David Amram, Erin and Me...

I remember we were up late that night talking and drinking and having a great time. The next morning I had to be up early to teach gym at school. Dizzy (Gillespie) got up when I did and said that before I took off, he and I should play something—Dizzy on the piano and me on the French horn. I said, 'Great.' Dizzy sat down at my piano and asked “What should we play?” I said, 'I don’t know—the blues?' He said “What key?" I realized then that Dizzy was making me feel as comfortable as possible. He did this with everyone who played with him, and that was a valuable lesson I learned and used throughout my life.

So we played the blues in F, but the chords Dizzy used that morning were astounding. He was playing accompanying harmonies of 12-bar blues using chord changes that were so different and voiced in such an amazing way. His playing put me in a place where I had to listen carefully, in amazement, and find my way. So there I was, playing the blues in F on French horn with Dizzy on piano. I think about that moment every day. I don’t think it was a memorable experience for Dizzy, but he always remembered it when we got together in later years.

Dizzy opened a musical door for me that morning, and he taught me how to treat musicians in your band. Make them feel comfortable, secure and appreciated, and they'll play at their highest level. As I got to know Dizzy more and more over time, I realized he was as generous a person as he was a magnificent innovator, and that being both was not only possible but essential.

                    David Amram

The Manchurian Candidate (1962 recordings, 2019 reissue) signed by David

It was just happenstance. In 1956, I was attending a 'bring your own bottle' party at a loft in what is now called Soho. The painters always had the most space for the least money and they were able, in effect, not to have to go to an art gallery to show their work by having a great big, anybody-could-come party, and everyone would bring their own bottle... anybody and everybody could come to those. And on Friday and Saturday nights, since most people had day jobs, they could stay up all night cause they didn’t have to go to work the next day.

Those were always our low budget, or no budget, social events. I was there one night with my little bag of penny whistles and my French horn. There was no piano that night, and this man in a black and red checkered lumber jacket, looking like a French Canadian logger came up, handed me a piece of paper and said, “Play for me,” and took the paper back before I could read what was on it, and he began to read something. I don’t know what it was. I didn’t recognize it then, but in the process of trying to make up some music on the spot that would be appropriate to enhance the music already in the words he was speaking, and the way he spoke them, I just felt this terrific connection the way I have with great musicians and actors I’d worked with already at that point in my life. And we became friends, and we kept bumping into each other and doing that over and over again. I found out he’d spoken French as a child and I had. He’d been a football player, I’d been a gym teacher. He’d been in the maritime service, I’d been in the Army. He loved traveling, he loved people, he was interested in all kinds of music and literature, and painting and sports, and was a wonderful, warm, brilliant, fun, down to earth person.

                  David Amram meeting Jack Kerouac in New York City

He died with $83 and almost all of his books out of print. A lot of his friends had abandoned him and he always knew he was a writer when I stayed in touch with him. Even to the end, he was still writing and dreaming of being appreciated, and still dreaming of a more compassionate, beautiful America...

                    David Amram on the demise of his friend Jack Kerouac

Subway Nights (1972) signed by David

If you’re around all kinds of beautiful music, it will nitrify and enrich your DNA. Sonny Rollins, who’s two months younger than I am, told me recently, “David, I can’t walk around so well anymore, I can’t play the saxophone, I can’t do many things that I love to do, but I’ve never been happier, because I’m just spending all my time understanding and following the golden rule.” Sonny is someone who’s really arrived spiritually, and he did not get to that level by buying a course, or subscribing to an installment plan in order to be spiritual.

                    David Amram

Triple Concerto (1978) signed by David

My piano sonata from 1960 is starting to be played again and I listen to that now and think, Wow, this young cat has some nice stuff here! But I try not to rest on my laurels. One of the things I always liked about New York was, you could finish the most colossal project and people would just say, What are you doing next? I understood that workaholic ethos when I was composer-in-residence with Leonard Bernstein at the Philharmonic. The morning after the glorious opening night of their 1966–67 season, Bernstein and the whole orchestra were back at work, sawing away, preparing a whole new hard program for the following week’s schedule. They didn’t even have the chance to take a day off. They had to get up and grind on and then go back every night to repeat their concert from the night before and make it even better. I thought, Man, they’re doing this all year long! And I vowed that I would never complain about being overworked or dare to say, I’m not in the mood to work today. 

                  David Amram

Havana/New York (1977) signed by David, Candido, Arturo Sandoval, Paquito D’Rivera

David Amram, confidant of Jack Kerouac, first Composer-In-Residence at the New York Philharmonic in 1966 under Leonard Bernstein, noted film composer who scored the acclaimed films Splendor In The Grass, The Arrangement and The Manchurian Candidate, jazz accomplice of Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, and collaborator with Bob Dylan, Jimmy LaFave, Willie Nelson and Patti Smith...is there anything he can't do? Or hasn't done? By comparison, Zelig seems a dilettante and rank amateur. 

A Renaissance Man in every sense, David was born in Philadelphia and then moved when he was seven to a farm in rural Feasterville, Pennsylvania. His father had given him a bugle and he started playing the piano. The bucolic lifestyle suited David and his music appreciation was enhanced by an unlikely source: “The old hog callers, who excelled in this special style of performing art. Whether or not they impressed any hogs, these farmers made me see that you can find music and beauty anywhere if you pay attention. They also made me see that you can transform anything into a form of expression all your own.” David studied French Horn and Orchestral Composition for a year at the prestigious Oberlin Conservatory Of Music before transferring to George Washington University in Washington, DC, where he completed his studies in 1952 and earned a degree in European History. David even found time to play French Horn with the National Symphony Orchestra as a substitute, before enlisting in the U.S. Army and spending two years in Germany. That led to a sojourn in postwar Paris playing jazz, enjoying the esprit de coeur which prevailed in the sundry cafes and jazz clubs along the Left Bank, and hanging out with George Plimpton and Peter Matthiessen as they co-founded The Paris Review.

Autobiography (1982) signed by David, “Deep in the heart of Texas and the Hudson Valley! Photo taken in Austin, Texas

When David returned to New York City, he joined Charles Mingus' band and jammed with the denizens in 52nd Street jazz clubs which led to joining Oscar Pettiford's big band. David reminisced on his time with Oscar, "When I was playing with Oscar Pettiford’s big band in 1957, at the New York nightclub Birdland, I got talking with Jimmy Cleveland, a great trombone player. After rehearsal I started whining about my landlord, and my then-girlfriend leaving me and my lack of work—whine, whine, whine—and Jimmy just sat there going, Mm-hmm. Finally he said, 'Let me pull your coat to something, he said, 'Don’t put your business in the street.' Bam! Jimmy made me understand that no one wants to hear David singing the blues—unless it’s a psychiatrist, and they now get three hundred dollars an hour for that."

After unexpectedly meeting Jack Kerouac at a loft party and accompanying him on a Spoken Word Jazz performance (probably the first ever!), David forged a lasting friendship with the brilliant and mercurial Kerouac. They also collaborated on the influential 1959 movie "Pull My Daisy" a Robert Frank and Alfred Leslie production. David remembered, "When Jack Kerouac did the narration for the silent movie “Pull My Daisy,” he had me do the score for it and also appear in it as Mezz MacGillicuddy, the deranged French horn player. Allen Ginsberg was in it, Gregory Corso. None of us could act, which we proved by our nine performances, but it was a fun kind of wonderful home movie. And Jack Kerouac’s brilliant narration over 29 ½ minutes of chaos and clowning around actually made it look like that was supposed to be what happened, even though we massacred the whole idea of what we were supposed to have done. It was a lot of fun."

This led to additional work with fellow iconoclast and film director Elia Kazan who hired David to score Splendor In The Grass (1961) against the wishes of Warner Brothers Studio who preferred a more established film composer.  A very successful film - an Oscar winner to William Inge for Best Screenplay -  David contributed to Kazan's film The Arrangement (1969) as well as the haunting music to John Frankenheimer's brooding The Manchurian Candidate in 1962, starring Frank Sinatra. No less than The Chairman Of The Board, a jazz fan himself, gave his blessings: "David Amram has done a magnificent job; the score is exactly what I wanted for this film. The music is almost sane sometimes, as the story is almost sane sometimes. And at other times, the music is in the trees, just like the movie is. It is a great score." What Sinatra wants, Sinatra gets!

At Home/Around The World (1980) signed by David

In the ensuing years, David's achievements and collaborations are too numerous to chronicle and he remains a music omnivore. Erin and I had the chance to see him recently at the Jazz Forum in Tarrytown, New York, an intimate jazz club. The show was sold out and the only seats left were at the end of the bar, so Erin and I grabbed two stools and settled in. Just then, David appeared and asked the bartender for some tea. I grabbed some vinyl and got to work, 'Tell me about Jack Kerouac?' "Oh, he was a wonderful man, obviously a great and talented writer. He was also a devout Catholic who went to Mass everyday and tried to live the St. Francis prayer. When he became a big literary star after On The Road was published, his agents and publicists wanted him to attend swanky society affairs. He hated that, he just wanted to hang with his friends -  poets, actors, musicians and painters. You know, It’s just a continuum, he’s like he’s still here even though he’s not," David said with a hint of a mystical gleam in his eyes. 'Tell me about your beads,' I asked, which grace the 1980 album cover of At Home/Around The World. "I have always had these, they were gifts from friends I have met along the way," he said, as he grasped a handful. When he signed the Woody Guthrie tribute album - he had been selected by the Guthrie Family Foundation to score a symphony for Woody in 2007 - he paused, "You know, I knew Woody and Pete Seeger very well." 'And Jimmy LaFave,' i interjected, 'That's his signature right there.' "Oh Jimmy was a beautiful man, how I miss him," David responded while signing "Also a fan."  I apologized for having so many records and taking up so much of his time. David would have none of it, "No it’s my pleasure. You know, a composer has a solitary life, I’m hidden away choosing notes and constructing a piece. You never know if someone is ever going to hear it, much less enjoy it. So I’m very happy to sign these albums, it brings back some great memories." 'Ok, just one more,' I said as I handed him the recently re-released vinyl soundtrack to The Manchurian Candidate. "Oh, Harold Land is on this one, and Carmel Jones, Jimmy Bond, so many other great players. I'm glad this has been reissued, it's been a long, long time," he said as he inscribed, "At last! 1962-2019".

Hard Travelin’ (1988) signed by David, Jimmy LaFave, Pete Seeger

Now it was time for David to get to work on the band stand. David's band included Erik Lawrence on tenor sax, Rene Hart on bass, Elliott Pepper on conga, and his son Adam Amram on conga and percussion. David played piano, flute, percussion, penny whistle, and whatever else he could get his hands on. They opened with Sonny Rollins' "St. Thomas" which David counted off with a cowbell, before the band swept in a percussive Latin flow. David added some nice flute accents, then did a solo a la Rahsaan Roland Kirk playing two penny whistles at once. Dexterously. Other highlights were Gershwin's "Summertime", a dawdling piano intro by David, then Erik joined with a languid, slow as molasses tenor saxophone accompaniment. After extensive tenor blowing, there were deep grooves with deft call and response between the piano and bass. After the applause died down, David volunteered, "You know, I get asked all the time, What's the secret to being a composer? Well, I say, all it takes is purity of intent and exquisite note choices." Well, that sounds easy enough, especially if you're as prodigiously talented on as many instruments as David is. Oh that it were so! David introduced his last selection, "I'm going to play a song from Pull My Daisy by the late Robert Frank which was written by my unlikely cohorts, Jack Kerouac. Neal Casady and Allen Ginsburg. You know everyone knows Seinfeld, the TV show, well Larry David wrote Seinfeld about nothing and he based it on seeing Pull My Daisy a long. long time ago." There were cackles and guffaws from the unsuspecting audience, but David remained deadpanned. 

Of his upcoming November birthday, David recently confided in an interview, "Anyway, I don’t have time for old age to catch up with me. The title of Charlie Parker’s great 1945 anthem “Now’s The Time” remains my mantra. People are already planning celebrations for my ninetieth birthday in different cities around the world. So I am eating extra vitamins and trying to get at least one good night of sleep a week to be ready." David Amram is a musical treasure, a brilliant raconteur and an endless font of kindness and enthusiasm. Would that we all shared his indomitable spirit!

Latin-Jazz Celebration (1983) signed by David, Candido, Arturo Sandoval, , Paquito D’Rivera

Choice David Amram Cuts (per BKs request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j69jBSwi-f4

Live Tribute to Monk: David Amram, Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Haynes, Walter Davis Jr., Percy Heath

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSQ9mHZRHGA

"What A Wonderful" Live at eTown  2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XME9RnC1RU

"Pastures Of Plenty" David swings Woody at eTown 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eIrwHFNj3U"

This Land Is Your Land"  David swings Woody with Jimmy LaFave

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqrJYcj2wrg

The Eastern Scene  (1957)  David Amram with George Burrow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtrOtygTyvI"

Take The 'A' Train"  David Amram and friends live at Jazz Forum, Tarrytown, NY 2017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wolfHMCWpS0&list=RDEMrCUCBkhf7gLtmeNYbz1oMQ&start_radio=1"

Splendor In The Grass"  live in Montreal with Vic Juris

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jO-K3vZHBPE"

Pescau"  At Home/Around The World (1996) with Patti Smith

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwQr8wGIM14"

My Old Kentucky Home"  Tribute to Hunter S. Thompson, 1996 with Warren Zevon, Johnny Depp

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSOv-La5lk4

"Triple Concerto"  David conducts Chicago Symphont Orchestra

Charlie Parker, Roy Haynes and Me...

Well, ever since I can remember, I was banging. I was playing on things. Rhythm. Listening to a lot of music. On the radio… they had good radio stations in Boston.           

               Roy Haynes

Bird At St. Nick’s (1950 recordings) signed by Roy

Charlie Parker never really told me what or how to play. That’s one of the things you sometimes find with that type of genius—more so than today: Everyone now is ready to tell you what to play. Everyone wants to tell drummers what to do. Fortunately, that doesn’t concern me much, because I prefer to do my own projects. The only thing I remember Charlie Parker telling me, if we were playing a big hall, was, ‘Keep it down at first until you get the feeling of the room.’ Other than that, we just played. I would listen—just grasp. You have to be on the stand and play drums, especially when you play with a lot of different people.

Roy Haynes

Bird Lives - Monk, Mingus, Parker and Haynes at the Open Door, NYC photo by Bob Parent, signed by Roy

The room was a basement that had good live sound, especially for a room with a low ceiling. Because it was named Birdland, after Charlie Parker, they had live birds in cages when it first opened up. All the birds died from so much smoke and no sun. I had a lot of great nights there: opening up with Bird, of course, playing there in the ’60s with Coltrane, and also performing with my own groups. One of my highlights was playing there with my trio featuring Phineas Newborn. He was all over that piano. Phineas had that rhythm thing—very percussive. The notes were sharp—hittin’. It gave me something to play with. We played well together; we had a nice rapport. But the years I remember about Birdland with the most fondness were the ’40s and ’50s. During that time, there was a lot of love. Playing in New York then was like a dream.

Roy Haynes

We Three (1958) signed by Roy

I happened to be at 126th Street and Eighth Avenue. That’s where all the greatest musicians in the world would be. I used to go there to see buddies. A lot of bands used to leave from there at the Hotel Braddock—big bands. Armstrong’s bus was there ready to leave, and I happened to have time off from Luis Russell’s band. I left with Armstrong, and went down South to play in tobacco warehouses and places like that. All you had to do was swing, man, and play with some feeling—back up the solos and shade. Playing loud and soft was called shading. Most of it came naturally to me. I had ears. I could hear anything.

Roy Haynes

The Sound Of Sonny (1957) signed by Roy, Sonny Rollins, Percy Heath

Younger drummers who never got to see Papa Jo play missed the treat of their lives… Jo Jones had a feeling—a looseness. He had a happy sound. He was something to watch, especially with a big band like Basie’s. That was it! When I was about 16 years old, I would go to the RKO theater in Boston to see him. When he started his solo, it was something special—different. It wasn’t about playing fast. It was that warm sound. He ‘ invented ‘ the sock cymbal. The way he played it was beautiful to listen to and watch. He didn’t have to play a solo; just a two-bar break was beautiful.

Roy Haynes

Portrait Of Art Farmer (1958) signed by Art, Roy, Hank Jones

 Roy Haynes is one of the best drummers I’ve worked with. I always tried to get him when Elvin Jones wasn’t able to make it. There’s a difference between them. Elvin’s feeling was a driving force. Roy’s was more of a spreading, a permeating. Well, they both have a way of spreading the rhythm, but they’re different. They’re both very accomplished. You can feel what they’re doing and can get with it.

John Coltrane

Tales Of Manhattan (1958) signed by Roy

I deal with sounds. I’m full of rhythm, man. I feel it. I’m thinking summer, winter, fall, spring, hot, cold, fast and solo, and colors. But I don’t analyze it....and I just keep it moving, and spread the rhythm, as Coltrane said. Keep it moving, keep it crisp.

                        Roy Haynes

Live At The Five Spot (1959) signed by Roy, Randy Weston

A jazz drummer virtuoso, Roy Haynes was born in Boston in 1925. He started with Lester Young in the 1940s, joined Charlie Parker in the early 1950s, and played with nearly every significant jazz artist, including Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk and Art Pepper. Slight of build, but incredibly propulsive behind his drum kit, Roy earned the nickname "Snap Crackle." And he still does.

Man At Work (1959) signed by Kenny Burrell, Richard Davis, Roy

I saw Roy many times over the years at jazz clubs in New York City like the Blue Note, the Village Vanguard, and Birdland, and he was always generous in signing albums. Once, I brought him a poster to sign which has probably the best jazz quartet ever, a photograph by Bob Parent at the Open Door Cafe in New York City in September, 1953. Charlie Parker is blowing alto saxophone, Charles Mingus is playing bass, with Thelonious Monk on piano, and Roy on drums. When Roy saw the picture, he was taken aback. "Where did you get this? This brings back some great memories." Sheepishly, I told him I bought it from a New York City sidewalk street vendor. "I'd love to get a copy. Let me give you my address if you ever find another copy. You can mail it to me." Roy scrawled out his address which I happily received. I told him I would do my best to track down the poster, but I would need some help. Tracking down an itinerant street vendor would take considerable sleuthing and skill. Or luck.

Roy’s address, late 1990s

Moodsville (1960) signed by Roy, Tommy Flanagan

I got lucky several months later when I saw the poster displayed with a different vendor in Greenwich Village and bought a copy. When Roy played Birdland six months later, I went to see him and gave him the poster. Roy was so grateful to have a picture with Charlie Parker with whom he had played for three amazing years - The Greatest Jazz Quartet ever with Monk, Mingus, Parker and Haynes, all titans in jazz.

Destination…Out! (1963) signed by Roy, Jackie McLean

We spent some time looking at records of other artists Roy played with like Art Farmer, Sonny Rollins, Kenny Burrell, Randy Weston, et al. It is an impressive roster of seminal jazz artists and recordings. And versatile, from swing to bebop to fusion to avant garde. During his nearly seventy-five year professional career, Roy has played on hundreds of sessions and recordings, and he has been the leader on over thirty albums. Well into his 90th year, Roy continues to play and evolve. One of his latest recordings as a leader is with his aptly named Fountain Of Youth (2004) band. As Roy said recently, "When you're a serious artist, you don't think about how old you are. We all become the same age on the bandstand."

Roy Haynes, a drummer's drummer who keeps it moving and crisp. The snap crackle never sounded better.

All The Things We Are (1974) signed by Roy, Dave Brubeck, Lee Konitz

Times Square (1978) signed by Roy, Gary Burton, Steve Swallow

Trio Music (1982) signed by Roy, Chick Corea, Miroslav Vitous

Choice Roy Haynes Cuts (per BKs request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGILJx8n9ug

“Repetition” live with Charlie Parker 1952

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LrF-Lcyh5Y

“After Hours” We Three 1959

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTAMZS-kaMU

“Fly Me To The Moon” Out Of The Afternoon 1962

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kXWHd0K9OA

“Blue n Boogie” Charlie Parker tribute 1973

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07HBRUwPj7I

“Jive Hoot” live with Stan Getz 1966

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCzRXyZL_hc

“Groovin’ High” live at White House with Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHGqP3GBhXQ

“Quiet Fire” Thank You Thank You 1977

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuXBMFrpWDc

“Round Midnight” Summit Meeting At Birdland 1951

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaJiMfcoYao

“Go n Git It!” Cymbalism 1963

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDZ34WUF4PE

“Like Someone In Love” All The Things We Are 1974

Thank You Thank You (1977) signed by Roy, George Cables

Blues For Coltrane (1988) signed by Roy, McCoy Tyner, Pharoah Sanders, Cecil McBee

Question & Answer (1990) signed by Roy

Pharoah Sanders, John Coltrane and Me...

Pharoah is a man of large spiritual reservoir. He's always reaching out to truth. He's trying to allow his spiritual self to be his guide. He's dealing, among other things, in energy, in integrity, in essences. I so much like the strength of his playing. Furthermore, he is one of the innovators, and it's been my pleasure and privilege that he's been willing to help me, that he is part of the group.

               John Coltrane, liner notes, Live At The Village Vanguard Again! (1966)

Live At The Village Vanguard Again! (1966) signed by Pharoah

John always loved to play ballads. He played some ballads when I was working with him, when he kind of opened up more freely. On some jobs I did with him, he played a ballad every now and then. Then he got back in his spaceship and took off again. That's where he was. You never knew what he was going to do next until he did it. He just started playing himself, and we all just started coming in. Whatever time we felt like we were needed, we came in.
                 Pharoah Sanders 

Tauhid (1966) signed by Pharoah

A lot of time I don't know what I want to play. So I just started playing, and try to make it right, and make it join to some other kind of feeling in the music. Like I play one note, maybe that one note might mean love, and another note might mean something else. Keep on going like that until it develops into, maybe, something beautiful.
                Pharoah Sanders

Karma (1969) signed by Pharoah, Billy Hart, Reggie Workman

I play very free. Other saxophone players, they know I don't even worry about chord progressions or anything like that. I use my ear and I just play what I want to play, even now. 
               Pharoah Sanders

Jewels Of Thought (1969) signed by Pharoah

He always had some kind of a way of looking to the future, like a kaleidoscope. He saw himself playing something different. And it seemed like he wanted to get to that level of playing. I don't know if it was a dream that came to him, but that's what he wanted to do. I couldn't figure out why he wanted to play with him, because I didn't feel like, at the time, that I was ready to play with John Coltrane. Being around him was almost like 'Well, what do you want me to do? I don't know what I'm supposed to do.' He always told me, "Play." That's what I did.
                Pharoah Sanders

Deaf Dumb Blind (1970) signed by Pharoah, Cecil McBee

Ferrell “Pharoah” Sanders, an acclaimed tenor saxophonist, was born in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1940. Steeped in the tradition of church and gospel music, Pharoah started on drums, then switched to alto saxophone before settling on tenor. It was a rough experience for Pharoah (and others) growing up in Arkansas in the 1940s and 1950s. He recalled leaving Little Rock in 1959, “Arkansas was so racist, I had to get out of there. It wasn’t too good for people like me...In Arkansas, you had to play behind a curtain, they didn’t want to see black people. They fed us, we had our little place where we ate, but they didn’t allow white people in there. Most of the jobs I played, a lot of parties and weddings, that’s how it was.”

So Pharoah left Little Rock to move in with his aunts and uncles in Oakland who enjoyed living in the more welcoming Bay Area. Pharoah stayed there for two years but became disenchanted with the local music scene, “In Oakland, there’s a good time, but all they wanted to do was drink and smoke. I wasn’t really into it. A friend of mine, Smiley Winters, a left handed drummer, had to work tarring parking lots. He told me, ‘Yeah, man, with your sound, you don’t need to be here, you need to go to New York City.’ And I listened to him.”

