The Lady Carmen

Few fans today know that Carmen McRae was a gifted pianist as well as singer. Here she
emotes from the keyboard during a late '50s gig. Photo from the NEA

I never liked Carmen McRae. Her hoarse, whisky-soaked voice never struck me as much more than one-dimensional. She seemed to sprechstimme her way through many of the tunes she performed. I much preferred Sarah Vaughan or Betty Carter. I only collected McRae records when they came my way gratis. Needless to say, my selection of Carmen material was pretty slim.

But then, my point of reference had always been the Atlantic sides that Carmen did in the '60s and '70s and the several she did for Mainstream afterward. They indeed showcased the later, roughened sound of McRae's voice and were an acquired taste in the way Etta Jones' in-tune/out-of-tune vocalizing is something one has to learn to hear. I never really learned to hear Carmen.

But then I found this record last week at a church thrift store in a town a few miles from where I live in the Catskills. I'm a changed man! This is Carmen McRae from 1959, and she is extraordinary. None of the coarse quality of her later recordings, no spoken lyrics. Carmen's voice here is fluid and lovely, filled with startling embellishments and superbly stated melodies.

Dave Kapp ran his
record label from
1954 to 1967.

She recorded several LPs in the late '50s for Kapp, a label that was started by Dave Kapp, brother of Decca founder Jack Kapp. Kapp lacked the financial depth that Decca had, so its productions tended to have a skimpy, cheap look. But much of the music on the label (jazz-wise) is excellent, and this recording by Carmen McRae is proof. Though Kapp burdens her with conventional string arrangements, she gets sympathetic support from a trio on some of the selections (probably Don Abney on piano) and she navigates the charts with real aplomb. You can clearly hear what a great jazz soloist she was. Check out "I Only Have Eyes for You," one of the trio sides on the album. Carmen demonstrates what a supple and inventive jazz improviser she was.

As always, these tunes were ripped from the original vinyl with only a slight cleaning of the sound. Be forewarned here that there is occasional slight crackle on some of the selections.

When You're Away
Carmen McRae
McRae, v; Luther Henderson Jr. Orchestra; *Frank Hunter Orchestra probably with Don Abney, p; Joe Benjamin, b; Charles Smith, d.
New York, NY; 1959; Kapp KL1135

1. When You're Away
2. The More I See You
3. I Only Have Eyes for You*
4. Willingly*
5. If I Could Be with You*
6. I'll Be Seeing You
7. I Concentrate on You
8. Ain't Misbehavin'*
9. Every Time We Say Goodbye
10. When Your Lover Has Gone
11. I'm Glad There Is You*
12. Two Faces in the Dark*

Find it here: https://www.mediafire.com/?gn2faqy2x7n2y8d

FM Farewell

Multi-reedist Herb Steward blowing tenor for a studio shot probably taken in the mid-'40s, around the time he was playing for Artie Shaw. His big break came in 1947 with Woody Herman. Photo from "Black Beauty, White Heat"

Never let it be said that we here at Gems are not an eclectic bunch. Everything from the AACM to ... well, to this offering, can be found here. And since I'm in a sentimental mood and thinking about jazz radio, I thought I'd post this LP of "beautiful music" by Herb Steward.

Platter mavens searching the boxes at one of WJFF's
music sales. At 50 cents apiece, a collector could buy a
cartonful and still have enough left to buy donuts and
coffee at the snack table. WJFF photo

Why the mood? Well, I've just ended my 23-year stint as a jazz radio host at WJFF 90.5 FM in upstate New York's Catskills. The reasons aren't really important, but it's been a wonderful run and an experience that has allowed me to meet many great musicians and hundreds of jazz enthusiasts over the years. 

So, I thought I'd pay tribute to my former radio station by offering a rare item purchased at one of WJFF's legendary music sales. It's music that was meant to be pretty, just as the album's title proclaims, and while it was probably heard in some of the better highrise elevators and dentist offices of the 1960s, it mirrors my sentiments about my departure. Bittersweet, in a word.

A few of the sides picked up by Gems at the
most most recent WJFF music sale. Someone
dumped a lot of vintage Kenton ...

