Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Reuben McFall was born on February 1, 1931 in Los Angeles, California to a musician father and grew up in the Belvedere neighborhood of East Los Angeles, long established as a Mexican-American enclave.

McFall attended Westlake College of Music in Hollywood, California, one of the first institutions in the county to offer a diploma in jazz. The school was founded in 1945 and ran until 1961.

As a sideman he performed with Freddie Slack, Vido Musso, Floyd Ray, Glen Henry, Lalo Guerrero. From 1946 to 1955 he recorded albums with Roy Porter and His Orchestra, Gerry Mulligan, Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Shorty Rogers, Gerald Wilson and Teddi King.

Trumpeter, composer and jazz arranger Reuben McFall, who was also known as Ruben and Rubin and Ruban, is 93 years old.

BRONZE LENS

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Requisites

A few nights ago, I spent the evening listening to records by Howard McGhee, Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw and was still in the mood to hear another trumpet player, so I picked one of my favorite albums by Lee Morgan. This morning’s record submitted for your approval is Leeway (Blue Note BLP 4034/BST 84034), an excellent 1961 quintet session. I’ve always loved Lee’s tone, articulation, energy, and imagination since first hearing him on A Night In Tunisia, Blue Train, Candy, Houseparty, Introducing Wayne Shorter, The Cooker and The Sermon. An exceptional supporting cast backs Lee on this date: Jackie McLean on alto sax, Bobby Timmons on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Art Blakey on drums. My copy is the 2016 Music Matters Stereo audiophile reissue (MMBST-84034).

These Are Soulful Days by Cal Massey opens Side One at an easy pace for the quintet’s bluesy melody. Paul leads off the solos with an immensely soothing interpretation. Bobby follows with an attractive performance. Jackie enters next with a satisfying statement, and Lee makes a brief point in the closing solo ahead of the theme’s return. Lee Morgan’s The Lion And The Wolff is his tribute to label founders Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff. The rhythm section’s introduction gets it started for the front line’s collective melody. Jackie leads the way with a relaxing solo; then Lee comes in for a carefree reading. Bobby delivers a delightful statement next, followed by Paul’s bouncy bass lines and Art’s concise comment until the closing chorus fades out slowly.

The quintet dives into Jackie McLean’s Midtown Blues to begin Side Two. The group’s leisurely-paced theme gets things off to a good start. Lee begins the opening solo in a happy vein. Jackie responds with a lightly swinging reading. Bobby keeps the ideas flowing in the third statement, and Paul puts together a satisfying conclusion preceding the ensemble’s reprise and exit. Nakatini Suite by Cal Massey was composed in 1948 and is dedicated to a columnist of The Pittsburgh Courier. The rhythm section sets the tone with their introduction to the quintet’s vibrant melody. Lee leads off the solos with a spirited statement. Bobby follows the leader and gets a chance to stretch out next. Art is right on the mark, with a brisk workout leading to the theme’s restatement.

Alfred Lion produced the original session, and Rudy Van Gelder was the recording engineer. Kevin Gray of Cohearent Audio mastered this audiophile reissue, and the album’s sound quality is simply breathtaking. If you close your eyes while listening, you’ll swear that the quintet is in your listening room playing. The record is pressed on 180 grams of audiophile vinyl and is dead silent until the music starts. The album cover is worthy of hanging on your listening room wall, and the gatefold photos from the session are gorgeous. Lee Morgan recorded thirty albums as a leader and appeared on some of the greatest jazz albums as a sideman. Leeway is sadly overlooked in his discography, but in my opinion, it’s one of his best releases of the sixties. If you’re in the mood for hard bop, I happily recommend Leeway by Lee Morgan. It’s an excellent introduction to his music and a terrific album you shouldn’t miss when record-shopping!

