Brian Nation
Jan 23, 2006, 11:34 AM
Gavin Walker's "The Jazz Show" is heard Mondays 9PM to midnight on CITR (http://www.citr.ca/) 101.9 FM and online (http://www.citr.ca/default.asp?id=19&mnu=19). Each show features an entire album at 11PM.
The 11:00PM Jazz Features this month:
February 6: Max Roach/Oscar Brown Jr. “Freedom Now Suite”.
February 13: Miles Davis/Gil Evans “Porgy and Bess”.
February 20: Charles Mingus, “Mingus Presents Mingus”.
February 27: “Consequence” Jackie McLean.
February 6: In honour of Black history month we offer one of the most socially significant and provocative recordings in the history of jazz. Max Roach’s “Freedom Now Suite”. Drummer/leader Roach and lyricist Oscar Brown Jr. created this work to reflect the rising tide of social protest in the Black American community during the late fifties and early sixties. Lunch-counter sit-ins and the integration of public services were high on the agenda at that time and these events marked a new energy in the civil rights movement in the U.S.
The Freedom Now Suite mirrors these events along with the growing desire of African-Americans to acknowledge their African roots. Mr. Roach assembled a great band including Julian Priester on trombone, the now legendary trumpeter, Booker Little and the forgotten tenor saxophone titan, the late Walter Benton, James Schenck a fine “local” bassist from Boston holds everything together in this pianoless group. Roach’s future wife, the wonderful Abbey Lincoln does the vocalizing and she is at her declarative best throughout this recording especially in the selection called “Tryptich” where Miss Lincoln and Roach perform as a duo. Coleman Hawkins (the father of the tenor saxophone) makes a very powerful appearance on the opening track called “Driva Man”. The second half of the suite is more African and percussionist Michael Olatunji is added on conga drum and does chanting along with Ray Mantilla and Tomas Du Vall on various African percussion instruments.
This powerful and often angry music stands the test of time and is seriously worthy of your attention. The Freedom Now Suite!
February 13: Miles Davis’ and Gil Evans’ version of the Gershwin Brother’s fold opera “Porgy and Bess” was easily the most emotionally compelling of their four classic recordings on Columbia. “Miles Ahead” was the first and was the logical outgrowth of the famed “Birth of the Cool” sessions. “Porgy and Bess” followed and then the most famous “Sketches of Spain” and finally the incomplete and least successful “Quiet Nights”.
The orchestra for “Porgy and Bess” under Evans’ direction and with his unique arrangements provide Miles with some of his most effective backing and allows Davis to plumb the depths of Gershwin’s suite with a commitment that isn’t evident on the other records likely because the music is American and the opera is about Black people. When this album was done in 1958 everyone was doing “Porgy and Bess” but Ira Gershwin singled out this disc as being not only the most different (remember “Porgy” is an opera and Davis’ recording is instrumental) but the deepest and most moving of all that he had heard. We think that you will agree with Mr. Gershwin. It is also our second salute to Black history month.
February 20: Bassist/composer Charles Mingus was born on April 22, 1922 in Nogales, Arizona and died in Cuernavaca, Mexico on January 5, 1979 of A.L.S. (Lou Gehrig’s disease). He was only 56 but his music changed the course of jazz. Mingus’ biography is easily found in books and on the internet but he has been recognized by most people as one of the music’s premier bassists as well as next to Ellington and perhaps Monk it’s greatest composer. Mingus’ music was as changeable and as volatile as he. His music communicated the whole range of human emotions and many people including the jazz show host Gavin Walker consider tonight’s feature to be one of his finest albums. ”Mingus presents Mingus” was done for the small and short-lived ‘Candid’ label in 1960. Many factors contributed to this album’s artistic success the first of which was that the producer of this disc was the famed writer and critic Nat Hentoff. Hentoff and Mingus were close and Nat was one of the few critics that Mingus respected. Hentoff created a very relaxed atmosphere in the studio and turned the lights down and permitted Mingus to announce the tunes as if they were in a club hence the title “Mingus presents Mingus”. The second reason for the success of this date was the band with the great and innovative alto saxophonist and bass clarinetist Eric Dolphy (Mingus treated Dolphy like a son). Ted Curson on trumpet is on fire and brings to this record some of his best work. Dannie Richmond on drums reaches playing levels that he only hinted at on earlier records and of course Mingus, who is unbelievable providing rhythmic, harmonic and contrapuntal energy throughout. What makes this date so special is that Dolphy and Curson had given their notice to Mingus that they were leaving and this was going to be this great band’s last stand.
