Curtis Amy and The Doors

My last post about Bud Shank (who I listened to a lot this weekend, which made for a wonderful soundtrack) had me thinking about another jazz great who was prominantly featured in a 1960s rock hit.

I am not a huge Doors fan but I admit they have a handful of classic tracks. I like the fact that their drummer, John Densmore, played mostly jazz before he joined the band and he felt that The Doors retained jazz elements. This is apparent in the great track 'Touch Me' which turns into a jazz-like number at the end. That great sax solo is played by Curtis Amy. Haven't heard of him?

That's a shame since he was a fine player who never got his due (yes, another jazz cliche in action) but had a fantastic aggressive tone and was surely the finest horn player to ever come out of Houston, Texas. Aside from doing studio work (not only did he play with The Doors but was also featured on Carole King's mega-selling Tapestry album) he put out some fine albums of his own in the 1960s that are worth exploring. How about listening to 'Bobblin' which he recorded with a top-notch band that included two of my favourites that I need to talk to you about soon: Carmell Jones on trumpet and Bobby Hutherson on vibes.

Bud Shank and the Mamas & Papas

I have been listening to a lot of Bud Shank lately and why not? Summer is approaching, the sun is shining and surely that's a perfect time to listen to the cool sounds of Bud Shank on flute, alto sax, or occassionally tenor or baritone sax. Over the course of his career he played with many of the greats, especially those other west coast fellows including Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Art Pepper and Shorty Rogers.


What I didn't know, was that he did a lot of studio work in California during the 1960s. The bombshell is that he played that great flute line in 'California Dreaming'. I haven`t heard that song in years but I can still hum that wonderful solo.


I won`t post that song here since you can track that one down on your own.

Instead how about we listen to What'll I Do a great track he recorded with Bob Cooper. I mean, how often are you likely to hear the oboe in jazz? They were an amazing team and I highly recommend trackong down some of their recordings. In fact, Mosaic Records (are you getting tired of my talking about them yet?) put out a set of their recordings which has recently made the transition to a cheaper iTunes edition (called The Capitol Vault Series) and my friends, this music would make a fine soundtrack to your summer.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Mingus

want to listen to Mingus and smoke cigars?

Today Charles Mingus would have turned 90. He didn't even make it to his 60th birthday. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis robbed the world of one of the great musical geniuses of the 20th century.

I will try not to get too emotional (but you know how I can be...) so instead lets have a listen to one of his great tracks, Fables of Faubus, which features one of the several excellent bands Mingus ever put together, including the great Eric Dolphy on saxophone!

I will always love Mingus for being the musician that first introduced me to jazz a all those years ago in my parent's living room, and if you haven't heard the man's music, I encourage you to seek him out.

Wait! I can't stop at just one track. Mingus is so great that you should enjoy two. How about the incredible basswork on Haitian Fight Song? I am in awe of his talent as a composer and musician and I could post twenty songs for you and it would barely scratch the surface. If Mr. Hypothetical told me I could only listen to one jazz artist's recordings for the rest of my life, it would be Mingus.

Tyranny of the Drums

Jimmy's feeling it

I know my friends who are drummers aren't going to be fond of this post, (sorry G-Man, Achtung Baby and Dr. Rockmore...) but Jimmy Giuffre made a fascinating point:

Jimmy Giuffre complained about the 'tyranny of the drums' in jazz, and that the only non-tyrannical drummer was no drummer at all.

- from the liner notes to 'Herb Ellis Meets Jimmy Giuffre'

Now I am a fan of drums in jazz, but I can see Jimmy's point. He wanted the freedom that came without having that person whacking away behind him. As much as I love Art Blakey I don't think he would have added much to the beautiful trio Jimmy formed with Jim Hall. Once they added Bob Brookmeyer to the mix they had one of my favourite groups ever (yes, you keen readers will notice that I use the phrase 'favourite group ever' an awful lot... but cut me some slack... there are so many groups to love in jazz, surely you are learning this by now, aren't you?).

jazz in a peaceful setting

While he may have not liked playing with drummers, I would point out that one of my favourite Jimmy recordings is the album he made with the Modern Jazz Quartet (another of my favourite groups ever...) "The Modern Jazz Quartet at Music Inn." Perhaps he could work with Connie Kay's drumwork, since he did have a style all his own; one that fit perfectly with the rest of the band. He didn't the need to dominate the group. One of the things I love about the MJQ, and this recording in particular, is how well they play together and how well they compliment one another. Jimmy fits perfectly into this ensemble and it's a shame the five didn't record together more often. If you get a chance, listen to 'Fugue' or 'Fun' from this album.

Have a listen to the group play 'Serenade' from that concert, which must have been a treat for those in attendance.

