Saturday, April 23, 2016
Horace Silver 5 & Joe Farrell 3
In April 1968, two touring American ensembles performed on Jazz Omkring Midnat, a popular Danish TV program. The first group was the Horace Silver Quintet, with Bill Hardman (tp), Bennie Maupin (ts), Horace Silver (p), John Williams (b) and Billy Cobham (d). Following Silver was the Elvin Jones Trio, featuring Elvin Jones (d), Joe Farrell (ts, fl) and Jimmy Garrison (b). Two bands that epitomized the rising heat and abstraction in acoustic jazz. [Photo above of Joe Farrell]
Jazz Frenzy
Poland, August 1956. Rioters had been shot dead in Poznan weeks before. The invasion of Hungary is just weeks away. The Cold War rages but for 8 young Londoners, newly formed as The Dave Burman Jazz Group, their unlikely journey behind the Iron Curtain is an overwhelming surprise. Jazz in Poland had been banned by first the Nazis and then the Communists, but had been played secretly by a faithful few.
Until the death of Stalin in 1953, playing and listening to jazz was illegal. This 'decadent Imperialist music' could lead to expulsion from music college, blacklisting or worse. But in the 'thaw' that followed Stalin's death, the restrictions on jazz began to lift. Now, at the seaside resort of Sopot, tens of thousands of young people journeyed miles by hitching rides or cramming into trains to hear jazz and that rarest of attractions - a British band.
The Dave Burman Jazz Group had been assembled in just a few weeks - it would never play together again. But for a few days the Cold War blew hot as they thumped out Tiger Rag, Bucket's Got a Hole in It, Sugar and other standards to crowds of thousands all over the country. Their contact with Polish jazz lovers was minimal, frequently ushered by Communist officials during their hectic tour. But for those Polish musicians taking part in Sopot '56, this was the beginning of their Jazz Frenzy, of freedom.
Dave Burman and the rest of the musicians returned to England never to experience such adulation and success again. Now, more than 50 years later, Dave is reunited with former band members Alan Teulon and Laurie Chescoe, before returning to Poland with his son and producer of the programme to meet some of those whose lives were changed forever by the events of Sopot '56.
Producer and Presenter: Mark Burman.
read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vxzvk
Stephen Duffy
read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0788p9c
Friday, April 22, 2016
Mahwah Museum
The live auction items will include:
2014 New Gibson Les Paul Traditional Model-Cherry Sunburst Solid Body Electric Guitar- Autographed by Les Paul on pickguard. 20th Anniversary Model. Epiphone Les Paul Solid Body Electric Guitar. Rosewood Dot Neck, Autographed by Les Paul on Pickguard. Fender Stratocaster Solid Body Guitar Autographed by Steve Miller, Fender Squire Honey Color Solid Body Electric Guitar Autographed by Vinnie Martel (Vanilla Fudge), Roger Krieger (Doors) and Les Paul on Pickguard.
For a full list and description of all live and silent auction items, visit www.mahwahmuseum.org.
The raffle will have four winners, the prizes being: A new 2014 Les Paul Traditional guitar, autographed by Les Paul, a Fender Squire Strat guitar, autographed by Brian Wilson, a Smick Acoustic Sunburst guitar, autographed by Jose Feliciano, and a Stedman Pro dark burgundy guitar, autographed by Mick Taylor.
Bucky Pizzarelli, Lou Pallo, Ed Laub, Dave Stryker and Vic Juris will provide live entertainment. Wine, hors d’oeuvres, and light fare will be served.
Admission tickets are $30 and can be purchased either online at www.mahwahmuseum.org or by visiting the museum at 201 Franklin Turnpike, Mahwah NJ, during our regular hours; Wednesday Saturday and Sunday 1-4 p.m. Raffle tickets are $20 and can only be purchased in person, by visiting the museum during our regular hours, or by mailing cash or check payable to the Mahwah Museum Society to 201 Franklin Turnpike Mahwah, NJ 07430 with the number of raffle tickets desired.
The Museum is open weekends and Wednesdays from 1-4 p.m. The Donald Cooper Model Railroad is open on weekends only from 1-4 p.m. Admission to the Museum is $5 for non-members; children and members free.
For information on these and other events, visit www.mahwahmuseum.org or call 201-512-0099.The Mahwah Museum receives operating support from the NJ Historical Commission, Department of State.
Rooty Toot Toot ....
Rooty Toot Toot (1951) stands as one of the high points of UPA's output and as one of the most highly-praised seven-minute cartoons ever made. It is in no way a children's film; it deals with strictly adult characters and situations. Gerald McBoing Boing and The Ragtime Bear had performed very well at the box office, so Columbia approved a larger budget for UPA cartoons--they would now be budgeted at nearly $35,000 each.
Meanwhile, John Hubley was anxious to make his own definitive statement at UPA (he directed the first Magoo cartoon but would soon hand the character over to others). Hubley took the new budget allowance and ran with it, pulling out all the stops to make a thoroughly Modern and graphically exciting update on the old "Frankie and Johnny" story of jealousy and murder. Rooty Toot Toot would go over schedule and budget, but it earned nearly as much critical and press attention as Gerald.