As a further tribute to Black history month is the inclusion in this set of Mingus’ raging (with words) to the injustices of racism in his ‘protest’ composition “The Original Faubus Fables”. Orville Faubus was the Governor of Arkansas who called in the troops to prevent a little Black girl from integrating an elementary school. He lost the next election and was relegated to the scrapheap of U.S. political history. Long live the music of Mingus.
February 27: “Consequence” was one of the many unissued vault items and was unearthed in the early 1980’s on vinyl. Further to that it was issued on a now deleted set on Mosaic that was called “The Complete Jackie McLean Sessions 1964-66 on Blue Note”. Now, happily, it is easily available on a single Blue Note (Connoisseur) CD. It is one of Jackie McLean’s finest dates from this period. Jackie, who was born in New York on May 19, 1932 is one of the most distinctive voices of the alto saxophone. In the sixties McLean’s style had reached full maturity and he was able to accommodate some of the elements of the so called “New Thing” (Ornette Coleman, Jimmy Lyons, Eric Dolphy, etc.) as well as the pure bop that he grew up with (Jackie was part of the first generation of boppers after Bird and of course, Parker was his idol). Jackie’s recording from this period reflected his diversity without losing his identity.....from “straight ahead” to the outer limits.
This session is “Straight Ahead” and hot with Jackie’s alto (“No artificial sweetener”) blending with Lee Morgan’s dynamic trumpet. They are perfectly matched creating a much bigger sound that you would imagine with two upper register horns. Morgan and McLean are driven to high energy levels by a great rhythm section comprising Harold Mabern (piano), Herbie Lewis (bass) and the incomparable Billy Higgins on drums. Morgan and McLean wrote all the tunes save for the standard “My Old Flame”. You’ll want to run out and buy this one when you hear it.....get it while you can.
The 11:00PM Jazz Features this month:
February 6: Max Roach/Oscar Brown Jr. “Freedom Now Suite”.
February 13: Miles Davis/Gil Evans “Porgy and Bess”.
February 20: Charles Mingus, “Mingus Presents Mingus”.
February 27: “Consequence” Jackie McLean.
February 6: In honour of Black history month we offer one of the most socially significant and provocative recordings in the history of jazz. Max Roach’s “Freedom Now Suite”. Drummer/leader Roach and lyricist Oscar Brown Jr. created this work to reflect the rising tide of social protest in the Black American community during the late fifties and early sixties. Lunch-counter sit-ins and the integration of public services were high on the agenda at that time and these events marked a new energy in the civil rights movement in the U.S.
The Freedom Now Suite mirrors these events along with the growing desire of African-Americans to acknowledge their African roots. Mr. Roach assembled a great band including Julian Priester on trombone, the now legendary trumpeter, Booker Little and the forgotten tenor saxophone titan, the late Walter Benton, James Schenck a fine “local” bassist from Boston holds everything together in this pianoless group. Roach’s future wife, the wonderful Abbey Lincoln does the vocalizing and she is at her declarative best throughout this recording especially in the selection called “Tryptich” where Miss Lincoln and Roach perform as a duo. Coleman Hawkins (the father of the tenor saxophone) makes a very powerful appearance on the opening track called “Driva Man”. The second half of the suite is more African and percussionist Michael Olatunji is added on conga drum and does chanting along with Ray Mantilla and Tomas Du Vall on various African percussion instruments.
This powerful and often angry music stands the test of time and is seriously worthy of your attention. The Freedom Now Suite!
February 13: Miles Davis’ and Gil Evans’ version of the Gershwin Brother’s fold opera “Porgy and Bess” was easily the most emotionally compelling of their four classic recordings on Columbia. “Miles Ahead” was the first and was the logical outgrowth of the famed “Birth of the Cool” sessions. “Porgy and Bess” followed and then the most famous “Sketches of Spain” and finally the incomplete and least successful “Quiet Nights”.