Thembi (1971) signed by Pharoah, Cecil McBee

Virtually penniless, Pharoah hitchhiked from Oakland to New York City where he slept on park benches, clutching his saxophone tightly to make sure it wasn’t stolen. It was a meager existence which he barely survived, scavenging and selling his blood for ten or fifteen dollars, all the while searching for places to play in and around Greenwich Village which was littered with jazz clubs. Finally, he found the Five Spot, which was showcasing the inimitable Thelonious Monk. By his own account, Pharoah looked pretty rough and he wasn’t ready to enter any clubs because his appearance was so disheveled. However, hearing Monk’s transcendent music from his perch on the sidewalk gave him hope. Soon, he was able to enlist other musicians, including the great drummer Billy Higgins who was also similarly housing challenged, bassist Wilbur Ware and John Hicks on piano, to form his initial quartet.

Black Unity (1971) signed by Pharoah, Billy Hart, Stanley Clarke

With these stalwart players, Pharoah began to attract attention, and, in a scant four years, found himself recruited to play with John Coltrane, one of the most influential jazz artists of the day, or any day! Pharoah would go on to record ten albums with Coltrane - many were released posthumously - and it is some of Coltrane’s finest and most challenging work. With characteristic modesty, Pharoah said that Coltrane didn’t really need him to play what he wanted to play, but the depth and quality of their recordings suggest otherwise. When Trane died rather suddenly of liver cancer in 1967, Pharoah began his solo career which continues uninterrupted to this day. Releasing more than thirty albums, Pharoah has become as influential as a solo act as he was complementing the redoubtable John Coltrane. As the noted saxophonist Albert Ayler once said, "Trane is the Father, Pharoah is the Son, and I am the Holy Ghost."

Love Will Find A Way (1977) signed by Pharoah, Lenny White

I have been blessed to see Pharoah a bunch of times through the years, including shows at Birdland, the old Iridium when it was located near Lincoln Center, and an extraordinary show at the Knitting Factory in the late 1990s when Pharoah was joined by the renowned Bangladeshi tabla master and percussionist Badal Roy and the incredible bassist Alex Blake. It was a wall of sound and rhythm that was as enveloping as it was infectious.

Africa (1987) signed by Pharoah

Recently, I saw Pharoah at an intimate show at the Iridium near Times Square in New York City in December 2019. The show started with an unaccompanied piano intro by Benito Gonzalez, a ten minute excursion that was melodic and ruminative. As Benito deftly wove in various themes, the other members of the band joined him on stage and began in full flight. The gorgeous, plaintive wail of Pharoah's tenor saxophone was buttressed by the sturdy bass of Nathaniel Reeves and the impeccable time of Johnathan Blake on drums. For the next hour, the audience was spellbound as Pharoah took us on a space ship hurtling through time, exploring galaxies previously unknown. At times his playing was frenetic and dissonant, other times gentle and soothing, as he and his band touched all our emotions. For the last song, Pharoah led the band in his epic “The Creator Has A Master Plan”, not the thirty-three minute version that appears on his 1968 masterpiece Karma, but a more subdued, though no less moving, fifteen minute version, which included some call and response with the audience as he intoned, “The creator has a master plan, peace and happiness for all throughout the land.” A noble mantra, if only it were true!

Pharoah blowing at Iridium 28 December 2019 photo by me

Now it was time to meet Pharoah. On my way back stage, I met the pianist Benito Gonzalez and thanked him for his virtuoso performance. I mentioned that I recognized “The Creator Has A Master Plan”, ‘What were the three other tunes?’ “Yeah, thanks that was a lot of fun. Well, we started with a jazz standard, and the other two pieces were completely improvised.” I was shocked, ‘Really? You sounded so tight.’ “Yes, that’s the way he likes to play, always free and searching.” I thanked Benito for his amazing artistry and went in search of Pharoah.

Pharoah in deep bliss, Iridium 28 December 2019, photo by me

When I met Pharoah I thanked him for his stunning music, the torrents and sheets of sound were remarkable. He was bemused and taciturn, happy to sign, but probably happier when I left. I was reminded of a recent New Yorker interview in which he explained his simpatico with John Coltrane: ”I liked being around him because I didn’t talk that much either. It was just good vibes between us both. We were just very quiet... He would never start some sort of conversation, he would say something, but it wouldn’t last that long. He would never elaborate or go deep into it. He said a few words and that was it.” They could sit in silence and not suffer, pretty cool and pretty zen. I need to get a whole lot better at that!

Pharoah Sanders has an impressive Jazz legacy for sure, and, thankfully,  he is still adding to it. Long may he roar!

Oh Lord, Let Me Do No Wrong (1987) signed by Pharoah

Choice Pharoah Sanders Cuts (per BKs request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ6lB7FKxi8&t=47s

“The Creator Has A Master Plan “ Karma 1969

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhDcb9YaliM

“The Creator Has A Master Plan “ live in Germany 1999

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii63fKLTSuU&t=82s

”Harvest Time”  Pharoah (1977)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8rX54ZhweU

“A Love Supreme” live in 1968

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTmdp0KYUpY

Upper Egypt”  Jewels Of Thought  1969; sampled by J. Dilla

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzLDOaS1Otw

Oh Lord, Let Me Do No Wrong” (1987)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mk_laphkAXY

After The Rain” live with John Hicks  1986https

://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNW-xNWCvB0

The Christmas Song “ Mel Torme wrote it, Nat King Cole sang it, but no one sounds like Pharoah!

Reunited (1987) signed by Pharoah, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Richard Davis

Blues For Coltrane (1986) signed by Pharoah, McCoy Tyner, Roy Haynes, Cecil McBee

The Blues, Charlie Musselwhite and Me...

When I was living in Chicago. I'd been hanging out in blues clubs all over the South and West sides and all the musicians thought of me as this crazy, white kid that was a blues fan. I'd request tunes, but I never ever asked to sit in or even told anybody that I played. I was happy enough to be hanging out with my heroes and socializing. Having come from Memphis, I already knew how to drink liquor like the men in these clubs. The blues clubs were strictly adults and I was still a teenager, but being big for my age I passed for 21 and got in all the clubs. Anyhow, I'd gotten to know this waitress really well and I'd played for her in her apartment and didn't think anything of it, but one night I heard her tell Muddy (Waters), "You oughta hear Charlie play harmonica!" That changed everything. Muddy insisted I sit in and from then on, as long as I knew Muddy, if I came to a club he was playing, he always called me up to sit in. This was good because a lot of musicians heard me sitting in with Muddy and started offering me gigs around Chicago. So, that night when I first sat in with Muddy changed my life and I owe it to that waitress, Mary, because I don't think I ever would've asserted myself in that way. That was the beginning of my career in music.

                    Charlie Musselwhite

Stand Back! Here Comes Charley Musselwhite’s South Side Band (1966) signed by Charlie

When I was growin’ up, I would go around to any kind of junk stores, lookin’ for old blues 78s, but anything that looked interesting, I’d buy that, too. They were only a nickel or a dime apiece. So I had stacks and stacks of these 78s. Out of curiosity, I’d pick up stuff that just had weird titles or somethin’, and I discovered other kinds of music that had a feeling to it that reminded me of blues, like rebetiko from Greece, flamenco and more.

Charlie Musselwhite, early crate digger and music omnivore

Stone Blues (1968) signed by Charlie

It occurred to me that probably every culture has its music of lament, lost love, hard times. Everywhere you go, somebody's singing about 'My baby left me!'

                      Charlie Musselwhite

Tennessee Woman (1969) signed by Charlie

I feel real fortunate to have been so close to Big Joe (Williams). We roomed together and he'd take me all over Chicago with him, and introduced me to lots of people, not just musicians either... we'd sit up late nights and he'd tell me all kinds of stories about his life, and I was aware that he'd known Charley Patton and Robert Johnson and just about everybody. When we'd go into Pepper's Lounge, Muddy (Waters) would make a big fuss over Joe, because Joe was like a blues hero to Muddy. Muddy would tell the crowd about the man that wrote "Baby Please Don't Go", and he'd get Joe and I a booth and a set up and a bottle. Muddy called me "Good Time Charlie"... Muddy was always fun to be around.

                         Charlie Musselwhite

Memphis, Tennessee (1970), original Paramount Records release signed by Charlie

I think Muddy was in his forties when we met. He’d put on a show back then. He’d be running around onstage—I mean it was wild. I’ve seen him do shows for white audiences and they were really different from his usual show...Muddy would do things like, he’d been playing “I’m A Man” and Muddy would step back—James Cotton would come to the front of the stage taking a solo while Muddy would shake up a beer bottle, put it in his pants, then he’d come back singing “I’m A Man”—un-zip his pants, pull out the beer bottle—pop the cap off of it and foam would go all over the audience. Women would be swinging their purses sayin’ ‘Sing it Muddy1 Sing it!’ This isn’t the show you’d see at a folk festival.

                       Charlie Musselwhite

Memphis; Tennessee (1970) 1984 reissue on CrossCut Records signed by Charlie

Born in Mississippi in 1944 and raised in Memphis, Charlie Musselwhite Is one of the last real harmonica bluesman. A three time Grammy winner with thirteen nominations, Charlie has released more than thirty-five albums in his storied career. More importantly, Charlie hung out and sat in with blues royalty like Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and Big Joe Williams while honing his craft, and he had a life long friendship with John Lee Hooker, with John Lee even serving as best man in 1981 at his third marriage to his current wife Henrietta.

Charlie grew up in a musical family, his father played guitar and harmonica, and his mother played piano, and he was surrounded by the rich, fertile music in his teen years that was being made in Memphis at Sun Studios - the music of Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and others - an intoxicating stew of rockabilly, country and blues. This had a profound effect on his development, as Charlie later recalled, "Playing in Memphis was for my own gratification... there was something in me that needed to be satisfied. Those folks were tuned in and sensitive to things that mattered...about how you treat people and the quality of life on the ethereal level."

Leave The Blues To Us (1975) signed by Charlie

However, economics soon played an important factor as well. The "Hillbilly Highway" (Highway 51N) was beckoning with the promise of riches and ample work to the North. Charlie remembered, "“In the South, when you’re diggin’ dirt, it’s wet and all heavy, and you have to put it in a wheelbarrow and run it up a ramp, and the heat and the humidity…and you were only makin’ a dollar an hour. It’s gives you an attitude. Factory work sounded pretty good after that. I’d seen various friends of mine leave and come back to visit. They’d be drivin’ a brand new car – a red Oldsmobile or somethin’ – talkin’ about how great the jobs were. The pay would be good, the benefits. After a while, it seemed like I had to take that highway up North to take one of those big Yankee jobs. It was really a different world. There was so much work in Chicago, you could walk into a factory and go to work right then." 

So Charlie left Memphis in 1962 for the promise of a better life and a factory job in Chicago. Charlie had just turned eighteen, and he brought along his harmonica. His first job was as a driver for an exterminator. Charlie explained, "It was perfect for me, because I learned how to get around the city right away. That’s when I saw posters and signs and things advertising Muddy Waters. I even remember seeing Elmore James’ name up on a place. I wanted to go see him, but he died before I got there.” Charlie immersed himself in the extensive blues scene that Chicago offered when giants - Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Wiiliamson, Muddy Waters, and John Lee Hooker - walked the earth amongst the mere mortals. 

After the success of Paul Butterfield (another white harmonica virtuoso) on Elektra Records, Charlie was given an opportunity to record in 1966 for Vanguard Records. Stand Back! Here Comes Charley Musselwhite's South Side Band proved to be an unlikely hit among nascent FM radio stations, especially on the West Coast. It didn't hurt that Charlie's band included the searing guitar of Harvey Mandel and tasteful keyboard shadings of Barry Goldberg.  "Cristo Redentor" (written by jazz pianist Duke Pearson) became an anthem of sorts for Charlie (even though it was mistitled "Christo Redemptor" on Charlie's album), and the song remains a Musselwhite concert staple nearly fifty-five years later.

The Harmonica According To Charlie Musselwhite (1979) signed by Charlie

After five years jamming in Chicago, it was time to move west to San Francisco. Charlie expounded: "In August or September of '67, I was out in California doing my first gig, which was at the Fillmore and it was me, Butterfield and Cream. It was Cream’s first U.S. gig. That was my introduction to the West Coast. I thought I was gonna go out to California and do a few gigs and then come back to Chicago. When I got out to California, I found out all up and down the West coast were tons of great gigs that paid good money. I’d been working in these little blues bars for not much money and in California it was easy to see that you could make a living. Out here on the West Coast blues music was something exotic. They didn’t really know about the blues—it was something new to them. It was the underground radio that really did it because they weren’t playing me on the radio in Chicago. So that underground radio on the West Coast, and that first album gave me a career. That was my ticket out of the factory…I was twenty-two or twenty-three."

Charlie never looked back and he has continued to live in Northern California ever since. He has collaborated over the years with artists as diverse as the Blind Boys Of Alabama, Bonnie Raitt, Cyndi Lauper, INXS and the otherworldly talents of Tom Waits. In fact, Waits and Charlie live near each other in undisclosed Northern Cal locations, and get together for an occasional lunch. Charlie graced Waits' masterpiece Mule Variations (1998) on several tracks, and Waits said Charlie's intro on "Chocolate Jesus" was his favorite part of the song. Another unlikely inspiration was Dan Ackroyd's "Elwood Blues", half of the infamous Blues Brothers with faux sibling John Belushi. Ackroyd credits Charlie's stage demeanor - dressed in all black, hair slicked back, harmonica wailing - as the source for Elwood's character. While Charlie didn't appear in the original Blues Brothers (1980) movie, he does grace the sequel Blues Brothers 2000 with a riveting and raucous performance as part of the Louisiana Gator Boys, which includes BB King, Eric Clapton, Dr. John, Isaac Hayes et al.

Curtain Call (1982) sgned by Charlie

I saw Charlie perform February 26, 2020 at The Iridium in New York City. He had his usual trio with him - Matthew Stubbs on guitar, Randy Bermudes on bass and June Core on drums - all crack musicians who have been touring with Charlie for the past decade or more. They opened with "Wild, Wild Woman", a taut, upbeat blues track highlighting Charlie's expressive, flowing harmonica and Matthew Stubbs crunchy electric guitar. The backbeat was bolstered by Randy Bermudes sturdy bass lines and June Core's rock solid drums. Other show highlights were "West Helena Blues" written by James Cotton, which Charlie introduced, "This was written by my great friend James Cotton and there's a whole lotta stories we shared that I can never tell. This song was one of the first songs James ever recorded in Sun Studios in Memphis." It was a slow, smoldering blues which left ample time for each musician to showcase their talents with extended solos. Next came "Good Blues Tonight", a recent song that Charlie wrote with the lyric "I ain't no doctor, ain't no doctor's son, but I'll ease your pain until the doctor comes." Amen, brother Charlie, who knew you were also a gifted lyricist?! June Core provided a funky, latin rococo beat while Matthew Stubbs tossed off tasty guitar licks. "Help Me", written by Sonny Boy Williamson, which appears on Charlie's first album prompted this anecdote: "Sonny Boy was playing Curly's Twist (a fabled blues club in Chicago) and Otis Rush was on stage playing. He walked up to the mic, took it away and started playing. Now you know they used to call Sonny "The Hatchet Man" because he used to carry one under his coat. Finally, Willie Dixon (whose songs Led Zeppelin ripped off!) said,'You can't do nothin' with it,' and Willie went outside and put up a $5 bill on a pole. Believe it not, that was a lot of money back then. Anyhow, Sonny hit it perfect and took the $5. Yeah, no one wanted to mess with Sonny. After the show, I went over to say hello. He had all these drinks in front of him and he caught me staring at them. 'Don't worry,' he said, 'I'm going to drink all of them!' " Charlie lit into "Help Me" with all his power and vitality, and the rest of the band followed their leader. For the finale, Charlie played "Cristo Redentor", saying, "This is from my first album recorded in 1966. It never gets old." It doesn't, it will never will get old, and it was exquisitely played.

After the show, I visited with Charlie and he was gracious as he signed the albums, "Hey thanks, I can see you have great taste," he chortled. "This is the record that started it all," as he held Stand Back!, "I'm still playing these songs." 'And they sound great.' I added. He laughed when he saw Times Gettin' Tougher Than Tough, "You know, this picture was taken in front of the Hell's Angels headquarters in Oakland. Heh, I'm not sure why." I guess that was befitting the album title which comes from a muscular Jimmy Witherspoon song. I couldn't resist asking him about Tom Waits, "Oh, he's a great musician, I really enjoy recording with him. We don't live that far apart, and we see each other from time to time." 'You are a very lucky man,' I said and I thanked him for his music and generosity.

Time’s Gettin’ Toughet Than Tough (1978) signed by Charlie

Charlie Musselwhite, a brilliant musician, performer, songwriter and engaging raconteur. He once said, "The harp is very voice like, and bending the notes is very human sounding. To me, it feels like singing without words." He sings those notes beautifully, long may he bend!

Choice Charlie Musselwhite Cuts (per BKs request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UDJSy2zyz0

"Christo Redemptor" Stand Back! Here Comes... (1966)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBWYydS9nQU

"Bag Gloom Brews"  Stone Blues (1968)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Maduhxyluj4

"Good Blues Tonight"  I Ain't Lyin'  (2015)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5kHx1itU8c

"Chocolate Jesus" Charlie wailing with Tom Waits Mule Variations (1998)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7yuTR8r6QM

"Get Behind The Mule" More Charlie wailing with Waits  Mule Variations (1998)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma4TOv2f_WY

"Suicide Blondes"  INXS  Charlie playing harmonica, not the tosser in the video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rLDOgemyjU

"Try A Little Tenderness" Cyndi Lauper and Charlie live at the White House (2015)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ra7_Pt5DTI

"Cristo Rendentor"  live 2009

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntFaqWIdtZ0

"West Helena Blues" Charlie Musselwhite live 2017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUCUEBFcJ7Y

"West Helena Blues" James Cotton with Otis Spann on piano, 1965 from Sun Studio

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPeP3M-NqFo

"Help Me"  Sonny Boy Wiiliamson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXMLVjN-pG0

"Help Me"  Stand Back! Here Comes Charlie...  (1966)

Bonus tracks:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6xWfqY7Ez8

"Cristo Redentor"  How Insensitive  Duke Pearson (released 1969, written 1961)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tg3CBBkSss4

"Cristo Redentor"   A New Perspective  Donald Byrd  (1964)

Willie Nelson and Me...

Ninety-nine per cent of the world's lovers are not with their first choice. That's what makes the jukebox play.

Willie Nelson

Hello Walls (1966) signed by Willie

There's really nothing wrong with the fact that the same people who sing "Whiskey River" at the show tonight also sing "Amazing Grace." When I was back teaching Sunday school, I used to teach the same people on Sunday mornings that I sang to on Saturday nights. Nothing wrong with that, either.

Willie Nelson

Good Times (1968) signed by Willie

Well, yeah I was, you know, throwing it away with both hands. The faster I would make it, the faster I would spend it. Everybody else would travel on the bus, and I was still playing bass for Ray Price when “Hello Walls” made a hit and I got my first royalty check. So I started flying first class to all the dates - Ray’s bass player, right? I’m making $25 a day and I’d get a suite at the hotel. Ray’s got a regular room at the Holiday Inn… and I got the penthouse. So the checks came and went, but I had a lot of fun.

Willie Nelson on his early profligate ways

San Antonio Rose (1979) signed by Willie, Ray Price

He was an incredible writer, sang with so much feeling. He was a sick man from the time he was born till he died. He had a bad back and was always on some kind of pain medications or alcohol or whatever it took to get him up to the show. And he had a hard life, died at twenty-nine. But nobody wrote better songs than Hank. It was the simplicity, melody and a line anybody could understand.

Willie Nelson on Hank Williams

Pancho & Lefty (1983) signed by Willie, Merle Haggard

He was doing things that really weren’t considered mainstream. Like to me, Red Headed Stranger (1975) is a punk record, in the context of what country music was supposed to be back then: very overproduced and shiny and rhinestones and strings. And he came out with Red Headed Stranger. The label thought it was a demo. He was just breaking down those barriers and fearlessly doing his thing.

Micah Nelson, son and fellow musician

Red Headed Stranger (1975) signed by Willie

Born in Abbott, TX in 1933, Willie Nelson was raised by his grandparents who exposed him to music as a young child. His grandfather gave him a guitar when he was six. Willie wrote his first song when he was seven and he sang gospel in the church with his older sister Bobbie (who later joined his band as his long time pianist).

Early in his career, Willie had incredible success as a songwriter. In fact in one week, (probably the best week in songwriting history!) Willie wrote “Crazy”, “Funny How Time Slips Away” and “Night Life” - songs which have become standards and hits for others: "Crazy" by Patsy Cline, "Funny How Time Slips Away" by Billy Walker, and “Night Life" by Ray Price. "Crazy" became one of the best selling and most popular jukebox tunes of all time, and a staple for country and popular music. Although Patsy Cline recorded the definitive version in 1961, other artists have sung it, everyone from Shirley Bassey to Linda Ronstadt, Norah Jones to Neil Young.

One For The Road (1979) signed by Willie, Leon Russell

Despite Willie's enormous success as a songwriter, his own career stalled for decades. Willie's voice and unusual phrasing (seemingly one beat behind the music) was considered uncommercial by Nashville. Tommy Allsup, producer of early 1960s Willie Nelson records explained: “He sang behind the beat. That’s the way jazz singers sing. If you recorded with Willie, I don’t care if you knew the song backwards, you better write out a chord chart and read that sumbitch. He’s going to be away from the lead line… if you start listening to him while he’s playing, you’re going to break time.” For his part, Willie was nonplussed by the criticism, “Growing up in Texas and working the clubs there, all the folks would come out and see me, and they seemed to like my singing well enough. Whether my singing could sell records or not, that was another story. Record companies weren’t that turned on by my phrasing, and it wasn’t exactly what was going on in Nashville at the time.”

So Willie moved to Austin, Texas in the early 1970s and helped start the nascent Outlaw Country movement with Waylon Jennings, Jerry Jeff Walker and others. The Outlaw movement was an attempt to get away from the rigid confines and structure of the Nashville music establishment as these artists wanted to take more creative and artistic control. Willie released a string of great records -  Shotgun Willie (1973), Red Headed Stranger (1975) and Wanted! The Outlaws (1976) - which helped define the genre and considerably raised his profile.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow (1981) signed by Willie

Another stroke of Willie’s genius was his decision and insistence to record American pop standards “Georgia On My Mind”, “All Of Me”, “Moonlight In Vermont”, and “Blue Skies” among others on Stardust (1978). Willie remembered his record company’s reluctance, “There’s always been people who say, ‘That’s not country, why you doing that?’ Or, ‘This would be a better song for you.’ Record company executives are the worst at it, they think they know everything. And, you know, sometimes they know a lot, and sometimes they don’t know anything… they didn’t see it, they didn’t understand it, and automatically they said it wasn’t a good idea. I went ahead and did it anyway, because I had it in my contract that I had creative control. I could record anything I wanted to. They had to back off and take it, and when it wound up a Number One record, they all said, ‘Well, look what we did!’ “ Of course, it didn’t hurt that Stardust sold more than five million records and was produced by the incomparably talented Booker T. Jones, his Malibu neighbor! Remarkably, it took only ten days to record, mix and produce.

The Highwaymen (1985) signed by Willie

I saw Willie dozens of times over the years, and he is the consummate performer with a fabulous band. Twice, I saw him appear with The Highwaymen - Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson and Willie - the Mount Rushmore of Country Music. Those were amazing shows as each artist took turns singing their hits and harmonizing with each other on stage. And what songs and singing!

Another time, I saw Willie perform at Tower Records in New York City at a record release event in late fall 1998. Willie was highlighting his new album, Teatro (1998) which was produced by sonic landscape master Daniel Lanois. There was no stage. Willie and his band set up on the floor to the right of the check out counter.  Sister Bobbie had an electric keyboard, Paul English, his drummer and cohort since 1967, had one conga drum as his entire kit. Bee Spears played bass and long time harmonica player Mickey Raphael was blowing soulfully. At most in-store visits, an artist plays two or three songs (if any) from a new album, signs some records, and leaves within an hour. Not Willie. He opened with “Whiskey River”, then took requests (which he said he never does), played for ninety minutes, and signed records for more than an hour. The show started around 1pm, and Willie and his band didn't leave until after 4pm. And he had a show that night in New Jersey! There were maybe eighty of us in the store watching this incredible, intimate performance.

