So Much The Better

Tipitina's -- July 1982 New Orleans -- photo by Mark Weber

Tipitina’s — July 1982 New Orleans — photo by Mark Weber

THE THURSDAY JAZZ RADIO SHOW

February 26, 2o15 – 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)

No real theme to this radio show. It can be like a puzzle, to make various disparate parts fit together. Even as I have always found it presumptuous for a disk jockey to use another’s art form to create their own statement, to have a music show work along a symphonic curve. Although, one does more or less have to find a unifying blend. I like contrasts. Something old, something new, blue, borrowed, peculiar. Mostly the guiding sensibility for my radio show is that I like to channel one particular psychic space. And that makes for a lot of latitude, really.

I was lucky when I was coming up, in my early 20s, for a couple years I audited Stanley Crouch’s jazz history class at Claremont Colleges (1972-1974) and Stanley was big on Martin Williams’ histories, and Williams had his eye on the entire scope of the music and didn’t dis-include artists such as ultra-modernists like Cecil Taylor or Sun Ra. That’s the value of a good teacher, Stanley was in this young 30s and on fire. Also, Bobby Bradford was in the music department at Claremont and exerted a considerable influence on our coming to grips with the story of this heroic music.

Time works its layers on us, as always, so that as jazz history recedes further into legend there seems to be less of a demarcation between the styles and types. From this perspective of temporal distance it appears all of a whole, even more so than when Martin Williams was pointing that out in his 1970 book THE JAZZ TRADITION.

I about fainted when I pulled up in front of Donte's that night and saw the marquee -- Art Pepper &  Warne Marsh (!) (that album THE WAY IT WAS on Contemporary of previously unreleased tracks  with Art & Warne from 1956 had only just came out a few years before and it blew our minds) ---- the L.A. TIMES had listed the evening differently:  Warne was booked for three nights of saxophone duets with Pete Christlieb, but what really happened was > Tuesday: Warne & Gary Foster;  Wednesday: Warne & Art; Thursday: Warne & Don Menza --------- photo by Mark Weber -- January 26, 1977,  North Hollywood, California

I about fainted when I pulled up in front of Donte’s that night and saw the marquee — Art Pepper & Warne Marsh (!) (that album THE WAY IT WAS on Contemporary of previously unreleased tracks with Art & Warne from 1956 had only just came out a few years before and it blew our minds) —- the L.A. TIMES had listed the evening differently: Warne was booked for three nights of saxophone duets with Pete Christlieb, but what really happened was > Tuesday: Warne & Gary Foster; Wednesday: Warne & Art; Thursday: Warne & Don Menza ——— photo by Mark Weber — January 26, 1977, North Hollywood, California

Biggi Vinkeloe and her Desert Sweets Trio -- March 14, 2o13 Albuquerque -- Mark Weaver, tuba;  Damon Smith, bass; Biggi on alto saxophone & flute -- she was born in Germany, spent many years as resident of France, swings through New Mexico every now & again on her way to the West Coast, nowadays lives in Sweden and sometimes Oakland, California ---- photo by Mark Weber

Biggi Vinkeloe and her Desert Sweets Trio — March 14, 2o13 Albuquerque — Mark Weaver, tuba; Damon Smith, bass; Biggi on alto saxophone & flute — she was born in Germany, spent many years as resident of France, swings through New Mexico every now & again on her way to the West Coast, nowadays lives in Sweden and sometimes Oakland, California —- photo by Mark Weber

Two pianists at Puppet's Jazz Bar, Park Slope, Brooklyn -- Virg Dzurinko had a gig there as part of  the Dori Levine Trio + Gary Levy (Dori, vocals; Hilliard Green, bass) and the pianist Charlie Sibirsky,  who lives nearby, dropped in to hear Virg -- July 13, 2o10 -- photo by Mark Weber

Two pianists at Puppet’s Jazz Bar, Park Slope, Brooklyn — Virg Dzurinko had a gig there as part of the Dori Levine Trio + Gary Levy (Dori, vocals; Hilliard Green, bass) and the pianist Charlie Sibirsky, who lives nearby, dropped in to hear Virg — July 13, 2o10 — photo by Mark Weber

