Sat 6 Jan
(Repeat from last Jan 23)
Sun 7 Jan
(Repeat from last Jan 23)
Sun 7 Jan
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I caught some of the J-Z broadcast coming back from St Mary's and recall hearing this before. There were some interesting tracks but I felt that the New Regency Orchestra sounded under-rehearsed/ I am quite fascinated by Latin Big Band jazz and understand exactly where the inspiration for this ground came from yet felt a band like Jesus Almeny's"Cubanissimo" do this kind of stuff far better. I have one of his records after hearing them perform live abiut twenty years ago and love the 40's / 50's style of writing. Alot of the form of this kind of music is actually quite simple but the way the percussion instruments act is where the music becomes sophisticated. For me, Cuban Jazz like this can be the equivalent of Bach counterpoint but for percussion. When you listen closely when this is done well, it can be fascinating listening to how the percussion instruments dovetail amongst each other. The concert recording was hashed and the muddy quality oscures what was doing on with the percussion. In my opinion, this band were pretty poor and not a patch of groups like Almeny's or the larger Buena Vista Social Club orchestra which I caught live on a number of occasions and remains one of the best large ensembles I have heard in concert. The New Regency Band sounded like the newly assembled band it was. I hope they improve. You need to listen to a band like Bobby Sanabria's to understand how hard-hitting this music can be. Latin Jazz had a huge pedigree and maybe does not get the attention it fully deserves. -
Rather than open a new thread, Rachel Musson's new CD, "Immense Blue", one track from which was featured on Saturday's Freeness, gets a positive review in today's London Jazz News, as does Nikk Iles' "Face to Face" recording from last year with the NDR big band, with the latter's reviewer bemoaning lack of funding for similar such outfits in this country for forcing our top talents into working elsewhere. But it was the very well-written review of newly released tracks from a private collection of Don Byas recordings made between 1944 and 1946 I want to link to here. I seem to recall Byas playing with huge gusto at the old Ronnie's in around 1965 or '66 as a physically small mustachioed Mexican-looking figure wearing a sombrero, who had added anticipatory excitement for me since he was on my very first "modern jazz" LP purchase, "The Greatest of Dizzy Gillespie" - including the famous big band titles "Manteca" and "Cubana Be/Bop", but also four tracks by Dizzy's septet of 1946 alongside the remarkable future-pointing guitarist Bill Darango and Don Byas - these not included on this release. I remember how startling was Byas's ability to play rhythmic tricks that looked forward to Rollins, and at the fastest tempo in "52nd Street Theme", this being remarked on by my cousin Bill, "How did he DO that?!", who had got me into "modern jazz" in the first place. Here's that LJN review:
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Shame that Don Byas is over-looked now but he was typical of a generation of players who emerged in the swing era yet were able to take on board the development of Be-bop. An even better example for me is Coleman Hawkins who I first encountered on old recordings by the likes of Fletcher Henderson yet evolve to really push the boundaries of jazz improvisation . When I was 14/15, Coleman Hawkins and Benny Carter were the two jazz musicians he really pulled me towards the idea of jazz improvisation as opposed to just loving the energy of the music. When you delve deeper, there are others like Lucky Thompson, Budd Johnson and Ike Quebec who emerged in the late Swing Era yet always sounded "modern." I still feel that these musicians were master craftsmen.Comment
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Documentary/portrait of Don Byas when he was (I think) living in Amsterdam. My memory is that both he and Lucky Thompson separately had a big falling out with Stan Tracey at Ronnie's. "if you are going to play that shit, at least play it quietly". Nice. A lot of Don Byas and Lucky in early Benny Golson.
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Flip Phillips was another who's been mentioned here in the past if I remember correctly - possibly by yourself.Originally posted by Ian Thumwood View PostComment
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I must have been in attendance on a good night then! Thanks for the link - will look at that later.Originally posted by BLUESNIK'S REVOX View PostDocumentary/portrait of Don Byas when he was (I think) living in Amsterdam. My memory is that both he and Lucky Thompson separately had a big falling out with Stan Tracey at Ronnie's. "if you are going to play that shit, at least play it quietly". Nice. A lot of Don Byas and Lucky in early Benny Golson.
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Don Byas with Stan Tracey at Ronnie's, "I remember Clifford", spoken intro. Interesting accent. I think one of his names was Carlos, or maybe it's from living in Europe.
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The likes of Don Byas, Flip Phillips and Lucky Thompson are not forgotten in the saxophone-playing community, at least by the older players. Not sure about the younger ones, though.all words are trains for moving past what really has no nameComment
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Don Byas with Bent Axen, NHOP & William Schiopffe playing ‘Anthropology’ at Jazzus Montmartre, 1963:
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That's the first Don Byas album I owned - a marvellous tenor player, a big influence on Roland Kirk he loved Don.Originally posted by Jazzrook View PostDon Byas with Bent Axen, NHOP & William Schiopffe playing ‘Anthropology’ at Jazzus Montmartre, 1963:
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Another great version of 'Anthropology' featurlng Don's contemporary Lucky Thompson and Bud Powell from the 'Blue Note Paris in 1960
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Thanks, elmo - will have to search for that album!
Here's Don Byas with Bud Powell, Pierre Michelot & Kenny Clarke playing 'I Remember Clifford' recorded at Studio Chariot, Paris in 1961:
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The names mentioned in the London Jazz review of the DOn Byas album suggests that the music is really tempting. I love this era of Swing -to- bop music and it is great to read of the likes of pianist Clyde Hart who was a neglected pioneer of bop. As a teenager, I was obsessed with these kinds of bands and the excitement of the music they produced was still palpable to me. It is a shame that jazz progressed so quickly that this music seemed to exist for a fleeting moment.
This is one track I always loved. Prefer the slower take but Coleman Hawkins in imperious on both. This a record which really made me appreciate the process of improvisation. Even in 1940, Jazz was starting to sound "modern." Benny Carter is pretty impressive on trumpet too.
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