Unsung Women of Jazz #1 – Dorothy Ashby

Posted in Unsung Women of Jazz with tags , , , , on April 1, 2011 by curtjazz

Dorothy Ashby (1932 – 1986)

“This isn’t just a novelty, though that is what you expect. The harp has a clean jazz voice with a resonance and syncopation that turn familiar jazz phrasing inside out.” – Dorothy Ashby

The harp is not an instrument that easily gives itself over to free swing and quick improvisations. That’s one of the reasons why there have been very few credible jazz harpists. In fact, I can only think of four working today: Lori Andrews, Edmar Castaneda, Deborah Henson-Conant and Brandee Younger.

Dorothy Ashby was a pioneer. She was the first to play credible bebop on the harp.  She showed that this unwieldy instrument could actually swing.

She was born Dorothy Jeanne Thompson in Detroit, in 1932. Her father was a jazz guitarist, who would often bring home fellow musicians to jam.  Young Dorothy would be a part of some of these sessions, sitting in on piano.  She attended Detroit’s famed Cass Technical High School, where her classmates included jazz luminaries Kenny Burrell and Donald Byrd.  Her early instruments were the sax and the bass before turning to the harp.  She studied piano and music education at Wayne State University. 

In 1952, Dorothy set out to make a living on the competitive Detroit jazz scene.  She easily could have found work as a pianist, but she made the gutsy decision to concentrate on her beloved harp.  The cats in Detroit weren’t too keen on making the harp and its perceived ethereal, effete sound part of a jazz combo. To overcome this resistance, Dorothy organized free shows and played at dances and weddings with her harp-led combo, which included her husband, John Ashby, on drums.  Eventually she won doubters over and the gigs and recordings began to come with some regularity.

(“Thou Swell” from – Dorothy Ashby’s The Jazz Harpist)

Her first full jazz LP, The Jazz Harpist, was recorded for Savoy in 1957, with Frank Wess on flute, Eddie Jones and Wendell Marshall on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums.  The album was a mix of standards, such as “Thou Swell” and “Stella by Starlight”, and Ms. Ashby’s originals. It was critically well received, but the record buying public ignored it. Her next album Hip Harp, (1958) on Prestige, was one her best, with Wess, Dave Brubeck’s bassist Gene Wright and Art Taylor on drums.  In all Dorothy led ten sessions between 1957 and 1970 Atlantic, Cadet and many other labels.

(From Hip Harp, this is “There’s A Small Hotel”)

She was fearless in her musical choices as she played not just bop, but soul, Brazilian, African, Middle Eastern and like her contemporary (and other great jazz harpist) Alice Coltrane, free jazz.  Ms. Ashby pioneered the use of the Japanese koto in jazz on her 1970 album The Rubaiyat of Dorothy Ashby, which was somewhat maligned in its time, but has become appreciated as an iconoclastic  marriage of soul, world music and free jazz. 

(Here’s “The Moving Finger” from The Rubaiyat of Dorothy Ashby)

Music was not Dorothy Ashby’s only love. In the ‘60’s Dorothy and her husband formed a theatrical group in Detroit that produced plays with theme’s relevant to the Motor City’s black community.  The group went by several names, the most common being “The Ashby Players”. Many of these productions were musical, with John writing the scripts and Dorothy the music and lyrics, as well as playing harp, piano and leading the musicians.  In the late ‘60’s the Ashbys moved to California and continued their theatrical endeavors. Among the actors in their early California troupe was Ernie Hudson, of Ghostbusters fame.(

Dorothy also sought work as a harpist in the Los Angeles area recording studios in the early ‘70’s, which was no small feat considering that there were quite a few harpists out there already. However, she had made the acquaintance of singer Bill Withers, who used her on his classic + ‘Justments album. Bill introduced Dorothy to Stevie Wonder, who happened to be working on the sessions that would become Songs in the Key of Life.  He had written a tune that was meant to be a duet between himself and a harpist. Stevie had Alice Coltrane in mind, but she was unavailable at the time of the recording session. So instead, he called Dorothy Ashby. Those who don’t know another thing about Ms. Ashby’s music know her unforgettable performance on “If it’s Magic”.

