Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Cal Lampley was born on March 4, 1924 in Dunn, North Carolina as the second child of Hettie Marina and William Lorenzo Lampley. He graduated with a B.S. from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina. His first known music contribution was as an organist of the Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church.
A move to New York City in 1946 had him continuing his education at the Juilliard School of Music. With an Artist Diploma in 1949 in piano he debuted his performance as a pianist at the Carnegie Hall concert in 1950.
He became a tape editor at Columbia Records. During Lampley’s nine-year stint with Columbia, he rose to the position of Recording Director of the Popular Albums Department. He was later hired by record producer George Avakian to work as an A&R and as a record producer for music labels such as Columbia, Warner Bros., RCA/Victor, and Prestige. He worked with artists including Miles Davis, Mahalia Jackson, Dave Brubeck, Art Blakey, Leonard Bernstein, Freddie McCoy and Louis Armstrong.
Lampley’s other collaborations were with classical, jazz and pop musicians such as Nina Simone, Robert Casadesus, Zino Francescatti, Guiomar Novaes, Johnny Mathis, Genevieve, Victor Borge, Carmel Quinn, Arthur Godfrey, Tab Hunter, Bill Haley, Lonnie Sattin, and Chico Hamilton.
His own version of the composition “Misty” by jazz musician Richard “Groove” Holmes was Prestige’s Records biggest single in its entire history, peaking at #44 on the Billboard charts in 1966. In tribute to his musical contribution to the city and the state, Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke officially promulgated the “Cal Lampley Day” on May 1, 1994 in Baltimore at a City Hall ceremony.
On July 6, 2006 composer and record producer Cal Lampley in Baltimore, Maryland from complications of multiple sclerosis.
More Posts: composer,history,instrumental,jazz,music,record producer
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Teruo Nakamura was born on March 3, 1942 in Tokyo, Japan and everyone in his immediate family were artists. He studied at Nihon University before moving to New York City in 1964, where he studied with Reggie Workman.
In 1969 he joined drummer Roy Haynes’s ensemble and that same year he also formed a band with Steve Grossman and Lenny White, who both went on to play on his 1973 debut as a leader, the album Unicorn and Nakamura played both acoustic and electric bass on the album, which was released by Three Blind Mice.
Teruo formed the Rising Sun band in the mid-1970s. In 1977 this contained saxophonist Bob Mintzer, guitarist Shiro Mori, with Mark Gray on synthesizer, Art Gore on drums and Nobu Urushiyama on percussion.
The 1980s and 1990s saw him working principally as a record producer. Bassist and record producer Teruo Nakamura continues to perform and record.
More Posts: bass,history,instrumental,jazz,music,record producer
Requisites
Out Of This World ~ Walter Benton Quintet | By Eddie Carter
Up next from the library is a recent acquisition by a musician I first heard on two Clifford Brown albums, Best Coast Jazz (1955), and Clifford Brown All-Stars (1956). Out of This World (Jazzland JLP 28/928S) is the only album tenor saxophonist Walter Benton recorded as a leader but is brilliant swinging jazz with a stellar cast. Freddie Hubbard (listed as Freddy, tracks: A1, A2, B1, B2) on trumpet, Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, Jimmy Cobb (tracks: A2, A3, B2), and Albert Heath (tracks: A1, A4, B1, B3) on drums. Walter began playing the saxophone in high school, he’s also worked with John Anderson, Clifford Brown, Kenny Clarke, Eric Dolphy, Victor Feldman, Slide Hampton, Quincy Jones, Abbey Lincoln, Perez Prado, Max Roach, and Gerald Wilson. My copy used in this report is the 1993 Japanese Stereo reissue (Jazzland VIJJ-30049).
Side One opens with the title song, Out of This World was written in 1944 by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer. It grabs hold from the beginning of the collective midtempo melody and doesn’t let go until Freddie’s deceptively easy swing before picking up the pace for a bristling first reading. Walter comes in next exhibiting an optimistic spirit on the next solo, and Wynton works out a few logical ideas on the closer preceding the coda and fadeout. Walter’s Altar is the first of five originals by the leader, and an easy-going blues giving everyone solo space except Cobb who takes over on drums. Benton kicks off the solos leisurely but builds his tone into a delightful interpretation. Hubbard makes a terrific impression on the second solo. Kelly is superbly articulate on the third reading and Chambers takes the bass for some tuneful walking on the final statement ahead of the closing chorus and climax.
Iris is a tender ballad by Benton beginning with a brief intro by Freddie before Walter takes over on the gentle theme. The first of the leader’s two solos is slow, easy, and meaningful possessing a soulful tone. Wynton’s second solo is richly creative, then Walter returns for a few final softly, soothing comments before the close. Night Movement is an uptempo romp by Benton with a brief appearance by Hubbard during the melody, and Heath returning to the drums. The saxophonist gives two brief readings of ferocious intensity with a short speedy statement by Kelly in-between.
