melody. Paul leads off the solos with an immensely soothing interpretation. Bobby follows with an attractive performance. Jackie enters next with a satisfying statement, and Lee makes a brief point in the closing solo ahead of the theme’s return. Lee Morgan’s The Lion And The Wolff is his tribute to label founders Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff. The rhythm section’s introduction gets it started for the front line’s collective melody. Jackie leads the way with a relaxing solo; then Lee comes in for a carefree reading. Bobby delivers a delightful statement next, followed by Paul’s bouncy bass lines and Art’s concise comment until the closing chorus fades out slowly.
The quintet dives into Jackie McLean’s Midtown Blues to begin Side Two. The group’s leisurely-paced theme gets things off to a good start. Lee begins the opening solo in a happy vein. Jackie responds with a lightly swinging reading. Bobby keeps the ideas flowing in the third statement, and Paul puts together a satisfying conclusion preceding the ensemble’s reprise and exit. Nakatini Suite by Cal Massey was composed in 1948 and is dedicated to a columnist of The Pittsburgh Courier. The rhythm section sets the tone with their introduction to the quintet’s vibrant melody. Lee leads off the solos with a spirited statement. Bobby follows the leader and gets a chance to stretch out next. Art is right on the mark, with a brisk workout leading to the theme’s restatement.
Alfred Lion produced the original session, and Rudy Van Gelder was the recording engineer. Kevin Gray of Cohearent Audio mastered this audiophile reissue, and the album’s sound quality is simply breathtaking. If you close your eyes while listening, you’ll swear that the quintet is in your listening room playing. The record is pressed on 180 grams of audiophile vinyl and is dead silent until the music starts. The album cover is worthy of hanging on your listening room wall, and the gatefold photos from the session are gorgeous. Lee Morgan recorded thirty albums as a leader and appeared on some of the greatest jazz albums as a sideman. Leeway is sadly overlooked in his discography, but in my opinion, it’s one of his best releases of the sixties. If you’re in the mood for hard bop, I happily recommend Leeway by Lee Morgan. It’s an excellent introduction to his music and a terrific album you shouldn’t miss when record-shopping!
~ A Night In Tunisia (Blue Note BLP 4049/BST 84049), Blue Train (Blue Note BLP 1577/BST 1577), Candy (Blue Note BLP 1590/BNST 1590), Houseparty (Blue Note BLP 4002/BST 84002), Introducing Wayne Shorter (Vee Jay VJLP 3006/SR 3006), The Cooker (Blue Note BLP 1578/BST 81578), The Sermon (Blue Note BLP 4011/BST 84011) – Source: Discogs.com
© 2024 by Edward Thomas Carter
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Bobby Sands was born January 28, 1907 in Brooklyn, New York. Learning to play the tenor and baritone saxophones he worked with bandleader Charlie Skeets in the late ’20s. By the end of the decqade his eyes were on an outfit known as the Strand Roof Orchestra under the direction of Billy Fowler. His performances during the 1930s solidified the band’s reputation, both live and recorded.
Sands joined pianist and bandleader Claude Hopkins, sharing star soloing duties with the leader as well as clarinetist Edmond Hall in his early years. The band featured a program of both high-spirited novelty songs and a serious jazz repertoire. I Can’t Dance, I’ve Got Ants in My Pants and In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree were the necessary recordings Hopkins made in order to stay attractive to label producers throughout the ’30s.
A superb arrangement of Jelly Roll Morton’s King Porter Stomp joins with Hopkins’ own Minor Mania in which Bobby is in both section and solo capacity. Tenor and baritone saxophonist Bobby Sands retired from music in the 1940s and became a printer. The date and place of his death are unknown.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Richard Anthony Meldonian was born January 27, 1930 in Providence, Rhode Island. He first began playing the clarinet when he was eight years old and by eleven was proficient on the tenor saxophone. In 1944 he led his first band that he formed.
1949 saw Dick working as a professional musician in the bands of Freddie Slack, and into the Fifties with Charlie Barnet and as an alto saxophonist with Stan Kenton alongside Bud Shank and Art Pepper. He also played with Shorty Rogers, Nat Pierce, Elliot Lawrence and Bill Russo.
Moving to New York City in the mid 1950s, Meldonian worked as a studio and session musician, among other things. with Phil Sunkel, Sam Most and Erroll Garner. In 1957 he was a member of Paul Quinichette’s band with Gene Roland and John Carisi. In 1960 he joined the Gerry Mulligan Concert Jazz Band.
He became better known as the leader of his own quartet, The Jersey Swingers , in the late 1970s and through the big band that he led with drummer Sonny Igoe in the early 1980s. During this time, Dick also recorded with the big band and smaller formations under his own name for the Progressive, Circle and Statiras labels. In 1992 he was still working with Harry DiVito and Marty Grosz.
Soprano and tenor saxophonist Dick Meldonian died on January 25, 2017.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Bob Bain was born January 26, 1924 in Chicago, Illinois and began his professional career in the 1940s playing guitar in popular big band outfits led by Tommy Dorsey and Bob Crosby. He is credited with guitar on one of Dorsey’s biggest hits, Opus No. 1.
An unusually early adopter of the electric guitar, Bob started playing an early Gibson Les Paul model before switching to a modified 1953 Fender Telecaster. Like most jazz guitarists, he also favoured semi-acoustic models such as the Gibson L-5 and ES-150.
A long time collaborator with composer Henry Mancini, he is also credited with the guitar introduction to the theme from the popular 1950s television private detective series Peter Gunn. Bain contributed his guitar talents on another of Mancini’s significant soundtrack albums, the musical score to the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s, as well as playing on the soundtrack to the television Western series Bonanza.
Guitarist Bob Bain, who was mainly known for his film music contributions, including Dr. Zhivago, where he played the balalaika in the score for certain scenes where Lara’s Theme is heard, died on June 21, 2018 in Oxnard, California. He was 94.
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