(I had hoped to insert a clip of “If It’s Magic”, but EMI’s corporate blockers made it impossible. You can hear the clip on YouTube. Sorry! – CD)

That performance opened studio doors for Dorothy. Jazz was struggling in the late ‘70’s but Dorothy was very busy, recording with artist such as Earth, Wind and Fire (All ‘n All), The Emotions, Rick James and The Gap Band.  Though she would not record another album as a leader, she continued to work steadily until her death from cancer in 1986.

Though Dorothy Ashby is still far from well-known, young musicians with a respect for history such as the aforementioned Brandee Younger are thankfully, doing their part to keep Dorothy Ashby’s legacy alive. 

Check out Dorothy Ashby.  She may not have been the first, but she was truly an original.

(Brandee Younger Trio performs “Blue Nile”)

Recommended Recordings:

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Unsung Women of Jazz – The Introduction

Posted in Unsung Women of Jazz with tags , , , , , , , on March 31, 2011 by curtjazz

Our newest Obscure Jazz Masters series will deal not with an instrument, but with gender. 

I’ve seen many articles and musical compilations that deal with “Women in Jazz” but most seem to overwhelmingly favor singers. The reason is kind of understandable. For so long, “vocalist” has been the dominant role of women in jazz. And yes, the list of great female jazz singers could fill many a book and blog and start many unwinnable arguments. 

However, the list of legendary female instrumentalists is much smaller. If asked to name ten great jazzwomen who didn’t sing, many people will start with the great pianist Mary Lou Williams, perhaps follow with organist Shirley Scott and  then begin to mumble and stare at their shoes. 

It’s not the fault of the artists. From its roots, jazz has been a male dominated genre, except for the singers. Women on an instrument have often been viewed unfortunately, as a novelty act; especially if they play anything but the piano. And even then, many fine women pianists have been pushed toward singing, in order to make themselves more “palatable” to mainstream audiences (as if a woman displaying instrumental virtuosity would frighten children or something!).

Thankfully, times have begun to change, albeit at a glacial pace.  Though there is still a considerable amount of chauvinism in many corners of the jazz world, I’ve been encouraged of late by the number of very good female instrumentalists that I see on the regularly on the jazz scene; Ingrid Jensen,  Anat Cohen, Sherrie Maricle and the indomitable DIVA Jazz Orchestra, Geri Allen, Cindy Blackman, Tia Fuller and of course, Grammy Winner Esperanza Spalding are just a few of the women who are kicking down the boys club door. These artists (and more) offer uncompromising musicianship at a level of excellence that makes their gender irrelevant.

So this next series of undeservedly obscure jazz masters will consist of ten women instrumentalists. Most of them are not active today, but all of them had a lot to say with their axes.

Some of them will be familiar names to those well versed in the idiom, but that’s cool. My objective with these series is not to stump the cognoscenti, but to bring someone new to the attention of the casual to moderate jazz listener.

I’ve tried to provide a few available recordings and musical samples by each of the artists; so if you dig them, you can buy their music… better late than never.

They will be listed in alphabetical order; one per post; starting with the next post, tomorrow, April 1.

Please feel free to leave comments. I love reading them, I will post them all (unless they are obscene or spam) and I try to respond to as many as possible.

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Gretchen Parlato’s new CD now on NPR’s “First Listen”

Posted in CD Reviews, The Jazz Continues..., Video Vault, Who's New in Jazz with tags , , , on March 29, 2011 by curtjazz

As I write this brief post, I’m digging The Lost and Found,  the latest CD from the wonderful young jazz singer Gretchen Parlato, which hits the streets a week from today (Tuesday, 4/5). I’m hearing it courtesy of NPR’s terrific “First Listen”, which allows listeners to stream selected works in their entirety prior to their release.

