Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Ronnie Foster was born May 12, 1950 in Buffalo, New York and was attracted to music at the age of four. Attending Public School 8, then Woodlawn Jr. High for a year, he took music more seriously from his early teens while at McKinley Vocational High School for two years, and having his first professional gig aged fifteen, playing in a strip club. He spent his final year at Lafayette High School. The only formal musical instruction he received was a month of accordion lessons.

Foster initially performed with other local musicians before moving to New York City with his own band, and acquired a publishing company. He has performed as a sideman with a wide range of musicians, frequently working with guitarist George Benson and playing on the guitarist’s album Breezin’.

He has played organ with Grant Green, Grover Washington, Jr., Stanley Turrentine, Roberta Flack, Earl Klugh, Harvey Mason, Jimmy Smith, and Stevie Wonder. His music Mystic Brew has been sampled by A Tribe Called Quest and J. Cole.

Organist Ronnie Foster, who is also a record producer, continues to perform, record.

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Requisites

Home Cookin’ ~ Jimmy Smith | By Eddie Carter

I’d had a really long week and wanted to hear some organ jazz when I came across a title I always enjoyed but hadn’t listened to in a while. Jimmy Smith provides the recipe for seven courses of hard bop and soul-jazz with a side of the blues in Home Cookin’ (Blue Note BLP 4050/BST 84050). It’s a delicious quartet meal of pure organ bliss taken from three different sessions that hit the stores in 1961. Jimmy is joined by Percy France (tracks: A1, A4, B1, B2) on tenor sax, Kenny Burrell on guitar, and Donald Bailey on drums. My copy is the 1992 Toshiba EMI Japanese Stereo reissue sharing the original catalog number.

Side One opens with See See Rider by Gertrude “Ma” Rainey and Lena Arant. Jimmy and the trio introduce the theme at a slow tempo. Kenny has the first spot and swings lightly to the leader’s fat bass lines and Donald’s subtle brushwork. Percy follows with a down-home reading, and then Jimmy is equally elegant in a short solo ahead of the song’s finale. Sugar Hill by Kenny Burrell is dedicated to an area of Harlem and picks up the pace significantly as the composer leads Smith and Bailey through the melody. Kenny gets things going with a lively lead solo, and then Jimmy comes in for a spirited statement that moves along nicely. Burrell adds a few more comments preceding the reprise and slow fadeout.

I Got A Woman by Ray Charles would become a big hit for Jimmy McGriff a year later. Smith and company offer a change of pace from that swinger with a medium groove featuring Jimmy in the solo spotlight. The organist’s soulful presentation is a danceable treat until the threesome reprises the ending theme into a slow dissolve. Messin’ Around by Jimmy Smith brings back France to the foursome for the medium melody. Burrell is up first again with a sparkling statement. France puts a lot of heart and emotion into the following reading, then Smith’s short solo leads back to the quartet’s theme restatement and fade out.

Side Two begins with an introduction to a lovely lady named Gracie by Jimmy Smith. The quartet’s leisurely theme sets the tone for Percy’s contagious opening statement. Kenny skillfully constructs the second solo, and then Jimmy delivers one of his smoothest readings preceding the out-chorus. Come On Baby by Kenny Burrell is a solid blues that grabs the listener from the start of Smith’s melody and informal, easy opening interpretation. France steps up next with an excellent example of his superb tone quality. Burrell enters the picture next for a brief presentation before Jimmy adds a few last thoughts until the slow fade into nothingness.

Jimmy’s Motoring Along is the album’s closing number and the final trio track. The beat shifts upward for the melody. Kenny gets his message across in the lead solo, and Jimmy is a joy to listen to in the closer. Donald keeps the excitement in the beat going until the theme’s closing chorus and the trio’s slow exit. Alfred Lion produced Home Cookin’, and Rudy Van Gelder was the man behind the dials. The sound quality is good but not great, and the reason is the same issue I had with Hootin’ ‘n Tootin’ and Open House. The microphone placement for Jimmy’s organ has a level of distortion that is particularly noticeable on every track but not as bad on Come On Baby.