Me & Paul (1985) signed by Willie, Mickey Raphael

As Willie was signing some albums after the Tower show, I told him one of my favorite albums was Texas Swings (1992), an instrumental tribute to the music of Bob Wills, the father of Texas swing, which featured Willie and Herb Ellis (Oscar Peterson's longtime guitarist). It was a potent mix of jazz, country, blues and swing. Willie said he loved playing jazz instrumentals with Herb, they were both Texans and the music of Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys was very influential to both artists. "It was jazzy,” Willie confirmed with a big smile.

Two Men With The Blues: Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis, Jazz at Lincoln Center February 2009

In February 2009, I saw Willie perform with Wynton Marsalis at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. It was unlike any Willie Nelson show I have ever seen. As we entered Rose Hall, we were given a program which listed the songs the band was to perform. It was a tribute to Ray Charles and featured all Ray Charles standards like "Cryin' Time", "Busted", and  "Come Rain Or Come Shine."  Wynton and his band came on stage dressed impeccably in Armani suits. Then Willie joined. All black. Black hat, black boots, black shirt, black tie, black jacket and slacks. Hair neatly braided, there was nary a red bandanna to be found (or thrown from the stage). On a couple songs, Willie was joined by the preternaturally talented and beautiful Norah Jones. He more than held his own playing with Wynton's skilled players, as Willie has some bona fide jazz chops and cites Django Reinhardt, the incomparable Gypsy jazz guitarist, as an early influence. The encore was a swinging, percolating "What'd I Say" with Wynton's band taking turns with crisp solos. Brother Ray would have certainly approved. 

After the show, Willie stood at the edge of the stage and signed every album, ticket, program, etc. He didn't leave until everyone who wanted to speak with him or shake his hand did so. As he signed some albums, I teased Willie and asked him why he didn't open with "Whiskey River" (the song he usually opens and closes every show, and definitely not from the Ray Charles catalog!). He said, "I'll have to open with that tomorrow night." I told him how much I enjoyed the Ray Charles songs and how tight the band sounded. He thanked me and said how much fun it was to perform these songs with Wynton and his band.  Indeed it was a commanding performance with some of the finest jazz musicians in the world on one of its' biggest stages. Thankfully, they were taping this show and Here We Go Again: Celebrating The Genius Of Ray Charles (released in 2011) is a brilliant recording of a fabulous night.

Willie Nelson. American music legend, icon and a really nice, generous guy.

Willie Sings Kristofferson (1979) signed by Willie, Kris Kristofferson

Choice Willie Nelson Cuts (per BKs request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWloaxXWv0g&t=16s

Willie sings “Hello Walls” in Nashville in 1962

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoKvUYbGu7A

”Pancho & Lefty” Willie and Merle sing Townes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8A9Y1Dq_cQ

”Seven Spanish Angels” Willie and Ray Charles sing!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JA644rSZX1A&t=16s
“Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K-CFjzGpqo
“Hands On The Wheel” live 2020, Willie with sons Micah and Lukas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7CTMAa4m6M

“Whiskey River “ live, Austin City Limits, 1974

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9arEte9nVlE

“Hallelujah I Love Her So” Willie and Wynton at Lincoln Center

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5E1Jv8L7jQ4
“You Are My Sunshine” Willie, Norah Jones and Wynton

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7IFYd6UOe4

”Heartland “ Willie sings with Bob Dylan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZ6UjZBlqJQ

the Highwaymen - Johnny, Kris, Waylon and Willie

Isaac Hayes, Erin and Me...

That was out of necessity, to communicate. It started in a predominately black club called The Tiki Club. I was ranting and raving about this tune I heard, "By The Time I Get To Phoenix." Nobody showed too much interest, so I told James Alexander, bandleader of The Bar-Keys, "Hey, I'm coming down to the club tonight, y'all learn 'Phoenix' man." So I showed that night. Club was packed, everybody talking. "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Isaac Hayes!" Nobody applauded. They were still talking. Shit. So I tell James to hang up on those chords on the intro. Just recycle to the top of the song. And I started talking about the situation I imagined would've happened if this guy's woman were taken through these changes. I started talking and I went, and I went, and the conversations started to subside. It got quiet. I thought, I got ya! I went, "By the tiiiiime..." and they went, "Oh wow!" They sat and listened to the whole thing. I went through the vamp, dragging it out, repeating it, and when I finished, not a dry eye in the house. I got 'em, that was it. And then I did the same thing at a predominantly white club. Same reaction. A local pop DJ named Scott Shannon, who's in New York now, said, "Ike, you ought to record that." So I did.

              Isaac Hayes

Hot Buttered Soul (1969) signed by Isaac

I was a pop freak. I love music. Of course, I knew soul because I grew up in it. Writing it and everything, I love soul. But I love a tune that has some meat in it. Something I could hang my hat on. Because music is universal. Therefore, I felt no boundaries.

              Isaac Hayes

…To Be Continued (1970) signed by Isaac

Who's the black private dick
That's a sex machine to all the chicks?
Shaft, ya, damn right

Who is the man that would risk his neck
For his brother man?
Shaft, can you dig it?

Who's the cat that won't cop out
When there's danger all about?
Shaft, right on

They say this cat Shaft is a bad mother
Shut your mouth
But I'm talkin' 'bout Shaft
Then we can dig it

He's a complicated man
But no one understands him but his woman
John Shaft

"Theme From Shaft" written by Isaac Hayes 

The Isaac Hayes Movement (1970) unsigned

The Isaac Hayes Movement (1970) gatefold drug gloriousness

Isaac Hayes won the 1972 Academy Award for Best Original Song for the "Theme From Shaft" in the classic blaxploitation movie. It was the first win for an African American in that category, and only the third win overall, behind Hattie McDaniel (Best Supporting Actress, 1939) and Sidney Poitier (Best Actor, 1964).  A shaved head with a ripped, menacing shirtless torso enslaved with thick gold chains, Isaac Hayes was the original G. Ike's bling had bling. It is not surprising that Isaac has been sampled in the ensuing years by Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Notorious B.I.G., and Snoop Dogg, among countless others. Not only did Wu-Tang Clan sample Ike's version of "Walk On By" in "I Can't Go To Sleep", Isaac also appears in the video in a resplendent purple robe and sings with the Wu. It doesn't get any more G than that. I saw Isaac Hayes twice, and he was anything but a bad motherf@#$*r, he was humble, courteous, and kind.

Born in Covington, Tennessee, Isaac moved to Memphis when he was a child and joined Stax Records, a fledgling record label as a session keyboardist in 1964. He met David Porter and they became a dynamic songwriting duo with over two hundred song credits.  Hits like "If Something Is Wrong With My Baby", "Soul Man", "Hold On, I'm Comin' ", "B-A-B-Y", "I've Got To Love Somebody's Baby", by artists like Carla Thomas, Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Johnnie Taylor... all from the pen and soul genius of Isaac Hayes and David Porter.

Isaac's first solo effort, Presenting Isaac Hayes, was released in 1968. It was mostly a soul-jazz instrumental excursion which featured Booker T. and The MG's without Booker T. Isaac stretched out on keyboards while Duck Dunn played bass, Al Jackson played drums, and guitar great Steve Cropper mixed the recording. As Isaac recalled, "All the time I was writing hit songs with my partner David Porter, I always had the yen to perform. Sure did, and when the opportunity came, I took it. The first album, Presenting Isaac Hayes, didn't do so hot, but it was like a prelude for what was to come. When I was given an opportunity to do things the way I wanted to, without any restrictions and no holds barred, that's when I did Hot Buttered Soul. Which changed a lot of things."

Yes, Hot Buttered Soul (1969) changed everything. There were only four songs on the record and only one was written by Isaac ("Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic"), a surprising turn given how prolific a songwriter Ike was. The rest were pop covers - "Walk On By", "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" and "One Woman." Isaac's genius was to transform three minute pop gloss into twelve and eighteen minute soul explorations with extensive spoken word introductions and monologues. In many ways, Isaac and this release paved the way for artists like Barry White and Marvin Gaye to use symphonic effects and to explore their unbridled creativity. And Isaac wasn't done. On his fourth album, ...To Be Continued (1970), side one opens with "Monologue - Ike's Rap 1" which segues into "Our Day Will Come", another pop song turned into a soul burner. I believe it is the first time "rap" had ever been explicitly cited on vinyl. Side two opens with "Ike's Mood", which leads into "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' ", a fifteen minute soul orchestral tour de force. The Righteous Brothers never sounded this funky or greasy!

The Best Of Isaac Hayes (1974) unsigned

The first time I saw Isaac I was not expecting him. I was at the bar of the Blue Note in New York City on a Monday night in the late 90s for the celebration of the club anniversary. Each year, the Blue Note would have a host, like Jimmy Heath or Milt Jackson, and the festive show would have guest artists. The performances were loose, unstructured, mostly jam sessions with the incredible talent that showed up. Halfway through the show, there was a bit of commotion as Isaac Hayes made his way from the front door through the bar toward the stage. As he passed by, he was slighter than I imagined, shaved head gleaming, dark sunglasses, gold chains bursting through a black satin leather coat that seemed a size too small. I nodded my approval and said innocuously, "It's great to see you Ike." He smiled, nodded in return and continued his journey uninterrupted toward the stage. The MC announced that we had a special guest who would be performing. The jazz and gospel pianist Cyrus Chestnut had just finished a song with his trio and Isaac joined them on stage. After a brief conversation between Cyrus and Isaac, Cyrus began to play "The Shadow Of Your Smile", a beautiful pop ballad enhanced by Isaac's dripping, dulcet baritone. The crowd went nuts and as quickly as it began, it was over. Shazam!  Ike disappeared from the stage and club. I found myself asking, did that really happen?!

BB King’s 1.27.07 regal and resplendent

The next time, Erin and I saw Isaac at B.B.Kings Club in New York City on January 27, 2007. He appeared on stage in a beautiful gold and purple tunic, and he seemed a bit tentative as he was led to his keyboard by an attractive young lady. Later, it was revealed that he had suffered a stroke in 2006 and he was still recovering. Isaac had a tight band with him and he played some of his hits, including a funky "Soulsville", a beautifully drawn out "I Stand Accused", and of course, a pulsating "Shaft." He played keyboards and sang beautifully, but he didn't have a horn section to punch the grooves which was disappointing.

Juicy Fruit (Discon Freak) (1976) signed by Isaac

After the show, Erin and I headed backstage with a couple of albums. I guessed (correctly!) that Isaac would want to greet Erin first, a consistent pattern through the years with other soul men like James Brown, Solomon Burke, and Barry White. The door to Isaac's dressing room opened, and Erin was greeted warmly and she had him sign his opus, Hot Buttered Soul, and ...To Be Continued. She gave him a big hug and returned to me, waiting just outside his dressing room. She showed me her spoils and said, "He's right there, why don't you get another one signed?" So I did. I slid inside the slightly ajar door and I handed him Juicy Fruit (Disco Freak). I told Isaac it was one of my favorite album covers. The front cover shows Isaac surrounded in a pool by six lovely ladies dressed like Carmen Miranda with assorted fruits and bananas as head pieces, and not much else. The back cover shows Isaac bursting through the water, arms raised triumphantly while his lovelies look on. Jim McCrary, the house photographer for A&M Records, shot the photos. McCrary was responsible for some iconic photos over the years, including Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs & Englishmen, the Nudie western wear of Gram Parsons on The Flying Burrito Brothers, Carole King's Tapestry ...and his real masterpiece, Ike's Juicy Fruit (Disco Freak). Unfortunately, the music is more like disco dreck, a pastiche of drum machines and syncopated beats to nowhere with eminently forgettable lyrics. But the album cover remains transcendent. Isaac asked me my name to personalize the signature. I told him I was a big fan and it looked like he had a bunch of fans with him in the pool. He smiled, a Cheshire cat smile, and he signed the album and handed it back to me. The inscription read "To a Fan, Isaac Hayes."

Juicy Fruit (Disco Freak) (1976) back cover

Isaac Hayes: Oscar and Grammy winner, singer, songwriter, fashion style setter, innovator, cultural icon. And no one rocked a crushed velour purple tuxedo harder at the Academy Awards. Ever! 

I am a big fan.

Isaac Hayes accepting Oscar - 44th Academy Awards, 1972

Isaac Hayes ticket 1.27.07

Choice Isaac Hayes Cuts (per BK's request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M380X-AeBpM

"Theme From Shaft" - Live at Academy Awards 1972

Sammy Davis Jr. gets his groove on!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DEZy5ZEQTU

Isaac Hayes Wins The Oscar - No one pimps a tux harder!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5tqAbrZeX0

"Walk On By" 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fR6SKLE8nZM

"Don't Let Go"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2S0zu3M0rY

"I Can't Get To Sleep"  - Ike Meets Wu-Tang

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKdUQQ8vI1Y

"I Stand Accused" - Live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDOH3ViMmCM

"Theme From Shaft" - Live at Glastonbury  2002

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bbdJSW3pvM

"By The Time I Get To Phoenix" - 18 minutes of bliss

All signed/unsigned albums from my collection

Most photos by Jim McCrary

copyright 2016

Royal Rappin’s (1979) with Millie Jackson, unsigned

Royal Rappin’s (1979) back cover

Some Great Photography by Jim McCray:

Gram Parsons (1969) photo by Jim McCray, suit by Nudie

The Carpenters: Ticket To Ride (1969) photo by Jim McCray

Joe Cocker; Mad Dogs & Englishmen (1970) photo by Jim McCray

Carole King: Tapestry (1971) photo by Jim McCray

Herbie Hancock On The Beach (1976) photo by Jim McCray

Jack McDuff and Me...

Jack McDuff gave me the most important foundation for communicating my music to others. He pointed out the elements that are universally common to us all. I owe a great deal of my success to the man we know as Brother Jack McDuff.

                George Benson

Tough ‘Duff (1960) signed by Jack

it is obvious, upon listening to him, that he has deep gospel roots but, aside from that, he has absorbed some of the beauties of life, and through appreciation and understanding, evinces it esthetically in his music. He is a ferocious charging beast; he is a graceful swan on a simmering lake. He is what he wants to be.

Benny Golson, liner notes, Silk And Soul (1965)

The Honeydripper (1961) signed by Jack

Jack McDuff is one of those rare musicians who can segue from a contemporary jazz classic to a raucous rock and roll tune without being unfaithful to the style of either one.

               pianist Billy Taylor

Silk And Soul (1965) signed by Jack

I spent a lot of my Navy time hanging around band rooms at various camps and the music came naturally. I was never much with the lessons, but I had a good ear. I picked up tunes easy and remembered them.

Jack McDuff liner notes Tough’Duff (1960)

Brother Jack Meets The Boss (1962) signed by Jack

I guess people who are jazz fans just dig the blues because that's all we perform. We play bluesy but we always break it up. We don't have any message with our music, except pat your foot and go along with what you're doing.

Jack McDuff

The New Boss Guitar Of George Benson (1964) signed by Jack, Red Holloway

In the early 1960s, McDuff was near the top of the list of heavy cats playing the organ, right alongside Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff...he cut a series of records for the Prestige label that were among the best organ-trio sets of the time....Jack was both a true entertainer and a true musician. He put on a show, but it was always substantial; it wasn’t just a cat hitting an endless trill with his right hand and waving to the audience with his left.

                George Benson

Screamin’ (1962) signed by Jack

Born in 1926 in Champaign, Illinois, Jack McDuff became one of the most accomplished jazz and soul organist. A master of the Hammond B3, Jack was a leader on over fifty albums, and he played with other jazz masters like Gene Ammons, Kenny Burrell, Jimmy Forrest and Benny Golson. McDuff started his career playing the acoustic bass and almost joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers as a bassist, but he switched to piano. As Jack explained, "It was the difference between some kind of paycheck and none at all." Jack then switched to the organ because he got a more lucrative gig at the Chicago nightclub, McKie's Lounge, and joined Willis Jackson's band. McDuff toured for a year or so with Jackson, developing his impressive chops, and recording Please Mr. Jackson (1959) and Cool Gator (1959) with Willis as the leader.

The Dynamic Jack McDuff (1964) signed by Jack, Benny Golson, Red Holloway

Jack started his solo career in 1960 and he was a peerless talent scout, attracting skilled sidemen and collaborators like guitar virtuosos Grant Green and Pat Martino. In 1963, a nineteen year old guitar phenom, George Benson, got his professional start as a member of Jack's classic quartet with Red Holloway on tenor sax, and Joe Dukes on drums. They would record and tour together for several years. Benson was heavily influenced by Wes Montgomery in those days and played straight ahead jazz, a far cry from the pop pablum of Leon Russell's  "This Masquerade", a top 10 hit for George in 1976 and a staple of 1970s FM radio. This track was a bit of a fluke, as the rest of Breezin' is instrumental, including the title cut, penned by soul great Bobby Womack. Nevertheless, it won Benson a Grammy and was a multi-platinum record, the first jazz release to receive platinum status.

Cookin’ Together (1964) signed by Jack, Red Holloway

Jack had a bluesy, soulful sound and he named his band The Heatin' System, and they certainly turned the heat up with their swirling soul and blues. In the 1990s as a new generation discovered McDuff's masterly beats and funk. His albums became fertile ground for sampling and remixes from hip hop artists and DJs like Deee-Lite, Fat Boy Slim, Flava, Pete Rock, A Tribe Called Quest, and beat master extraordinaire, J. Dilla.

Tobacco Road (1967) “Merry Christmas Jack McDuff”

I saw Jack many times at small clubs and he always put on an entertaining show. At the old Iridium Jazz Club, when it was located near Lincoln Center in New York City, Jack was performing with a quartet, including Mark Whitfield, a young guitar gunslinger in a long line that graced McDuff's bandstand over the years. As I entered the club, I saw Jack sitting alone at the small service bar with only three or four seats. I slid over and sat down next to him. He was cordial as he signed the albums. When he saw Walk On By (1966) he smiled. 'Who's the babe?' I asked him. He laughed, "That's my wife. We didn't have an album cover, and the photographer showed up at my apartment on 116th street (in New York City). We just went outside, I sat on the rail and she walked on by." A timeless song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, it is an even more timeless album cover.

Walk On By (1966) signed by Jack, Benny Golson, Red Holloway, Pat Martino

Brother Jack McDuff always kept the grooves groovin', and he left a legacy of beats and recordings that still resonate with musicians and music lovers across many generations.

The Blues Is Now (1967) signed by Jack

Me N’ Jack (1995) signed by Jack, Al Grey

Choice Jack McDuff Cuts (per BKs request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivYFzlapYTA 

Live in France 1964 - Jack McDuff with George Benson, Red Holloway and Joe Dukes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-C33Tv6a1w

"I Want A Little Girl"  The Honeydripper with Grant Green, Jimmy Forrest, Ben Dixon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDpxa_sAFz8

"The Shadow Of Your Smile"  Tobacco Road (1967)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1Un0hV9_qU

"Theme From Electric Surfboard" Gin And Orange

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSR8AKdFdII

"Oblighetto"  Moon Rappin'  (1970)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB95fiyaPyw

"Oblighetto" (J. Dilla Remix)  1991

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaShcggbkuw

"Ain't No Sunshine" Jack McDuff grooves Bill Withers!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yItJ3dm2ECs

"A Change Is Gonna Come"  McDuff grooves Sam Cooke! (1967)

Kisses (1980) signed by Jack

Lift Every Voice And Sing (1983) signed by Jack

Harold Mabern, George Coleman and Me...

I moved to New York City November 21st, 1959. I had $5,000 in my shoes, because I didn’t want to take a chance on leaving it in the hotel. I had it wrapped up, $2,500 in each shoe. To show you how long ago that was, there were no ziplock bags, they weren’t on the market, they were being tested. So I had to wrap the money in a paper towel. I wanted to make this money last because you had to stay in New York City 6 months before you could join the musicians union. First thing, when I got to New York City, Julian “Cannonball” Adderley, who I have tremendous respect for, was standing in front of Birdland. Cannonball knew me from Chicago, saw me and said “Hey Big Hands, you want a gig?” and I said “Sure!" He took me down to Birdland. It’s Tuesday night and the place is packed. Quincy Jones is there, Bill Lee (Spike Lee’s father) is there. Cannonball introduced me to Harry “Sweets” Edison, Tommy Flanagan, who is one of my heroes, is playing with Sweets. During that time, if you half way played and hung out you could get a record date. Sweets looked at me and said “You wanna play?” He didn’t ask me what I wanted to play. The old timers would test you. If you’re a musician, you’re supposed to know everything. That’s just the way it was then, it’s not like that now. He hired me on the spot and Tommy Flanagan went to go play (piano) with J.J. Johnson.

                         Harold Mabern

Rakin’ and Scrapin’ (1968) signed by Harold, George Coleman

Harold was a scholar of our history, insightful, hilarious, sincere, deep, with intense, boundless energy and inclusive with his warmth. Before they called him "Leading Man," his nickname was "Big Hands." With the broad reach of those hands, he caressed many beautiful chords. He was a storyteller and every note he played had a message.

                 Charles Lloyd, Manassas High School classmate, Memphis, Tennessee

MJT + 3 (1960) signed by Harold, Bob Cranshaw

When George Coleman and his brother were 14 years old, they didn’t study music but they took an alto saxophone apart and put it back together. So then we knew that George was a true musical genius so we all learned from him. When I say “we all” I’m referring to Frank Strozier, myself, Booker Erwin, and Charles Lloyd. Frank and I were playing what we call “West Coast music counterpoint." It was good music but conceptually speaking, the East Coast was a harder concept. George introduced us to Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, and stuff like that because all we knew was Dave Brubeck, Warne Marsh, and Lenny Tristano, which was all good music, but a different concept.

                    Harold Mabern

Smokin’ (1977) signed by George Coleman

I'm a blues player with chops. I’m never going to stop being a blues pianist. As a piano player, the first thing you need to learn how to do is be an accompanist. Cedar Walton said, “I’d rather comp than eat.” A lot of piano players don’t have the patience because when you're comping you’re supporting somebody else and you’re playing a subordinate role. I say the best way to learn how to comp is to play for singers.

                    Harold Mabern

Another Git Together (1963) signed by Harold, Benny Golson, Art Farmer

Harold Mabern was a profoundly great human being, a musical giant, and a giver in every way, His humility and passion simply poured out of his soul. All who were in his presence were blessed to experience his grace, and his legacy will live forever in our hearts.

                      pianist Bill Charlap

Manhattan Panorama (1985) signed by Harold, George Coleman

Playing the blues was a blessing. Because you can teach some of these other styles, but you can't teach the blues.

                      Harold Mabern

At Yoshi’s (1989) signed by Harold, George Coleman

Harold "Big Hands" Mabern, a piano genius, passed away in September 2019. He was eighty-three and had been playing jazz with his high school classmate George Coleman, a renowned saxophonist, for nearly seventy years. Over the years, I was lucky to see Harold and George perform many times together, and I was always struck by how beautifully they complimented each other. Two genial master craftsmen bestowing us with their beautiful sounds and innate chemistry.

Three Or Four Shades Of Blues (1977) signed by George Coleman

Harold grew up with George in Memphis, Tennessee and they were surrounded by other incredibly gifted musicians - Frank Strozier, Hank Crawford, Booker Little, and Charles Lloyd among others. Five years his senior, Harold was deeply influenced by the virtuoso piano stylings of Phineas Newborn, Jr., also a fellow Memphian: "When Phineas played, everything was at his command. He could put his right hand in one pocket and play complete compositions with his left. I knew the first time I saw him I wanted to play like that. I also knew I had my work cut out for me." So Harold went to work and was largely self-taught.