~ A Night In Tunisia (Blue Note BLP 4049/BST 84049), Blue Train (Blue Note BLP 1577/BST 1577), Candy (Blue Note BLP 1590/BNST 1590), Houseparty (Blue Note BLP 4002/BST 84002), Introducing Wayne Shorter (Vee Jay VJLP 3006/SR 3006), The Cooker (Blue Note BLP 1578/BST 81578), The Sermon (Blue Note BLP 4011/BST 84011) – Source: Discogs.com

© 2024 by Edward Thomas Carter

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CHRIS BOTTI

Grammy-winning trumpeter Chris Botti has been one of the most popular instrumentalists in the world for nearly three decades. He’s collaborated with some of the biggest superstars on the planet, including Sting, Paul Simon, Barbra Streisand, Lady Gaga, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, Bette Midler, Joni Mitchell, Steven Tyler, Andrea Bocelli, Herbie Hancock and Yo-Yo Ma. He’s topped the jazz charts with numerous albums, earned multiple gold and platinum records, performed with symphony orchestras and on prestigious stages from Carnegie Hall to the Hollywood Bowl and the Sydney Opera House.

There’s nothing like a Chris Botti concert. He’s the complete package: a dazzling trumpeter at home in everything from jazz to pop and rock, a brilliant bandleader who lets his players shine and a born showman whose joy at being onstage is infectious.

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JEREMY PELT QUINTET

Born in the United States, Jeremy Pelt is one of the most outstanding trumpeters in the jazz world. A multiple winner of the prestigious Down Beat magazine’s plebiscite, he began his rapidly developing career in 1998, when, after graduating from Berklee College of Music, he moved to New York and joined the Mingus Big Band. 

Pelt built many others on this relationship, very quickly gaining great recognition in the local jazz community, starting cooperation with the greatest masters of this genre (including performances and recordings by Cliff Barbaro, Keter Betts, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Ravi Coltrane, Frank Foster, Winard Harper, Jimmy Heath, Vincent Herring, John Hicks, Charli Persip, Ralph Peterson, Lonnie Plaxico, Bobby Short, Cedar Walton, Frank Wess, Nancy Wilson and The Skatalites). He often performs alongside renowned bands such as The Village Vanguard Orchestra and Duke Ellington Big Band, and is also a member of the Lewis Nash Septet and The Cannonball Adderley Legacy with guest artist Louis Hayes. As a leader, Pelt has recorded ten albums, toured around the world with his own various bands, and appeared at many festivals and jazz stages. 

Pelt’s recordings and performances have earned him critical acclaim, both at home and abroad. Nat Hentoff, legendary jazz columnist and producer, singled out Jeremy Pelt in the Wall Street Journal. For five years in a row, Downbeat Magazine and the Jazz Journalist Association have named Pelt a rising trumpet star. In 2023, the Jazz Journalist Association named Pelt the best trumpeter in the United States – Trumpeter of the Year.

In 2021, Jeremy Pelt made his debut as a writer, publishing the first in the planned series “Griot: Examining the Lives of Jazz’s Great Storytellers” vol.I, in 2022 vol.II, and in spring 2023 vol.III. The books contain conversations, most of which concern issues of racial and cultural identity and attitude to life.

Pelt is currently touring promoting his latest album, Jeremy Pelt – Soundtrack.

Line-up:
Jeremy Pelt – trumpet
Alex Wintz – guitar
Jalen Baker – vibraphone
Leighton Harrell – bass
Jared Spears – drums 

Tickets In Dollars:  $38.65

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KEYON HARROLD

Keyon Harrold, a world-class jazzman, returns to Warsaw at Jassmine and will feature his new album Foreverland. It is full of emotion and drama, a triumphant journey that takes the listener through good, bad, ugly and beautiful experiences, leading to wisdom. Harrold says: What I can offer as a musician playing an instrument is an honest communication of emotion.

We had the opportunity to hear Harrold’s trumpet on two Grammy Award-winning albums – the soundtrack to the film “Miles Ahead” and “Take Me to the Alley” by Gregory Porter. In the Jazz Times readers’ vote for the best newcomer of 2015, Keyon took second place. Wynton Marsalis himself called him “the future of the trumpet”. The work of the star of the Jassmine concert is the result of jazz traditions, the spirit of soul and R&B music, and hip-hop energy and authenticity. Keyon Harrold doesn’t care about genre labels.

Tickets In Dollars: $51.61

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