Politics

Me and my favorite poet Joan Jobe Smith in Long Beach, California -- April 12, 2o10 -- I can't say enough good things about Joan: she's a master of the culinary arts; was co-editor of legendary literary magazine PEARL; a lover of the Hollywood of Joan Crawford and Rita Hayworth; was a go-go dancer at the Whisky-A-Go-Go (and me and her husband Fred Voss can't quit asking her about Jim Morrison & The Doors -- she's a jazz girl so all that just bores her); and a member of the Society of Earl Grey Tea Drinkers of Albuquerque & Long Beach (me & her); and one of the most honest people I know, just read her poetry, she makes the rest of us look like the phonies we are -- the rest of us poets, that is.

Me and my favorite poet Joan Jobe Smith in Long Beach, California — April 12, 2o10 — I can’t say enough good things about Joan: she’s a master of the culinary arts; was co-editor of legendary literary magazine PEARL; a lover of the Hollywood of Joan Crawford and Rita Hayworth; was a go-go dancer at the Whisky-A-Go-Go (and me and her husband Fred Voss can’t quit asking her about Jim Morrison & The Doors — she’s a jazz girl so all that just bores her); and a member of the Society of Earl Grey Tea Drinkers of Albuquerque & Long Beach (me & her); and one of the most honest people I know, just read her poetry, she makes the rest of us look like the phonies we are — the rest of us poets, that is.

The Thursday Jazz Radio Show

October 6, 2o16 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)

POLITICS

I was just telling Klaus that it goes against my better judgement to write about politics and more directly about this strange bizarre Presidential Campaign that’s been going on in America, but it has pervaded my mind and I can’t think of anything jazz-wise to write. I once told Connie Crothers that I don’t write about politics, on purpose. I grew up in a household where political discourse was always going on, and nothing became of it. She admonished me: Mark, everything you write is political. Maybe so, I don’t know. It just seems that many times politics is used as a whipping post for other things that are going on in the life of the person who is ranting. Surrogate something-or-other. Connie was very political (but she never used it as a surrogate for the complexities of life). I can’t imagine someone like Donald Trump being President (I think we’re always suppose to have a leading cap on that word?) I read the other day that his mentor in the 70s was Roy Cohn — could it get any worse? My high school history teacher Mr Hughes made sure and brought home the implications of the HUAC fiasco in American history, and it was there I learned of strange people like Senator Joseph McCarthy and Roy Cohn, who enjoyed destroying lives and reputations. (Ray Hughes, a great guy, ran the steeplechase in the 64 Olympics. He had me teach him how to make wine.) (I was already a bottle baby by then.) I keep thinking of the renowned couplet from the Old English poem “The Battle of Maldon” :

Hige sceal þe heardra, heorte þe cenre,
mod sceal þe mare þe ure maegen lytlað

Maybe that applies? Although, the Anglo-Saxons in August of 991 were vanquished by the marauding Danes (ie. Vikings) this heroic poem memorializes them for fighting to the last man. “Will shall be the sterner, heart the bolder, spirit the greater as our strength lessens.”

Hige sceal þe heardra, heorte þe cenre,
mod sceal þe mare þe ure maegen lytlað

It's dark in some of these jazz joints -- Joshua Breakstone on one of his annual visits to New Mexico playing at Vernon's Hidden Valley Steakhouse, Albuquerquque -- October 11, 2o12 (John Trentacosta, drums; Earl Sauls, bass) -- photo by Mark Weber

It’s dark in some of these jazz joints — Joshua Breakstone on one of his annual visits to New Mexico playing at Vernon’s Hidden Valley Steakhouse, Albuquerquque — October 11, 2o12 (John Trentacosta, drums; Earl Sauls, bass) — photo by Mark Weber

Tootie Heath in Hollywood (he now lives in Santa Fe) what a great drummer -- April 12, 1985 at Hyatt Hotel on Sunset Blvd -- with the Warne Marsh-Harold Land Quintet (Bob Maize, bass; Gildo Mahones, piano) -- photo by Mark Weber ----- Sure would have been nice if this quintet had recorded, when I asked Warne he said no record companies had come forward . . . . . .