Charlie Rouse and writer Kirk Silsbee -- Hollywood Bowl (Playboy Jazz Festival) -- June 18, 1983 --  photo by Mark Weber ------ Rouse was on the line-up with Sphere that afternoon

Charlie Rouse and writer Kirk Silsbee — Hollywood Bowl (Playboy Jazz Festival) — June 18, 1983 — photo by Mark Weber —— Rouse was on the line-up with Sphere that afternoon

Buell Neidlinger & Marty Krystall -- September 18, 1976 Los Angeles ---- We'll listen to  their new release (from a 1990 gig) THE RED SEA, which is a rocket launcher

Buell Neidlinger & Marty Krystall — September 18, 1976 Los Angeles —- We’ll listen to their new release (from a 1990 gig) THE RED SEA, which is a rocket launcher

Connie Crothers' studio in repose -- 7:30 a.m. -- Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York -- September 11, 2o13 -- photo by Mark Weber

Connie Crothers’ studio in repose — 7:30 a.m. — Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York — September 11, 2o13 — photo by Mark Weber

Your host on the Thursday airwaves and SHEILA JORDAN last November in a little restaurant  on 8th Avenue in Chelsea (Manhattan) ---- Improvising as a way of life, that's Sheila, a pure  exposition of joy & happiness, her concerts are something more than merely a performance,  they are an experience of life itself -----  We'll ask her about that and what's her secret for so  much elation, as she'll be visiting us Live in the studio on the Thursday jazz show (March 5) and  that evening in concert duets with the master Cameron Brown, who covers a lot of bases (no pun  intended), when you listen to their records Cameron is on double-duty standing in for an entire  ensemble, that's at the Outpost Performance Space

Your host on the Thursday airwaves and SHEILA JORDAN last November in a little restaurant on 8th Avenue in Chelsea (Manhattan) —- Improvising as a way of life, that’s Sheila, a pure exposition of joy & happiness, her concerts are something more than merely a performance, they are an experience of life itself —– We’ll ask her about that and what’s her secret for so much elation, as she’ll be visiting us Live in the studio on the Thursday jazz show (March 5) and that evening in concert duets with the master Cameron Brown, who covers a lot of bases (no pun intended), when you listen to their records Cameron is on double-duty standing in for an entire ensemble, that’s at the Outpost Performance Space

Leroy Jenkins solo violin at old Outpost Performance Space -- October 23, 1992 ---- the Revolutionary  Ensemble with Jenkins, Sirone, and Jerome Cooper, had such an oblique out harmony it was tantalizing,  endlessly intriguing, completely uniform within it's own dimensions -- I never got to hear this trio Live but  I have every one of their records -- photo & line drawing by Mark Weber

Leroy Jenkins solo violin at old Outpost Performance Space — October 23, 1992 —- the Revolutionary Ensemble with Jenkins, Sirone, and Jerome Cooper, had such an oblique out harmony it was tantalizing, endlessly intriguing, completely uniform within it’s own dimensions — I never got to hear this trio Live but I have every one of their records — photo & line drawing by Mark Weber

Chick Willis and Charlie Musselwhite ---- September 15, 1985 -- photo by Mark Weber

Chick Willis and Charlie Musselwhite —- September 15, 1985 — photo by Mark Weber

Kary Kaley ( ! ) and Ted Brown --------- Kary is Lee Konitz's daughter and the namesake to Lee's  song "Kary's Trance," she came down from Montana to visit with her dad at this jazz conference  at LAX Four Points Sheridan Hotel in Los Angeles,  an annual event, Billy Bauer was there also!  the conference this year was called Springsville with a focus on Birth of the Cool and tributaries thereof ----  Kary is a sweet person and Lee was glad she was there -- photo by Mark Weber -- May 28, 2004

