I think I’ll go with Option A —- street art, SoHo, NYC — photo by Mark Weber — September 25, 1992
The Thursday Jazz Radio Show
July 20, 2o17 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)
TOO MANY WAYS THINGS CAN GO WRONG
We threw everything we had at themand still they kept comingIt was a rout the historians wouldlater writeWe weren’t so big like Babylonwhere there was no place to startDarius took Babylon, who went on about itsway regardless who thought ruled it(Chaos ruled Babylon)Our temple priests were praying madlybefore their fires, God inthe flames, fate in the swordWe fought like bansheesIt was a bloodbath, horses screamingon their sides in the streetsSomeone turned the bears looseStill our slashing swords were notlong enough to stay this onslaughtThese marauders from the high plainsbeyond the Zagros, those mountains used to protect usbut these days they harbor our demise,our disappearance, trampled undertheir horses, big horses, thebiggest horses I’ve ever seen
Edward Wilkerson visiting from Chicago playing live soundtrack to a film I forgot the name of — Kimo Theater, downtown Albuquerque — November 12, 2o11 — photo by Mark Weber — We don’t hear enough from this great artist, and that’s not because he hasn’t made a gang of smoking records, it’s just that . . . well . . . . we’ll listen to some this week on the Thursday jazz show, his octet 8 Bold Souls has always had a honored place in my collection and Hey, Edward, I see that I’m just under 3 months younger than you! (both of us born 1953) — Could the film be Shadow Vignettes? Edward Wilkerson, long-time member and educator with the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians)
Dexter Gordon —— February 17, 1979 — I had forgotten about this photo until John Breckow moved here from L.A. and had it on his wall in his studio —- This was backstage at Bridges Auditorium, Claremont Colleges, California, and I can just imagine Dexter saying, “Now, the thing to do is mix the ice with the vodka first and then when you hit the bridge add the orange juice” — photo by Mark Weber from the collection of John Breckow
Session at the Wayne residence in Santa Fe — Dave Wayne (drummer) and Michael Vlatkovich (trombonist) — September 22, 2o12 — photo by Mark Weber — this shot from a series of about 12 quick snaps in succession where I asked them to change faces continuously (I don’t want you to think Michael takes that angle normally, as funny as it is) — The cd that resulted from this date > MULTITUDES TELEPATHIC (pfMentum 078) w/ Clyde Reed(bass) and poems by MW
Appointment on the Lower East Side —- Intersection of life and music and 2nd Street and Avenue C — Kevin Norton and Kazzrie Jaxen will be performing as a trio w/Steve LaSpina(bass) Sunday July 23 at The Stone which is the last evening of the Kevin Norton Residency an historic event: Tuesday through Sunday a different ensemble each night and each night looking to be fantastic, wish I could be there — See www.kevinnorton.com for complete details and line-ups — Photo by Mark Weber — August 22, 2o14
HORACE TAPSCOTT from Kirk Silsbee’s sketchbook — 1980s Los Angeles
Scott Virtue used to do drawings during concerts at the Outpost Performance Space — This one has been on our walls here at 725 since November 2, 1998 when he did it —– The Dave Holland Quintet: Steve Nelson, Chris Potter, Marvin Smitty Smith, Robin Eubanks — 22″x28″ on paper —–collection of Mark Weber
David Murray – Kahil El’Zabar Duo — April 9, 2o17 Outpost Performance Space — photo by Mark Weber
