Play List #1 – THE JAZZ CRUSADERS

Posted on 2014-11-04 by Rod Wilson

The Jazz Crusaders – The Pacific Jazz Quintet Studio Sessions (6 CD Boxed Set : Mosaic MD6-230) I am more a child of the “Hard Bop Era” than the “Hard Rock Era”. While in my 20’s Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Miles Davis, early John Coltrane, Julian Adderley and many others were very much part of my musical soundtrack. So it came as a surprise when I recently stumbled on a Mosaic Boxed Set of The Jazz Crusaders. Despite my Hard Bop inclinations I was not familiar with their music.

For those who don’t know the name, Mosaic it is a boutique Jazz label that specializes in “complete” collections of the significant jazz performers of the past century. (check their website Mosaic Records.) They are not into the actual recording of performances but rather they obtain a license from the original recording company(s), track down the best recording masters, clean up the sound, research and document the artists, and publish the recordings as collections in limited numbered editions. Once the edition is either sold out or the license expires the set is off the market. I keep an eye on their website to make sure I don’t miss something of interest. Occasionally I misstep and a prized set gets by me. I am still cursing the day when I missed out on the Complete Gerry Mulligan Quartet Pacific Jazz boxed set. On Mosaic’s recent “running low list” The Jazz Crusaders were about to be deleted from their catalogue. Jazz Crusaders ???? who are they???? As I have mentioned in previous blogs it is possible to live through a musical era and not be aware of what may be common knowledge. I guess for me The Jazz Crusaders fits into that category. I checked the sample tracks on the website and I was intrigued by the music. Who are these musicians and how did they get by me? A little research revealed that they were a “territory band” originally out of Houston Texas who are thoroughly schooled in the Texas Funk Blues tradition.

For most casual jazz fans the geographical jazz universe revolved around New Orleans, Chicago and New York. But a more serious look reveals that Kansas City, that capital of sex, sin and gangsters in the 1930’s also had a huge influence on the evolution of Jazz. Kansas City was the epicentre of “the Territory Bands” . After the city was “cleaned up” many noted bands and musicians, after leaving Kansas City, went onto shape jazz as we know it. Count Basie’s band was the most famous to come out of the “territories” along with the legendary bassist Walter Page, tenor sax player Lester Young and that giant of post WWII modern jazz Charlie Parker. They all came out of Kansas City. The list is almost endless. Without Kansas City the “swing era” would not have swung as much and modern jazz may not have been invented.

Good jazz in “the territories” didn’t end in the 1930s. The case in point is The Jazz Crusaders originally out of Houston Texas. In the late 1950s, as a teenager, Joe Sample (piano and keyboards) formed a band with tenor sax player Wilton Felder, drummer Nesbert “Stix” Cooper and trombonist Wayne Henderson. This was a “hard bop” outfit from Houston Texas who relocated to California in the 1960s and in an over a nine year period, recorded 16 albums on The Pacific Jazz label. In some ways it was an odd coupling. The Jazz Crusaders were hard bop “jazzers” and The Pacific Jazz label was better known for its associations with the West Coast “cool jazz” school. At the end of the association with Pacific Jazz the band changed their name to The Crusaders and went onto to become a major force in the jazz/pop/soul music of the 1970s and 80s. While the style of their music underwent a change from their original emphasis on hard bop to a Texas funk /soul sound and later on when they incorporated electric keyboards, synthesizers, drum machines bass guitar onto a more smooth jazz sound the common denominator remained a tight front line of tenor sax and trombone. That, along with great arrangements and strong instrumental have left their mark on both Jazz and Pop music. As The Crusaders, in the period from 1971 through 2004, they recorded over twenty albums.

What can I say about this box set? There is so much material – over six hours and over 100 tracks and all of it first rate. From the opening track, the 6/8 blues The Geek, right through to the final track Another Blues, it is all worth adding to a play list. The only weakness, for me, in the whole set, are some of the shorter tracks that were intended for release as singles. On these compositions longer solos would have been welcome. The style of The Jazz Crusaders continue to mature throughout their career and towards the end of this boxed set there is strong evidence of the influence of John Coltrane on their music. One track that deserves special mention on disc one is the performance of Freedom Sound. This composition became one of the jazz world’s civil rights anthems. It is right up there with Charles Mingus’ The Fables of Faubus.

