Gavin Walker
Dec 9, 2011, 10:29 PM
The subject of tonight's Jazz Feature is trombonist/composer Julian Priester and the album is his first under his own name called "Keep Swingin'". This is a well organized and well thought out recording session that took place in New York in January of 1960. The cast reads like a who's-who of Jazz but you have to realize that so many recording sessions from this era were just that! The people involved with Julian are tenor saxophonist Jimmy Heath, the middle brother from the musical Heath family. His siblings were bassist Percy, and drummer Albert (Tootie). Jimmy is a living legend today but in 1960 he had just emerged clean and sober from a punitive stay in jail on narcotics charges and was still on parole. He wrote the lead-off tune of the date called "24-Hour Leave" that was dedicated to his situation. Being on parole prevented him from replacing John Coltrane in Miles Davis' band of the time and we'll never know how that would have sounded. Heath is a big asset to this session and plays on 5 of the 8 tunes and blends with Priester very well as tenor saxophone and trombone are a natural combination. The rhythm section has "the poet of the piano", Tommy Flanagan and the great Sam Jones on bass plus the always dynamic Elvin Jones on drums. Four Priester originals are heard plus one from fellow Chicagoan, Charles Davis called "1239A" plus two standards: "Just Friends" and "Once in a While". It is a solid debut.
Julian Priester was born in Chicago on June 29,1935 and like so many great Chicago players, he attended the famed DuSable High School and studied under the command of Captain Walter Dyett, a strict teacher who emphasized tone production, reading and section playing. Julian, as a young man played a variety of gigs including working with Muddy Waters and Bo Diddley and jamming with Max Roach and Clifford Brown and many others at the hub of Modern Jazz in Chicago, The Bee Hive. Priester was a member of Sun Ra's band and made his first recorded dates with Ra. He then toured with Lionel Hampton and moved to New York to make a go at a full time Jazz career. He was brought to Riverside Records honcho Orrin Keepnews' attention by his appearance on Philly Joe Jones' album "Blues For Dracula" followed by Johnny Griffin's famous "Little Giant" date. Priester was gaining a good reputation in New York as a straight-up player with his own sound and good sight-reading chops. When this recording was done, Julian had just joined Max Roach's re-organized band which placed Julian with the Turrentine brothers, Stanley (tenor) and Tommy (trumpet). Later in life, Mr. Priester was an important part of Duke Ellington's orchestra and Herbie Hancock's "Mwandishi" band. He had also worked with McCoy Tyner, Freddie Hubbard, Sam Rivers and was for a time a Jazz Messenger with Art Blakey. Later he became an educator at the Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle. He has since retired from teaching and is back to full-time performing. Julian is an important voice on the trombone and tonight's Feature captures that voice in it's early maturity......Keep Swingin' indeed!
The Julian Priester Feature will air shortly after 11pm but there will be a full slate of great music beginning right at 9pm........see you then...............
Julian Priester was born in Chicago on June 29,1935 and like so many great Chicago players, he attended the famed DuSable High School and studied under the command of Captain Walter Dyett, a strict teacher who emphasized tone production, reading and section playing. Julian, as a young man played a variety of gigs including working with Muddy Waters and Bo Diddley and jamming with Max Roach and Clifford Brown and many others at the hub of Modern Jazz in Chicago, The Bee Hive. Priester was a member of Sun Ra's band and made his first recorded dates with Ra. He then toured with Lionel Hampton and moved to New York to make a go at a full time Jazz career. He was brought to Riverside Records honcho Orrin Keepnews' attention by his appearance on Philly Joe Jones' album "Blues For Dracula" followed by Johnny Griffin's famous "Little Giant" date. Priester was gaining a good reputation in New York as a straight-up player with his own sound and good sight-reading chops. When this recording was done, Julian had just joined Max Roach's re-organized band which placed Julian with the Turrentine brothers, Stanley (tenor) and Tommy (trumpet). Later in life, Mr. Priester was an important part of Duke Ellington's orchestra and Herbie Hancock's "Mwandishi" band. He had also worked with McCoy Tyner, Freddie Hubbard, Sam Rivers and was for a time a Jazz Messenger with Art Blakey. Later he became an educator at the Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle. He has since retired from teaching and is back to full-time performing. Julian is an important voice on the trombone and tonight's Feature captures that voice in it's early maturity......Keep Swingin' indeed!
The Julian Priester Feature will air shortly after 11pm but there will be a full slate of great music beginning right at 9pm........see you then...............