I’ll resist the temptation to review the album, since I’m still in the process of listening to it. But I will say that I was a fan Ms. Parlato’s first two CD’s and six tracks into this one, which was co-produced by Robert Glasper, I’ve found nothing to disappoint me. In fact, I’m sitting here typing and listening with a beatific smile on my face, so I’d say that we’re off to a good start.

But don’t take my word for it, listen for yourself by clicking on the link below.

Gretchen Parlato – The Lost and Found on NPR “First Listen”

And if you dig it, BUY IT when it is released on Tuesday, 4/5.  Click the album cover below to pre-order on Amazon.com

For those who want something a little more visual, here’s Ms. Parlato singing “Butterfly”. Enjoy!

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Obscure Trumpet Masters #10 – Tommy Turrentine

Posted in Obscure Trumpet Masters with tags , , , , , , , , on March 25, 2011 by curtjazz

Tommy Turrentine (1928 –1997)

As a trumpet soloist Turrentine had all the qualities necessary for greatness. He had a full, warm tone throughout the range of the instrument and possessed the ability to create solos using long unbroken lines. His flair for melodic improvisation using long climaxes often contrasted sharply with the more disjointed creations of younger men who seemed anxious to brush aside convention. – Alun Morgan

He was the older brother of one of the most famous jazz musicians of the ‘60’s and ‘70’s. His kid brother recorded dozens of albums, including a few that are fondly remembered as classics. He was every bit the musician that baby brother was. Yet Stanley Turrentine is a bona fide jazz legend, while Tommy Turrentine, who recorded only one album as a leader in his entire career, is unknown to all but ardent jazz fans and the many musicians who still marvel at his gifts, both as a trumpet player and as a composer.

Thomas Walter Turrentine, Jr. was born in Pittsburgh in 1928, six years before Stanley.  He joined Benny Carter’s Big Band at eighteen. In his early twenties, he played with Billy Eckstine, Dizzy Gillespie and briefly with Count Basie.  He and Stanley then joined Earl Bostic in 1952 for a three-year bid. 

In 1959, the Turrentine brothers received their first major exposure when they joined Max Roach’s quintet. There, Tom and Stan took part in some enduring works, including Quiet as it’s Kept; Abbey Lincoln’s Abbey is Blue  and the drum battle Rich vs. Roach.  In 1960, while with Roach, he also recorded his first (and last) album, the eponymous Tommy Turrentine.  He was backed by his Roach bandmates plus pianist Horace Parlan.  Tommy Turrentine’s compositions took center stage, as he wrote five of the seven tracks on this solid and swinging date, which went unnoticed for the most part.

(Tommy Turrentine plays “Time’s Up”,  from Tommy Turrentine)

Ironically, Tommy Turrentine drew more attention for his work as a sideman, subsequent to his own album.  Stanley signed with Blue Note in 1961.  Tommy came along as a sideman on Stan’s first Blue Note album Comin’ Your Way.  Tommy also wrote the track “Thomasville” for that record; one of his most enduring compositions.  Tommy was not done yet for Blue Note; that year as he also played on and/or contributed tunes to  Parlan’s On the Spur of the Moment and Up & Down;  Jackie McLean’s A Fickle Sonance and Sonny Clark’s classic Leapin’ and Lopin’ .  In 1962-63, he added Stanley’s Jubilee Shout!!!, That’s Where it’s At and Never Let Me Go; Big John Patton’s Blue John and Lou Donaldson’s The Natural Soul to his performing and writing credits. 

