Requisites

I begin this morning’s discussion with a 1963 reissue of an album originally released in 1957 titled After Hours (Prestige 7118), one of the label’s excellent jam session records. Steamin’ (Prestige PRST 7278) features an all-star group led by Frank Wess on flute, tenor sax, and Kenny Burrell on guitar. Joining them are Thad Jones on trumpet, Mal Waldron on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Waldron composed all four tunes on the album, and my copy used for this report is the 1963 Mono reissue (Prestige PRLP 7278).

Steamin’ begins Side One with a swinging introduction by Art. Both horns present the melody in unison with Thad on the muted trumpet. Frank opens with an aggressive performance, then Kenny takes over for a hard-swinging reading. Thad creates a volcanic eruption on the third interpretation, and Frank takes a second solo, this time on flute and at breakneck speed. Wess and Jones take a few spirited riffs before Walton zips through the next reading. Taylor punctuates the final statement with a stinging bite in a momentary spotlight before the ensemble takes the song out quickly.

Blue Jelly begins at a laid-back pace, gradually ascending to midtempo as the sextet states the opening chorus. Jones solos first, his ideas flowing freely to a slowly unfolding beat. Thad, Kenny, and Frank (on flute) exchange short riffs, then Burrell settles into a comfortable tempo for the second solo. The three instruments repeat, then Wess serves up a stylish dish of blues. Walton follows the next exchange with a very satisfying statement. Chambers speaks easily on the finale with great skill ahead of the close. Count One opens Side Two and the sextet gets right to work with a lightly swinging introduction by Cedar.  Thad and Frank wail on the melody and everyone gets solo space except Art who keeps things in check with a driving backbeat.  Frank begins the opening statement with skillful dexterity, and Thad soars on the second solo with a riveting presence.  Kenny engages the ear delightfully on the next reading, then Cedar continues the bopping beat with an insistent swing.  Paul accentuates the final interpretation with two short verses that are flawless.

The album closes with a trip down an Empty Street at a slow, easy tempo opening with a wistful introduction in unison.  Jones leads the opening march on the muted trumpet, and the first solo by Burrell is superbly interpreted with a soothing timbre and sensitivity.  Wess follows on flute with a thoughtfully pleasant reading that’s one of the most beautiful moments on the album.  Jones sounds each note of the next performance tenderly and with the utmost clarity.  Walton comes in next with a dreamlike, poignant presentation of sensual beauty, and Chambers wraps up the record with a rather beautiful and deeply moving interpretation before the sextet reassembles for the reprise and coda.  Although, Steamin’ is credited to Frank Wess and Kenny Burrell, this album and its original title After Hours should have been released under Mal Waldron’s name in my opinion.  His spirit pervades these four tunes with incredible passion and perfect pacing in his playing, complemented by the rhythmic energy and consummate musicianship of his bandmates.

That issue aside, Steamin’ serves as an excellent starting point for those who are just discovering the music of Mal Waldron or the other albums by the group who was also known as The Prestige All-Stars.  The album has a brilliant soundstage across the highs, midrange, and low end that places you in the studio alongside the musicians as they’re playing.  If you’re a fan of Hard-Bop and enjoy a good jam session, I invite you to audition Steamin’ by Frank Wess with Kenny Burrell or After Hours by The Prestige All-Stars.  Either version should make a welcome addition to any fan’s library!

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Francis Dunlop was born on December 6, 1928 in Buffalo, New York and began playing guitar at age nine and drums at ten. He was playing professionally by age 16 and received some classical education in percussion. He toured with Big Jay McNeely and recorded with Moe Koffman in 1950 before serving in the Army during the Korean War.

After his discharge, Frankie played with Sonny Stitt, Charles Mingus, Sonny Rollins, Maynard Ferguson, Lena Horne, Duke Ellington, and Thelonious Monk. It is his recordings with the latter two that he is principally remembered. Later in his life, he recorded with Lionel Hampton, Earl Hines, Ray Crawford, and Joe Zawinul.

