Roswell Rudd On The Telephone

Roswell Rudd ----- December 14, 1997 ------- photo by Mark Weber

Roswell Rudd —– December 14, 1997 ——- photo by Mark Weber

THE THURSDAY JAZZ RADIO SHOW

October 9, 2o14 – Jazz @ Noon every Thursday (starts at 12:07 after the satellite news) Host MARK WEBER – KUNM Albuquerque, USA – 89.9 FM (Mountain Standard Time) also streaming on the web > KUNM.org – Current time zone offset: UTC*/GMT -6 hours (*Coordinated Universal Time)/Greenwich Mean Time)

ROSWELL RUDD ON THE TELEPHONE

The avant garde needed people like Roswell Rudd. His irrepressible joyous spirit and unfaltering determination to express his creative soul would not be quelled. Can you imagine the very early 60s, the small group of jazz explorers who recognized other implications in the music and went there to see what they could see. A lot of what they were doing went against the grain, and so much was shaking apart in those years. There was a lot of opprobrium in the air. It took indomitable clear-eyed people like Roswell to stand up to it. We’ll be talking with Roswell Rudd today via telephone from his home in upstate New York. We’ll ask him about this journey he has taken from Dixieland to Herbie Nichols & Monk, to Archie Shepp out-ness. We’ll ask him what was going on in 1960 on lower Manhattan that birthed a movement which is still going strong to this day.

Roswell swoops down under -------- April 6, 1999 --- old Outpost, Albuquerque, New Mexico -- The Roswell Rudd-Steve Lacy Quartet: w/ JJ Avenel & John Betsch -- photo by Mark Weber

Roswell swoops down under ——– April 6, 1999 — old Outpost, Albuquerque, New Mexico — The Roswell Rudd-Steve Lacy Quartet: w/ JJ Avenel & John Betsch — photo by Mark Weber

I asked a few people to contribute their thoughts about Roswell’s music —- Here’s Buell Neidlinger who first shows up on record with Roswell in 1961 on a Cecil Taylor date. It was Buell who suggested that Roswell has a lot to say and would be a great interview for my radio show:

Roswell is my oldest living music friend. we go back to 1951, listening to Louis and Jack T., Wild Bill and PeeWee, and playing a lot of that kind of music in bands i would put together for country club gigs, with Emmett Berry or Herman Autrey on trumpet, Gene “Honeybear” Cedric or Cecil Scott on clarinet, Ros, Dick Wellstood or Ralph Sutton on keys, and Harry Dial or Rudy Traylor on drums. As well, we played a lot one summer with Hod Obrien and Hop Rudd, Ros’s dad, on drums. then later in NYC we played with Archie Shepp, Don Cherry, Steve Lacy, Charles Davis,Den(n)is Charles or Billy Higgins, Cecil, and me, and recorded this — NYC R&B — for Nat Hentoff on Candid. (Clark Terry ended up on the sessions when Ornette forbade Don from playing on my session !) Roswell always fit into any situation !

Roswell Rudd on trombone seems to me to have inven- ted a trombone vocabulary which is the most logical extension of the Jack Teagarden/Lawrence Brown school of thought..one or two long burnished notes, maybe with a little lip trill, instead of the nervous, rapid, stiff, and staccato offerings of the usual bebop boneblowers (Curtis Fuller excepted).

(i think he might have used me in the NY Art whatever, had i not gone away to the Houston Symphony; sure woulda liked to play on Black Dada Nihilismus with Roi Jones on vocal !)

Roswell came to Yale after i had finished my one year there and had split. But, before he was a student at Yale, he used to come down to New Haven (1954) and play with the band we had started at Yale called Eli”s Chosen Six. (the soon-to-be cartoon editor at the New Yorker, and a great cartoonist himself, Lee Lorenz, was the excellent cornettist of our Condon-like band.