(“Sow Belly Blues” from Lou Donaldson’s The Natural Soul. Tommy Turrentine – trumpet)

Though he was the technical equal of Blue Note’s rising trumpet stars Freddie Hubbard and Lee Morgan, he wasn’t as personally brash as those two. Perhaps that intangible was the missing element that kept Tommy Turrentine from greater prominence. He was also said to suffer from some health problems that curtailed his work. Whatever the reason, Tommy Turrentine pretty much faded into obscurity by the mid ‘60’s; around the same time that Stanley was rising towards the pinnacle. 

(From Sonny Clark’s Leapin’ and Lopin’ – “Midnight Mambo” – Tommy Turrentine; composer and trumpet)

He would appear on a few albums (including interestingly enough, one with Sun Ra in 1988) and at a few club dates here and there, but by the ‘70’s, Tommy Turrentine, the musician, was in semi-retirement, with his wife, in his New York City brownstone.  Tommy Turrentine, the composer, the teacher and the mentor, never stopped working however, until his passing in 1997.  Like Idrees Sulieman (Obscure Trumpet Master #9) he wrote many compositions that went unperformed and were published by Don Sickler’s Second Floor music.  The four that are included in Brian Lynch’s Unsung Heroes series, are all memorable. 

(From Unsung Heroes; Vol.2 – Brian Lynch Sextet debuting Tommy Turrentine’s “It Could Be”)

His knowledge of jazz and the people who played it is one of the reasons why, though the public’s favorite Turrentine was Stanley, many musicians still remember Tommy with great respect and fondness.

(Tommy Turrentine from the NYPL’s Jazz Oral History Series (1993))

Recommended Recordings:

This is the final post in the Obscure Trumpet Masters Series. I’m humbled to know that so many jazz fans and musicians have taken the time to read all or part of this labor of love.  Special thanks to Brian Lynch, Dave Douglas and Jason Parker (three modern-day trumpet masters who deserve to be heard more often) for their words and tweets of encouragement.

I also appreciate the suggestions from everyone, for other fine artists who should be on this list. Since this was never intended to be an exhaustive study, I knew that there would be many great, underappreciated players who would not be mentioned. But I say to fans of trumpet masters such as Dupree Bolton, Richard Williams, Guido Basso, Tomasz Stanko, Howard McGhee and many others; y’all have given me some food for thought and additional study. Hmmm…perhaps there will be a second series.

Thanks again to all of you!

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Obscure Trumpet Masters #9 – Idrees Sulieman

Posted in Obscure Trumpet Masters with tags , , , on March 21, 2011 by curtjazz

Idrees Sulieman (1923 – 2002)

The thing to realize about Idrees is that he went back to the very beginnings of bebop, took part in some of the most interesting hard bop of the ’50s with Coltrane and others, played lead for Tadd Dameron alongside Clifford Brown; he…was still stretching and sounding as modern as anyone in the ’70s, ’80s, and even in the ’90s. – Brian Lynch

“Bell-clear tone, swings hard, creative soloist – Find more of his stuff!!”

Those are the words I scribbled on a scrap of paper about Idrees Sulieman when I first heard him 25 years ago, on an album called The Cats.  I found that paper about a year ago, inside that LP’s sleeve.  It caused me to go back and start revisiting Mr. Sulieman’s work… I’m still impressed.

Born Leonard Graham in St. Petersburg, FL, in 1923; he changed his name to Idrees Sulieman when he converted to Islam. Sulieman originally wanted to be a sax player, but switched to the trumpet because his father could not afford a saxophone.  (During the ‘60’s, Sulieman again picked up the alto sax and became fairly proficient) Sulieman studied at the Boston Conservatory and gained early experience with the Carolina Cotton Pickers.  He left to join the Earl Hines Big Band in 1943. Bird and Diz were both in the Hines Band then and it had a profound effect on Sulieman. Diz’s play inspired Sulieman to perfect his own style.

