Connie Crothers —- September 6, 2006 in her studio (Ken Filiano, bass) —- photo by Mark Weber
March 5, 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)
I WILL SOON ENOUGH
Connie was a Californian
Even though she lived most of her, or
……………rather, her entire adult life in
………………………………..New York
In the same way I can tell in two seconds
Joan Didion is a Californian
Connie was a Californian
The same way that I have lived
………….So many years in New Mexico
………….I am still a Californian
I’ll have to figure out what that means
Joan is one of my favorite writers
Connie Crothers one of my favorite pianists
They remind me of each other
Similar mannerisms, a tendency not
………..to be rushed, but
…………….Something always percolating in the background
I asked Connie if she ever smoked
And she said, “Oh yeah, Mark, we all smoked!”
Joan has lived in NYC for years and seems to have
………………………………………………….given up smoking
They both are like characters in books by
Ross Macdonald or James M Cain or even Steinbeck
That 50s California reticence and reserve,
Madison Avenue was trying to sell us on modernity
And washing machines and cars all part
Of the space age in your kitchen but they
Were not buying it, this would take more
Convincing before they ever took the bait, it
Wasn’t so much suspicious
…………………as it was having grown up in families
that lived through the Great Depression
California had been whacked sideways by the Depression
Joan referred to that Yeats line
So often she practically owns it, about the center
Not holding, doubting often
That there is a center at all, and Connie
Deep into her piano, think about it, her solos
Were always searching for the existence
Of this center
Session at Connie’s —- August 24, 2o12 Williamsburg NY —- photo by MW —- Ed Schuller (bass), Connie Crothers (piano), Roger Mancuso (drums)
Connie Crothers & Kazzrie Jaxen – September 18, 2oo5 —- photo by Mark Weber
Connie Crothers & Roger Mancuso after the jackboot TSA’s at Laguardia fried my film —– photo by Mark Weber —- December 5, 2004 NYC
Julius Hemphill performing his solo piece “Roi Boye & the Gotham Minstrels” in Los Angeles at Studio Z, 2409 W. Slauson —- March 22 & 23, 1977 (I was there both nights helping Bruce Bidlack with the sound, and sending pre-recorded tapes to Julius —– Quite an amazing & involved composition)
One Californian (Art Pepper) and one New Yorker (Lee Konitz) ———– Lee sitting in with Art’s Quartet at Donte’s in North Hollywood —- January 15, 1982 —- photo by Mark Weber —- Never the twain shall meet, at least, not this night
Michael Vlatkovich, William Roper, Bobby Bradford —- August 23, 2002 —- photo by Mark Weber
Michael Vlatkovich Quartet: MPV, David Mott, Chris Garcia, Jonathan Golove —- May 19, 2003 —- photo by Mark Weber
Thollem McDonas —- August 9, 2o15 —- photo by Mark Weber —- Thollem in trio performs this night (March 5, 2020) at The Outpost Performance Space w/ Dave Wayne (drums), Carlos Santistevan (bass), and Thollem on whatever strikes his fancy, mostly keyboard-related and a lot of wires
A Californian who lives in Amsterdam: Michael Moore with ICP — March 17, 2003 – photo by Mark Weber
Gerald Wilson in Albuquerque —- December 4, 2003 —- photo by Mark Weber
Bobby Shew showing me Conrad Gozzo’s old trumpet that he just had reconditioned —- February 28, 2020 —- Bobby says that whatever his legacy might be, it’s his teaching that he’s most proud of, and his theories on embouchure —- That’s all well & good, but Mr Shew’s recordings are well worth investigating, he’s a pure Lestorian story teller, he’s got an old Scottish poet trapped inside him I always say, of which he always responds “Irish” —- photo by Mark Weber
My brother Brian and me —- December 27, 2003 Upland California
Window at Geary & Stockton, San Francisco —- I. Magnin & Co. —- August 10, 1994 —- photo by Mark Weber (and I wish I could credit the genius who created this display but I know not who)
Little Cottonwood Canyon, Wasatch Mountains, Utah — April 14, 1991 —- photo by Mark Weber
Bobby Shew had his own record label in the 80s to record his band on, like me. During a break I’d pick his brain as he told me how he managed to get 100s of LPs around customs in Australia. Bobby, you’re wild!
Connie, Connie…..so many wonderful memories……I really think we will play again, some duets in the spirit world……
charley
love yr pix now and always… love to you… we’ve been whacked with bad chest colds/coughs/etc… hope you’re well…
——————————————playlist———————————-
The Fake Jazz Radio Show
March 5, 2020 ——– KUNM Albuquerque
Host MARK WEBER
1. Art Pepper “The Trip” version 1 from cd THE TRIP (Contemporary) 15/16sept1976 LA w/ Elvin Jones(drums), George Cables(piano), David Williams(bass), Pepper on alto coasting along in a relaxed middle-eastern groove
2. Claude Williamson Trio “First Trip”(Ron Carter) Lp LA FIESTA (Discovery) 6aug79 w/ Roy Haynes(drums), Sam Jones(bass), Claude(piano)
3. Connie Crothers-Lenny Popkin Quartet “Soul in Minor” cd LOVE ENERGY (New Artists) w/ Carol Tristano(drums), Cameron Brown(bass), CC(piano), LP(tenor)
4. Conrad Gozzo Sextet “Smooth Talker” –7march55 LA cd GOZ THE GREAT! (RCA) w/ CG(trpt), Murray McEachern(trombone)
5. Bobby Shew Quartet “My Shining Hour” – May 1978 LA album DEBUT (Disomate, Japan) w/ Chuck Domanico(bass), Dick Berk(drums), Shew(flugel), Mike Wofford(piano)
6. Conrad Gozzo “Deibotch” as previous except Murray switches to alto
7. Michael Moore 6 “Façade” cd BILBAO SONG (Ratboy Records) w/ Eric Boeren(cornet), Wolter Wierbos(trombone), Michael(alto), Toby Delius(tenor), Ernst Glerum(bass), Michael Vatcher(drums) —- February 2004 Amsterdam
8. Doug Raney Trio “Triste”(Jobim) cd YOU GO TO MY HEAD (Steeplechase) Nov.1998 w/ Billy Hart(drums), DR(guitar), Jay Anderson(bass)
9. Duke Ellington solo piano “Nagoya” 1july64 Tokyo from compilation cd THE PIANO PLAYER (Storyville) from John Breckow’s collection
10. Connie Crothers & Bill Payne, piano & clarinet duet “Night on Avenue C” –17sept2009 cd THE STONE SET (New Artists Records)
11. Bill Mays & Ed Bickert, piano & guitar duet “Gee baby, ain’t I good to you” – 7march94 cd CONCORD DUOS
12. Zoot Sims GOES TO JAZZVILLE (Dawn Records) “The Purple Cow”(J.Williams) – 10aug56 w/ Jerry Lloyd Hurwitz(trpt), Zoot(tenor), John Williams(piano), Gus Johnson(drums), Bill Anthony(bass)
13. As previous “Ill Wind”