Marmite is some weird schmutz that English people like to put on their toast, once was enough for me, and I haven’t a clue what that “Rasta Rub” is, you have to ask Janet —- I keep that old brown bottle because it has molded into the glass: No Deposit No Return, remember those days? —- photo by MW in our kitchen last November
February 6, 2o20 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)
NO LO CREO
We all have different
……………….Or varying opinions
These are conditions of the mind
……………….sayeth the Buddha
Or, as the old Black man told the young Mark Twain:
“Tell me where a man gets his corn pone and I’ll
tell you his pinions”
Mas o menos
More or less
Whenever I’m spinning over the airwaves
Something from the avant-garde
I almost never pick up the phone
It’s usually not friendly —-
At my stage of the game
It all fits together, of course,
I can hear the distinctions (that’s another
thing the Buddha cautions against: distinctions/discriminations,
of which I sorta disagree, back when I was a wine drinker
I certainly could discriminate
between a Gallo port and a California burgundy, a not
unuseful distinction)
I was telling Bradford the other day
How, in reflection, when I was 17
or 18 my over-riding attraction to the avant-garde
was its audacity,
for example, the first time I ever heard the name
Cecil Taylor was when a friend said: “There’s this
guy who plays piano solos for two hours!”
and I said Wow I’ve got to hear that! —-
I had told Bobby that in some regard
I’ve lost the ability to understand what’s going on
in some of these long solos, my brain is conditioned
to hear melodic development or variations
on a rhythmic motif, I’m lost otherwise, I’m a
Lestorian, I want to hear a story ———- which
harkens the time Coltrane commiserating with Miles
admits he didn’t know how to stop these long solos
and Miles said: Take the horn out yr mouth —-
Otherwise, it just turns into jazz wallpaper —-
Sitting at table in my favorite taco joint yesterday
I overheard a fellow on cell phone say “No lo creo”
(I don’t think so)
Of which, the Buddha would agree
Hugh Kenner (the Ezra Pound scholar) and poet Denise Levertov —- October 24, 1986 Cleveland State University —- photo by Mark Weber
Don Pullen & George Adams afternoon clinic at Tri-C Jazz Fest, Cleveland – April 7, 1989 —- photo by Mark Weber
Biggi Vinkeloe’s Desert Sweet’s Trio —- March 14, 2o13 Albuquerque: Mark Weaver (tuba), Biggi (alto & flute), Damon Smith (bass) —- photo by Mark Weber
This exquisite cover art by Erik Nitsche, 1950 on a 10” 33rpm disk by Leroy Anderson —- I made a photocopy before I added my own doodles ————— Line drawing manipulation 17dec2o19 by Mark Weber
New flute player (and singer!) in town: Libbie Jo Snyder, recently abandoned Los Angeles as the traffic was too much and now she’s settled in Albuquerque —- photo by Mark Weber January 27, 2o2o at Taj Mahal lunch
Session at Shew’s: Chris Buckholz (trombone & cowboy boots), Alex Murzyn (mostly tenor) —- November 1, 2o19 Corrales, New Mex —- photo by Mark Weber
Bennie Maupin’s horns —- October 31, 2o19 —- photo by Mark Weber
One of the greatest most soulful versions of Body & Soul was heard this night when Bennie picked up his tenor (I sure hope all those mikes means they were recording?) —- a trio called Options: Bennie Maupin (woodwinds), Nasheet Waits (drums), Eric Revis (bass) —- October 31, 2o19 – photo by Mark Weber
Bobby brought this rocket ship of a band into the Outpost on December 12, 2o19 and blew us back into our seats for a full non-stop 2 and one half (2 ½!) hours —- the Bobby Shew Sextet: Micky Patten (bass), Cal Haines (drums), Jim Ahrend (keyboards & piano), Shew (trpt & flugel), Alex Murzyn (tenor & flute), Chris Buckholz (trombone) —- photo by MW
Bobby’s not saying the Pledge of Allegiance, that’s how he counts in, patting his heart —- December 12, 2o19 – Alex Murzyn, Bobby Shew, Chris Buckholz —- photo by Mark Weber
Louis Hayes —- November 22, 2o19 —- photo by Mark Weber —- When Louis came off the stage and walked passed us where we were sitting against the wall, I said “Louis, thank you for coming” and he said, “You’re welcome.”
Doug Lawrence and John Webber carrying on the tradition —- November 22, 2o19 at the Outpost Performance Space, Albuquerque —- photo by Mark Weber
Reading through the last few months of dOWNBEATs and over the last few years I am always struck with how much I don’t know about all the new artists, of which there are a glorious abundance. I wish we could find a young person (most of this music is younger than me) who has a solid knowledge of all this new stuff to be a disk jockey at our station. I’m only one person, is my argument, as to how come I don’t jump into it, also, my show is only 83 minutes. AND more to the point, is something Vinny Golia pointed out to me back in the mid-90s, and that is how hard it is for new artists to compete with all of the jazz re-issue programs going on. There was a 20 year period where everything was being re-issued. If you think about it, there were no comprehensive re-issues before the CD era, which I’ll date to 1990 (simply because much of what was released on CD before then has quirky mastering). And I think there isn’t much else to re-issue anymore, after that avalanche. Myself I have immersed myself in all the small West Coast labels of the 1950s that saw re-issue. And that was a glory of music. But the situation for current artists with their new music competing against past glories is something I had never thought about until Vinny brought it up. Photo of Vinny – November 17, 2o19 by Mark Weber
My dear Janet out for a walk in the Sandia Mountains foothills on a cold Saturday last November —- photo by MW
Wow Mark I really like your B&W photos! What camera,lens did you use or do you remember as it was 30 years ago?
