Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Hamid Drake was born Henry Lawrence Drake on August 3, 1955 in Monroe, Louisiana but his family moved to Evanston, Illinois, when he was a child. There he started playing with local rock and R&B bands, which eventually brought him to the attention of Fred Anderson, an older saxophonist who had also moved to Evanston from Monroe as a child decades before. Drake worked with Anderson from 1974 to 2010 including on his 1979 The Missing Link.
At Anderson’s workshops, he met Douglas Ewart, George E. Lewis and other members of Chicago’s Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). Percussionist Ed Blackwell had a great influence on Drake, during this period. His flowing rhythmic expressions and interest in the roots of the music drew like-minded musicians together into a performance and educational collective named the Mandingo Griot Society, which combined traditional African music and narrative with distinctly American influences.
During the Seventies he met Don Cherry and with Adam Rudolph toured Europe and worked extensively with him from 1978 until Cherry’s death in 1995. It was during this period where they explored the interior landscape of percussion and shared deeply in Mr. Cherry’s grasp of music’s spiritually infinite transformational possibilities.
By the close of the 1990s, Hamid was widely regarded as one of the best percussionists in jazz and improvised music. Incorporating Afro-Cuban, Indian, and African percussion instruments and influence, in addition to using the standard trap set, Drake has collaborated extensively with top free jazz improvisers, performed world music and reggae during his career.
Drummer and percussionist Hamid Drake, who also plays the tabla, continues to perform.
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Three Wishes
Pannonica asked Richard Davis what his three wishes would be if they could be granted and he replied with:
- “Freedom for everybody.”
- “Mastery of the bass.”
- “It’s my hobby really to own a horse. These are the three basic things in my life.”
*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…
George Walker “Big Nick” Nicholas was born August 2, 1922 in Lansing, Michigan. Picking up the tenor saxophone during his teen years, he was strongly influenced by his hero, Coleman Hawkins. He started playing professionally during the 1940s with Hank and Thad Jones, Earl Hines, and Tiny Bradshaw prior to military service.
Once discharged from the Army late in the decade he went on to work with bands led by Sabby Lewis, J. C. Heard, and Lucky Millinder. He would go on to play with Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Charlie Parker, and Charlie Mingus.
Nicholas contributed the 16-bar solo to Dizzy Gillespie’s classic 1947 African-Cuban jazz composition Manteca. At that time, he also started playing with Hot Lips Page, a working relationship that continued until 1954. He then joined Buck Clayton in 1955.
Big Nick influenced a young John Coltrane to compose his tribute Big Nick, included on the 1962 album Duke Ellington & John Coltrane.
Saxophonist and singer Big Nick Nicholas transitioned from heart failure in Queens, New York on October 29, 1997 at the age of 75.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Adam Shulman was born on August 1, 1979 in San Francisco, California. Taking what he learned studying piano during his formative years, he headed to Santa Cruz he matriculated through the University of California with a degree in classical performance. While at UCSC he studied jazz piano with Smith Dobson.
Returning home he became a staple on the city’s jazz scene, leaning towards and playing in the bop genre. Adam has been seen working with countless bay area musicians and vocalists such as Marcus Shelby, Anton Schwartz, Ed Reed and Kellye Gray among many others. Beyond the locals he has played and/or recorded with Stefon Harrism Willie Jones III, Dayna Stephens, Mark Murphy, Alan Harris, Luciana Souza, Sean Jones, Grant Stewart and John Clayton to name a few.
A consummate sideman, Adam is a composer and arranger. He has done much of the arranging for the jazz and cabaret singer Paula West and has released four albums of original music as a leader and continues to perform, arrange and compose.
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Requisites
Ready For Freddie ~ Freddie Hubbard | By Eddie Carter
Freddie Hubbard steps into the spotlight of this morning’s discussion with an excellent 1962 blowing session titled Ready For Freddie (Blue Note BLP 4085/BST 84085). This choice from the library is the trumpeter’s fourth album as a leader and he’s working with a stellar supporting cast. Bernard McKinney on euphonium, Wayne Shorter on tenor sax, McCoy Tyner on piano, Art Davis on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums complete the sextet. For those who don’t know about the euphonium, it’s a medium-sized, tenor-voiced brass instrument that’s usually featured in a brass band and is a member of the tuba family. My copy used in this report is the 1995 Blue Note Connoisseur Series US Stereo Audiophile reissue (B1-32094).
Arietis by Freddie Hubbard starts Side One with the sextet grabbing the listener’s attention from the opening notes of their swinging melody. Freddie takes us on an exuberant joyride in the opening solo. Wayne continues surging ahead on the second statement, then Bernard digs into the third reading with agility. McCoy soars into a satisfying summation ahead of the song’s finale. Weaver of Dreams by Jack Elliot and Victor Young begins at a deceptively slow tempo with McKinney and Shorter’s introduction segueing into Hubbard’s sensitive theme. The pace picks up for a beautifully delicate opening statement by Freddie. McCoy comes in next for an affectionate interpretation leading to Hubbard’s haunting climax.
Wayne Shorter’s Marie Antoinette affords everyone except Elvin a solo opportunity beginning with the group establishing a relaxed mood in the opening chorus. Wayne begins with an easy-going toe-tapper. Freddie infuses an optimistic spirit into the second solo. Bernard moves things along at a comfortable pace, then McCoy gives us a few compelling moments. Art adds to the fun with a few airy bass notes leading to the closing chorus that dissolves into nothingness. Birdlike by Freddie Hubbard begins Side Two at a brisk beat with the group’s collective melody. Hubbard gets things going first, then Shorter puts together a mesmerizing performance. McKinney has a few attractive lines in the third spot. Tyner and Davis keep the energy going with two quick readings into the quintet’s finale.
Freddie Hubbard’s Crisis opens with the trio’s simple introduction segueing into a soothing melody. Freddie, Wayne, Bernard, and McCoy all make their point in four enchanting interpretations. Elvin offers an impressive climax into the sextet’s reprise and fadeout. Ready For Freddie was produced by Alfred Lion and Rudy Van Gelder was the recording engineer. The reissue producer is Michael Cuscuna and Larry Walsh did the mastering from the original analog tapes. The sound quality is excellent with a spacious soundstage and the instruments come through your speakers vibrantly as if the musicians are playing in front of you. The record is pressed on 180-gram Virgin Vinyl and is silent until the music starts. If you’re in the mood for an excellent Hard-Bop album, I invite you to check out Ready For Freddie by Freddie Hubbard. It’s sure to occupy a proud place in any novice or seasoned jazz fan’s library for years to come!
~ Euphonium – Source: Wikipedia.org ~ © 2022 by Edward Thomas Carter
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