So here's Herbie Steward, one of the original "four brothers," the sax quartet that recorded a number of lush hits with Woody Herman in the mid-'40s, including the Jimmy Guiffre tune from whence comes their name. Along with Steward in the original section were Stan Getz, Zoot Sims and Serge Chaloff. Those gents went on to have distinguished jazz careers. But Herb eventually fell out of sight, getting lost in the LA studios. He seems not to have appreciated developments in the music much beyond the innovations of Lester Young, and eventually lost interest in the form. While Pres ain't a bad place to stop, it's unfortunate that Steward didn't keep at it back in the day. He had a great tone and, as is evident here, was also a master of the clarinet and baritone. Not unlike his Herd-mate Guiffre.

Herb Steward recorded a number of nice singles on his own for Roost in the 78 era. Some of those are available on various tenor sax compendiums, but this recording is his sole LP effort in the modern era. It's pretty tepid stuff jazz-wise, but the arrangements (by one Dick Hazard and a mysterious string section with rhythm) are competent and pleasant enough, and you can hum along with the melodies. And, if you're in a reflective mood, it's ... so pretty.

This gem required only a minor cleaning up of the sound. The file comes, as always, from the original vinyl. Thanks, WJFF!

 

 









So Pretty
Herb Steward
Herb Steward, ts, cl, bar; unknown string orchestra and rhythm section; Dick Hazard, arr.
Los Angeles, CA; March, June 5, 1962
Ava/Choreo Records A-9

1. Indian Summer
2. Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?
3. Remember
4. With All My Love
5. Memphis in June
6. I'm Coming Virginia
7. When Day Is Done
8. Lovely Melody
9. Among My Sounvenirs
10. So Pretty (Hazard)

Find it here: https://www.mediafire.com/?6cirjunk9gcm204

Yours truly at the mic in WJFF's
Master Control a few years back,
producing my long-running jazz
program, "Crosscurrents."
Photo by Myra Winner

A Callender Date

Gone Garner: One of Erroll's classic trios, with Doc West on drums and the great George
"Red" Callender on bass, in a studio in Los Angeles around 1947.

One of the musicians whose records I have been especially looking for over the years is Red Callender. An early modernist on the bass, Red not only was a teacher and jazz pedagogist, but also a fine composer and arranger, a fact that is all but forgotten today. He was also one of the first contemporary players to take the tuba seriously as a solo vehicle.

Red Callender in the studio with
Shelly Manne, recording on tuba
for Contemporary Records.

Red was born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1918 and grew up in New Jersey. In his teens, he hooked up with Louis Armstrong's big band and traveled west to L.A. There he put down roots, formed his own small band and went to work for the movie studios. In 1946, he had a small part in the "jazz" film, "New Orleans," with Armstrong, and then was in the rhythm section for "Jammin' the Blues." He made good money working for Norman Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic and then joined Stan Kenton's orchestra in the early '60s. Along the way, he had many students, the most prominent being the formidable Charles Mingus. Mingus honored his mentor by giving him a spot in his big band at the 1964 Monterey Jazz Festival. Red's last recordings were done with clarinetist John Carter and the great flute player and composer, James Newton.

By my count, Red made three long-playing albums – two for Crown, and this one for Metrojazz. I have all three, but this one has the best sound, so it's the one I'll post here. I had it out because I did a birthday broadcast a week back for his 97th (he was born on March 6). The original compositions and arrangements are quite nice, and the playing is solid. But it's Red's tuba that is the real kick. He features it heavily (pun intended), and plays with real verve and style. It's hard to believe he was seriously blowing that behemoth way back in 1958 when these sides were recorded.

I can't remember where I got this LP, only that it was a long time ago. Its cover was in sorry shape, but the vinyl was clean, so was delighted to find it. I've played it many times on the radio, and now you can play it whenever you wish, too. As always, this rip comes directly from the original LP with only a minimal cleaning of the sound. A caveat, though: there are a few bleebles here and there on several tunes.