Tell Maestro Rudd i say Hello and send my love. He is a true Blues Man ! [ Buell Neidlinger email 9/18/2o14]

Roswell Rudd in duet performance with Duck Baker (who once reviewed a poetry CD of mine and said that I was no Kenneth Patchen of which my friends are still giving me a hard time) -- March 28, 2004 -- Outpost Performance Space, Albuquerque -- photo by Mark Weber

Roswell Rudd in duet performance with Duck Baker (who once reviewed a poetry CD of mine and said that I was no Kenneth Patchen of which my friends are still giving me a hard time) — March 28, 2004 — Outpost Performance Space, Albuquerque — photo by Mark Weber

“On any given night one can hear the entire history of jazz trombone in one Roswell Rudd solo.” —-Bobby Bradford [email 9/18/2o14]


I told Bobby that Roswell & Mark Dresser had just did a duet gig at Bard College the night before (Sept. 17) and Bobby added:

“Give him my best and that we still have a trio date to do with Dresser.” — BB [email 9/19/2o14]

Kenny Davern & Roswell Rudd, old friends from the 1950s cauldron of hot jazz on Manhattan --- March 28, 2004 ----- photo by Mark Weber

Kenny Davern & Roswell Rudd, old friends from the 1950s cauldron of hot jazz on Manhattan — March 28, 2004 —– photo by Mark Weber

I asked Sheila Jordan to vet my opening paragraph to see if I had the right slant:

That sounds great so I wouldn’t change anything. Here’s my little thing. Roswell besides being a great musician is a great human being. He has the rare quality of kindness which seems to stay with him. I’ve never seen him mad or heard him put down anyone. Hey, maybe he does since I’m not with him 24 hours a day. He can play any kind of jazz music whatsoever from ragtime to dixieland to swing to bebop and beyond and make it swing. Not many musicians can claim that but my buddy Roswell can . . . So glad your doing this on Roswell. He’s a terrific guy but then so are you. Love, Sheila [email 9/20/2o14]

Roswell Rudd & Kenny Davern up at Kenny's place in Sandia Park, New Mexico -- March 29, 2004 -- photo by Mark Weber ---- I drove Roswell up there in my old truck on the other side of the mountains from Albquerque where Kenny & Elsa lived --- we watched a video of KD's favorite conductor Wilhelm Furtwangler and then went out to lunch

Roswell Rudd & Kenny Davern up at Kenny’s place in Sandia Park, New Mexico — March 29, 2004 — photo by Mark Weber —- I drove Roswell up there in my old truck on the other side of the mountains from Albquerque where Kenny & Elsa lived — we watched a video of KD’s favorite conductor Wilhelm Furtwangler and then went out to lunch

It is hard to believe that it is 50 years since I heard Roswell Rudd play on three LPs that turned my ears around: Four for Trane, with Archie Shepp; School Days, with Steve Lacy; and New York Art Quartet, with John Tchicai. Back then –1964– I was a young trombonist struggling with slide gymnastics to bebop along to recordings by J. J. Johnson and Curtis Fuller. Then I heard those three LPs in quick succession. Each unlocked revelations about a whole new instrument, a whole new set of voices, a whole new vocabulary for sliding in sound. Ever since I’ve listened to Roswell as often as I can: fifty years of inspiration, what a gift! ———-Steve Feld [email 9/20/2o14]

Dr Steven Feld (anthropologist & trombonist) and Tom Guralnick (concert presenter) and Roswell Rudd ---- March 20, 2000 ----- photo by Mark Weber (that's an advertisement for Steve Lacy & Roswell's recent cd on Verve on top of Tom's head)

Dr Steven Feld (anthropologist & trombonist) and Tom Guralnick (concert presenter) and Roswell Rudd —- March 20, 2000 —– photo by Mark Weber (that’s an advertisement for Steve Lacy & Roswell’s recent cd on Verve on top of Tom’s head)

In the moment, going for it sort of player. Raw yet extremely musical, he plays with conviction/intent. —–Michael Vlatkovich [email 9/21/2o14]