On a sad note, reported in the November 2014 issue of Downbeat, Joe Sample, the keyboard player in The Jazz Crusaders and The Crusaders passed away from Lung Cancer in a Houston Hospital on September 12, 2014. He was 75 years old.

and here is FREEDOM SOUND from the Jazz Crusaders

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Vested Interests in The Heid Out

Posted on 2014-09-20 by Rod Wilson

No, this is not a financial report. Vested Interests is the folk/rock (or something like that) group who performs regularly at The Heid Out in Cranbrook. I suppose, true to their name, they do have a vested interest in the place. The better they perform the more likely patrons will be happy and the band will continue to be invited back. The original Vested Interests was Dave Prinn on vocals and guitars, and Bill Renwick, also on vocals and guitars. Brian Noer has joined to group to fill out the vocal harmonies and add some tasty licks on lead guitar.

Vested Interests at the Heid Out in Cranbrook, September 12, 2014, live music until 11pm.

What can I say that I haven’t said before. I arrived late after taking in the Daniel Champagne show at the Studio / Stage Door but I was amply rewarded with some great sounds as the group played right through to 11pm. Always keep the Heid Out in mind for great food, great beer and great music. This coming Friday (September 26, 2014 6:30pm) will feature OUT OF MIND – THE MUSIC OF JAMES NEVE with Lonesome Jim on vocals, guitars and effects and percussionist Juan Havana…… Be there. Here are some images from the Heid Out’s Friday show.

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Two more music legends pass on – Charlie Haden and Johnny Winter

Posted on 2014-09-20 by Rod Wilson

CHARLIE HADEN – Jazz Double Bass Player (August 6, 1937 – July 11, 2014)

Charlie Haden is not a name that many people outside the Jazz world would recognize. But make no mistake he was a giant in that world.(see the wikipedia entry). Arriving on the Los Angeles scene in the late 1950’s he just missed the glory days of the bebop era on the West Coast. Instead he landed in the middle of the halcyon days of the Free Form Jazz movement spearheaded by Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry. It was the beginning of a career that spanned many forms of jazz from the outrageous to the melodically and harmonically nostalgic. He performed in duos, trios, quartets, various combos, large jazz orchestras and even string orchestras. He won many many awards and recorded at least 40 albums as a leader of various configurations. That is not counting the literally hundreds of recordings as a sideman. Of all his recordings my favorites are the QUARTET WEST series where he took a nostalgic look at the music of the Los Angeles area in the mid 1950s. The albums all had a film noir quality that really appealed to me. And of course in that quartet he had two of the finest jazz musicians to grace the planet earth – the Tenor Sax player Ernie Watts and the Pianist Alan Broadbent. Here are some Youtube clips to celebrate the life of Charlie Haden and the soulful sound of Ernie Watts.

For a number of years Charlie had been battling the effects of Post-Polio Syndrome.

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JOHNNY WINTER – Bluesman (February 23, 1944 – July 16, 2014)

This is confusing. The Guardian published an obituary way back in July yet there is no mention of his passing on Johnny Winter’s website. So Mr. Winter are you still out there?

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Continuing the Tradition

Posted on 2014-09-13 by Rod Wilson

Daniel Champagne at the Studio/Stage Door, September 12, 2014 8pm.