 


The Lowest 
The Music of Red Callender
Metrojazz E1007

Collective personnel (see cover for individual listings)
Gerald Wilson, tp; John Ewing, tbn; Buddy Collete, cl, ts, fl; Hymie Gunkler, as; Marty Berman, bar; Gerald Wiggins, Eddie Beal, p; Billy Bean, Bill Pittman, g; Red Callender, b, tuba; Red Mitchell, b; Bill Douglas, d.
Los Angeles, CA; 1958-59

1. Autumn in New York
2. Pickin', Pluckin', Whistlin' and Walkin'
3. The Lowest
4. Of Thee I sSing
5. Dedicated to the Blues
6. They Can't Take That Away from me
7. Five-Four Blues
8. Tea for Two
9. Another Blues
10. Volume, Too
11. I'll Be Around

Find it here: https://www.mediafire.com/?dfd5zeumfmtyk7p

Red as the junior member of the house band in "New Orleans." From left, Sid Catlett,
Mr. Callender, Charlie Beal, Louis Armstrong, Bud Scott, Kid Ory and Barney Bigard.

Saturn Research

Space age TV: Sun Ra and his interstellar crew go prime-time on NBC's "Saturday Night Live,"
May 20, 1978. From "Jazz: The First Century"

I got to see Sun Ra and his Arkestra a half-dozen times, mostly in Chicago, but later in New York City, too. It was always a trip to be in the presence of Mr. Mystery. You never were quite sure what to expect. Would Ra lead his men into an interplanetary miasma of free-jazz improv with Marshall Allen frantically fanning the keys on his weathered alto and Ahmed Abdullah issuing mighty trumpet blasts while balanced precariously on one leg on his chair? Would Ra revisit his distant past with a raggy arrangement of a hoary Fletcher Henderson number? Would John Gilmore be there? Danny Bank or Pat Patrick?

The Sunrise: Ra fans it for the fans at the 1980 Chicago Jazz
Festival. Photo by Lauren Deutsch

It was different every time. I remember the last time I saw them – in a moldering auditorium on Houston St. on a sweltering evening in New York City. The entire reed section – Allen, Gilmore and the rest – weren't playing saxophones. Instead, they had these odd rectangular tubes with keys on them. Midi woodwind interfaces, I guess they were. I'd never seen anything like it, and the sounds they produced were most definitely other-worldly.

I knew about Ra from my high school days when, at the Boston Tea Party one evening, I was assaulted by a quintet from Detroit. I say "assaulted," because that's what a performance by the MC5 was like in those days. Those greasy guys were positively scary. But they did a tune called "Rocket No. 9" which they dedicated to something called "Sun Ra." I was just beginning to learn about jazz, and it wasn't too long after that encounter that I knew all about Herman Blount and his idiosyncratic approach to music and life.

Fast forward to Chicago in the mid-'70s. I was in graduate school and buying up all the jazz records I could find. One place that was a record-fiend's mecca was the Jazz Record Mart at 7 W. Grand. Home of Delmark Records, the bailiwick of Bob Koester, the place was filled to the rafters with sides of all varieties, formats, styles, conditions and value. If it came over the transom and was playable, Koester would sell it. His pricing priorities were hard to figure, but his wares were nearly always offered at a reasonable cost.

One artist's sides nearly always wound up in the bargain bin. Yeah, that's right – Sun Ra was a stiff as far as Koester was concerned. I guess Bob had seen so many of Ra's privately issued LPs that he just couldn't get rid of them fast enough. They came in all manner of hand-decorated covers, some with liner notes taped to their backsides. There were even original Saturn issues from the late '50s, Classic LPs like "Monorails and Satellites" or "Cosmic Tones for Mental Therapy." Most could be had for $1.59. Some I picked up for 79 cents. Good deal.

Bob Koester in his element, a few years before I got there. Wish
I'd been around to grab a few of those Prestige Jams for a quarter.

So here are two of the more obscure Sun Ra sides that I acquired at the Jazz Record Mart those many years ago. If you're hesitant about Ra's music, be assured that these recordings capture the Arkestra at its most conventional (for the most part). "Shield" has the band running through Son's arrangements of some standards with excellent work from John Gilmore and from a fine trumpet player named Walter Miller (unknown to me). "Media" is top heavy with Ra's electronic keyboard gizmos and has a looped drum/bass pattern that's reminiscent of "Surfin' Bird," but there's also terrific Gilmore and more trumpeting from a gent named Michael Ray (also unknown to me). Try 'em out! The covers, by the way, are minimal – Xeroxes colored in with marker and taped to plain white covers, now yellowed a bit with age.