The orchestra for “Porgy and Bess” under Evans’ direction and with his unique arrangements provide Miles with some of his most effective backing and allows Davis to plumb the depths of Gershwin’s suite with a commitment that isn’t evident on the other records likely because the music is American and the opera is about Black people. When this album was done in 1958 everyone was doing “Porgy and Bess” but Ira Gershwin singled out this disc as being not only the most different (remember “Porgy” is an opera and Davis’ recording is instrumental) but the deepest and most moving of all that he had heard. We think that you will agree with Mr. Gershwin. It is also our second salute to Black history month.
February 20: Bassist/composer Charles Mingus was born on April 22, 1922 in Nogales, Arizona and died in Cuernavaca, Mexico on January 5, 1979 of A.L.S. (Lou Gehrig’s disease). He was only 56 but his music changed the course of jazz. Mingus’ biography is easily found in books and on the internet but he has been recognized by most people as one of the music’s premier bassists as well as next to Ellington and perhaps Monk it’s greatest composer. Mingus’ music was as changeable and as volatile as he. His music communicated the whole range of human emotions and many people including the jazz show host Gavin Walker consider tonight’s feature to be one of his finest albums. ”Mingus presents Mingus” was done for the small and short-lived ‘Candid’ label in 1960. Many factors contributed to this album’s artistic success the first of which was that the producer of this disc was the famed writer and critic Nat Hentoff. Hentoff and Mingus were close and Nat was one of the few critics that Mingus respected. Hentoff created a very relaxed atmosphere in the studio and turned the lights down and permitted Mingus to announce the tunes as if they were in a club hence the title “Mingus presents Mingus”. The second reason for the success of this date was the band with the great and innovative alto saxophonist and bass clarinetist Eric Dolphy (Mingus treated Dolphy like a son). Ted Curson on trumpet is on fire and brings to this record some of his best work. Dannie Richmond on drums reaches playing levels that he only hinted at on earlier records and of course Mingus, who is unbelievable providing rhythmic, harmonic and contrapuntal energy throughout. What makes this date so special is that Dolphy and Curson had given their notice to Mingus that they were leaving and this was going to be this great band’s last stand.
As a further tribute to Black history month is the inclusion in this set of Mingus’ raging (with words) to the injustices of racism in his ‘protest’ composition “The Original Faubus Fables”. Orville Faubus was the Governor of Arkansas who called in the troops to prevent a little Black girl from integrating an elementary school. He lost the next election and was relegated to the scrapheap of U.S. political history. Long live the music of Mingus.
February 27: “Consequence” was one of the many unissued vault items and was unearthed in the early 1980’s on vinyl. Further to that it was issued on a now deleted set on Mosaic that was called “The Complete Jackie McLean Sessions 1964-66 on Blue Note”. Now, happily, it is easily available on a single Blue Note (Connoisseur) CD. It is one of Jackie McLean’s finest dates from this period. Jackie, who was born in New York on May 19, 1932 is one of the most distinctive voices of the alto saxophone. In the sixties McLean’s style had reached full maturity and he was able to accommodate some of the elements of the so called “New Thing” (Ornette Coleman, Jimmy Lyons, Eric Dolphy, etc.) as well as the pure bop that he grew up with (Jackie was part of the first generation of boppers after Bird and of course, Parker was his idol). Jackie’s recording from this period reflected his diversity without losing his identity.....from “straight ahead” to the outer limits.
This session is “Straight Ahead” and hot with Jackie’s alto (“No artificial sweetener”) blending with Lee Morgan’s dynamic trumpet. They are perfectly matched creating a much bigger sound that you would imagine with two upper register horns. Morgan and McLean are driven to high energy levels by a great rhythm section comprising Harold Mabern (piano), Herbie Lewis (bass) and the incomparable Billy Higgins on drums. Morgan and McLean wrote all the tunes save for the standard “My Old Flame”. You’ll want to run out and buy this one when you hear it.....get it while you can.