There is a whole cadre of musicians who are out of the musical mainstream and under the radar. There are performers who are a cut above the run of the mill. We have been very fortunate over the years in having local impresarios like Gord and Jill Johnston and Terry Miller who have extended themselves to present these unsung heroes of the music scene. The list of legends who have performed in the area include Martin Simpson, Kelly Joe Phelps, Andy Irvine, Garnet Rodgers, Steven Fearing and many, many others. Gord and Jill have moved on to other fields of endeavor and Michael and Corianna Robinson have stepped up to the plate to keep the tradition going. Some months back they brought in Old Man Leudecke and this past Friday they presented Daniel Champagne. Daniel is a young Australian guitarist and vocalist who is not (yet) a household name. The best way to describe his music is that it is a cross between Tommy Emmanuel (another Australian who is a household name), and Michael Hedges with a dash of Van Halen thrown into the mix. He is a dramatic performer who uses the open tunings and the percussive possibilities of his guitar. It goes without saying that his guitar has taken a lot of beatings in its short life (check the duct tape that seems to be holding it together). He has an endorsement agreement with Australian Cole Clark Guitars and maybe it is just as well. I can’t see his instrument lasting more than a couple of years. Despite his aggressive playing style and on stage athleticism he has a finely developed sense of dynamics that can take his playing from whisper soft to outrageous shouting. The shouter of the evening was Willie Dixon’s blues classic Spoonful. It was an extended performance that could easily match the many other cover versions that are out there. Apart from a number of original tunes, The Pendulum, I Grew Up Where I Could See the Stars, Wrecking Ball, Gypsy Moon, Renegade’s Rule there were a couple of covers tunes as well. They included Don MacLean’s Vincent. This was a masterpiece of deconstruction in which he took the melody apart and put it back together with wonderful instrumental shadings. For the guitarists in the audience here is a hint …. he plays the piece in the key of G using Dropped D / Dropped G tuning (the bottom E string is tuned down to D, and the bottom A is tuned down G ie DGDGBE). Daniel credits Chet Atkins with this arrangement

This was an especially fine concert and the second in this new series. For the purpose of this blog I have decided to “brand” the series by calling it the IN THE TRADITION CONCERT SERIES. The next concert will be the magnificent Freddie Eaglesmith at the Studio / Stage Door October 14, 2014 followed by Bow Thayer on November 7, 2014. CONTACT Mike for tickets at music@lotic.co.

Special Thanks to Mike and Corrina Robinson, Ben Blomander (on sound) and the other volunteers lurking in the background.

Here is special treat from Youtube

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?Ravens Roost or Bears Den

Posted on 2014-09-13 by Rod Wilson

Open mic Session at the Ravens Roost, September 12, 5-8 pm, hosted by Bill St Amand.

Well, paradise at last. Or at least the bears thought so when they were checking out the Kimberley golf club deck from a vantage point in a nearby tree. They were spotted by the early club members who were waiting for the sun to burn the frost of the greens. Maybe the bears didn’t like the local clientele because they didn’t hang around for the Friday evening open mic session on the deck. It’s a shame because it was a good evening. The weather for this summer’s open mics has not been too co-operative but for this last session of the season the weather gods must have been appeased because the evening was perfect. The sun was brilliant but not hot; it was just right. The regular crowd of musicians were there – Bill St. Amand, Rod Wilson, Alphonse Joseph, Gary Jaclin and a new comer to the area Michael Harrison. It was the usual mix of rock, country and blues classics with a little bit of Celtic thrown into the mix. Here are some images from the evening (sorry, the bears couldn’t make it for the photo shoot).

and a fitting toast to beautiful day

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Going for “Baroque” at Centre 64

Posted on 2014-09-08 by Rod Wilson

Somewhere along the line this music got tagged with the label “Scottish Baroque”. Of course Baroque music it isn’t but the label is a convenient way to distinguish it from the usual run-of-the-mill Celtic pub music. Mind you, it would not be out of place in some low-ceiling inn in the old country. In the ambience of the dance studio in Centre 64 it was right at home. The musicians are from all over the map. Radio broadcaster Bruce MacGregor is from Inverness Scotland and is reputed to be one of Scotland’s finest fiddle players. After hearing him it is not a reputation I would care to dispute. I have added his name to my list of favorite fiddlers that includes the Irish fiddler Martin Hayes and the Irish American Liz Carrol. With them he shares a clean, clear, solid, almost classical tone, a great sense of musical dynamics and a wonderful choice of tunes. Christine Hanson is originally from Edmonton, Alberta but has been resident in Glasgow for the past 15 years. Her prairie roots come though from time to time in her choice of country waltzes. Christine’s instrument of choice at the moment is a handcrafted Carbon Fibre Cello. This came about when an airline company carelessly “dropped kicked” and nearly destroyed her traditional wooden instrument during one of her tours. The Carbon Fibre instrument she is using was probably built by Luis and Clark in Boston – check the link Luis and Clark Carbon Fibre instruments . There are other manufacturers out there. The German company Mezzo Forte comes to mind but Christine’s instrument has the look of a Luis and Clark. Conservative musicians and patrons may shudder at the concept of a “plastic” instrument but I guess the proof is in “the pudding”. The instruments look and sound wonderful and I suspect as the supply of endangered tone woods become scarce we will see more of them. Beside looking and sounding good Carbon Fibre instruments are more robust than their traditional wooden counter part. For travelling musicians this is a definite plus.The vocalist/guitarist Andy Hillhouse is from Vancouver where he is the manager of the music festival at Harrison Hot Springs. His instrument is a Lowden Guitar from Belfast Ireland. Hand made Lowdens are the instrument of choice of a number of top performers and are pretty rare in North America. Andy only managed to get together with the other musicians for the first time at 4:30 that same afternoon. With that in mind his performance was pretty astounding.

