There’s a lot of good and interesting things about Utah, but jazz is not one of them, and that’s because there is none, zero, not unless jazz to you means a basketball team —- I sure hope jazz doesn’t disappear from New Mexico, there’s presently a downturn that has me concerned, the Trump Effect I call it —– I remember in my younger days reading Ed Abbey’s great books when he said that jazz doesn’t seem to fit the wilderness or desert and mountains, that it’s a city music, and I took umbrage at that — Over time I came to realize what he meant, but jazz is adaptable —— Photo May 5, 1990 shot from moving car, Salt Lake City, when we lived there two years as Janet interned at the VA Hospital —– photo by Mark Weber
The Thursday Jazz Radio Show
March 22, 2o18 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)
JAZZ ON THE RADIO
wHy jAzz oN the RAdio?
Because there are people out there that care about it.
I suppose you could say that a certain type of listening is going on by a certain type of person, who likes hearing down into the music, likes to hear how the parts all fit together, they enjoy rhythmic layering and melodic invention and playful abstraction. Take a Gershwin song and put a Latin beat on it. Elongate a Richard Rodgers tune and stretch Larry Hart’s lyric. Have a drink with Harold Arlen while Joe sets ’em up again, and Johnny Mercer thinks about it. Or even write a new melody over the changes of another song.
When I was coming up Top 40 was in its heyday on the radio. There was a lot of great music in that realm, but it wasn’t everything. I wasn’t exactly ready for classical music, yet, (Joseph Haydn symphony No. 101 is on the radio right now as I sketch these notes —- in “longhand” on a clipboard —- on the Performance Today broadcast this morning over KUNM) but as a kid I might have needed a little bit more overt rhythm. Or, as Jack Black says in SCHOOL OF ROCK: “melt your face guitar solos.” I didn’t know it yet but I was ready for Archie Shepp melt-my- face-saxophone-solos. That took radio. First time I heard Bird was off a radio. And then just about the time I got out of high school (1972) this new band Supersax was getting a lot of airplay in Los Angeles and they played nothing but Bird. You know, it’s an adventure turning on your radio. Like Bob Dylan says in his memoir CHRONICLES, we’re “musical expeditionaries.” You turn on that radio and you’re on an expedition, you follow the music upstream.
Sheila Jordan & Cameron Brown at soundcheck — Outpost Performance Space — March 5, 2o15 Albuquerque — photo by Mark Weber ————- Tune in today to hear me ask the immortal question: Why is it a good thing to have jazz on the radio? and hear what Bobby Bradford, Virg Dzurinko, Anthony Ortega, Sheila Jordan, Buell Neidlinger and others had to say in response: They all seem to think it’s a very good thing.
Isn’t she fabulous — And beautiful inside and out — Sheila Jordan — March 5, 2o15 — We’ve posted this one before, but, it’s so good that we’re putting it up, again — photo by Mark Weber
Sheila Jordan has a torus bump — a little protrusion on her palate — When I told her that in anthropology that that is a solid indicator that you have Native American blood, she related how her great great great great grandmother was Queen Aliquippa of the Seneca tribe of Pennsylvania —– Her and Cam were backstage at Outpost waiting to go on (she calls him “Cam” — I call him Mr Cameron Brown) when I snapped this photo — March 5, 2o15 — photo by Mark Weber
Two jazz singers: Alexis Parsons & Maryanne deProphetis — August 24, 2o14 NYC — photo by Mark Weber —- This week we’re fundraising to keep KUNM “fiscally healthy,” to keep frisky & mentally wealthy, to keep community radio popping & ticking —- You can call (505) 277-4357 or pledge on-line at KUNM.org — Tell ’em it’s all about jazz.