Roswell Rudd & Bonefied -- May 22, 2000 at The Outpost Performance Space, Albuquerque -- Bonefied was a New Mexico five-trombone ensemble created by Steven Feld and on this occasion they debuted Roswell's extended work "Cry of the Petroglyphs" that he had sketched out after a previous visit to New Mexico when I had drove him over to the west side of town and showed him some of the 17,000+ ancient (circa 2000BP - 1300AD) petroglyphs --- Left to Right: J.A. Deane (trombone), Jefferson Voohees (drumset), Gary Sherman (trombones), Mark Weaver (tuba & trombone), Kurt Heyl (trombone), Roswell Rudd (conductor), and from the rear: Steve Feld (trombone) -- photograph by Mark Weber

Roswell Rudd & Bonefied — May 22, 2000 at The Outpost Performance Space, Albuquerque — Bonefied was a New Mexico five-trombone ensemble created by Steven Feld and on this occasion they debuted Roswell’s extended work “Cry of the Petroglyphs” that he had sketched out after a previous visit to New Mexico when I had drove him over to the west side of town and showed him some of the 17,000+ ancient (circa 2000BP – 1300AD) petroglyphs — Left to Right: J.A. Deane (trombone), Jefferson Voohees (drumset), Gary Sherman (trombones), Mark Weaver (tuba & trombone), Kurt Heyl (trombone), Roswell Rudd (conductor), and from the rear: Steve Feld (trombone) — photograph by Mark Weber

EVERYWHERE 66′
This was the one that really turned my head around as to how one could navigate the bone. Hearing it now, I realize how much it informed my concepts with electronics. Roswell always finds the essence of the trombone. ——dino j.a. deane [email 9/22/2o14

OVEN MITTS

We have a brass teapot
with a metal handle —-
After the whistle blows
you must never grab the teapot
…….without which you have oven mitts

Roswell has a brass trombone
with a long-arm slide —-
Once the music starts
you can never know which way
………………it’s going to go:
It’s like he’s trying to hold onto
………………a Hydra head of snakes

Mark Weber 22sept14

Steve Lacy Quintet ------ March 20, 2000 at old Outpost Performance Space, 112 Morningside SE, Albuquerque USA ----- Roswell Rudd, Irene Aebi, John Betsch, JJ Avenel, Steve Lacy -- photo by Mark Weber

Steve Lacy Quintet —— March 20, 2000 at old Outpost Performance Space, 112 Morningside SE, Albuquerque USA —– Roswell Rudd, Irene Aebi, John Betsch, JJ Avenel, Steve Lacy — photo by Mark Weber

Roswell Rudd, JJ Avenel, John Betsch on our field trip ---- March 20, 2000 -- Piedras Marcadas, West Mesa, Albuquerque -- photo by Mark Weber ----- Roswell brought his trombone and at one point went off by himself to play to the petroglyphs and the old spirits (we could hear him up on the mesa)

Roswell Rudd, JJ Avenel, John Betsch on our field trip —- March 20, 2000 — Piedras Marcadas, West Mesa, Albuquerque — photo by Mark Weber —– Roswell brought his trombone and at one point went off by himself to play to the petroglyphs and the old spirits (we could hear him up on the mesa)

Jean-Jacques Avenel at Piedras Marcadas, West Mesa, Albuquerque -- March 20, 2000 -- photo by Mark Weber

Jean-Jacques Avenel at Piedras Marcadas, West Mesa, Albuquerque — March 20, 2000 — photo by Mark Weber

John Betsch with Star beings (only known to exist in Rio Grande Valley petroglyphs) and a migration symbol and a talking dog ------ March 20, 2000 --- photo by Mark Weber ---- we were laughing because JJ had just seen his first cholla (cactus) and exclaimed "Sacrebleu! what's this?"

John Betsch with Star beings (only known to exist in Rio Grande Valley petroglyphs) and a migration symbol and a talking dog —— March 20, 2000 — photo by Mark Weber —- we were laughing because JJ had just seen his first cholla (cactus) and exclaimed “Sacrebleu! what’s this?”