During the mid ‘40’s, in addition to Hines, Sulieman logged time with Mary Lou Williams, Cab Calloway and Thelonious Monk. In fact, Sulieman’s played on Monk’s first sides, in 1947. By the mid’50’s, he had found his niche as a top flight bebop sideman. He appeared on Max Roach’s first studio album in 1953 and alongside Gigi Gryce on Mal-1, Mal Waldron’s first disc.

This is “Humph” from Monk’s Genius of Modern Music – Volume 1, which includes some of those ’47 sessions:

Other notable turns as a sideman or co-leader include The Hawk Flies High a Coleman Hawkins session, with Hank Jones, J.J. Johnson, Oscar Pettiford and Papa Jo Jones (Check out “Juicy Fruit” – Sulieman holds a single note for 57 seconds, thanks to circular breathing techniques.);  Interplay for 2 Trumpets and 2 Tenors, along with John Coltrane, Donald Byrd and Bobby Jaspar; Coolin’ with vibraphonist Teddy Charles and Waldron; Three Trumpets with Byrd and Art Farmer and the aforementioned The Cats with Coltrane, Tommy Flanagan, Kenny Burrell, Louis Hayes and Doug Watkins.  Their version of Flanagan’s “Minor Mishap”(below)  is on my list of all-time favorite jazz performances.

The early ‘60’s saw Sulieman moving to Stockholm, where he played with Eric Dolphy, Bud Powell and Don Byas. He cut his first disc as a leader, The Camel, for Swedish Columbia, in 1964. He also returned to big band work, with a decade’s worth of fine recordings with the Clarke-Boland Big Band and the Danish Radio Orchestra, after moving to Copenhagen.

Although Sulieman was on the scene for parts of six decades, his discography as a leader is surprisingly thin.  His three albums for Steeplechase are all available. The best of these is Now Is The Time, from 1976, with Cedar Walton, Sam Jones and Higgins. Though it was almost 20 years after The Cats, Sulieman was as strong and swinging as ever.

Though he performed sparingly during his later years, Sulieman remained a prolific composer.  His estate includes a horde of compositions that were never recorded.  Trumpeter Don Sickler’s publishing company, Second Floor Music, published the tunes but much of it is still unperformed. Brian Lynch has begun to rectify that, by recording four Sulieman works on his recent Unsung Heroes project.

Sulieman died of bladder cancer in his native St. Petersburg on July 23, 2002. He left an impressive and eclectic body of work that should be heard; though it takes a bit of cross referencing to find.

Trust me, he’s worth it.

Recommended Recordings:

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Jimmy Heath – “Why Ben Webster Learned the Lyrics”

Posted in Video Vault on March 19, 2011 by curtjazz

I found this video via a tweet a few days ago. I thought it was a great lesson; told in a delightful way by Jimmy Heath who IMHO, is one the five greatest living tenor players. (There’s also a brief, subtle allusion to Johnny Griffin’s seemingly unending peevishness.)

It was recorded earlier this year, as Mr. Heath was sitting for JazzTimes “Before and After” test at the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival.

Jimmy Heath is not only a wonderful artist, he is a delight to have around. Hope you enjoy it!

Here’s a bit o’ musical Heath from his rare Picture of Heath album – “For Minors Only”; with Barry Harris – piano; San Jones – bass; Billy Higgins – drums



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Melvin Sparks – In Memoriam

Posted in In Memoriam with tags , , , on March 16, 2011 by curtjazz

Melvin Sparks (1946-2011)

I heard earlier today that Melvin Sparks had passed away from heart failure, just days before his 65th birthday. 

Sparks was not well-known, even in jazz circles, so I figured that I would tell y’all a little bit about him.

Sparks was a good guitarist who was most active during the soul-jazz heyday of the late ‘60’s and early ‘70’s.  He was on many of the Prestige Records albums of that time and even on few Blue Note dates.  If you dug Lou Donaldson’s Hot Dog, Lonnie Smith’s Think!, Charles Earland’s Black Talk! or Rusty Bryant’s Soul Liberation, then you’ve probably heard Sparks’ bluesy Grant Green influenced playing. 