Side Two opens with Benton’s A Blue Mood. This tune is a midtempo blues starting with the rhythm section’s brief introduction into the ensemble’s melody. The solo order is Hubbard, Benton, Kelly, Chambers, and each man applies some down-home cooking to each of their solos, making them quite appetizing. Walter’s Azil is fast and swinging, returning the quintet to uptempo speed on the swift-footed melody. Benton begins the solos with a scintillating conversation, then Hubbard comes in for a vigorously energetic reading. Kelly closes with an electrically charged interpretation with Chambers and Cobb supplementing the power into the quintet’s ending.
Lover Man by Jimmy Davis, Roger Ramirez, and James Sherman is a timeless standard from The Great American Songbook. It ends the album with a sensuous performance by the quartet with Heath back behind the drums. Kelly and the trio begin the introduction blossoming into the foursome’s opening chorus. Walter opens with a delicately tasteful first statement. Wynton adds intimate lyricism to the second reading, then Paul performs so warmly you could bask in its glow like a sunbath. Walter wraps up the song with a beautifully phrased chorus into the coda.
Six years after recording this album, Benton retired from music altogether, becoming a real estate agent. He passed away on August 14, 2000, at the age of sixty-nine. Out of The World was originally produced by Orrin Keepnews and engineered by Ray Fowler. Victor Entertainment (formerly Victor Musical Industries) has done an exceptional job with the mastering of the album from the original tapes. The music emerges from your speakers as if the group is playing right in front of your favorite chair. If you’re looking for an excellent Hard-Bop album for your library, and have not heard Walter Benton before, I submit for your consideration, Out of This World by The Walter Benton Quintet. It’s a stellar album of the genre that’s a treat for your ears!
~ Best Coast Jazz (EmArcy MG-36039), Clifford Brown All-Stars (EmArcy MG-36102) – Source: Discogs.com ~ Lover Man – Source: JazzStandards.com ~ Out of This World – Source: Wikipedia.org
More Posts: choice,classic,collectible,collector,history,instrumental,jazz,music
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Clarence Lacquese Penn born on March 2, 1968 in Detroit, Michigan and started playing the drums at around eigh years old. In 1986, while still at high school, he attended the Interlochen Arts Academy. He started studying at the University of Miami in Florida that same year, but transferred to Virginia Commonwealth University.
At Virginia Commonwealth he studied with Ellis Marsalis, and played in the pianist’s trio from 1987 to 1991, including for a tour of Japan in 1990. Penn graduated in classical percussion in 1991 and was part of vocalist Betty Carter’s trio from until 1993.
Penn later went on to work with David Sanchez, Jimmy Smith, Slide Hampton, Jimmy Scott, Greg Hatza, Stanley Clarke, Tim Warfield, Bob Berg, Diana Krall, Cyrus Chestnut, and Stephen Scott.
He recorded his debut album, Penn’s Landing, for Criss Cross Jazz in 1997 with some of the tracks he composed. His sophomore album as leader, Play-Penn, was recorded four years later, followed by a third the following year. He took a nine year hiatus from recording then recorded three more albums.
Drummer Clarence Penn, who also plays organ and rhodes, continues to perform and record.
More Posts: bandleader,drums,history,instrumental,jazz,music,organ,rhodes
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Martin Oliver Grosz was born on February 28, 1930 in Berlin, Germany, the son of artist George Grosz. He became resident in the United States by the age of three growing up in New York he began playing ukulele at the age of eight. A few years later he heard a record that highlighted guitarist Bernard Addison’s shuffle-beat behind Roy Eldridge’s trumpet and out went the uke and in came the banjo and guitar. He attended Columbia University and in 1950, recorded his first record with a band that included a young pianist Dick Wellstood and veteran New Orleans bassist, Pops Foster.
Settling in Chicago, Illinois in the Fifties for nearly 20 years, Marty played with among others, Albert Ammons, Floyd O’Brien, Art Hodes, and Jim Lannigan. He recorded with Dave Remington, Albert Nicholas and Hodes in the 1950s. He led sessions of his own in 1957 and 1959 for Riverside and Audio Fidelity. He gave his best effort to coax Jabbo Smith out of retirement but was pretty obscure.
Returning to New York City in 1979 he joined Bob Wilber and Kenny Davern’s Soprano Summit as a vocalist and guitarist. A round of touring ensued along with recording with Dick Wellstood’s Friends of Fats, Yank Lawson and Bob Haggar, and the New York Jazz repertory Orchestra.
In the 1980s he was a member of the Classic Jazz Quartet with Dick Wellstood. He played, sang, and wrote most of the group’s arrangements. He has also performed at concerts with Joe Pass, Herb Ellis, and Charlie Byrd.
Guitarist, banjoist, vocalist, and composer Marty Grosz has recorded thirty-one albums as a leader and thirty-four as a sideman. At 95 he still plays occasionally.
More Posts: bandleader,banjo,composer,guitar,history,instrumental,jazz,music,vocals