[Here’s a post about a month old that got lost in my transition from old to new laptop. For all I know there’s been a cascade of new press in the interim, but I kinda doubt it for reasons described below.]
Concert films of pantheonic jazz figures in their relative prime, priced to sell and professionally packaged would seem to be a sure bet for jazz mavens. But encomiums on the Jazz Icons series have been inexplicably slow to build*. Thanks to the efforts of European television stations and cultural organizations cameras captured a wealth of footage over the years. Access to such material is still predominately available throughonly cobbled together compilations with dubious dubbed VHS sourcing, not to mention questionable legality. That, or grainy nth generation footage streamed fromYou Tube pages. Naxos presumes to put these pretenders to shame and appears well poised to do so. I have been meaning to sample a title or two in the series for the past few weeks and finally took the plunge on a post-work pitstop to a local music emporium. Cruising the racks, I quickly settled on the Mingus set covering two plus hours of performances from the 1964 band’s celebrated European tour.
The film opens with a shot of a tour bus rolling up to a venue to the strains of the Mingus band. The doors open and out strides bandleader with his bass, followed in short order by Clifford Jordan, Eric Dolphy, Jaki Byard and bringing up the rear the dapper Dannie Richmond. The effect is as galvanizing as an iconic rock band arriving for a stadium gig. Once seated at his kit, Richmond regularly sparks up cigs, integrating his periodic drags into the rhythmic movements of his sticks and loosing expressive puffs of smoke into the studio air. Dolphy opts for black shades, curling his mustachoied upper lip in concentration and looking the epitome of cool. Jordan’s expressions are a bit harder to read, a blend of the stoic and stern, seated on his stool anticipating his ensemble reentry. Byard looks cherubic in his tight-fitting suit, a roll of fleshy fat spilling over his collar as he sits hunched at the piano bench. Mingus exudes an air of congenial confidence, dressed in a sharp black shirt and tie and making it look all so easy from his position centerstage. The camera crew gets in close and intimate, the edits between shots smooth and largely conducive to the music’s flow, though there is a point where Dolphy’s flute opening to “Meditations” occurs off camera, the lens lingering instead on a staid seated Jordan and partially obscured Mingus in arco crouch.
These sights are so engrossing that the music almost seems like gravy on the goose. Obviously scrubbed with noise reduction software, the audio comes through so clear that it’s a bit disconcerting when coupled to the aged imagery. Navigation is simple from a title menu, allowing access to the footage in whatever order the viewer desires. The case inlay card contains a collage of memorabilia and the accompanying booklet, detailed essays by enthomusicologist Rob Bowman and others. Access is made all the sweeter in the context of the recent Cornell set released on Blue Note, a visual corollary to those even more magnificent sounds.
I’ve yet to sample the content of the other two dates represented, but the inveterate consumer in me is already scheming a return trip to the shop to pick up a couple more volumes. Most likely the Monk and Gordon titles, assuming copies are still in stock. I am very interested in hearing other folks reactions to this stuff.
*A sidenote to Naxos: fire your so-called publicist & go with another agency next time. My brief dealings with Michael Bloom were easily the most offensive and ineffectual I have ever encountered in ten years of writing about music. It’s a shame too, because a series of this magnitude and quality deserves so much better in terms of representation.
[a few more of Mr. Richmond in action:]
My favourite drummer. So glad I managed to catch him in concert (with the Adams Pullen 4tet) a few times before he passed.
Posted by: Dan Warburton at October 9, 2007 10:13 PMDannie Richmond is the most perfect musician ever. I am going to have to have this.
Posted by: damon Smith at October 9, 2007 11:41 PMDon’t forget Clifford, Eric, Jaki & Chazz. Seriously, seeing these guys in action & at such length is a boon through and through. Makes the double sawbuck asking price seem but a pittance.
Did a quick net trawl & noticed that Fred Kaplan (Stereophile, NYT, etc.) touched on this set in his blog a few weeks ago & came to similar conclusions about the level of cool on display.
Posted by: derek at October 10, 2007 6:17 AMDid you ever see him live, Damon? He died barely weeks after I arrived in Paris in 1988 (the two events are not related), which shocked the hell out of me. Then we lost Don and George (can't remember who went first).. Only Cameron Brown to go! Fave Adams / Pullen album (FWIW) Lifeline (Timeless).
Posted by: Dan Warburton at October 10, 2007 8:18 AMI never got to see him, but I think it is really underrated how important he was to Mingus' music.
I love that Adams/Pullen stuff.
In 1988 I was listening to the minutemen and flying around a parking lot on one wheel of a bmx bike.