Tootie Heath in Hollywood (he now lives in Santa Fe) what a great drummer — April 12, 1985 at Hyatt Hotel on Sunset Blvd — with the Warne Marsh-Harold Land Quintet (Bob Maize, bass; Gildo Mahones, piano) — photo by Mark Weber —– Sure would have been nice if this quintet had recorded, when I asked Warne he said no record companies had come forward . . . . . .

Fred Katz (you know him mostly as a cello player, but he did work on piano quite a bit, see his late-50s recordings with Carmen McRae, Ken Nordine, Pete Rugolo, etc) -- 1979 -- photo by Mark Weber

Fred Katz (you know him mostly as a cello player, but he did work on piano quite a bit, see his late-50s recordings with Carmen McRae, Ken Nordine, Pete Rugolo, etc) — 1979 — photo by Mark Weber

Blue Mitchell -- July 10, 1977 at Donte's, North Hollywood -- photo by Mark Weber

Blue Mitchell — July 10, 1977 at Donte’s, North Hollywood — photo by Mark Weber

Jam session at The Little Big Horn -- Sunday afternoon September 12, 1976 Pasadena, California -- Glenn Ferris(trombone); Bobby Bradford(cornet); John Carter(soprano sax); John Goldsmith(drums); Richard Reywald(bass) -- photo by Mark Weber

Jam session at The Little Big Horn — Sunday afternoon September 12, 1976 Pasadena, California — Glenn Ferris (trombone); Bobby Bradford (cornet); John Carter (soprano sax); John Goldsmith (drums); Richard Reywald (bass) — photo by Mark Weber

Lew Tabackin Trio: Joey Baron, drums; Charlie Haden, bass -- January 26, 1980 at Maiden Voyage-- photo by Mark Weber -- This club was on Wilshire Blvd almost right across the street from MacArthur Park and Westlake (Art Pepper did some live recordings from this club -- see his Galaxy Recordings)

Lew Tabackin Trio: Joey Baron, drums; Charlie Haden, bass — January 26, 1980 at Maiden Voyage– photo by Mark Weber — This club was on Wilshire Blvd almost right across the street from MacArthur Park and Westlake (Art Pepper did some live recordings from this club — see his Galaxy Recordings)

May 16, 1981 -- Three bassists and a drummer -- Left to right: Al Hines, David Bryant, Henry Franklin, Fritz Wise -- There's a lot of history in that photograph: Al worked as a music director at Hanna-Barbera; David has the distinction for being Billie Holiday's bassist on the coast, and is the subject of Horace Tapscott's tune "Dee Bee's Dance"; Henry's history in L.A. goes way back, his father was big band leader Sammy Franklin, Henry studied bass with Al McKibbon, and George Morrow, and if you look hard enough you can see him in the film Monterey Pop (June 1967) with Hugh Masekela (Henry was on the mega-hit "Grazing in the Grass") -- photo by Mark Weber

May 16, 1981 — Three bassists and a drummer — Left to right: Al Hines, David Bryant, Henry Franklin, Fritz Wise — There’s a lot of history in that photograph: Al worked as a music director at Hanna-Barbera; David has the distinction for being Billie Holiday’s bassist on the coast, and is the subject of Horace Tapscott’s tune “Dee Bee’s Dance”; Henry’s history in L.A. goes way back, his father was  big band leader Sammy Franklin, Henry studied bass with Al McKibbon, and George Morrow, and if you look hard enough you can see him in the film Monterey Pop (June 1967) with Hugh Masekela (Henry was on the mega-hit “Grazing in the Grass”) — photo by Mark Weber

Pan Afrikan People's Arkestra before their set at UCLA May 16, 1981 -- Left to right: bassist David Bryant, drummer Fritz Wise, pianist Linda Hill, conductor/pianist Horace Tapscott, bassist Nyimbo Henry Franklin (they had 4 bassists that afternoon) -- photo by Mark Weber