The Fiddle / Cello / Guitar combination turned out to be a wonderful vehicle for their selections of Strathspeys, Airs, Laments, Reels and Waltzes. The guitar provided the rhythm foundation, the cello the bass lines, rhythm and counterpoint to Bruce MacGregor’s fiddle that was over the top of it all. My personal favorites of the evening was the traditional Her Mantle so Green, a tune that Christine picked up in a wee back bar in Ullapool Scotland from the playing of Cathal MacConnell of Boys of the Loch fame. Andy Hillhouse chose some traditional songs to sing and play but the standout was the great narrative song Beeswing by Richard Thompson. This is a song that defines what a great song should be – good melody, a great, great story line and very appropriate accompaniment. From the many, many tunes that Bruce played though out the evening the standout for me was the final set of the evening that included Miss Lyalls Strathspey and The Kings Reel. I have been thoroughly indoctrinated into these tunes by young local fiddle player Angus MacDonald. It is a pity that Angus has gone away to college. He would have enjoyed Bruce’s performance. Besides the wonderful selection of tunes Bruce came to fore with his story telling. His “real job” as a radio broadcaster obviously comes in handy when he launches into tales of J. Scott Skinner. For those that do not know J.Scott Skinner (1843-1927) was the preeminent Scottish Fiddler of the late nineteenth century. The other story of note was the one about his father’s revenge on a local firm of lawyers. Here are some images from the evening. Sorry about the less than satisfactory quality – the lighting was awful. To get rid of the horrible green tint I had to Photoshop the images down to greytones

This was a wonderfully unique evening of music. The “cabaret” setting was great, the ambience and the audience were perfect. The evening was only marred by the less than perfect lighting.

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Oye Coma Va (“Listen to How My Rhythm Goes”)

Posted on 2014-09-05 by Rod Wilson

The Little Jazz Orchestra Latin Night at the Heid Out September 4, 2014, 6:30 pm

The New Orlean’s creole Jazz musician Jelly Roll Morton called it the “Spanish Tinge”. Dizzy Gillespies called it Afro-Cuban; the Brazilians called it Bossa Nova; on the New York dance scene it is called Salsa and off to the side the West African musicians call it Rumba. So even from the earliest days Latin music has had a profound and ongoing influence on jazz and music though out the world. So, for the Little Jazz Orchestra (LJO) (Dave Ward – trumpet, Janice Nicili – electric bass, Jim Cameron – guitar, Graham Knipfel – drums) it was fertile ground for one of their themed nights at The Heid Out. With the addition of Sven Heyde and Rod Wilson on congas and percussion the LJO became their picante counter part, The Latin Jazz Orchestra. Their goal for the evening was to explore the Latin Jazz repertiore and have a whole bag full of fun. In deference to an ongoing business meeting downstairs the band (minus some of the percussion) kicked off the evening with a number of “Latin Lite” tunes that included Morning of the Carnival (Luiz Bonfa’s theme from the 1959 movie Black Orpheus) and Michael Bubble’s hit Sway. The second set kicked off with an extended percussion jam before settling down to the serious business of playing some classic tunes. The tunes included Chick Corea’s Morning and Sea Journey; Freddie Hubbard’s Little Sun Flower; Antonio (Tom) Carlos Jobim’s Corcovada and Triste; Sergio Mendes’ Mas Que Nada; Luis Alberti’s famous Merengue Campadro Pedro Juan; Duke Jordon’s Flight to Jordon; the marvelous theme from The Bona Vista Social Club, Chan Chan and last, but not least Tito Puente’s 1963 recording classic Oye Coma Va that later became the 1970 Carlos Santana’s rock classic. The names of the tunes may not be that well known but I am sure that the melodies rang more than a few bells. It was a marvelous night of picante music with all the musicians in top form and obviously having a load of fun as well.