Hubley brought in a number of interesting collaborators on Rooty Toot Toot. Dancer Olga Lunick was hired to choreograph the ballet-style dance moves. There was no rotoscoping involved; her moves were only referenced by the artists and animators, not slavishly traced. Paul Julian designed the backgrounds and utilized some non-typical techniques; in his essential history of UPA, When Magoo Flew: The Rise and Fall of Animation Studio UPA (Wesleyan, 2012), Adam Abraham quotes Julian on one of them: "'I found a kind of oddly corroded gelatin roller - an ordinary print roller that had been pitted and pocked in some way, chemically.' With this device, he produced distressed-looking backgrounds that suited the sordid tale."
In addition, Hubley and the studio brought on jazz musician Phil Moore to write the score. Moore had done orchestrations for many MGM musicals in the 1940s, but uncredited--this would be a rare on-screen credit for the black musician. Legendary animator Grim Natwick also joined the crew. Natwick had been active since the silent era and had designed and animated Betty Boop for the Fleischer Studios. He went on to work on such key films as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Gulliver's Travels (1939). For Rooty Toot Toot Natwick animated the memorable shots of Nellie Bly on the witness stand.
Producer: John Hubley
Director: John Hubley
Story: John Hubley, Bill Scott
Color and Design: Paul Julian
Music: Phil Moore
Lyrics: Allen Alch
Choreography: Olga Lunick
Animation: Art Babbitt, Pat Matthews, Tom McDonald, Grim Natwick
Cast: Thurl Ravenscroft (Jonathan Bailey, Honest John the Crook, voice), Annette Warren (Frankie/Nelly Bly, voice)
C-7m.
FROM "Rare Animation, The Turner Classic Movie Web Site".
from: Jim Eigo Jazz Promo Services
E-Mail: jim@jazzpromoservices.com
http://www.jazzpromoservices.com
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Eddie Condon in Color, 1962
In the early 1960's, the American Goodyear Tire Co. commissioned a series of short jazz-performance films as part of a promotional campaign. (Why Apple, Google or Facebook don't do the same today with classic jazz, rock and soul artists is beyond me.) Goodyear's jazz movies were filmed in color by multiple cameras on 35mm and the sound was recorded on professional stereo. When presented, the shows were shown in 16mm and mono sound.
In 1962, Goodyear filmed Louis Armstrong and his All-Stars in a TV studio performing some of his hits. Also captured as part of the series was the Bobby Hackett Quintet and Sextet, featuring trombonist Urbie Green, clarinetist Bob Wilber and pianist Dave McKenna. Lastly, Goodyear managed to bring together an exceptional Chicago jazz band led by guitarist Eddie Condon. The band featured Wild Bill Davison on cornet, Cutty Curshall on trombone and Peanuts Hucko on clarinet backed by Condon on guitar, Johnny Varro on piano, Joe Williams on bass and Buzzy Drootin on drums. [Above, a 1964 Goodyear print ad]
The following film might not seem like much to you, but thanks to Goodyear you're seeing an incredible bunch of Chicago jazz musicians who still had what it takes to dance through essential songs popular 25 years earlier and move your foot in the process...
Miami International Jazz Festival
Dick Oatts / Mats Holmquist New York Jazz Orchestra
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
Steven Cerra
On A TRIBUTE TO HERBIE + 1 which was released on February 5, 2016 on Summit / MAMA Records - [MAA-1049] - one of the most distinguished saxophonists in the world of big band, Dick Oatts, teams with mastermind co-leader Mats Holmquist and his stunning arrangements of some of Herbie's most intriguing and subsequently most famous tunes from the '60s and 70s. Throw in some of the best musicians New York has to offer, and the result is one powerful recording!
If you are not familiar with the Minimalist approach to Jazz orchestration, Mats’ arrangements employ them to create a dazzling array of new sonorities and textures.
If you are a fan of Big Band Jazz, you don’t want to miss this one. In its originality, I doubt that you’ve ever heard anything like it.
As to the musicianship on display throughout - fugetaboutit! The nine stunning tracks on this recording went down with less that one day’s rehearsal!!
Here’s what Mats Holmquist has to say in his insert notes to the recently issued recording:
“When I first heard the classic album by the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, featuring the arrangements of Brokmeyer from 1980, I was filled with the deepest respect and admiration for the musicianship of saxophonist Dick Oatts. His performances on Skylark and Ding Dong Ding are truly memorable classics. In my opinion Dick Oatts is by far the most distinguished lead, and solo saxophonist in the big band world. As a lead player and artistic director of the Vanguard Orchestra he has amassed an amazing experience of the finest possible big band music and musicians.
To work with Dick as a co-bandleader of an ensemble with some of the greatest big band musicians in New York, would of course be every big band composer/arranger's dream. When we started planning this project Dick and John Mosca started thinking about which musicians from "the city" would be the best choice for this specific project. They came up with this excellent group of people. Together we decided to also add some of the most distinguished musicians of Scandinavia, since that is my origin. Our decision fell on tenorist Robert Nordmark from Sweden, trumpeter Frank Brodahl from Norway and trombonist Steen Nikolaj Hansen from Denmark.
The music on this album consists of my interpretations of some of Herbie Hancock's most famous compositions from the '60s and '70s plus my own original "Stevie R.". The starting point is the minimalist compositional techniques I have developed for big band since around 2005.
read more: http://jazzprofiles.blogspot.com.br