Pan Afrikan People’s Arkestra before their set at UCLA May 16, 1981 — Left to right: bassist David Bryant, drummer Fritz Wise, pianist Linda Hill, conductor/pianist Horace Tapscott, bassist Nyimbo Henry Franklin (they had 4 bassists that afternoon) — photo by Mark Weber

Lew Tabackin Trio at Maiden Voyage downtown Los Angeles -- January 26, 1980 -- Charlie Haden, bass -- Lew on tenor & flute -- photo by Mark Weber -- I wonder who was the first to play in this most powerful configuration? I love an exposed trio like this: bass drums horn, was it Rollins that showed us the way?

Lew Tabackin Trio at Maiden Voyage downtown Los Angeles — January 26, 1980 — Charlie Haden, bass — Lew on tenor & flute — photo by Mark Weber — I wonder who was the first to play in this most powerful configuration? I love an exposed trio like this: bass drums horn, was it Rollins that showed us the way?

The backline forcefield for Gregoire Maret's Quartet: Matt Brewer, bass, and Clarence Penn, drums -- October 25, 2o12 -- Outpost Performance Space -- photo by Mark Weber

The backline forcefield for Gregoire Maret’s Quartet: Matt Brewer, bass, and Clarence Penn, drums — October 25, 2o12 — Outpost Performance Space — photo by Mark Weber

Bobby Shew has become one of the great jazzmen, always learning more, always teaching, always making it real -- Here he's getting ready for a Sunday afternoon concert in Albuquerque at St John's Methodist Church, September 18, 2o16 with his Quartet (Jim Ahrend, piano; Cal Haines, drums; Colin Deuble, bass) -- At this concert we learned that Bobby wrote his tune "Red Snapper" thinking about Don Menza, while sitting around on the Mork & Mindy set

Bobby Shew has become one of the great jazzmen, always learning more, always teaching, always making it real — Here he’s getting ready for a Sunday afternoon concert in Albuquerque at St John’s Methodist Church, September 18, 2o16 with his Quartet (Jim Ahrend, piano; Cal Haines, drums; Colin Deuble, bass) — At this concert we learned that Bobby wrote his tune “Red Snapper” thinking about Don Menza, while sitting around on the Mork & Mindy set

17 Comments

  1. Richard Tabnik

    neither hillary nor donald are acceptable… vote jill stein!

  2. Mark Weber

    I think I’ll park some of my recent playlists here >

    ———————————-playlist—————————————
    The Autumn Equinox Jazz Radio Show
    September 22, 2o16
    KUNM Albuquerque
    Host MARK WEBER