William Roper and his tubas — L.A. Country Museum of Art — August 14, 2015 — as part of Bobby Bradford’s Tete-a-Tete band — photo by Mark Weber —– William has worked equally in symphony music as well as modern jazz —- My earliest remembrance of classical music in any serious way is Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Chicago Symphony conducted by Frederick Stock —– somehow these three 12″ 78rpm disks came into our household when I was very young and I listened to them to the point where I have the Nutcracker memorized to this day, those three records plus another of Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody conducted by Leopold Stokowski (I still have these in my collection) are dug deep into my memory
I’m not sure I had heard Marc Copland before this concert, but John sure knew how to pick them, Mr Copland’s piano is something way worth checking out —- John Abercrombie Quartet at the Outpost — April 9, 2o15 — Drew Gress (bass), John (guitar), Marc(piano), Joey Baron (drums) — photo by Mark Weber —– Nowadays, old-fashioned radio is called terrestrial radio, as new developments such as “streaming on the web” have come about —- it’s a great time to be in radio as stations have world-wide reach via the dual broadcast systems of both terrestrial and the internet, and if you miss a show in “real time” you can always access the archive —- We’ll look around for something to play from this marvelous band
One of the hippest uses of the public airwaves on a music program is to let the artists speak for themselves, or, better yet, let them play Live and free —– that’s New York saxophonist Nick Lyons on one of his frequent visits to the station playing with local A-team Colin Deuble (bass) and Cal Haines (drums) — on the Thursday jazz show December 29, 2o16 — photo by Mark Weber
Your radio host with tenor saxophonist Charley Krachy shot by pianist Kazzrie Jaxen — Brooklyn NY May 8, 2o15
Virg Dzurinko & Connie Crothers at dusk —- May 11, 2o15 @ iBeam, Brooklyn — photo by Mark Weber —- In my youth, I didnt have any music mentors or anyone to point the way, all I had was radio
From the collection of Mark Weber
I never could get that little shirtpocket digital camera to work right, so it’s gone —- Some of the shots are variously interesting (for a minute) this one looks abstract expressionist —- saxophonist Doug Lawrence — Albuquerque April 20, 2o17 — photo by Mark Weber
Onate Hall, University of New Mexico —- that top floor is where KUNM is located — September 7, 2o17 — photo by Mark Weber
I get off the elevator and there’s Maiya on a skateboard, always a relief to know we have children coming up through the ages at KUNM —– that’s Maiya with her mother Erin Brown who is Account Executive for Nonprofits at the station —- the monster in the shadow with a camera is me — December 2o17
A slightly blurry Membership Accounts Exec Cris Nichols in her office at KUNM with painting by her mother — September 7, 2o17 — photo by Mark Weber with camera he has since tossed out the window — Her father Wayne Nichols played trumpet in Charlie Barnet’s band, and in Bob Wills Texas Playboys!
The central brains of KUNM — (the machinery & wires, not Jonathan — haha) and that’s Jonathan Longcore the KUNM I.T. (which I’ve been told means “Internet Technician”) — September 7, 2o17 — photo by Mark Weber — Jonathan is a banjo player and went to high school in Palo Alto with Bill Kreutzmann, the drummer for the Grateful Dead
I’ve asked the station manager Richard Towne to be my pitch partner this day which always gives me the opportunity to put him on the spot and ask pointed questions over my pay raise —-(hehe)— September 7, 2o17 — photo by Mark Weber (all KUNM radio hosts are volunteers)
As far back as 160,000 years ago humankind have been using red ochre to illustrate their self-aware existence —- This is the Cave of 100 Hands, Fremont Indian State Park, Utah — April 7, 1990 — photo by Mark Weber — these pictographs date from a thousand years ago, to as far back as 400 AD —- It’s quiet out there —- Listening is an art —- There’s a lot to it, but basically you sit and focus — I tell beginners to listen for the first note, and pay attention to where it all goes in relation to that note —- I also suggest listening with eyes closed —- and if you’re new to jazz try this: There’s a quintet on stage, single out one instrument and concentrate purely on that instrument and how it negotiates within the quintet and everything around it, become that instrument
This is so wonderful again but really not surprising in the least. By the way they are doing a gather on June 15th at Greenwich House in the Village for Connie Crothers. I am free so I will sing something for her. I think it’s all singers. If your coming back to NYC around then it would be great to have you there. In the meantime, do what you do so beautifully. xoxoxo Sheila.
Nice to see the familiar behind-the-scenes scenes and parking lot view of KUNM. I love this: “In my youth, I didn’t have any music mentors or anyone to point the way, all I had was radio.”
“Listening is an art”
love us yr jazz jabber and love the bit on Sheila Jordan–whatta woman. love seeing pix of your Office… yr Webb Tower of powerjazz… take care… we hanging on… doing another jazz backup Doors thing–it’s REALLY fun to read poetry w/jazz backup– + April 6 a Buk Tribute @ Library Girl in Santa Monica… Wed, Mar 21, Mark, I am featured reader @ LBCC’s Spring 2018 Writers Series.. 60 years, 4 mos after I was a frosh drop-out fall 1957… love forever all your groovy jazzwords … learning so much abt this fabulous art..
