Brian Nation
Jun 1, 2007, 11:27 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).
Recent shows are also available as Podcasts. Subscribe (http://playlist.citr.ca/podcasting/xml/thejazzshow.xml)
Each show features an entire album at 11PM.
Album features for June:
June 4: Gene Ammons Live in Sweden.
June 11: The Jazz Festival with guest host John Orysik.
June 18: Music from “Alfie” with Sonny Rollins.
June 25: “Here’s Lee Morgan”.
June 4: Make no mistake.....Gene Ammons was one of the major voices of the tenor saxophone. Chicago born on April 14, 1925 the son of famed boogie-woogie pianist Albert Ammons, Gene started young and was educated at the legendary DuSable High School where is classmates were trombonist Bennie Greene (the Jazz Show’s theme player) altoist John Jenkins and von Freeman. Gene’s dad told him two basic rules for success as a player: learn to read (music) and develop your own sound. Gene took that to heart and did just that! Ammons’ huge sound is all his own and yet his speed on the horn is unimpeded and on up-tempo tunes he reminds one of a 300 pound fullback carrying the ball bobbing and weaving his way to a touchdown. Gene was in the ground breaking Billy Eckstine band from 1944 to 1947 and then took Stan Getz’ place in Woody Herman’s band from 1949 to 1950. Ammons teamed up with Sonny Stitt off and on until Gene’s death from bone cancer on July 23, 1974. Ammons made scads of recordings in different contexts and they are all worth while checking out from his tag-team romps with Stitt to the many jam session discs that feature Gene with Coltrane, Jackie McLean, Art Farmer, Pepper Adams, Mal Waldron, Kernny Burrell et. al. for Prestige in the mid to late 50’s. He recorded in all these contexts and more up until mid 1962 when he was busted for drugs (not the first time) in Chicago. Gene had been an addict since 1952. The Judge sentenced Gene to seven years as he had such a large stock, the authorities accused him of trafficking. His explanation that he was a successful musician, recording star, etc. and made enough money to keep a large supply of heroin on hand cut no ice with the Judge who threw the book at ‘Jug’ (Gene’s nickname). Ammons made good use of his time in Joliet prison by playing his horn every day and starting a music program for the inmates and emerged clean and sober in 1969. His popularity in the jazz community never waned as Prestige Records kept his albums in print while he was “away”. Gene was slagged and ignored by the critics up until his bust.....they accused him of having “an annoying braying tone and an unimaginative concept”.....wow!! Here was a man who influenced Sonny Rollins and Jackie McLean and was held in the highest esteem by fellow musicians like his best pal Sonny Stitt. In his last remaining years he recorded and worked a lot and was given grudging respect by the critical community before his passing in 1974. Tonight’s feature has Gene with a pick-up rhythm section on a live recording from the AHUS Jazz Festival in Sweden done in July 1973, a year before his death. Gene in great form is with American ex-pat Horace Parlan on piano and a bass player that even Mingus acknowledged as being one of the best.....Red Mitchell, who was a resident of Sweden at that time and an unknown but swinging drummer Ed Jones. Prepare for a hard swinging feature with jazz giant Gene Ammons.
June 11: Tonight we focus on the Jazz Festival for the full three hours. Co-hosting the show with Gavin will be the ebullient and energetic Media Director of the Coast Jazz and Blues Society, John Orysik.
June 18: In celebration of one of the great living legends of jazz, Sonny Rollins, who opens this year’s Jazz Festival, we present Sonny on one of his best known albums.....music that he composed and played for the famous Michael Caine movie “Alfie”. The music we hear tonight is not from the actual soundtrack as what was used there were bits and pieces. The music tonight is from a studio recording of all the themes used in the film but are full length performances to allow Rollins and other soloists to stretch out. The tunes are augmented with an all-star band led by Oliver Nelson who fleshed out Sonny’s scores and the rest of the men were picked by Sonny. They include on guitar, the great Kenny Burrell, Roger Kellaway on piano, the late Walter booker on bass and Monk’s ex-drummer, the fabulous Frankie Dunlop. the real star is of course Rollins who delivers one of his finest recorded solos on “Alfie’s Theme”, the long opening track. The rest of the album is on the same high level and stands as one of Sonny’s most appealing recordings. We welcome the great Sonny Rollins to Vancouver for the opening of the Jazz Festival on June 22.