When Loren Schoenberg is not busy running the museum he has his National Jazz Museum of Harlem All-Star Big Band to keep things hopping in Central Park — June 28, 2009 — photo by Mark Weber
Two poets: Harold Norse and Allen Ginsberg — photo by Mark Weber — February 19, 1982 Los Angeles
Andrea Wolper in Albuquerque of all places at Studio 725 — July 4, 2o17 — Her & Ken in state for a little tour of gigs around and about — photo by Mark Weber —- I told Andrea: I got to get a shot of that hat (she’s nearly delusional in her love of New Mexico)
MW + Ken Filiano + Janet Simon out front of our digs (Studio 725) in Albuquerque — photo by Andrea Wolper with my piece of junk digital camera I’m going to toss very soon if it doesn’t start acting better —- July 3, 2o17 —- Ken & Andrea have 4 or 5 gigs to do and then they’re going to chill in Taos for a few days soaking up the silence (it is so quiet there) —– They flew in from NYC the day before —– (Ken and I were in Connie Crothers’ band together, among other aggregations we’ve mixed it up over the years; and Andrea is a singer of the angel province)
Top of Sandia Peak overlooking Albuquerque and Rio Grande — July 3, 2o17 — photo by Mark Weber —- KUNM’s radio tower is among those in the cluster that broadcast all over New Mexico —— Albuquerque is an island city in the middle of a giant desert — No other metropolitan area for 500 miles in either direction: El Paso to the south, Denver to the north, Dallas to the east, and Phoenix to the west —– Nothing but rattlesnakes, scorpions, black widows, wasps, fire ants, yoga fanatics, vampire bats, wolves, cactus, and tarantulas between here and there, only the thorny survive
Hey Mark! Dave L. from Austin- I love the Sandia peak photo! I have a big panoramic photo of the Sandias over my mantle. You forgot to add blue tail & “sand digger” lizards and horny toads and to your list of critters. :)
Your posting of my Horace Tapscott sketch sent me deep into the archives, Mark. On the fifth floor of the Journal wing I came across the volume where that occasion was recorded. It was on Wednesday, August 6th, 1980 at the Lighthouse. Horace and his trio of bassist Larry Gales and drummer George Goldsmith split a bill with Vinny Golia playing solo on soprano and tenor saxophones, with a little side trip on the sho. My notes tell me that the solo format brought out the melodic in Vinny and that unpredictability was one of Horace’s great assets–as though either needed to be noted.
Two days earlier I had heard Oliver Lake give a solo recital at Pasadena’s DeLacey Street Theatre (where I met Canadian jazz scribe–and now lawyer–Peter Danson). Two night hence it was Pharaoh Sanders at Concerts By The Sea–with pianist Bobby Lyle, bassist Henry Franklin and drummer Idris Muhammad.
Them were the days…
TWO COMMENTS REGARDING THE POEM
1) I’ve been reading on the Persians, mostly the earliest culture the Achaemenids (550-331BC) —- the scenario of this poem is the Tigris & Euphrates River valley sometime after Darius besieged Babylon (539BC) —- Darius was Persian —- this attack (in this poem) is on a city state in the river valley and could be Persians as the aggressors, coming from over the Zagros Mountains on their horses —– Persians were descended from the Aryans, masters of horses on the northern plains of what is now Iran —- Probably is Persians, although there was a lot of war going on from all sides back then . . . .Could also have been Cimmerians, Scythians, or a rogue band of Assyrians, who were in their last years . . . .