As always, these tunes were ripped from the original vinyl with, in both cases, no tinkering with the sound whatsoever.

The Invisible Shield • Sun Ra and His Intergalactic Research Arkestra
El Saturn Records 144000
1-6: New York, NY, 1962; 7-9: New York, NY or Philadelphia, PA, 1970 

1. State Street (Ra)
Sun Ra, p; Walter Miller, tp; Al Evans, flg; Ali Hassan, tb; Marshall Allen, as, fl;
John Gilmore, ts; Pat Patrick, bs; Michael White, vln; Ronnie Boykins, b; Clifford Jarvis, d.

2. Sometimes I’m Happy (Caesar-Youmans)
Sun Ra, p; John Gilmore, ts; Ronnie Boykins, b; Clifford Jarvis, d.

3. Time After Time 1 (Cahn-Styne)
4. Time After Time 2 (Cahn-Styne)
Sun Ra, p; Walter Miller, tp; Ronnie Boykins, b; Clifford Jarvis, d.

5. Easy to Love (Porter)
6. Sunnyside Up (DeSylva-Brown)
Sun Ra, p; Walter Miller, tp; John Gilmore, ts; Ronnie Boykins, b; Clifford Jarvis, d.

7. Island in the Sun (Ra)
8. The Invisible Shield (Ra)
9. Janus (Ra)
Sun Ra, p, org, Mini-Moog syn; Marshall Allen, as, fl, picc; Danny Davis, as, acl;
John Gilmore, ts, perc; Danny Ray Thompson, bsn/ Neptunian libflecto/ lunatic fagott
(on The Invisible Shield), perc; Ben Henderson (Jaribu Shahid), b; Art Jenkins, ancestral African vocal and space voice (on Janus), other members of the band, bells and percussion.

Find it here: https://www.mediafire.com/?pfidddt2kjd6x1d

 

Media Dream • Sun Ra and His Arkestra
El Saturn Records 19783 

Sun Ra, org, p, Crumar Mainman organ, drum box, etc.;
Michael Ray, tp; John Gilmore, ts; Luqman Ali, d.
Live in Italy, January 9, 1978

1. Saturn Research (Ra)
2. Constellation (Ra)
3. Yera of the Sun (Ra)
4. Media Dreams (Ra)
5. Twigs at Twilight (Ra)
6. An Unbeknowneth Love (Ra)

Find it here: https://www.mediafire.com/?zzjb2tbp8oo0wuc

Guys and Charts

An impression of Teddy Charles and his frequent collaborator, Charles Mingus, by artist David X. Young,
done no doubt from life at Eugene Smith's Jazz Loft, circa 1958. From the Jazz Loft Project

Arrangers aren't always the best players. Think of Tadd Dameron or Gil Evans. But sometimes jazz arrangers are really good on their instruments, fine soloists as well as excellent writers. Two that come to mind are Teo Macero and Teddy Charles.

Macero is perhaps best known today as the guy Miles goads in his hoarse whisper – "Teo ... Teeeoh" – at the conclusion of "Gingerbread Boy" on "Miles Smiles." Teo did indeed have a remarkable second career at Columbia in the sixties as a producer/A&R man, overseeing some of Davis's most important sessions. But he was an excellent tenor player, too. He held a Masters from Juillard, dabbled in Third Stream styles along with Gunther Schuller and made some very fine records along the way. He also helped Charles Mingus organize the bassist's first Jazz Workshop group and played an important part in Mingus' arrange-as-you-go composing concept.

The Manhattan Jazz All-Stars' brain trust:
Teo Macero and Teddy Charles.

Teddy Charles also worked with Mingus, both as a sideman and as a leader. He met Macero when he too was a student at Julliard. His work on vibes was featured on numerous records in the fifties and his own recordings offered a forward looking glimpse of jazz's future. But today he is even less well known than Macero. A fate shared by many artists showcased here on Gems, unfortunately.