Joy Spring (1985) signed by Harold

After graduating from high school, Harold moved to Chicago to attend the American Conservatory of Music. Unfortunately, Harold was unable to enroll when his parents finances deteriorated, and he began his real studies, hanging around the Chicago clubs listening to Ahmad Jamal, and, as he later confided, "I got mine from the university of the streets... playing and practicing twelve hours a day." Of his next five years woodshedding on his instrument, Harold was particularly influenced by Ahmad. "I was as impressed with him as with Phineas (Newborn). I'd never heard anyone play with such command or conceptualize sound like that. 'Music, Music, Music' was a corny song. Ahmad said, 'Not the way I play it.' Ahmad reintroduced it to us in a stylized, modern way."

Throughout his lengthy recording career and celebrated discography, Harold released more than twenty-five albums as a leader and hundreds more as a sideman. Harold's first appearance on vinyl was with saxophonist Jimmy Forrest's All The Gin Is Gone, released in 1959. Harold recalled the recording, "I did a date with Jimmy Forrest called All the Gin is Gone. All of those guys at that time were drinking what we call “hard liquor.” Elvin Jones said “Where’s the gin?” and the producer said “All the gin is gone.” Elvin said “You can’t do the date without no gin!” And that’s how they came up with the title." Some of the other artists who showcased the formidable piano talents of "Big Hands" were Art Framer, Benny Golson, Jimmy Heath, Freddie Hubbard, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, J.J. Johnson, Jackie McLean, Wes Montgomery, and Lee Morgan - a veritable who's who of modern jazz.

Lee Morgan Memorial Album (1974) signed by Harold, Barry Harris

The last time I saw Harold Mabern, he was playing at the Jazz Standard in New York City in July 2019. He was joined by his beloved jazz brethren on stage: George Coleman on saxophone, Peter Bernstein on guitar, John Weber on bass, and George Coleman Jr. on drums- all accomplished leaders and composers on their own. They opened with the Thelonious Monk standard "Well You Needn't". Sitting side saddle slouched on a stool, George blew a torrent of notes. Though his body was worn, his eyes watery, his spirit was indomitable. The elder Coleman's sound was a bit muted but remained ferocious, his stamina compelling for his eighty-four years young.  Meanwhile his high school classmate, Harold, was tossing off florid runs in a breakneck, catch me if you can speed, at times airy and delicate, then explosive and percussive. It was a bravura performance by all. At the end of the gig, Harold grabbed the mic to give a shoutout to his music teacher and Memphis. "You know, I just want to thank you for coming and thank Matthew Garrett, our music teacher in Memphis those many years ago. You probably don't know his name, you probably know his daughter Dee Dee Bridgewater. Well, her father taught me, George, Frank Strozier, Booker Little, Charles Lloyd and Isaac Hayes. So you can see that we have a little talent in Memphis! And how 'bout Aretha Franklin? You heard of her? Forget about Detriot, she was born in Memphis!" Yes sir, Harold was proselytizing Memphis, Memphis Strong indeed.

Greasy Kid Stuff! (1970) signed by Harold

After the show, I visited with Harold who was sitting at the bar, enjoying a well deserved beverage with his dinner. I brought along some Sammy Davis Jr. vinyl because I loved Harold's tribute to Sammy, Mr. Lucky, which he released in 2012. Harold smiled and said, "Sammy was a great artist and very underrated. I had a lot of fun recording his songs." I nudged him, "What about Greasy Kid Stuff ? That needs to be re-released on vinyl. Your version of Michael Jackson's "I Want You Back" smokes and it's very hard to find." Harold laughed, "Thank you, but I don't have anything to do with that. I really like that song, you know, when I cover something like that, I want you to recognize it and enjoy my take on it. I don't want to deconstruct it until it's unrecognizable." I expressed my condolences on the passing of Rudy Van Gelder, the ninety-one year old master engineer who ran a studio out of his home in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey and was responsible for nearly all of the Blue Note sessions from 1953 to 1967, including the works of John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins. 'It's a terrible loss, that studio should become a museum,' I offered. Harold agreed, "Yes it is a terrible loss. No one really knows what will happen. I don't know if there's a will, no one really knows. I was at a recording session less than a year ago and Rudy was there. He had moved a bed into the studio so he could continue to work." When I handed him Mundell Lowe's Satan In High Heels, he laughed, "I love Mundell. Am I on this one?" 'No but it's a great cover," I confessed. "Yes it is!" he said, and he happily scribbled away. Erin and I left the show astonished with the vitality of these two jazz lions, still roaring in their eighties. Their music must be their secret elixir, I know it's mine.

Satan In High Heels (19) signed by Harold

Mr. Lucky: Tribute To Sammy Davis Jr. (2012) signed by Harold

Mr. Wonderful (1956) signed by Harold, Sammy Davis Jr.

Sadly, Harold passed away a scant six weeks later, shocking to me, especially given how vital he sounded on stage that night at the Jazz Standard. Fortunately, he left a legacy of recordings and performances of the finest jazz with his friend George Coleman and others. "Big Hands" yes, but an equally big heart.

The Leading Man (1993) signed by Harold

The Shelter Of Your Arms (1964) signed by Harold

Dr. Doolittle (1967) signed by Harold

Choice George Coleman and Harold Mabern cuts (per BK's request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amLdS7KFEFo

“Woke Up This Morning"   George sax solo, B.B. King on guitar/vocals

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fc3CXMjeV-8

"My Funny Valentine"  Miles, George, Herbie, Ron, Tony   Live At Philharmonic NYC  1963

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HncvF1rTEMg

"Maiden Voyage"  George with Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard  1965

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5X-JHEFj18&list=PLB6A8217C2D99FF1A

"Lean On Me"  Shirley Scott on organ, George wails Bill Withers!   1972

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QUYO69aclU 

"On A Misty Night" George with Chet Baker   Boppin' With The Chet Baker Quintet  1965

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbdoRmh8XYE 

"I Want You Back"   Harold swings Michael Jackson!  Greasy Kid Stuff  1970

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_FEIlEY7es

"Blues for B.B."   A Master Speaks   George Coleman   2016

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CkPB5GcvGw

"Rakin' And Scrapin' "  Harold Mabern   live   Smalls, NYC   2013

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsiI37-b2uI

"Hey There"  Mr. Lucky: Tribute To Sammy Davis Jr.  Harold Mabern  2012

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6pHGxs6hPE

"Fools Rush In"  with Norah Jones   Afro Blue  Harold Mabern  2015

Variety Is The Spice (1979) signed by Harold, Louis Hayes, Portinho

Steve Earle and Me...

Guy Clark told me when I was 19, 'Songs aren't finished until you play them for the people.' As songwriters, we're all into getting our songs cut, but all of us wanted to play for audiences. What I was part of was essentially a salon. We played songs for our publishers, but we didn't really give a fuck about what they thought. I cared about what happened when me, Guy Clark, Dave Loggins, Mickey Newbury, Steve Young, sometimes maybe even Neil Young, were sitting in a circle passing a guitar. That's what I cared about. When I impressed that audience, I felt like I had something.

                                                    Steve Earle

Old No. 1 (1975) signed by Steve, Guy Clark, Emmylou Harris

Guy (2018) signed by Steve

But you also have to get busy living. I never believed that being miserable or being fucked up was conducive to art. I never bought it. I think I write a lot better songs now than I did when I was fucked up. I still haven't made a record that sold as well in the United States as Copperhead Road. But I think I've made better records than Copperhead Road. I know I'm a better singer than I was back then. And I know I'm a better writer for one reason: I lived.

                                                    Steve Earle

Copperhead Road (1988) signed by Steve

Steve Earle not only writes great country songs, he lives them. Drinkin', druggin', marryin', cheatin', divorcin'. Rinse and repeat. Married seven times, twice to the same woman, Steve once quipped at a show, "The divorce wasn't working out, so I married her again." Until that didn't work out. And let's not forget prison and redemption. Songwriter, raconteur, riveting performer, and three time Grammy winner, Steve dropped out of high school when he was 16 and fled to Houston (from San Antonio) in pursuit of his idol, Townes Van Zandt, who Steve later admitted "was a good teacher and a bad role model."

Flyin’ Shoes (1978) signed by Steve, Emmylou Harris, Townes Van Zandt

Townes (2009) signed by Steve

Steve's first album, Guitar Town was released in 1986 and it became a breakthrough Number One country hit. Steve was heralded as the "New Nashville" along with Dwight Yoakam and Randy Travis. Yes, he was new alright, he had only been hanging around Nashville for twelve or thirteen years, once serving as a staff songwriter for music publisher Sunbury Dunbar. Steve was thirty-one years old, a grizzled veteran and a gifted songwriter (Carl Perkins recorded "Mustang Wine" in 1977 after a botched Elvis Presley session when the King didn't show up!) surfeited with a voracious drug and alcohol problem.

Exit o (1987) signed by Steve

I Ain’t Ever Satisfied (1987 12” single) signed by Steve

Steve released four studio albums from 1986-1991 until the drugs and alcohol nearly took him out. At the height of the throes and woes of his addictions, Townes Van Zandt - no paragon of sobriety - was sent as an emissary. Steve told Townes, “I must be in trouble if they’re sending you,” Later, Steve ended up in jail for heroin possession, served two months, went to rehab, got clean, and, more importantly, stayed clean. Since September 13, 1994, he has released thirteen studio albums, five live albums, toured incessantly, acted in the television series The Wire and Treme, published a novel and a collection of short stories, wrote and directed an Off-Broadway play, started a record company, produced albums by Joan Baez and Allison Moorer, and contributed songs to numerous film soundtracks. Steve has been creative, productive, and prolific, and he lays waste to the notion that the tortured artist creates his best art under the influence. It just ain't necessarily so.

Train a Comin’ (1995) signed by Steve

Train a Comin' (1995) was released after Steve's short prison stint. Steve said of the recording," I was goin' for a sound where it sounded like old Opry stuff, where everybody stepped around the mike, which is real close to what we actually did. It ended up being even more of an organic record than I thought it was gonna be." Steve did a short tour accompanied by his stringed virtuosos: Peter Rowan on mandolin, guitars, Roy Huskey Jr. on upright bass, and Norman Blake on everything. I saw them at the old Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia on August 27, 1995 and it was an amazing show. Steve led the band through most of his (then) new album, including a beautiful, heart breaking "Goodbye" which he said was the first song he wrote sober, and great covers of The Beatles' "I'm Looking Through You", Townes Van Zandt's "Tecumseh Valley" and The Melodians "Rivers Of Babylon." Yes, reggae goes hillbilly!

Diane, Emmylou and Me: Landmine Free World Benefit, Washington DC 1998

Another great show was a benefit in 1998 at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC for "A Landmine Free World" sponsored by the Vietnam Veterans Association Foundation. The National Building Museum, completed in 1887, is an architectural wonder with spectacular Corinthian columns 8 feet wide, soaring some 75 feet in the air. My friend Diane called Erin and told her about the show. Our daughter Kendall was only 10 weeks old, so Erin was out. Diane said she could get me in but I had to wear black tie. My tux was pressed and ready and so was I. Diane told me to meet her near the caterer's entrance (she was the lead caterer!) and she would hustle me in. Safely in, she said, "Don't worry, someone always no-shows at these events, we'll find you a seat in the back. Now, let's go meet the artists." In the guise of checking on the food, I followed Diane into the dressing room as Emmylou Harris and Steve Earle were finishing a song. Emmylou said, "That's so beautiful." Damn, I missed it.

Flyin’ Shoes back cover: Steve’s cabin, somewhere outside of Nashville

Diane went to check on the food and I looked around the room. There was Buddy and Julie Miller, Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Sheryl Crow and me. Pretty cool, thanks Diane! I approached Steve first, and I gave him Guy Clark's Old No. 1 (1975). Steve nearly tore it out of my hands, "Look, here's the first album I ever played on!" he shouted as he showed it to Sheryl and Emmylou. "What else have you got?" Next, I gave him Townes Van Zandt's Flying Shoes (1978) and he turned the cover over. "This is the cabin I lived in before I split to Mexico. Townes had no place to live, so he moved in. He kinda squatted there." It is a ramshackle, falling down cabin with no bathroom. Though it looked deep back woods, Steve told me it was just outside of Nashville. "It had running water but it got really cold" he explained.  I told Steve how much I loved "Me And The Eagle", a song that appears on the soundtrack for The Horse Whisperer (1998). I mentioned that a friend of mine had recently purchased a Weissenborn guitar which he returned because it was so difficult to play. Steve laughed, "Yeah, It is hard to play. Jerry (Douglas) does a great job on that song. Ry (Cooder) calls it a Weisenheimer!" Now it was time for the show.

Politicians politicked, socialites socialized and Bobby Mueller, the head of the VVAF, gave thanks to everyone for supporting such a worthy cause. Before Steve started singing, he looked out at the black tie crowd, bejeweled and bedazzled, and said, "You know, when I wrote this song I always dreamed of playing it to a crowd like this." Then he started finger picking the opening chords to ""Christmas In Washington" with the opening lyrics:

"It's Christmastime in Washington
The Democrats rehearsed
Gettin' into gear for four more years
Things not gettin' worse
The Republicans drink whiskey neat
And thanked their lucky stars
They said, 'He cannot seek another term
There'll be no more FDRs."

It was a surreal moment as Steve's leftist, populist views were in direct collision with Washington society, and Washington society seemed blithely unaware and oblivious. Steve played a few more tracks from his (then) latest album El Corazon (1997) and finished with a transcendent version of "Goodbye" with Emmylou Harris supplying exquisite harmony vocals. It was a fabulous show.

Washington Square Serenade (2007) signed by Steve

The last time I saw Steve he was touring in support of Terraplane (2015), a  blues album named after Robert Johnson's first single. I was struck by how broad and versatile Steve is in concert. From honky tonk country ("The Devil's Right Hand" and "Guitar Town") to blues ("My Old Friend The Blues" and "Better off Alone")  to celtic ("The Galway Girl" and "Copperhead Road") to weepers ("Remember Me" and "Goodbye") to classic rock covers (Donovan's "There Is A Mountain" and Jimi Hendrix's "Hey Joe"), there is no genre Steve leaves untouched or unmastered. Well, maybe jazz, and that might be next for the mercurial genius that is Steve Earle.

The Odeon, Cleveland 10.21.04 signed by Steve, Allison Moorer

Hey, I'll be pimping my stuff at the merch table after the show. I gotta sell some records, I have child support in New York City and I support half the women in Tennessee. Please come see me.

Steve Earle  July 16, 2015 Ridgefield Theater, Ridgefield CT

The Catalyst, Santa Cruz, CA signed by Steve, Allison Moorer

Choice Steve Earle Cuts (per BKs request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AINUPFbFpqg

“Guitar Town” 1986 video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvaEJzoaYZk

“Copperhead Road” 1988 video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rr2IY8q687I

“Goodbye” live with Emmylou Harrisi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7-PM_4aeE4

“Galway Girl” Live At Kennedy Center 1995

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw8RviUkywk

“Me And The Eagle” Sidetracks 1998

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ag_lnCcfr7E

“Colorado Girl” live on Letterman 2009

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FhjevjNLRQ

“Rex’s Blues > Ft. Worth Blues” Factory Theater, Sydney 2012

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sKGDyla9kY

“Feel Alright” I Feel Alright 1996

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGkHnMtp_MU

“My Old Friend The Blues” live in Austin 2000

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kQ6mpqq_a5XA

“The Mountain” live at Montreux 2005

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7PlS_MtYa8

“Dixieland” The Mountain 1999

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfEKVnF6QBI

“You’re Still Standing There ( with Lucinda Williams)” I Feel Alright 1996

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyCCHkj7XL0

“There Is A Mountain (with David Amram)” eTown

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOPmKIJhhDY

“Old Friends” Guy 2019

Someday/State Trooper (1986 12” single) signed by Steve

Early Tracks (1987) signed by Steve

Jonah Jones and Me...

The conductor’s name was Lockwood Lewis and he always referred to us by our last name. Well, when he got excited he would stammer.... the band tried the song for the third time and this time he caught my hand on the wrong note. He was so excited that when he went to say my last name, he stammered and said, ‘Ja-ja-ja-ja...Jonah, don’t you see that’s the wrong note?’ Well, all the fellows in the band started laughing and called me Jonah ever since!

                                                    Jonah Jones

I Dig Chicks! (1960) signed by Jonah, photo by Lee Friedlander

You never can say which way things are going in this business. Like myself, I had no idea it was going to happen for me. With bebop on the scene and people turning to rock-and-roll I couldn't have made it no way, wouldn't have bet ten cents on it. But here it come.

                               Jonah Jones

Jumpin’ With Jonah (1958) signed by Jonah

Born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1908, Jonah Jones started playing trumpet professionally on riverboats before joining several big bands, including Fletcher Henderson, Stuff Smith, and Benny Carter. Jonah had serious jazz chops as a trumpet player, and like so many, he was devoted to Louis Armstrong. He once said "Louis could do no wrong" and Jonah was nicknamed "King Louis II" in deference to the jazz master.

In 1941, Cab Calloway recruited Jonah to join his orchestra and they recorded "Jonah Joins The Cab" to commemorate the occasion. Jonah's eleven year association with Cab Calloway was marked by a famous spitball incident with Dizzy Gillespie. A spitball was hurled in the direction of the drummer. Dizzy was wrongly accused. a fight escalated between Cab and Diz, a knife was drawn, Cab was cut, and Dizzy was bounced from the Cab Calloway orchestra. Jonah took over the lead trumpet chair, even though he was the (undisclosed) spitball instigator and source of the acrimony.

At The Embers (1959) signed by Jonah

When big bands became too expensive and not commercially viable in the early 1950s, Jonah formed his own small group. A short engagement at The Embers in New York City, became a five year contract, and then a decade long association. The Embers' maitre d' did not want to disturb his patrons with a loud, brassy sound, so Jonah was required to play with a mute on his trumpet. Jonah's muted versions of show tunes on his first album Muted Jazz (1956) became unlikely bestsellers., and a subsequent album, Live At The Embers (1958), and Jonah's versions of "On The Street Where You Live" and "Baubles, Bangles and Beads" sold over one-million copies. Despite the phenomenal commercial success, some dismissed Jonah's songs as lightweight and, worse, easy listening.

As a marketing ploy, Capitol Records enlisted some very talented photographers to promote Jonah's albums. Joe Cavello, later the photographer on Judy Garland's Judy At Carnegie Hall (1961) and The Beatles' Second Album (1964), took the photo on Swingin' On Broadway (1957). Two swingin' chicks for sure, sashaying in 1950s Times Square. Lee Friedlander (his later work was exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum Of Modern Art) took the photo on Jumpin' With Jonah (1958) with a jubilant Jonah clapping his hands. I Dig Chicks! (1960) has the best cover. Four lovelies in various poses and reclines suspended in the air in the bucket of an excavator. Yeah Jonah, I dig this album cover! This record won a Grammy for Best Instrumental Jazz which is interesting because it features Jonah's vocals on six of the twelve tracks. Shoskatovich's Symphony No. 5 By The National Symphony Orchestra (1960) won the Grammy for Best Album Cover. Yes, that was a Grammy category in 1960!  Apparently, Grammy voting then was as misguided, inconsistent, and controversial as now.

Swingin’ On Broadway (1957) signed by Jonah

I met Jonah in 1998 at the Blue Note in New York City. For their club anniversary, the Blue Note would host a slew of artists on Monday (an off night for musicians), and there would be a jam session. I got to the club early but all seats were reserved, so I took a seat at the bar. An older gentlemen was already seated nearby, nursing a drink. I ordered a club soda, my drink of choice. Genial and well dressed, the older gentleman and I struck up a polite conversation. After some innocuous banter, I introduced myself. "Jonah Jones" came the reply with an outstretched hand..

Of course, I had some Jonah Jones albums with me. I had read that he was going to be at the event and he was happy to sign. Jonah wasn't performing, he had retired five or six years earlier, so we hung out at the bar the rest of the night watching Milt Jackson, Jimmy Heath and others perform. It was a fabulous show and we had some great conversations. He told me that he lived nearby and  he would love to have me visit him. He wrote out his address and said to come by anytime. Unfortunately, I never did, and he died a year later at 90 years old. I regret not visiting with Jonah Jones, but we had a great time at the Blue Note and he left a wonderful legacy of recordings., and, especially,  album covers!

Jonah’s NYC address written by Jonah

Choice Jonah Jones Cuts (per BKs request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2VynrlmPeQ

“On The Street Where You Live” Muted Jazz 1956

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujNtvUvaDHc

“Baubles, Bangles and Beads” Swingin’ On Broadway 1958

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrAQZJiNxnw

“Mack The Knife” Muted Jazz 1956

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ccbXyzO4iA

“I Dig Chicks” I Dig Chicks! 1959

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8GcWQV3kx0

“I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” with Cab Calloway

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwDYkTTaWv8

“Three Coins In The Fountain” Swingin’ In The Cinema 1958

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlazRtI0XLM

“No Moon At All” Jumpin’ With Jonah 1958

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVNWUPOGLhg

“Slowly But Surely” Jonah Jumps Again 1959

Milt Jackson and Me...

Jackson’s=Ville (1956) signed by Milt “Best Of Soul”

Milt Jackson (1955) signed by Milt “Right On”

Milt never wanted to play the hard John Lewis pieces, but John would insist, like when we were in New York, saying that people wanted to hear this music. Milt was pissed, but John got his way. At the rehearsal, John gives me this book. Wow! I can’t even look up: I need to watch this motherf@&*er close. I get through the rehearsal OK, since in addition to the written parts, there was a lot of space and keeping time, thank goodness. Milt’s part, though, was ongoing the whole time. I didn’t see a single rest in that score! There was page after page after page of the sh#t.  Milt looked at it once and put it away.  We came back and played it that night.  Milt was pissed at having to play this piece, but he didn’t miss a thing or play any wrong notes.  This guy had the capacity to look at written music once and know it cold.  Milt Jackson had a photographic memory and perfect pitch.  He was a freak!

               drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath

Soul Brothers (1957) signed by Milt

Soul Meeting (1961) signed by Milt

Bean Bags (1958) signed by Milt, Kenny Burrell, Tommy Flanagan

He is a naturally developed musician. He has perfect pitch, perfect time and perfect technique on vibes...On recording sessions, I never have to discuss or plan the swing and the feeling with Milt. I can feel him all the way, no matter what he's playing... His feeling takes him everywhere. In Paris, he went from club to club, playing vibes, piano, guitar, or if he couldn't sit in, just singing to himself. All because he breathes through music. He can't do without music. In Paris too, he played piano behind Sister Rosetta Tharpe and that was one of the listening balls of my life. Again, it was feeling that connected them.

               Quincy Jones on Milt Jackson

The Ballad Artistry Of Milt Jackson (1959) signed by Milt

Bags & Trane (1959) signed by Milt, Hank Jones

Big Bags (1962) signed by Milt, Ron Carter, Jimmy Heath, Hank Jones, James Moody, Jerome Richardson, Willie Ruff, Doc Severinsen, Clark Terry

He came closer than anyone else on the instrument to making it sound like the human voice. It's a collection of metal and iron, and we don't have the ability to bend notes and make vocal inflections like a saxophone. But Milt played the instrument in the most organic way possible -- with a warm, rich sound. He set a precedent that this instrument can speak beautiful things, and that it's not just percussive.

               vibraphonist Stefon Harris

Very Tall (1962) signed by Milt, Oscar Peterson

Live At The Village Gate (1963) signed by Milt, Albert “Tootie” Heath, Jimmy Heath, Hank Jones, Bob Cranshaw

Jazz ‘N’ Samba (1964) signed by Milt, Richard Davis, Tommy Flanagan, Jimmy Heath

Milt Jackson is simply the finest vibraphonist in jazz history, appearing on over forty albums with The Modern Jazz Quartet, more than sixty albums as a leader, and countless studio sessions. He is also a noted composer who wrote the jazz standards, "Bags' Groove", The Late Late Blues", "Bluesology", and he recorded with some of the greatest musicians: Ray Charles, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Coleman Hawkins, and Oscar Peterson to name a few. 