    1. Wynton Kelly Trio (Paul Chambers, Jimmy Cobb) “Autumn Leaves” –20july61 collection THE COMPLETE VEE JAY RECORDINGS (Lonehill Jazz)
    2. Tony Bennett w/Ralph Sharon Trio “Autumn Leaves” — 14oct64 (Columbia)
    3. Steve Lehman Trio w/Matt Brewer, bass; Damion Reid, drums — “Moment’s Notice”(Coltrane)–2aug2o11 cd DIALECT FLUORESCENT
    4. Claude Williamson Trio “Anything Goes”(Cole Porter) — 1961 cd THE FABULOUS CLAUDE WILLIAMSON TRIO
    5. Shiela Jordan & Lines For Ladies “Beautiful Love / Delicious and Lovely” –3nov2o14 cd LIVE!
    6. Al Cohn & Charlie’s Tavern Ensemble w/Hal McKusick — an eleven-tet aka “hendektette” (info courtesy
    of listener Chris Williams in Sacramento — I had posed the question what an eleven-tet might be called) — Autumn Leaves” — 26oct54
    7. Maryanne de Prophetis Quartet w/ Ron Horton, trumpet; Frank Kimbrough, piano; Satoshi Takeishi, drums— “Ombra” — 28aug2o15 cd TELL A STAR
    8. Ted Brown Trio “After You’ve Gone” — Ted, tenor sax; Dennis Irwin, bass; Steve Lamanttina, guitar —January 2oo7 cd SHADES OF BROWN (Steeplechase)
    9. Mat Matthews Sextet “Lullaby of the Leaves” w/ alto solo by Lanny Morgan –1994 cd MEDITATION
    10. Russell Malone Quartet “Your Zowie Face” (Jerry Goldsmith) –9oct2o14 cd LOVE LOOKS GOOD ON YOU (HighNote)
    11. Pat Malone (guitar) in duet with drummer Cal Haines “Autumn Leaves” session recording from KUNM Studio A — 16jan2o12
    12. Chris Connor “Anything Goes” arranged by Ralph Burns — 5 clarinets — 8feb56 (Atlantic) album CHRIS CONNOR
    13. Milt Jackson Joe Pass Ray Brown “You stepped out of a dream” –1975 (Pablo) cd THE BIG 3
    14. Mark Dresser Seven “Two Handfuls of Peace” –2o15/2o16 cd SEDIMENTAL YOU (Clean Feed)
    15. Tal Farlow Quartet “Autumn in New York” –Nov.54 — COMPLETE VERVE TAL FARLOW SESSIONS (Mosaic)

  3. Mark Weber

    ————————————playlist———————————
    The Chamisa Jazz Radio Show
    September 29, 2o16
    KUNM Albuquerque
    Host MARK WEBER

    1. Joshua Breakstone Cello Quartet “Lennie’s Pennies” (Tristano) –4apr2o16 cd 88 (Capri Records)
    2. Lee Konitz cd STEREOKONITZ “Midnight Mood” –Oct.1968 Rome, Italy — with Lee’s alto mounted with a Varitone
    3. Bobby Broom Trio “D’s Blues” –January 2o11 cd UPPER WEST SIDE STORY (Origin)
    4. Chris Connor “I Get a Kick Out of You” –23jan56 w/Oscar Pettiford(bass); Barry Galbraith(guitar); Connie Kay(drums); John Lewis(piano) ——–(Atlantic Records) Lp CHRIS CONNOR
    5. Matt Brewer Quintet “Juno”(MB) — Feb.2o16 cd UNSPOKEN (Criss Cross)
    6. Bobby Jasper (flute) w/ Mundell Lowe Quartet “It could happen to you” — 1960
    7. Hi-Lo’s “Fascinatin’ Rhythm” — 5aug58 w/ Marty Paich Dek-tette including Clare Fischer, Jack Sheldon, Bud Shank, Herb Geller, Mel Lewis, Alvin Stoller (bongos), Bill Perkins, Bob Enevoldsen, Joe Mondragon
    8. Corky Hale playing unison flute w/ Buddy Collette “April in Paris” w/ Howard Roberts(guitar); Red Mitchell(bass); Larry Bunker(vibes); Chico Hamilton(drums) — 1956 Lp PLAYS GERSHWIN & DUKE
    9. Billie Holiday “Autumn in NY” — May 1952 (Verve) w/ Oscar Peterson(piano); Ray Brown(bass); Barney Kesel(guitar); Alvin Stoller(drums)
    10. Ella Fitzgerald w/ Lou Levy Trio “Gone with the wind” –May 1961 cd TWELVE NIGHTS IN HOLLYWOOD
    11. Harry Allen & John Pizzarelli duet (tenor sax & guitar) “Dear Old Stockholm” –1995 cd HARRY ALLEN MEETS THE JOHN PIZZARELLI TRIO
    12. Jack Sheldon Quartet “Mad About the Boy”(Noel Coward) w/Walter Norris(piano) –August 1954
    13. Tony Scott Septet “But Not for Me” –January 1955
    14. Thelonious Monk Quartet “I Mean You” –15apr61 Live in Amsterdam (Solar Records)
    15. Coleman Hawkins Quintet “Vignette”(Hank Jones) –Feb.1958 w/ Buck Clayton –originally released on HIGH AND MIGHTY HAWK and now on COLEMAN HAWKINS & HIS CONFRERES (Fresh Sound)
    16. Jerry Bergonzi Trio “Blue Cube” cd SPOTLIGHT ON STANDARDS (Savant)– 22mar2o16

  4. Bill Payne

    Speaking of Sonny Rollins. My favorite trio recording (Saxophone, Bass, Drums) that he did was an album titled “The Freedom Suite.” One of my favorites of all time…

    Thanks for your great photographs and writing always.