He dropped a few projects under his own name during the early ‘70’s as well; all very much within the groovy soul-jazz vein of the era. The best of these were his debut Sparks! with Houston Person and Spark Plug, which featured a young Grover Washington, Jr. on tenor. 

Here’s “The Stinker” from Sparks!

In the so-called “Acid Jazz” era of the ‘90’s, Sparks underwent a bit of a career renaissance.  Sparks! and Spark Plug were compiled on one CD as a part of Prestige’s Legends of Acid Jazz series, which got him some new attention.

Sparks then recorded his first sides as a leader in almost two decades (most for Savant Records) and as the work came again for the other old soul-jazz cats, they gave Sparks a call.  During the ‘90’s and early 2000’s he backed Donaldson and Earland again; as well as Jimmy McGriff, Hank Crawford and relative newcomer Joey DeFrancesco.

He was still going strong until recently, bringing joy to multiple generations with his still nimble playing, as you can see in the clip below.  He was a part of an era of jazz that many people unfortunately, try to forget. But Melvin Sparks should be remembered.

Rest in Peace.

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Obscure Trumpet Masters #8 – Louis Smith

Posted in Obscure Trumpet Masters, The Jazz Continues... with tags on March 15, 2011 by curtjazz

Louis Smith

It will not take you long to discern…what it was that [Blue Note Records founder] Alfred Lion found in Louis Smith to give him the same faith he had in Brownie, in Horace Silver and Lee Morgan and all the many others whose careers he has helped. – Leonard Feather

 

Every one of the cats who has been a part of this series has had an almost Sisyphean encounter with fame. Louis Smith is no exception.

Born in Memphis in 1931, Louis Smith began playing the trumpet as a teenager. He graduated high school with a scholarship to Tennessee State University, where he majored in music. After graduating from Tennessee, Smith continued his studies at the University of Michigan, which afforded him the opportunity to play with Miles, Diz and others as they passed through Ann Arbor.  After a stint in the Army, Smith began teaching high school in Atlanta by day and jamming in the clubs at night, again impressing visiting jazz stars with his Fats Navarro/Clifford Brown influenced style.

The next year, he recorded his debut as a leader, assembling an impressive group, including Duke Jordan, Tommy Flanagan, Art Taylor, Doug Watkins and on alto saxophone, “Buckshot La Funke”, who was more commonly known as Cannonball Adderley. The record label, Tom Wilson’s Transition Records, went out of business before the album could be released. However Alfred Lion, knowing a good thing when he heard it, bought the masters and signed Smith to an exclusive contract. The album was released as Here Comes Louis Smith.

In 1958, Smith appeared again with Burrell on the now classic Blue Lights sessions and on another Blue Note date under his own name, Smithville; with Charlie Rouse, Sonny Clark, Paul Chambers and Taylor. He also briefly joined Horace Silver’s group. There was thought to be no recorded evidence of his time with Silver, until the discovery and release in 2008 of the amazing Live at Newport ’58 album.

At 27, Louis Smith seemed destined for jazz stardom. However, seeking security and stability, Smith abruptly retired from the music business, moved back to Ann Arbor, and taught at the U. of Michigan and in the public school system for the next 20 years.

In 1978 Smith returned to the scene with two albums over the next two years, on Steeplechase: Just Friends and Prancin’.  Smith was in fine form on these albums, proving that the twenty year absence had not affected his chops – which may have been why he took another eleven year sabbatical before his next recording, Ballads for Lulu, in 1990.  Smith then retired from teaching and got down to some serious recording, making nine more discs, all on Steeplechase, between 1994 and 2004. 

Unfortunately, we are not likely to hear anymore from this should be legend; Louis Smith suffered a stroke in 2005, resulting in aphasia, which has robbed him of the ability to play the trumpet and makes verbal communication very difficult. He is said to be improving, thanks to intensive therapy, including music therapy.  We wish Louis Smith well in his recovery.