Jazz on the radio saved my life in Chicago, 1974, California girl huddled in the cold.
I salute the light of David Keller and Tom Albach for that unforgetable Piano Summit of Hill, Weston & Tapscott.
Recalling the first time I listened to Thelonious Monk while driving in the desert, how marvelously it fit!
Yours in red ocher, RK
Billy the Celloist is gone ———- Before his passing I had already scheduled his response to my Big Question ————and we will hear his hilarious and fulsome response this day, in memoriam, alas, he was a good man, and friend
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Buell’s Obit…(Nov. 24, 2017 edited by Buell – original by Linda Morris)
Buell Neidlinger
March 2, 1936 – March 16, 2o18
Buell’s gone but his bass notes linger, on hundreds of recordings made over the course of his unique sixty year career in the music business. As a bassist, he backed many household names, holding his own in many a musical setting and genre. Quite a few of these recordings define the history of music in this country.
Buell was born in New York City on March 2, 1936. His maternal grandfather was a music and publishing attorney, and Buell was exposed to many great musicians from an early age. His music training began at St. Thomas choir school at the age of seven; the same year, he commenced the study of ‘cello with Felix Salmond. He became accomplished on the cello, pursuing further studies with Luigi Silva and Gregor Piatigorsky. In 1953, he attended Yale University, and while there became interested in the bass, the instrument he played throughout most of his career. Moving back to NYC in 1954, he took some bass lessons from Walter Page and commenced jazz apprenticeships playing with Joe Sullivan, Herbie Nichols, Dick Wellstood, Vic Dickenson, Conrad Janis, and Oran “Hot Lips” Page, leading to recording and performance gigs with Tony Bennett, Billie Holiday, Lester Young, Rex Stewart, the Gil Evans band, and Cecil Taylor (whose bassist he was for many years).
In 1959, Buell moved to Boston, where he attended Boston University and studied bass with Georges Moleux, principal bassist of the Boston Symphony. An offer of a six-month gig at NYC’s Five Spot with Jimmy Guiffre brought him back to NY later that year. Composer Gunther Schuller hired him to play in the historic May 16, 1960 Third Stream concert at the Circle in the Square with the Walden Quartet, Ornette Coleman, Eric Dolphy, Scott LaFaro, Eddie Costa, and Bill Evans. Schuller encouraged Buell to further expand his classical abilities; so, in 1961, Buell became a member of the bass section of Sir John Barbirolli’s Houston Symphony, and moonlighted around Texas with Arnett Cobb, Little Esther Phillips, Bobby Blue Bland, and James Clay.
The recipient of a Rockefeller performance grant in 1964, he returned to NY, where he worked closely with composers Mauricio Kagel, Sylvano Busotti, George Crumb and John Cage to develop new string playing techniques and sounds, giving premier performances of their compositions worldwide. He also freelanced with Stokowski’s American Symphony, the City Center Opera, tours with the Budapest and Amadeus string quartets, as well as with small ensembles led by Igor Stravinsky, Karl Richter, Lukas Foss, and Schuller. In 1967, Erich Leinsdorf chose Buell to be a Member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. That year Buell joined the faculty of the New England Conservatory of Music, where he taught bass, chamber music,and, with George Russell, established the first jazz department at a major music school.
In 1971 he moved to Los Angeles to teach at CalArts, and was hired by Neville Marriner to be principal bass of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, a post he held for eight years. He also played chamber music with Peter Serkin and the Guarneri String Quartet, as well as Serkin’s ensemble TASHI. In L.A., Buell began an extensive motion picture recording career, playing on hundreds of major Hollywood movie scores by the top composers from the early seventies to the late 90’s. He was principal bass of many studio orchestras for 27 years. (Partial discographies can be found at https://en.wikipedia.or/wiki/Buell_Neidlinger#Discography) and http://www.allmusic.com/artist/buell-neidlinger-mn0000626000/biography) ; In 1978 he formed K2B2 Records http://www.k2b2.com with reedist Marty Krystall, for which he produced more than a dozen recordings of his jazz ensembles, which often headlined at jazz festivals in Europe and America. No matter what professional situation he found himself in, at the same time Buell always had his own musical group as a creative outlet and to celebrate his love of Ellington, Monk, and Herbie Nichols. Jerry Garcia referred to his bluegrass playing as “Buellgrass”, and his recorded string band versions of jazz tunes were heard by and influenced a generation of today’s venerated newgrass musicians.