  5. Fred Voss

    Right on Mark regarding Trump and of course the great Joan Jobe Smith poet of veracious and fabulous and generous talent to whom I’m lucky to be married and who the world is lucky to read

  6. Steve Schmidt

    Wow! Joey Baron with not only hair but a beard. That was not long before I first saw him w/o either.

  7. Richard Tabnik

    there’s no such thing as politics… all there is is who gets fed and who gets shot…

  8. joan jobe voss

    thank you, dear Mark, for your sweet tribute to my poetry… I am humbled by your generous words. That pic of you and me: what a fine night to see you and hear you read your fascinating poetry backed by the Bubbadinos that night after 15 years! I hope I remembered their name right. They were a grooving group, great talent, all. One of the best and most fun readings + jazz I ever saw. Oh, and I got to meet for first time that fine lady poet–whose name right now I cannot recall! Ms. Grossman–but why can’t I remember her first name? Again, Mark, thanks for boosting me up onto the stage of your jivin’ Jazz Feature; I feel really really cool today…I’ll step down and read on…politics: schmolliticks… I agree with you… whatta hellish 2016 this’s been…

    • Mark Weber

      Dear Joan,
      That group was a mini-orchestra ———– not the Bubbadinos —- they got the crazy idea to set themselves on stage like a jazz big band, with the brass in back and the reeds in front — but there was only 4 of them: Michael Vlatkovich on trombone; William Roper, tuba, in the back row and the next “row” was Bill Payne, clarinet; and Harry Scorzo, violin; and Christopher Garcia, drumset. What a crew. We recorded that concert and might release it someday. The poet you are thinking of was the late Dottie Grossman.

      • Mark Weber

        . . . . concert produced by Ray Zepeda

  9. Carol Tristano

    Love the photo of you and Joan. Recently I’ve been reading her collection the Pow Wow Café forwards and backwards and forwards again. In her beautiful poetry she gives us insight, humor and her profoundly original take on too many aspects of life to count! One of our great American poets!

    • Mark Weber

      Dear Carol,
      That is absolutely the best and only way to read poetry. One poem at a time. Give it time to get inside you.

      Funny story. I used to keep poetry books at my desk at the job I had in the 80s — I was manager of the shipping dept for this international telephone manufacturer, Southern California service center, so it wasn’t like my brain needed to be occupied by shipping all the time. I’d field a phone call and then maybe pull a book off the rack and read one poem, put the book back, and go back out to the docks, or wherever. I was always on the move on that job. Well, there was a time when I had to be in the hospital for 28 days, and when I returned to work, for some reason my secretary Anita had quit, and instead of letting me chose my own replacement the management hired someone ——— Now, the management had been going through an upheaval as well, and my immediate boss in the chain of command at this time was this moronic fellow that is not worth talking about — and this company usually was so hip and with great management (I worked there 7 years it was such a great place) ——–SO, this new secretary of mine decides to tell the moron: “Mark’s been reading poetry at his desk,” a real tattletale nitwit. My co-workers in the front office had a big laugh over that one as they all already knew I read poetry at my desk, and sometimes would have discussions about same with my co-workers. It was a fun place to work. I even hung the various paintings on the walls that I borrowed from the library. And it was my job to program the radio on the intercom (classical in the mornings, nothing in the afternoon, was my edict, gawd who needs music all the time).

