Mark Weber and Ratzo B. Harris: (Love & Music: A Celebration of Connie Crothers) 11-13-16 Roulette
Poem to be read at Connie Crothers Memorial in duet with Ratzo Harris — November 13, 2o16
Please click the red arrow on the left to listen to Ratzo B. Harris and Mark Weber.
Catamow kokay cee ko, yobebamboo, ka ka — kay kee koko kah reeree — reel reeAH oh ah [breathe — relax]Oh [explore this mouth formation]Oh ah ahLo, lo long eheh it it’s, Asas long as oh,oh as long long waylong way longas long as it’s real [x2]ko ka kay kee [x2 slower]we are all floating in spacelike the old poem says: Are weclimbing the mountain, or isthe mountain moving under us?ka ka ko kee, connieWhen a close friend dies you become super-sensitive to living things:Don’t step on bugs, don’t pull even a weed in the garden, listen to the birds more closelyka ka ko kee, ConnieShe first said that to me when I was explaining a text thatI was having trouble writing: Mark, as long as it’s realEvery day I hear her saying thisImagine a young woman leaving California by train to come to this city — 1962 — she had onlya suitcase when she arrived at Penn Station (the old Penn Station before it was tore down in 1964) —she didn’t know anyone, had hardly any money to speak of, found lodging at the YMCA — Conniehad left college, left a marriage, left her family in the San Francisco Bay Area —she was after meaningfulnessand needed to know if this jazz was going to be a part of who she intended to be — she came toNYC to study with Lennie Tristanoka ka ko kee, ConnieWe were attracted to her uncompromising determination, her diligence, forthwith resolve,her total commitmentto that dreamwe all aspired to in our youthIt would be interesting to know more about Connie’s first ten years in New York City — I alwaysimagine a lot of time alone, a lot of time sitting watching out windows, a long gestation period, studying piano and thinking about music — I read somewhere that New York City willgive you the gift of loneliness [E.B. White]This long gestation period (she was 32 before taking her first public gigs) gave her a certain compassionfor her student’s aspirations —-You always sensed she went through a lot of trials in these early years in the city, that old selfsamedark night of the soul — New York was a tougher place back thenOver the telephone some years ago I was remonstrating about how busy I was with various writingprojects and deadlines, so much so that I realized all those youthful yearnings to be a successfulartist had come to pass, and actually beyond expectations, I was even working with ConnieCrothers, but all of it somewhat overwhelming, I say to Connie to tell her students to be careful what you hope for you just might get it, and she corrected me, and this is pure Connie: “No, Mark, anticipate what you hope for!”ka ka ko kee, ConnieHer piano could be like the oceandeep greenthe New York subway, pressing onTornados or ships calmly settling into portloaded with lapis lazuli, electrum, wine, silk & clairvoyancea gossamer dream
–Mark WeberSept-Oct 2o16
Connie at lunch in her neighborhood July 11, 2010 at The Diner, Williamsburg — photo by Mark Weber — That dream we all had of creating the best most honest music we could . . . .
Connie Crothers at Sal Mosca’s studio — jam session — Jimmy Halperin (tenor), Don Messina (bass), Bill Chattin (drums) — Mt Vernon, New York — December 4, 2004 photo by Mark Weber
Jam session at Connie’s loft in Williamsburg, Brooklyn — August 24, 2012 — Ed Schuller (bass), Roger Mancuso (drums), Connie Crothers (piano) — photo by Mark Weber * For the record, I don’t think I ever heard Connie say “jam session” — she always referred to loft get-togethers as sessions
Session at Connie’s with Roger and Richard — July 11, 2o10 — photo by Mark Weber
Connie Crothers — New York City subway — December 7, 2004 — photo by Mark Weber
Connie & Jessica Jones — September 10, 2o13 — jam session at Connie’s — photo by Mark Weber
Connie Crothers and Nick Lyons — September 10, 2013 — photo by Mark Weber
The MC on the audio clip is Kazzrie Jaxen
And thanks to Scott Friedlander, who was busy that day with projections and production
who turned on a modest recording device . . . . . .