I agree that CDs were a golden age of resissues. What are your thoughts on streaming? I had Tidal for two years which had excellent jazz except for some of the small obscure labels and groups we like. I use the paid Amazon Music streaming and a free Spotify account.
I mostly listen to classical music in the morning, country music n the afternoon and jazz and night.
Larry Seidler
Larry——————-in the 70s & 80s, well, still do for that matter. I prided myself (dumbly as it were) that I only used 2 lens: a 50mm and a 28mm and also (more dumb) used a 2X to double those sometimes (a smart photographer avoids a 2X as it adds more elements — glass — for the light to get through) but I had good luck with them. Thanks for looking. Always good to hear from you.
Great blog as usual!
Thanks Mark.
love your pix some more and always… a nod esp to that old lp cover… and yr new poem… you’re always fresh and fabulous…best to you from me and Fred Voss…
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The Mitt Romney Is Right Jazz Radio Show
February 6, 2020 —— KUNM Albuquerque
Host MARK WEBER
1. Carla Bley tentet “Spangled Banner Minor and Other Patriotic Songs” cd EUROPEAN TOUR 1977
2. Tina Raymond Trio “America” – 2016 cd LEFT RIGHT LEFT
3. The Practical Trio: Michael Formanek(bass), Tim Berne(alto), Mary Halvorson(guitar) “But will it float” –20feb2019 cd EVEN BETTER
4. Dick Collins & the Runaway Herd nonet “Very Shifty” – May 1954 NYC — members of Woody Herman’s road band
5. Doug Raney Quartet “Estate” w/ George Cables(piano), Steve LaSpina(bass), Adam Nussbaum(drums), and my latest obsession: Doug Raney(1956-2016)(guitar) – April 1993 cd BLUES ON A PAR (Steeplechase)
6. Thelonious Monk Quartet “Ugly Beauty” album UNDERGROUND – 1967
7. Lord Buckley “Nero” c.1959 —- (Nero the Roman tyrant)(next will be Trump the American Embarrassment)
8. Sun Ra “Plutonian Nights” – 1959 album THE NUBIANS OF PLUTONIA
9. Kenny Burrell septet “Scotch Blues” – 14may58 cd BLUE LIGHTS Vol. 1 (Blue Note)
10. Practical Trio “The Shifter”
11. Libbie Jo Snyder “Shepherd’s Blues” – 2002 cd THE FLUTE & VOICE OF LIBBIE JO w/ Jane Getz(piano), Henry Franklin(bass), Steve Cotter(guitar), Paul Kreibich and/or Tom Sala(drums)
12. Virg Dzurinko & Ryan Messina, piano & trumpet duets – 2018 or 2019? Cd THIS TIME (New Artists Records)
13. Dick Hafer Quartet “Just You Just Me” – 1994 cd PREZ IMPRESSIONS w/ Ross Tompkins(piano), Dave Carpenter(bass), Jake Hanna(drums), Dick(tenor)
*On Wednesday Senator Romney was the only Republican to vote to impeach Trump during the Senate Hearings and made a clear declaration of why
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Jazz on the Wing Jazz Radio Show
Thursday February 13, 2o20 —– KUNM Albuquerque
Host MARK WEBER
1. Jackie McLean 5 “Beau Jack” – 8feb57 w/ Mal Waldron(piano), Bill Hardman(trpt), Doug Watkins(bass), Art Taylor(drums), Jackie(alto) cd JACKIE McLEAN & CO. (Prestige)
2. Oscar Moore Quartet “Blues in B Flat” – 1954 w/ Carl Perkins(piano), Joe Comfort(bass), Lee Young(drums), Oscar(guitar)
3. Yusef Lateef Quartet “Road Runner” – June 1966 album THE GOLDEN FLUTE (Impulse!) w/ Hugh Lawson(piano), Roy Brooks(drums), Herman Wright(bass), Yusef(tenor)
4. Oscar Peterson Trio + Clark Terry – the first recorded version of “Mumbles” (Tom Lord Discog lists 25 versions, and who knows how many variants) w/ Ray Brown(bass) & Ed Thigpen(drums) —– 1964 cd OSCAR PETERSON TRIO + ONE (Verve)
5. Horace Silver & The Jazz Messengers “Doodlin’” —13dec54 w/ Kenny Dorham(trpt), Hank Mobley(tenor), Silver(piano), Doug Watkins(bass), Art Blakey(drums)