Teddy Charles led and arranged numerous sessions in the fifties that brought together some of jazz's finest, usually under the unifying concept of a particular genre of music – Russian classics, for one – or a Broadway show – as is the case here. Record companies were (and still are) always on the lookout for a way to market jazz to the dreaded general audience, and five decades ago they were inclined to assemble jazz's elite and have them do popular show tunes and musicals. "Porgy and Bess" was a decided favorite, with "West Side Story," "Oklahoma" and "My Fair Lady" running close seconds. It was no doubt with marketing in mind that Columbia got Charles and Macero to organize these sessions.

So here's "Guys and Dolls," rendered by an all-star cast that includes Phil Woods, Bob Brookmeyer and Zoot Sims along with the leaders. There's even a young Mose Allison on piano, having just signed with Columbia. And Sir Charles Thompson is here on several tunes to add historic weight to the album. The charts are excellent, breathing life into the all-too-familiar melodies and, in Teo's case, are fairly adventurous. 

Albums like this took a huge effort to produce, what with all the writing and organizing. The players no doubt had several quick rehearsals before the session and then played the pieces down in one or two takes. Sales of the ensuing release were almost certainly modest, as was the musicians' remuneration, and critics ho-hummed the album in their reviews. But this is great, if not groundbreaking, stuff and thus is worthy of inclusion here on Gems. So say I, and I think you will too.

The record comes from a cache a friend who cleans houses came across in a cluttered attic. The previous owner numbered each record in the collection – you can see that this one was marked "54" in the upper left corner – perhaps as a way to chart his progression through the music. There were several hundred LPs and 45s in the boxes and I acquired many of them. More, as they say, to come ... 

As usual, these tunes were ripped from the original vinyl with little or no cleaning up of the sound.

Swinging "Guys and Dolls"
The Manhattan Jazz All-Stars with Teddy Charles, Teo Macero
Personnel includes, Phil Woods, Bob Brookmeyer, Sir Charles Thompson, Zoot Sims, Ed Shaughnessy, Mose Allison, Dave McKenna, Addison Farmer, Aaron Bell, Jimmy Raney, Teddy Charles and Teo Macero. See cover for groupings and dates.

1. Fugue for Tinhorns
2. I'll Know
3. A Bushel and a Peck
4. Adelaide
5. Luck Be a Lady
6. Guys and Dolls
7. My Time of Day
8. If I Were a Bell
9. I've Never Been in Love Before
10. Follow the Fold
11. The Oldest Established

Find it here: https://www.mediafire.com/?778c6qmc6e62963

Fixing Broken Links

So many sides, so little time! Especially when Gems has to repair links to music already uploaded ... 

Well, a few of the tens of visitors here to Gems have let us know recently that a good number of the downloads offered here suffer from broken links. The curse of the blogger! Suffice it to say that all (or nearly all) have been reuploaded, this time to the dreaded (not so dreaded anymore) Rapidshare. So if you've been interested in Hazel Scott, West Coast Jazz, the Jazztone sampler, KC or Chicago jazz, jukebox tenors, the other JATPs, the Norman Granz two-fer, Benny Goodman or any of the other postings that have gone dark, they should now happily be functioning. Until the next time that is, so git 'em while they're hot.

This just in: Thanks to jazzcat, the blocked files should now be available. Give one or two a try and let me know if there's still a problem. Sorry for all the fuss!

A Visit to Jazzville

The "Springfield Rifles," i.e., the guys who played jazz from Springfield, Mass., circa 1946. From left are Hal Serra, Chuck Andrus, Joe Morello, Phil Woods and Sal Salvador. Photo from local802afm.org

If you tootle around eBay like I do occasionally (well, more than occasionally), and you look for jazz LPs, you've probably seen the record below offered for big money. Why? In a word, cheesecake. Collectors of genteel erotica pony up real dough for albums with over-exposed attractive young women on them. The cover of this Dawn LP is particularly sought after for that reason.

Music? Who cares about the music?

Well, I do (he said self-righteously). And so do you. So that's why I'm posting this album – because it's hard to find, and the music on it is excellent. Not that the comely Vespa jockey isn't an added attraction. But rare sides by Gene Roland and the ultra-obscure Hal Serra are the main reason we (meaning me) here at Gems do what we do.

