Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Augustus “Gus” Aiken was born on July 26, 1902 in Charleston, South Carolina. He started playing trumpet with the Jenkins Orphanage band.

He was first recorded professionally in 1919. In the 1920s he worked with several groups, but his best known work would be with Louis Armstrong. He went on to play with Sid Catlett, Roy Eldridge, and Elmer Snowden before his career declined. The end of the Big Band era and the rise of rock and roll is seen as causing the decline.

Trumpeter and cornetist Gus Aiken, who also played blues, passed away on April 1, 1973 in New York City.

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Requisites

Hootin’ ‘N Tootin’ ~ Fred Jackson | By Eddie Carter

Submitted for your approval from the library this morning is an album by tenor saxophonist, Fred Jackson who began his brief career in 1951 as an R&B saxophonist with Little Richard. A decade later, he worked with blues legend, B.B. King, and has also appeared on a few other Blue Note albums before leaving the jazz scene during the mid-sixties. Fred recorded and released his only album as a leader, Hootin’ ‘N Tootin’ (Blue Note BLP 4094/BST 84094) in 1962. Here, he is working with Earl Van Dyke on organ, Willie Jones on guitar, and Wilbert Hogan on drums. The program consists of seven original tunes by the saxophonist and my copy used in this report is the 1992 Toshiba-EMI Limited Japanese Stereo reissue sharing the original catalog number.

Dippin’ In The Bag starts Side One with a delightfully perky introduction by the quartet. Fred opens with a relaxing theme moving with a spring and a bounce in its step, then Willie constructs a spirited statement that flows steadily into Fred’s final comment ahead of the foursome’s closing chorus fading from view. Southern Exposure is a slow-paced succulent meal introduced by Jones and the rhythm section with some soulful, home-cooking. Jackson brings the fried chicken, black-eyed peas, and collard greens to the melody and adds the potato salad for the first reading. Van Dyke serves the steak and burgers with a highly seasoned sauce on the next interpretation. Jackson wraps up the bluesy meal with a tasty dessert preceding the quartet taking their leave after an enjoyable dinner.

Preach Brother moves the pace to a medium-fast tempo with a spirited church-like feel propelled by Hogan’s drums. Fred delivers the opening chorus and first sermon with a groove that just will not quit. Willie gives the next talk and has fun for one verse. Earl sums up the lesson jumping for joy in the finale ahead of the ensemble’s exit. Hootin’ ‘N Tootin’ begins Side Two with a brisk introduction and melody in unison with an emphasis on lively statements from everyone. Jackson is up first with a swinging reading, then Jones offers a moment of hard cooking. Van Dyke takes an enjoyable romp on the next solo, followed by a short exchange between Hogan and Jackson. The drummer provides an exclamation point with his only solo before the ending.

Easin’ On Down takes the foot off the accelerator for a carefree collective theme with everyone right at home. Fred breaks the ice first with a carefree, easy-going swing. Willie supplies a laid-back response on the next solo. Earl steps into the spotlight last on a smooth course towards Fred’s return with a closing message into the climax. That’s Where It’s At picks up the pace again with the foursome suggesting a skillful virtuosity that is irresistible. One thing piquing my interest is the quote of the Black spiritual, Wade In The Water (1901) in the tenor saxophonist’s and organ’s solos. Jackson burns brightly on an exceptional first statement. Van Dyke also cooks with imaginative verses that crackle and Jones has a feisty performance in-between.

Earl leads off Way Back Home with a brief introduction making everyone feel comfortable as Fred states the mellow opening chorus. He continues providing the spark on the first solo, then Willie executes the next reading proficiently. Earl delivers a highly effective closing statement before the ensemble wraps it up. After Hootin’ ‘N Tootin’ was released, Fred Jackson returned to record his second album at the Van Gelder Studio with the same group plus Sam Jones. Due to poor sales of his debut, the other seven selections weren’t released until they appeared on the CD album of Hootin’ ‘N Tootin’ (1998). Jackson appeared on three other albums for Blue Note as a sideman, Face to Face (1961), Along Came John (1963), and The Way I Feel (1964)!

The music on Hootin’ ‘N Tootin’ is perfect to enjoy at the start of your day or after work, during or after dinner, or for late-night listening. The sound quality is good, but not great. The problem is the microphone placement for the organ is over-modulated when Earl Van Dyke is accompanying Fred and Willie’s solos throughout the album. The only other time I experienced this on a Rudy Van Gelder recording was on Open House (1966). Despite this issue, if you are a fan of Soul-Jazz or jazz organ with a bop flavor, I offer for your consideration, Hootin’ ‘N Tootin’ by Fred Jackson, a tenor saxophonist whose career deserved a better fate and whose music deserved greater recognition!