Much In Common (1964) signed by Milt, Ray Brown, Kenny Burrell, Hank Jones, Albert “Tootie” Heath

Memphis Jackson (1969) signed by Milt, Ray Brown, Teddy Edwards, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Harold Land, Ernie Watts

That’s The Way It Is (1969) signed by Milt, Monty Alexander,, Ray Brown, Teddy Edwards

He is a virtuoso. Lionel Hampton and Red Norvo may have introduced the vibraphone to Jazz in the 1920s and 1930s, but Milt Jackson became the most acclaimed and influential practitioner from the 1940s onward. Milt began on piano and drums in his hometown, Detroit, Michigan, and by the time he was a teenager in high school, he could play piano, drums, guitar, violin, tympani, and vibraphone. Oh, and he even sang tenor in a professional gospel quartet, The Evangelist Singers. Apparently, Milt was a musical underachiever in every sense! Like so many musicians, Milt was deeply influenced by the church, as he once remarked, "Everyone wants to know where I got that funky style. Well, it came from church. The music I heard was open, relaxed, impromptu soul music."

Just The Way It Had To Be (1973) signed by Milt, Monty Alexander, Ray Brown, Teddy Edwards

Opus De Funk (1948 recordings, 1975 release) signed by Milt, Ron Carter, Tommy Flanagan, Jimmy Heath, Percy Heath

Montreux ‘77 (1977) signed by Milt, Monty Alexander, Ray Brown, Clark Terry

In 1945, Dizzy Gillespie recruited Milt to join his big band and Milt contributed to the classic bebop recordings, "A Night In Tunisia", "Anthropology", and "Two Bass Hit."  The Modern Jazz Quartet, which had an incredible forty-three run, had its origins with the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band. The rhythm section - Milt Jackson, John Lewis, Ray Brown and Kenny Clark - would play an interlude between the big band sets. As Ray Brown explained, ''Dizzy had a lot of high parts for the brass in that group, so he said, 'I have to give these guys' lips a little rest during concerts, and while they're resting, you should play something.' '' The audiences loved it so much that they left to start the Milt Jackson Quartet in 1950, and then, the Modern Jazz Quartet in 1952 as Percy Heath replaced Ray Brown. When Connie Kay replaced Kenny Clarke in 1955, the MJQ personnel would remain intact until Connie's unfortunate stroke in 1992.

Jackson, Johnson, Brown & Company (1983) signed by Milt, Ray Brown, J. J. Johnson

Soul Route (1984) signed by Milt, Ray Brown, Gene Harris, Mickey Roker

All Too Soon (1980) signed by Milt, Ray Brown, Mickey Roker

Milt's genius was to transform the vibraphone into a bebop weapon for his brilliant improvisations. He set the oscillator to 3.3 revolutions per second, (fully three times slower than Lionel Hampton's 10 revolutions per second), and this gave his vibrato a subtle tone, all the better to showcase the blues which "Bags" loved so dearly. There was no one more swinging and bluesy than "Bags." He was nicknamed "Bags", it was said, after he showed up for a gig after a late night of revelry with his eyes bleary and swollen. I heard a different story. I asked Sonny, his tour manager who was also his brother-in-law, how Milt got his nickname. Sonny and I had become good friends through the years because I had seen Milt dozens of times in different incarnations - The Modern Jazz Quartet, The Very Tall Band with Oscar Peterson and Ray Brown, the Milt Jackson Quartet, et al. "It's not just the bags under his eyes," Sonny confided, "it's also for all the bags of dope he was holdin'. And he was always holdin'." That seemed infinitely more plausible to me.

Be-Bop (1988) signed by Milt, Jon Faddis, Jimmy Heath, J.J. Johnson, Mickey Roker, Cedar Walton

Brother Jim (1986) signed by Milt, Bob Cranshaw, Jimmy Heath, Mickey Roker, Cedar Walton

Feelings (1976) signed by Milt, Tommy Flanagan, Hubert Laws, Jerome Richardson

Each time I met Milt, he was kind and generous. His florid style on the vibraphone, voluble and effusive, effortlessly gliding his mallets over the keys with rapid and precise strikes, was in sharp contrast to his off stage demeanor. He was humble, self-effacing and shy. And he signed each album with a simple admonition: "Right On" or "Best of Soul."

Montreux (1975) signed by Milt

The Big 3 (1976) signed by Milt, Ray Brown

The last time I saw him at the Blue Note in November, 1998, Milt was playing a gig with Oscar Peterson and Ray Brown. The reconstituted Very Tall band was recording a live album, a follow up to their 1964 studio release. It was a terrific show and Milt, Ray and Oscar were in fine form. When Sonny brought me backstage, Milt laughed when he saw me. "Oh man, you again. You sure have a lot of albums", he said wearily. "It's not my fault you made all these great albums," I replied. He smiled and he signed and signed, finally, he got so tired, he signed a few without the requisite "Right On" or "Best of Soul." I thanked him for his kindness and said I would be back with another stack of vinyl soon. Unfortunately Milt passed away some ten months later, but what an impressive catalog he left, a jazz discography of peerless taste, style and sophistication.

Milt Jackson, the consummate jazz musician and soloist extraordinaire. Right on. Best of Soul.

In The Beginning (1948 recordings, 1991 release) signed by Milt

The Big Band Vol. 1 (1978) signed by Milt

Choice Milt Jackson Cuts (per BK's request)

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8sBHp4o-FI

"Bag's Groove" - Modern Jazz Quartet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KDCe7X1l04

"Bag's Groove" - with Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCXnH2JhpEk

"I Remember Clifford" - with Benny Golson, Art Farmer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt8QrqdtRt0

"Hallelujah I Love Her So" - with Ray Charles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDYGgicuwFQ

"The Late Late Blues" - with John Coltrane

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5u7TZhL22U

"Round Midnight" - Live Japan 1990

The Complete Milt Jackson (1969) front cover

Back cover signed by Milt

Calexico and The Kirk Five...

Growing up playing jazz when I was in high school, I was really into playing jazz so much...that I got the Louis Armstrong award. It really meant a lot to me. Our high school jazz band won some competition among the other high schools, and we got to play at the Playboy Jazz Festival, where I got to meet Charlie Haden, Jaco Pastorius, Ray Charles’ bass player, and Diana Reeves. It was really cool. It really kind of shaped me growing up, being part of a huge festival with all these heavy jazz musicians. And in jazz, there’s that southern element, that Latin influence, Bossa Nova, Afro-Cuban influence.

               Joey Burns

Spoke (1997) signed by Joey Burns, John Convertino, Jacob Valenzuela, Paul Niehaus

For me, especially, I have this ghost orchestra sitting on my shoulders, which is always in the background. So if I’m laying down something with... John Convertino – and the majority of the songs written are dependent on the two of us in a room, making something up – and those basic tracks are really crucial to the sound and feel and mood. It’s got to have that vibe, it’s got to have some kind of vibe that we can build things on to. Or choose not to build arrangements and instruments on top of. So it kind of varies. It’s a treatment of songs and phrases with the approach of giving things, whether they be lyrics or melodies, space. That’s my approach, and I think it’s John’s too. John comes from a very jazz-oriented background as well... That’s one of the things where I’ve really benefited from working with John... He’s got great aesthetics, he’s really not dialed into listening to latest new indie rock stuff at all. He tends to kind of skirt between some world music, blues, jazz – especially a lot of jazz... since he is a fan of that era of drums as well. And players like Elvin Jones, Max Roach.

               Joey Burns

Hot Rail (2000) Joey Burns, John Convertino, Jacob Valenzuela,

Making a record is like going to a storage locker every now and then, and either dumping off things or picking up something that you've been missing for a while. Then, several months or songs down the road, you have a collection of ideas and you make sense [of them] afterwards.

               Joey Burns

Descamino (2000) signed by Joey Burns, John Convertino, Jacob Valenzuela

I think we float on the periphery and we do these different projects, and our music means different things to different people at different times. I love that. I love the fact that we're not just a one-sided band or style of music. It's got this complexity to it, and we're able to blend where and when needed. It comes from having played a lot of music over the years in different projects and in different situations.

               Joey Burns

Feast Of Wire (2003) signed by Joey Burns, John Convertino, Jacob Valenzuela

Ennio Morricone is a whole other category. His music is really quite exceptional and has been for a really long time. Personally, the music was more attractive than the actual films. I don't know a whole lot of westerns. I know some, but I'm more a fan of the maestro's work. They call him the maestro over there in Italy. He just reminds me to appreciate all those beautiful mistakes, whether it's live or in the studio. That's the approach we take when we go into the studio: Let's just see what we can create without much planning and thought. Let's just throw some shit against the tape machine and see what sticks, rather than try to replicate some demo that we made. As soon as you have demos, it's over. Everybody gets that demo stuck in their minds-- and I'm guilty of it, too-- you get it stuck in your mind and you can't let it go. Our demos are our albums. That's how we've been doing it for a while now.

               Joey Burns

Toolbox (2007) signed by Joey Burns,John Convertino, Jacob Valenzuela

Formed by Joey Burns and John Convertino in 1997, Calexico is one of my favorite bands in any genre. Fortunately, they inhabit and transcend almost all genres. Named after the California town that borders Mexico, Calexico's wide, musical palettes are desert washed, sepia tones flecked with country, folk, jazz, mariachi, punk, and even spaghetti western, a seamlessly stirred sonic stew. The two principals, Joey Burns, classically trained on double bass at University of California-Irvine, and drummer John Convertino, met in 1990 and John suggested they join forces to complete the rhythm section in Howe Gelb's Giant Sand. Joey left school, relocated to Tucson and toured extensively with Giant Sand over the next several years. Next came a brief stint fronting the aptly named Friends Of Dean Martinez, a Southwestern spin on electronica with lounge instrumentals of original songs and pop kitsch covers of "I Will Wait For You", "Misty" and "The Shadow Of Your Smile."

Garden Ruin (2006) signed by Joey Burns; John Convertino, Jacob Valenzuela, Paul Niehaus

During this time, Joey and John became a sought after rhythm section and they did studio work for indie rock mavens Richard Buckner, Neko Case, and Barbara Manning. Recently, they have done studio work with artists as diverse as Arcade Fire, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Iron & Wine, Roger McGuinn of The Byrds, Willie Nelson and Nancy Sinatra. Yes, even Ol' Blue Eyes' daughter has recorded under their rapturous spell! The duo released Spoke in 1997, and subsequently, they have issued more than twenty-five studio albums, EPs, tour CDs and soundtracks in their burgeoning discography which reflect their insatiable appetites as music omnivores. Whether covering the 1960s psychedelia of Love's "Alone Again, Or", the Los Angeles speed metal of The Minutemen's "Corona", the traditional folk of "All The Pretty Horses", the industrial doom of Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart", or the English chamber folk genius of Nick Drake's "Clothes Of Sand", Calexico puts their irrepressible stamp and transforms these songs with their musicality and irresistible South West swagger.

Carried To Dust (2008) signed by Joey Burns, John Convertino, Volker Zander

The original songs and instrumentals of Calexico have an evocative and cinematic feel, so it's not surprising that the band and their music have appeared in the film Collateral in 2004 with Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx, the ruminative Bob Dylan centered film treatment I'm Not There, starring Kate Blanchet, Richard Gere, and Heath Ledger, and scored the documentary Circo in 2010 and The Guard in 2011, a film starring Don Cheadle. In a recent interview, Joey delineated between the different mediums: "The music business has its one dimension: It's about putting out records. It can be sleazy at times, it can be exhausting, but the film business is just plain crazy. You really have to be demented and just crazy, overly passionate, and drink lots of caffeine or something. It's a lot of hours and hoops to jump through, but I love it. I love movies, and I love music in films." Calexico's music has also appeared on the (not so) small screen in the television series Breaking Bad ("Banderilla") and The Sopranos ("Minas de Cobra"). As Joey Burns wryly observed, "It's interesting to hear a song that you've written pop up as background, while Tony Soprano does psychedelics with some young girl in the desert." So far, Calexico has amassed thirty-eight credits according to their IMDb filmography, an impressive oeuvre, which reflects their curiosity, industriousness and indefatigable work ethic. Joey noted, "We don't really count on any one thing as the be-all-end-all, not so much for the monetary aspect but more for the creative fuel it gives you. The satisfaction of working on different things with different people. I do a lot of jobs...I guess you could call it work, but I don't charge people. I just like getting involved." Oh, they get involved, especially on stage and in concert.

He Lays In The Reins (2005) signed by Joey Burns, John Convertino,, Jacob Valenzuela, Sam Beam, Paul Niehaus, Martin Wenk

They are a riveting live act. "Some of the guys who have been playing with us for ten years, it drives them crazy when they hear 'the part-time members' or 'the added musicians.' These guys-- Martin Wenk, Volker Zander, Jacob Valenzuela, and all-- are a huge part of what we do," Joey admitted, "They make it that much easier to get these ideas on record, take them out on the road, and transform them live. That's my favorite part-- taking that studio version and asking, 'What can we do to make it work in a live setting?' For me, it's night and day. We're playing a studio and it's very quiet and studious. It's like a library, with all these instruments lined up against the wall and they're staring at you saying, 'Play me! Over here! Don't forget the banjolin!' 'Next record, I promise.' " No, there are no library cards needed or accepted at a Calexico concert. Seven (sometimes more) gifted musicians perform their unique sound led by the virtuoso multi-instrumentalists Joey Burns - skilled on guitar, bass, double bass, accordion, cello, organ, mandolin, banjo, vibraphone, melodica - and John Convertino - equally dexterous on drums, percussion, accordion, piano and vibraphone. In fact, I'm not sure that either musician is not adept at any instrument, their talents are so vast. Band member and bassist Volker Zander once told me after a show, "Joey can play anything. He is always showing me new and interesting instruments to play. In the studio, he plays everything so well that he doesn't really need me, or anyone."

Years To Burn (2019) signed by Joey Burns, John Convertino, Jacob Valenzuela, Sam Beam

Erin and I have seen some memorable Calexico shows over the past fifteen years: the Allen Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center with its floor to ceiling windows and the gorgeous back drop of Columbus Circle amid the swirling bustle of New York City below, the Webster Ballroom in New York City, an historic venue where Sinatra recorded bobby soxer bliss in the 1950s, and the fabled Fillmore West in San Francisco. Probably the most memorable Calexico concert we saw was at the Tarrytown Music Hall in Tarrytown, New York on November 15, 2008. The Tarrytown Music Hall, opened in 1886 with maybe nine-hundred seats, is one of the oldest theaters in the United States. Renowned for its acoustics, artists as myriad (and old) as Antonin Dvorak, B.B. King, Sonny Rollins, Mae West and even Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt have graced its hallowed stage.

Travelall (2000) signed by Joey Burns, John Convertino, Jacob Valenzuela

Erin and I decided to take our kids, Kendall (eleven), Brendan (nine), and Camryn (seven), to expose and extend their musical education. We had dinner at a local Tarrytown restaurant and then enjoyed a short, brisk walk to the theater. Along the way, we noticed a bus parked near the back of the theater. We went over for a closer inspection, and I handed Kendall a Calexico album and told her to knock on the bus door. Usually, we don't pimp our kids to get autographs (although it did work beautifully with reggae icon Frederick "Toots" Hibbert of Toots & The Maytals fame a year or two earlier) but Kendall was more than equal to the task. She knocked resolutely on the door, and Volker Zander answered. "Can you sign my album?" came her firm request. "Why yes, I would be happy to," said Volker as he signed a couple of records. After introductions were made to Brendan and Camryn, Volker asked, "Would you like to meet the rest of the band?" 'Yes, if it's not too much trouble. We don't want to be disruptive,' I offered. "No, it's no problem at all, follow me," was Volker's generous reply. So we went with Volker to the back stage door, he opened it, and he introduced us to Joey, John, Jacob and the entire band as they were milling about. There was no Guns 'n' Roses bacchanalia in evidence, just thoughtful musicians in preparation for a creative musical experience. We exchanged pleasantries and they could not have been more gracious as they signed the vinyl.

The Edge Of The Sun (2015) Joey Burns, John Convertino, Jacob Valenzuela

I told Joey that Erin and I had seen them perform with Iron & Wine and Sufjan Stevens at the Webster Ballroom in 2005, and I loved their version of the Velvet Underground's "All Tomorrow's Parties", 'Milt Jackson meets Lou Reed in the desert!' I exclaimed, 'You need to record that.' Joey laughed, "Yes, that's a great song. We had a lot of fun touring with Sam (Beam). He is a great songwriter, a great musician and a good friend." I talked with John Convertino about their remarkable performance at the Allen Room, part of Jazz At Lincoln Center's acclaimed American Songbook series. John and Joey appeared on stage and played "Convict Pool" as a duo with Joey on nylon string classical guitar and John only using his mallets on drums. It was a stunning performance as they played songs throughout their impressive discography, which culminated with over fifteen musicians on the stage for the encores, including the horn section from indie wunderkind band Beirut. I told John that I heard a lot of jazz in his percussion, his use of brushes, cymbals and mallets were unusual for a rock drummer. "Thank you. I listen to a lot of jazz. My heroes are Elvin Jones and Max Roach. I will never forget when I saw Elvin, he was amazing," John confided. 'Yes, I saw Elvin a bunch over the years. Was the band wearing Elvin Jones Drum Machine t-shirts?' I asked. "Yes, they were," he laughed.  'That always cracked me up, grown-ass men, phenomenal musicians wearing matching t-shirts on stage, like they were in an elementary school band. I never quite understood that,' I said. I also mentioned that I heard jazz drummer Billy Higgins in John’s cymbal work. "Oh, that's high praise, thank you. I don't know if I can accept that. Billy is another of my heroes." We thanked them for their time and generosity, and as we were leaving, I told Volker that Brendan was studying bass and was taking lessons. "Oh, that's great, after the show, you'll have to join us on stage. I'll let you play mine." 'Well, we're sitting in the third row, so it will be easy to find you,' was my casual and offhand rejoinder.

The Tthread That Keeps Us (2018) signed by Joey Burns, John Convertino, Jacob Valenzuela

We found our seats and the show did not disappoint. Calexico never does. Their performance was mesmerizing as the skilled musicians were able to traverse all the music food groups, from folk to punk to jazz to country to mariachi to rock and roll, and back again, all within two hours. It was quite the musical journey, and my kids really enjoyed the show. As the show ended, Erin said, "What do you think? Should we go on stage to see Volker?" 'I don't know, they were so kind to us before the show, maybe we should just leave them alone. Besides, the kids have to go the the bathroom.' So I took Brendan to the men's room (no line!) and Erin took the girls to the women's room (big line!). As Brendan and I left the bathroom near the theater entrance, Volker came bounding up the aisle towards us. "Hey, did you like the show? Do you want to go onstage before they break down everything?" I looked for Erin and the girls but I didn't see them, 'Yes, we would love to,' so Brendan and I followed Volker to the stage where he gave Brendan his bass and plugged it in. Just then, Brendan hit a massive chord which resonated throughout the theater. You could feel the power and electricity surge. The few remaining patrons turned around to see if there was going to be a stealth encore. Brendan flashed a huge smile and Volker sensibly turned the amp volume down from eleven to two. Fortunately, Erin heard the bass throbbing deep in the back of the theater. She looked to the stage, saw a small boy in a Red Sox jacket cradling the bass, and now, Erin, Camryn and Kendall quickly joined us on stage. It was time to play the vibraphone with John Convertino. The roadies were none too pleased, the breakdown of the equipment would have to wait, as The Kirk Five were now exploring sounds with Calexico. John gave instructions to Kendall and Camryn, handed them the mallets and soon they were playing the vibraphone and making a joyful noise. It was an extraordinary night of music with an extraordinary group of musicians, and if we didn't have pictures, I don't think I would have believed that it had happened. I still don't quite believe it... perhaps it was just a dream?!

Fillmore June 16&17, 2006 signed by Joey Burns, John Convertino, Jacob Valenzuela

Thank you Calexico for your music and kindness, especially Volker Zander and John Convertino for their incredible generosity and grace.

Brendan playing Volker’s bass

Tarrytown Music Hall, November 15, 2008

Volker Zander and Brendan…bass buddies for life!

John Convertino turns on the vibes, Kendall and Camryn ready to play!

Vibing with Volker Zander, Kendall, Camryn, Brendan on Tarrytown Music Hall stage

Choice Calexico Cuts (per BKs request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22lWrq1-XEE"Alone Again, Or"  Calexico covers Arthur Lee's Love,  Austin City Limits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFvTYwY9xBE"Minas de Cobre"  with Radio Symphonieorchester Wien, Vienna 2012

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN1ilMsJc3Y"Crystal Frontier"  with Mariachi Luz de Luna  Barbican  2004

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4ZAOEpqt7Q"All Tomorrow's Parties"  with Iron & Wine Triple Door, Seattle 2005Milt Jackson meets Velvet Underground and Lou Reed in the desert!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iytkbMbahvY"All The Pretty Horses"  Aerocalexico  2001

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Jd2cdU4fA4"Dead Man's Will"  In The Reins  with Iron & Wine  2005

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEhFUm5qy1w&list=RDSEhFUm5qy1w"Love Will Tear Us Apart"  Joy Division cover

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4qRv65sGq8"Burnin' Down The Spark"  Nancy Sinatra sings, Calexico swings!  2004

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpvchnmUdIQ"Guero Canelo" from Collateral  2004

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHheS6jQ9Mk"Guero Canelo"  Newport Folk Festival  2008

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPeRVfbsHbQ

"Convict Pool"  Convict Pool  2004

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIcBSKMToIU

"Across The Wire"  with Mariachi Luz de Luna  Barbican  2004

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiZT1IU4rrU

"Stray"  with Takim   Lizard Sound Sessions   2014

American Songbook Program February 1, 2007 Allen Room, Jazz At Lincoln Center, New York City

Calexico 2022 Fall Tour Poster signed by Joey Burns, John Convertino

Calexico and Los Lobos, The Fillmore, San Francisco 2006, signed by Joey Burns, John Convertino

McCoy Tyner and Me...

I don’t want to sound overly poetic, but you do feel cleansed when you’re done playing. I pay homage to the Creator for what he has given me and all of us. But I’m not preaching. If people hear things in my music and identify with them, that’s good! The music speaks for itself.

               McCoy Tyner

The Real McCoy (1967) signed by McCoy, Ron Carter, Elvin Jones

Nights Of Ballads & Blues (1963) signed by McCoy

He also gets a very personal sound from his instrument, and because of the clusters he uses and the way he voices them, that sound is brighter than what would normally be expected from most of the chord patterns he plays...... McCoy doesn't fall into conventional grooves, and he has taste. He can take anything, no matter how weird, and make it beautiful.

               John Coltrane

My Favorite Things (1961) signed by McCoy, Elvin Jones

Coltrane Jazz (1962) signed by McCoy, Elvin Jones

Well, John (Coltrane) used to come over my house. We had mutual friends. I remember when he was working on different chordal progressions, like “Giant Steps,” he would come over to my house and show me what he was doing. I was really young at the time, but I think he knew even then that he wanted me to be in his band eventually. I would try to internalize the concepts he was working on, and by the time he hired me for his band, I was ready.

               McCoy Tyner

Meet The Jazztet (1959) signed by McCoy, Art Farmer, Curtis Fuller, Benny Golson

One of McCoy Tyner's first album appearances is on Meet The Jazztet, a 1959 super group which features the formidable front line of Art Farmer on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone and Benny Golson on tenor saxophone. Meet The Jazztet is a seminal jazz recording with classics like "I Remember Clifford", "Easy Living" and "Killer Joe", a bluesy funk with a rare Benny Golson spoken word intro. It is an auspicious debut for the twenty year old McCoy Tyner who displays his already impressive piano chops.