Kary Kaley ( ! ) and Ted Brown ——— Kary is Lee Konitz’s daughter and the namesake to Lee’s song “Kary’s Trance,” she came down from Montana to visit with her dad at this jazz conference at LAX Four Points Sheridan Hotel in Los Angeles, an annual event, Billy Bauer was there also! the conference this year was called Springsville with a focus on Birth of the Cool and tributaries thereof —- Kary is a sweet person and Lee was glad she was there — photo by Mark Weber — May 28, 2004

Michael Vlatkovich 7-tet ---- Rehearsal at Chris Garcia's garage studio in East L.A. -- September 15, 1993 --  Bill Plake, tenor sax; William Roper, tuba; Michael, trombone & compositions; Chris Garcia, drumset; Vinny Golia, woodwinds; Anders Swanson, bass; Rob Blakeslee, trumpet -- they were getting their music together for a little tour around the Los Angeles area that week, L.A. is so huge you can set up gigs within the  metropolitan area to reach a varied audience, we were on KPFK that week, also (I read poems) --photo by Mark Weber

Michael Vlatkovich 7-tet —- Rehearsal at Chris Garcia’s garage studio in East L.A. — September 15, 1993 — Bill Plake, tenor sax; William Roper, tuba; Michael, trombone & compositions; Chris Garcia, drumset; Vinny Golia, woodwinds; Anders Swanson, bass; Rob Blakeslee, trumpet — they were getting their music together for a little tour around the Los Angeles area that week, L.A. is so huge you can set up gigs within the metropolitan area to reach a varied audience, we were on KPFK that week, also (I read poems) –photo by Mark Weber

Clark Terry and Bob Wilber at Donte's, North Hollywood -- May 23, 1979 ---- Clark was in town (maybe he was on the Carson show that night?) and dropped in to see Wilber's group: John Heard, bass; Dave Frishberg, piano; Pug Horton, vocals; not sure who the drummer was . . . photo by Mark Weber

Clark Terry and Bob Wilber at Donte’s, North Hollywood — May 23, 1979 —- Clark was in town (maybe he was on the Carson show that night?) and dropped in to see Wilber’s group: John Heard, bass; Dave Frishberg, piano; Pug Horton, vocals; not sure who the drummer was . . . photo by Mark Weber

12 Comments

  1. wayne mikosz

    Fassinatin. As always. Thanks once again.
    W

  2. fred voss

    Hey Mark,
    Good to see Musselwhite photo, saw him play twice in Long Beach. One of my favorite harp players, love his
    STAND BACK album!
    best things,
    Fred

  3. fred voss

    great pix… I danced live w/Musselwhite in 1965 when he played @ The Fort–The Fort described in detail in chapter 2 of my memoir TALES OF AN ANCIENT GOGO GIRL–tho I was not hip enuf to know what great music i had the honor of dancing to!–joan jobe smith

  4. Kirk Silsbee

    Priceless stuff, as always, Mark. And thanks for getting my best side.

  5. Dave laczko

    Great stuff, Mark! Thanks!

  6. marko

    Hey Mark,

    Tipitina’s 1982.

    Fess has left the house.

    R.I.P. Henry Roeland Byrd.

  7. Mark Weber

    4 THINGS

    1) Those hazy clouds floating across image of Kirk & Rouse is from a leak in the film cannister (always good to load & unload your film in a dark place — certainly not in direct sun) — I still like the photo — Let’s see a digital camera do that!

    2) Michael Vlatkovich writes specific music for each ensemble configuration he employs — so that he has a book for duos, trios, quartets, quintets, ad infintum, and sometimes specific to what players he might be using

    3) The drummer with Bob Wilber could have been Jake Hanna —- Jake was a regular at Donte’s, both on stage and off

    4) the photo of Buell & Marty is by me, also, I just forgot to list it. And the photo of me & Sheila is by our waiter, under my direction, because he’s from the Cellphone Camera Generation — we were laughing at him because he didn’t know what I meant when I said “crank the film forward …. advance it with that little lever ….. “