In his spare time he presented master classes in chamber music playing and jazz at Aspen, Tanglewood, Eastman School of Music, Harvard/Radcliffe, NY State University, Rotterdam Conservatory and the annual San Luis Obispo String Seminar.
Buell was larger than life. The same passion he brought to his music carried over into his relationships, sometimes resulting in fireworks. He was rarely lukewarm about anything, and he brought a full set of emotions to everything he did. He cared deeply about music and about our world. Those who knew him intimately found him to be an extraordinarily sensitive and kind man, and felt privileged to be his friend or musical associate.
His wife, Margaret Storer, was also a professional bassist. They were an elite team in the recording and film studios of Los Angeles for 17 years, and even after they moved to Whidbey Island. Buell and Maggie were together for 36 years. She was his love and his rock.
He also leaves behind two children from a previous marriage, Miranda Neidlinger and Mike Neidlinger; his brother, Roger predeceased him.
In his later years, Buell played cello around Whidbey Island in all sorts of venues. He could be found playing Bach’s cello suites at weddings, art galleries, restaurants, and coffee shops. Maggie started playing the violin, and Buell loved to play chamber music at home with her and his many music friends, some of whom traveled long distances to blend tones with him again, eat chocolate, and listen to his countless recollections of his long life in the music business.
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March 19, 2o18 ———–KSFR Santa Fe
Arlen Asher’s Monday morning jazz show
The Jazz Experience 9am – Noon
I periodically co-host with Arlen when John Trentacosta is out of town
*We had decided to do a show of 1930s music
HOUR ONE
1. Rebecca Kilgore “It’s a good day” (Peggy Lee’s old hit song) 2004 cd BEDLAM
2. Jon-Erik Kellso “Little White Lies” 1995 cd THE PLOT THICKENS
3. Milt Hinton Quartet “Old Man Time” –23jan89 w/Kenny Davern, Howard Alden, Jackie Williams
4. Keith Ingham ensemble “Roll ‘Em” –1997 cd A MELLOW BIT OF RHYTHM
5. Warren & Allan vache “Tangerine” 1999 — cd MRS VACHE’S BOYS
6. Bill Smith w/ Brubeck Quartet “Frisco Fog” 1960 cd BRUBECK A LA MODE
7. as previous “Dorian Dance” fade to news top of the hour
HOUR TWO
1. Benny Goodman Sextet w/ Mel Powell(piano) “I Got Rhythm” –18sept45
2. Rosy McHargue — 7dec47 “I Wish I could shimmy Like my sister Kate” w/ JOE RUSHTON bass saxophone solo
3. as previous “Oh Baby”
4. Buddy DeFranco “A Smooth One” –29oct57 on the West Coast — cd WHOLLY CATS
5. BG Sextet “Farewell Blues” — 13june51
6. BG Trio “Stompin at the Savoy” –17nov47
7. Buddy DeFranco octet –30oct57 “After You’ve Gone” cd I HEAR BENNY GOODMAN AND ARTIE SHAW
8. ……talk about clarinets ————- fade to news
HOUR THREE
1. BG 40th Anniversary Concert at Carnegie 1978 “That’s a Plenty”
*Arlen’s quartet had just performed this number a couple weeks back so I wanted to discuss this
many-faceted episodic tune
2. Dick Cary “That’s a Plenty” Lp DIXIELAND GOES PROGRESSIVE –11june57
3. Dave McKenna solo piano “Melancholy Baby” 1977 cd DAVE FINGERS McKENNA (Concord)
4. Joe Venuti & George Barnes “I’ll never be the same” –1975 cd GEMS
*I told the story that Michael Anthony told me about the time Barnes played Donte’s and how he leaned
hard into certain songs and that Barney Kessel had called those “shoulder chords”
5. Maxine Sullivan & John Kirby Sextet “Loch Lomand” –6aug37
6. Ken Peplowski (clarinet) Quintet “The Flunk” –1992 —– cd THE NATURAL TOUCH
IT actually is for “Information Technology” although what *that* actually is…who knows?
I’ll finesse the banjo player with old time banjo player, since it’s the only banjo style I know how to play, and there are a lot of styles.
