Thinking About Roswell

After one of the many concerts Roswell gave at the Outpost Performance Space in Albuquerque we were backstage and Dino (J.A. Deane, trombonist), after formal introductions, says to Roswell, "Man, when I was in school and first heard your records it completely ruined me!" and Roswell's face went all concerned and he says, "Oh, I'm sorry," and Dino clarifies that it was liberating and thanked Roswell ----- Photo of Roswell Rudd on top of the West Mesa where the Anasazi petroglyphs are ---- March 20, 2000 -- photo by Mark Weber (that little plastic water bottle in the photo I still have sitting on a bookshelf here at 725) * I think Dino was referring to the albums Roswell made with Archie Shepp, but it could also be Roswell's own album from 1966 on Impulse EVERYWHERE ---- It was the Shepp records that most of us heard first, especially LIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO

After one of the many concerts Roswell gave at the Outpost Performance Space in Albuquerque we were backstage and Dino (J.A. Deane, trombonist), after formal introductions, says to Roswell, “Man, when I was in school and first heard your records it completely ruined me!” and Roswell’s face went all concerned and he says, “Oh, I’m sorry,” and Dino clarifies that it was liberating and thanked Roswell —– Photo of Roswell Rudd on top of the West Mesa where the Anasazi petroglyphs are —- March 20, 2000 — photo by Mark Weber (that little plastic water bottle in the photo I still have sitting on a bookshelf here at 725) * I think Dino was referring to the albums Roswell made with Archie Shepp, but it could also be Roswell’s own album from 1966 on Impulse EVERYWHERE —- It was the Shepp records that most of us heard first, especially LIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO

The Thursday Jazz Radio Show

December 28, 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)

THINKING ABOUT ROSWELL

When I suggested to Roswell Rudd that we go see the ancient petroglyphs on the West Mesa he was all for it —- He was performing a 2-day run with the Steve Lacy Quintet at the Outpost here in Albuquerque —– So, the next day I go to pick them up in the morning, he and JJ Avenel, and John Betsch, and Roswell comes down from his room loaded for bear, wearing one of those ridiculous wool plaid hunter’s caps with ear flaps and a huge winter coat, I say, Roswell, it’s chilly out there but not that cold and he adamantly informs me that he knows how cold it is in New Mexico and readjusts his trombone strapped over his back like a rifle —– He was a lot of fun to hang out with and very accommodating —- At the petroglyphs he was reverent and after spending quite some time inspecting them he climbed to the top of the mesa to perform a ceremony on his trombone to the petroglyphs and the people who left them over a thousand years ago —-Later, he wrote a large ensemble piece called “Cry of the Petroglyphs” and trombonist Steve Feld chased down a grant to have Roswell come back and play this composition —- Requiescat in pace Roswell Rudd may he rest in peace (got away from us December 21, 2o17)

Charles McPherson Quintet at Albuquerque Museum Amphitheater -- July 29, 2o17 -- Brian Lynch(trumpet), Randy Porter(piano), Chuck McPherson(drums), Todd Coolman(bass), Charles(alto)-----photo by Mark Weber

Charles McPherson Quintet at Albuquerque Museum Amphitheater — July 29, 2o17 — Brian Lynch (trumpet), Randy Porter (piano), Chuck McPherson (drums), Todd Coolman (bass), Charles (alto)—–photo by Mark Weber

A group calling themselves Orange Then Blue at The Knitting Factory -- June 29, 1997 NYC w/ George Schuller(drums), Reid Anderson(bass), Jamie Saft(piano and accordion), Rufus Cappadocia(cello), Tom Varner(Fr-horn), Christoph Schweizer(trombone), Dave Ballou, Cuong Vu, Herb Robertson(trumpets), Andy Laster, Andrew D'Angelo, Tony Malaby(reeds) ---- photo by Mark Weber ----- and I bet the Music Witness was there, too, this being the years he (Jeff Schlanger) was in-residence drawing his two-handed chimeras -- We'll listen to a track from one of their five cds . . . .

A group calling themselves Orange Then Blue at The Knitting Factory — June 29, 1997 NYC w/ George Schuller (drums), Reid Anderson (bass), Jamie Saft (piano and accordion), Rufus Cappadocia (cello), Tom Varner (Fr-horn), Christoph Schweizer (trombone), Dave Ballou, Cuong Vu, Herb Robertson (trumpets), Andy Laster, Andrew D’Angelo, Tony Malaby (reeds) —- photo by Mark Weber —– and I bet the Music Witness was there, too, this being the years he (Jeff Schlanger) was in-residence drawing his two-handed chimeras — We’ll listen to a track from one of their five cds . . . .

