Belinda Subraman, one of America’s great poets — February 21, 1993 El Paso, Texas —– Belinda was publisher of GYPSY magazine for years, where I first became acquainted, she was very nurturing to my early publishing efforts ———- Ben Gulyas (another poet of extreme sensibilities out of Cleveland, Ohio) were down in El Paso for a drunken reading and even spent a day over in Juarez where I found out Belinda is a lightweight in the drinking department (no shame in that, I had to give it up myself, eventually) —- I don’t generally go for Woody Allen movies (too neurotic) but one night at Belinda’s we watched his What’s Up Tiger Lily? and Belinda and I about died we laughed so much and I had a bottle of that delicious burnished Mexican brandy El Presidente, yum (I kept Belinda away from it) — Mr Allen’s genius was to find some B-Japanese movie or maybe a C and use it to add his own dialogue, gawd, we were rolling on the floor with tears rolling down our faces ——— Then, another glorious day Belinda took us to meet the legendary southwest R&B jazz saxophonist Art Lewis, and I played wobbly piano for him and he played saxophone, at his studio in El Paso, thems were the days . . . .
The Thursday Jazz Radio Show
July 27, 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)
THE NARRATIVE AND THE UMBRELLASInasmuch as Iwill neverfall into the trap of defining my radio showSomething about it occurs to me —-I’ve been reading a lot of Joan Didion lately and she’sforever concerned about “narrative”ie. the received wisdom about ourselvesand the stories we tell ourselves to bolster our historyShe’s skeptical about much of it and favors skewering it whenever possibleI realize that my approach to radio is all about narrativeThat, honestly, it’s my vision of the history (my show is never a hodge podgeof odds & ends strung together like jazz wallpaper) there’s alwaysa story line —-Is it revisionist history?Probably.Is it no less true?I can say this: It is not untrue.Is it fiction?Could be.Is it merely the narrative as I see it?Yes.I have lived long enough to have seen several different narratives about jazz:Foundational myths, ie. jazz came up the Mississippi River from New Orleans(but if that were so how come there’s no early jazz in Minnesota? Contraryto popular belief the Mississippi does not rise in Chicago)Or, that avant-garde jazz subsumed everything in its path andis therefore more advanced —- And this one:West Coast jazz is a tepid watered-down version of the real thing thatis happening in New York City,and so forth . . . . .What am I trying to say? It’s thatI can see how my narrative is merely only that: My viewand it’s very romanticized, hopelessly
The Michael Vlatkovich Quartet on tour sit down for one of Janet’s meals — May 7, 1992 — photo by Mark Weber —— Left to Right: Anders Swanson(bass), Chris Garcia(drums), Bill Plake(tenor), Michael(trombone) —- What a great band
John Tirabasso Quintet at the Right Track, Pasadena, California — November 26, 1979 — Frank Strazzeri(piano), Lew Ciotti(tenor), Steve Huffstetter(trumpet), JT(drums), Frank DeLaRosa(bass) — photo by Mark Weber ——– check out that battle-scarred bass of Frank’s
Reggie Gammon and Tom Guralnick at Reggie’s show at Inpost Art gallery at old Outpost, Albuquerque — December 5, 1997 — photo by Mark Weber — “Duke’s Dream: Black, White, Brown & Beige” Reggie Gammon (1921-2005) spent the most part of his life in NYC and as a member of the Spiral collective that included Romare Beardon —- Reggie fell into Albuquerque 1992 when so many of us were moving here, and kept a studio at Harwood where he listen’d to the Thursday jazz show while he painted ( ! ) He called me once on the show and said, “Mark, I love you!” and I went, uh, er, uhm, gulp, well, “I love you, too, Reggie” took me a minute to gain my flooring . . . . . I think I had just said something about how much Black American Culture has brought to the table in America —- Reggie has a show of his prints presently at Outpost Performance Space
Oscar Peterson album cover art by Merle Shore. Joan Didion probably wouldn’t talk to me because I have never read Henry James, oh, I keep a copy of Washington Square about and have nosed around in it off & on over the years, I did read Willa Cather’s stories from Washington Square, does that count? I read his brother’s book several times The Varieties of Religious Experience, does that count? I suppose it is highly doubtful that Henry James and Edward Hopper bumped into each other on the Square, their lives didn’t overlap by much, but who doesn’t like Nighthawks at the Diner? —-
The one image that keeps with me from Cather is of discarded broken umbrellas she sees out her window blowing around Washington Square, the convention being in New York to buy a $2 umbrella from these magical people that appear out of nowhere during rainstorms like mushrooms, but they seem to have a one-time-use life span and they break —- Conversely, I still have the umbrella I bought, a good one, back in 1976 in San Francisco (when we were there to escape the smog of L.A.), I rebuilt or rather re-wired part of the mechanism and therefore it still serves, has a slip sleeve with a zipper, also good as a cane, that I might need yet someday in that capacity —–