2) I only titled this poem as a requirement of posting a page on the web —- I normally do not title poems as titles tend to send readers places I do not want them to go, yet —- This title is oblique enough not to get in the way —- The sequence this poem comes from, which is a work-in-progress, the individual poems will not have titles
Horace T.’s hair went wrong in Kirk S.’s pencil sketch… Danny Barnes has a great
tune with The Bad Livers called “Things I Done Wrong “…check it out
July 13, 2o17
KUNM Albuquerque USA
Host MARK WEBER
1. “Davenport Blues” cd CELEBRATING BIX (Arbors) w/ 3 cornets: Randy Reinhart, Jon-Erik Kellso, Randy Sandke, and Dan Barrett(trombone), Dan Levinson(clarinet), Mark Shane(piano), Howard Alden(guitar), Vince Giordano(bass), Joe Ascione(drums)–2002
2.Milt Hinton “Summertime” w/Kenny Davern(clarinet) — June 1989 cd THE BASEMENT TAPES (Chiaroscuro) in quartet w/ Howard Alden(guitar) and Jackie Williams(drums), Milt on bass
3. Dick Hyman & Tom Pletcher, piano & cornet — January 2003 cd IF BIX PLAYED GERSHWIN “I Got Rhythm”
4. Trixie Smith “My Baby Rocks Me” –26may38 w/ Sammy Price(piano), Charlie Shavers(trumpet), Sidney Bechet(was it clarinet or soprano I couldn’t exactly tell), O’Neill Spencer(drums), Teddy Bunn(guitar), Richard Fullbright(bass)——in my on-air announcement I noticed how two members of John Kirby Sextet were in this line up —- I also, called out to my wife “are you listening, Janet? here’s an early example of Sammy Price” sidebarring how I took her to see Sammy Price in Toronto many years ago
5. David Ostwald’s Gully Low Jazz Band “Thou Swell”(Hart&Rodgers) –Dec.1998 NYC cd BLUES IN OUR HEART (Nagel Heyer Records) David Ostwald(tuba), Randy Sandke(trumpet), Wycliffe Gordon(trombone), Ken Peplowski(clarinet), Mark Shane(piano), Howard Alden(guitar), Herlin Riley(drums)——–I told story of this band — aka David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band — matinee every Wednesday at Birdland (315 44th Street between 1st & 2nd Avenues) Ostwald opens the show with a waiter’s serviette towel draped over his arm: “Hello and good evening, my name is David and I’ll be your tuba player tonight.”
6. Marty Grosz “If it Ain’t Love”(Fats Waller) –Feb.2005 cd MARTY GROSZ AND HIS HOT COMBINATION (Arbors) w/ Marty(guitar&song), and 3 trumpet/cornets out front: Jon-Erik Kellso(trumpet), Scott Robinson(cornet), James Dapogny(cornet), and Ken Peplowski(clarinet), Arnie Kinsella(drums), Greg Cohen(bass)
7. Hudson & Landry “Ajax Liquor Store” c.1971 L.A. comedy routine —— Good to have a joke on the show
as it is not uncommon for artists who play this repertoire to tell jokes on their gigs
8. Albert Ammons & Pete Johnson “Boogie Woogie Jump” –7may41
9. Maxine Sullivan w/ John Kirby band “Loch Lomond” –6aur37
10. Valaida Snow (trumpet & scat singing) “Singin’ in the Rain” w/ Billy Mason Orchestra, London –26apr35
11. NORK New Orleans Rhythm Kings “Farewell Blues” — they wrote this song and this is probably the
earliest version of it — 29aug1922 ———–This is the band that a kid from Davenport, Iowa, would ditch school and make it to Chicago to stand in front of the stage and watch cornetist Paul Mares
12. Adrian Rollini “Davenport Blues” — 23oct34
13. Jack Teagarden “I Guess I’ll Go Home this Summer”(Willard Robison) 1962 cd THINK WELL OF ME (Verve) —– my favorite singer
14. Keith Ingham “I Just Couldn’t Take It, Baby” — 1997 cd A MELLOW BIT OF RHYTHM (Sackville) w/ Keith(piano), Bob Barnard(cornet), Scott Robinson(reeds), James Chirillo(guitar), Greg Cohen(bass), Jackie Williams(drums)
15. Jay McShann “Once Upon a Time” — a 4 kleenex song —— 24aug83 Toronto cd JUST A LUCKY SO AND SO (Sackville) in quartet w/ Jim Galloway soprano sax garnishing
16. Kenny Davern “Delta Bound”(Alex Hill) –24june94 ——— interesting cd from Kenny as he doesn’t put his clarinet in the forefront on these tunes, everything deeply arranged —-EAST SIDE, WEST SIDE (Arbors)
w/ Bob Haggart(bass), Bucky Pizzarelli(guitar), Tony DeNicola(drums), Joel Helleny(trombone), Dan Barrett(cornet)
17. Wingy Manone “Tin Roof Blues” –25july44 Los Angeles w/Nappy Lamare(guitar), Matty Matlock(clarinet), Stan Wrightsman(piano), Phil Stephens(bass), Nick Fatool(drums), Joe Yuki(trombone), Wingy(trumpet)
18. Louis Armstrong sextet “St Louis Blues” –13july54 cd LOUIS ARMSTRONG PLAYS W.C. HANDY (Columbia — produced by George Avakian, of whom I related that I ran into him at David Ostwald’s Birdland gig the last time I was there, aged about 95 at the time — he’s now 98 and still going — I gather he lives in NYC?)