Peninsula School in Menlo Park is where I went to elementary and middle school – http://peninsulaschool.org – I learned guitar there at age 7, taught John Dawson (New Riders of the Purple Sage) guitar in 7th grade, Bill Kreutzmann was there in 6th grade, but music only was a connecting point for us in high school when he took me to a Holy Roller church in East Palo Alto (The Sweet Home Church of God in Christ) where the drums and electric guitars had garnered his interest. I also played guitar with Jerry Garcia when he was learning banjo – the most memorable discussion from those times was when he described the 5-string banjo as “like a sonnet form – lots of creativity possible within the constraints of the form (instrument).” He was one of the few musicians I knew that was articulate about musical structures as well as a gifted multi-instrumentalist.
Good times.
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the jazz on the air jazz radio show
March 22, 2o18
Host MARK WEBER
Pitch partner RICHARD TOWNE
Spring KUNM fundraiser
1. Ken Peplowski Quintet “I’ll Close My Eyes” –1992 cd THE NATURAL TOUCH
2. Sheila Jordan telcon — Why is it a good thing to have jazz on the radio?” recorded 10march2o18
3. Sheila Jordan “Comes Love” — 8nov03 cd BELIEVE IN JAZZ
4. continuation of Sheila telcon
5. Buell Neidlinger telcon — Why is it a good thing to have jazz on the radio? recorded 12march2o18
6. Buell & Howard Alden — cello & guitar duet “Another Friend” –2o13 cd THE HAPPENINGS
7. Buell session w/ Cecil Taylor & Billy Higgins “P.O” –1961 cd THIS WAY IS WEST (K2B2 Records)
8. Anthony Ortega telcon — Why is it a good thing to have jazz on the radio? recorded 12march2o18
9. Anthony Ortega Quartet “Happy Day” –1961 cd A MAN AND HIS HORNS w/ Anthony playing alto
and tenor (overdubbed)
10. Bobby Bradford telcon — same question — recorded March 9, 2o18
11. BB Quartet “The Gates of Hell” –1991 cd DEATH OF A SIDEMAN
12. Virg Dzurinko solo piano “Autumn Leaves” — 1998 cd FUN CITY
13. Virg Dzurinko telcon — same question — recorded 15march2o18
14. M’BOOM w/ Warren Smith tympani solo “Onomatopoeia” — 1979 — M’Boom’s first album
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the sinus allergies denuclearization jazz radio show
March 29, 2o18
KUNM Albuquerque
Host MARK WEBER
1. Maryanne de Prophetis “Ombra” w/ Satoshi Takeishi(drums), Frank Kimbrough(piano), Ron Horton(flugel), Maryanne(wordless vocal) — 28aug2o15 cd TELL A STAR
2. Warren Smith sets up M’Boom track that follows *(recorded 27march2o18)
3. M’Boom “MR Seven” — Oct.1984 cd COLLAGE — 10-pc percussion ensemble
4. John Coltrane Quartet “Liberia” –26oct1960 (Atlantic)
5. Wes Montgomery “Bumpin’ on Sunset” — 1966 cd TEQUILA (Verve)
6. Buell Neidlinger’s BUELLGRASS “Epistrophy” w/ Marty Krystall(bass clarinet), Richard Greene(violin), Andy Statman(mandolin), Peter Erskine(drums), Peter Ivers(harmonica), Buell(bass) –23aug81 cd ACROSS THE TRACKS (K2B2 Records)
7. Greg Osby — 2oo1 cd SYMBOLS OF LIGHT (Blue Note) w/ Jason Moran(piano), Scott Colley(bass), Marlon Browden(drums), Greg(soprano sax) — “One Room”
8. Joe Lovano & Greg Osby “Truth Be Told”(Osby) — Dec.1998 w/ Joe(tenor), Greg(alto), Jason Moran(piano), Cameron Brown(bass), Idris Muhammad(drums) — cd FRIENDLY FIRE (Blue Note)
9. Warren Smith sets up the next track *(I’ll play the full interview in about a month that we recorded last Tuesday while Warren was in town with Joseph Daley Trio)
10. M’Boom “Morning/Midday” — 1979 cd MAX ROACH M’BOOM (Columbia)
11. Pat Malone Trio “Out of Nowhere” — 16jan2o12 w/ Cal Haines(drums), Michael Glynn(bass), Pat(guitar) — recorded at KUNM
12. JJ Johnson Quartet “It’s only a paper moon” cd FIRST PLACE (Columbia) w/ Tommy Flanagan(piano), Paul Chambers(bass), Max Roach(drums), JJ(trombone) — 1957
13. M’Boom “Epistrophy” — 1979