Looks to be 1960s vintage LP sleeve —– And that’s today’s show: Spinning records from the vast cornucopia of jazz history and a word about high fidelity — A lot of ground has been covered in jazz in its short 100-year recorded history from slightly skewed cakewalks to ragtime extrapolations to swinging the gate to space bop to bop Bop — We’ll be talking about that history as well as the history of community supported radio and the place jazz has upon the airwaves
The Thursday Jazz Radio Show
April 14, 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)
TERRESTRIAL RADIO AND YOUR SUPPORT
Jazz is unknowable. Nobody knows what it is. Like a giant tree with branches that reach a mile there’s a bird nest way out there, full of little twittering birdies, that’s jazz, maybe. A wheelbarrow full of apples, that’s jazz. The long view of history and the journeys out of Africa, that’s jazz. Or, a sandwich of saxophone solos. Who knows? We don’t know what sleep is, either. Sleep goes way back amongst life on Earth, some of the earliest and oldest life forms sleep. Like jazz, we don’t know what it is. I certainly don’t. Somebody said jazz is coming. Really? Coming from where? From the future and it’s wearing some slick shoes.
Of all the many ways you can hear music these days the old-fashioned radio waves version of music is now called “terrestrial radio.” KUNM is also modern with “streaming” live via the internet as well as archives the various programs so that you can listen back. We have more ways to deliver music than we have disk jockeys. There’s a lot out there. In fact, it’s a golden time to be alive and listening to music because almost everything that has ever been recorded is somewhere available.
Patti Littlefield during soundcheck completely goofing off doing her Marlene Dietrich impersonation “Falling in love again . . .” —- March 5, 2o15 at the Outpost Performance Space — Patti has been my substitute for ten or fifteen years when I’m out of town and most usually helps with the Fundraising but today (Thursday night) she has a gig at Outpost and lamentably won’t be able to help in our endeavors for community support — photo by Mark Weber
Jimmy Cleveland Octet at Local 47 rehearsal rooms —- photo by Mark Weber — July 31, 1980 — Jimmy Cleveland (trombone), Janet Cleveland (vocal), Jackie Kelso (tenor), Lanny Morgan (alto), Jim Hughart (bass), Fostina Dixon (bass clarinet & baritone sax), Ray Knehnetsky (piano & arranger), Tim Pope (drums), Bob Ojeda (trumpet) ———— Jimmy was the coolest guy, I was hanging around the union hall that day just visiting and up drives Jimmy & Janet and I asked if I could attend the rehearsal and he said, “Yeh, hell yeah, come on!”
Jazz Crusaders Wilton Felder and Joe Sample — Hollywood Bowl Playboy Jazz Festival — June 20, 1981 — photos by Mark Weber
Ellis Marsalis and Steve Masakowski — June 27, 1982 at Tyler’s Beer Garden, 5234 Magazine, New Orleans — photo by Mark Weber —- the patrons were big on the oysters AND the beer in this great jazz spot, I wonder if it’s still there, post-Katrina?
I’ve always thought “Jazz Crusaders” was the coolest name for a band — That’s their drummer Stix Hooper — June 20, 1981 — photo by Mark Weber
Never forget the tip jar! —- Super City Jazz Band — June 27, 1982 at Club Maison Bourbon in the French Quartet, New Orleans — Glen Wilson (tenor saxophone & clarinet), Rusty Gilder (bass), Bud Brashier (piano), Murphy Campo (trumpet & vocals), Paul Ferrara (drums) — photo by Mark Weber
99% of music moves in a direction, it’s going somewhere, then, there’s Henry Threadgill’s Zooid music that seems to exist in space without forward movement, it’s as if resolution is not urgent, completely open to pure existence, reminds me of Scriabin’s “Poem of Ecstasy” or even parts of Philip Glass, although with Glass there is the repetitious build-up that implies something is coming, something expected, 99% of music moves in a direction: Our music reveals that we are trapped within Time’s Arrow —- Henry Threadgill with his Zooid band at Outpost: Liberty Ellman (guitar), Stomu Takemishi (elec-bass), Jose Davila (tuba), Elliot Humberto Kavee (drums), Christopher Hoffman (cello), Henry Threadgill (flutes and alto saxophone) — October 1, 2o10 —- photo by Mark Weber
Dick Hyman at Studio 725 — we had a three hour talk about music of which I intend to air someday on the New Mexico airwaves via the exigencies of KUNM — photo by Mark Weber — September 20, 2o10 Albuquerque
The filmmaker Mary Lance in her home office at New Deal Films– Corrales, New Mexico — July 23, 2o11 — photo by Mark Weber — You’ve seen Mary’s films on PBS, her latest BLUE ALCHEMY: STORIES OF INDIGO (2o11), and AGNES MARTIN (2002), and DIEGO RIVERA I SEE WHAT I PAINT (1989 co-directed with Eric Breitbart), among others, and also if you drop by the theater at Albuquerque Museum of Art, those two short films on the 400-year history of Albuquerque were made by Mary . . . . . .