June 25: “Here’s Lee Morgan” was not Lee’s first album as by the time this date was done in February 1960, Morgan at 21 was already a jazz veteran. He had many albums out under his own name on Blue Note and had recorded and was a member of Dizzy Gillespie’s Big Band and went onto being one of the starts in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. He had already appeared as a sideman on one of John Coltrane’s best known dates.....”Blue Trane”. What made this date special was that Lee and several other musicians had signed up to record for a Chicago label owned by African-Americans called ‘Vee-Jay Records’ and as this was Lee’s first date for the label under his name it was called “Here’s Lee Morgan”. Along with all his other activities Morgan studied for a year at the famous Julliard School of Music in New York. Morgan was born on July 10, 1938 and died when he was shot on the bandstand at Slug’s in New York by his estranged partner. This took place on February 19, 1972.....Morgan was just 33. Tonight’s feature harkens back to happier times when the jazz world was his. Self-assured with a hint of cockiness Morgan epitomized jazz hipness despite the dark side: Morgan by 1958 had become dependant on heroin. The feature tonight is full-blown Lee with his own unmistakable style and swagger and depth. We are also treated to three Morgan compositions as well as a great standard written in part by Frank Sinatra, a Wayne Shorter tune and a good one by vibist Milt Jackson. Morgan’s front line mate is the fine Chicago-born tenor saxophonist Clifford Jordan. The great Wynton Kelly on piano and Paul Chambers on bass add considerable weight to this well thought out date. Kelly and Chambers both signed up to Vee-Jay and made some fine recordings. Lee’s boss was drummer Art Blakey and note how Art plays in a sideman role, very different than when he was leader. This is definitive Lee and worth your attention tonight.
Recent shows are also available as Podcasts. Subscribe (http://playlist.citr.ca/podcasting/xml/thejazzshow.xml)
Each show features an entire album at 11PM.
Album features for June:
June 4: Gene Ammons Live in Sweden.
June 11: The Jazz Festival with guest host John Orysik.
June 18: Music from “Alfie” with Sonny Rollins.
June 25: “Here’s Lee Morgan”.
June 4: Make no mistake.....Gene Ammons was one of the major voices of the tenor saxophone. Chicago born on April 14, 1925 the son of famed boogie-woogie pianist Albert Ammons, Gene started young and was educated at the legendary DuSable High School where is classmates were trombonist Bennie Greene (the Jazz Show’s theme player) altoist John Jenkins and von Freeman. Gene’s dad told him two basic rules for success as a player: learn to read (music) and develop your own sound. Gene took that to heart and did just that! Ammons’ huge sound is all his own and yet his speed on the horn is unimpeded and on up-tempo tunes he reminds one of a 300 pound fullback carrying the ball bobbing and weaving his way to a touchdown. Gene was in the ground breaking Billy Eckstine band from 1944 to 1947 and then took Stan Getz’ place in Woody Herman’s band from 1949 to 1950. Ammons teamed up with Sonny Stitt off and on until Gene’s death from bone cancer on July 23, 1974. Ammons made scads of recordings in different contexts and they are all worth while checking out from his tag-team romps with Stitt to the many jam session discs that feature Gene with Coltrane, Jackie McLean, Art Farmer, Pepper Adams, Mal Waldron, Kernny Burrell et. al. for Prestige in the mid to late 50’s. He recorded in all these contexts and more up until mid 1962 when he was busted for drugs (not the first time) in Chicago. Gene had been an addict since 1952. The Judge sentenced Gene to seven years as he had such a large stock, the authorities accused him of trafficking. His explanation that he was a successful musician, recording star, etc. and made enough money to keep a large supply of heroin on hand cut no ice with the Judge who threw the book at ‘Jug’ (Gene’s nickname). Ammons made good use of his time in Joliet prison by playing his horn every day and starting a music program for the inmates and emerged clean and sober in 1969. His popularity in the jazz community never waned as Prestige Records kept his albums in print while he was “away”. Gene was slagged and ignored by the critics up until his bust.....they accused him of having “an annoying braying tone and an unimaginative concept”.....wow!! Here was a man who influenced Sonny Rollins and Jackie McLean and was held in the highest esteem by fellow musicians like his best pal Sonny Stitt. In his last remaining years he recorded and worked a lot and was given grudging respect by the critical community before his passing in 1974. Tonight’s feature has Gene with a pick-up rhythm section on a live recording from the AHUS Jazz Festival in Sweden done in July 1973, a year before his death. Gene in great form is with American ex-pat Horace Parlan on piano and a bass player that even Mingus acknowledged as being one of the best.....Red Mitchell, who was a resident of Sweden at that time and an unknown but swinging drummer Ed Jones. Prepare for a hard swinging feature with jazz giant Gene Ammons.