~ Along Came John (Blue Note BLP 4130/BST 84130), Face to Face (Blue Note BLP 4068/BST 84068), Hootin’ ‘N Tootin’ (Blue Note Connoisseur Series CDP-21819), Open House (Blue Note BLP 4269/BST 84269), The Way I Feel (Blue Note BLP 4174/BST 84174) – Source: Discogs.com © 2021 by Edward Thomas Carter

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Jef Gilson was born on July 25, 1926 as Jean~François Quiévreux in Guebwiller, France. As a clarinetist he began playing with Claude Luter in the Boris Vian band. After that stint he switched to the piano. The experience of the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band led him to become an arranger and big band leader. In his band played, among others Bill Coleman, Bernard Vitet, Jean-Louis Chautemps, François Jeanneau, Michel Portal, Jean-Luc Ponty, Bernard Lubat, Lloyd Miller and Henri Texier.

For a time he was musical director of the vocal sextet Les Double Six. Gilson’s free jazz recordings did not materialize into success, and in 1968 he temporarily went to Madagascar. His 1971 return saw him concentrating first on ethno jazz, then total improvisation. In 1973 he founded his label Palm, and released recordings with his orchestra Europamerica, and with Butch Morris. For this more arranged record, which started reflecting his achievements of free jazz, he was awarded the 1978 Prix Boris Vian.

Up to his final days he lived withdrawn in Ardèche, France. Pianist, arranger, composer and big band leader Jef Gilson passed away on February 5, 2012.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Herbert Haymer was born on July 24, 1915 in Jersey City, New Jersey, and played alto saxophone from age 15 before picking up the tenor at age 20.

Through the Thirties he played with the Carl Sears-Johnny Watson Band, then played with Rudy Vallee, Charlie Barnet, Red Norvo and Jimmy Dorsey from 1937 to 1941. The early Forties saw Herbert playing with Woody Herman, Kay Kyser, Benny Goodman, and Dave Hudkins.

In 1944, he enlisted in the Navy, and after returning he worked as a session musician, including dates with Red Nichols and again with Goodman. In 1945, he led a quintet featuring Charlie Shavers and Nat King Cole on recording, and had three songs issued on Keynote Records in 1946. In 1949 he recorded with Frank Sinatra.

Saxophonist Herbert Haymer, known primarily as a saxophonist in big bands, was killed in an automobile accident after a session on April 11, 1949 in Santa Monica, California.

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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

As the Delta variant cases are increasing and vaccinations have leveled out masking and social distancing remain the modus operandi of the day. In my continuation of revisiting albums I have in my collection. So this week I turn to George Benson and his 1972 recording White Rabbit. It was recorded on November 23, 24 & 30, 1971 at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. The album was produced by Creed Taylor, engineered by Rudy Van Gelder and Don Sebesky did all the arrangements. The album cover was designed by Bob Ciano and the cover photography was taken by Pete Turner. The original cover photo was of a Pondo tribe woman that he photographed in South Africa in 1970.

Don Sebesky brought the title track to Taylor and Benson’s attention as Benson had never heard of Jefferson Airplane or Grace Slick. However, Benson doesn’t read music, he just heard the song and automatically fell into the groove, proving that music doesn’t exist on the page, only in the air. White Rabbit was his second CTI Records project and his first Grammy Award nomination in the category of Best Jazz Performance by a Group. This continues to be one of my road trip albums.

1. White Rabbit (Grace Slick) ~ 6:55
2. Theme From Summer Of ‘42 ( Michel Legrand) ~ 5:08
3. Little Train | from Bachianas Brasileiras (Heitor Villa~Lobos) ~ 5:47
4. California Dreamin’ (John Phillips, MIchelle Phillips) ~ 7:22
5. El Mar | The Sea (George Benson) ~ 10:49

• George Benson ~ guitar
• Jay Berliner ~ Spanish guitar
• Earl Klugh ~ acoustic guitar (5)
• Herbie Hancock ~ electric piano
• Ron Carter ~ electric bass (1, 3), double bass (2, 4, 5)
• Billy Cobham ~ drums
• Airto Moreira ~ percussion, vocals
• Phil Kraus ~ vibraphone, percussion
• Gloria Agostini ~ harp

• Phil Bodner ~ flute, alto flute, oboe, english horn
• Hubert Laws ~ flute, alto flute, piccolo, flute solo (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 (1, 5)
• Alan Rubin ~ rumpet, flugelhorn

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