Dan (& Damon &/or anyone), curious where Breakthrough and Song Everlasting fall on your Pullen/Adams continuum?
Damon, when was the last time you dusted off the BMX?
Posted by: derek at October 10, 2007 10:19 AM"Damon, when was the last time you dusted off the BMX?"
For Tim Perkis' film "Noisy People". Someone should send you a copy:
http://noisypeople.com/
Dannie was the Greatest ... I saw him play in 1975 with this Rock group called Marc Almond which was strange but he sounded great. I still remember the fantastic solo he took. He also played a joint w. Locals called the Artist Quarter a couple times. The Pullen Adams 4tet played at a Pizza parlor in Minneapolis and they just went for Blood.Dannie could really overlap stuff. Just Brilliant. George Adams lived in Minneapolis and played in an Organ trio for a couple of years. I think he was going under a Muslim name at that time. Pat Patrick lived here also in the 1980's.
Posted by: Alden at October 10, 2007 12:08 PMSweet stories, Alden. Didn’t know Dannie had played @ the AQ. Guess that would’ve meant that Kenny Horst had to sit out on the cans for that gig (not necessarily a bad thing). I wonder if Adams ever had a chance to jam with Bobby Lyle? What pizza joint was that exactly?
Damon, NICE!
Posted by: derek at October 10, 2007 12:44 PMThat was when The Artist Quarter was On 26th and Nicollet Derek, talking around 1984. Kenny quite wasn't in the mix as a owner drummer at that point so it was cool then. There used to be a local group that did all Mingus covers quite well and Danny played with them a couple times. He just sounded fantastic.
I need to find out exactly who the Organ player was. It wasn't Bobby Lyle although that would heve been great. It seems to me that Blood Ulmer also played in that Organ trio w. George for awhile. mid 60's Before my time but I've heard about it from a number of people.
Pizza joint was the Green Mill on Block E next to Glueks.
Wow, I'm glad to see some love for the Adams/Pullen quartet, as they were a group I listened to a lot when I was cutting my teeth as a jazz listener in the late '80's. I remember really diggin' "City Gates" and that V.Vanguard one on Soul Note (which i had on cassette!). George was roaring - in a way he was really delivering the freedom-swing that critics were looking for from D.Murray, A.Blythe and others, but doing it more consistently and with more authority, in my opinion.
Adams also did a lot of great music with Blood Ulmer. Phalanx with Rashied ALi and Sirone for example.
Dannie - yes! One of the greatest drummers ever, and one of the most under-rated. Him and Steve McCall - can't say enough good about those two. I wish other drummers talked about them more (would be nice to hear more drummers influenced by them as well....)
Posted by: Rob Cambre at October 10, 2007 3:05 PMNostalgia in Block E.
I saw Pullen/Adams/Richmond (with a forgotten bassist) at a downtown Mpls. yuppie fern bar called Knickerbocks, circa mid-80s. Raise the bandstand!
Alden, btw, is a fine drummer his damn self.
Posted by: Jesse at October 10, 2007 3:46 PMAgain, Alden rolls out the erudite TC lore. I didn’t realize all those dudes were in residence at one time or another. Man, the Green Mill(s) these days is all Huey Lewis & Justin Timberlake, the spectre of gentrification & all.
A hearty second on Jesse’s encomium.
That was Cameron Brown Jesse.. I know we're talking about the same gig Knickerbockers? I could have sworn it was the Green mill but I trust your memory better then mine. Thank You for the very kind words guys.
Posted by: Alden ikeda at October 10, 2007 8:38 PMMarc Almond in 1975? Can't be. Either it was 1985 or someone else. Don't you mean Elton John? As far as I know that was the only gig Richmond ever took outside of Mingus
Posted by: Dan Warburton at October 10, 2007 10:19 PMNo not that one . These were 2 guys, Dan. Mark - Almond..I should have put that in there.British Band. One guy, Mark? played Reeds The other guy, Almond? sang and played Guitar. They're probably playing a Casino in Minot ND at the moment. I don't know. Dannie Richmond toured and put a live recording out with these guys. Saint Paul Auditorium 1975.
Posted by: alden ikeda at October 11, 2007 6:47 AMHaha you're right. I'm on form today.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark-Almond
and DR is mentioned in that link
my favorite moment in the sort of newly released mingus ucla concert is when mingus very audibly says something like love D....love..... you can really feel the connection between mingus and richmond. its amazing to think that mr richmond only picked up the drums somewhere in the mid to late 50's. i think he was a saxophonist prior!
Posted by: mfield at October 17, 2007 10:39 AM.................................................. © 2003 - 2006 bagatellen ..................................................