Where I grew up you didn’t need umbrellas, I can’t recall ever being acquainted with an umbrella until I moved away, oh, it rains in Southern California, like the song insists: It never rains in Southern California, it pours, baby, it pours — cats & dogs —— But then, it never rained that much in San Francisco, either, even as one wishes for a good scouring absolution of the streets, like Portland, a good clean rain-washed city, or Vancouver, too, (Seattle’s a little grungy) ——- So, I don’t remember the occasion for buying an umbrella in San Francisco, maybe it was just too good a deal to turn away from? Even if we didn’t have that much dough those years ———-
Anyway, the idea of discarded umbrellas is foreign to me, it’s a New York thing — Janet’s sisters who live on 113th have a basket of umbrellas at their door, probably all bought from those Magical People of the Sudden Downpours, “Here, Mark, take an umbrella!” I don’t want to be bother’d, “I’ll just jump under a fruit stand if it starts,” I say, “and have an apple,” not remembering that when it starts raining in New York it never stops —- (Every two or three years I re-read Joan Didion’s masterpiece Slouching Towards Bethlehem (1968) —- Album cover (above) by Merle Shore is pure poetry, how come almost all the other art forms have more poetry than poetry itself?)
Here’s another country boy that had jazz in his soul —- I don’t even have to look up his bloodlines, I can spot another Scots-Irish a mile away: Johnny Paycheck at El Rey Theater in Albuquerque — March 3, 1993 — photo by Mark Weber
The Vinny Golia Trio — January 20, 1980 — University of California at Irvine — Vinny (woodwinds), Alex Cline (trapset), Roberto Miranda (bass) —- Vinny’s core group during these years, opening for the World Saxophone Quartet this evening — photo by Mark Weber
Bobby Hutcherson Quartet — downtown L.A. at Maiden Voyage — January 31, 1980 — Roy McCurdy(drums), Heshima Williams(bass) Bobby Hutcherson(vibes), and George Cables during his Los Angeles years on piano —- photo by Mark Weber
East meets West: Two piano players: Horace Tapscott and Cecil Taylor backstage at The Lighthouse, Hermosa Beach, California — June 7, 1979 — photo by Mark Weber
Oscar Brashear at Watts Towers Jazz Festival — July 15, 1984 — Oscar took over the trumpet chair in the Harold Land-Blue Mitchell Quintet after Blue got away from us, and I love his playing on Harold’s masterpiece album XOCIA’S DANCE (1981) we’ll have to spin a little of that this day I need to re-visit this favorite record of mine —- Actually, I stand corrected, I see where Oscar was in the Harold Land circle as early as 1971 on those Land-Bobby Hutcherson dates —- I think he was out of Chicago, then on the road with Basie 1968-1969 (I’m looking at the on-line Tom Lord Jazz Discography) then settled in Los Angeles in 1971 where he was ubiquitous on the scene all the way through the 90s —- (Blue passed away in 1979 of cancer, too much early, and Brashear did take over for Blue in the Harold Land Quintet as I caught them in this configuration many times, what a great band — Photo & line drawing by Mark Weber
Live guitar duets on the Thursday jazz show at KUNM — July 17, 2o14 — Bill West & Vic Romanelli —- Bill has spent most of his life underwater (in the Navy, on submarines), grew up in the Tri-State area of New York —- Vic grew up on Staten Island and worked & retired from Sandia Labs here in Albuquerque, but that was just a side-line they were both caught up in, they’re heart & soul mostly guitar players of the top order —–photo by Mark Weber, disk jockey
Two guitarists working a Sunday brunch gig on Nob Hill in Albuquerque: the legendary Bob Brown, who’s played around these parts since the 60s, and newcomer Bill West — club gigs are where jazz really exists, these guys are in the trenches, playing the Song Book and having a good time — photo by Mark Weber
Allison Miller — October 9, 2o14 — Outpost Performance Space — photo by Mark Weber
FOUR THINGS
1) Bob Brown’s guitar is a one of a kind Pimentel Custom (1982) and
Bill West’s is a Benedetto
2) Sometimes my narrative is nothing more than going to a psychic place
3) You can always count on Joan Didion to go after all the sacred cows
4) Coincidentally the 1981 paperback edition of SLOUCHING that I’m reading, among others of Joan Didion’s hardcore journalism collections, is published by Washington Square Press
The umbrellas in the basket next to our door on West 113 St. In Manhattan are almost all acquired over time from those that are abandoned in empty Columbia and Fairleigh Dicknson classrooms by students. Have you wondered why they tend to be festooned with pink roses and/or yellow duckies?