On Volume 2 of Unsung Heroes, Brian Lynch dedicates his composition “’Nother Never” to Louis Smith. Once you hear Mr. Smith play, you’ll understand why.

From Unsung Heroes – Vol. 1, here’s the Brian Lynch Sextet playing Louis Smith’s “Wetu”

 

Recommended Recordings:

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Obscure Trumpet Masters #7 – Bobby Shew

Posted in Obscure Trumpet Masters with tags , , , , on March 5, 2011 by curtjazz

Bobby Shew

“Don’t be afraid TO TRY!! Better to explore and discover than to keep your head and mind buried in the sand of tradition (and misinformation). – Bobby Shew

The first time I ever heard a CD, Bobby Shew was playing.

I was working at Macy’s in the early 80’s, selling rugs. We were located right next to electronics. The audio guys loved to demonstrate this new “digital technology”. What better way to do it than with Bobby Shew and Chuck Findley’s then new release, Trumpets No End. The stunningly clear sound and the musician’s technical mastery made me a fan of Shew (and CDs) for life.

Bobby Shew is a musician’s musician. Cats on the scene speak highly of him; his name is listed in the trumpet section of countless recordings; he’s still a first call sideman, he is a universally respected clinician and he has also recorded some very impressive work as a leader. But outside of musicians and true jazz cognoscenti, he is unknown.

Born Robert Joratz in Albuquerque, NM in 1941, Bobby Shew began playing the guitar at the age of eight and switched to the trumpet at ten. Paradoxically, for such a renowned educator, Shew is for the most part, self-taught. By the time he was thirteen he was playing at local dances with a number of bands and by fifteen he had put together his own group to play at dances, occasional concerts and in jazz coffee houses. Shew’s professional career began when he was in high school; playing as many as six nights a week in a dinner club.

(In the clip below, Bobby Shew trades licks with himself, using a creation he calls the “Shewhorn”)

A few years later, Shew joined the Tommy Dorsey ghost band, which led to him being asked to play with Woody Herman in 1965.  When Buddy Rich formed his big band the next year, Shew got a call. Many other similar situations followed and Bobby played lead trumpet for a number of pop stars. This brought him to Las Vegas where he became prominent in various hotels and casinos. By this time Bobby was widely known for his strong lead playing rather than as a jazz soloist. So late in 1972 he decided to make a move to the Los Angeles area in order to get re-involved in developing as a jazz player.

Once in LA, Bobby quickly found what he was looking for.  In the years to come he spent time with the groups of Art Pepper, Bud Shank, and Horace Silver, plus numerous big bands such as Louis Bellson, Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabackin, Oliver Nelson, Terry Gibbs, Benny Goodman and Maynard Ferguson.

Telepathy, Bobby’s 1978 debut as a leader (at the tender age of 37), happened by accident; a quintet album was to be recorded that day and had to be cancelled, due to scheduling conflicts. Shew and pianist Bill Mays suddenly found themselves alone in the studio with the booked time available.  Without a lot of discussion, they chose six standards and created two on the spot improvisations.  The result was a fine duet album. Telepathy has never been released on CD, but if you stumble across a copy of the LP, it is worth picking up.

Having just turned 70 on March 4, Bobby Shew (http://www.bobbyshew.com/) is still very active, mostly on the West Coast jazz scene. If you get a chance to hear him live, check him out; or pick up one of the excellent discs below. You’ll be glad you did.
Recommended Recordings:

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Obscure Trumpet Masters #6 – Dizzy Reece

Posted in Obscure Trumpet Masters with tags , on February 24, 2011 by curtjazz

Dizzy Reece

“There’s a great trumpeter over in England, a guy who’s got soul and originality and above all, who’s not afraid to blow with fire”. – Miles Davis  (about Dizzy Reece)

You can’t have a conversation about the great trumpet players in jazz without the name “Dizzy” coming into the discussion.  Naturally, when that name is used, almost everyone will assume that you’re referring to the great John Birks Gillespie.