Just in case the tunes aren’t that well known here are a couple of YouTub links Carlos Santana’s Oye Coma Va , Tito Punte’s Oye Coma Va , Freddie Hubbard’s original version of Little Sun Flower , Tito Puente’s version of Flight to Jordon (check out Giovanni Hidalgo’s conga playing),and the great samba beat of Sergio Mendes Mas Que Nada and the theme from the Bona Vista Social Club Chan Chan

Not many photos I afraid. I was too busy playing percussion:

And Dave Ward “greasing the wheels”In case you haven’t noticed the sound in The Heid Out has been improved with the installation of “sonic baffles” (I don’t know what they are called) high on the walls.

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A Strong Breeze from “The Windy City” at the Key Theatre

Posted on 2014-08-17 by Rod Wilson

25 or 6 to 4 : THE CHICAGO STORY , Saturday August 16, 2014, 8pm at the Key City Theatre in Cranbrook

Normally I don’t pay much attention to the pop/rock genre of music. In fact I have lived through whole musical eras and been oblivious to the music that has often become the soundtrack of a particular generation. I have always worked on the assumption that if the music is any good I will get to hear it eventually. Well, Saturday evening was a moment of “eventuality” that put the music of Chicago front and center. Their record, no pun intended, speaks for itself. The band was formed in 1967 and this year, 2014, they are releasing their 36th album. During that 6 decade run they have had 21 top-ten singles, 23 Gold, 18 Platinum and 8 multi-platinum records (see the Wikipedia Link. ). Their claim to fame is their innovative use of a horn section within a rock and roll environment. This tribute band, and I hesitate to call them a tribute band because the music sounded so fresh, seems to have been pulled together by saxophonist Rick Lingard and is a fine aggregate of local musicians. The line up includes, front and center the horn section with Keith Todd on trombone; Dave Ward and Tim Bullen on trumpets and, of course, Rick Lingard on saxophones and vocals. The front line is supported by Doug Stephenson on bass, Colin Spence on keyboards, Tony Ferraro on drums and Darren Mahe on guitar. Arron Nelson is the male vocalist who doubles on congas and, the frosting on the cake is the three well turned out female vocalists Melody Diachin, Lisa Backus and Sydney Galbraith. Of course they beg the question why do the ladies make such an effort to look so good on stage and the guys don’t seem to bother ?

This may be a tribute band but for me there was no element of musical nostalgia. The only real elements of nostalgia were the slide show on the back curtain. That was nice touch. The repertoire was all new to me. As befitting a twelve piece fully amplified power house band they nearly blew the walls out and in the process put on a great show. It was probably one of the better shows I have witnessed at the Key City Theatre in recent memory. This was a follow up to their performance at the Kaslo Jazz Festival a few weeks ago. I hope that we get to see and hear this band again in the near future. Here are more images from the evening:

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Swamp Music at the Byng

Posted on 2014-08-17 by Rod Wilson

Dark Fire Cloud and the Lightning Band at The Byng’s Legendary Road House, Friday August 15, 2014, 10 pm to whenever

“Swamp Music” !! It’s not a derogatory term. Otherwise known as Zydeco it is the Creole music of Louisiana and is a musical descendent of the Acadian music of the Canadian Maritimes. Way, way back the French speaking Acadians were expelled from Eastern Canada and settled in Louisiana. One person’s loss (Canada) is another person’s gain (USA). Dark Fire Cloud (Thadeus Prejean) comes by the music honestly. Although he now resides mostly in Switzerland he is originally from Lafayette, Louisiana. If his driving vocals, slide guitar and Cajun accordion inspired harmonica playing doesn’t get the feet tapping then the West Indian / Reggae beats of Shuggy Mulligan on drums should do the trick. The frosting on the cake is Jake Buttle’s absolutely rock solid acoustic bass. If none of that works then you are either comatosed or dead. The band returned to the Legendary Byng Roadhouse to recapitulate their blow out performance off several weeks ago. With such tunes as Jumbalaya, Buffalo Soldiers, Zydeco (Have Mercy!), Mr Pitiful, I Love You any Old Way, Twiddle Dee, A Pain in My Heart, Lets Talk It Over and Sweet and Dandy how could they fail?. Dark Fire Cloud is on his way back to Switzerland at the end of the month but the band promises to back in the area around June next year. Look forward to it ………