Art Pepper -- April 27, 1977 at Donte's -- photo & line drawing by Mark Weber

Art Pepper — April 27, 1977 at Donte’s — photo & line drawing by Mark Weber

Ray Zepeda, Fred Voss, and bronze head of Bukowski (by Linda King) at Fred & Joan's crib in Long Beach (California) -- June 8, 1997 -- photo by Mark Weber ----- three of America's great poets

Ray Zepeda, Fred Voss, and bronze head of Bukowski (by Linda King) at Fred & Joan’s crib in Long Beach (California) — June 8, 1997 — photo by Mark Weber —– three of America’s great poets

These ladies were the core of my Mark Weber Poetry Band for several years back in the 90s -- we made 3 cds ------- That's Alicia Ultan(viola), Lisa Polisar(flute), and Courtney Smith(Celtic harp) -- June 5, 1998 Albuquerque ----- I introduced them to each other, and then, later they went on without me, the bums! (I was thinking along the lines of Debussy's "Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp" when I asked them to be my backing band) what a great improvising trio they were, too! (Connie Crothers loved those records) -- photo by Mark Weber ----- Lisa, we're going to miss you in L.A. in February! (we hoped she'd be available for a chamber ensemble thing Michael Vlatkovich has composed for my book NIGHT RIDERS) but, Lisa now lives in Oakland and is in graduate school, and she is now Lisa Towles (in case you need an ace flute player)

These ladies were the core of my Mark Weber Poetry Band for several years back in the 90s — we made 3 cds ——- That’s Alicia Ultan (viola), Lisa Polisar (flute), and Courtney Smith (Celtic harp) — June 5, 1998 Albuquerque —– I introduced them to each other, and then, later they went on without me, the bums! (I was thinking along the lines of Debussy’s “Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp” when I asked them to be my backing band) what a great improvising trio they were, too! (Connie Crothers loved those records) — photo by Mark Weber —– Lisa, we’re going to miss you in L.A. in February! (we hoped she’d be available for a chamber ensemble thing Michael Vlatkovich has composed for my book NIGHT RIDERS) but, Lisa now lives in Oakland and is in graduate school, and she is now Lisa Towles (in case you need an ace flute player)

Horace Tapscott conducting the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra -- August 30, 1981 at I.U.C.C. ---- We await the release from Nimbus West of Vol. 2 from the years PAPA played at the church -- Los Angeles -- photo by Mark Weber

Horace Tapscott conducting the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra — August 30, 1981 at I.U.C.C. —- We await the release from Nimbus West of Vol. 2 from the years PAPA played at the church — Los Angeles — photo by Mark Weber

The hippest trumpeter that ever lived: Dizzy Gillespie with his United Nations Festival Superband at Metro Cleveland Zoo -- August 21, 1988 ---- Steve Turre & Slide Hampton(trombones), Sam Rivers(tenor), Paquito D'Rivera(alto), Jon Faddis & Claudio Roditi(trumpets), James Moody(tenor), John Lee(elec-bass), along with Flora Purim, Monty Alexander, Airto, Ed Cherry, Ignacio Berroa, Giovanni Manenguito Hidalgo ---- photo by Mark Weber

The hippest trumpeter that ever lived: Dizzy Gillespie with his United Nations Festival Superband at Metro Cleveland Zoo — August 21, 1988 —- Steve Turre & Slide Hampton (trombones), Sam Rivers (tenor), Paquito D’Rivera (alto), Jon Faddis & Claudio Roditi (trumpets), James Moody (tenor), John Lee (elec-bass), along with Flora Purim, Monty Alexander, Airto, Ed Cherry, Ignacio Berroa, Giovanni Manenguito Hidalgo —- photo by Mark Weber

The MJQ were the headliners at Tri-C Jazz Festival, Cleveland -- April 10, 1987 --- And several other pianists had played this night at the State Theater, but when John Lewis sat down I thought they must have rolled out a different piano ---- His sound was crystalline like clear bell tones, it was astounding the difference -- photo by Mark Weber