June 11: Tonight we focus on the Jazz Festival for the full three hours. Co-hosting the show with Gavin will be the ebullient and energetic Media Director of the Coast Jazz and Blues Society, John Orysik.
June 18: In celebration of one of the great living legends of jazz, Sonny Rollins, who opens this year’s Jazz Festival, we present Sonny on one of his best known albums.....music that he composed and played for the famous Michael Caine movie “Alfie”. The music we hear tonight is not from the actual soundtrack as what was used there were bits and pieces. The music tonight is from a studio recording of all the themes used in the film but are full length performances to allow Rollins and other soloists to stretch out. The tunes are augmented with an all-star band led by Oliver Nelson who fleshed out Sonny’s scores and the rest of the men were picked by Sonny. They include on guitar, the great Kenny Burrell, Roger Kellaway on piano, the late Walter booker on bass and Monk’s ex-drummer, the fabulous Frankie Dunlop. the real star is of course Rollins who delivers one of his finest recorded solos on “Alfie’s Theme”, the long opening track. The rest of the album is on the same high level and stands as one of Sonny’s most appealing recordings. We welcome the great Sonny Rollins to Vancouver for the opening of the Jazz Festival on June 22.
June 25: “Here’s Lee Morgan” was not Lee’s first album as by the time this date was done in February 1960, Morgan at 21 was already a jazz veteran. He had many albums out under his own name on Blue Note and had recorded and was a member of Dizzy Gillespie’s Big Band and went onto being one of the starts in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. He had already appeared as a sideman on one of John Coltrane’s best known dates.....”Blue Trane”. What made this date special was that Lee and several other musicians had signed up to record for a Chicago label owned by African-Americans called ‘Vee-Jay Records’ and as this was Lee’s first date for the label under his name it was called “Here’s Lee Morgan”. Along with all his other activities Morgan studied for a year at the famous Julliard School of Music in New York. Morgan was born on July 10, 1938 and died when he was shot on the bandstand at Slug’s in New York by his estranged partner. This took place on February 19, 1972.....Morgan was just 33. Tonight’s feature harkens back to happier times when the jazz world was his. Self-assured with a hint of cockiness Morgan epitomized jazz hipness despite the dark side: Morgan by 1958 had become dependant on heroin. The feature tonight is full-blown Lee with his own unmistakable style and swagger and depth. We are also treated to three Morgan compositions as well as a great standard written in part by Frank Sinatra, a Wayne Shorter tune and a good one by vibist Milt Jackson. Morgan’s front line mate is the fine Chicago-born tenor saxophonist Clifford Jordan. The great Wynton Kelly on piano and Paul Chambers on bass add considerable weight to this well thought out date. Kelly and Chambers both signed up to Vee-Jay and made some fine recordings. Lee’s boss was drummer Art Blakey and note how Art plays in a sideman role, very different than when he was leader. This is definitive Lee and worth your attention tonight.