Blues For Coltrane (1987) signed by McCoy, Roy Haynes, Pharaoh Sanders, Cecil McBee

After recording and touring with The Jazztet for nine months, McCoy left to join the John Coltrane Quartet. From 1960-1965, they would release some of the most important albums in the jazz canon, including My Favorite Things (1961),  Coltrane Jazz (1961), Coltrane (1962), John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (1963), and A Love Supreme (1965). McCoy and John were compatible, as Trane's sheets of notes flooded his saxophone and matched McCoy's percussive and thunderous piano runs. Meanwhile, Jimmy Garrison or Steve Davis dropped sturdy bass lines and Elvin Jones pounded ferocious time. As McCoy once said with characteristic modesty, "I think we all inspired each other. John was the leader of the group, but he was a very humble person. Being in that band was an incredible experience."

McCoy then launched a solo career which continues to this day. He has released more than eighty albums as a leader, and appeared on hundreds more as a sideman in sessions with other jazz icons like Art Blakey, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, J.J. Johnson, and Wayne Shorter. McCoy has led trios, quartets, quintets and even big bands during his lengthy and adventurous career. One of his most recent collaborations, Guitars (2008), features performances with an eclectic mix of stringed masters: Marc Ribot, Bela Fleck, Bill Frisell, and Derek Trucks, anchored by the bass of Ron Carter and drums of Jack DeJohnette.

Major Changes (1985) signed by McCoy, Frank Morgan, Avery Sharpe, Louis Hayes

Easy Walker (1966) signed by McCoy, Stanley Turrentine

I saw McCoy perform dozens of times through the years, mostly at intimate clubs like The Blue Note and The Iridium in New York City, and Blues Alley in Washington, DC. McCoy was always accessible, a simple knock on the dressing room door was answered and I was afforded a quick entrance. I was careful not to overwhelm McCoy with his entire discography, so I would select a couple of my favorites for his signature each time I saw him. After all, even an insatiable autograph hound must exercise some discipline and discretion. As captivating and spell binding as McCoy was on stage, he was equally humble and self-effacing off stage. When he saw his first album cover, Meet The Jazztet, he laughed. "Look at me, I have my short pants on. Benny (Golson) and Art (Farmer) used to tease me. They said I was so young, I was still wearing short pants!" He was reflective when he signed the Coltrane albums. "We had some great times playing and we recorded some wonderful music."  Yes they did.

Today And Tomorrow (1963) signed by McCoy, Elvin Jones

McCoy was once asked about his early influences. He said, "My mother gave me a choice. She said, 'Would you like to take singing lessons or piano?' I'm glad I chose piano." Thank you Mrs. Tyner, the jazz and music world are so much richer for your guidance and instruction.

McCoy Tyner Plays Duke Ellington (1964) signed by McCoy

Great Moments (1981 Release, 1962-64 recordings) signed by McCoy

Song Of The World (1973) signed by McCoy

Expansions (1968) signed by McCoy, Gary Bartz

The Greeting (1978) signed by McCoy

Choice McCoy Tyner Cuts (per BKs request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH3JpqhpkXg

“My Favorite Things” live with John Coltrane, Reggie Workman, Elvin Jones 1961

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKib8EXXbD4

“My Favorite Things” Echoes Of A Friend 1972

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73VczRfu9Kg

“Passion Dance” The Real McCoy 1967

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoSj2UBeJGo

“Afro Blue” live Jazz Casual 1963

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frYLvC0mM50

“When Sunny Gets Blue” Today and Tomorrow 1963

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9N4Vjrb0e8

“Goodbye” Reaching Fourth 1963

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AFtnJv5Tac

“Asante” Asante 1970

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5yOk9A7K6s

“Sahara” Sahara 1972

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmesZCr_IcQ

“Autumn Leaves” Today and Tomorrow 1963

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0hpxmtnt4k

“Round Midnight” Night Of Ballads And Blues 1963

Inception (1962) front cover, silver pen didn’t work!

Inception (1962) back cover signed by McCoy

It’s About Time (1985) signed by McCoy, Jackie McLean, Al Foster

Just Feelin’ (1985) signed by McCoy

Uptown/Downtown (1988) signed by McCoy

Sonny Rollins, Kendall, Brendan, Camryn, Erin and Me...

I began to hang out with Sonny Rollins and his Sugar Hill Harlem crowd…anyway, Sonny had a big reputation among a lot of the younger musicians in Harlem. People loved Sonny Rollins up in Harlem and everywhere else. He was a legend, almost a god to a lot of the younger musicians. Some thought he was playing the saxophone on the level of Bird. I know one thing–he was close. He was an aggressive, innovative player who always had fresh musical ideas. I loved him back then as a player and he could also write his ass off…

               Miles Davis

Saxophone Colossus (1956) signed by Sonny, Tommy Flanagan, Max Roach

It was just another record date, you know? It wasn’t one of my first dates as a leader, so it didn’t have any particular significance. Of course, I had great musicians on that record, and with great musicians the music was always paramount-trying to make it the highest quality. But other than that there was no reflection at that time about that album, or even later.

Sonny Rollins

Sonny Rollins And The Modern Jazz Quartet (1953) signed by Sonny, John Lewis, Milt Jackson, Percy Heath

When Sonny recorded “Wail” and “Dance of the Infidels” with Bud, I don’t think he was more than 17 or 18. But that’s how great he was then. I mean, he caused some guys to, you know, crash. Like, Andy Kirk Jr., a good tenor player. Sonny caused him to quit. If you didn’t have whatever it takes to keep going or forging ahead:  Sonny was so great, man, that it was frightening. To all of his peers, even Bird would talk about Sonny like he was one of the cats from his era in terms of his ability.

               alto saxophonist Jackie McLean

Work Time (1955) signed by Sonny, Ray Bryant, Max Roach

One very important thing I learned from Monk was his complete dedication to music. That was his reason for being alive. Nothing else mattered except music, really.

Sonny Rollins

Thelonious Monk & Sonny Rollins (1955) signed by Sonny “Kendall from Me”

 When I played with Coltrane, I had the impression — and back then it was true — that I was much more popular than him. I remember what Kamasi Washington said about “Tenor Madness”: “Sonny, you weren’t even really playing.” I wasn’t really playing. Coltrane was playing. I was only playing halfway, because I thought that I was the guy and that Coltrane was this young whippersnapper. That was my mind-set. It was immature… I don’t want people to think that I’m saying, “Oh, wow, I could have played much better,” but that’s the story of “Tenor Madness.” My attitude on it wasn’t right.

Sonny Rollins

Tenor Madness (1956) signed by Sonny “Love To You All”

Well, he (Coleman Hawkins) was primarily my main idol when I first really got into him around 1939. But I'm happy to say that all of the people that I encountered, the older guys, they were all wonderful mentors for me. All these guys. J. J. Johnson, the trombone player. Oscar Pettiford, the bass player. Max Roach, the drummer. Of course, Thelonious Monk, piano. So all of these guys, they all showed me. They all mentored me. I really learned a lot from being around them.

Sonny Rollins

Rollins Plays For Bird (1956) signed by Sonny, Max Roach

I can hear music that elevates me, but on the other hand there’s martial music that’s made to make people go to war. So music is neutral. It has nothing to do with ethics. Music is not on the same level as trying to understand life. We’re here for 80-something years. One lifetime is not enough to get it right. I’ll be back in another body. I’m not interested in trying to get that technical about that because I don’t need to know. What I need to know is that being a person who understands that giving is better than getting is the proper way to live. Live your life now in a positive way. Help people if you can. Don’t hurt people. That works perfectly for me, man.

Sonny Rollins

Sonny Rollins Vol. 1 (1956) signed by Sonny, Donald Byrd, Max Roach

I was fortunate to play with great piano players in my time. However, I felt that I could concentrate on my own stream of thought better without a pianist. I just wanted to not be led — it's hard not to be led by a piano. ... In my playing, I always felt more free, to be able to go places my mind took me, without having a piano say, "Hey man, go from this chord. Go to the fourth there. Go to the seventh there." Which is good, I mean — it's nothing wrong with that. But I felt freer, just going there myself. And when I have a great bass player, like yourself, and a great drummer, that's all I need. I need the rhythm and the rest of it, I wanted to be free to hear whatever was there to be heard.

Sonny Rollins on his piano-less trio innovation

Sonny Rollins Vol. 2 (1957) signed by Sonny, J.J. Johnson, Horace Silver

Prestige was a label with an office on the west side of Manhattan run by a good guy called Bob Weinstock and his irascible father – someone who didn't care much about jazz, or the musicians. He could just as easily have been selling shoes. But jazz has always needed those little independent labels. They've often been run by fans like Weinstock, jazz enthusiasts with a bit of money from somewhere, who had the means to get their idols recorded. A lot of recordings that have stood the test of time wouldn't have happened without them.

Sonny Rollins on Prestige Records

A Night At The Village Vanguard (1957) signed by Sonny “To Brendan”

Theodore "Sonny" Rollins' career was almost derailed by drugs, and in 1950, he served ten months in Rikers Island for armed robbery. Sonny was released until he violated his parole with heroin possession in 1952 and he was sent to the Lexington Medical Center in Lexington, KY, the only federal medical facility at that time which dealt with drug addicts. Signing up for an experimental methadone program, Sonny was able to kick his heroin addiction.

Clifford Brown And Max Roach At Basin Street (1956) signed by Sonny, Max Roach

Fortunately, Sonny joined the Clifford Brown-Max Roach Quintet in 1955. Clifford Brown was a clean living trumpet player and composer who eschewed the drug addled lifestyle made popular by Charlie Parker. As Sonny said later, "Clifford was a profound influence on my personal life. He showed me that it was possible to live a good, clean life and still be a good jazz musician." They toured for a year and recorded Clifford Brown And Max Roach At Basin Street (1956) and Sonny Rollins Plus Four (1956). The quintet was well on its way to jazz dominance when Clifford and pianist Richie Powell died tragically in a car accident on a rain soaked anaconda of a two lane highway, or the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Max Roach +4 (1956) signed by Max

Since 1956, Sonny has embarked on a solo career, and he has released more than eighty albums as a leader with some of the best jazz artists and compositions. An awe inspiring soloist, his concerts became legendary feats of sheer athleticism as notes cascaded out of Sonny's horn in torrents. His skills were partly honed during his sabbatical (1959-1961) when he would practice on the Williamsburg Bridge, near his home on the lower East Side of Manhattan, because he didn't want to disturb his neighbor, an expectant mother. So Sonny stayed on the bridge, practicing and woodshedding for almost two years. As he explained, “I am always happy to be practicing. Period. I enjoy just playing my horn and going into the type of meditation that playing involves. It puts me mentally in a place that is always transcendent and above real life. I love playing just for myself. It’s a great experience.”

Way Out West (19657) signed by Sonny “My Good Friends In Jazz”

The first time I saw Sonny was at Blues Alley in 1985 in Washington DC, a tiny venue with maybe one hundred-fifty seats. Sonny was a commanding presence and his sound was full, rich and powerful. After the show, he signed a couple of my favorite albums, including Saxophone Colossus (1956) and Way Out West (1957) which depicted Sonny in full cowboy attire in the Mojave desert. According to the album liner notes, it was Sonny's idea to celebrate his first trip out west with an outfit which included a Stetson, holster, and horn (instead of a pistol). It is an iconic shot by noted jazz photographer William Claxton. The recording session started at 3am and finished around 8am to accommodate drummer Shelly Manne and bassist Ray Brown's rigorous recording session schedules. A trio format, it was the first time Sonny played with Ray and Shelly, and they played mostly old western songs like Johnny Mercer's "I'm An Old Cowhand" and Roy Rogers' "Wagon Wheels."  Sonny's genius was to transform loping, throwaway western pop into hard bop improvisatory tour de forces. They are remarkable performances.

Way Out West (1957) signed by Sonny, Ray Brown

Sonny was always kind when I met him and he was always happy to sign albums. I had read where he had stalked his hero Coleman Hawkins for autographs when he was young, so I believed we were kindred spirits. Sonny once said, "There was a great photographer named James J. Kriegsmann, who used to make these pictures of musicians, and he made a beautiful picture of Coleman. So I had my 8-by-10, and I knew where he lived, up on 153rd street, and one day I knew when he was coming home. He signed my autograph. I was 13 or 14. I was a real pest, as a young guy. It's sort of embarrassing to think about it now." Evidently, I don't suffer from the same pangs of conscience as Sonny so I remain rather shameless.

When he signed his Blue Note debut from 1957, Sonny inscribed it on the side, so I had Donald Byrd and Max Roach sign it the same way. I certainly was not going to quibble with Sonny! In some ways, this was a perfect metaphor for Sonny and his music, always laying out, taking us places we’ve never been.

The Sound Of Sonny (1957) signed by Sonny, Roy Haynes, Percy Heath

The last time I saw Sonny was at "A Benefit Concert For Clearwater", December 6, 2009 at The Tarrytown Music Hall. As my birthday present, Erin and I brought our three children, Kendall (12), Brendan (10) and Camryn (8) to see the "Saxophone Colossus." We were excited to expose our children to a legendary jazz artist whom we had seen many times over the years. The kids dressed up to meet Sonny: the girls wore their favorite dresses and Brendan wore his favorite Rolling Stones t shirt (his transition to Kanye, Kendrick and Chance was just beginning). It was a great performance and we enjoyed Sonny's (still) formidable chops. His band included his nephew, trombonist Clifton Anderson, and bassist Bob Cranshaw, an old friend and Sonny's rhythm of choice for the past fifty years. After the show, we visited with Sonny. He was particularly kind with my children and he signed and personalized an album to each of them. My favorite inscription reads, "Camryn, Stay lovely and nice to your parents!!" Words, respect, and truth from an unforgettable performer and philosopher!

Don’t Stop The Carnival (1978) signed by Sonny “Camryn Stay Lovely And Nice To Your Parents”

Sonny Rollins, a seminal jazz artist and a beautiful man, it's not many who can claim recording with Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Thelonious Monk, and the Rolling Stones. Yes, that's Sonny's wailing (and uncredited) sax solo on Tattoo You 's "Waiting On A Friend."

Saxophone Colossus indeed.

Sonny with Brendan, Kendall,and Camryn Tarrytown Music Hall 12.06.09

Sonny with Bob Cranshaw friends for fifty+ years Tarrytown Music Hall 12.06.09

Sonny Rollins and his band Tarrytown Music Hall 12.06.09

Choice Sonny Rollins Cuts (per BKs request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2XIWZxMKM

“St. Thomas” Saxophone Colossus 1956

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MkUvZUTFUc

“Tenor Madness” with John Coltrane 1956

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6BAN0zM0X4

“Alfie’s Theme” Alfie 1965

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nDCHEhabrs

“Don’t Stop The Carnival” live 1975

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlatJOsLhPA

“I’m An Old Cow Hand” Way Out West 1957

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58zINMduvt0

“I’ve Got You Under My Skin” A Night At The Village Vanguard 1957

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuZ8CYg0hKM

“Moritat” (Mack The Knife) Saxophone Colossus 1956

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hP3snBSzYU

“Without A Song” The Bridge 1962

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVjakWUFY7g

“The Way You Look Tonight” with Thelonious Monk 1954

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pse9wHphsPI

“Oleo” Trio In Stockholm 1959

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS0IjqOt-E8

“Why Don’t I” Volume 2. 1957

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TDS-s-GQ4I

“Love Letters” live in Sweden 1959

Bonus Pick:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYSTlwf2_XM

“Waiting On A Friend” The Rolling Stones with an uncredited Sonny Rollins

Sonny Rollins wailing at Tarrytown Music Hall 12.06.09

Sonny Rollins and his nephew Clifton Anderson Tarrytown Music Hall 12.06.09

Art Farmer and Me...

I started off studying the piano, because that’s the first instrument that I ever heard. My mother used to play the piano with her father’s church choir. At that time, it was very customary to have a piano in the house, and someone played it. There were a lot of music students in our family, and it just seemed the natural thing to take piano lessons. Then after that, when we were living in Phoenix, Arizona, a man gave me a violin, and I studied that for a couple of years. Then I switched from the violin to the bass tuba. I was playing with a marching band that was part of a church organization in Phoenix. I heard some of the older guys in the band jamming around one day, and I wanted to play a horn, but the only horn available was the tuba.

               Art Farmer

The Art Farmer Septet (1954) signed by Art

Louis Armstrong was the well where you go to for the water. You know, he was the source. And if somebody could come along and say as much as Miles said, and you couldn’t hear Louis Armstrong in it, that was really a miracle to me. I’m certainly not putting down Louis Armstrong. As I said, I haven’t heard anything greater than Louis Armstrong, nothing as far as an individual instrument. The emotion that he could get out of that horn, there’s nothing around like that.

               Art Farmer on Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis

Art Farmer Quintet (1955) signed by Art

You listen to everyone, and you try to get some of their quality. I certainly listened a whole lot to saxophone players — Johnny Hodges and Charlie Parker and Ben Webster and Lester Young — for dynamics and for phrasing, and just getting around the music. The last thing a person should do is just listen to their own instrument, because that limits you so much. It’s just unnecessary to put yourself in a situation where you’re dealing with that kind of limitation. It’s like you’re just listening to half of the world…you’re just saying, 'I don’t want to know anything else.' There’s no point in that.

               Art Farmer

When Farmer Met Gryce (1955) signed by Art

The flumpet? I hate that name, but I'm stuck with it! That was made by a trumpet-maker named David Monette, who makes trumpets for a lot of very fine trumpet players, such as Wynton Marsalis and the principal players for the Boston Symphony and the Chicago Symphony. I asked him to make me a trumpet and he made it. It was very fine and I started really working on the trumpet. Then he got the idea that it really didn't sound like me, but he wanted to make a flugelhorn for me. So I told him to go ahead and do it. Then he called up one day and he said, "Well, I made it very carefully and put every part in order, made it by hand, but it sounds like hell, and I really don't like it. But I have another idea." So I told him to go ahead and make it. Then a couple of months later, he called and said, "It's ready." I went to Chicago, where I was booked, and he brought it to the gig. Right from the start, it sounded like the answer to my prayers. You could go one way or the other on it. You could approximate the warmth of the flugelhorn, or you could approximate the projection of the trumpet. If you really wanted to put a note out there, you could do it, and if you wanted to be more intimate, you could do that also.            

               Art Farmer on the origin of the 'flumpet'

2 Trumpets (1956) signed by Art, Donald Byrd, Barry Harris, Jackie McLean

Born in 1928 in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Art Farmer was raised in Phoenix, Arizona, a neglected jazz outpost in the 1940s. As he recalled, "A lot of bands didn't come through Phoenix. Phoenix was a relatively small town. Billy Eckstine never came through, Earl Hines never came through, Duke Ellington never came through, nor Count Basie. But I certainly remember the ones that did come through. When I heard Jimmie Lunceford's trumpet section, well, I knew what my life was going to be instantly." And what a wonderful life in jazz ensued!

The Jazz Soul Of Porgy & Bess (1959) signed by Art, Herbie Powell, Harry “Sweets” Edison

An acclaimed band leader, composer, innovator, and trumpeter, Art Farmer released more than sixty albums as a leader, and appeared on hundreds more as a session player, alongside jazz icons, Donald Byrd, Benny Carter, Lionel Hampton, and Sonny Rollins. But first, Art had to get out of Phoenix. Despite his mother's reservations about her twin boys leaving home at age sixteen, Art headed west to Los Angeles with his brother Addison before they graduated from high school.

On The Road (1976) signed by Art

Art remembered, "We actually went there supposedly on a vacation. We had had our little day jobs and saved our money, and we went over to Los Angeles for a couple of weeks. But the music scene was so alive on Central Avenue in Los Angeles, and we heard so many people, it just seemed senseless to go back to Arizona. So we decided to stay there and finish our high school there, and support ourselves by whatever means were possible. You could just walk up the street and go from one club to the other. Within an area of about 20 blocks there would be like five or six clubs. These clubs were forced to close by one o’clock because of wartime restrictions, but then there were some other clubs that would open up. I don’t think they were quite legal, but they got away with it some way. They would open up when the first clubs closed, and they would stay open until maybe six or seven o’clock in the morning." It was heady stuff for teenagers, and Art and brother Addison were committed to making a name for themselves in music, and they did.

To Duke With Love (1975) signed by Art, Billy Higgins, Cedar Walton

The Summer Knows (1976) signed by Art, Billy Higgins, Cedar Walton

Whether performing in bands led by Johnny Otis, Jay McShann, and Benny Carter, or participating in Central Avenue jam sessions, Art worked on his technique, with its warm, lovely and lyrical phrasing. He said, "I decided to work on sound, because it seemed like most of the guys my age were just working on speed." Art wisely straddled both swing and bebop. A flurry of frenetic notes was never his primary aim or skill, Art was adept at swing, especially on ruminative ballads. His education continued when he joined the Lionel Hampton Orchestra for a European tour, "The music wasn't easy. I was lucky to be there, and the more experienced sidemen were very helpful. That's one thing about the music business...when people see that you're serious about learning, well, then, they'll bend over backwards to give you a helping hand. That's what keeps the music alive, I think." When Art returned, he moved to New York City, and his recording career began in earnest in 1953.

Meet The Jazztet (1960) signed by Art, Benny Golson, McCoy Tyner, Curtis Fuller

Thirteen albums quickly followed until Art joined his musical soul mate, Benny Golson, and they formed The Jazztet in 1959. Their first recording, Meet The Jazztet, featured a nineteen year old wunderkind, pianist McCoy Tyner and the great trombonist Curtis Fuller. Benny Golson was the principal songwriter and "I Remember Clifford", "Blues March" and "Killer Joe" became essential Golson jazz standards. Art remarked, "The thing that really attracted me to Benny was the warmth of his ensemble writing. That was one of the things that you could hear in The Jazztet. With three horns, you could get a certain depth that you couldn't get with two horns. Nobody was writing for three horns until Benny came along and started writing for The Jazztet." A fruitful and enduring partnership, Benny and Art released twelve albums as The Jazztet with Curtis Fuller, and they recorded and toured sporadically for the next twenty-six years.

Another Git Together (1962) signed by Art, Benny Golson, Harold Mabern

From 1962 on, Art concentrated on the flugelhorn (and later, the flumpet!). Less taxing on the embouchure and easier to play, the flugelhorn afforded a warm, burnished sound with a fatter timbre. Art explained, "In certain rooms, the trumpet sounded very brassy and piercing, and it just didn't blend in the way I wanted it to do. I remembered that I had heard some other people like Clark Terry playing the flugelhorn, and I had heard a recording that Miles Davis had done playing the flugelhorn, and I felt I should give it a try." It remained a powerful weapon in Art's music arsenal.

From Vienna With Art (1970) signed by Art, Jimmy Heath, Jimmy Woode

By 1968, as social unrest abounded and rock music eclipsed jazz, Art moved to Vienna, joined the Austrian Radio Orchestra and jammed with other expatriates Dexter Gordon, Don Byas, Ben Webster and Johnny Griffin. As he wryly observed, "There were more of them over there than over here at that time." Art would remain in Vienna until the early 1980s when he became a fixture again at New York City jazz clubs, the Blue Note, Sweet Basil, and the Village Vanguard, and he kept residences in New York and Vienna until his death in 1999.

Back To The City (1986) signed by Art, Benny Golson, Curtis Fuller

Erin and I saw The Jazztet perform in the early 1980s in Washington, DC, and we saw Art many times with his quartet in jazz clubs in New York City. He was always kind and generous, if a little weary and taciturn off stage. There was a palpable sadness as Art peered at me through his doleful eyes as he looked at his albums. I couldn't help but wonder if the tragic loss of his identical twin brother (accomplished bassist and Jazztet member) Addison to a cerebral hemorrhage thirty years earlier had left a searing memory. I never asked him directly, but there seemed an unspoken, profound loss. Perhaps that's why Art excelled playing blues and ballads, he came by his wistful melancholy deeply. He signed the vinyl with nary a comment, happy to inscribe, little to say.  And I was happy sharing his time, happier still for the beauty and legacy of his music.