The band did us all one big favor. They had a member of their crew videotaping the performance and the first thing he did was remove all the colored gels from the over head stage lights. Vola!!! we could actually see the band. I don’t know who insists that the colored gels enhance a performance. In my experience they do the exact opposite. The last time I was in the Byng was for one of my favorite bands (60 HERTZ) and the light was so bad I could barely see the band and I didn’t get one decent photo of the evening. I left the performance very dissatisfied with a promise to myself not to come back to the Byng. Hopefully some one will lose or destroy those pesky gels.

On a technical note. Jay and Dark Fire Cloud both play acoustic instruments “amped” up to the heavens and yet there is little or no feed back. That’s quite an achievement considering the high volume level. Jay informed me that it is a real challenge and throughout the performance they are on the edge of what is sonically possible. It is only by paying close attention to their technique that they manage to pull it off. Great job guys.

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The Jazz Council Reunion at the Studio/Stage Door

Posted on 2014-08-17 by Rod Wilson

The Jazz Council Reunion Concert, at the Studio / Stage Door Friday August 15, 2014 8pm

Here are some brief words from their press release to get the ball rolling:

“Cranbrook, BC – It’s reunion time! Two years after their last concert together, the original members of The Jazz Council are bringing their infectious swing, magnetic energy, and new original tunes back to The Stage Door in Cranbrook on Friday, August 15 at 8 PM. Drummer Sven Heyde, pianist Tim Plait, saxophonist Bernie Primbs, trumpeter Laurel Ralston, and bassist Joel Kroeker have been honing their skills and exploring new musical horizons – here in the Kootenays, across the country, and abroad. They are thrilled to meet back at home this summer and pick up where they left off – making great music in their signature style.The Jazz Council has given over 40 performances since forming in 2010, and released their successful debut album, Dawn, in 2011. They are renowned across the Kootenays for their unique sound and blend of instruments, skillful playing, and irresistible stage presence. The Jazz Council firmly believes that jazz is, at its core, popular music, and can be both authentic and accessible. Their original compositions and their covers weave together many different strands and sub-genres of jazz, giving the listener’s ears a well-balanced diet, while their ability to select sounds from a specific palette gives them a unique, clear sound that is all their own.”

In the meantime there are a lot of images to browse:

The Jazz Council kicked off this concert with Bernie Primbs ode to his wife with Quiere Casarte Conmigo followed by the Miles Davis tune Four. That first tune was off their CD Dawn. So that set the pattern for the night – a mix of tunes they had recorded and mostly new and original material. Their playing was very “snappy” and precise with lots of swing, so much so that it was hard to believe that they have not had many, if any, opportunities to practice together over the past two years. In her never ending search for technical and spiritual inspiration Laurel has been dipping into to playing of Booker Little. The results of her research was her rendition of Booker’s composition Bee Tee’s Plea (check the YouTube link Bee Tee’s Plea ). Booker was a disciple of the Jazz trumpeter Clifford Brown who died in a car crash in 1956 at the age of 25. Booker was only a couple of years later and was only 23 when he died of the complications of uremia. Considering how short their respective careers were it is amazing that here in this day and age, 50 years after their deaths, these two musicians are still exerting a significant influence on new generations of trumpet players. Other compositions played were Drifting (Herbie Hancock), If I was a Bell, A Nightingale Sang in Berkley Square (a piano trio outing with some nice brush work from Sven). No night of jazz would be complete without at least one Thelonious Monk’s tune and the band did the honors with the jazz standard Well You Needn’t. The original compositions presented were Laurel’s Broken Drill Bit Blues and Cinder; Joel’s 5/4 romp Rainy Night Caper and his funky January 29th; and Bernie’s “creepy Jazz Style” On the Prowl and for the encore his Everybody Could Use a Minor Funk. There was lots of humor in the evening and it was evident that these musicians really enjoy what they are doing. It is a pity we may not get to hear them more often. Laurel is heading back to Ottawa, Tim to Edmonton and Joel to Fernie. That only leaves Bernie and Sven around town. Too bad.