Daily Dose Of Jazz…

David Samuel Pike was born March 23, 1938 in Detroit, Michigan and learned drums at the age of eight and is self-taught on vibraphone. He made his recording debut with the Paul Bley Quartet in 1958. While working with flautist Herbie Mann in the early Sixties he began putting an amplifier on his vibe. By the late 1960s, Pike’s music became more exploratory, contributing a unique voice and new contexts that pushed the envelope in times remembered for their exploratory nature.

Dave’s release Doors of Perception produced by Mann in 1970 on Vortex Records explored ballads, modal territory, musique concrete, and free and lyrical improvisation. He has recorded as a leader and sideman with Lee Konitz, Chuck Israels, Herbie Mann, Bill Evans, Nick Brignola, and Kenny Clarke.

Pike’s move to Europe and his tenure at MPS Records produced some of the most original jazz of the period. He formed the Dave Pike Set and recorded six albums between 1969 and ’72 that ran the gamut from funky grooves to free, textural territory. The group, though short-lived, created a unique identity and textural palette.

Collaborating with Volker Kriegel during this period provided compositional and instrumental contributions to the group, playing acoustic, classical, and electric guitar as well as sitar, that helped set the Dave Pike Set’s sound apart, organically incorporating influences from jazz, soul jazz, psychedelia, avant-garde music, and World music. With 19 albums to his credit, vibraphonist Dave Pike continued exploring different realms of music until his passing away of lung emphysema on October 3, 2015 in del Mar, California.

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Requisites

The Last Concert: The Modern Jazz Quartet broke up after this concert documented on this two-fer, double LP recording. After a glorious 22-year career, it would be nearly seven years before the group would come back together but it certainly went out on top. Mostly revisiting their greatest hits, MJQ is heard playing inspired versions of Softly As In A Morning Sunrise, Bag’s Groove, Skating In Central Park, Confirmation, The Golden Striker and Django. This set is a real gem and an essential addition for all serious jazz collections.

Personnel: Milt Jackson – vibraphone, John Lewis – piano, Percy Heath – bass and Connie Kay – drums

Record Date: November 25, 1974

Songs:  Disc 1 – Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise, The Cylinder, Summertime, Really True Blues, What’s New?, Blues in a Minor, Confirmation, ‘Round Midnight, A Night in Tunisia, Tears from the Children, Blues in H (B), England’s Carol

Disc 2 – The Golden Striker, One Never Knows, Trav’lin’, Skating in Central Park, The Legendary Profile, Adagio from the Guitar Concerto: Concerto de Aranjuez, The Jasmine Tree, In Memoriam, Django, Bag’s Groove

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Buddy Montgomery was born Charles Montgomery on January 30, 1930 in Indianapolis, Indiana, the youngest of the Montgomery brothers. Learning to play piano and vibes he began his professional career in 1948 and would go on to play with Big Joe Turner the following year and then with Slide Hampton.

After a period in the Army, where he led his own quartet, he joined his brother Monk and formed the “Mastersounds” in the late 50’s and produced ten recordings. He would also lead the Montgomery-Johnson Quintet with Ray Johnson from 1957 – 59, and led his first recording session.

Buddy played briefly with Miles Davis but when the Mastersounds disbanded he and Monk joined brother Wes on number of “Montgomery Brothers” recordings, in which he arranged. They toured together in 1968, and it was in the middle of that tour that Wes died. In ’69 he moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and taught music until his move to Oakland in the Eighties where he release solo material and played with the Riverside Reunion Band alongside Charlie Rouse, David “Fathead” Newman and Bobby Hutcherson.

Buddy Montgomery, vibraphonist and pianist, continued to compose, arrange, perform, produce, teach and record, producing fourteen recordings as a leader up until his death on May 14, 2009.

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