Real Time (1992) signed by Art, Benny Golson, Curtis Fuller

Near the end of his life, Art revealed in an interview, "You know, the trumpet is an instrument that really makes people suffer. It makes the listener suffer sometimes. It makes the player suffer almost all the time, you know, to master that thing. The trumpet is the Master, and it makes you suffer to get to the point where you can do anything with it at all."

Art's humility was unneeded and unfounded. In his hands, the trumpet was mastered. No one ever suffered.

Something To Live For (1987) signed by Art

Talk To Me (1974) signed by Art

Choice Art Farmer cuts (per BK's request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKI13urHWvA

"I Remember Clifford"  Meet The Jazztet  1960

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC0T-pap098

"In A Sentimental Mood"    Live with Ray Brown

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhmX-i9-hjE

"Alfie"  The Summer Knows  1976  Art Farmer

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cepSLVmbuO4

"Killer Joe"   Meet The Jazztet  (1960)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyIQXzcwVmw

"Song For My Father"  Art swings Horace Silver!  1967

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQLtNSPC7P0

"Satin Doll"  Art rocks the Flumpet!!  Live with Gerry Mulligan, Lee Konitz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bxoJ_Y9pOI

"Sometime Ago"  Live with Jim Hall  1964

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pwj0Uffv93Y

"The Windmills Of Your Mind"  Art swings Michel Legrand with strings   1984

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRYcY4dj8Lg

“Moanin' "  Brass Shout   1960

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulidPstlB5w

"The Shadow Of Your Smile"  The Time And The Place   1967

The Time And Place (1967) signed by Art

Michel Legrand and Me…

Something that I found a long time ago, when you’re not in danger, your work is not very interesting, because I can search for months if I have time, slowly, nicely, from 9am to 8pm, trying and writing. But..when I have to do Summer of 42 movie, it was Friday afternoon in Los Angeles. The producer and the director took me to the screening. I said, “I love it, When do you need it?' He said, “Wednesday.” I said, 'Fine, Wednesday.' I recorded it and I was finished by Sunday night. Because when you have no time to do something, a very short time, you come up with something much more extraordinary than if you have searched for two years. That’s what I think.

               Michel Legrand

Bonjour Paris (1957) signed by Michel

No, I want to learn. I don’t want to teach. I have been assaulted by so many saying, “Would you teach me?” No never, because I’m no good at it. I know I’m terrible at it because Nadia Boulanger got sick one night when I was a student, she said, “Can you do the class tomorrow morning?” I said, 'Sure,' and the next morning I am ridiculous. I do a monologue for three hours. I cannot understand that what I know they don’t. If you start like that how can you be a teacher? It’s ridiculous. So I’m terrible and it’s boring and I have no patience. But to learn, yes, my God, my God, that’s my nourishment.

               Michel Legrand

C’est Magnifique (1958) with the incomparable beauty of Catherine Deneuve

I hate the idea of goals, results, limits. I’m an artist, not a politician. I’m motivated by life and by the richness and diversity of all kinds of music. Without forgetting that what’s really important is to remain a beginner. One of the most stimulating periods of your life is the time when you’re discovering things, when you’re learning. When you become too skillful, your spontaneity disappears, you’re no longer afraid of anything. I hope I never become someone whom people coolly describe as 'very professional.' Throughout my life, I’ve always wanted to vary my musical pleasures, and to remain an eternal beginner, without ever rationalizing things in terms of a 'career.' Stravinsky once said: “We insomniacs are always trying to find a cool spot on the pillow.” I’ve been searching endlessly for that spot for years!

               Michel Legrand

Legrand In Rio (1958) signed by Michel

The first one is Ray Charles. When I gave a tiny melody to Ray, when he starts to sing, I’m destroyed, I’m on the floor because of what he does with it. I know how good this is, what I wrote, but when he sings it, it’s a million times better and he’s the only one. If anyone else tries to sing it, even the great ones, it’s nothing. The emotion was so high because he understood so deeply every little crotchet. For me, he’s not a singer; he’s a huge inventor. You give him a string quartet and when he sings, it’s a symphony orchestra. Streisand, she sings so well and she’s so musical instinctively. When she sings, it’s better than what I wrote too. But Ray was the highest one of them, because every note had a life with him.

               Michel Legrand on Ray Charles, his favorite interpreter of his music

I put a great deal of faith in melody. Nadia Boulanger always said: "Put whatever you want above and below the melody but, whatever happens, it’s the melody that counts." For example, modern music tends to bore me now. It does, of course, contain innovative rhythmic and contrapuntal devices but, without melody, its lifeblood, it is lifeless and this helps to dehumanize it. For my part, melody is a mistress to whom I’ll always be faithful.

                Michel Legrand

Music From The Films (1958)

An Oscar is a gold star, a piece of flattery, the sweet taste of success but, deep down, it doesn’t make you any better or worse as a composer. Your strengths or weaknesses remain unchanged. When I was a boy, I imagined that I had a pot of grease with special powers: If I dipped my fingers in it, I would have the technique of a Horowitz. Unfortunately, Oscar statuettes aren’t covered in grease! In any case, that’s not what counts: I wrote all that music for and because of the cinema. Without films, none of it would exist.

               Michel Legrand

The Young Girls Of Rochefort (1968)

I saw Michel Legrand perform once at Birdland, a jazz club in New York City in March, 2007. The occasion was a celebration of Monsieur Legrand's seventy-fifth birthday, a special event with the redoubtable Ron Carter accompanying on bass and the equally talented Lewis Nash on drums. It was a rare club appearance for the legendary composer/conductor and three-time Academy Award winner (with thirteen nominations!). A large, black Bosendorfer concert grand piano sat menacingly in the center of the Birdland stage, installed especially for Monsieur Legrand's performance. It looked as impregnable as a fortress, ready to thwart anyone who might dare to attack it.

The club buzzed with anticipation, as Legrand had not toured in decades and most of his appearances were in elegant concert halls, L'Olympia or Salle Pleyel in Paris, or Carnegie Hall in New York City. A cultured man of letters, multiple Grammy and Oscar winner, a future Legion d'Honneur award designate, Monsieur Legrand had left the clubs and saloons decades earlier. It was going to be a memorable night...

Michel Legrand was born in a Parisian suburb and showed a proclivity for music at an early age. His father, composer Raymond Legrand, abandoned his wife and two young children shortly after Michel was born. That left Michel with a lonely and desolate childhood. By his own admission, Michel was moody and he found  salvation in a battered, upright piano in the apartment. By four years of age, he was showing prodigious talent and by the time he was ten, Michel enrolled in the Paris Conservatoire, where he studied classical music under the renowned and fearsome teacher, Nadia Boulanger. 

Madame Boulanger taught piano and composition for seven decades, primarily at the Conservatoire and in her Paris apartment, and her students included future classical composers Aaron Copland, Elliott Carter, Virgil Thomson, and Philip Glass, to name a few. Occasionally, a jazz artist might sneak in, like Quincy Jones, but Nadia Boulanger was a devoted classicist at heart. Her influence was enormous and she was close to Igor Stravinsky, a composer whom she deeply admired and championed during their friendship which lasted a span of some sixty-five years. No less a towering figure in popular music than George Gershwin visited with Nadia Boulanger in 1927 requesting private lessons. After conversing for thirty minutes, Madame Boulanger flatly declined Gershwin, "I can teach you nothing." Clearly, Nadia Boulanger was not someone to be trifled with.

Michel Legrand spent seven years studying with Boulanger  at the Conservatoire and mastering skills in counterpoint, fugue, piano and solfege - a method to teach pitch and sight singing. Michel's world was irretrievably upended one night in 1947 when he saw Dizzy Gillespie perform a jazz recital. Michel was blown away by what he saw and he began to supplement his classical education with jazz improvisations. Blame it all on Dizzy! For her part, Nadia Boulanger was unimpressed, "Nadia Boulanger, she hated it. She fought with me and said, 'No no no, this stupid, ridiculous music with three chords, don’t talk to me about it. No, no, you are a classical musician, Michel.' She was doing some dinner at her home and she liked me very much as her student. She invited for dinner three people like Paul Valéry, Jean Cocteau – it was extraordinary - so I was in the dark listening. At the end of the dinner, she’d say, 'One of my students is going to play something for you.' So every time, I played jazz, because in front of her guests, she couldn’t throw me out."

I Love Paris (1954) 8 million sold, paid $200, nice trade!

When he graduated, the seventeen year old Legrand accompanied French singers like Henri Salvador and Juliette Greco as he continued broadening his musical experiences. In 1954, when he was barely twenty-two, Michel recorded I Love Paris, an instrumental album of classic French chansons. A resounding success, I Love Paris sold eight million copies. For his efforts, Michel received a paltry two-hundred dollar payment upfront.  Years later, Michel was nonplussed, "I didn’t care. It was the first recognition of my orchestrating. It was the first time I was seen in America. I have to tell you, for this television show in New York on NBC, the seven minutes I did, I was paid $7,000. I’ve never seen such a fortune before in my life. I was the king of New York. Every night I went to the best restaurants, I invited all my friends. I went to the clubs. At the time on Broadway, there was the first Birdland. It was extraordinary, and I didn’t want to go back to France. I said to my friends, 'I’m staying here.' I almost did. I Love Paris was a very good launch for me. I was very pleased with it."

Legrand Jazz (1959) signed by Michel “Americalement”

As expected, Columbia Records was equally pleased, and more albums followed as Michel worked with jazz legends, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans and Ben Webster in 1958 on Legrand Jazz. Michel recalled, "I remember the recording. Everyone in New York said Miles at that time in the Fifties was the king of the scene. All the jazz guys with whom I worked said to me, “If Miles likes you, you’ll work in New York. If Miles doesn’t like you, you’d better go home now.” That’s exactly what they told me. They said, “When Miles goes to a session, he arrives fifteen minutes late on purpose. He opens the door of the studio and he stays at the door for five minutes to listen to it. If he likes it, he goes in and undoes his trumpet case, and he starts to play. If he doesn’t like it, he goes out and you’ll never hear from him.” So I said, 'Jesus Christ.' It’s exactly what he did, you know. At that time, Columbia recorded in a church on 30th Street, extraordinary sound. So I was rehearsing with the orchestra and after fifteen minutes the door opened, and Miles arrived with his trumpet case and he stays at the door a few minutes. Then he closes the door, he goes in, he sits down and he starts to play. The first take we did together, he comes to me and he says, “Michel, you like the way I played it?” I said, 'Miles, it’s not for me to tell you how to play.' He said, “Absolutely you have to tell me how you want me to play your music." Though only twenty-six years old at the time, Michel Legrand's stature and reputation was growing as quickly as his eclecticism.

The Windmills Of Your Mind (1969) Nobody was ever cooler than Steve McQueen!

Michel also brought his singular talents to film, and his impressive filmography includes early work with French auteurs, Jean Luc Godard (seven films) and Jacques Demy (ten films). These film makers were part of La Nouvelle Vague, the French New Wave which unleashed the acting talents of Jean-Paul Belmondo, Catherine Denueve, Anna Karina, Jean Seberg and so many others. Along with Francois Truffault, Godard was probably the most influential. The hallmark and style of these directors was improvised dialog, portable equipment which created a faux documentary perspective, quick camera shots with sharp angles, and dramatic cutaways that left a jarring experience for the viewer. Partly, this was their vision, but it was also defined by necessity and economics. It was simple, the more film that was shot, the costlier the film became. In a way, our collective attention deficit disorder begins here.

In all, Michel scored over two-hundred films in his lengthy and storied career, and worked with everyone from Robert Altman to Orson Welles, Clint Eastwood to Barbra Streisand, an amazing oeuvre. He won his first Academy Award for Best Original  Song in 1968, "The Windmills Of Your Mind" from The Thomas Crown Affair.  He also won for Best Original Dramatic Score in 1971 from Summer Of '42 , and Best Original Song Score in 1983 for Yentl. Equally worthy of Oscar consideration, though criminally overlooked, was Michel's work on Never Say Never Again, Sean Connery's swan song as James Bond in 1983, the only real and true Bond. There are some movies (and songs) that Oscar never gets right!

The Happy Ending(1969) My kind of anniversary celebration!

For me, the first exposure to the music of Michel Legrand was 1971's Brian's Song, a made for television film that featured Billy Dee Williams as Chicago Bears running back Gale Sayers and James Caan as his teammate Brian Piccolo. It tells a heart wrenching tale of two teammates from different backgrounds who had love and respect for each other in a racially charged environment. Remarkably, Piccolo and Sayers became the first interracial roommates in the history of the NFL in 1969. Unfortunately, Brian Piccolo succumbed to cancer one year later when he was twenty-six years old. As Gale Sayers accepted the George S. Halas Most Courageous Player Award for his comeback from injuries in 1969, he deferred to his teammate, "He has the heart of a giant and that rare form of courage that allows him to kid himself and his opponent -- cancer. He has the mental attitude that makes me proud to have a friend who spells out the word 'courage' 24 hours a day of his life. . . . I love Brian Piccolo, and I'd like all of you to love him, too. Tonight, when you hit your knees, please ask God to love him." When Billy Dee Williams delivers these very same lines in the movie, it is his most shining moment ever as an actor, even eclipsing his work as a Colt 45 Malt Liquor pitchman! I was babbling like a little boy when I heard those lines, all right I was young then, but still, it remains a powerful and poignant emotional touch stone. And Michel Legrand composed a lovely, haunting melody which conveyed the sadness and sorrow without being overly mawkish or maudlin.

Brian’s Song (1972)

So, there was a lot to be excited about when I saw Michel Legrand perform at Birdland thirty-six years later, we shared a lot of history and tears, whether he knew it or not. The show was a bit late starting and just then, Michel emerged from backstage and sauntered toward the bar. He was tall, elegantly dressed in black tie and he was greeted warmly by friends. I hovered nearby with some vinyl, just in case. I had practiced my lines, over and over. My eight years of grammar and high school French would finally pay untold rewards. A window opened in their conversation, I jumped in, "Bon soir, Monsieur Legrand. Vous etes tres gentille. Monsieur, s'il vous plait, pourriez-vous signer mon vinyl?" My lines were impeccably delivered with perfect elocution. Monsieur Legrand greeted me cheerfully, as though I were a long lost friend from the 6th Arrondissement.  He grabbed my arm, then he unleashed a fusillade of French in a burst that overwhelmed me. I had no idea what he was saying, I felt all the blood drain from my face, I muttered quietly, "Mais non, je parle un peu de francais, un petit peu." "But no, I speak a little French, very little." Indeed, my fraudulence had been unmasked. With unfailing bonhomie, Michel inscribed the vinyl and then left to perform on stage with Messrs. Carter and Nash.

Michel Legrand And Friends (1975)

Thankfully, the show lived up to expectations as Michel Legrand is a virtuoso pianist. The imposing black Bosendorfer sounded warm and inviting in his skilled hands. He played songs from his immense discography, "You Must Believe In Spring", "The Summer Knows", and "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" and he sang two songs in a fey voice that was hushed and moving: "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?" and "The Windmills Of Your Mind" en francais. I did not join in. The highlight for me was an instrumental "Brian's Song", a bit jaunty perhaps, but not a funereal dirge. No tears this time, just warm remembrances and deep love for Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo.

Michel Legrand was asked recently if he reflected on his achievements, "No. I don’t want to have anything in the past. I want to be a man without any past. For two basic reasons. First, I don’t want to be tempted to listen to one of my old records which was a success and try to do it again. I don’t want to fall into that trap. Also, I don’t want to listen to an old record or an old film and say, “Jesus God, how could I write such shit?” I don’t want to be tempted or to suffer."

Michel Legrand, composer, conductor, and bon vivant. His music does not suffer anyone.

After The Rain (1983)

Choice Michel Legrand Cuts (per BK's request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2h8XLTgi8Ns

"Brian's Song"  live with orchestra

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_X4AYu5m2ko

"I Will Wait For You"  Live 2001  with Phil Woods on alto saxophone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzNJ-HBgRSw

"Watch What Happens"  Live with Oscar Peterson  1984

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8NrINKHcXI

"How Do You Keep The Music Playing"  Sinatra sings, Quincy Jones conducts  1984

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mvZitPwHyM

"The Summer Knows"  Sinatra sings Legrand  1974

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiX0Jx5ghIs

"You Must Believe In Spring"   Live At Jimmy's  1975

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_8qxVqLa_w

"After The Rain"  After The Rain  1983

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuywQUf8TEY

"Brian's Song"  Live At Jimmy's  1975

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5pJutZab3w

"Brian's Song"  single release 1972

Bonus Tracks:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJyGVmEbYiY

"Brian's Song"  Hank Crawford blows alto sax  1972

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im-3NCC-UgE

"What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life"  Bill Evans plays Legrand  1972

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i31PrPbRtB4

"The Windmills Of Your Mind"  Jessye Norman sings Legrand

Herb Alpert and Me…

We had to borrow money to start A&M, and borrow money just to release a single. That was the only intention we had at the time; a lot of record companies then were starting, operating out of trunks of cars. Fortunately, 'The Lonely Bull' single became a big hit. The record distributors said we should take the money and run, which piqued our interest, so we did The Loney Bull album. The Tijuana Brass was the label's savior, because the records we sold let A&M experiment. We started with the two of us, Jerry (Moss) and me, and ended up with 500 employees.

               Herb Alpert

Whipped Cream & Other Delights (1965) signed by Herb

I used to go to bullfights in Tijuana for about three years during the spring, and I liked the sound of this little band that was used to announce the different fights. It wasn’t a Mariachi band, it was a brass band, and I was trying to get the feeling of those afternoons that I spent there with ‘The Lonely Bull.’ Then, Jerry (Moss), my partner, came up with the band name, Tijuana Brass. We later did a TV special, and part of it was filmed in that bullring in Tijuana.

               Herb Alpert

The Lonely Bull (1962) signed by Herb

Born in 1935 in Los Angeles, Herb Alpert became an unlikely champion of Latin music. Herb attended the University of Southern California and performed as a member of the USC Trojan Marching Band for two years. Then, he joined Keen Records in 1957 as a staff songwriter and co-wrote the hit single "Wonderful World" with producer Lou Adler and Sam Cooke. Herb learned a lot from his brief time with Sam Cooke. As Herb later related, "Sam used to come in with his loose-leaf notebook, and he'd say, 'Herbie, what do you think of these lyrics?' I'd think to myself, 'Man, this is really corny. I don't know what he's trying to communicate here. I'd say, 'What's the melody like?' He'd pick up his guitar, and this thing that had this so-so lyric attached to it became magical."

In 1962, Herb started A&M records with Jerry Moss when they released The Lonely Bull. The single was a hit, went to Number 6 in the Top 40 and put their fledgling record label on the map. The Lonely Bull was recorded in Herb's garage and Herb multi-tracked the trumpet parts to create the signature Tijuana Brass wall of sound. To accommodate the swelling interest of fans who wanted to see the Tijuana Brass perform live, Herb put a band together. The band was not authentic Latin lotharios as depicted on the album covers with toreador jackets. Rather, Herb described them as "four lasagnas, two bagels and an American cheese."

What Now My Love (1966) signed by Herb

In their storied career, Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass sold in excess of seventy million records, won six Grammys and had fourteen platinum records. They were a commercial juggernaut and in 1966, they had three albums in the Top 10 selling thirteen million copies, easily outstripping The Beatles in their prime!  My first exposure to Herb Alpert happened at an early age. I was surrounded by sounds. My grandmother played piano, my mother played piano, and my dad played saxophone (although I never heard him play). There was always music, even as it emanated from a sturdy, faux mahogany Magnavox console which doubled as a sideboard during holiday meals, or as a book shelf and cabinet long after the electronics failed. It was as much a part of the fabric of 1960s and 1970s hi-fi entertainment as anything.

I remember hearing the tight brass arrangements of The Tijuana Brass through the Magnavox and felt something stirring. Mostly, I remember staring at the Whipped Cream & Other Delights album cover. I was instantly smitten by the beautiful, buxom vixen frolicking in a mound of whipped cream. She seemed to be beckoning me to join her. It was heady stuff. 

Whipped Cream & Other Delights (1965) signed by Herb

The brunette beauty was Dolores Erickson, a Vogue fashion model and one time beauty pageant winner (yes, she was Miss Longshoreman and Miss Maritime!), and she appeared on album covers for Cy Coleman, Nat King Cole and The Sandpipers but none as risqué or as sexually charged. She showed up for the Whipped Cream photo shoot wearing a bikini, undid her straps, and photographer Peter Whorf strategically applied shaving cream, as whipped cream was deemed too fragile to withstand the harsh photographic klieg lights. As Dolores recounted, "On my head was whipped cream. And of course it was whipped cream on my fingers, too. Shaving cream probably doesn’t taste very good."  Whipped Cream & Other Delights became Herb Alpert's best selling album, selling over six million records, and it was in the Top 10 for sixty one weeks and the Top 40 for nearly three years. Clearly, it wasn't all about the music. At least not for me...

Casino Royale (1967) signed by Herb

Herb and Jerry Moss ran a very successful record label and signed notable and commercial artists in the ensuing years like The Carpenters, Waylon Jennings, Quincy Jones, Wes Montgomery and The Police. Herb and Jerry eventually sold A&M Records to Polygram in 1987 for over $500 million and Herb has become a noted philanthropist. Herb continues to tour and record with his wife Lani Hall, the former lead singer of Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66, a band which Herb signed to A&M back in the day. 

I saw Herb and Lani perform in 2009 at the Ridgefield Playhouse in Connecticut. They were touring in support of Anything Goes, their first album recorded together. They performed a bunch of jazz standards - "It's Only A Paper Moon", "Let's Face The Music And Dance", and "That Old Black Magic" - with a crack session band. As a tease, Herb deftly tossed in a few notes of "Whipped Cream" and the crowd roared. It brought back many memories of the original album and The Dating Game theme, another stalwart in the 20th Century pop music lexicon.

Tan, relaxed and worth hundreds of millions, Herb was laid back and easy going when I met him. He laughed when he signed Whipped Cream for probably the ten millionth time. I told him that my adolescence was never quite the same after viewing this cover. I told him that I never found Dolores, but I did find my blue eyed, brunette beauty Erin, and that has made all the difference in my life.

Thanks again Herb for the music, guidance and direction. And especially, Whipped Cream & Other Delights.

…Sounds Like… (1967) signed by Herb

Choice Herb Alpert Cuts (per BKs request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8r__vNf80o&list=PLuhAEE12s8eOtAHcfdasqvLex85ig4-Kq&index=6

“Whipped Cream” Whipped Cream and Other Delights 1965

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8ByJ1C0iR4

“This Guy’s In Love With You” 1968 video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYJtU6WV_J4

“The Lonely Bull” The Lonely Bull 1962

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z0pP8FqYvk

“Spanish Flea” 1966 video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJjlCJLhBF4

“Casino Royale” …Sounds Like… 1967

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYxOQh5eCvU

“Tijuana Taxi” Hollywood Palace 1966

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q2mbvlsRYU&list=PLuhAEE12s8eOtAHcfdasqvLex85ig4-Kq

“A Taste Of Honey” Whipped Cream and Other Delights 1965

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vltC-O7PDYQ

“Rise” Rise 1979

Jerry Butler, Erin and Me…

The first place you can go and perform is in a church and someone’s gonna say 'Amen' whether you’re good or bad.

                Jerry Butler

Soul Artistry (1968) signed by Jerry, brother Billy Butler

While performing one night in Philadelphia, the sound system went down, and from my days in church, we just kept on singing. So we sang the song a capella. And when we finished it, the people jumped up outta their seats and hooped and hollered and Georgie (Woods) ran on stage and said, 'That was the coolest thing I ever saw. So cool, we're gonna call you the Ice Man."

               Jerry Butler on the origin of his nickname bestowed by Philly DJ Georgie Woods

Moon River (1962) signed by Jerry

We were always political. When we started traveling, especially in the South, we were caught up in the fact that we were celebrities and we had money, but we were denied entrance to places because of the color of our skin. Then came the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War and the women's liberation movement. All this came along while we were making music. So naturally a lot of the people who came out of that music became political.