[Feel free to ignore the video of the guy playing bass in this YouTube clip... focus on the fine music]

Oscar Pettiford: Another Bass Master Revealed

Friends, even those of you who are casual visitors to this site know that I have a fondness for the bass. Not only is this site named in honour of Charles Mingus, but I written at length about my man Paul Chambers as well as Scott LeFaro's masterful performances with the Bill Evans Trio. Well, I have more proof that even two decades of enjoying jazz will continue to reveal wonders. In this case, the wonder is Oscar Pettiford.

Listening to his music, the finest of which was recorded in the early to mid 1950s, he sounds like a bridge between the 1940s and the modern postbop surge of the 50s. He was an amazing soloist, made all the more interesting since he often soloed on the cello, which was pretty rare in jazz. I know Chico Hamilton employed a cello in his fine group that featured a young Eric Dolphy, but other than in orchestral settings, I can't think of another group that employed cello. Those tracks with Oscar on cello are all the sweeter since it was often Charles Mingus who took over on bass, and it's hard to imagine two more talented people playing those eight strings.

He died too young, like so many jazz artists, yet left behind a wealth of wonderful music. I know you are interested in some advice on where to start, so let me recommend two albums that I have no doubt that you will enjoy. "Complete Jazz Series 1951-1954" and "Complete Jazz Series 1954-1955".

Just looking at the names that join him on those album covers must have you intrigued...

I dare any of you to listen to 'Marcel the Furrier' and not agree that his music is a must for your ever-expanding jazz collection.

I look forward to speaking with you about this exuberant music. Over a Bodum perhaps?

Albums That All Humans Should Own #6

I had a difficult time deciding on this one; not on the band, since the Art Farmer/Benny Golson Jazztet is one of my favourite bands ever, but the decision was whether I should recommend that you rush out to pick up a single album, or if you are an iTunes user (which has many cheap delights for us jazz aficionados) you can download the incredible Complete Argo Mercury recordings. Since the complete set is somewhat pricey (I see it as a steal at $49.99: it does have 95 tracks of which none are weak) I thought I would go with the single album:

'Meet the Jazztet' (1960) by Art Farmer and Benny Golson is my sixth pick of essential albums that all humans should own.

The band line-up says it all:
Art Farmer on trumpet. He is one of the finest players out there. I love his lyricism and his effortless playing.
Benny Golson on tenor sax. Not only is Benny a great player, he is also one of the best writers/arrangers in jazz. He wrote four of the eleven tracks including 'I Remember Clifford' and 'Killer Joe'.
You also go the wonderful Curtis Fuller on trombone, and for those of you who have been following along you know that I have a fondness for Curtis' playing.
And then you have McCoy Tyner on piano making his recording debut. He would of course go on to play in John Coltrane's wonderful quartet of the '60s as well as having a fine solo career which continues to this day.

The music is top-notch and even though it is a large group, it isn't unwieldy. I really can't recommend it highly enough.

Have a listen to 'Killer Joe'. Cool or what? It captures the group at its finest.

Still, if you want to treat yourself, I recommend dipping into your pocketbook and springing for the complete recordings. You won't regret it. It was formerly a Mosaic boxset which would have cost over $150, so you know that those fine folks have filled this set with riches.
I wish I had never heard this band and could spend a few weeks letting the 95 tracks of this set wash over me as they did when I first heard them. I am envious of those of you who have yet to discover this great band!

Best Jazz Book of All Time #1

Yes friends, I know I have mocked list-makers over the years, but when it comes to jazz I like to be organized. Like many of you, jazz isn't just something to be listened to; it's something to absorb, to live, to wrap around you like James Cameron's new deep water sub to protect you from the drudgery of day to day living. (Okay, there's no drudgery here, but it was a nice turn of a phrase so how could I resist?)

I wish I had written this book.

I recently picked up a great book that has me thinking of jazz in a new way. Gary Giddins, Visions of Jazz: The First Century.

You know that for me jazz became interesting in the 1950s (with Louis Armstrojng being the god-like exception to this and every other rule) yet this book has me rethinking some of the oldies. I mean, how many of you have an understanding of Irving Berlin? I didn't. Sure, we all know his classic songs ('Cheek to Cheek', 'Puttin on the Ritz', 'Blue Skies', 'White Christmas', 'God Bless America', 'I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm' and on and on...) but did you know he and his parents escaped Russia in order to avoid a pogrom? Did you know that his life was full of tragedy and heartbreak? If I dwelled on the sadness in jazz I could tell you about the tragedy that befell his lovely wife during their honeymoon in Cuba and how the sad song he wrote about it ('When I Lost You') sold a million copies.

I downloaded Ella Fitzgerald's The Complete Irving Berlin Songbooks upon completing the chapter on this icon (see how quickly Giddins has brought me around to his way of thinking?) and I recommend you do the same.

I have little doubt this book will continue to inspire me as I chip away at its riches in the weeks to come so I will keep you posted, alright?  For now, have a listen to this lovely number. Frank Sinatra singing 'When I Lost You'. He brings out that sadness Irving was feeling in those dark times.