*I called this “Tropical Fish Jazz Radio Show #2” because I closely followed the programming of a show I did on August 2, 2007 with some adjustments, of course . . . . . .
A couple of my astute friends (thank you Ron Stauber and Matthew Finch) both separately have pointed out that there’s a strong likelihood that the film in the shot of Edward Wilkerson is Nosferatu (1922 silent movie)
The composer Harry Partch spent the years of his youth 1913-1919 living in Albuquerque only a few blocks from the main drag where the movie houses were and was employed as a piano player for the silent movies —- in the same stretch of downtown that Edward Wilkerson was playing in 2o12
———————————-playlist———————————–
the unpredictable jazz radio show
July 20, 2o17
KUNM Albuquerque
Host MARK WEBER
1. 8 Bold Souls “Ant Farm” (composition & arrangement and tenor by Edward Wilkerson)—July&August 1994 cd ANT FARM (Arabesque)
2. Muhal Richard Abrams & Malachi Favors in duet, piano & bass — “J.G. — Dedicated to Johnny Griffin” recorded October 1975 in NYC in the year Abrams left Chicago and relocated to New York where he still resides at age 86, I sure hope I get to see him perform someday, I never have —– the great woody
tone of Malachi’s bass comes across on this LP from Black Saint called SIGHT SONG
3. Charles McPherson w/strings “Don’t Explain” — 1972 NYC — in my preproduction conversations with
Charles for our radio interview June 29 he had mentioned this cd as one of his favorites: SIKU Y BIBI (Mainstream)
4. Lewis Jordan “Collage” from his new cd MUSIC AT LARGE (www.musicatlarge.org) recorded Feb 2017 in Oakland, California ——————Lewis was my hang buddy in the late 70s when we lived in San Francisco
and he totally surprised me with this wonderful cd in the mail last week ———–
5. Bill Frisell in duet with bassist Thomas Morgan live at Village Vanguard March 2016 cd SMALL TOWN (ECM) playing Lee Konitz line “Subconscious Lee” a contract upon “What is this thing”
6. Billy Lester solo piano “Sal Mosca” — c.2o10 cd STORYTIME
7. Don Messina solo bass “It’s Always Sonny in Dallas” — March 2o16 cd DEDICATED TO . . .(Cadence Jazz Records) — Don is the bassist with Kazzrie Jaxen’s quartet & trio
8. Mark Masters Ensemble “Eclipse”(Mingus) featuring GARY FOSTER (alto), Les Benedict(trombone), and Putter Smith(bass) ———— Yo, Gene Cipriano is in the ensemble!
9. Royce Campbell Trio w/ Bob Bowen(bass) and Ronnie Free(drums) appearing out of the mists of legendary 1950s loft jazz scene in Manhattan — I had thought we lost him to drugs, but here he is, gloriously!) —- “Trio Minor Blues” 3dec2008 cd ALL STANDARDS AND ONE BLUES (Philology) — Royce Campbell guitarist extraordinaire w/ Mancini 1974-1994 (when Mancini got away from us)
10. Gerald Cannon “Gary’s Tune” w/ Gary Bartz(alto solo and lead) in quintet w/ Will Calhoun(drums), Russell Malone(guitar), Rick Germanson(piano), and Gerald Cannon(tenor) from recent (undated) cd
COMBINATIONS