               Jerry Butler

Ice On Ice (1969) signed by Jerry

We both loved Jerry Butler and have listened to him endlessly out on the road while on tour. The Iceman Cometh is a classic LP! Love that so much. 'Baby, don't you understand...what you're doing to the man?' How could we not at least try to cover that?

               Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys on covering "Never Gonna Give You Up" in 2010

More Of The Best (1966) signed by Jerry

Born in Mississippi, Jerry "The Iceman" Butler grew up poor in Chicago, a resident of the infamous Cabrini Green housing project. Jerry wrote and sang his first hit "For Your Precious Love" in 1958 as the eighteen year old lead singer of The Impressions, a band Jerry formed with his childhood friend, Curtis Mayfield. Blessed with a deep, mellifluous baritone, there weren’t many eighteen year olds who sounded like Jerry. Ever.

 Jerry is also a brilliant songwriter and wrote many of his hits -"Hey, Western Union Man", "Only The Strong Survive', "Never Give You Up", and "Moody Woman" - with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, a terrific songwriting team. And Jerry co-wrote "I've Been Loving You Too Long" with Otis Redding in 1965, one of Otis' most moving and powerful songs.

The Soul Goes On (1968) signed by Jerry and Billy Butler

 For nearly thirty years, Jerry performed a Valentine's Day concert at Blues Alley in Washington DC, a small and intimate club. A gifted singer and storyteller with great breadth and depth, Jerry can sing Willie Nelson's "Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground" or Jimmy Cliff's "Sitting In Limbo", and almost eclipse the original artists, while crushing his own compositions. He is soul incarnate.

 Jerry also covered Randy Newman's "I Don't Want To Hear It Anymore". Randy Newman is a Los Angeles born, New Orleans-influenced master songwriter, that is, until he wrote, to me, the most annoying, cloying top 10 hit ever in "Short People", and all the other Disney soundtrack tripe that followed. Newman's early work remains transcendent: "I Guess It's Going To Rain Today", "Sail Away", "Louisiana 1917", "You Can Leave Your Hat On", "Guilty" and "Mama Told Me Not To Come" are classics that Nina Simone, Aaron Neville, Etta James, Ray Charles and many others have performed.

You & Me (1970) signed by Jerry

 One memorable Valentine's Day, Erin and I went to see Jerry at Blues Alley with some friends. Erin excused herself to go to the bathroom before the show. Only Erin didn't go to the bathroom, she went to see "The Iceman." She couldn't get into his dressing room, a rare miscue, so she slipped a piece of paper underneath his dressing room door with one of my favorite songs as a request.

Only The Strong Survive (1984) signed by Jerry

 Erin returned to our table as Jerry came on stage to thunderous applause. He grabbed the microphone. "Thank you very much. Before I start the show, I want to acknowledge how great my fans are. Thank you. I get a lot of requests but this is unusual. I just got a piece of paper which says: I don't want to hear it anymore." Jerry paused and waved the piece of paper in his hand. The crowd laughs nervously, then got the joke. Jerry continued, "Actually, this is a great song. My band doesn't know it, but I will sing the first verse for you." Jerry then sang a cappella:

"In my neighborhood, we don’t live so good
The rooms are small, and the buildings made of wood 
I hear the neighbors talking 'bout you and me 
I guess I heard it all, ‘cause the talk is loud and the walls are much too thin.  I don’t want to hear it anymore.”

 The crowd goes nuts. There is no one cooler.

Jerry Butler is the Iceman and he cometh.

 Happy Valentine's Day!

Ice ‘N Hot (1983) signed by Jerry

Jerry Butler Choice Cuts (per BK's request) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZhcEf-VBdY

"I Don't Want To Hear It Anymore"  Jerry sings Randy  1964

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrZ7NfwNBEk

"For Your Precious Love"  The Impressions with Jerry and Curtis Mayfield  1958

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EebwgNfE-c8

"Moon River"  Jerry sings Mancini!  1961

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZOnEX6lTKM

"Hey Western Union Man"  Jerry  1968

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HashXpCyNWk

"Ain't Understanding Mellow"  with Brenda Lee Eager  1971

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcDJC7hj-pI

"Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground"  Jerry sings Willie!  1992

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO28vIIv17A

"Mr. Dream Merchant"  Jerry  1967

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7RDmsRjonE

"Only The Strong Survive"  Jerry 1968

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjczGwA7AZ4

"He Will Break Your Heart"  Jerry 1960

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0GLx3QZ_UM

"Moody Woman"  Jerry  1969

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K59n5NmF6aE

"I've Been Loving You Too Long" Jerry sings Otis and Jerry!  1968

 Bonus Cut:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skAnv1BJGxY

"I've Been Loving You Too Long"  Otis sings Jerry and Otis!  1965

Only The Strong Survive (1984) signed by Jerry

Phyllis Hyman, DJC4 and Me…

I often think of my great friend Danny Callahan, especially around his birthday and the holidays. He lived greedily and lustily as if each day was going to be his last. Until it was. I met Danny in Washington, DC in 1982 when his brother, Carey, brought me to his 35th Street apartment in Georgetown. Danny was not home so Carey found Danny's key under the mat and let us in. Security was never an obsession with Danny. Carey said, "Make yourself at home and have a drink." I did.

I walked over to a beautiful antique Welsh dresser with a gorgeous marble top and a fully stocked bar, Well fortified with glass in hand, I surveyed the apartment. Some tasteful furnishings graced his living room, reflecting his mother's proper English upbringing, marred (or enhanced!) by inversion boots which hung menacingly in a door way. I felt like I was in an interior from American Gigolo and Richard Gere was about to enter. The stereo was along a wall with a nice stack of vinyl. Carey suggested I pick something out, so I started digging. Then, Carey excused himself to run an errand and he left me alone in the apartment.

There was an eclectic mix of records and a lot of disco and dance music, artists like Sylvester, Donna Summer, and The Weather Girls. Not feeling that vibe, I found some jazz. I selected Miles Davis' Kind Of Blue, placed it on the turntable, and the glorious sounds of Miles, John Coltrane and Bill Evans filled the room. Halfway through "So What", the door opened abruptly and Danny exploded into the room. "Who the f*ck are you? And what are you doing in my apartment?" Startled, I stammered, ‘I'm dating Erin, Carey brought me here. Carey said he'd be right back.’ "So you're Lance Romance, I've heard a lot about you. Well Lance, you have good taste in music." Unclear who Lance was, I stuck out my hand, and his paw engulfed mine. I guess I was Lance. We shared a drink and this was the beginning of our beautiful friendship. A friendship that would last nearly thirty years.

Daniel Joseph Callahan IV

Danny was an unstoppable force of nature. Fiercely loyal and protective of his friends, he was a hustler's hustler, a salesman extraordinaire, an expert carpenter/plumber/electrician, devoted to his wife and children, and a brilliant storyteller in the great Irish tradition. He had so many stories...

When Danny graduated from high school, which was interrupted when he got dismissed from the Delbarton School in Morristown, New Jersey, he attended the University of Utah, a surprising choice given the Mormon influence and a reputation as a "dry" state. Why? I asked. He replied, "The skiing. It was fabulous." Not surprisingly, Danny's university life was not  a solemn oath of chastity and contrition.

He was on campus just a short while when he secured a most valuable employment: a Miller Beer truck driver. In short order, Danny turned a moribund route into the most lucrative in the Utah Miller Beer Company by the sheer dint of his fearless and outsized personality. Soon, he moved off campus and into an apartment with a monstrous stereo subsidized by his Miller Beer earnings. Danny slept on a pool table (he felt it was better support for his lumbar) and he developed his skills as a fearsome 9 ball champion. And there were many, many parties. The late night revelry continued until the Miller Beer truck route was rescinded. Evidently, after a year or so, there were inventory issues. Indeed, some supplies may have fallen off the back of the truck. No matter, Danny was ready to move on and so he did.

Danny returned to Washington, DC and joined an investment bank, Drexel Burnham Lambert, just as Michael Milken was beginning his junk bond alchemy which would revolutionize corporate bond financings and merger arbitrage. Rather than sell Mrs. Jones $25,000 in municipal bonds with 1 point ($250 commission), Danny was selling commercial banks and trust departments $25 million MCI Communication or Turner Broadcasting high yield bonds with 4 points ($100,000 commission). Danny did so well that he was the only retail broker in the Drexel network to be invited by Milken to attend the infamous Predator's Ball in Beverly Hills. All the 1980s legendary financiers were there: Carl Icahn, Nelson Peltz, Ron Perelman, T. Boone Pickens.....and Danny Callahan. 

Danny's clients loved him so much that they hired him to run their businesses. First, he moved to Chicago to run Moloney Coach, an old school custom limousine/car builder. Danny ended up at a car show in Las Vegas, partying all night with Super Bowl Champ and Chicago Bear Dan Hampton and a newcomer who was working the car show for the first time, Pamela Anderson. Her first Playboy cover had yet to  appear, and Danny said they had a great time. Pam was really kind and sweet, just a small town girl from Canada. And not genetically modified or surgically enhanced. Yet.

Callahan’s Famous - best barbecue chicken ever, served at Macomb Street Beach Club

Callahan’s Famous: made by a master

Then Danny put some money in a venture capital deal, Tiregator, a tire recycling business headquartered in Mexia, Texas, a dusty, hardscrabble town of 7,000 hardy inhabitants about 90 miles south of Dallas. Danny slept in a cinder block factory during the week, as loyalty and commitment were hallmarks of his life. Unfortunately, the failure of a highway bill to include recycled tires doomed his company but Danny remained undeterred. There were other dreams and deals to pursue. At the very least, Danny found an old wooden, lead fortified Mexican jail door with bullet holes and visible claw marks which weighed a ton. A real ton, 2,000 pounds and Danny drove it back to DC to find a place for it.

He found the perfect place when he and his wife Karen bought a Kensington Maryland house. I visited the house just as they closed on the property. The land was remarkable but the house was less than inspiring. In an instant, Danny started sketching his vision on a napkin. "We're gonna knock this wall down, blow this side out, nuke those trees and build a wraparound deck 12 feet off the ground." My head was spinning, these were the rants of a madman, or so I (wrongly) thought...

The house became a showcase of their impeccable taste, and the Mexican jail door found a place of prominence in Danny's custom wine cellar. He wanted it to be the entry door, but it was too heavy to open and hanging it would take some advanced engineering. He fastened it against the back wall, nestled among the first growth burgundies and bordeaux, with nary a California cabernet to be found. He wanted stone walls for his new property but he didn't like the price he was quoted. So he went to a library, read a book and built beautiful stone walls by himself. There was nothing insurmountable for Danny.

Katie, Danny, Karen and DJ at the beach!

He was also an expert diver, which certainly saved his foot and his life in September 2009. As he was packing up some personal effects from his family home in the Florida Keys which they had recently sold, he went for a farewell swim and dove off the dock into the intra-coastal. Just then, a bull shark chomped on his right foot. Danny knew that it would be foolhardy to fight the shark, the jagged, uneven teeth would surely shred his foot if he struggled. So he let the shark pull him under. Then he kicked it under the snout with all the force he could possibly muster. The shark released his foot, Danny broke free and swam toward the closest ladder. Unfortunately, the ladder was covered in sharp, jagged barnacles which caused additional wounds. Danny told me that he wanted to swim to a newly installed (barnacle free) ladder but it was too far, and he didn't think he could out swim the angry bull shark. Danny came out of the water, writhing in pain. He and a friend duct taped the wounds and then drove frantically to Marathon Hospital. They had called ahead and found out that a plastic surgeon was waiting in the ER to treat him. 130 stitches later, Danny was up and about, extolling the wonders and virtues of duct tape. "You can do anything with duct tape" became his mantra.

When Danny was leaving the hospital, a crusty, old ER nurse commented how lucky he was. "I've seen people show up here with half their leg in a bag, and they leave with a stump. You're a very lucky man." Actually, we were the lucky ones. Danny Callahan was so much fun to be around, and his light shone so bright for so long that the world seems ever dark and dim since his untimely passing in June 2010.

 I miss him every single day.

The Phyllis Hyman story below and so many others wouldn't have happened without him.

Oh, I'm a ballad queen for sure... I don't dig dance stuff very much but I seem to hit the charts with it. Go figure...

Phyllis Hyman

Phyllis Hyman (1977) signed by Phyllis

Be nice to take that thing home and put it on my wall - but you know it ain't even real. Just a record they spray-painted gold. But that's OK. I'll take this and be more than thrilled! I've been in the business long enough to collect a whole bunch of them suckers!

Phyllis Hyman

Phyllis Hyman was a beautiful and statuesque soul singer. Born in Philadelphia in 1949, she was raised in Pittsburgh and moved to New York City in the mid 1970s. She had a hit with a cover of The Stylistics' "Betcha By Golly Wow." and she joined Arista Records under the aegis of noted hit maker/svengali Clive Davis. She released four albums with Arista and ten in her career. Phyllis also was nominated for a Tony Award as Best Performance by an Actress in Sophisticated Ladies, a 1981 musical that featured the music of Duke Ellington. She had talent and beauty in abundance and her performance of "In A Sentimental Mood"  is transcendent.

Danny, Karen, Erin and I went to see Phyllis perform at Blues Alley in Washington, DC in the early 1990s. Blues Alley is a (mostly) jazz club housed in an 18th century carriage house in Georgetown, which seats maybe 150. The first show was sold out so went to the late show. As we waited for the first show to end, a line snaked from the club entrance down the alley out to the Wisconsin Avenue sidewalk. There was excitement and a buzz among the crowd as it was a rare opportunity to hear an R&B diva perform in such an intimate setting. 

Under Her Spell (1989) signed by Phyllis

Just then the door to the club opened, and Phyllis walked out alone to mingle with the crowd. She was gorgeous, impeccably dressed, over 6 feet tall, and she exchanged pleasantries with her fans as she made her way down the line. When she approached me, I had some albums ready. While she signed I asked her why she came outside? She said, "Darling, I always like to see my audience. I need to see who I'm performing for." I was mesmerized, I'm not sure what else I said, something inane like we were thrilled to see her and looked forward to her show. She continued greeting her fans and the line started moving so we headed into the club.

We took our seats at a table about eight feet from the stage. Phyllis had a great band with her and she went through some of her biggest hits, "Somewhere In My Lifetime", "You Know How To Love Me", and "Betcha By Golly Wow." During a break between songs, she bantered with the audience. At one of the tables nearby, Phyllis noticed a delicious plate of roast chicken. She said to the table, "Man, that chicken looks good. Is it?" Yes came the reply, muffled with laughter. "Can I have some? Just give me a taste. I'm really hungry." With that, a fan gave Phyllis a large piece of chicken, which she devoured voraciously on stage. It was rather disconcerting but she went on to perform the rest of her show flawlessly. And without further interruption.

Sadly, her demons got to her in June 1995 when she took her own life, and she was only forty five years old. Her note read in part. "I'm tired. I'm tired. Those of you that I love know who you are. May God bless you." The news was tragic and such an unfortunate end to a beautiful and talented artist.

Choice Phyllis Hyman Cuts (per BKs request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62onld3ZNac

“You Know How To Love Me” You Know How To Love Me 1979

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZpqBqx9kVU

“Somewhere In My Lifetime” Somewhere In My Lifetime 1978

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBvDSbFdgic

“Never Say Never Again” unreleased James Bond theme 1983

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SupGplAkREc

“Betcha By Golly Why” with Norman Connors 1976

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctavAD72byY

“Meet Me On The Moon” Prime Of My Life 1991

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-fLcBT0hes

“Living All Alone” Living All Alone 1986

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6aim1VOXLY

“Old Friend” Living All Alone 1986

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-1B1BlWWJ8

“Can’t We Fall In Love Again” with Michael Henderson 1981

Ray Charles, David “Fathead” Newman and Me…

I didn’t have any qualms about being called "Fathead". It was not derogatory to me at all...My music instructor from high school gave me the nickname... I had this bad habit of memorizing the music. He wanted to make sure that I read the music. I had some music on my bandstand one day when we were playing "Sousa’s March." The music was upside down on my music stand. He knew that I could barely read the music upright let alone upside down. He walked behind me and thumped me on the head in class and called me "Fathead". He said: ‘You are supposed to read the music, not memorize the music.’ ...After class they all started calling me "Fathead" and it stuck. By now, it is like a trademark.

               David Newman on "Fathead"

Fathead: Ray Charles Presents David Newman (1959) signed by David “Fathead blows Hard Times”

I had no idea that I was going to become an Atlantic recording artist.  Ray had just said that he was going to feature me.  I really didn’t know that he would be presenting me as such, and that I was going to become an Atlantic artist myself.  Because Ray was recording for Atlantic.  I just thought we were really doing an instrumental, and Ray was just going to feature me.  But what he did is, he set it up.  It was called Ray Charles Presents Fathead.  It was like setting me up.  And hence, from that recording on, I became an Atlantic artist, and I signed a contract then.

David Newman 

The Sound Of The Wide Open Spaces (1960) signed by David

Ray gave us a lesson in music appreciation. Before I encountered Ray, my only real love was jazz and bebop.  With Ray I learned how to respect and admire and love all other forms of music.  This music is an incredible gift.  I want to expand my mind and expand the music as it comes through me, put my stamp on it, my feeling, and see what comes out.  I want to explore other areas, bridge the generations.  You can’t close yourself off as music moves on.

David Newman

Fathead Comes On (1963) signed by David

This music is a gift, it’s an incredible gift.  What happens is the music doesn’t really come from me or from us; this music comes through us.  So I want to explore what I can do in all the different areas of music.  I don’t necessarily want to stick to a certain form insofar as the music goes.  I want to expand my mind and expand the music as it comes through me and as I feel it. 

David Newman

House Of David (1967) signed by David

He has one of the kindest, sweetest dispositions of anyone I'd ever known. They called him "Fathead" but I called him "Brains" because of his keen intelligence. He had it all covered - down and dirty blues and high flying bop. And he put it together with a smoothness that had me wishing I could blow sax half as good as him.

Ray Charles on David "Fathead" Newman

The Many Facets Of David Newman (1969) signed by David

I respect him as a man, and we kind of have that respect as men — and I respect his playing.  I broke a lot of bread with David.  The thing I like about him is whatever he plays, for me, I can understand it, I can feel it, how he expresses himself.  He’s just the kind of player that I like, and there are many others, but David is one that I had the experience of being around a lot, so I know him from A to Z!  He’s a very soulful man, and he can play in almost every setting… He’s on most of my recordings.  Every time I use a small band, I always use David.  He has a beautiful sound, a warm sound, and he always finds the blue notes.

Hank Crawford on David Newman

More Soul (1960) signed by David, Hank Crawford

Indigo Blue (1983) signed by David, Dr. John, Hank Crawford, Bernard “Pretty” Purdie, Howard Johnson, Melvin Sparks

Fire! Live At The Village Vanguard (1989) signed by David, Hank Crawford, Stanley Turrentine, David Williams

Born in Corsicana, Texas in 1933, David "Fathead" Newman was raised in Dallas and began playing the piano and saxophone. He graduated from Lincoln High School and attended Jarvis Christian College on a scholarship where he studied music and theology. After two years, David left college to go on the road with Buster Smith, a hard blowing alto saxophonist who was the great Charlie Parker's mentor. 

Captain Buckles (1971) signed by David

On the road in 1951, David met Ray Charles who was playing in Lowell Fulson's band. The two became good friends, and when Ray started his own band in 1954, David joined him as a baritone saxophonist. "because that was the only opening." David later switched to tenor saxophone and became the featured soloist on many of Ray's earliest hits: "The Right Time", "Unchain My Heart", "What'd I Say", and "Lonely Avenue." In 1958, Ray Charles produced and played piano on David's first album, Fathead: Ray Charles Presents David Newman. An instrumental jazz album, it featured Ray's blues and gospel piano with David's warm, burnished tenor. One of the highlights is "Hard Times", a song written by Paul Mitchell that has an infectious groove that never ceases to inspire. It is an early soul jazz recording which helped define the genre and has since become a standard.

The Best Of David Newman (1971) signed by David

After ten years with The Ray Charles Band, David left to pursue a solo career with Atlantic Records. He released over thirty-eight albums as a leader in his storied career and he also participated as a session musician on important recordings with Aretha Franklin, Aaron Neville, BB King, Joe Cocker, Dr. John, and Lou Rawls among many others. Throughout his career, David's talents and artistry were always evolving. Never rooted in his past work, David sought challenges with contemporary music. In 2003, he played tenor sax on Dr. Lonnie Smith's Boogaloo To Beck, a greasy, soul jazz excursion into Beck's very recent oeuvre. "Loser", "Sexx Laws", and "Jack Ass" never sounded funkier or groovier. And he explained his interest in Rap and Hip Hop in a revealing Downbeat interview in 1998:

“So I want to explore and to play in other areas, even see how my music fits into the Rap situation — I mean, poetically.  I don’t really see anything wrong with Rap.  It’s just the content in Rap that’s a little offensive sometimes.  But the Rap music itself is really an extension of the music, coming from Louis Armstrong.”

Front Money (1977) signed by David

Down On The Deuce (1984) signed by David, Hank Crawford, Howard Johnson, Cedar Walton

I saw David many times over the years. He was so soulful on tenor saxophone and he was an accomplished flutist. He was always happy to sign albums and he signed a lot over the years. I told him how much I loved "Hard Times", so he signed his first album "Fathead blows Hard Times." He laughed when I showed him the Doug Sahm And Friends cover. It was a legendary 1972 session with Bob Dylan, Dr. John, David Bromberg, Flaco Jimenez, Augie Meyers and host of other Tex-Mex greats. I asked him about the session. David said slyly, "It was really smokey. There was a haze in the studio. I'd never seen so much smoke. I don't really remember that much."

Doug Sahm And Band (1972) signed by David, Dr. John, David Bromberg

Late in his career, David released a tribute to Duke Ellington, Mr. Gentle, Mr. Cool (1994), a fine album of eleven Ellington compositions including the rather obscure title cut. Although Duke wrote this song about his two trumpet players Shorty Baker (Gentle) and Ray Nance (Cool), he could have been thinking about David Newman. Just a kind, gracious, talented man, not a Fathead...but Mr. Gentle, Mr. Cool...David Newman.

Still Hard Times (1982) signed by David, Jimmy Cobb, Hank Crawford, Howard Johnson, Larry Willis

Resurgence! (1980) signed by David, Louis Hayes, Cedar Walton, Buster Williams

Choice David Fathead Newman Cuts (per BKs request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xB6NkprG0o

”Hard Times” Ray Charles Presents David Newman 1958

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwQVYbVIp5o

”Birth Of A Band” Ray Charles Orchestra with Tina Brooks 1963

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K9CpYjKb-4

”Hit The Road Jack” I Remember Brother Ray 2005

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUvWeeTmjNk

”Alfie”. live in studio 2007

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSTlInH0Q7I

”Cristo Redentor” Davey Blue 2002

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=254sP0LCXVM

”Yesterday” Bigger & Better 1968

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_NIaLTjraE

”Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying” The Gift 2003

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPDZZ8eg9mA

”Everything Must Change” Resurgence! 1981

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMnSeZmuN0I&list=PLccpwGk_xup_1YLI3JCyJqqe4YeL8co0l&index=1

”Girl Talk” Life 2007

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUTXnwviyag&list=PLccpwGk_xup96o0Ch50jC23ObXx3N1Jg_
“Take The Coltrane” Chillin’ 1999

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Jsl6COM5zM

”Drown In My Own Tears” The Weapon 1973

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0_4od4XXN4

”Georgia On My Mind” live with Ray Charles on organ, Fathead on flute 1963

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQdBI84USWo

”Dealer’s Blues” Doug Sahm And Band 1972

Heads Up (1986) signed by David, David Williams

Midnight Ramble (1983) signed by David, Dr. John, Hank Crawford, Howard Johnson