      So, guess who got fired? This secretary thought her job was to report to my boss and give him updates as to what I was doing (this guy is probably voting for Trump next month). A secretary should be an ally. I sacked her butt within the week. Who needs it?

    • Joan Jobe Voss

      thank you, dearest Carol! your good words mean so much to me…

  10. Carol Tristano

    Hilarious story Mark!

    • Carol Tristano

      …except the part about being in the hospital.

  11. Mark Weber

    ————————————–playlist———————————–
    The Apple Picking Time Jazz Radio Show
    October 6, 2o16
    KUNM Albuquerque
    Host MARK WEBER

    1. Steve Lehman Trio w/ Damion Reed, drums, and Matt Brewer, bass “Jeannine”(Duke Pearson) –22aug2o11 cd DIALECT FLUORESCENT
    2. Oscar Brown Jr “Jeannine” w/ Oscar’s lyrics — 1963 Lp TELLS IT LIKE IT IS! (Col.)
    3. Lucky Thompson, tenor sax — “Jeannie”(Nat Adderley-Sam Jones) –17apr59 — recorded at North German Radio (NDR Norddeutscher Rundfunk, Hamburg) with Michael Naura Trio + 5 saxophones + vibes + Lucky’s killer arrangement
    4. Matt Brewer Quintet “Cheryl”(Bird) –19feb2o16 cd UNSPOKEN (Criss Cross) w/ Ben Wendell(tenor), Charles Altura(guitar), Aaron Parks(piano), Tyshawn Sorey(drums) Matt Brewer(bass)
    5. Charlie Parker Quintet “Cheryl” blues — (Savoy) — 8may47 NYC w/ Miles, Bud Powell, Tommy Potter, Max
    6. Cannonball Adderley w/ Wes Montgomery “Au Privave” (Bird, blues) –21may60 (Capitol) cd CANNONBALL AND THE POLL WINNERS — I learned from Wiki that there is no such word in French as “Privave” so the title is probably best understood as: At the Privave, which might have been a club? And that Max later recorded this same blues as “Apres Vous” (After You)
    7. Tootie Heath solo drumset “Temple of Creativity” — Nov.1996 cd THE OFFERING
    8. Glenn Kostur Trio “On the Trail” w/ David Parlato(bass), and John Bartlit(drums) –June 2005 cd TRIFLING
    9. Heath Brothers “For Seven’s Sake”(Albert Tootie Heath) — Feb.1997 cd AS WE WERE SAYING (Concord)
    10. Fred Katz Trio “Krelch” w/ John Pisano(guitar) and Hal Gaylor(bass) — 26may58 cd 4-5-6 TRIO (Fresh Sound)
    11. Miles & Horns “For Adults Only”(Cohn) — 19feb53 w/ Al Cohn, Zoot Sims(tenors), John Lewis(piano), Leonard Gaskin(bass), Kenny Clarke(drums), arranged by Al Cohn cd COMPLETE MILES DAVIS PRESTIGE RECORDINGS
    12. Bobby Bradford w/David Murray “A Little Pain”(BB) –Oct.1991 cd DEATH OF A SIDEMAN w/ Fred Hopkins(bass), Ed Blackwell(drums), David Murray(bass-clarinet), Bradford(cornet)
    13. Tootie Heath “Mystical Energy” + “Cultural Frame of Reference” + “Calling His Name” . . . . I let
    this cd play the show out . . . .from cd THE OFFERING, all solo drums & percussion

    *Ran out of time for Blue Mitchell, and Bobby Shew, but we’ll listen to them soon

  12. Joan Jobe Voss

    thank you, dearest Carol for your good words abt my poetry…sure needed that at this time of negative introspection i’m going thru… and thanks, Mark, for getting me right abt Dorothy Grossman… I was so fortunate to actually see her one more time when she appeared at the #2LB Poetry Festival just months before she passed away… she was SO gifted–and a good musician, too… yep that was “quite a crew” you performed with that night at CSULB… one of the most enjoyable poetry shows I ever saw… how about an ENCORE!???

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