In 1984, he retired, having recorded on over 100 albums with Wilbur Ware, Randy Weston, Melba Liston, Martin Mull, Dodo Greene, Herman Foster, Bill Barron, Richard Davis, Mose Allison and Leo Wright among many others. Drummer Frankie Dunlop passed away on July 7, 2014.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

 Denis Charles was born in St. Croix, Virgin Islands on December 4, 1933 and first played bongos at age seven with local ensembles in the Virgin Islands. Moving to New York City in 1945, he gigged frequently around town and in 1954 began working with Cecil Taylor, and the pair collaborated for the next four years. Following his work with Taylor, he played with Steve Lacy, Gil Evans, and Jimmy Giuffre. He befriended Ed Blackwell, and the two influenced each other.

 Recording with Sonny Rollins on a calypso-tinged set, Denis then returned to play with Lacy until 1964. He worked with Archie Shepp and Don Cherry in ‘67 and then disappeared from the jazz scene until 1971. In the 1970s and 1980s he played regularly on the New York jazz scene with Frank Lowe, David Murray, Charles Tyler, Billy Bang, and others, and also played funk, rock, and traditional Caribbean music.

 Between 1989~1992 drummer Denis Charles released three albums as a leader before passing away of pneumonia in his sleep on March 26, 1998 in New York City in 1998, four days after a five-week European tour with the Borgmann/Morris/Charles (BMC) Trio, with Wilber Morris and Thomas Borgmann. In 2002 Veronique N. Doumbe released a film documentary Denis A. Charles: An Interrupted Conversation about his life.

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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

Maintaining my social distancing, wearing my mask when I have to go grocery shopping or to my doctor’s office, I remain in quarantine. Pulling down off the shelves is an August 30, 1960 recording titled South Side Soul. It is the debut album by jazz pianist John Wright which was released in 1960 on the Prestige label. The supervising producer on this swinging soulful hard bop date was Esmond Edwards and engineering the session recorded at Van Gelder Studios in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey was Rudy Van Gelder.

TRACKS | 36:06

1. South Side Soul (Esmond Edwards) ~ 5:02
2. 47th and Calumet (John Wright) ~ 3:57
3. La Salle St After Hours (Armond Jackson) ~ 5:21
4. 63rd and Cottage Grove (Wright) ~ 4:06
5. 35th St Blues (Wendell Roberts) ~ 7:00
6. Sin Corner (Jackson) ~ 5:30
7. Amen Corner (Roberts) ~ 5:30

• John Wright – piano
• Wendell Roberts – bass
• Walter McCants – drums

During this sabbatical from flying and investigating jazz around the globe, this Quarantined Jazz Voyager wants you to know that live music in clubs and I will be back.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Bob Cranshaw was born Melbourne Robert Cranshaw on December 3, 1932 in Chicago, Illinois. His career spanned the heyday of Blue Note Records to his recent involvement with the Musicians Union. He is perhaps best known for his long association with Sonny Rollins. Cranshaw performed in Rollins’s working band on and off for over five decades, starting with a live appearance at the 1959 Playboy Jazz Festival in Chicago and on record with the 1962 album The Bridge.

He recorded on over 3000 sessions as a sideman with Mary Lou Williams, Pepper Adams, Nat Adderley, Eric Alexander, Hank Mobley, Mose Allison, Granchan Moncur III, Gene Ammons, Wes Montgomery, Kenny Barron, James Moody, George Benson, Shirley Scott, Wayne Shorter, Horace Silver, Walter Bishop Jr., Ella Fitzgerald, Lee Morgan, Oliver Nelson, Duke Pearson, Paul Bley, Jaki Byard, Johnny Coles, Donald Byrd, Hank Crawford, Sonny Criss, Houston Person, Frank Foster, and Sonny Red, and the list goes on and on.

Bassist Bob Cranshaw, who was a session bassist for the iconic PBS children’s programs Sesame Street and The Electric Company and played bass in the Saturday Night Live house band,  passed away at the age of 83 on November 2, 2016 in Manhattan, New York from stage four cancer.

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