6. John Hardee Swingtet – 28feb46 —– I wish this artist would have made more records! When I discover’d his music ten years or so ago it justified why I’m a record collector, you just don’t know what else this beautiful is out there! He was stationed in NY during the war and made two albums for Blue Note then returned to his home in Texas and spent his years as a high school music teacher in Wichita Falls —– Bobby Bradford remembers Hardee coming into Dallas for jam sessions ————- “Hardee’s Party” w/ Tiny Grimes(guitar), Sonny Benskin(p), John Simmons(b), Big Sid(d), JOHN HARDEE(tenor)
7. James Williams Sextet + Clark Terry “Talkin’ Trash” (a variant of Mumbles) w/ Billy Pierce(tenor), Steve Nelson(vibes), James(p), Tony Reedus(d), Christian McBride(b), Clark(vcl & trpt)
8. Horace Silver Quintet “Juicy Lucy” album FINGER POPPIN’ (Blue Note) – 31jan59 w/ Blue Mitchell(trpt), Junior Cook(tenor), Silver(p), Gene Taylor(b), Louis Hayes(d)
9. Clark Terry guest on Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz radio show 21sept93 “Mumbles” in duet
10. Yusef Lateef “Oasis” ibid. w/ Yusef on flute
11. Budd Johnson Quintet ————– another musician who Bradford remembers around Dallas, along with his brother Keg Johnson —– “Blues a la Mode” — 14feb58 NYC w/ Charlie Shavers(trpt), Jo Jones(d), Joe Benjamin(b), Budd(tenor), Ray Bryant(p) — sessions produced by Stanley Dance, now available on 5-cd box set COMPLETE FELSTED MAINSTREAM COLLECTION (16 sessions, all 1958, I think 9 albums came out of this endeavor)
12. Oscar Moore Quartet “Buddy, Can You Spare a Dime” ibid.
13. Miles “Concierto de Aranjuez” album SKETCHES OF SPAIN (Col.) — 20nov59
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The Weary Blues Jazz Radio Show
February 20, 2020 —- KUNM Albuquerque
Host MARK WEBER
1. Doug Raney Trio “Barbados”(Bird’s 12-bar blues he recorded 1948) – Nov. 1998 cd YOU GO TO MY HEAD (Steeplechase)
2. Langston Hughes “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” — rec. 1958?
3. Tomeka Reid Quartet “17 West” – 1sept2o14 cd TOMEKA REID QUARTET (Thirsty Ear) w/ Mary Halvorson(guitar), Tomas Fujiwara(drums), Jason Roebke(bass), Tomeka(cello)
4. Art Blakey solo drums “Logarhythms” – April 1990 – his last album ONE FOR ALL
5. Matt Brewer Quintet “Twenty Years”(Frissell) –19feb2016 w/ Matt(bass), Ben Wendel(tenor), Charles Altura(guitar), Aaron Parks(piano), Tyshawn Sorey(drums) cd UNSPOKEN (Criss Cross)
6. Charles Mingus ensemble w/ narration by Melvin Stewart “Scenes in the City”(text by Langston Hughes & Lonnie Elders) – Oct.1957 NYC w/ Clarence Gene Shaw(trpt), Mingus(bass), Jimmy Knepper(trombone), Dannie Richmond(drums), Bob Hammer(piano), Shafi Hadi(alto) – cd A MODERN JAZZ SYMPOSIUM
7. Catherine Russell title track from her cd ALONE TOGETHER – August 2018
8. Branford Marsalis “The Weary Blues”(Langston Hughes) rec. 12aug99 for box set RHAPSODIES IN BLACK
9. Ellington Orchestra “March 19th Blues” – 1956 cd VOLUME ONE STUDIO SESSIONS CHICAGO 1956 (Saja) – ten separate volumes of recordings from Duke’s private stash spanning 1956-1970, highly recommended
10. Bob Dorough Quintet “The Dreamkeeper”(Langston Hughes) – 1958 w/ Bob Hardaway(tenor), Bob Dorough(song-poem & piano), Ralph Pena(bass), Larry Bunker(drums), Billy Bean(guitar) – 1958 LA cd JAZZ CANTO
11. Kenny Burrell 5 – title track from album SOUL CALL(Prestige) – 7apr64
12. Jimmy Rushing “The You & Me That Used to Be” –29april 1971 NYC Lp THE YOU AND ME THAT USED TO BE (RCA) w/ Al Cohn(tenor), Milt Hinton(bass), Mel Lewis(drums), Budd Johnson(soprano), Dave Frishberg(piano)
13. 3 MORE SOUNDS w/ Henry Franklin(what a great bass track!), Robert Turner(piano), Khoran Harrison(drums) – 2o18 cd GHETTO PRINCES (Skipper Records) “Battle Hymn of the Republic/John Brown’s Body”
14. Oliver Lake 5 “N.S.” Sept.1985 cd EXPANDABLE LANGUEAGE (Black Saint) w/Geri Allen(fabulous piano solo), Oliver(flute), Keven Eubanks(guitar), Fred Hopkins(bass), Pheeroah ak Laff(drums)