Let me introduce you to another “Dizzy”; Alphonso Son Reece.  The son of a silent films pianist, “Dizzy” Reece was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1931.  Contrary to what you’d expect, he did not get his nickname because of any similarity between himself and Birks, but because as a young man, he liked to wander the dangerous streets of Kingston late at night, getting into precarious situations.

In an attempt to keep him out of trouble, young Alphonso was sent to Alpha Boys School, a learning institution in Kingston, run by Catholic Nuns.  Established as a school for wayward boys, Alpha developed a reputation also turning out some fine musical talent.  Reece’s first instrument was the baritone horn; and at age 14, he switched to the trumpet.

In 1947 Reece moved to London, seeking more musical opportunities; he found them. He worked regularly in London, Paris, Germany and Holland. He became known as much for his blistering trumpet solos as for his at times, difficult personality.  But this is jazz, not charm school. So while Dizzy’s temperament may have ticked off a few writers and band members along the way, it did not stop him from getting the attention of visiting American jazz stars, such as Sonny Rollins, Thad Jones, Kenny Clarke and Miles Davis.

Blue Note records founder, Alfred Lion, heard about Reece and reached out to British jazz producer Tony Hall, asking Hall to produce Dizzy’s first American sides – for Blue Note – in 1958. The resulting album, Blues in Trinity, was an auspicious debut.   The sidemen were British jazz stars Tubby Hayes on tenor and Terry Shannon on piano, Canadian bassist Lloyd Thompson and visiting Americans Art Taylor on drums and Donald Byrd as a second trumpet.  The music is high quality hard bop, typical for the period.

From Blues in Trinity, Dizzy Reece plays “I Had the Craziest Dream”

Lion was impressed enough with Blues in Trinity, to ask Reece to come to New York, which he did.  Two more Blue Note albums soon followed: Star Bright, with Hank Mobley, Wynton Kelly and Paul Chambers; and Soundin’ Off with Walter Bishop and Doug Watkins.  A final set of tunes were recorded for Blue Note in 1960, with Stanley Turrentine (in his Blue Note debut), Bobby Timmons, Duke Jordan, Sam Jones and Art Blakey. Those sides inexplicably remained in the vaults until they were released in 1999 as Comin’ On.

Yet, in spite of the hype and the fine recordings, Dizzy Reece did not become a star.  Perhaps it’s because the musical and social environment of New York in the early ‘60’s was extremely competitive and volatile.  Nevertheless, he remained in NYC, where he lives to this day.

His four Blue Note albums were available as part of a now out of print Mosaic Select set. His one recording for Prestige, 1962’s Asia Minor, an excellent date with Cecil Payne, Hank Jones and Ron Carter, is also now OOP but not hard to find.  After Asia Minor, Dizzy Reece would not lead another session until 1970 and he has only recorded three more since then.

His appearances as a sideman are also rare. The most notable ones are on Duke Jordan’s Flight to Jordan; and two albums from 1969: Hank Mobley’s penultimate session, The Flip and on Andrew Hill’s Passing Ships.  His most recent release, Nirvana in 2006, is as its title suggests, a rather mystical affair, steeped in Eastern musical styles.

For whatever reason it happened, Dizzy Reece’s musical obscurity is undeserved.  Check his music out. Then, the next time someone asks if you dig Dizzy, you may say “which one”.

Recommended Recordings:

  • Blues in Trinity (Blue Note) – CD (CD-R) in print; mp3 available 
  • Star Bright (Blue Note) – CD OOP; mp3 available
  • Asia Minor (New Jazz/OJC) – CD – OOP, but fairly available; mp3 available
  • Comin’ On (Blue Note) – CD (CD-R) in print

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