Mark,
Connie told me when she arrived in NYC she had $24 in her pocket…….
fun, Mark. Great pix of Connie. She looks so familiar. But i’m sure I’ve never seen her in person. I turned the audio of your reading on just as Fred entered the door home from work thinking he’d think Mark Weber was here in person to visit us. But he knew right off you were on computer. thanks for this–I’ve always loved your voice..
WHAT A BEAUTIFUL HEARTFELT POEM. I WAS SO MOVED EMOTIONALLY. I FELT CONNIE’S PRESENCE AS I READ IT AND KNEW IN MY HEART AND SOUL SHE WAS THERE BESIDE ME AS I READ THESE INSPIRING WORDS WRITTEN FOR AN INCREDIBLE ARTIST. SHEILA JORDAN
Connie’s right hand is turned around backwards in the photo with Jessica because she was cooking and
her hands were wet ———- Her kitchen is directly in front of where they are standing, and to their right
is her entrance door to the studio
Thank you Mark, that’s so beautiful.
Thank you Mark. I am moved hearing you express your poem for Connie. I love that last paragraph – beautiful imagery.
And what a quote – anticipate what you hope for! Beautiful photos too.
—————————–playlist——————————————
Friday ALL THAT JAZZ radio show
March 3, 2o17
Mark Weber sitting in for John Breckow who tore up his shoulder lifting boxes of LPs
KUNM Albuquerque
1. Gloria Coleman Quartet “Melba’s Minor” — 21may63 w/Grant Green(guitar), and Leo Wright(alto) and Pola Roberts(drums) cd SOUL SISTERS (impulse!) — John had pulled my coat on this record last time we
had a listening session at his place, so, good one to start the show
2. Melba Liston + 4 trombones “You Don’t Say” — Melba, the subject of previous track — She wrote & arranged this tune and the whole album MELBA LISTON & HER ‘BONES (Fresh Sound reissue) –22dec58
w/ Melba, Bennie Green, Al Grey & Benny Powell (trombones), Kenny Burrell (guitar), Charlie Persip (drums), George Joyner (bass)
3. Lenny Popkin-Connie Crothers Quartet “Soul in Minor” April 1988 w/ Carol Tristano(drums), Cameron Brown(bass) cd LOVE ENERGY (New Artists Records)
4. Connie Crothers solo January 27, 1984 CONCERT AT COOPER UNION “What is this thing called Love?” (Cole Porter) — I wonder if CC had her studio at 105 E. 9th Street at the time of this concert?
If so, then she only had a short two block to her concert at Cooper Union on Astor Place (8th Street & 3rd Avenue) — Every time I see Cooper Union I always think of Lincoln giving his famous address in February 1860 during his campaign for Presidency in the Great Hall here at Cooper Union (I found out on Wikipedia that it was snowing the night of Lincoln’s address and that the Great Hall is in the basement) —– In an email from Carol Tristano (5feb2o17) she writes: “I’m learning Connie’s right hand line on What is this thing from Cooper Union. It runs through my head like a soundtrack. What a masterpiece! It sounds beautiful with mallets.” I read that over the airwaves before playing track.
5.Ernie Andrews “It Shouldn’t Happen to a Dream” — Sept. 2005 cd HOW ABOUT ME (HighNote)
6. Toshiko Akiyoshi Trio ” Swinging ’til the Girls Come Home” (Oscar Pettiford’s line) –1977 Lp DEDICATIONS
7. Clora Bryant Quartet “Sweet Georgia Brown” — 1957 w/Walter Benton taking tenor solo and Bruz
Freeman on drums — cd GAL WITH A HORN
8. Bobby Shew jazz choir version his his “Blue” written for Blue Mitchell when he passed — this version
has lyrics by Clora Bryant — mid-1990s session, private recording Shew sent me
9. Ali Ryerson “Beatrice”(Sam Rivers) –1994 cd PORTRAITS IN SILVER
10. Birgitta Flick Quartet “Song Without Words”(BF) –2012 cd YINGYING
11. Lester Young “These Foolish Things” — Dec.1945 Los Angeles (Aladdin Records)
12. Sheila Jordan “Inch Worm” w/ Alan Pasqua (piano) — July 1975 cd CONFIRMATION