The MJQ were the headliners at Tri-C Jazz Festival, Cleveland — April 10, 1987 — And several other pianists had played this night at the State Theater, but when John Lewis sat down I thought they must have rolled out a different piano —- His sound was crystalline like clear bell tones, it was astounding the difference — photo by Mark Weber

Mose Allison -- Cain Park, Cleveland Heights, Ohio -- July 3, 1987 -- photo by Mark Weber

Mose Allison — Cain Park, Cleveland Heights, Ohio — July 3, 1987 — photo by Mark Weber

Robert Jr Lockwood didn't really like photographers but I had only been in town a few days when I shot this picture outside the club he was working that night and didn't know that ---- It came out that I used to work as a garage mechanic so he dragged me out to give him some advice on his old clunker land yacht and so he kinda had to not get weird when I also took some photos -- July 31, 1986 Cleveland Ohio -- photo by Mark Weber

Robert Jr Lockwood didn’t really like photographers but I had only been in town a few days when I shot this picture outside the club he was working that night and didn’t know that —- It came out that I used to work as a garage mechanic so he dragged me out to give him some advice on his old clunker land yacht and so he kinda had to not get weird when I also took some photos — July 31, 1986 Cleveland Ohio — photo by Mark Weber

Brother James being photo'd in the bright Albuquerque sun by Mark Weber -- February 6, 2o15 -- James Newton and I had lunch together many times when he & JoAnn lived here

Brother James being photo’d in the bright Albuquerque sun by Mark Weber — February 6, 2o15 — James Newton and I had lunch together many times when he & JoAnn lived here

The late, dearly departed editor & publisher of PEARL literary magazine Marilyn Johnson at her place on East 2nd Street in Long Beach -- April 18, 1995 -- photo by Mark Weber

The late, dearly departed editor & publisher of PEARL literary magazine Marilyn Johnson at her place on East 2nd Street in Long Beach — April 18, 1995 — photo by Mark Weber

That's the CEO of Nimbus West Records Tom Albach in the Nimbus warehouse of his home in the Four Hills neighborhood of Albuquerque (those boxes are all CDs & LPs) ---- He & Pat arrived here from Vegas on July 25, 2000 and he loves the fresh air, they live in the foothills and on his morning walk claims the air is quite invigorating and responsible for his long life ---- He turned 92 on December 13th ---- If it wasn't for the European market his record company would be in dire straits ---- He recorded 26 hours of solo Horace Tapscott and only 8 hours has been released across eleven volumes (a lot of the unreleased material is standards but Tom doesn'd care for Horace's work in that direction (I myself am nuts about Horace's abstracting of standards, this is the music he grew up with and knows intrinsically) -- photo by Mark Weber -- June 11, 2o12

That’s the CEO of Nimbus West Records Tom Albach in the Nimbus warehouse of his home in the Four Hills neighborhood of Albuquerque (those boxes are all CDs & LPs) —- He & Pat arrived here from Vegas on July 25, 2000 and he loves the fresh air, they live in the foothills and on his morning walk claims the air is quite invigorating and responsible for his long life —- He turned 92 on December 13th —- If it wasn’t for the European market his record company would be in dire straits —- He recorded 26 hours of solo Horace Tapscott and only 8 hours has been released across eleven volumes (a lot of the unreleased material is standards but Tom doesn’d care for Horace’s work in that direction (I myself am nuts about Horace’s abstracting of standards, this is the music he grew up with and knows intrinsically) — photo by Mark Weber — June 11, 2o12

Self-portrait -- September 4, 2017 -- photo by MW

Self-portrait — September 4, 2017 — photo by MW

6 Comments

  1. Sheila Jordan

    Wonderful as always my dearest Mark. Thanks for the lovely words and that incredible photo of Roswell … fantastic. Much love and Happy New Year.

  2. Bill Payne

    Love it, especially the couple of sentences about the MJQ and John Lewis!