A funny story about this record. I found it years ago at a church white elephant sale in Connecticut (when I was briefly living there) and listened to it a few times before sticking it in the stacks and forgetting it. Zoom ahead a dozen years to the mid-'90s, and I'm doing my radio show at our newly launched NPR-affiliate, WJFF. I'd pulled "Jazzville, Vol. 4" as part of the afternoon's offerings, and was getting set up for the show when I noticed the name "Dudley Watson" in the album's liner notes. Dudley was the bass player on several of the Gene Roland pieces on the record.

The remarkable Dudley Watson,
performing on WJFF's "Live from
Studio B" in the winter of 1994.
Photo by Able Rae

Dudley Watson was also the bass player on the live, in-studio jazz performance show that followed mine that afternoon.

Yeah, that's right. For about 10 years, I also co-hosted a live-jazz program called "Live from Studio B" on WJFF immediately after my record show. Every week we'd have a different group of local jazz players come by and play for an hour. That week's group included Dudley on bass. Talk about serendipity.

Dudley was an extraordinary character. A true jazz gentleman, he was from the old school, a hipster from the days of Bird and Diz. He'd been playing bass for some 50 years when I knew him, and he'd never missed a beat. He was always attired in a sport coat and tie, and invariably wore a short-brimmed fedora. Being an albino, he had to be careful of the sun and had weak eyes made huge by exceedingly thick glasses. Even so, he managed to get around with the agility of a man half his age – all the while lugging his big double bass.

So ... on the day I brought "Jazzville, Vol. 4" in to play on my show, we had Dudley Watson both on wax and live in the studio. A real treat!

These Roland tunes and those by Hal Serra are also a real treat. Serra was originally from Massachusetts' capitol city, though he'd been a New Yorker for many years. His credits include stints arranging with June Christy and Ella Fitzgerald, but he remains largely unknown to most listeners today. He unfortunately passed away about six months ago but, as you'll hear on this download, he's a fine pianist and someone well worth seeking out.

The same can be said of Gene Roland, though his music has always been a bit more in the public eye. These arrangements are real swingers, as are the tunes. It's interesting to hear Paul Quinichette outside of the usual Basie-esque setting, too.

A word about the sound quality. I have a dozen vintage Dawn LPs and, though each looks absolutely pristine to the eye, each invariably plays with a fair degree of surface noise. No degree of washing seems to help (as it often does with most noisy LPs). So be forewarned – there is a good deal of hiss in places on this record, especially in the last few Serra numbers. No pops or clicks, just "sssssss." The music, though, is well worth hearing despite the somewhat defective sound.

























Jazzville, Vol. 4
Gene Roland/Hal Serra
Dawn DLP 1122

Gene Roland, comp, arr, tp; Johnny Carisi, tp; Dick Meldonian, as; Paul Quinichette, ts; Robbie Swope, tbn; Nat Pierce, p; Dudley Watson, b; Walter Nolan, d. 
August 20, 1959, New York, NY.

1. Suitcase
2. Minor Scene

Gene Roland, comp, arr, tp; Paul Quinichette, ts; Nat Pierce, p; Freddie Green, g; Wendall Marshall, b; Sonny Payne, d. 
August 26, 1957, New York, NY.

3. Colonel Hodge

Gene Roland, arr, tp; Paul Quinichette, ts; Nat Pierce, p; Doyle Salathiel, g; Oscar Pettiford, b; Osie Johnson, d. 
August 13, 1957, New York, NY.

4. The Creeper (Pettiford)

Hal Serra, p; Bert Collins, tp (2, 4); Ernie Furtado, b (5, 9); Earl May, b (6, 8); Joe Williams, b (7); John Cresci, d (5, 7, 9); Ed Thigpen, d (6, 8)
1958, New York, NY. 

5. Everything I've Got Belongs to You
6. Why Was I Born
7. Irma (Serra)
8. Suddenly It's Spring
9. The Things I Love

Find it here: http://www.mediafire.com/?oocbdqozx1e1i4w