The front and rear covers are both laminated, and the record is incredibly quiet until the music starts. That aside, the good news is I enjoyed the music, particularly Percy France who I was unaware of, but pleasantly surprised with his playing because he reminded me of Stanley Turrentine. Burrell and Bailey are as solid a rhythm section as anyone could have, and they’ve collaborated with Jimmy on four other albums: Back At The Chicken Shack, Houseparty, Midnight Special, and The Sermon. If you’re a fan of hard bop, soul-jazz, or Jimmy Smith, I hope you will check out Home Cookin’ on your next record shop visit. It’s a tasty musical meal I’m sure you won’t regret adding to your library!

~ Back At The Chicken Shack (Blue Note BLP 4117/BST 84117), Hootin’ ‘n Tootin’ (Blue Note BLP 4094/BST 84094), Houseparty (Blue Note BLP 4002/BST 84002), Midnight Special (Blue Note BLP 4078/BST 84078), Open House (Blue Note BLP 4269/BST 84269), The Sermon (Blue Note BLP 4011/BST 84011) – Source: Discogs.com

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DAVE STRYKER TRIO WITH WARREN WOLF

Dave Stryker – Guitar | Warren Wolf – Vibes | Jared Gold – Organ | McClenty Hunter – Drums

Whether you’ve heard guitarist Dave Stryker leading his own group (with 30 CD’s as a leader to date), or as a featured sideman with Stanley Turrentine, Jack McDuff, and many others, you know why the Village Voice calls him “one of the most distinctive guitarists to come along in recent years.” Hot House magazine awarded him Best Guitarist Fans Decision for 2017.  He was recently voted once again as one of the top Jazz Guitarists in the 2019 Downbeat Critics and Readers Polls for the 10th time.

Warren Wolfis a multi-instrumentalist from Baltimore, MD. From the young age of three years old, Warren has been trained on the Vibraphone/Marimba, Drums, and Piano. Under the guidance of his father Warren Wolf Sr., Warren has a deep background in all genres of music. Vibraphonist Warren Wolf is one of the hardest swinging virtuosos in all of modern music.

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LARRY GOLDINGS TRIO

Three pillars of international jazz, celebrate over thirty years as a trio and 30 years is almost an eternity in jazz terms, but the trio shows no signs of tiredness, on the contrary, the ability to renew itself, exciting the audience is always the same.

The trio has been recognized for breaking new ground and setting new standards with its synergistic and inspired playing. They have more than a dozen recordings under their belt, all showcasing their signature sound, whether exploring great jazz standards in depth or featuring original compositions.

Larry Goldings: organ

Peter Bernstein: guitar

Bill Stewart: drums

***Website requires translation

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Brian Colin Dee was born in London, England on March 21, 1936.  He came to prominence in 1959 playing at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London. At that time he was playing with Lennie Best, Dave Morse and Vic Ash.

He later joined the Jazz Five and played opposite Miles Davis on a nationwide tour and was voted Melody Maker’s ‘New Star of 1960’. Brian also appeared at the Establishment Club in 1962 where his trio played opposite Dudley Moore.

Throughout an uninterrupted career, Dee has played with many jazz musicians, including Ben Webster, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Benny Carter, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Chet Baker, Al Grey, Sonny Stitt, Victor Feldman and Joe Newman.

From the late 1960s onwards, Dee was in demand as a session musician, appearing on many orchestral recordings. Subsequently, he went on to play with the Ted Heath Orchestra, for the last 10 years of its existence and was also a member of Laurie Johnson’s London Big Band.

Renowned as a fine accompanist to singers, Brian has recorded or appeared alongside Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Johnny Mercer, Elton John, Peggy Lee, Frankie Laine, Joe Williams, Jimmy Witherspoon, Mark Murphy, Cleo Laine and Annie Ross. He was musical director for Lita Roza, Cilla Black, Rosemary Squires, and Elaine Delmar.

Working with Irving Martin they composed the theme for Return of the Saint. In 1978, their Good Times album was released on Bruton Music BRG 4.

Pianist and musical director Brian Dee, who played organ and/or harmonium on four of Elton John’s early albums, at 87 years old, continues to perform.

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