Richard Towne KUNM General Manager at his desk on the 3rd floor of Onate Hall, campus of University of New Mexico — July 21, 2o11 — photo by Mark Weber — RT will be my pitch partner this Thursday as we scour the airwaves for contributions to keep the station afloat — I’m always amazed at Richard’s ability to balance the varied content that a community radio station must have, his ability to wrap his brain around so many points of view, whereas, myself I need only concentrate on my little corner of jazz . . . . Fortunately, we have a healthy listenership (I’ll ask RT for the numbers) that blankets most of the state of New Mexico and only need to fundraise twice a year — We broadcast in the old-fashioned terrestrial way (new jargon) as well as “streaming on-line” 24/7/365 (really new jargon)
That’s about as perfunctory as you can get — I didn’t know Mr Burg, no doubt an interesting person — Mt Calvary Cemetery, Albuquerque — March 20, 1994 — photo Mark Weber
Lenny Popkin Trio au Duc des Lombards — January 15, 2009 — On one of Carol Tristano’s infrequent visits back to NYC a few years ago the consummate saxophonist Nick Lyons (always there) said to me, “Man, why do I even try. Carol says so much in just her first three notes.”
Mary Lance — July 23, 2o11 — photo by Mark Weber — I’ve known Mary since 1992 or 93 when we all first arrived here in New Mexico, that’s her dog Daisy that I’m quoting in my book PLAIN OLD BOOGIE LONG DIVISION (2oo6)
Hi Mark, I would like to show my support and contribute, but how do I do that from France?
I think the only way we can know what jazz is, is by feeling it. It is a very deep thing. And in fact, quite tangible.
I’d say it’s a feeling of movement and momentum. And it’s the same feeling every time. That’s why we can play the same melody thousands of times without getting bored.
I think we might add another shot of Mary Lance from that same sitting —— When that frame is at 2400 dpi (dots per inch)(which what Cal scans the 35mm negatives) you could see her right eye looking directly down the barrel of my lens, but when we adjust the photos to 600 dpi (is that correct Cal?) so that we don’t crash everybody’s computer with too many dots per inch, I’m not sure Mary’s eye comes across, and her smile was playful in the larger 2400 format . . . . . .SO, we’ll add another tomorrow . . . . .
Telephone numbers for pledges of support
(505) 277-4357
and
toll free long distance (866) 899-5866
as well as on-line >
KUNM.org
Tell them that you are calling for jazz.
I will sure miss being there with you this Thursday, but I know you will rock it as you always do.. and garner more pledges than ever before!! Thanks for the mention, dear Cuz..Hope to see youse Thursday night.. What a band! What a band!.. Love, Patsy
Mark thank you for posting the Duc clip – beautiful excerpts of Lenny’s masterful and gorgeous playing! But I think there’s a little mistake in your story – Nick had to have been talking about Lenny. Nick is a beautiful cat. Lenny, Anna and I had the great pleasure of hearing Kazzrie, Nick and Ken Filiano in a concert the last time we were in New York. It was fantastic!
Nope, Nick was talking about you, Carol.
We were both talking about you and your playing.
The episode in question was a time previous to your last visit (I have a long memory
for such things) Wish I had been there.
————————————–playlist—————————–
the fundraiser jazz radio show
April 14, 2o16
KUNM Albuquerque
Host MARK WEBER
Pitch partner RICHARD TOWNE
1. Charlie Parker “Now’s the Time” — 4aug53 w/Al Haig, Max Roach, Percy Heath
————opening salutations—————-
2. Charlie Parker & Dizzy “Dizzy Atmosphere” –28feb45
3. Prez Conference “I Never Knew” —-c.1979
4. Duke Ellington “Minnie the Moocher” –1962 w/Lawrence Brown trombone solo
————————-pitch break & spontaneous testimonial over L. Brown———————-
5. Harold Land Quintet “Xocia’s Dance” –22oct81 w/George Cables, Oscar Brashear, John Heard, Ray Armando, Billy Higgins
6. Alex North & his Orchestra “French Quarter” –1958 from soundtrack Streetcar Named Desire
7. Buddy Morrow conducting studio orchestra “Richard Diamond” tv theme — 1959
——————-pitch break———————–
8. Lenny Popkin Trio w/Carol Tristano “Time Set” –5apr06 cd TIME SET
——————-break———————-and pitch some—————–
9. Red Holloway & Jack McDuff Quintet (w/ George Benson)–6feb64 “Wives & Lovers”(Bacharach)
Lp COOKIN’ TOGETHER (Prestige)
10. Patti Littlefield overdubbed onto Reuben Wilson (Hammond B3) Quartet “Willow Weep for Me”
and we had
11. Sun Ra “Plutonian Nights” on deck but ran out of time, that would have been killer . . . .
Enjoyed your thoughts on jazz and everything else as always
great photo of the Super City Jazz Band, I can hear the music!