  3. Mark Weber

    ————————————playlist————————
    Here We Are on Thursday jazz radio show
    December 28, 2o17
    KUNM Albuquerque
    Host MARK WEBER

    1. Horace Tapscott in duet w/ Everett Brown Jr — piano & drums — title track from Lp album AT THE CROSSROADS (Nimbus West) — recorded Oct. 1979
    2. Ed Kelly Quartet w/ Pharoah Sanders — scorching “You Got To Have Freedom” — 1979 Lp ED KELLY & FRIEND (Theresa) w/ Eddie Marshall(drums), Ed Kelly(piano), Pharoah(tenor), Peter Barshay(bass)
    3. KUNM translator I.D. w/ JJ Avenel, John Betsch, MW, & Roswell Rudd in parking lot of Hotel Albuquerque, 800 Rio Grande Blvd NW —- 10 or 11am passing the mike around in the car — hilarious
    4. Steve Lacy & Roswell Rudd “Coming on the Hudson” ballad rendition very abstracted playing the very outside of this tune by Monk — cd BROAD STROKES w/ Elton Dean(alto saxello), Lacy(soprano), John Betsch(drums) Jean-Jacques Avenel(bass), Roswell(trombone) — 22june99
    5. Connie Crothers – Lenny Popkin Quartet “Beyond a Dream” (the ghost of All The Things You Are) –26march93 cd JAZZ SPRING (New Artists) w/ Carol Tristano(drums), Lenny(tenor), CC(piano), Cameron Brown(bass)
    6. Dave Brubeck Quartet “How High the Moon” 2march53 cd JAZZ AT OBERLIN (Fantasy)
    7. Steve Lacy & Roswell Rudd  “Monk’s Mood” — March 1963 Lp SCHOOL DAYS (Emanem) w/ Henry Grimes(bass), and Dennis Charles(drums)
    8. Henry Threadgill & Zooid — Nov. 2008 title track to cd THIS BRINGS US TO (Pi)
    9. Vinny Golia Wind Quartet — 1979 — “The Victims” new release on Darktree Records w/ Bobby Bradford(cornet), John Carter(clarinet), Vinny(woodwinds), Glenn Ferris(trombone)

  4. charley

    So where are the cd’s of you & the Three Ladies….?

  5. Mark Weber

    ———————————-playlist———————————-
    the mellow 50s jazz radio show
    January 4, 2018
    Host MARK WEBER

    1. Bobby Jaspar Quartet — May 1957 “My Old Flame” very mellow flute w/George Wallington(piano), Wilbur Little(bass), Elvin Jones(drums) — cd BOBBY JASPAR (Riverside)
    2. as previous “Sweet Blanche” upbeat flute
    3. Oscar Pettiford Quintet “Oscar Rides Again” –Sept.1954 — cd BASS BY PETTIFORD/BURKE (Bethlehem) w/Oscar(bass), Charles Rouse(tenor), Julius Watkins(Fr-horn), Duke Jordan(piano), Ron Jefferson(drums)
    4. Bobby Jaspar Quartet (tenor) — “How deep is the ocean?” w/ Tommy Flanagan(piano), Nobil “Knobby” Totah(bass), Elvin Jones(drums) –12nov56 * Jaspar relocated to NYC in April 1956 from Paris
    5. Jackie Paris sings “It’s only a paper moon” — 13nov57 *We recently watched (dvd) excellent documentary ‘TIS AUTUMN (2009) life story of Jackie Paris — recommended
    6. Art Pepper & Jack Montrose “Nutmeg” (rhythm changes) — 25aug53 Los Angeles w/ Monty Budwig(bass), Paul Vallerina(drums), Claude Williamson(piano), Art(alto), Jack(tenor) from cd DISCOVERY SESSIONS
    7. Zoot & Bucky “Somebody loves me” –22apr74 — w/ Buddy Rich(drums), Milt Hinton(bass), Zoot Sims(tenor), Bucky Pizzarelli(guitar)
    WHAT FOLLOWS IS A LITTLE SHOWCASE, LITTLE WINDOW, into a little-known player: tenor saxophonist Herbie Haymer with some of his featured solos:
    8. Van Alexander & Mills Blue Rhythm Band (Onyx 202) Lp “Blue Rhythm Serenade” — 15nov47 w/Willie Smith(alto), Ray Linn & Jimmy Zito(trumpets), Herbie Haymer(tenor), Eddie Rosa (alto solo that sounds like a tenor don’t let it fool you), Butch Stone(bari), Walter Welscher(piano), Irv Cottler(drums), Barney Kessel(guitar), Charles Garble(vibes), Arnold Fishkin(bass)
    9. as previous “Blue Rhythm Chant”
    10. Red Norvo & His Swing Sextette “I Got Rhythm” — 16march36 — w/Dave Barbour(guitar — Peggy Lee’s husband), Herbie Haymer(tenor), Red(xylophone)
    11. Lp ANATOMY OF A JAM SESSION — usually marketed under that title, as a Nat King Cole Sunset All-Stars session —– but, originally Herbie Haymer was session leader, as organized by Eddie Laguna —– 9june45 (I mentioned how they all seemed so happy & upbeat — maybe the war was over? Looked it up and WW2 ended on VJ Day Sept 2 —- so, this session was 3 months yet of war) w/ Charlie Shavers(trumpet), Nat(piano), John Simmons(bass), Buddy Rich(drums), Herbie(tenor) Lp on Black Lion
    12. Bobby Jaspar (clarinet) Quartet — ibid. –12nov56 title track to cd “Clarinescapade”
    13. Lennie Tristano Quartet “You go to my head” –summer 1955 NYC w/ Lee Konitz(alto), Art Taylor(drums), Gene Ramey(bass), Lennie(piano) from the first Atlantic album — I can listen to this record over & over
    14. Anita O’Day “My heart belongs to daddy” –7apr59 arranged by Jimmy Guiffre w/ Art Pepper, Frank Rosolino, Richie Kamuca, Mel Lewis, Jimmy Guiffre, George Morrow
    15. Art Pepper Quartet “Brown Gold” (I surmise this title refers to Mexican Brown, the type of heroin in L.A. those years, up through the 80s) –4march52 w/ Hampton Hawes(piano), Joe Mondragon(bass), Larry Bunker(drums), Art(alto) from DISCOVERY SESSIONS cd — smokin’
    16. Hampton Hawes Trio “Blues N/C” –25nov58 w/ Leroy Vinnegar(bass) & Stan Levey(drums) cd THE SERMON (Contemporary)
    17. Jon Eardley Quintet ballad version of Tadd Dameron’s “If you could see me now” –14march55 w/ Eardley(trumpet), J.R. Monterose(tenor), George Syran(piano), Teddy Kotick(bass — one of Sonny Dallas’s favorite bass players), Nick Stabulas(drums) cd HOLLYWOOD TO NEW YORK (Prestige)