John Betsch & Roswell Rudd with petroglyphs ----- March 20, 2000 --- photo by Mark Weber

John Betsch & Roswell Rudd with petroglyphs —– March 20, 2000 — photo by Mark Weber

We're listening to Roswell up on the mesa top playing his trombone to the petroglyphs -- March 20, 2000 -- photo by Mark Weber ----- that's John Betsch in foreground and JJ walking

We’re listening to Roswell up on the mesa top playing his trombone to the petroglyphs — March 20, 2000 — photo by Mark Weber —– that’s John Betsch in foreground and JJ walking

By the time I crawled up to the top of the mesa Roswell was putting away his trombone ---------- March 20, 2000 ----- photo by Mark Weber

By the time I crawled up to the top of the mesa Roswell was putting away his trombone ———- March 20, 2000 —– photo by Mark Weber

9 Comments

  1. steve schmidt

    Love the photos, and the memories they stimulated. Looking forward to the show and hearing what you both have to say. One of the early mistakes I made recording for my radio show 6/5/2000 at the Knitting Factory, I set up my recorder for his set, got it started, left to got to one of the other stages to record there too (always trying to squeeze too much in), came back up and found either someone had turned the recorder off, or some freak thing happened that stopped it, and I ended up with only about 10 minutes of the set. Roswell was gracious about it.

  2. Mike Johnston

    mark,

    thanks for the info. it looks like a great program in store. i’m looking forward to hearing it.

    for me roswell is pure musician. the diversity of the music that he’s produced might be unparalleled? he sounds comfortable in every musical environment and always brings something to the table. i’ve always loved his contributions in the 60’s era and feel that they are under appreciated. revisiting that era the n.y. art quartet, “everywhere” and some of the recordings that he did with lacy are all stand outs.

    * i’m curious how he got signed to do the impulse record “everywhere”.

    * former drummer in our northwoods band; ray kaczynski played with roswell for awhile in the late 80’s i believe? he currently lives in germany and is still playing.

    best, and thanks, mike

  3. Mark Weber

    The color shots are that movie film Eastman Color Stock 5247 that deteriorates and colors drift, fuzzy, when merely ten years old. Besides movies it is used to produce slides.These copies derived from the negative, scanned by Cal Haines at 2400 dpi —– I hope the slide versions, that are housed at UCLA are in better shape.

  4. noah young [former richard youngstein]

    hi mark!! long time no see/hear!! sorry i didn’t know about this piece on roswell, especially since i played with him continuously for several years in different compositions personnel-wise of his Primordial Ensemble! anyway hope everything’s well with you and yours!! blessings. my email address is valid and i’ve moved back to los angeles following six years of intensive treatments [including a stem cell transplant] for last stage lymphoma; i’m still receiving treatment and dealing with a host of medical challenges. Roswell, by the way, was the first cat in new york city, to give me a shot, when i was just a fresh faced punk, graduate from the conservatory of music in kansas city. i wrote him a letter and told him i loved the music and if he ever was in need of an acoutic bassist who could do the jazz and classical thing, and could read, to give me a call – and that’s exactly what he did, not long after, and i was very grateful to have had the honor to be in his band for a couple of years. thanks and love always to The Maestro Rudd!!!

  5. billy the celloist

    the Candid sessions for Nat Hentoff were not a Cecil Taylor session; they were my concept and my sessions; CT was a sideman. until eleven years later, when Mike (The Little General) Cuscuna was hired to CDify the Candid catalog. my album, NYC R&B had been in the can for 11 years; i wanted it out so bad i let TLG force me into sharing leadership and credit and $ with the Master, 50-50. since then, Cuscuna has licensed my stuff to a company in England that sells a lot of it in many formats, without bothering to send me any of the money they are stealing ! thanks for the opportunity to reassess “history”..

    was thinking and realize that you – Mark – are probably the only one i know of today who is still a champion of this exciting time (1955 -85) in American music – writing about it, broadcasting it, showing us your deep photos, interviewing what’s left of the cats, etc., etc. THANKS SO MUCH, MAN …. and YO!