“2) Sometimes my narrative is nothing more than going to a psychic place” – yea, keep wailin’ Mark. We’re along for the ride – we’ll just be sure to keep our umbrellas handy!
hey I used to have that Oscar Peterson Cole Porter LP–loved it! another excellent display, Mark, of great musicians surrounded by your tonal texts…
Wow Mark – just read Night Riders. Amazing! Thank you.
Always a fun ride, Mark. I’ll look for What’s Up Tiger Lily again.
I gotta do that too.
I love reading about your life in art. You’ve lived a life devoted to it. I was glad you enjoyed meeting Art Lewis. Such a quirky thing that I knew him (through Arden) and that we “performed” with him a few times in our Red Camusian way!
Beautiful writing, by the way. Love your jazzy collage narrative.
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the biodegradable jazz radio show
July 27, 2o17
KUNM Albuquerque
Host MARK WEBER
1. Pat Bianchi Trio “Blues Minus One” — cd released in 2015 (not sure when recorded, probably
recently) A HIGHER STANDARD (www.patbianchi.com) — He was so impressive backing up Pat
Martino last week in New Mexico
2. Tony Bennett “Mountain Greenery” w/ the Ruby Braff – George Barnes Quartet — July 1973 — two
albums now on cd as TONY SINGS THE RODGERS & HART SONGBOOK (Concord)
3. Oscar Peterson Trio “I Love Paris” — summer 1959 w/ Ed Thigpen(drums), Ray Brown(bass) Verve Lp
OSCAR PETERSON PLAYS THE COLE PORTER SONG BOOK
4. Charles McPherson Quartet “Miss Brown to You” — 1972 cd SIKU YA BIBI (Mainstream)
5. Harold Land 6 “Daisy Forever”(Oscar Brashear) Lp XOCIA’S DANCE (Muse) — Oct.1981 w/ Oscar Brashear(flugel), Billy Higgins(drums), Ray Armando(congas), George Cables(piano), John Heard(bass),
Harold Land(tenor)
6. Allison Miller Lp NO MORPHINE — “Pork Belly” featuring Myra Melford(piano) — 2013
7. Bobby Hutcherson 5 “If Ever I Would Leave You”(Lerner&Loewe) –29dec63 cd THE KICKER (Blue Note) w/ Joe Henderson(tenor), Duke Pearson(piano), Al Harewood(drums), Bob Cranshaw(bass), Bobby Hutcherson(vibes)
8. Michael Vlatkovich & William Roper — trombone & tuba duet — cd CHOBRATY (9 Winds Records) –2004 “Just Another Picture On the Piano”
9. Sam Newsome solo soprano saxophone “Giant Steps” — summer 2016 —– new cd SOPRANOVILLE (www.sopranosaxtalk.blogspot.com) this track was 3 sopranos over-dubbed plus the interior resonance of piano strings ——————- SAM will be live in-studio on the Thursday jazz show August 10 (incidentally, the same day Cleopatra committed suicide — I only mention this not because I harbor that date, haha, but because recently read a couple biographies on Cleopatra)
10. John Tirabasso Quintet “Trust Me”(Anders Swanson) circa 1998 Pasadena CA — cd LOOK FOR YOUR OWN TWO & One (Jombler Records) w/ Tirabasso(drums), Gary Foster(alto), Steve Huffsteter(trumpet), Mark Massey(piano), Anders Swanson(bass) ——————– one normally associates Anders with Michael Vlatkovich ensembles in Los Angeles area
11. Charles McPherson “Embraceable You”(Gershwin) — March 1996 Live in Denver — cd LIVE AT VARTAN JAZZ w/ Valery Ponomarev(trumpet), Sid Simmons(piano), Kenny Walker(bass), Chuck McPherson(drums), Charles McPherson(alto) — “Charlie Parker played this tune throughout his career, the 1947 Dial recording w/Miles, Max, Tommy Potter, & Duke Jordan being a masterpiece (Charles in this version doesn’t play the Parker line, but sticks to the Gershwin) ————– BIG decision to make this coming Saturday night in New Mexico whether to catch Pharoah Sanders at Lensic in Santa Fe, or Charles McPherson at Albuquerque Museum
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The Climate-Controlled Jazz Radio Show
August 3, 2o17
KUNM Albuquerque
Host MARK WEBER
1. Lester Young + Kansas City 6 “Paging the Devil” w/ Charlie Christian(guitar) — 24dec39 Live at Carnegie Hall during the Spirituals To Swing concert
THIS show came of it’s own accord — I had pulled a show with various 50s players like Art Pepper, Shorty Rogers, Bill Holman, but also wanted to promote the concert this night at Outpost with local band The Charlie Christian Project (Micky Patten, Michael Anthony, Glenn Kostur, Cal Haines), and at the last minute
grabbed a bunch of records associated with the 1939-1941 Benny Goodman Sextet that included Christian,
and that took over the vibe and the show progressed along those lines (I don’t pre-plan my shows too closely) . . . . . Charlie Christian died of TB in 1942 and I read there is some consideration that he was the originator of the tune “Epistrophy”? I’ll have to look further into that . . . .