  6. Billy the Celloist

    Ros was my childhood friend. Summer of 1950, I spent weeks at the Rudd home in Lakeville, Connecticut, playing all day long with Hod O’brien, piano; Hop Rudd (Ros’s father and a very capable drummer in the style of Sonny Greer); myself on bass; and Ros. Next summer (1951), a junior-year high school entrepreneur, I put a band together for country club gigs and fraternity house parties in Connecticut and Westchester — Herman Autrey, trumpet; Gene “Honeybear” Cedric, clarinet; Arthur Trappier, drums; all former members of the Fats Waller band; Dick Wellstood or Herbie Nichols, piano; Roswell on trombone; and myself on bass. I worked that band until 1954, and both Roswell and I learned a lot from our older band brothers.

    I went up to Yale U. for one year, where I started Eli’s Chosen Six, for which Roswell regularly came down from his senior year at Hotchkiss to play with that band. Then in 1955 I moved to NYC, and started playing with Lacy and Cecil and Archie, to whom I introduced Roswell when he bailed Yale U. and moved to NYC couple years later. Over the next few years we played a lot of jam sessions and fraternity house gigs together. Ros made arrangements for and played trombone on my 1961 Nat Hentoff-produced Candid album with Cecil, Archie, and Billy Higgins, NYC R&B. Roswell invited me to be in his NY Art Quartet, but I declined, because in 1962 I moved to Texas to work with Sir John Barbirolli and the Houston Symphony Orchestra.

    Never got to play another note with Roswell again. I did try to arrange a few gigs, but the bread was never right, or whatever. During the last few years we communicated frequently by telephone. Always a pleasure, and many a deep discussion. The conversation which I knew would be our last was just a few days before his passing.

    As a person, Roswell always reminded me of my favorite mountain in his beloved Berkshires, Mount Tom. Tall, elegant, beautifully dressed in every mood and season, and with a soft and caressing wind coming down from the peak, especially during those early evening Berkshire summer rain storms when each tree sings its own song amid the sound of faraway thunder. Roswell always sang his own song, and it always fit right in with the accompanying thunder.

    I love you Ros. Rest easy and I’ll see you soon. Please say hello to Herbie for me !

    buell n.

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