  6. Mark Weber

    ———playlist————————
    the burritos bonitas jazz radio show
    September 25, 2o14 — KUNM Albuquerque
    Host MARK WEBER

    1. Buell Neidlinger Quintet “2300 Skiddo” (Herbie Nichols) — July 1994 cd BLUE CHOPSTICKS (K2B2 Records)
    2. Peter Ind & Tox Drohar “You Stepped Out of a Dream” –1974 album YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD RHYTHM SECTION (Wave Records)(courtesy of Nick Lyons— Thanks, Nick! this was a big hole in my record collection: finally filled)
    3. Herbie Nichols Trio “Sunday Stroll” –7aug55 (Blue Note)
    4. Toshiko Akiyoshi Trio “You Stepped Out of a Dream” — Feb. 1987 Lp INTERLUDE
    5. Roswell Rudd tentette “Change of Seasons” (Herbie Nichols) —15mar99 — cd BROAD STROKES
    6. Lee Konitz (soprano sax) + Sheila Jordan + Harvie S — 1993 — “You Don’t Know What Love Is” cd RHAPSODY II
    7. Bobby Hackett Quartet w/Dave McKenna, Dick Scott (aka Tox Drohar) —November 1959 — “You Stepped Out of a Dream”
    8. Lenny Popkin-Carol Tristano-Eddie Gomez “Like a Dream” — 27feb2oo4 cd NEW YORK MOMENT
    9. Sheila Jordan w/ ESP Trio “I Thought About You” — Feb.2004 cd STRAIGHT AHEAD —- announcements regarding recently published biography JAZZCHILD by Ellen Johnson
    10. Coleman Hawkins w/Tommy Flanagan “Love Song from Apache” (ie. movie) –9sept62 — cd TODAY AND NOW
    11. Matana Roberts “Invocation” cd COIN COIN (preview
    of concert at Outpost Friday the 26th)
    12. Lou Donaldson “Funky Mama” — 9may62 w/John Patton(B3 organ) album THE NATURAL SOUL (Blue Note)
    * listener/friend/neighbor Phil Putnam called to request
    a dedication to recently departed renowned artist Bob Ellis, so this was it

  7. Marty Krystall

    I remember when NYC R&B was first released in 1973 or 1974 as “Cecil Taylor – Buell Neidlinger”. Buell was bugged not only that his leadership role was relinquished, but that he never got a royalty or an accounting from Candid as an artist or composer. Around this time The Little General was interested in signing him (us) with Blue Note, but after that fell apart, we started K2B2.

  8. Mark Weber

    Rest in Peace: Jean-Jacques Avenel

    June 16, 1948 – August 12, 2o14

    (cancer)

  9. Mark Weber

    ———playlist—————-
    October 9, 2o14 —– KUNM Albuquerque
    Host MARK WEBER
    1. Roswell Rudd Trombone Tribe “Fanfare” + “Elton Dean” –28may08 cd TROMBONE TRIBE
    2. Eli’s Chosen Six “Basin Street Blues” –7june55
    3. Buell Neidlinger/Cecil Taylor “Things Ain’t What They Used to Be” ——–6jan61
    4. Roswell Rudd TROMBONE TRIBE “Sand in My Slide Shuffle” — ibid.
    5. LIVE telephone conversation with Roswell Rudd calling from Kerhonkson, New York
    6.Steve Lacy & RR “Light Blue”(Monk) —-19june99 cd EARLY & LATE
    7. Carla Bley “Dreams So Real” –1976 Lp DINNER MUSIC
    8. Roswell Rudd “Change of Season” —15mar99 cd BROAD STROKES
    and almost played “Bamako” from MALIcool, a sweet little tune, but ran out of time.

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