2. Chuck Redd Remembers Barney Kessel (Arbors) “Swedish Pastry” recorded May 2005 w/ Howard Alden(guitar), Jeff Hamilton(drums), Robert Redd(piano), Chuck Redd(vibes) — smoking ———- The earliest version of Benny playing this number hits at 1948, but it sounds like Charlie Christian as Barney was a fellow Oklahoman and devotee of Christian
3. Buddy DeFranco on the Coast “My Blue Heaven” –31oct57 cd WHOLLY CATS w/ Ray Linn(trumpet), Paul Smith(harpsichord), Barney Kessel(guitar), Joe Mandragon from Espanola, New Mexico on bass, Milt Holland(drums), Buddy DeFranco(clarinet)
4. Mel Powell Sextet “Cuban Pete” –31dec47 (Capitol studios, Hollywood) w/ Bumps Myers(tenor), Lee Young(drums), Frank Beach(trpt), Mel(piano), Red Callendar(bass), Chuck Gentry(bari)—–Mel Powell was in Benny’s bands 1941-1943 when he got drafted into Glenn Miller’s Army Air Force Band and went to Europe
5. Harry Allen-Joe Cohn Quartet cd HEY, LOOK ME OVER (Arbors) — “Seven Come Eleven” — August 2004
6. Benny Goodman Sextet aircheck “Six Appeal” aka “My Daddy Rocks Me” –4june1940 in San Francisco w/ Johnny Guarnieri(piano), Charlie Christian(guitar), Lionel Hampton(vibes), Artie Bernstein(bass) Nick Fatool(drums)
7. Ralph Sutton & Kenny Davern “My Daddy Rocks Me” –1980 (eponymously titled CD combination of 2 LPs they made for Chiaroscuro Records) AND that’s the first time I’ve used that 4-bit word and I hope the last
8. Bucky Pizzarelli “Lester Leaps In” cd 5 FOR FREDDIE: Tribute to Freddie Green — May 2006 (Arbors)
9. Jim Hall Trio “Stompin’ at the Savoy” —-January 1957 w/ Carl Perkins(piano) & Red Mitchell(bass)
10. Lennie Niehaus Octet “Rose Room” –15feb55 —- I wonder who arranged this modern treatment of
BG’s old warhorse? Five horns + rhythm section w/ Lennie(alto), Stu Williamson(trpt), Bob Enevoldsen(valve trombone), Bill Holman(tenor), Jimmy Guiffre(bari), Pete Jolly(piano), Monty Budwig(bass), Shelly Manne(drums)
11. Patti Littlefield Quintet “Sometimes I’m Happy” no date listed —- from a promo disk (Patti is the Wednesday Noon jazz host at KUNM and a singer of renown aroudn New Mexico) w/ Arlen Asher(flute)
12. Herbie Mann-Sam Most Quintet — both on flute —- “Flying Home” — October 1955 (Bethlehem)
13. Buddy DeFranco on the Coast during the various WHOLLY CATS sessions (I believe 4 albums came out of these sessions)—- “A Smooth One”(BG) w/ Don Fagerquist(trpt), Georgie Auld(tenor), Victor Feldman(vibes), Carl Perkins(piano), Barney Kessel(guitar), Leroy Vinnegar(bass), Stan Levey(drums) –29oct57
14. Jimmy Smith slow blues “Blues No. 3” cd SIX VIEWS OF THE BLUES (Blue Note) w/ Cecil Payne(bari), Kenny Burrell(guitar), Donald Bailey(drums), Jimmy Smith(Hammond B3 organ)
NOTE: in the 50s Los Angeles was regarded by New Yorkers as “The Coast” ie. west coast of U.S.