  8. Mark Weber

    5) A LITTLE STORY :

    Regarding that photo of September 11, 2013 — I had stayed over at Connie’s sleeping on her fold-out couch by that big window (there had been a concert and jam session the day before) —- and after CC & I had breakfast of eggs & bacon & toast I caught the water taxi back over to Manhattan, and as is my custom I like to go up into the pilot house and chat with the captain, but on this day his first mate explained that today was not exactly a great day for being up in the pilot house, as they were on high alert, being that it was the anniversary of that day of infamy 12 years before

  9. Joshua Breakstone

    Love it all (as usual) but especially especially that shot of Warne and Art Pepper! (I just uncovered a really ancient shot someone took of me and Warne, I have to show it to you sometime.)

  10. billy the celloist

    wasn’t the drummer Bob Leatherbarrow ?
    another little story..following the last rehearsal for my Candid album “NYC R&B”, and one day before the session, Don Cherry called me to say that he couldn’t do the gig because Ornette had told him that if he recorded with us (Cecil, Archie,Steve Lacy, Roswell, Charles Davis, Billy Higgins, and me), Ornette would never play with him or use him again ! so i called the producer, Nat Hentoff, and told him the mind-boggling news. Nat calmly said “I’ll get someone; see you at the session.” at ten the next morning Tommy Nola started rolling tape on Archie, Billy, and me; no Nat. Cecil came in late at 11 and joined us, tape still rolling, still no Nat. at 12:45, 15 minutes before the rest of the cats were to show for the big group, i see Nat walk into the booth with an elegantly dressed familiar looking tall man with a trumpet case. we were in the middle of take 50 of “Air” and the shit was flying; i looked through the glass again, and saw the look on the face i now realized belonged to Clark Terry. a look of incredulity – he had never heard music like this in his life; a look of temerity, because in ten minutes he was gonna be playing “Jumpin’ Punkins” and “Things Ain’t What They Used to Be”. with these cats, and a look of love, because he heard Ellington (Cecil) coming into that booth, and he was a complete pro and was gonna fit right in. well, he wasn’t Don, but he did fit right in (dig the record) !

    i had not seen Clark again until 18 years later, that night at Donte’s, when i went to see Bob W., a NYC leader i worked for in the 50s. Clark still remembered that session at Nola’s ! Nat made a great choice ! i always loved the way Clark sounded with Ellington; he fit right in. RIP Clark Terry !!

  11. Mark Weber

    ——playlist—————
    SO MUCH THE BETTER jazz radio show
    February 26, 2o15——–KUNM Albuquerque
    Host MARK WEBER

    1. Art Pepper “Stomping at the Savoy” –26nov56
    2. Art Pepper & Warne Marsh “Avalon” –26nov56
    3. Chico Hamilton “The Dealer” –9sept66 cd THE DEALER
    4. Buell Neidlinger & Marty Krystall Criss Cross “Trinkle, Tinkle” –Feb. 1990 (new Cd) THE RED SEA
    5. Clark Terry Sextet w/ Ben Webster “Gravy Waltz” –17june63
    6. Sheila Jordan cd LITTLE SONG — June 2002 “Little Song/Blackbird/Autumn in New York/Little Song”
    7. Virg Dzurinko “Another City” 1997 or 98: FUN CITY
    8. Michael Vlatkovich Septet “Madam Why” –9june14 cd ASK 7
    9. Biggi Vinkeloe/Mark Weaver/Damon Smith “Jojoba” –5apr2oo1 cd DESERT SWEETS
    10. Lee Konitz & Ted Brown “Kary’s Trance” –May 1999 cd DIG IT
    11. Biggi Vinkeloe (flute) — ibid. “Inkweed”
    12. REvolutionary Ensemble “New York” –Dec.1975 Lp THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC
    13. Art Pepper “Stomping at the Savoy” ibid.
    *dates indicate the time of recording

  12. Mark Weber

    * I stumbled across the rest of the photos of Bob Wilber’s group and the drummer was Nick Ceroli that night

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